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Northwich Church - on the grapevine |
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"Is
not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: ....
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News from the Methodist Church
Not all habits are bad!We are forever hearing about people whose bad habits have led to major issues in their lifelike drink and drug abuse, but are ALL habits bad? Developing GOOD habits can greatly enhance our lives. If we grow these good habits into our daily ‘auto-pilot’ activities, we will be astonished at how much more fruitful our lives can become. The bad news is that it can take 155 days to break a bad habit. The good news is that it cantake only 21 days to create a new habit, and the new one can replace a habit you are trying to change. We are blessed that God gave us patience as one of the Fruits of the Spirit, and we will need it if we fail in the first 21 days and have to start again. Do you live in chaos, and waste time looking for things? Consider tidying your life. Being neat will save you endless hours of stress. You CAN do it. Did you know that companies that insist on a ‘clean desk’ when you leave at night, actually get it - despite the various ‘natural’ tidiness levels of the staff within the building? Do you exercise? It not only enhances your life, it may save your life. It isn’t enough to buy the gym membership; you have to use it. So - first identify a time you could go to the gym on a regular basis, and then start going for at least 21 times in a row. Soon you will have built the habit of going. Good habits can help our spiritual lives, too. For 21 days, try getting up 15 minutes earlier, and spending that time reading your Bible and having a prayer. Keep at it. 22 days from now, push it back to half an hour before your former ‘rise time’, and you will find you can begin each day with enough time and space to ground yourself in God. What are the habits you wish you could change, and what habits would you like to develop? Remember the Creator programmed us with the ability to control our habits and it is up to us to do so. Perseverance is the key. Keep going till it has become part of your ‘auto pilot’. Do you vote with your shopping for a fairer world?With Fairtrade Fortnight fast approaching (27 February – 11 March), we are again challenged to scan the supermarket aisles for products that carry the green and blue Fairtrade mark. Many such products have now entered the ‘main stream’. Thousands of churches are not only using FT products on their premises but also using debates, talks and quizzes to raise awareness and get people talking. The Fairtrade premium restores dignity and respects both people and the environment. The campaign for trade justice aims to enshrine these principles in new trade rules. In denominational areas like dioceses, churches are getting together to give their campaigns a louder voice and bigger impact. A small step-change here in the UK can make a big difference to the lives of farmers and workers around the world. That’s why the Fairtrade Foundation is issuing ‘Take a step’ postcards this year: the idea is to set targets for how many steps for Fairtrade you hope to take in 2012. There are around 2,000 steps in every mile. You can collect and record these steps in any way you choose www.fairtrade.org.uk/step What constitutes a step? It could be a small step, like swapping your tea to Fairtrade, or a bigger one like organising an event. The Fairtrade Foundation hopes that 1.5 million steps will be taken this year. That’s one for every Fairtrade farmer and worker around the world. Harriet Lamb, who heads the Fairtrade Foundation, says: “As companies engage more and more with producers, everyone learns and understands, creating a basis for lasting change. Working alone on a small plot, a farmer can change very little, but working with her neighbours she has power. Step by step, we are beginning to achieve transformative change.” OK – some of us have less to spend this year, but can we honestly say that we are as poor as those who produce so much of what we consume? Philip Barron.
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