40 acts… The delights of week 3

So here is my blog for week three. As I sit writing this my three year old had successfully managed to get more cupcake around her face than in her mouth but such is life! This week I’ve been challenged to bake (hence making cupcakes today!), to mind my Ps and Qs, to champion a charity, to donate to charity, to give in secret and to celebrate the wonderful qualities of someone that I love.

Perhaps the hardest challenge or the one that has made me think the most is minding my Ps and Qs. I think of myself as a fairly polite person and spend most of my day trying to teach the kids to say please and thank you. But as I was waiting to pick the youngest up from school on Monday it dawned on me that not being polite is actually a sin that follows from pride. For example, take the school pick up. Every single mum and nanny wants to be the first in. And sure, many of us are in a rush because of the other schools finishing at the same time and needing to be in two places at once. But do I really need to be the first in?! What is going on in my heart actually is that I think that my child is more important and my agenda is more important than every other mum’s. And in the grand scheme of things, not being the first one in isn’t that important, as long as the child gets picked up on time! Plus my kid loves school and her teacher and her class!

I’ve also been really struck by the challenges that have required secrecy. In the sermon of the mount Jesus advocates praying in private and doing good deeds with only God as your reward. It is so tempting to boast and brag, yet the ironic thing is that we can never ever be as generous as God!!! So anything we do give is his anyway, so why boast?! It is as if someone did an amazing picture and then I showed it off and took the credit for it! So I have given, but I will not say how much or who to! God knows and that suits me perfectly.

On the subject of surprises today I’ve been challenged to celebrate the wonderful qualities of a friend. I want it to be a surprise so keep an eye on your post because it could be you!!

40 acts… The challenges of week two

As promised, here is my weekly blog about 40 acts. And as predicted, in week two things got harder. The challenges became more creative and imaginative but also really fun! Since my last blog I have been challenged to go green (actually very good as it encouraged me to tidy up my tip of a desk!), to think like a child and be welcoming and accepting of everyone (very easy for me to observe seeing as I spend most of my day with children!), to reconnect with someone I hadn’t spoken to for a while (which I loved as I reconnected with my beautiful bestie emma who is also doing 40 acts) and to share my skills with someone else.

There was one challenge that stood out and surpassed them all though. It was the act of over the top generosity. This was the hardest to think of, but after looking at my list of people I want to bless in this lent period and taking into account who I was going to see that day, I settled on surprising my friend Natalie with flowers. I knew she wouldn’t be expecting it and I also know how massively appreciated she is by all who have the privilege to be friends with her. The most fun part of the day was buying the flowers and imagining the look on her face! I was not disappointed and was greatly reminded of how incredibly generous God has been to me, especially with so many wonderful friends!

Better get back to observing those children… They have a lot to teach me!
Until next time!!!
Helen

40 acts… What have I learnt from week 1?

So it has been a week since 40 acts started. In that week I’ve been challenged to keep a journal, make a list of things I’m thankful for, write a thank you note to someone who may not feel appreciated or might be overlooked, get to know my neighbours better and think about who I have influence over.

Some of the challenges were quite easy- a good friend of mind bought me a thankfulness journal for my 25th birthday which I started using last year so the practice of finding things to be thankful for each day wasn’t new to me. Others, like listing the unique tools God has blessed you with I found very hard as I really hate talking about my positive traits and strengths. (I had to ask other people for help!). Others,such as connecting with my neighbours and working out who I had influence over made me really stop and think! I have been given the tremendous privilege of having influence over three adorable French children. They will hopefully see Jesus as they watch me daily and that is a huge challenge as well as an encouragement to me to keep showing them grace and patience and all the things that I have been so graciously shown by God in Jesus so that they might come to know him for themselves!
I’ve now done 6 acts and therefore have 34 to go… Which still feels like a lot! But like last year, God is using it to challenge and change me and this year lots more of my friends are doing it which is also a massive encouragement!

One final note…at the start of the challenge we had to choose some people we wanted to bless this lent! I’ve got my list of names and I’m keeping it a secret so keep an eye out over the next few weeks as one of them could be you!!!

40 acts for lent

Today marks the start of lent and again this year I’m doing 40 acts. 40 acts of generosity, that I believe God will use to make me more like Jesus. I did it last year and absolutely loved it!!! And I’ve always thought that just giving up chocolate, Facebook, tea was alright but that this was way more challenging!

Sadly my busy life doesn’t allow me to blog every day but over the next few weeks of lent I will try to blog at least once a week about the acts that I have enjoyed the most/found the most challenging! Today’s act is to write a list of all you are grateful for (which I do daily anyway!) and also to make a wish list of all the people you wish to bless this lent! I’m keeping my list a secret so keep an eye out… It could be you! Happy lent everyone!