Today there has been a major event - the long awaited Christingle, which has been in the pipeline for several weeks. It is no surprise that many of our good deeds today stem from this service, so here are a few to start us off:
- J prepared handy bags for each person at the Christingle. This meant that the Christingles could be carried home with minimum mess and well protected. Ours Christingles are now gracing the front hall. Well, not mine because...
- I played the organ at the Christingle. The usual organist couldn't make the service so I stepped in to help out. I'm classing this as a good deed, but in actual fact I don't need an excuse to play Christmas carols!
- C read at the Christingle. She did the first reading - that really nice one from Isaiah with the lion and the lamb. There was a cracking turnout but only one young reader, so C stepped in to help out.
- Earlier in the day I had photographed and emailed C's reading to her as I couldn't get to the computer to scan it.
- C also stepped in to welcome people at the beginning. She had only left work a few minutes earlier, feeling a bit blurgy, but still greeted everyone with a smile. She took over the welcome because...
- J was running the service. It was her idea to bring together people to celebrate Christmas as the festival of light, and she did a super job. Everyone was smiling and they all left understanding the significance of light, not only in the Christingle, but also in Christmas.
- There were exactly the right number of Christingle bags until some people arrived late, but C gave them hers.
- Part of the service was to decorate the prayer tree and C had bought presents to go under this tree and she handed them out at the Christingle service to those people who were there.
By the by, anyone who has never seen The Brick Testament, take a look. I used to use it all the time when I was teaching. Here's the Christmas story.
That was it for the Christingle, but here's a few other things: - It has been a pretty hectic day, especially this evening, but J still ventured out to do a second dog walk so that I wouldn't have to go after teaching and C wouldn't have to go out on her own when she's feeling under the weather.
- Once again Orlando contributed to the good deeds by collecting a bottle and dropping it off at the bin.
- Also on the walk, J was sharing cheery "hellos" to the people they passed. A kind word and a friendly smile costs nothing but can really brighten up someone's day.
- C was also giving out presents at school today - she's been a proper Santa Claus!
- This evening we went shopping for Mum. At this time of the year it is really difficult to find the time to get out to the shop so we sneaked off to do it for her.
- We bought supper for Mum and Dad - egg custard tarts. I think they're disgusting, but the parents seem to like them. Thankfully, Mum gave me a mince pie instead!
- Also on the shopping trip I helped out by sorting out the trolleys in the little park. People had just shoved them in without care or consideration, so I "stacked" them all for the Tesco workers.
When it wasn't the Christingle (so this morning, really!) it was preparing Mum's blog for publication. For the past year, Mum has been writing her memoirs and today's was the final, Christmas, edition. - I helped Mum put her blog up. She writes them all and then I go through and format and publish them for her. It is an absolute pleasure, but I'm claiming it as a good deed because it helps her out!
- J helped with the photography for the blog, as Mum couldn't get a particular picture without reflections coming from the glass in the frame. J is a nifty photographer and managed to get the picture.
- I also helped Mum share this to her social media group on Facebook. I'm pretty sure she could do it on her own - she's more unsure than useless!
- A very important visitor has arrived in the house tonight: our snowman. He is filled with sweets and every now and then we excavate these goodies! I used my Christmas sweets to fill the snowman.
- And finally, C had already beaten me to it and donated one of her boxes of Christmas sweets to fill it. Wish I'd known... I wouldn't have needed to share mine! [Just kidding!]
So today has been a whirlwind of busy Christmas-ness, allowing lots of opportunity and sharing good deeds and raising smiles. Go us!
V x
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