Three quarters of the way there!  It is fairly racing by, at least from where I stand!

Today's challenge is about volunteering.  Most of my readers (if not all) will already do lots of volunteering, so I hope they won't feel obliged to pick up new things.  I love the volunteering I do outside of church life, it enriches my life, allows me to learn transferrable skills (hopefully my phone manner is better than it used to be!!) and makes a small difference, which for some people can, in that moment, be all the difference in the world.

There are probably very few scenarios where we ought to push for ‘first’. One is the Olympics. The other is volunteering. The thing is, if you wait for someone else to put their hand up before you, you miss the opportunity to make a generous difference. It might be a tiny ripple or a mighty wave of change. Today, be willing to put the hard work in when nobody else wants to. Be first to raise your hand.

SMALL IDEAS BIG IMPACT:

Offer to do the tea/coffee run at work, or wash up everyone’s mugs at the end of the day. Offer to pray for someone – don’t wait for that ‘more spiritual person’ to step up. Say ‘yes’ to that difficult task announced at the PTA meeting. You get the idea … run with it!

MAKE SOME WAVES:

Got a local soup kitchen? Maybe a social action project attached to your church? Go ahead and phone up the organisers today and offer your time.

CHANGE THE WORLD (probably):

Make a quick list of the things you’ve volunteered for in the past. Is there a theme? In other words, what are your passions? Be inspired by today’s blog, and then spend an hour thinking about what you would do to make your world better if you knew you couldn’t fail. Pray over it. Then raise your hand and put that plan into action.

Bless the boss... bit tricky when your boss is God rather than a person, or a whole church full of people rather than a line manager, or even two especially gorgeous kitties... maybe I just need to pause briefly to acknowledge all the poeple I serve and am served by.

A QUICK WIN:

We often fire off an email or letter complaining, but how often do we send one that is full of praise? Bless your leader today with an email, letter or text that’s crammed with kindness.

TAKE IS FURTHER:

Chances are your leader’s schedule is hectic. How could you ease their burden today? Could you run an errand, make tea, offer a lift or walk their dog? Do something small and practical to lighten the load.

MORE TIME:

Make a conscious decision to honour and support your leaders on a long-term basis, even if it’s difficult sometimes.

Very late posting this today - it has been a very busy day one way and another so only just now having a few minutes to post it.  Pretty self-explanatory I think...

Unbutton those cuffs and let’s get elbows-deep. This is all about practical generosity; the kind that gets things done – no fuss. It’s about seeing a need and working out how to provide a practical solution. It might need good planning and forethought, or it could just be a spur-of-the-moment thing.

BE OPPORTUISTIC:

Eyes peeled today – where could you help out instead of walking by? Whether you’re helping a stranger to carry a suitcase, assisting an elderly person across a road, or giving someone a free lift somewhere – the key is practical, physical acts of kindness.

GOT AN HOUR:

Got a bit more time to get stuck in? Brilliant! Maybe your neighbour hasn't been able to give much attention to their garden lately, or your family member could do with their car being washed. Whatever this looks like to you, make sure you make the most of mucking in.

SEIZE THE DAY:

Identify an issue in your community: it might be that homelessness, drug addiction or unemployment is a particular problem where you live. Or you might just know quite a few people who’d benefit from a new youth group or book club. Get a group of people together and start something practical to make a difference where you are.

Grace growers... the nice Christian term for "people who p*** me off daily" and which attempts to foster a better attitude towards them. Strangers are simply friends you haven't met yet (so the cliche goes).  Cliques arise often unintentionally but can be exclusive and insular.

Today's challenge seems to reflect these realities:

Your group, your clique, your club, your ‘gang’, your crowd. It’s great to have a core circle of friends, but it’s probably even better to open it up to include others. Who knows? You might end up with a Tinigua-speaking, acrobat artist with a special fondness for rich tea biscuits in your friendship group…!

START HERE:

Deliberately seek out those you’d normally avoid today and just start with a ‘Hello’. Say ‘Hi’ to someone new at the school gates, at the train station, at the water cooler or even on Twitter.

FEELING BOLDER?

Got a social event coming up? Most people love going to see a movie, heading out for a meal or getting together for a party, so invite someone new and make it clear you’d really like them to come.

ALL OUT THERE:

You might know a few people that you just can’t be bothered with: you find them annoying/boring/too hyper/too quiet (insert your own gripe here). Someone once said those people are like sandpaper: they rub us up the wrong way but eventually smooth out all of our rough edges. Bring those people into your circle somehow today.