Halloween – Observe or Ignore?

As October 31 approaches, Dena and I are talking about our plans for that night. We’re thinking some movies, games, and sweet treats. But not costumes and trick-or-treating.

We’ve never “celebrated” or observed Halloween, due to personal convictions. We don’t judge families who do allow the kids to dress up and go door-to-door. We just decided early on that we’d not participate in the rituals. We usually don’t do the “Harvest Festival” that many churches host, either. So, we offer our kids a fun alternative at home. They’ll tell you that through the years we’ve had some really fun, memorable times together on October 31st.

In this Wall Street Journal piece the writer suggests “most people love Halloween.” Does that include you? Will you be sending the kids out in the neighborhood to collect candy? Will you be passing out treats – or tracts? – to the masked kids who come to your door? Will you have some other activity for your kids to engage in instead?

Check the responses below that best fit your family’s approach to Halloween (multiple answers allowed).

Do you observe - or ignore - Halloween activities?

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Ten Tips For Travelin’ Fools

I’ve been traveling every week since early September. Just coming off another trip to Atlanta, where we had a wonderful time with around 500 friends of Focus on the Family. Our Celebrate Family Tour is really a special time, and it was an enjoyable evening.

During the past weeks, I’ve had canceled flights, mechanical delays, airport “ground stops,” and an overnight stay at LaGuardia airport. Others have plenty of horror stories, and our president, Jim Daly, travels a lot more than me, but since I’ve been out a lot, here are some travel tips that come to mind.

If you travel with any frequency, I’d invite your additions to the following list (compiled at the airport):

John’s Top Ten Travel Tips

1.    Always be prepared for – and expect – the worst.

2.    Never plan to be there on time.

3.    Be nicer than others.

4.    Don’t grumble at the flight crew or gate agent – they’re just trying to do their job. They’re your friends if things fall apart.

5.    Always have a snack and some bottled water – it’ll make sitting on a plane waiting to take off for three hours a lot easier.

6.    Give other folks some space and grace…they might’ve had a rotten day already.

7.    Carry extra juice for your phone.

8.    Don’t spend all your time working. Engage someone in conversation. Look around at the people. Smile at a child. Read a book. Take a snooze.

9.    Get tips on where to eat from frequent fliers. They often have advice that is worth following.

10.Keep family pictures on your laptop’s screen and on your phone. Good reminder of the most important people in your life.

Taking Turns

My wife and I seem to take turns being exhausted, and in managing the home front at night. Although I want to “shoulder the burden” of making sure the kitchen is cleaned, the living room is picked up and our children get to bed at a reasonable hour, there are many nights when I seem to be out of gas, and Dena has to continue the hard work in which she’s been engaged all day. Still, when we’re getting enough sleep and have the emotional reserves, I think we are pretty good at taking on the evening responsibilities.

Here’s an article that made me think some couples struggle with this much more than we do. What about your home – who does what during the evening routines?

Blogging Moms

It is apparent that moms who blog can do so with great success. Here’s an article that prompted me to wonder how many of our Focus on the Family friends read “mommy blogs” – and are YOU a mommy blogger?

And, give me links to your favorite sites for mothers? Thanks!

Do We Really Need This?

Internet in the bathroom – via a high-tech mirror? Can’t we escape the web somewhere…somehow?

Who Do You Love More?

The innocent six year-old looked at her daddy and asked, “Who do you love more, Mom or me?”

He answered thoughtfully, “Honey, I love your Mommy more than you.” Ted went on to explain about the nature of a marital love, and how it is different than a parent’s love for a child. Still, there was a bit of “wow factor” associated with the comment.

I thought, “Well, that’ll ruffle a few feathers, but I think he’s right.”

And when we invited listeners to weigh in on their thoughts, we received an avalanche of response! Samples:

Listen to the program here. Reactions?

Power Down

A thought about God’s sovereignty, inspired by a brief clip from “Apollo 13” in which the main capsule’s power is shut down and the men are moved to the LEM. Their lives were now controlled, to a degree, by the good folks in Houston. Powering down would save their lives. Interesting metaphor for you and me?

Shortly after seeing that scene, I read from the “shorter catechism” a paragraph about the tension many of us feel when thinking about God’s control over ALL creation. This includes the “over-all” picture, and encompasses the “small things” as well as the “big” things of life.

In other words, the ‘big’ things really depend on the ‘little’ things. If the little things are not under control, the big things cannot be either.

The objections to this doctrine, including the argument that this means men are but pawns on the chessboard, or are reduced to helpless robots, were answered simply: We know from the Bible that we are responsible. We know from the same Bible that God does control us, so that He also determines what we do. So we accept this teaching because it is the teaching of the Bible, and not because we can explain it.

Application for me: I should practice “powering down,” as the astronauts did in the movie…let go of any sense that I am in control of my life, and place my day in God’s hands, into His control.

My tendency is to try to make all “the trains run on time,” to create order out of chaos, to manage my world. Time and again God gently – usually – steps in to remind me that the point of life isn’t for me to control…it is to let go.

Lately I cannot escape that conclusion. I find that “John-powered” life doesn’t work so well. “God-powered” living is far better. He is using some circumstances and situations to speak to me, “John, give it up. Power down. Let go.” Despite His on-going messaging to me, I resist. Why don’t I fully pursue a life which allows – begs – God to do as He sees fit? Why do I feel a need to control so many things? Why do I exclude my heavenly Father from so much of what I do?

Today, and this week, I hope to learn a lesson from those astronauts and from the catechism. I want to be open to God’s work, and to let go.

As I go about this glorious day, let me acknowledge His sovereignty in all of life, including the small things, and let Him work as He sees fit in my life.

By the way, for your reference, here’s the point from the catechism:

Q.11. What are God’s works of providence?

A. God’s works of providence are, his most holy,(a) wise,(b) and powerful (c) preserving (d) and governing (e) all his creatures, and all their actions.(f)

(a)    Ps. 145:17
(b)    Ps. 104:24
(c)    Heb. 1:3
(d)    Neh. 9:6
(e)    Eph. 1:19-22
(f)    Ps. 36:6; Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:30

Savor

Savor the moment. That’s what I thought as I smiled at the precious toddler on the airplane. She was full of life, smiling and making eye contact with anyone who looked interesting.

I watched a man play peek-a-boo with her from a few rows back. He seemed to really enjoy that interaction.

One gentleman smiling at her – and I knew he had a little one of his own back home. He had that “Daddy-loves-you” grin.

Another man, evidently with the military and carrying a loaded backpack, looked approvingly at her as she sprawled across a couple of seats and bounced up and down.

As we exited the plane, I passed by this darling girl and her mom, and thought of my own wife and children. And I realized that a little homesickness isn’t a bad thing at all. The opportunity to watch this little one rejoice in her young life made me think back to the days when our kids were small, energetic and so easily entertained. When they had  innocence, when they were in an ‘explore the world” mode and everything seemed so new and exciting.

Revel in the simplest gifts, like a smiling child. Let such a sacred moment have your attention. Savor the moment. It’ll all-too-soon be gone.

WIR, 10-1-2010

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