Lent: Day 10 // Talent Show

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{Lent} Day 10:

40 acts // Talent Show // Look at that list you made for act #3. Your toolbox will probably include a few skills that you’ve had up your sleeve for a while and never really had the chance to use. Your challenge for today is to TELL SOMEONE about your secret talents. Post your list online as a Facebook status or share it in your 40acts Together group, and then offer to teach someone how to do what you can do. Teaching and mentoring is generosity multiplied, because you give them something they too can give away. What skill will you share today? Share it with us too using #40acts and we'll see if we can match some skills to some needs!

{photo credit: http://startupfashion.startupfashion.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mentor2.jpg}

I already teach, tutor and mentor, so wasn't sure what to do for this one. The one thing I did feel led to share today, was that God has been impressing on my heart about using the voice He has given me to lead worship, rather than just being a backing vocalist. Honestly, I really don't want to be a worship leader - I don't believe I am good enough! - but I do believe God has a call on my life, so I am trying to step out of my comfort zone... Watch this space...

Live Free // Give up snacking this week. Use the money that you’d have spent on food for those who don’t have that luxury. Donate it to your local foodbank. #BeFree from gluttony #LiveFree.

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Hope your Lent efforts are still going strong!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"I run the path of Your commands, 
for You have set my heart free"

{Psalm 119:32}

Lent: Day 7 // Call Me Maybe

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{Lent} Day 7:

40 acts // Redial // We think the humble telephone may possibly be the most neglected appliance in our households. Almost ornamental, in fact. Your act today is simple: pick up the phone and reconnect with someone you've not spoken to in a while. It might be a best friend, a distant relative, or just someone you've lost contact with. Give the phone call the time and space it needs - devote your attention to reconnecting with someone today.

{photo credit: http://openclipart.org/detail/183631/communication-by-j_iglar-183631}

Unfortunately, I did not manage to do this today because I was literally too busy.. how sad is that?? I'll spare you the mundane details, but it did make me think about how many people there are in my life that I would love to call and absolutely need to just slow down and make the time to make it happen! I will write a list of the people I WANT to call, as opposed to a check list of people/companies I NEED to call. So apologies for lack of results today, but tune in again tomorrow for the next instalment of doing Lent generously. On the plus side, I did do the Live Free challenge below! :)  

Live Free // Go through all your clothes and give away those that you no longer wear or need by either donating them to charity or selling them on eBay and donating the proceeds #BeFree #LiveFree.

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Hope your Lent efforts are still going strong!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; 
as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 
By this all will know that you are my disciples, 
if you have love for one another."

{John 13: 34 – 35}

Lent: Day 6 // Extend Your Reach

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{Lent} Day 6:

40 acts // Reach // Whether you’re the pastor of a church, a single parent, a Twitter superstar or a self-confessed technophobe, the fact is that to someone, somewhere, YOU are an important voice and what you say and do matters. Consider your 'reach' today, and write a list of the spheres of influence you have in your journal. Pick one sphere (it might be your church, your child’s school, or an online community) and choose a positive message of generosity, love or kindness to share with them today. You might pick a YouTube video, or a story that inspired you. If you share it online, share with us too using #40acts.

Live Free // Read Philippians 4:11-13. Think about everything you own; pray you will be satisfied with what you have and not craving what you don’t have #LiveFree.

{photo credit: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/how-to-live-generously-in-a-fearful-world-tickets-10190842083}

I chose my online sphere of friends and followers to share this message with (both on here and sharing this post, and on http://mandelaproject.com/ronell1984) and luckily my 40acts challenge links nicely with my Live Free challenge! Result! :)  

Philippians 4:11-13 challenges us about the differences between need and want and greed and generosity and refocussing the balance of these things firmly on God, rather than ourselves and our own insecurities.

Here are some ways in which you could choose today to live generously, rather than living selfishly:

- Check out this blog for hard hitting views on our new 
'normal' consumerist culture: http://rth.ms/14drQf5

- Buy Samaritan’s Purse gifts to give that will literally help change 

the world, rather than just filling it with more 'stuff': 

http://www.givingcatalogue.org.uk/

- Or buy Oxfam Unwrapped gifts to give that will also help change 

the world, rather than just filling it with more 'stuff':  

https://www.nectar.com/spend/oxfam-unwrapped.points 

- Set yourself a new year's resolution (any time of the year!) to

be more active in your generosity. Choose a charity (I have chosen

Operation Christmas Child and The A21 Campaign), 

set yourself goals, and get fundraising, 

volunteering or donating!

- Reach out to a neighbour, friend, co worker, etc who you 

know is struggling or has a specific need and be

generous! 

- Start a generosity jar for a specific person or cause and save up

money you would have spent on something frivolous or unnecessary.

Living generously does not have to be a big financial commitment. Generosity can simply be reaching out when you see someone in need or despair, and giving of what you have: time, money,  food, clothing, belongings. 

Don't cling to things, for they have no eternal value! Start seeing all your belongings, including yourself and your time, as being at God's disposal for doing  with as He pleases. The reality is, they are: He has given  each of them to you in the first place! 

So be a faithful and grateful steward, and give them back.. you'll be surprised at the challenges and blessings you will encounter along the way! :)

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Hope your Lent efforts are still going strong!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives

    and release from darkness for the prisoners"

{Isaiah 61v1}

Lent: Day 5 // Attitude of Gratitude

After the first Sunday break yesterday, we are back with the next installation of the Lent challenges!

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{Lent} Day 5:

40 acts // An attitude of gratitude // There’s something rather wonderful about genuine gratitude: it impacts both the person who says thank you and the person who hears it. Try this before you do anything else today: grab a pen and write a thank you note to someone. Thank someone who doesn’t usually get thanked: your bus driver, local postman, that one guy that always puts a fresh pot of coffee on or empties the dishwasher at the office. These people need to be appreciated, and being thankful is a great way to start the week! Show us your thank yous using #40acts.

I decided to write a note to my TA and friend, without whom 
I couldn't do what I do at school. Thanks Loubie Loo! :)

Live Free // Swearing, picking your nose, biting your nails; everyone has a bad habit or two. Try to donate £1 every time you (or someone else :/) catch yourself doing it #BeFree #LiveFree. This one could fit in nicely with the Generosity Jar from day 2!

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Hope your Lent efforts are still going strong!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which 
indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and 
admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns 
and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name 
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

{Colossians 3:15-17}

Lent: Day 4 // Connecting with Others

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{Lent} Day 4:

40 acts // Connect // We can live on the same road for twenty years and never learn the names of those we share a street address with. We can use the same corner shop every time we buy a newspaper, and still have no idea about the man selling it to us. Today we invite you to become aware: to look up, look around and really notice those you come into contact with. Strike up a conversation in the process, and learn their name. It’ll be important later on…

Today I met a lovely man named Khalil who works at the Sainsbury's mobile car wash. 

We had a brief, but very lovely conversation and he ended up giving me a discount for 

a car wash and wax and offering to take my trolley. He was really sweet :) 

I guess he did this challenge back to me! :)

Live Free // Read and reflect on Isaiah 58. What cords do you have tied around you? What do you need to be free? How could your freedom help to set others free? #BeFree.

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Hope your Lent efforts are still going strong!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, 

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, 

and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, 

but do not have love, I gain nothing."

{1 Corinthians 13:1-3}

Lent: Day 2 // Generosity Jar

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{Lent} Day 2:

40 acts // Create a generosity jar // This Lent, set aside a generosity jar and commit to putting in a small amount daily or whenever you have spare change. You’ll be invited to use the contents later in the challenge, but if you prefer you could save it up ready for a generous event over the Easter weekend. No change today? Then fill your jar with written ‘generosity promises’ instead, and invite guests to pick one when they visit. Show us what your generosity jar looks like using #40acts on social media. Take a picture of your generosity jar, upload it to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest, and tag it with #40acts.

My change will go towards the 12 boxes I am packing for Operation Christmas Child this December.

My Generosity Jar

Live Free // Read Matthew 16:25. Where do you get your identity from and how does that make you feel? How do you think you can save your life? #LiveFree.

"If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life"

{Matthew 16:25}

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Hope your Lent efforts are still going strong!

Blessings!

Ronell x

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, 

not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, 

having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 

As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;

    their righteousness endures forever." "

{2 Corinthians 9:7-9}

Lent: Day 1 // What's it all about and what are you doing?

So today was the first day of Lent and you hear the typical 'Lent question': "So, what are you giving up for Lent this year?", usually quickly followed by: "Do you think you'll actually manage the whole 40 days this year??". 

So, what is Lent? Essentially, it is marking the 40 days leading up to Easter, when Jesus was tempted in the desert by the devil, before He finally made the biggest sacrificial gift of all in giving His life to atone for our sins. So now we mark those 40 days by living sacrificially ourselves  in some way or another.

To be honest, I was toying with the idea of giving up something like cake or chocolate or something (with the added benefit of weight loss, right??), but it didn't seem like what I wanted to do for Lent. It didn't seem particularly meaningful for me personally because it didn't really make a difference to anybody else as such.

Now, I am not trying to belittle giving something up for Lent (that is the tradition after all)! I am simply saying that for me, the 2 important parts of observing Lent should be (1) remembering and recognising why we 'celebrate' it, and (2) that what I do to observe Lent, should make a difference to the world around me, not just to myself.

Like I said in my New Years Resolution post for 2014, I want 2014 about being more proactive about actively making a difference to the world I live in and to the lives of the people I interact with and meet every day, as well as those who are suffering far away.  So I decided that instead of giving something up for Lent, I would do something positive for each of the 40 days. 

Isaiah 58 has been on my heart for 2014 so far. It talks of what 'true fasting' is, not for show, but for doing to others what is on God's heart, which is again why I wanted to do something to mark Lent, but something that gave back, rather than just something that looks like I'm observing a tradition or somehow vaguely 'depriving' myself for 40 days. 

So in my research today, I came across some good suggestions of how one might do this:

1) Pledging to join an organisation like Watershed for 40 days in giving up something (like coffee, take away, chocolate) and donating the savings after 40 days to projects that do good.

2) Soul Action's 'Live Free': It sets out a discussion about Lent and gives 40 days worth of challenges and scriptures about how to live free.

3) 40 acts 'DO LENT GENEROUSLY': 40 days of giving back, doing good and living generously. This is an initiative to promote generous living (not necessary to make a financial commitment) through acts of kindness and goodness. Every day for the 40 days, you will get an email with your 'mission' for the day. 

I decided to sign up for 40 acts this Lent. I also decided to incorporate Soul Action's 'Live Free' daily thoughts and readings into my 30:30 Challenge that I happen to be doing with Joyce Meyer Ministries (spending 30mins a day for 30 days studying The Bible, rather than just reading it, to grow in intimacy with and understanding of God through His Word). In terms of donating financially, any extra money will go to my Operation Christmas Child mission of filling at least 12 boxes personally and trying to inspire others to help me fill 100 boxes in total for Christmas 2014.

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{Lent} Day 1:

40 acts // Start a journal // Create a journal, and begin Lent with a gratitude list. What things are you thankful for today? Next, write a wish list – but not the usual kind – this is a list of the people you’d like to specifically bless throughout 40acts. Take a picture of your journal or your gratitude list, upload it to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest, and tag it with #40acts.

my journal

Live Free // Think about what you would like to be free of this Lent. Write it down. Pray that God will set you free from what is holding you back #BeFree #LiveFree

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So for me, I guess Lent 2014 is a mix of creating good, lifelong habits that will grow my heart both spiritually and actively in how I love others and the world that we live in.

Looking forward to seeing what Day 2 holds! 

Blessings!

Ronell x

PS  If anyone has other Lent suggestions, please do share them! 

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

    and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

    and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" 

{Isaiah 58v6-7}