Advent Challenge Christmas Day

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Well yesterday my task was to wish everyone I met with the greeting Merry Christmas. I would love to say I completed this task, but I honestly can not say if I did manage this task. I certainly wished a very large number of people a merry Christmas. Being out carol playing and then carols singing made this task very easy but the shear number of people I came into contact with yesterday I can not be certain that I wished absolutely everyone a Merry Christmas. However I am certain that I wished enough people Merry Christmas to consider for myself that I completed the task.

As for the Christmas Day challenge it was almost completed for me. In the service this morning at church we took out time to sit and pray for all those who have nothing and no one this Christmas. We prayed for those people who hope for visitors but never get them, the people who have lost everyone they have and are all alone this Christmas. We also prayed for those people both in our Church and in the world as a whole who have lost people this year and are struggling to get through the day.

I will also spend some time today once all the hustle and bustle is over to sit down on my own and pray. I will take the time to think about the people who really need God and who would benefit from being wrapped in His loving arms. This Christmas for me is a watershed moment in my Christian life. I have begun to see just what it means to be a Christian, it is about my relationship with God and about being serious enough about my faith to include it everything I do in all of my life.

I hope that you all have a great Christmas, that you enjoy spending time with your loved ones and that you have a most enjoyable day. But most of all I pray that you will all find the Christ in Christmas this year and celebrate the birth of our Saviour. For the final time this year I wish you all a Merry Christmas and pray blessings on each and every reader of this blog.

Advent Challenge Day 24

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Christmas eve, who would have thought it. Well everyone I guess since it falls on the same date every year, but that is not the point. So this means I have almost come to the end of the Advent Challenge and that also that tomorrow I get to spend an insane amount of time with my family, this may or may not be a good thing, I'm hoping that tensions don't boil up and that we remember the good times with the family members no longer with us rather than get depressed about them being gone.

But what you really want to know is about how the challenge went, well we sang and played carols and we had a generally good time. We took Christmas cheer to the masses out shopping and had fun doing so. I hope that in going out and playing the carols and singing at times we were able to remind people with the lyrics just what this season is about and that it is not just about a jolly fat man in a red suit who brings presents down your chimney.

There is probably a lot more I could write about this task and challenge but today is after all Christmas eve and that means I have a stupidly busy day. I am carol playing with the band, then I will be going to visit the graves of my grand parents followed by playing family Santa and dropping presents off all over our small town. Once all of this has been done, in the evening, I will be co-organising the Church carol singing round the homes of various Church members. This is a tradition that has gone on for many many years and that we all love doing. It is stupidly difficult logistically and this year with the weather requires much careful driving, but there is almost nothing that would stop us doing this fun filled tradition. Once all this is finished we are likely to be well in to the early hours of Christmas day.

I will be posting tomorrow at the usual times and will be updating with the final challenge tomorrow and also letting you know about the Christmas day task too. As you may have worked out there remains only one task left to complete and that is to wish everyone I meet today a merry Christmas. If you are not online tomorrow I really hope you all have a great day with whoever you are spending it with, and I hope you take out some time to consider the reason why we celebrate the day. But until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 23

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This challenge really has been a bit of a challenge for me, I know I have a lot to be thankful for but it is very hard to think of when we are all gearing up towards the first Christmas with out my Gramma and my Grandad.

But as I said, I know I have a lot to be thankful for and after spending some time reflecting on the things that will be missing this year I began to pray for the things I do have. The thing I am most thankful for is my family, after losing so many family members this year I am thankful for all the family I have left, specifically my nephew and Godson.

In addition to this I am thankful for the friends I have. These people have put up with a lot and been there for me when I have needed people most. My friends are a fantastic bunch of Christian people who really live out what they believe and who have been a great example.

I am thankful that I am blessed with a great job and the opportunities that it provides and the financial stability that comes from having a regular income for the first time in a long time. I am blessed to work in a challenging environment where I come in to contact with a huge number of different people with a range of issues to work with. It is a job that I enjoy hugely and have the opportunity to learn new things every shift and develop my skills and to grow as a person myself.

Most of all though I am thankful that I have come to know God this year. That through the examples and guidance of some fantastic saints I have grown to know the Saviour who was born at Christmas who went on to die that I might be saved. I am thankful that this year I will appreciate Christmas for what it really means, not just a time to look forward to presents and gifts.

The next task in the challenge will be task number 7. Attend a Christmas service. Check back tomorrow to find out about what happens in this task, but until then Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 22

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When the task to help someone came up I was unsure as how to go about completing this task, so I decided just to wait until the opportunity arose. I trusted that God would give me an opportunity to complete the task in a way that I wouldn't be able to do myself.

Turns out my Dad needed some help with something he had planned for work. As it is coming up to Christmas he is having a small party in his office this lunch time and he needs food cooked for them to eat at the party. Since I love cooking and am told I am quite good at it my Dad asked me if I would mind cooking some things along with my Mum for the party.

And so I managed to turn out a few dishes before I had to go to work. My Dad requested that I make wings and glazed sausages to go with the savoury dishes my Mum was making and some sweet lemon tarts for a tasty desert.

This is not the way I thought I would be completing the task when it was selected but since I had no idea what I would be doing I guess it is not a bad thing. It also helps with the slightly strained relationship with my Dad at the moment, hopefully repeated acts like this will lead to him being more accepting towards the plans for the future, but we will see.

I am now drawing close to the end of this series of challenges with only 3 days to go and then it is Christmas. These next 3 days are going to be very busy and fitting these last tasks in is going to become increasingly difficult, but after getting this far into it I will endeavour to complete all of them satisfactorily. But to find out you will have to check back each day until the end of the tasks. In addition to this I am going to make the first mention of a new much shorter series of tasks I have been challenged to do over the holiday period. I will go in to much more detail in another post nearer the time but basically between the 26th and the 31st all my posts will be single words. You have my friend Caron to thank for this, please check out her blog its really quite interesting. I am not quite sure how this will work or how I will complete this but it may be interesting to check out and see ow it does work out.

But anyway back to the task in hand, the next task in the Advent Challenge will be task number 24. Pray for what you are thankful for this Christmas. Check back for tomorrows post to see how this challenge goes, until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 21

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This task was one which was quite important for me to do for myself. The reason being is that this year has produced a number of people close to me who are going to find at least Christmas this year difficult. There are different reasons why people may find this season difficult, but I have worked out recently that most issues eventually boil down to loss or relationship break down.

There is another reason I wanted to do this task too, because the last two Christmas seasons have not been the most fun for me with one thing and another and I can appreciate people finding the season difficult to bear. I don't want to go into too much detail about specific people I prayed for in this task, although there are a number of them. All I will do is outline the rough ideas behind it, and hopefully it may encourage others to pray for those people in the world who struggle with the same.

The main area I prayed around was the people I know who have lost loved ones this year at some point, the people who will be spending their first Christmas without specific people there to enjoy it with. In addition to this I prayed about those who have lost people in or near the Christmas season in the past or whose loved ones who are now gone had strong connections to Christmas.

As well as this I thought and prayed about those people who find Christmas for other reasons, it could be they have financial problems and can not celebrate in the way they would like, the homeless or those seperated from their families for whatever reason.

I finished up by thinking about the armed forces of Christian families world wide who will be spending Christmas away from their loved ones due to wars or other military engagements. Specifically I prayed for the Children of the members of the armed forces who will miss parents over Christmas and who are unlikely to understand why their parents can not be there.

I know there are many other cases and situations of why people may find Christmas difficult, but it is hard for me to think and cover them all. Yet I have faith that God is aware of it all and although I can not articulate it all into one prayer He knows about it and has something planned for each and everyone who is prepared to accept His help.

The next task in the challenge is going to be task number 4. Help someone in need. Now I am not sure how this task will pan out, but I am at work today, hopefully, and I am sure that some opportunity for me to help someone above and beyond the call of duty will present its self at some point. Until tomorrow, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 20

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Support a Christmas appeal. There is one appeal that I support every year without fail, The Salvation Army Christmas Appeal.As someone who was raised in The Salvation Army it is something that I have always felt strongly about, and even when I was not a part of the Church I still actively supported the Christmas Appeal.

Both through personal donations and playing with the band every winter I do my part in supporting the local Salvation Army in raising money towards the charity work this organisation does. I always fills me with a sense of pride and privilege when ever I see people collecting for the same appeal or when I see the TV ad campaigns.

Also with working in the area where this sort of fund raising goes I have come to a much greater appreciation of what these efforts are for, who is helped by this money and the reactions that it creates. Seeing first hand the sorts of changes it can make has given me an even greater appreciation of what these efforts actually mean in real terms.

I know some people may call cheat on this task as they may claim it is something I would have done and supported anyway with or without the task. However to complete this task was somewhat of a challenge for me. Being slightly incapacitated this week with an agonising neck and shoulder injury causing me to take the week off work sick to complete this task caused me a fair bit of suffering. Standing playing carols in the freezing weather with snow on the ground with constant pain from my shoulder was not easy, and I could have easily skipped it or gone home early. But I did not, and I played with good cheer for the two hours we were out, after all some things are just worth the effort.

The task which is next in the Advent challenge is task number 10. Pray for those who find Christmas difficult. Check back tomorrow to see how this task goes, until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 19

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When I did the task picked yesterday I thought I knew exactly how it would go, I would thank God for all the blessings and gifts I have received and pray for those who would have little or nothing this year at Christmas. And to a certain extent that is how it went, at least to begin with.

After I had prayed and thanked God for everything He has blessed me with in my somewhat comfortable life and prayed for those who are not as fortunate as myself I began to pray for something I had not previously thought about. The scripture quote above from Matthew 10:19-20 is something I strongly believe in, the Holy Spirit can guide our words and provide us with the words we know we need to say but can not figure out ourselves. And so I believe that what happened next was a Spirit led prayer, which in itself I feel is a major break through in my personal growth.

The reason for this is that once I was praying I began to feel a need not to pray for those who wont be able to send gifts or feast in the way most people do at Christmas but to pray for those who do not have God in their lives. Surely this is a more pressing need in reality than the lack of material and worldly goods and possessions. There is a real need in the world for people who have nothing to be supported by those who can afford to give, but this is just as true if not more so for those who are poor in spirit.

This time of year is a great opportunity for us to tell people about our faith, it need not be in a forceful or direct way but it is a time for planting seeds. The seeds you sow this Christmas time may take many years to develop fruit, some may never develop at all but we should use every opportunity to grow God's kingdom when it comes our way. It may be that something as small as a kind act of helping a stranger in the snow, or singing a religious carol while going about your business gives you the chance to tell someone why Christmas is so important to you. As I said yesterday, be brave and courageous, be ready to act in faith when He calls. And remember that the Spirit of our Father will always supply the words that we need.

So the next task to complete is going to be task number 11. Support a Christmas appeal. Check back tomorrow to see what happens with this challenge, but until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 18

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So, Advent. We all know about Advent, its the run up to Christmas, we hear the prophesies and stories about the preparation for Christ, we light candles and open our chocolate filled calendars. But what does Advent really mean, where does i come from and why do we celebrate it in the way that we do?

The word Advent comes from the Latin Adventus which translates as "coming", however the word Adventus is the Roman translation of the Greek word Parousia which is used to describe the second coming of Christ. The reason that this word is used is because Advent is not just a time where we remember the waiting and build up to the birth of Christ, but a time where we remember that we ourselves are awaiting Christs return.

In the western Church Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year and begins four Sundays before the 25th of December, this means the beginning of Advent falls anywhere between the 27th November and the 3rd of December. In the western Church the colours used in the time of Advent are either purple or blue, purple being more traditional and blue coming in to favor due to its ties to the feeling of hope. In the eastern and Orthodox Church the colours associated with Advent, or the Nativity Fast as they call it, are red or gold.

Advent calendars were the product of the Germanic countries and Lutherism, as far as I can find out it was pretty much common practice in Germanic countries from about the 17th century with the first commercially produced printed calendars coming late in the game in about 1903. I can not find out a date for the first chocolate calendar but the idea of receiving a small gift behind each door has progressed far in the time since the first printed ones were produced. These days it is common to find many different types of calendar, my favorite being the Lego calendar where you receive a piece of Lego every day over lent, pretty awesome right.

There is much more I could tell you that I have learned about Advent, from the fasting to the Advent dolls often displayed in Norther England for luck. But to do so would vastly increase the length of this post, but I would advise you to look it up yourself, there is some very interesting reading to be done. So what is the next task? Well that is to be task number 5.Pray for those who don't have anything this Christmas. Check back tomorrow to see how that goes, but until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 16

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The task for yesterday was to read a section of scripture, it is a section that I have looked at recently in my linked Bible study so I have  already considered it recently. The section is Isaiah 9:1-7 which when  looked at it last time I only focused on verse 2. This time however I want to look at a bit more of it.

Isaiah 9:1-7

    But there'll be no darkness for those who were in trouble. Earlier he did bring the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali into disrepute, but the time is coming when he'll make that whole area glorious—the road along the Sea, the country past the Jordan, international Galilee.

        The people who walked in darkness
            have seen a great light.
        For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
            light! sunbursts of light! 
        You repopulated the nation,
            you expanded its joy.
        Oh, they're so glad in your presence!
            Festival joy!
        The joy of a great celebration,
            sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. 
        The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
            all their whips and cudgels and curses—
        Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
            as surprising and sudden as Gideon's old victory over Midian. 
        The boots of all those invading troops,
            along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
        Will be piled in a heap and burned,
            a fire that will burn for days! 
        For a child has been born—for us!
            the gift of a son—for us!
        He'll take over
            the running of the world.
        His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
            Strong God,
        Eternal Father,
            Prince of Wholeness. 
        His ruling authority will grow,
            and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
        He'll rule from the historic David throne
            over that promised kingdom.
        He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing
            and keep it going
        With fair dealing and right living,
            beginning now and lasting always.
        The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
            will do all this.

This passage is packed with promises from God, what He intends and how He intends to do it. The light which is prophesied about here has a huge job to live up to just by this short passage. Deliverance from oppressors and invading troops, a leader who will be an amazing counsellor, a prince of peace and an eternal father. His authority will grow, He will fix the nation starting now and lasting forever.

It is easy to see why the Jews built up so much expectation around the coming Messiah, there was so much that was said about Him by the prophets, they expected so much. So how was it that they missed Him when He finally came?

The Jews were expecting someone to come in with amazing power to sweep away the forces of evil and tyranny with military strength and his awesome power. They were wanting a Messiah who would utterly destroy their enemies so that the Jews could rule forever in a land of peace. But they forgot God's awesomeness and His love for all mankind, they forgot about the fact that we are all God's children and He loves each one of us.

The truth is that God sent His son in to the world to do all of these things, and Jesus did do them, but His plans were not like our plans, His ways were not like our ways. Jesus came and taught us the way to live, led us by His example. He showed us how to beat the oppressors and tyrants not by being strong, but by being weak and humble. Yes Jesus did have enough power to have completed these prophesies in anyway He chose, He could have led a great army of Jews and conquered the world, but that would not have shown the world God's love for us, it would not have been in His character.

Yes God does sometimes show an angry and jealous side to His personality, He does want us all to love Him, follow Him and worship Him. But that is because He loves us unconditionally, He knows what the enemy is like, He knows what the enemy can do. We can not understand the heartbreak humanity must cause God through our actions and behaviour, yet still He loves us. Jesus displayed God's character on earth, He was loving and kind but He also showed the anger and jealousness of God in the temple. We sometimes forget when we are looking at Jesus we are looking at God too, the Father and the Son, the same and indivisible, one and the same, there are three persons in the Godhead-the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.

This was a slightly different look at the same verses that I considered last time, please let me know what you thin of both of them, do you agree or not? If so why not? I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. The task selected for today has been task number 22. Put a Christmas Bible verse on your Christmas tree. I'm glad that this one has only just come up now otherwise it may have been a difficult one to complete, the reason being that our Christmas tree only went up last night. Check back tomorrow to see which Bible verse I selected and why, but until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 15

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Yesterday the task I completed was to pray for someone lonely this Christmas. This task for me is quite personal as the person who I have chosen to pray for is my Grandma. This year has not been an easy one, and especially not for Grandma. This will be the first Christmas my Grandma will be having on her own, yes she will be surrounded by family, yes she will have people there all the time, but it is the first Christmas without Grandad there too.

It has been hard on my Grandma to adjust to being on her own now, as someone who cared for my Grandad for many years she often finds herself at a lose end and not knowing what to do. Christmas has always been a busy time of year for us with lots of things happening in our Church and with our family. But for many varied reasons this year has been exceptionally quiet and there has not been much to be getting on with. Because of this my family and specifically my Grandma have been finding it difficult to get in to the Christmas spirit and enjoy the season.

I have prayed that my Grandma and my family find a sense of peace this Christmas through Jesus, that they can remember the good times spent with the family we have lost this year and not find ourselves wallowing in grief. But I prayed not only for my family, but all families, all friends, all parents, all children, anyone who has lost someone this year. I pray that although they will never forget their loved ones that it will become easier for them to remember the times they enjoyed together and know that one day we will all be reunited together in God's glory.

The task which I will be attempting to do today is task number 23. Read Isaiah 9:1-7. Please check back tomorrow to see how this task goes and my thoughts on it. But until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 14

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Yesterday my task was to give myself a Christmas treat. Let me tell you that I really needed something yesterday after the day I had, I wont go in to it but read here if you want to know more. So I was out Christmas shopping with my parents and younger brother and was on the lookout for something for myself.

After almost finishing my Christmas shopping, only one present left to get now, I began looking around for things for myself. There are really only two things I want this Christmas, one is a new crucifix and the other is a watch. Since I already have a crucifix I like I am waiting to see if there is one that I think is more personal for me, something that not only expresses my faith but one that I feel personally connected to, some people may think that is the wrong way to think of it but that is my feelings on it. And for the watch I know I am already getting a very nice watch from my brother as I picked it out.

So wandering round the shopping mall I couldn't think of what to get myself and was feeling that maybe some sweets or a book may be in order. In the end I settled on getting myself a new watch, It was bought in a shop that I though had a special offer on, turns out I need to open my eyes more, but I bout 3 watches in there, one for my Mum one for my brother and one for me. Its not the most spectacular treat or even what most people would think of as a treat but in my family presents normally tend to have a practical theme to them, why buy something people don't need or won't use. But the main thing is that I am happy with it and that is the main part of a treat.

Today's task is task number 3. Pray for someone lonely this Christmas. Check back tomorrow to see how that task goes and what I do for it. Until then, Merry Christmas guys.

Advent Challenge Day 13

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How much Christmas cheer have you got? Do you like to spread it or are you sometimes a bit of a Scrooge? My task yesterday was to spread some Christmas cheer amongst the people I was with. I had the advantage yesterday of being in two places, not quite at once but at least in one day. Because of this I managed to send time with a lot of people who are important to me and who I would want to spread some cheer too.

I began the day by sharing a bag of lollies with my my friends and the young people of my Church and spent time talking to all the older members of the Church asking how they were and giving my time for them to have someone to chat with. The nice thing about this was I managed to spend time talking to people I wouldn't normally talk to. After the service I went for lunch with one of my friends who I have not talked to for quite some time. After treating her to lunch we sat and talked for a long time, catching up on what has been going on, plans for the future and generally discussing our faith. I would like to think that although none of this was specifically Christmassy there was at least some joy and cheer that was spread in the morning with my friends there.

In the afternoon I drove back home after a great weekend with my friends and although I had a difficult drive home due to closed roads I did make it home in time for the evening service at my home Church. After the evening service I spent time laughing and chatting with the young people of the Church talking and planning things for over Christmas. We talked about organising Christmas carolling on Christmas eve when we tour the homes of people in our Church singing carols and sharing fellowship.

The fun and enjoyment that I had from this weekend especially yesterday I feel fulfils the task of spreading Christmas cheer, the laughter and good feeling that was experienced was certainly good cheer and Christmas was a significant part of a large part of it. The task I will be completing today will be number 18. Give yourself a Christmas treat. Check back tomorrow to see how it goes, until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 12

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So, day twelve, is it just me or does a certain Christmas song come to mind? Hope everyone reading this is having a good month so far and that your Christmas preparations are going well. I my self am almost sorted with everything I need to get and do before Christmas with only a few more presents to get and then wrap or post to the people who will be receiving them. But lets face it, your not here to find out how my shopping is going or even if I have my tree up yet, which I don't, but to find out how yesterdays Advent Challenge went.

It is a shame that I did not happen to have this challenge on the 6th of December which is St Nicholas' feast day. But on reading about Him, he is a very interesting character. St Nicholas became the original Santa Claus due to his habit of secret gift giving which is something I suspect most people already know about, of course good old St Nick gives out presents.

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, thieves, children, and students. He is also the patron saint of Aberdeen, Amsterdam,Barranquilla, Bari, Beit Jala, Fribourg, Huguenots, Liverpool, Siggiewi, and Lorraine. As if this was not enough St Nick was also a patron of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, who protected his relics in Bari.

Not bad really is it, this guy seems to have made quite an impression on a lot of people and places. He is one of the Saints who is recognised by both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and is also recognised by some Anglican and Lutheran Churches too. But what about some facts about St Nick that you might not know.

Saint Nicholas who was orphaned at a young age was raised by his uncle, who was also named Nicholas, who happened to be the Bishop of Patara. His uncle founded the monastery of Holy Sion at which Saint Nicholas spent some time. His relics are situated in Bari, and at the site there is both a Catholic and an Orthodox Church. The relics of St Nicholas are said to exude a clear liquid known as manna which many people believe to have healing properties, this is collected every 6th December and can be bought at the site of his relics in Bari.

Interesting facts? Well I thought so anyway but I have been told in the past that I am interested in the dullest things, for example science. But what do we learn from him, what can we gather form these original foundations on to which the modern Santa Claus has been built?

Well for me he exhibits some of the best aspects of someone living a Holy life. He was a highly religious man in his life and obviously lived a life which was well respected by those who knew him, respected enough that he was recorded so that future generations would recognise him and show him to be a saint. This is all well and good but how does this affect us living today ion the modern age?

We can learn form Saint Nicholas that material goods are not important to living a good, wholesome and holy life. We can see that through right living we can influence people far outside where we are geographically located, by showing God in our lives in small ways but with true conviction we can have a measurable effect on the whole world. Who ever said that even the smallest thing you did does not have huge implications in the future?

So I think that task went quite well personally, let me know what you think of it in the comment section below. Moving on to which task I will be completing today, and the task which has been chosen is task number 15. Spread some Christmas cheer. I have some good ideas of what to do with this one but if you want to know you will have to check back and read the Advent Challenge post tomorrow, until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 11

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Yesterday my challenge was to pray for those people who I know who do not know Christ. Rather than praying for everyone that I know who does not know God and His son Jesus as that would be a considerable number of people to pray for individually. I will pray for everyone in time and do spend time as it is at the moment but for me this challenge I decided to be specific and lift up some specific people to God.

I don't want to embarrass the people who I have selected for this task but I chose two people who are close to me and who have a real need for Christ in their lives for very different reasons. When I prayed I asked God to reveal Himself to them this Christmas time, that something in their lives will shine through and in some small way show them that you are present in their lives.

Romans 8 tells us that there is nothing that can possibly separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus. And the poem Footprints is a fantastic example of how even when we feel as though we are on our own God is always there supporting us, and when necessary carrying us. I try to show this in my day to day life, knowing that I will never know quite who is watching me and how my actions in life portray Christianity to them. But these two people who I have uplifted to God I feel are ready for that little extra push, to be challenged that little bit more in order for them to start making the steps towards God that I can see they are ready for.

Today the task that has been chosen is task number 21. Google St Nicholas. This is a fairly simple task that wont take much time at the end of the day but it is something interesting to look at and think on about how this man has become the symbol of Christmas yet people do not knw how or why he is linked to Christmas and Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. I am going to have a very Christmassy day today and spend time with some friends I have not seen for a while, I hope you guys all have a great day today too. Until next time, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 10

This challenge is now complete, please feel free to browse all of the 

completed tasks via the Advent Challenge tab.

An email to my friend Katy;

Katy,


This might seem like a strange message, but probably no stranger than most from me, please read it all the way through though. 


Christmas, its all about presents, family, drinking too much and having fun right? Wrong. I know the arguments you usually make about Yuletide and the many other midwinter festivals where gifts are given and some religious event is celebrated. But these are not Christmas. The time of year, the presents and all the rest of it are really not that important in Christmas, yes our commercialist society has made them important but it's not what it is all about.


Christmas is about an amazing event that happened over 2000 years ago. A small child was born in humble settings who went on to make a huge difference in the world. Even if you do not believe He was God you must recognise that He made such and impact that we set our calendar's by his birth. But if you take the time to think about what He did in life, who much He achieved in His 3 years of mission it should become clear that He was not working alone. Why would someone who was just a good man not recant and try to save Himself from the cross, why sacrifice yourself if there is no cause. 


Jesus is, was and always will be the reason for Christmas, many people have forgotten that or find it to uncomfortable to think about. I know you do not believe, but we are good friends, we have known each other for years and because of that I ask for one thing from you this Christmas. In stead of buying me a gift could you read the Bible. You are a scientist just like me, do some research into Jesus and discover what His life really was about. Look at the stories of Jesus in the New Testament and when we meet up in the new year we can discuss your thoughts on the matter of Jesus and Christianity.


Missing you loads and I hope everything is going well for you.


Sam


So yesterday the task was to talk to someone about the true meaning of Christmas. There is one friend I have who means the world to me, who has always been there when I have needed her since I first moved away from home. The only thing is that as a scientist she is one of Dawkin's band, a firm and complete denier of all things religious. To be fair on her, until about 18 months ago I was hiding from Christ in the same boat. However as a fellow scientist she is slower to shoot me down in such discussions as I can phrase my arguments in the same way as she does hers. The common ground gives us a neutral ground to discuss all manner of things including faith.

My hope is that one day she will see the change that has occurred in me since I allowed Jesus back into my life and that she will question the cause. I pray that I can be the Christian that lives up to expectations but is still the friend she always knew who can show her the reality and truth of Jesus. How this goes I don't know but maybe this email could be the first step in the right direction.

That brings us to the task I have for today, again I am going to choose today's task as I feel there is another one that progresses naturally on from this one. That task is number 19. Pray for those close to you who do not know Jesus. Please check back tomorrow to see how it goes, but until then, Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 9

This challenge is now complete, please feel free to browse all of the 

completed tasks via the Advent Challenge tab.

Yesterday I had to watch a Christmas film for the task, and the film I chose to watch was Elf. For those who have not seen this film It is a comedy about a human baby who stows away in Santa's sack and is raised by elves in the North Pole. When Buddy grows up and discovers he is a human he sets off on a quest to New York to meet his real dad.

This film is very funny and the reason I chose to watch it is that I had never seen the film in full. I had once watched part of it on a lunch break a few years ago but had never seen the beginning or the end. I had no other reasoning to watch it and struggled to think on how I could link it to the Advent Challenge except for the fact it was a secular Christmas film.

However near the end of the film Santa's sleigh crashes in New York and Buddy has to fix the engine that makes the sleigh fly in the absence of belief. As Buddy is trying to fix the engine his younger brother Michael tries to bolster belief in Santa by reading out the nice list and what people want for Christmas on the news. When this does not raise enough belief the girl Buddy has fallen for, Jovie (a Gimbles elf) begins to sing as she remembers Buddy saying "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing out loud for all to hear". When they do this and everyone near Central Park and others around New York begin singing there is enough belief and therefore power for the sleigh to fly and Santa to complete his work for the night.

Now this idea at the end of belief was something that I thought would link in very well with what I wanted to say about Christmas today. There are many people out there who celebrate Christmas but who do not believe in Jesus or God. They love the celebrations, the excuses to go out and part, the huge commercialism of the season and most of all people love Christmas gifts. But a lot of people do not celebrate the little child who was born over two thousand years ago who was foretold in the Old Testament, heralded by angles, worshipped by shepherds and wise men and who eventually grew up and gave His life so that we all might have eternal life.

There is a sound bite that has been used in Christian circles for a number of years that says, "Jesus is the reason for the season". It is a short phrase that reminds us why we even have Christmas. Sure there are other cultures and religions that celebrate a festival at mid-winter but who cares, that has no bearing on the Christmas season, it would be just as important at any other time of year. We need to remind people about Jesus and why His birth is the amazing thing that it is. Because of that I have decided that the task for today should be task number 6. Tells someone about the true meaning of Christmas. I think that it is a quite natural follow on from this task given what I feel I gained from completing the watch a Christmas film task. Check back tomorrow to see how I do in telling someone about the true meaning of Christmas. Untill then guys, have a great day, and Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 8

This challenge is now complete, please feel free to browse all of the 

completed tasks via the Advent Challenge tab.

So I ended yesterday by saying that I may be able to do something unexpected and a little different in the sing a Christmas carol challenge. Turns out that God a quite a good plan for this challenge for me. When I arrived at work yesterday I was informed that there was a carol service that night. Having not been into work for a week due to bad weather I had no idea that there was to be a carol service, but what a day for the sing a Christmas carol task to come up.

So yeah yesterdays task went very well, it was enjoyable and the carol service was very nice. It may have been much nicer if I had not had to run out half way through to sort out a fire alarm elsewhere in the hostel but overall I enjoyed it.

The task for today has been selected by my friend Ruth who selected task number 13. Watch a Christmas film. Now this task may be difficult for me to complete as I am only working 3 days this week, but each of them is a long shift meaning I will have little time for anything once I finish. However a task as easy as watching a film should be possible, even if I have to stay up a little later than usual. Check back tomorrow to see which film #~I watched and how I manage to fit it in to my schedule. Until then Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 7

This challenge is now complete, please feel free to browse all of the 

completed tasks via the Advent Challenge tab.

Today marks the end of the first week of the challenge and with 17 days to go I feel that it is going well so far. After some discussion with a friend of mine I have been issued with a side challenge extra to number 17 which I completed the other day.

So yesterday I had the task of buying a gift for someone who I do not normally buy for. This task was one that I wanted to put a bit of thought into. The reason is that there are many people out there who I could buy for and it would just be another gift, but what I want to do with this is make a difference to that person's life. Now I know it is a big ask for a small present to change someone's life but I have been told in the past that little pebbles can start an avalanche.

Deciding who to buy for too was difficult, I wanted it to be someone I know who I could see if this gift really does make the difference I would like it to. But it has to be someone for who I have not bought a gift for in the past and someone who I did not intend on buying for before this task.

I have to say I did come up with a great idea both for who to buy for and what to buy. It was something I considered to be an inexpensive gift, for someone who I feel will benefit from it in the future. The person I will be giving it to is someone I have known for a little while and who I have contact with on a fairly regular basis. So I will hopefully be able to see that this git does have a positive outcome and will complete this task in a way that I think is suitable. However due to the fact that I will be giving this gift for Christmas there is no way to measure how successful this is until some future time. The task however has been completed, the person has been selected, the gift bought and so the task is complete.

So all that remains for this post is to tell you which task has been selected and what it is. The task today is task number 8 sing a Christmas carol. Now this one does not seem that difficult and there really is no problem in completing this one, I can listen to Christmas carols in the car on the way to work today, I am sure I can find an interesting twist on this task in my quest to complete it. However until tomorrow when I fill you in on how the task today went, Merry Christmas to you all.

Advent Challenge Day 6

This challenge is now complete, please feel free to browse all of the 

completed tasks via the Advent Challenge tab.

Well I am not sure if yesterday's challenge was a failure or a partial success.The task I was supposed to complete was to tell my loved ones how much they meant to me. The reason that I am unsure how to classify the outcome of this task is that although we did spend a lot of time together as a family yesterday I never specifically told anyone what they meant to me.

However we did spend a lot of time talking about the family we have, the family we have lost. We spent time playing with my Godson and had a very enjoyable day. We had such a good time and spent most of the day laughing with each other and enjoying each others company.

My family are not the greatest at communicating with each other when it comes to our faith and our feelings. We have been raised in a family that while we understand that we all love each other and that we are always there for each other. This last year has been tough for everyone in my family as we have lost three family members within five months, two grand parents and an aunt. However this has cause us to become closer as a family, we are spending more time with each other, trying to heal past grievances and ensure we keep the family together.

So although I did not explicitly say to anyone yesterday that I loved them it was clear in all my actions that these people are the most important to me in the world and that there is nothing that I would not do for them. Some people may see this as a cop out and that I should make the effort to say the words "I love you" to my family. To them I would say that if I did talk to my family and tell them that I loved them they would ask me why I was saying it. When they asked me I would not be able to lie and would have to tell them that I was doing so for my Advent Challenge which I feel would cheapen the action of saying "I love you" to them. Therefore I feel that showing them how I feel is much more fitting than saying it, but I can also see how people may say I have not completed the task, but for me I believe I have in spirit if not in action and they key with this challenge is to make a difference rather than being legalistic.

Today's task has been chosen by my friend Dan who selected task number 2 which is to buy a gift for someone you wouldn't normally buy for. This task should be fairly easy to do as I am going shopping with my parents tonight and will be able to buy something for someone while I am there. All that is left to do is decide who I buy for and what to get them. Check back tomorrow to find out what I bought and for who, but until then Merry Christmas guys.

Pray for your government leaders each day this week

This week has been a somewhat quiet week for me, due to the weather I have only been to work one day this week and so have not really had much to do. Because of this I have had time to complete this weeks task in a much fuller way than I may have done had I been busy. The task that I completed this week was to pray for my government leaders every day this week.

So how did I do? Well surprisingly well, I actually remembered everyday to take some time out and pray for them, and in doing so spent time in prayer about other things too. Also having time on my hands I did not just pray directly for the leaders of the country or cabinet ministers. Each day I tried to pray for a different aspect of the government and different aspects of the work they have to do. I prayed for the leaders at both local and national level, everyone involved in running the country, the families of the politicians and much more about their lives. I prayed for policy decisions and for the politicians to be blessed with wisdom and clear thinking so as best to run the country for everyone who lives in it.

Now I can't tell you if it made a difference, I have no idea if David Cameron or any other politician felt the effects of my prayers or if it helped make anything better for anyone. But I have noticed that I have changed some of my personal ideas about the leaders of this country, I have actually thought about the difficulty of their job and not just criticised out of hand. I have thought about how the job they do affects everything in their lives right back to how they interact and get on with their own families. Maybe this task has not made a huge difference to the country or it leaders but it has had an effect on me and for that reason alone I am thoankful that I completed this task.

So what is next? what task is next on the agenda. Well the challenge that was pulled from the hat this morning was to read the doctrines. This is something I have been meaning to do in my personal time anyway and have just not found the time to do it yet. But not just to read them but to understand them and learn them. I feel it is important for me to know as much about the organisation that I am a part of as well as I can and this is a step I really need to take. Please check back next week to see how I do and feel free to follow the Advent Challenge read the previous tasks in the Soldier's Challenge and all the other posts through this week.