Week 2 2016 Walk to Bethlehem, PA Fitness Challenge

Week 2 Walk to Bethlehem, PA Fitness Challenge - Away in a Manger

Welcome to Week 2 of the 2016 Walk to Bethlehem, PA fitness challenge sponsored by the Woodleaf UMC health ministry program! Week 2 begins on Sunday, October 23 and runs through Saturday, October 29.

This week's hymn is Away in a Manger. This hymn, first published in the early 1900s offers simple and picturesque words. Two tunes are often found for this carol, one by William James Kirkpatrick and the other by James Ramsey Murray. Away in a Manger is often one of the first Christmas carols that children learn. Here are beautiful versions of the carol sung by Patty Loveless and by Susan Boyle.

A sleeping baby...what a beautiful site! When we stay up too late, we tend to snack on unhealthy foods and often awake feeling much less than refreshed. As we enter this busy time of year, it may be tempting to stretch schedules until they burst with holiday preparations. Perhaps now is a good time to begin to focus on quality rather than quantity as we make plans.

What are your favorite, most meaningful holiday activities? Do you have a favorite version of Away in a Manger? Feel free to share in the comment section below.

Please submit Week 1 points on paper at the church or online to nurseforwoodleafUMC@gmail.com. I will be charting the first week's results and posting later this week. I hope each of you have had a great start to the fitness challenge!