No, we aren't doing Halloween

Well, I haven't been brave enough to say it before, but we aren't doing Halloween. I don't know very many people who don't participate and this is the first year that we haven't done anything at all. Last year I did not decorate at all and we did nothing spooky or evil, but we still did trick or treat. This year it's nothing at all. And I was being quiet about it because I don't want to offend anyone--especially those I love. I don't judge anyone else for participating because I have done it all my life and consider trick or treating a happy childhood memory. I just can't do it anymore. And since my kids are brave enough to tell all their friends and the reasons, I feel like a fake.

For the past couple of years I have been hearing ALOT about how Christians should not participate in Halloween. I had no idea it was such a big deal. Back home no one says Christians shouldn't do it. But I have read alot about it. And this year I am hearing even more. Just yesterday on the radio in the car I heard a show with the topic--what's wrong with Halloween?. And a few weeks ago at church, the kids' Sunday School teacher read them an article about the origins of it. They came out of class saying we shouldn't do it. E was so upset with me for ever letting him participate that he got in trouble from Daddy about the way he talked to me! They told him how the words "trick or treat" used to mean if you did not give them a treat they would curse you and he was very upset that he had been saying that and why did I let him? So from that day he has refused to trick or treat this year. B still wanted to, she loves the candy. She said what most people say--well I am not celebrating evil or the devil, that's not what it means to me so it's ok.

Well we have talked about it more and we decided that we shouldn't do it. Then when we realized that it is on church night this year, of course we would not miss church to do it. I looked it up and read what Wikipedia said and I wonder why did we ever start celebrating it as a holiday? We are not Catholic, so we have never celebrated the All Saint's Day part of it, or whatever part of it that remembers dead loved ones. Why do we celebrate a day that started as a time to get in touch with the dead and evil? Alot of the traditions are ways to ward off and hide from the evil spirits. I am not afraid of the evil spirits and not hiding from them--I have Jesus to protect me from all that. I read about a woman who had a Christian neighbor who took down a cross on her porch to put up a witch decoration and what a contradiction that is.

The bible says not to try to communicate with the dead or with evil spirits or have anything to do with witchcraft. It says not to have anything to do with the appearances of evil. Not to have anything to do with the deeds of darkness. What is Halloween? A celebration of darkness, of death, of evil spirits, a time for witches and anyone associated with the occult? If it is not this, then why did they dress as monsters on the Today show? Why is there a psychic on the View? Why do people spend thousands of dollars to make their homes into haunted houses as I saw on HGTV?

When I have participated in Halloween is was just about fun. It was about dressing up and getting candy. I loved that. I loved going home and dumping out that pillow case and seeing what I got! I have dressed my children and loved going out with them looking at all the other cute little kids and the spooky stuff. Is that wrong? I don't know. But I have had B dressed in red pjs and devil horns when she was 1. And she as been a witch. Did I realize that is what people mean by "glorifying evil"? No. But do I wish now that I had not--yes. That is what I heard on the radio yesterday, that when you participate in something that glorifies evil, that you are approving of it. That certainly is not what I want to do.

For more than a year I have been "bothered" by Halloween. This year I was glad when my kids agreed. I was glad to see that our new church preaches against it. I was glad it fell on church night, so I would not have to choose. I feel like such a wimp. I know if some people I know read this, they will think that this is more evidence that Stef has turned "fanatic", too religious. I have heard it before. Am I trying to take all the fun out of childhood? Out of life? No. They still dressed up last week, they do it all the time. They will still get good candy-from me.

Every day my prayer as I wake up is to be closer to God, to please Him. I ask Him to help me only do and say and think things that please Him. That is just so fanatic isn't it?? My goal in this life is to please God, live like Jesus. One way to please Him is to obey Him. I think being "bothered" for over a year sounds alot like conviction. And to think I have been ignoring a conviction makes me sad. So, I have to say NO we are not participating.

One other thing is that B came home yesterday and said that all day people asked what she is going to be and she told them nothing and she told them why. One boy immediately said "Oh, I know why, you are a Christian aren't you!" Wow. To me, that shows that we should not participate. A child who is not a Christian thinks that Christians should not do it. He may have some other bad ideas about Christians, I don't know, but he immediately knew. To another child, she said it is the devil's favorite holiday and this boy said "yeah and alot of people think it is the devil's birthday". I have never heard that before!! And another girl, when B said she wasn't doing Halloween told her "you suck", then when she told her why, just said "oh". Do I feel sorry for her for this, for kids thinking she is different? NO, I am so very PROUD of her for not being afraid of her beliefs, for witnessing to her friends. That IS what she is doing by being different. She asked me last night to show her where in the Bible it says those things I mentioned so she could "tell them and if they have a Bible at home they can look it up so they know". I am proud of her for not letting it hurt her feelings and feel like a freak for being different. We are to be set apart from the world and shine our lights and she is doing that proudly.

I have heard Christian arguments FOR Halloween too. Those being that they use the time to witness and hand out tracts with their candy and I think that is fine. I have heard them say Jesus would not hide inside with the lights off, He would be out there. I agree. But I do not think he would be holding a kids hand, helping them trick or treat, while He looks just like every other person participating. What would He do? I don't know for sure. But I know that by not participating this year, my kids have had a chance to be a witness for Jesus. By going to church tonight, my neighbors will see what is important to us. We have not noticed one other family in this whole subdivision going to church on Sunday morning. We do see alot of them using the time to wash their cars, do yard work, and just be out enjoying the morning. So maybe no one else on this whole street is a Christian. I hope they see us going to church, I hope they know we are different, I hope we get a chance to share with them why. I hope they see that my kids don't feel left out of Halloween and some childhood fun. I hope they don't think I judge them. I don't judge them and I don't judge YOU. I just know that when God places something on MY heart, if I don't listen to Him, I am the one who will be judged....

I love you all and I truly hope I haven't offended or hurt you. I just had to finally share.....