Hey Guys,
Only a few more days left! Keep posting your thoughts and Project25 stories on Stus blog!!

Verse: Galatians 6:9-10
So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.

Challenge: With only a few days before Christmas todays challenge is about thinking about the people around us! As todays verse says lets not grow weary of doing good things! If your anything like me you have a lot of things still to get and shopping is still on the to do list! Todays challenge is to think of someone you wouldnt usually buy for, maybe someone who could do with a little unexpected surprise and buy them something! Not something big just something with thought that would make them smile!

Prayer: Today pray for friends and how great they can be! Pray also that you will, as Galatians says, not grow weary of doing good things! Pray for Joel today as he is making a good recovery but at that age he can be up and down! Caroline and Stuart seem a lot more positive today so pray also for them and Caleb! God is amazing and his timings are perfect even when we think otherwise!

Update from Caroline:
Joel had an amazing night and is not being tube fed anymore.He fed this morning and was a bit exhausted and sleeping lots. They are trying to suction him less. They have to keep an eye on his wee lungs as he is working harder now. We both slept from 1am – 6am which is great! Caleb is in great form today, eating & sleeping more he sees his dad more now which is great! Thanks for thinking about us so much!

Keep praying for them all and thinking about them!

Until tomorrow
Andy

Sorry about the lack of Project 25 yesterday! Today is Day 21 of 25 so not many left! Im trying to think of the last four days and make the last few great but you will have to keep checking the website to keep up to date!! Today the challenge and the prayer are the same!!

Verses:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’
Philippians 4:6-7
“…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”
James 5:16

Challenge:
Today make time on your own to really take time to pray for Joel Hawthorne! Pray he keeps breathing on his own and makes a fast recovery! Stuarty and Caroline have had a rough time as you can understand so pray for them. Also for we Caleb as he is unsettled and still not well either.

Talking to Caro this morning she said…
Joel had a comfortable night. Doc seems to think he is on the mend. They have turned the oxygen off and he is breathing on his own at the minute which is a good sign. Still being suctioned and tube fed. They are allowing him out of the incubator a bit more so she is getting more cuddles. Thanks to all for your love and support that Stu and Caro have really felt.

Day 21 may seem an easy one but if I can add to the challenge there is a prayer meeting in church tonight at 7pm – 9pm if you can make it at any time if its for an hour or ten minutes or 2 hours please show up and bring everything before God!!

Thanks guys and thanks for all your prayers! Stu and Caro really appreciate it!

Until Tomorrow!!
Andy

Scripture: ‘May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 15:5-6)

Prayer: Pray today for those who we know who are away from family and friends this Christmas.  Today, pray especially for Shane Kelly who is in New York…pray that God would give him endurance and encouragement.  Pray that he would feel united with us as together we seek to follow Jesus.

Challenge: Get in touch with Shane today if possible – either through Facebook or email (you’ll not get him by phone!).  Encourage him with some well chosen words!!  If you don’t have a means of contacting Shane or if you’ve already been in touch really recently with him then get in touch with someone else you know in a similar situation. You may also want to contact Chrisy Reynolds who is in Bradford working as a Youth Worker!  We miss them both!!

Scripture: ‘For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love’ (2 Peter 1:5-7)

Prayer: Pray today that we would be people who live lives of kindness and goodness and generosity way beyond this 25 day challenge…

Challenge: I read this on another blog site…somebody else who is being challenged in a similar way we are:

Random Acts of Kindness

Scripture: ‘But from everlasting to everlasting  the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children…’ (Psalm 103:17)

Prayer: Praise God today for your family.  Thank him especially for the grandparents you have had in your life.  Pray (if they are still alive) that God would really be a part of their lives and that they would experience that this Christmas.

Challenge: Today we are going back to family – your challenge is to get in touch with a grandparent today (either by phone or by visit).  Make sure you ask them how they are and let them know how much you appreciate them.   I realise that some of you may not have any grandparents in your life any more.  Maybe today could be a good chance to chat with your Mum or Dad and recall all the good memories you have of your grandparents.  Encourage your Mum or Dad too, give them a hug…Christmas is a time when they are sure to miss them a lot…

Scripture: ‘But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10)

Prayer: Thank God that Jesus brings good news of great joy!  Pray that you will be a person whose life shows this great joy.

Challenge: Today, simple challenge…make an extra special effort to smile today.  This challenge may sound a bit cheesy…but there are far too many grumpy faces out there!  Make an extra special effort to be joyful…get that smile on your face

Scripture -  ‘So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness’ (Colossians 2:6-7)

Prayer - Thank God today for Jesus.  Pray that in your life you will continue to live in him, be built up in him and that your faith in him would go from strength to strength.  Thank God also for your school/tech/job.  Say sorry for not being thankful enough for it.

Challenge: Today you are to leave a  wee note on the desk of someone you work for.  This could be a boss at work or a teacher of choice at school or tech.  In the note thank them for all they do in teaching you/working with you…let them know that they are doing a good job and you appreciate them.  The note can be anonymous   Let us know how easy/hard this was to do…and any reactions??

Scripture: ‘But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body’ (1 Cor 12:18-20)

Prayer: Thank God for your church and that it is your ‘spiritual home’.  Pray that God would grow within you an even greater desire to serve in and through your church.  Pray for the other ‘parts of the body’ – other Christians – pray especially for those in your church.

Challenge: Again – being Sunday – we want to encourage you to get along to church today.  This challenge is simple – when you get to church be an encouragement to the other believers there. Encourage those taking part in the service.  Thank them for what they shared or sung or whatever!

Also -YOUTH SERVICE @ WOODLANDS, 7PM – be there!  X-Factor can be recorded (or we may even show the result if at all possible after the youth service )!!

Scripture: ‘He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ (Micah :8)

Prayer: Pray today that God would give you a heart that seeks to ‘act justly’ in our world.  Ask him to open your eyes to the real needs of people around us.  Pray that we would ‘love mercy’…and that we would live this out.  Pray too that we would always ‘walk humbly’ before God, always acknowledging that He alone is God and holds all our days in His hands…

Challenge: It’s Saturday again…the chances are that most of you will be out and about today in Carrick or even Belfast.  It might be good to pair up to do this.  So, today’s challenge:  keep your eyes open for a homeless person or someone who clearly is in need.  Buy them a bottle of juice or coke or something.  Don’t just give it to them and walk quickly away…think of something to say that might give them some hope.

I now realise that 25 days of consecutive challenges is hard enough…thank you for sticking with it and for giving this a real go.  We are so keen that you feedback here…I’d love to hear any stories from today’s challenge so please let us hear…