Of late, this blog has consisted almost entirely of 40 Acts posts.  Life has been busy to point of stupidity - last week I worked around 70 hours in five days, this week I've already done about 24 in two.  It's not sustainable and there's no sense that this level of madness will continue.  It does, however, mean that in the short term I am not posting much here... normal drivel will be resumed as soon as possible.  In the meantime, here's a cat photo!!

I have a feeling that the degree of challenge in this one will depend to quite a degree where a person is from - reserved English southerners will find it more demanding than those from the northern English cities; Weegies will find it more natural than those from Reekie.

Talking to poeple we don't know... saying hello or goodbye to people in shops, chatting to peopple in waiting rooms or on buses... for some it's easy for others it's terrifying.

So here are today's options:

As children we are always taught to be wary of strangers. But when does that change? Stranger Danger is real, but so are the opportunities that we miss when we block the world out. After all, friends were once strangers and you never know where life may lead after starting up that initial conversation.

I'M SUPER-SHY:

Try stepping out of your comfort zone and speaking to one new person today. It might be someone new to a forum online, your supermarket cashier, a bus driver, or a colleague you haven’t spoken to before.

FEELING BOLDER:

Make an effort to deepen the relationship you have with people you see every day but don’t really know: shopkeepers, bus drivers, postal staff, office cleaners. Ask their names, share a story or two, and take some time to find out a little bit more about them.

GOING ALL OUT:

If this challenge ticks your box, try and spend as much time as you can talking to strangers. Strike up a conversation in an unusual place – like a tube carriage, a GPs waiting room or a lift. Make the awkward less awkward. Watch this video for inspiration.

This is one I find pretty challenging - simply because the logistics are more complex than other days and the responsibiltiy to get it right very great.  Writing to a stranger - how do you avoid being patronising or simplistic?  How might words be misread?  So in one sense I'm going to wimp out and do the 'green' option.  The reality is that I already give a few hours a month as as support volunteer for women affected by primary breast cancer - helping to normalise their experience, reassure them and if necessary journey with them through part of their treatment.  This support, by phone or email is both demanding and rewarding, is easily fitted in around my church responsibilties and allows me to 'give back' which I find important.

Anyway, here's the challenge - see what you make of it and how you might do or adapt any of it:

Today we've chosen two groups of people who could do with being remembered. Prisoners: isolated because of their own wrongdoing. Victims of domestic abuse: isolated because of someone else’s. Both groups need to know they aren't forgotten, or lost. We've all been given grace, and today we're extending that grace and friendship elsewhere.

START SMALL:

If you can't get a letter of encouragement to someone today, spend five minutes praying for them instead.

I'VE GOT AN HOUR:

Write a simple letter to a prisoner or a family in a refuge. Make it encouraging, positive and genuine.

I'VE GOT AN HOUR AND SOME £/$:

Write a letter and then either commit to writing a letter each month or search for a domestic abuse charity or prison intervention programme and set up a monthly direct debit to support them.

The song says, "sorry seems to be the hardest word"... today's challenge is to say that one word to one person who needs to hear it.  I'm not too sure what to make of this challenge - I was brought up to apologise, and swiftly, so I honestly can't think of someone to whom I need to apologise.  Indeed, I have a feeling I err the other way - apologising for things that are/were justified/jusitfiable... maybe I'm odd or deluded?!

Anyway, here it is:

OneRepublic were wrong. It's not too late to apologise. Saying sorry is generous because it offers the first step to healing and restoration in our relationships. There's also an enormous amount of freedom in an apology: both for the person who says 'sorry' and the one who hears it.

ONLY ONE TRAFFIC LIGHT TODAY:

Apologising isn't easy, so there are no easier options today. Bite the bullet and say what needs to be said. Choose the most appropriate time and method, and respect the fact that the person may not be able to forgive you straight away. The important thing is to take the first steps to put it right.

This one reminds me of a very generous thing my Mum did for in the days when I was living by faith as a ministeiral student... Whenever she went shopping and there was a B.O.G.O.F. offer she thought I would like, she would get it for me.  Those tins of beans, packets of cereal or whatever it was made a huge difference to me at a time when money was tight.

BOGOF

We love this one!

Most people enjoy getting a bargain, but today your challenge is to pass the joy forward. If you spot a BOGOF deal in your local supermarket, snap it up and send it on. Buy one, give one free. Every little helps!

I'M NOT GOING OUT/I'M ON A BUDGET

We've probably all got things at home we can share. A spare nearly-new toolkit, two copies of the same book ... you get the idea. What could you share with someone else today? Snap a photo and post it on social media, letting your friends know they can have it for free.

BOGOF!

Jaffa Cakes. They’re our personal favourite. Just in case anyone wants to send some our way. Stock up on the deal of the day and share the love with your office, toddler group or wherever you happen to be today.

THE FULL WHACK:

Head to your local trusted café or corner shop. Put some cash behind the counter and ask them to give everyone’s order for free until the money runs out.