Fall and Festivals

Is it the end of October already?!? Wow!! Where has the time gone? Just yesterday it was May and we were making our move back to Texas. Now we are getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. One day I'll blink and Zachary will be leaving for college!!

Fall is my most favorite time of year. I love the cool weather, the wonderful colors and the yummy smells. It is harder to enjoy fall in Texas - it doesn't get as cool and brown just isn't the same as yellow and read on the trees! I do my best. I like Saturday afternoon college football (lately I can watch all week in the evenings, too). I look forward to sweater weather and wearing sweat pants. I love fall.

One of the things that comes with fall is Halloween. What is a Christian to do with October 31? I grew up with a "Halloween" carnival at church, complete with a haunted house (haunted boiler room?) that had cold spaghetti and peeled grapes to touch. It was great. I never thought of it as evil or bad - just lots of fun. Things have changed since then. Now there are people who believe that the very day, October 31, is evil. "Satan's High Holy Day," I heard someone say. I've heard many people say that Halloween represents everything that God is against. I've heard people say that is the history behind Halloween. Maybe...

I won't get in to the history of the day here, but The History Channel has a great article on the Real history and beginnings of Halloween. Actually, the references to Satan have come about more recently, as people have perverted the day. I'm sure a person could find a website to support whatever they believe about Halloween. I respect that.

I have a BIG problem with people judging me and my Christianity (and my family) on what we do on October 31, or the days around 10/31. Our family does not "celebrate" Halloween like we would another holiday but we do participate in some of the activities. Our children wear costumes and get candy. We attend Fall Festivals/Trunk or Treats. We go to the pumpkin patch and we decorate pumpkins. We emphasize fun, family and friends.

Here is what we don't do: we don't play tricks on people, we don't worship satan, we don't talk about evil (or do any evil), we don't take part in any activity that would imply that evil is going on. What else don't we do: WE DON'T JUDGE OTHERS IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO DO ANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES. I just wish we were extended the same courtesy.

My boys know right from wrong, good from evil. They know and love God and want to live for Jesus. In fact, each of them proudly proclaimed who they were upon entering the Fall Festival at church on 10/25 - "I am a (ninja, swamp monster, race car driver) who LOVES JESUS! They know.

On the school front: we made bread. It was bad. We'll have to try again. Oh, well.
Zachary has been very excited about history this week. We are learning about Benjamin Franklin. Yesterday before we made our own version of "Poor Richard's Almanac" Zachary ran upstairs and got a book he had about Benjamin Franklin. He read it out loud to me and Ryan. He was excited to get to share something he knew.

And finally - Ryan's Tiger Den in Pack 344 sold the most popcorn and won the pack pizza party.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (NIV)