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A few years ago I decided to try to focus my mind on the run up to Christmas by writing an Advent blog.  It seemed to work and other people enjoyed it too, so last year I ventured out into a longer ' opus' and wrote a blog for Lent too.   Forty days of musings and spiritual ( ish) thoughts in an attempt to shift the focus from chocolate and eggs and holidays to the real meaning of Easter.   I can't promise you that it will be theologically ground-breaking or prophetically gob-smacking.   But you never know!!!   Thanks for reading.  Hope you enjoy either following every day or dipping in and out whenever you like.

This year I had an idea that Id like to do something practical as well as spiritual on the run up to Easter.   So Ive worked out that if I get a jam jar and every day put in coins corresponding to the number of days of Lent ( 1p on day 1.  2p on day 2   etc etc) by Easter Sunday I will have just over eight pounds in my jar.  Right now Im not entirely sure what I will do with my eight pounds.  But at the moment Im thinking that perhaps I will buy an Easter egg for someone who never gets one - an elderly member of my congregation who has no family.... or perhaps donate a few easter eggs to the foodbank for families who cant afford to give their kids chocolate at Easter.  Something like that.   I will let you know when ive decided.   Maybe you would like to do that too?  Its easy and fun and doesnt break the bank.  So today I put 1p in the jar.

It doesnt look like much does it.  1p?   Won't buy you anything.  It's perhaps just a bit of an annoyance in your purse or pocket.  I expect they will get rid of the one penny coin soon enough.   But put enough of them together and the possibilities are endless.  And we have all been in the situation when you have scraped around in the bottom of the handbag and in every nook and cranny of the car and in the kids coat pockets looking for that final five pence needed for the parking meter. It's not always about the value of the individual coin which matters , but what you need that coin for at any given moment.

We are all pennies in the jar.  By ourselves we don't add up to much.  By ourselves we aren't going to change the world.  But together - the possibilities are endless.  The Christian church today numbers 2.2 billion members.  Or thereabouts :)  That's an awful lot of pennies in the jar  Imagine what God could do with all those pennies.   He might decide to spend them on something - He might decide to spend YOU on something!!   Are you ready to be the loose change in God's pocket?

Lord Jesus
Thank you for this season of Lent when I can set aside time to be with You. listen to You. talk to You and think about the Easter story.  Help me to be disciplined in my thinking and my habits and work on me to make me more like You.  Bless everyone who reads this blog and help us together to discover new things in Your word.
Amen