Is Halloween Anti-Chrisitan?

It's Halloween! Time for dress up and candy. That is what it meant to us growing up and when our children were young, and now my grandson! (He is Mario this year...his mother learned to sew and made him a nice costume, but Friday he changed his mind and decided a pirate would be fun.  Gotta love 4 year olds.)  The towns around here have debated trick-or-treat Saturday night or Sunday night.  Several have left it up to people.  Leave your light on Saturday night for trick-or-treaters if you want.  Why?  I don't understand the debate.  Is it about work/school the next day? I hardly think so because 5 years in a row it will fall on a school night and no one says a word.  My only thought is that it is a Sunday and they are concerned about church.  However, no one mentions this.
    
OK. If you are concerned about a pagan holiday on the Sabbath.... you should not be celebrating Halloween at all.  Here's my opinion, folks, whether you want it or not:  Christmas and Easter are such important holidays to me, as a Christian.  They have been commercialized and secularized (is that a word?) until they are hardly recognizable.  I STILL CELEBRATE THEM.  It is important because of what they mean to me... in my heart. How I celebrate is my choice.

Halloween today, in America, for 90+% of people is only a day set aside for people to dress in costume, have treats, and the occasional scare. (Yes, and college kids to "party" heavily... that's no big surprise, they'll use any excuse. I was once one of them, remember?  Drunkeness is another story).  There is no malice or evilness in their hearts that drive them, it's just for fun.  Heck, they can even leave out the "scare" part and just have fun.  I think God knows the heart of His children.  He loves to see us happy and having fun.  He doesn't want us harming ourselves (sin is harmful), so I'm not advocating the 60's "If it feels good, do it" mentality. (or was that the 70's??)  I'm saying: "LIGHTEN UP, PEOPLE!" 

Years ago we had this debate at our church and people were very divided.  10 years fast forward and those same people are now saying they were too legalistic and it's not a big deal.  They see the fun for the kids and that it is not harmful, not satanic.  That's my point of view.  What's yours?

Time with Jesus

I really need to be doing some housework today... you know... the nitty-gritty, down on your knees scrubbing kind of clean.  It's been awhile since I've done that (right before surgery last week), so it's overdue.  BUT, before I started, I needed to spend time with Jesus.  I love that phrase so much.  I used to call it "time reading my Bible", or "devotional time", but my Sister (she's the best, by the way) would always remind me to "spend time with Jesus".  OF COURSE! This time alone with the Savior should not be a chore!  Something we HAVE to do.  It is a privilege, a joy, an honor! 

Why do I resist the good things He has for me?  Satan loves to make me procrastinate.  If he can keep me from spending time with Jesus, he can work on my mind and my heart to turn me away from the King.  I often find myself busy with things I enjoy (writing, sewing, reading) and things I feel I have to do (cleaning, baking, working) and put off my time with Jesus.  I say things like, "I'll just finish this chapter." or "I'll get this room cleaned up first."  When He comes to mind, I need to drop all else and visit with Him.  My day can then start!  I have a much better outlook after my time with Him. He puts all other things into perspective.  I am more apt to hear the Holy Spirit and obey His promptings (sometimes His "shoves") when I have spent my morning with Jesus.

I get to talk to Him about my family, their spiritual needs and their physical needs; I talk to Him about me and MY needs as well as my desires and my wants.  Christians are good at reminding that God said He would supply our NEEDS not our WANTS and I whole-heartedly agree.  But, just like with any friend, I still love to to talk over my wants with Jesus.  Just as I love to hear what my children want (I usually know what they need) so perhaps someday I can surprise them with a treat.  Sometimes He will remind me that what I want is pretty unimportant and unnecessary and perhaps even detrimental.  I will accept whatever He tells me (OK-sometimes I accept grudgingly or with a growl) and praise Him for knowing best and supplying my needs! 

My Bible is sort of like those search engine (Bing) commercials; one verse leads me to another thought, then another, then another.  It's really quite fun.  One of the reasons I started this blog was to write about some of the things I find in those searches and see if other people have thoughts as well.  I love talking about Jesus and how He loves us and wants to be the center of our lives.  Non-believers will roll their eyes at that and consider me a Jesus Freak.  It's not like that is all I can talk about, but when He is the center...all things revolve around Him and all thoughts are filtered through Him, right?  You try to get the perspective of the situation by looking through His eyes (the best we can). 

Well, I don't want this to become too long and tedious. Today's reading reminded me that sin leaves scars even when it's forgiven. (David killing Uriah the Hittite 2Sam 12:1-14)  Lord help me to avoid sin so I do not leave the scars! I loved the prayer at the end: 

"May I not presume upon Your mercy by assuming there will be no consequences for my sin."

God Bless!