Announcement - 31 Hugs - October 2017!

The thirty-one hugs challenge is back! Maybe you remember the 31 Hugs Challenge of October 2016. It’s almost October again, and this is one small way we can combat the darkness, and ‘spur and encourage each other on to love and good works’ (Hebrews 10:24). So, I’m excited to announce 31 Hugs Challenge for October 2017!

The challenge is to make an extra investment in someone else’s life every day in October. It's about looking into the meaning behind a hug, and conveying that to someone every day for the month of October. A physical hug can mean support, care, love, appreciation, gratefulness, sympathy, congratulations, and so on. It’s a tiny investment in someone else’s life that can mean a lot to them and have a large impact.  

The purpose behind the challenge is to show support and appreciation, share hope and joy, and be the light for God’s glory, as Matthew 5:16 says. It’s a call to rise above the busyness of life and give to someone – even the smallest thing could brighten a mood, change a day, lift the spirits of someone.

Jesus also says that ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive,’ (Acts 20:35) and this focus on giving will a blessing for ourselves as well. ;) 

It will look different for everybody – whether you plan who you’re going to ‘hug,’ write a list of ‘hug’ ideas, or take things as they come. Most importantly, think broadly. Hugs can be given to family, friends, workmates, cashiers/sales attendants, the person next to you on the bus, bloggers, youtubers, authors, artists, musicians: anyone. They can be a literal hug, words of appreciation, a note or message, a phone call, a gift, homemade treats, a picnic lunch, a hike together – anything that’s a little extra investment in someone. Here's last year's list, for more ideas and suggestions.

I want to add a community element to the challenge this year. It’s easy to get discouraged with another thing on the to-do list, and every day comes around often. But we can pray and encourage each other to keep the vision, and share experiences and things we’re learning. I’ve started using Instagram recently, and plan to post regularly about the challenge using the tag #31hugs. Please join in – share your own posts, let’s have discussion! (And, side note: drop me a comment or something on Instagram @applesofgold.97 so I can find and follow you!) Otherwise the comment section here, and email inbox are always open for conversation. :)

I don’t have everything figured out (note my ‘procrastinate now, panic later’ tendencies), but I plan to have some surprises along the way, so keep an eye out for those. ;)

This is where it’s over to you. Who would like to join me in the challenge of sharing hope and joy, showing appreciation and gratitude, and being Christ’s light? This isn’t about me or my glory; if I can touch one heart with His love and become a more giving person, the mission of this challenge is fulfilled. 

I’m excited – just writing this post has my hugging motivation and inspiration levels up, and I can’t wait to see how God works through this! Do you have more questions, comments, tips, suggestions, experiences? How can we best support each other during the challenge? Are you in?