Treats....or tricks?!?!?!?!?

Let's talk about Halloween, since it is drawing near!!

A few weeks ago, I posted some of my fall decorations, and I received a comment that it didn't look like I decorated much for Halloween. No, I don't...but, that doesn't mean I have anything against the holiday. I truly love this time of year....but it's the fall decorations that I absolutely adore....not all the ghosts and skeletons and scary creatures!!! I don't even particularly like to see a beautiful orange pumpkin all carved up with a mean face!!!

But, on Halloween night, when it starts getting dusky dark....I dust off the ceramic pumpkin that I've had since Jess was a little girl, and I place it on the front porch and I light the candle in it...to let the little trick-or-treaters know that it's a friendly place to visit. Now...I will say this...there were a couple of years that I didn't hand out candy because I was home alone and I just wasn't comfortable answering the door.

For those of you who have told me that you don't believe in celebrating Halloween....and, believe it or not, this topic has come up several times lately....but, if you don't believe in it, then I'm sure that you have a valid reason. I totally agree that the holiday can be dark and evil, if that is how it is chosen to be celebrated. I've read the scripture about witches and evil and sorcerers and demons and darkness and I understand that there are people who actually take this holiday as a day to worship Satan. But...think about this...Christmas is supposed to be celebrated as the birthday of Jesus...but so often Jesus gets pushed aside and the holiday is so commercialized that the true meaning is often forgotten. The same goes with Halloween....if there are people in the world who are Satan worshippers, then they are going to do that every day...not just on Halloween...and I will say right here, these people need our prayers. I feel like we can carry things to an extreme either way. I know there are people who don't believe in the commercial side of Easter...for instance Easter baskets, chocolate bunnies, etc. I can still remember getting an Easter basket as a child and it tickled me to death. Some of my sweetest memories are of my Mom spending hours helping us color eggs and of Daddy taking us trick-or-treating over in "The Plains". He grew up in "downtown Straw Plains", and he knew all the best houses to take us to!!! There was one house in particular where an elderly black lady lived, and she always made homemade popcorn balls...and they were delicious. As old as I am, I can still remember being at Mamaw's and pouring out my bag of candy just in search of that popcorn ball!!! Ms. Dawn, who shared the pumpkin mint recipe with us on Friday...she told me that her Mom made those for her 3rd grade Halloween party at school...and Dawn attended a Christian school. I was taught the true meaning of Easter....I knew it had nothing to do with that Easter basket and the devil was never mentioned when we got all excited about going door to door begging for candy...of course back then, they didn't even make the cute costumes that we see today!!

How many years ago was that??

Let's not even go there!!!

So....I'm not trying to convince any of you...again...either way...to celebrate Halloween, or not...each of us have our own beliefs. I do know that I would never take Halloween...or any other day...as a day to worship Satan. I'll always remember what a former pastor of ours used to say "When we get to heaven we're all going to realize that we were wrong about something!" Now, ain't that the truth!?!?!?

I'm excited about our Trunk-or-Treat at church and getting to see the little kids so excited about the candy and the games and just getting to have good clean fun!!! Personally....I'm excited about the fireworks...I LOVE fireworks!!! And, I can't wait to see my grand babies all dressed up in their little Halloween costumes and coming to trick-or-treat at Pap and Nana's house. I already have their special treat bags all fixed up!!! I want them to build sweet memories of all the holidays...just like Nana did!!!

By the way...if you come to my house trick-or-treating...here's what you'll get:

A Bible tract explaining that the greatest "treat" of all is salvation!!!

And, a coupon for a free frosty....unless....I decide to keep them all for myself!!! ha! ha!...just kidding...I think!!!

In His Love...and with mine!!!