It's a Time of God's Favor

As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of favor and in the day of salvation I helped you. Now is the time of favor now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone's way so that no one can discredit our ministry. 2 Corthianians 6:1-3




As we all are aware, midterm elections are coming up on November 6th. Currently, Republicans hold a 239-193 advantage in the House and a 51-49 majority in the Senate.

It is a critical time for our country and where it will be going next. As we have looked over the past going on 2 years of Donald Trumps presidency, what have we gained in this country?

1. Moved the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem  
2. A stronger stock market
3. The lowest unemployment since 2007
4. Jobs have been created under his presidency
5. Appointed constitutionist Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch 
6. Border Security: 40% fewer illegal crossings and deportation of violent and repeat offenders
7. 100 $million grant awarded to Flint, Michigan to upgrade its water infrastructure
8. Has taken on the news media without backing down

....and more. See . FACT CHECK: Everything Donald Trump Has Accomplished in Just Four Months? and I'd welcome Donald Trump's impeachment but he's done 20 things right

And the work of he and his office goes on and on. No matter what each o us think of President Trump if we the people of the United States are honest we can say, for all he might have done wrong, he has done a lot of things right. Before his election, many of us were not for him. And in fact were dead set against him. However, not many saw it coming. This man that has never been in politics actually did win the office of president. Still today many, many fight against him no matter that he has done well since being voted in. Those people need to get out of his way and let him and his cabinet do their jobs.


I believe that Christians have risen up to do the Lord's bidding for our country. 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 says this: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sin and I will restore their land. Now my eyes will be open and I will hear their prayers.

I believe that is what happened that got Donald Trump elected as president. Christians who were at first against him, probably for some very good reasons still felt he was the better candidate for this office, and it was enough for God to begin restoring our land.

For all that have fought against it, it seems that for those of us that love God, it is a time of His favor for us. But the time now is not to relax. It is not a time to quit. It is not the time to not keep up the fight. The enemy seeks to devour this nation. And it wants you and I. So in today's blog, I encourage you to prayerfully consider these last months that this president has done so much good in and vote on November 6th to put into office those that will continue the fight. It is no less important now, then it was then.


I appreciate you for coming by today. This election is so important for the welfare of not only our country but our families as well. May you have a wonderfully blessed day as we start out a new week. Hope you will come back tomorrow!

What is the Big Deal About Celebrating Halloween:: What About the Occult? ( part 4)

Halloween. The time of year when we dress up into costumes, go to parties, eat candy...and well let's face it. We just have fun. It truly is a popular holiday. The total spending estimates that it will be 9.1 billion dollars this year. That is up from 8.4 billion last year. Costumes will amount to upwards at 3.4 billion according to the latest statics on what the us spends on halloween - Google Search

And would you believe that it is estimated that the Christian market alone will be getting $79.82 per household alone according to  Christians and Halloween

And speaking of costumes, have you seen some of those lately? It seems they are getting more and more eye-catching not to mention elaborate  (and extravagant) if you will-with each year. Even a dollar store in our town had a type of mask that wasn't the kind of masks that we had as kids. They were furry animal heads that completely covered one's head. Whatever happened to the idea that children should use makeup instead of wearing a mask so that their vision is not blocked in any way?

How has our society evolved from the days of simple costumes, perhaps made by our mothers, to these elaborate ones that get more that way every year yet some get more revealing each year?

Where did it all come from? And is it just a fun time of year, or are there darker roots? Occultic roots? And if it is the latter, should we really care? Is it really that harmful?

Its origin comes from Celtic traditions having to do with the end of summer sacrifices to gods in Druidic tradition. It was the beginning of the year in what is now called Britain and France. They believed that Samhain, the lord of death sent evil spirits abroad to attack humans that escaped only by wearing disguises and looking like evil spirits themselves. With dark winter days approaching, those nasty evil spirits loved playing tricks on people.

You might say, "Yeah, so what. Really, what has that got anything to do with dressing up in costumes today?" "Or for that matter, what has it got to do with celebrating Halloween today in any sense of the word?"

Did you know that Samhain is one of the most important points on the "wheel of the year" on the Wiccan calendar? Wiccans believe that it is the day that the god dies and they celebrate his rebirth at Yule. During this time, they also believe that the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest and the best time for contacting the dead.

(My own thoughts: seems to me that alone is enough to stay away from anything having to do with the occult because Deuteronomy 18:10-12 warns us to stay away from these kinds of practices because they are an abomination to God.)

Samhain is celebrated on either October 31st or November 1st. It is one of two "spirit nights" nights each year. The other is called Beltane. It is the magical interval when the mundane laws of time and space are suspended temporarily and The Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted. They believe that communicating with dead ancestors is easy at this time because they are on their way through the world to the Summerlands.

( My own thoughts? Ok, I am sorry. That sounds outlandish to me. You wonder where some of these ideas come from? Except that as Christians we do know.)

Anyway, it is at this time that they study the Dark Mysteries honor the Dark Mother and the Dark Father which is symbolized by the Crone and her aged Consort. (What????)

Sources used: Is Halloween Evil? Why Witches, Occultists and Satanists Celebrate Halloween and Why You Should Not — Charisma News

What is The Big Deal....What About the Occult? part 5 to resume on Oct.16

There is more to come on this particular part of the series and part 5 will be on October 16th, as I am going to skip a day to do something else for tomorrow. I hope you will be back both days to see what it next.  In the meantime, as always, thanks for coming, enjoy the fall season and stay blessed!

What is the Big Deal About Celebrating Halloween: Pumpkin Carving (part 3)

Pumpkin Carving. So what is the big deal about it? Well, let's start off with a legend.

The Legend of "Stingy Jack and His Jack O Lantern

It seems it is derived from an Irish Legend in which Stingy Jack, a drunk met up with the devil one night. He had invited Satan to share a drink with him. However, Jack did not want to pay for his drink and so he convinced Satan to change himself into a coin so that he could pay for their drinks. Which Satan did. Jack then put the coin into his pocket with a silver cross which prevents the devil from changing back to his original form. Eventually, he did release Satan on the condition that he not bother Jack for a year and if Jack should die, he would not claim his soul. The next year he tricked the devil again. by getting him to climb up into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. And while the devil was in the tree, Jack carved a cross into the bark so that he could not come down again until he promised not to bother Jack for another ten years. Jack finally died due to his drinking and went to heaven where God would not allow him to enter because of his said lifestyle. And true to his promise, Satan did not send Jack to hell. Instead, he gave him a coal and lit it sending him into eternity to scare children. 

(Please note there are other versions of this legend.) Sources: History of the Jack O’ Lantern -  HISTORY and  Stingy Jack - Wikipedia

(My own thoughts on this legend: It is not lost on me, the fact that a cross, a tree, a piece of fruit and a light are symbols injected into it. What about you. Do you see it's a correlation in using those objects as well?)

It is stated that this legend came from both England and Ireland and the people started creating their own "jack o lanterns." However. unlike America, there were no pumpkins grown in those countries and the turnips and potatoes or even large beets were used as the original items used to make the lanterns which they carved scary faces in and then sat them in their windows.

Eventually, immigrants found their way to America and it is no surprise that these lantren lanterns became popular due to the hysteria that was created because of the witchcraft that plagued the New England Colonies. Their purpose was to scare away any evil spirit that may come around. 

 And of course, they became a tradition in using them today in modern society as a fun and decorative way of celebrating Halloween.

And of course, pumpkins themselves have also brought about many wonderful recipes in which we use them today. 

But as Christians, should we use them in for the purpose of making them into Jack O Lanterns under the tradition of that long ago legend. Or are we being too nit-picky?

What is the big deal anyway?

Back in those days where celebrating or not celebrating Halloween was very much at the forefront of raising our kids, we had a friend that was a Christian. And she decided that carving pumpkins in the traditional Jack O Lantern was not for her. But how could she still make them a part of her fall decorations that she felt would glorify Jesus. And so she took ten pumpkins and carved a word into each one adding a lit candle at night. Then she arranged them in a row on her front porch. As people passed by her home, this is the message that they read:

Jesus Saves

What a wonderful way to proclaim the gospel and still use pumpkins as a decoration for fall! It solved both problems for her. 

Dealing with these subjects on Halloween and what really is the big deal, I would love to have some of your comments and beliefs about it. Do you think it is ok for your family, or that it is not something you think people should celebrate? If you do comment, please be respectful of anyone that does comment. We are not always on the same page or at the same level of spiritual growth and this forum is just a way of sharing what we believe and not attacking others. And I would appreciate that and thank you in advance. 

Thanks for coming today Friends. Tomorrow's question for What is the big deal...will be: What about the occult? Is it viewed as a part of Halloween?

May each of you have a wonderfully blessed day!

Q & A What is the Big Deal About Celebrating Halloween? What Does the Bible Say About Halloween? (Part 2)

Imagine that you are in a Bible class at this time of year and God is your teacher for the session. Perhaps you have asked him what the bible says about it. Or maybe you have asked if it is even mentioned in the Bible at all. What might his answers be to those questions, do you think?

I am not God. But first, off I believe he would tell you that, no the Bible does not exactly mention it in the Bible. However, there are scriptures that point to the fact that we should not celebrate it at all. And then he would quote them to us.

When you enter the land that the Lord has given you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft or casts spells, or who is a medium, or spiritist, or consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, your God and he will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 18:9-13

I will destroy your witchcraft and you will not cast spells. Micah 5:12

The acts of the flesh are obvious; sexual immorality,  impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft, jealousy and fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness and orgies and the like. I warn you that those that live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ummm. Is the that not clear enough? Ok, so just because we might dress up in a witch's costume or as some other creature once a year, that does not mean we go out and cast spells or do any of those things listed in these passages. Right"

So what is the big deal?

God wants us to avoid EVEN the appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22.

If we take that literally, it means that we don't put on costumes that would even look like something that God detests. We should want nothing to do with them if they are not pleasing to him

Years ago, I was talking on the phone one day with a cousin. It was fall and she mentioned she had been decorating for Halloween. She was getting ready to hang a skeleton on her front door. I had since come to the conclusion that celebrating it was wrong. And I told her so. She asked me: "Ok so if you don't celebrate Halloween, what is the difference between decorating for that and decorating for Christmas?'

My answer was obvious to me. "Because celebrating Halloween, is like celebrating death whereas celebrating Christmas, and the life of Jesus is celebrating his life.

Studying scripture and just that statement had been enough for me to discredit the holiday as evil. And then there are the origins of the holiday as well. Add them all together and they were all I needed. And now, years later I still believe it.

Let's face it. Dressing up in those costumes do not bring glory to God and if it doesn't why should we do it?

Still, there are those Christians that do exchange the activities of Halloween for those of a Fall Festival or Trunk Treating. Where do you stand on the question of whether doing those are right or wrong? Only you can decide before God. For more information please follow the links that I have provided below. Sincerely ask God for his leading on this very important subject. And thanks for joining me.


.Why Christians Absolutely Should Not Celebrate Halloween — Charisma News

What Does the Bible Say About Halloween? Verses for Halloween

Tomorrow's question: What is the big deal about carving pumpkins for Halloween?



 I hope you will come back tomorrow and in the meantime pray God's blessing for you today!

Q & A What is the Big Deal with Celebrating Hallween? Trick or Treating. (Part 1)

Halloween. Just the mention of it brings up thoughts of parties, costumes, spooky but edible foods, trick or treating and more. Some of us think of the happy times we had during our childhood of those times.

But, there is a dark side to the holiday. And I want to share with you some of it so that if you don't have a balanced knowledge of what it really is, you will. And then you can decide for yourselves if it is one holiday you really want to celebrate. Or not. 

It is certainly a popular time of fall. Take a walk or ride around a neighborhood and see all the different ways that people decorate their yards for it. Some are simple as with a ghost or two in trees. Others are more frightening, with some really ugly looking creatures all over their yards. On trick or treating night, it is nothing to go to a house that plays spooky music with its volume up for everyone to hear and little children to be scared to even go there. 

So first off, take the idea of trick or treating. Where did it originate? Is it evil? If so, is there an alternative?

Did you know that the practice began with the Celtic tradition of celebrating the end of the year by dressing up as evil spirits?  They believed that from moving from one year into the new one, the dead and the living would overlap. Demons would roam the earth again during those times. Dressing up as demons were their defense against the real ones so that if you encountered one, they would think you were one of them and would leave you alone.

During the Middle Ages, children and poor people would dress up in those kinds of costumes begging money or food during those times in exchange for prayers or songs and often on behalf of their dead.

The Catholic Church got into the act wanting to attract people to it thus converting them by turning these times into what they called "All Souls Day," "All Saints Day'" or "All Hallow Eve's Day." They would have the people dress up as angels or saints, with a few demons included.   

Eventually, the holiday made its way from Europe to the United States and the earliest known reference to the term "trick or treat" dates back to November 4, 1927, printed in the edition of the Blackie, Alberta Canada Herald. It reads as follows:

Hallowe'en provided an opportunity for real strenuous fun. No real damage was done except to the temper of some who had to hunt for wagon wheels, gates, wagons, barrels, etc., much of which decorated the front street. The youthful tormentors were at back door and front demanding edible plunder by the word of "trick or treat" to which the inmates gladly responded and sent the robbers away rejoicing.

And so what is the big deal!  Most of us can say that we don't dress up or allow our kids tto dress up and go out doing damage to property or steal things from others. We don't torment people or demand anything from anyone for real. It is just a night of fun and parties that we enjoy.

Maybe not, but look at how the holiday began. Do we really want to identify with that? And it is not just "trick or treating" that is a part of this holiday, which we will look at for the next few days. 

So what is an alternative be in not participating in this part of it?

Years ago, a pastor had said on a Christian radio talk program that when you take something away from a child, you need to replace it with something else. I am not sure who that was as like I said, it was years ago. But there are some Christian Churches that do not believe that is the right strategy. They believe if something is wrong, you just dump it altogether. And while I agree to some degree with that, I believe that it is ok to replace it with something that is good in this case. 

Upon finding that we did believe that it was wrong, we went to a church in which we became leaders with other parents over a group of children in Children's Ministry. When it came time for the "Halloween Season" we called it a "Fall Festival." We had games, and decorations and food. What we left out was the scary part of the season. Children and adults could come dressed up but not in scary costumes and biblical characters were encouraged. Maybe biblical characters would seem boring. However, prizes were given in that category as well as others, and it was fun to guess who the children came as and how original their costumes were. Many children from in the county came to this event even those that did not attend our church.

In later years, after our own children were grown, what became called "Trunk and Treat" became popular whereby a church would invite parents to park in the church parking lot and pass out candy to the children from the trunks of their cars. And it hosted a fall party within the church that evening too.

As aforementioned,, some churches would not and do not approve of replacing Halloween with any kind of activity as these. And yet, insisting on not allowing kids to take part in some other kind of activity, I do not feel is right. In replacing them, our children do not have to feel entirely left out of the season. They can have just as much fun if not more fun in a church activity that does not glorify the evil aspects of the holiday.

Right or wrong?  It is our choice as parents. I believe the church should teach parents what is wrong with Halloween.  And then offer alternatives for those that agree. But it is up to you to decide for your own families always praying that God will lead you in the ways you should go. 

Thanks for coming by today Friends. With this holiday coming up, I think it is important to examine the different things that are celebrated and their points of origination. This helps us as parents to get a balance in our knowledge of what is good and what is evil. I hope you will stay with me. Tomorrow's question will be: What does the Bible say about Celebrating Halloween?

Today's source: The History of Trick Or Treating Is Weirder Than You Thought | Smart News | Smithsonian

Have a wonderfully blessed day and be sure to bless others as God has blessed you!

Q & A Should We Fear Going Into A Cementary?

With Halloween coming up soon, I thought this might be an interesting question. Should we fear 

going into a cemetery?

After all, we can see them as being spooky places to be. And really, they are a place that some of us would rather not be. Television and the movies produce fear especially at this time of the year when they are used to scare us, and at the same time, making a lot of money for those people that make them. 

In reality, they really aren't what I would call a very good place to go especially at night. And that is because there are dead and decaying bodies there with sometimes spooky and some very old headstones. 

However, many people do feel they need to go and talk to their loved one, make sure their plot is well kept and some take flowers or a wreath in memory of them. It is a ritual that makes them feel closer to those they have lost. Everyone grieves differently and that is ok because God did not make us all the same. I myself, do not go to the cemeteries of those that have gone on. They aren't there,  In my own way of thinking if I want to talk to them, I know that their spirits are someplace else. (But let it be said, I do not believe in talking to them in seances. etc. And I am not sure if what I say to them, might be heard by them. It is really just my way of missing them.) When someone dies, I believe what the bible says. They are either in heaven or hell. Hopefully, not the latter. Never-the-less, they aren't there in the grave Another reason, to be honest, it is a painful situation for me anyway to see their grave and miss them so terribly.

Also, why take flowers to them if they aren't there to enjoy them I hope that while they were alive, I spent more time and effort into enjoying them then. And if they were born again when they were alive, I know that one day I will see them again. But that is just me. If doing those things gives someone peace, then there is nothing wrong with that. And I would be the last one to criticize anyone for doing any different than me.

And still, that question remains. It is a fearful place to be? And the answer should be no. There are two places in the bible that tells where our spirits go when we die, which I mentioned above.
For those that were Christians, 2 Corinthians 5:8 says: To be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord. Whew! There is peace in that. Because in Luke 16:28, it speaks of torment that those that do not accept Christ will go. Moreover, Hebrews 9:27 says, It is appointed to men, once to die and then the judgment. It is that judgment that determines where our spirits end up. If our names are found in the book of life, we will live forever after in heaven. Whoever is not found in the book of life, will be cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15.

Cemeteries need not be any scarier than any other place. They are plots of ground that are set aside for the burials of people whose bodies remain here while the spirits of them go on to whichever eternity they will go to. One day the bodies of all believers will come out of those graves at the sound of the trumpet as Jesus comes back to take the church home.

It is not the fear of them that we should be concerned with, but our own mortality and where we will spend it when we ourselves die. As death did not hold Jesus in his grave, so it will not hold us. It has no sting for those that knew Jesus at that time. I Corthianians 15:55. And that is the good news that we can count on. And so the next time you pass a cemetery or go to spend some time with your buried loved one, remember that they are not there and you do not have to fear to be there. Only that you need to be concerned about your eternal soul. But as long as you have breath it is not too late for you to accept Christ and have your name added to the book of life. And that being said, if you have not accepted Christ as your personal Savior and think you have lots of time to do that, don't put it off too long. We do not know when our time will be up. If we wait too long, the choice will no longer be ours to make.

Question for tomorrow: What is the big deal about celebrating Halloween?
I will give you some answers and you can decide for yourselves. Thanks for coming by today Friends. Have a blessed day!

Q & A Leap of Faith: What Does That Mean?

Have you ever wanted to do something, but just did not have the courage to do it?

I think most of us have been there, done that. As a kid growing up, I was very and I mean very shy. In later years, I even wondered if I didn't have an anti-social type of syndrome of some kind. I was afraid to get up in front of people to do anything. I could do something with a group of others, but getting up to do a book report by myself? Oh no. I tried to manipulate ways of getting out of doing anything like that! I remember in high school, my English class was going to do a play and some of the other students wanted me to take part. None of them were really friends of mine and I thought they were setting me up for ridicule, and I wasn't going to let that happen. I wasn't going to go in front of anyone to "try out" for a part, oh no. And I didn't. In that case, I did not want to do it and had no courage to do it anyway. 

Years later we attended a small church where we became good friends with most everyone there. For the first time ever, I became involved in a Children's ministry where I learned to work with other parents to teach our children God's Word. 

After having been there for a couple years, the music leader left, which left that position open to be filled. For some reason, I was asked if I would take over.

You have to get a picture of it. Here was a church needing someone to lead the morning worship service. Here am I, having no background in music. I never once took music lessons, let alone sang in a choir at school or anywhere else. The only experience I had, was that I came from a family where some did play instruments, and I grew up at times in our family get-togethers, singing along with my dad and others that did play them, and loved doing that.

That was it! Now I was being asked to lead the worship service? Seriously? Yes, seriously. We needed someone to do it and it would be in front of a small group of people that I had come to know and love. How hard could it be?

And yet, I was absolutely petrified! I will never forget the first time I stood behind the podium. Looking out on the group, I was scared so silly that I actually cried. Tears streamed down my face and it took some time to control them. Thankfully, this wonderful group of people was so patient with me and with each service that I stood up there to lead people into praising God, it became easier and easier until....I became comfortable in doing so.

That is what a leap of faith is. It is getting out of our comfort zone to do what we might think of as being impossible to do. It is trusting God to do it for us. To help us do it. No, it had not been comfortable at first. And it took time to get there. But doing it took me from getting out of my zone of fear, and leaping into a whole new comfort zone. And by doing so, I became a stronger person, having allowed God to teach me confidence that I had never had before.

When we know God is calling us to something for him, our answer should be: "Here I am Lord, send me." Isahia 6:8. In taking a leap of faith, doing what God wants us to do, trusting in him, it grows our Christian experiences and it grows our faith. God will never ask us to do what we can't but when he asks us to do something, he gives us the ability to do it.

Looking at some of the Bible saints, these things happened to them because of their faith in God

1. Noah built an ark to save his family. Genesis 6:9-7:24.Wow, what kind of faith was that?!
2. Moses went with the Hebrews rather than stay in the Egyptian palace, Exodus 2:3 He sure didn't choose the easy way.
3. David killed Goliath with a slingshot. 1 Samuel 17. Had he been scared when he was confronted with Goliath?

And in Genesis 18:12 Sara laughed at the thought of having a baby in her old age. However, she did and that would have had to take very much faith to actually go through it.( This one kind of faith that I do not want to have. lol)

Those are just a few. But the fact is, just living in the world today takes faith to live and not give up and throw in the towel like so many that can't face another second of life so they go off into eternity, never being able to trust God.

Yet we are called to live by faith and not by sight. 2 Corthianians 5:7.

However, taking a leap of faith to do something is not taking a blind leap. It is taking a leap using God and his word to guide us. It is trusting him to get us from point A to point B. Sometimes to point C, D or Z. It is not built on anything less than knowing that God will get us where we need to go because he ordains for us to get there.

Scary? Sure. Sometimes. But, that is a part of our growth in him. Learning to trust, and knowing he will keep his promises from the beginning of our leap to the end of it.

Are you contemplating a leap of faith in your life today? Trust God. He will take you places you never thought you would ever go. I am proof of that.

Question for tomorrow: Fear in the Cemetery?

Thanks for your visit Friend. God is good and I pray for his blessings to abound in your life!