Every year about this time I think about this time of year. October. I have a love-hate relationship with October, which I usually vent right around – well – October.
I love the weather in October. If I could have October weather all year long, I would. Cool mornings, warm, but not hot afternoons. Perfect for walking. Perfect for sweatshirts. No intense heat. No intense cold. Yep, that is the “love” part of my relationship with October.
Then there is the “hate” part of the relationship. Halloween. Horrible movies on television. Darkness – well, you get it. I do not like Halloween. I think kids should have the fun of dressing up and getting candy. But I hate that we dress our kids in evil and by doing so, give them the impression we think “evil” is fun.
While making my rounds walking in my neighborhood recently, I have encountered a lot of homes decorated with spiders (and their webs), skeletons, witches, ghouls, ghosts, and gravestones. So, I decided to do two things to brighten my walk and my days.
First was to haul my Christmas socks out. I love Christmas and now I am reminded of it every day as I wear my fun Christmas socks. (And I have a lot of them!)
Second, I decided to just fly over Halloween and celebrate two months of Thanksgiving instead. So, I am making my list of things in my life for which I am truly blessed. I will be adding one blessing to that list each day and thanking God for calling me to His side.
Today: I am thankful that I no longer dwell in darkness and fear. I live in the light. “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom should I be afraid?” [Psalm 27:1 HCSB]
