A few weeks ago I blogged about Motivation - if you missed it you can catch up here. And the question I ended that post with was about what is it that gets me out of bed to run. This morning it was dark and it was wet - although not particularly cold - when I left the house at 5.15am for a 5 mile run. And when the alarm clock goes off in the morning quite a few of the motivating factors I discussed last time probably don't apply.
When it comes to my running I think there are two main motivating factors that get me out the door in the early morning - there are a lot more that apply on a warm sunny summer afternoon whilst on holiday in the countryside.
The first is a goal or a target. For example, a race that has been paid for and is in the diary. My competitive personality will then ensure that I train for that race. When there is nothing to aim for it is a lot easier to stay in bed. Running becomes a lot more hit and miss. But when there is a date in the diary, a start line to aim at, then it is a lot easier to drag myself out the door in the mornings.
The second motivating factor is accountability. When you're doing something with other people it is a lot easier because you encourage each other - but you also check up on each other. I haven't joined an actual running club - but that is a great way to get and stay motivated. Instead I have joined an online running club - the various groups and forums on there provide the necessary motivation not to skip a run. I receive virtual cake at the end of each month for running 100+ miles a month. Then there is the longer term target of a total of 1,500 miles during 2012 - being done with a whole group of people aiming at the same target. Sharing how we're getting on, encouraging each other back after injury, sending smiley faces to those who have already reached the goal, and virtual hugs to those who are going to miss out for one reason or another. There are words of advice - a virtual kick out the door for those who are just being lazy; and advice to see the bigger picture for those who need time to recover from injury.
There's more to this than just running though - part three: coming soon
You may not be aware, but today is officially World Toilet Day. Why, you may be asking, do we need a World Toilet Day?
Can you imagine not having a toilet? Can you imagine not having privacy when you need to relieve yourself? Although unthinkable for those living in wealthy parts of the world, this is a harsh reality for many. One in three people in world does not have access to a toilet - that's about 2.5 billion people.
The health risks of poor or no sanitation are obvious - but we might not be aware of the deadly consequences. Diarrhoea, for example, kills one child every 20 seconds - that's more that HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined.
There are also issues of dignity and safety. Poverty and poor sanitation are closely linked. Improving sanitation often leads to a move out of poverty - as people get healthier they are able to work more, children are able to stay in school ...
Many charities are working with communities across the world to improve sanitation and build toilets.
That's why we have a World Toilet Day.
I'm sure we all like a good celebration. The skies around here have been full of fireworks over the last week as the local Hindu community celebrates Diwali. I was talking to a dad outside school on Wednesday - he was off to Toys-R-Us to get Diwali presents for his children and complaining that they are abusing the system as they are expecting Christmas presents as well.
I'm sure that within every culture there are celebrations or ceremonies that take place at points during the year - events that are significant in helping those communities tell and remember their story.
The Old Testament people of Israel were no different. Each year they celebrated seven annual feasts. These feasts were ordained by God and God had told them when to celebrate and how to celebrate. Last Sunday, we looked at four of those feasts as we continue our journey through the book of Leviticus. The instructions are laid out in Leviticus 23.
[We looked at the Day of Atonement a few weeks ago and we're looking at Passover and Unleavened Bread next week.]
The feasts of Firstfruits, Weeks and Tabernacles are directly linked to the harvest. In Israel there were two harvests each year - the barley harvest in the spring and the wheat harvest in the autumn.
The Feast of Firstfruits happens right at the beginning of the barley harvest - the very first thing that is done with the first sheaf that is harvested is that it is offered to God by the priest. It is a thank you to God for the firstfruits and also an anticipation of the harvest still to come. The firstfruits are a sign and a promise of what is to follow over the coming weeks of hard work and labour.
This feast is a reminder to us to be thankful for all that we have, and to give back to God out of the first and best that we have. Not to wait until everything else is taken care of and then give to God out of what is left.
This blog covers a whole range of topics from running to geocaching to shoe boxes to understanding and applying the Bible. Earlier this week I went to a great presentation by Stephen Cage from an organisation called Biblica.
As you will see from the following couple of clips, one of their concerns is how people are engaging with the Bible - or how they are not engaging with it to be more specific. In many countries we have more access to the Bible then ever before. We have multiple translations at home, we have it on our computers, we can access it on our phones, we get it emailed in daily chunks...but are we really engaging with it? Are we getting into it and is it getting into us? And if not, why not?
The observant among you will have noticed that I wrote a blog a few days ago about Motivation (part 1) and you're probably wondering when part 2 is coming. It's in the pipeline! But I'm sure most of us are motivated by doing something with others - which is what makes the community aspect of this project so exciting.
At the moment I'm thinking about how we might use this resource in the new year as a whole church. Let me know what you think...
