Halloween...What is the Biblical application?

Halloween ... what does God think about it?

Many people think that Halloween is just a fun night filled with laughter, candy, and tricks. Some people go around the neighborhood and say, "Trick Or Treat?" and other people go to church socials and gatherings.
A few weeks ago my dad and us older ones in the family watched a movie about Halloween, and the history behind it. After watching this movie, it made me realize how utterly wicked Halloween is. Many people don't realize that there are cults all around the world, including the United States, who will literally kill children (babies included) to give their blood to the "gods". It was very sad for me to hear, and to see.

In our family we got to an event yesterday called, "The Reformation Celebration", and we celebrated what Martin Luther, John Knox, and William Tyndale did so that we can have the Bible in our language.
I smuggled Bibles from one side of the church to another, while there were guards all around trying to catch us. If they caught us, we would have to go to jail. It was a very serious thing.
It made me so grateful that we have the privilege to have the Bible in our language!

Now...what is the Biblical application for Halloween, sorcery, and sorcerer?
I won't list all the verses about it, but please look up Deuteronomy 8:9-14

The Bible doesn’t speak directly about Halloween, but some biblical principles apply. One thing is clear -- all pagan practices are to be avoided. Witchcraft, occult practices, sorcery, etc. are strictly forbidding in the Bible (Exodus 22:18; Acts 8:9-24; Deuteronomy 8:9-14). It is obvious that a small child dressing up as a princess or a cowboy isn’t involving themselves with witchcraft, so what is a biblical stance on Halloween?

The decision is up to you. If you decide Halloween is something fun for you, make sure you are kept far away from the evil aspects of Halloween. When believers participate in anything (even Halloween), their attitudes, dress, and behavior should glorify Christ (Philippians 1:27)

God's Magesty!

God's Majesty:
The other night we were doing our family worship. We are going through Job, and in Job 37 it talks about God's majesty. I got goosebumps as I read aloud this chapter. I would like to show it to you. After reading this chapter, it made me think about how God is in control over the seasons, the weather patterns, the sky, the lightning, and thunder.

Job 37:

¹ “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
² “Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
³ “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His lightning to the ends of the earth.
⁴ “After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.
⁵ “God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
⁶ “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
⁷ “He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
⁸ “Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its den.
⁹ “Out of the south comes the storm,
And out of the north the cold.
¹⁰ “From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
¹¹ “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His lightning.
¹² “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He commands it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
¹³ “Whether for correction, or for His world,
Or for loving-kindness, He causes it to happen.

¹⁴ “Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
¹⁵ “Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?
¹⁶ “Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,
¹⁷ You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
¹⁸ “Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
¹⁹ “Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
²⁰ “Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?

²¹ “Now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
²² “Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
²³ “The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.
²⁴ “Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

Home

The other day I was looking at some blogs, and there was one that caught my eye. it was called, "The Chosen One"...
In this blog this couple adopted a few kids from China, but what really caught my attention was a song called, "Home" by Ross King. It talked about Adoption and how you can fall in love so easily. I have pasted the Lyrics below.
You see, on October 8th 2010 we adopted a little guy.
A few weeks ago, was the first anniversary that our little "Elijah" is/was officially a Baughman. We are thankful for him everyday and every moment.

"Home" Lyrics of Ross King:

Your mother and I had a plan
We knew the ending before it began
American woman, American man with American dreams
How could we ever have known? The God who can save had a dream of His own
He opened our heart and He made it your home and it changed everything

Not flesh of my flesh, Not blood of her blood, You are heart of her heart, And soul of my soul
Your mother and I were broken inside then you came and made us whole,
And now we're loved by your love, and you are named with our name
Cause a real family is more than biology, It's more than looking the same
Would we have prayed a different way If we had known that God would bring you home? Nothing prepared us for this
we never knew we would fall like we did, surely there's no one that's ever been given
A sweeter surprise
All we can give is our love, Love is the way you were given to us, We only pray we can love you enough for the rest of our lives
You are heart of her heart, and soul of my soul,
Your mother and I were broken inside, then you came and made us whole
And now we're loved by your love And you are named with our name
Cause a real family is more than biologyIt's more than looking the same
Would we have prayed a different way If we had known that God would bring you home?

We love you Elijah James Baughman!!!

Seasons

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter...why can't I be grateful for all?
During this last week, we had a really cold day. My mom called it an, "Eat-em-up-day". I personally thought it was way too cold. You see, I hate the cold, and absolutely adore the later spring, summer, and early fall.
It made me think, "Why can't I ever be grateful for the seasons that God blesses me with." I then started thinking of all the good things for each season. For the spring time...flowers blossom, and it's beautiful everywhere. For the summer time, it's swimming, watching the evening stars, and sleeping outside in a tent. For Fall, it's the beautiful change of colors on the leaves. For Winter, it's sledding with our family and friends, or having a hot cup of cocoa with some marshmallows in it, sitting by the fire, and maybe watching a movie.
For each First day of the season our family has made a tradition. For the first day of spring it's roasting marshmallows, for Summer it's having a Root Beer Float, for Fall, it's Carmel Apples, and for Winter, it's Vanilla Milk...mmm.

Just like the seasons of the year, we have seasons in our lives too.
There is a season of Joy, laughter, and love, while other times it's seasons of trials, temptations, and tribulations. There is a time for everything under heaven.
So, let's be grateful for the seasons, for they teach us a great many things.

~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8~
"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—
² A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
³ A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
⁴ A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
⁵ A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
⁶ A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
⁷ A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
⁸ A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace."

Sister's Forever

These last few days my dad and brothers have been hunting. They left Friday morning, and came back tonight, the 16the. During this time it was only my mom, my sister "Joy", my little brother, "Elijah", and I.
I decided to take this time, and spend it with my sister.

You see, a while back ago my mom told me that if she could do life over again, that she would be closer to her siblings, and would have done more things with them. She then told me that Joy should be my best friend, and that we should enjoy one another's company all the time. She gave me advice and said, "Before you know it, all of you guys will be grown up, and hopefully married; but enjoy the time that you have with your siblings while you have them. They'll be gone before you know it."

So, yesterday I told Joy, "Let's play a game!" So we did! We played, "Horse-opoly"...which is almost like manopoly, only with horses. We sat there for about 2 whole hours playing. I ended up winning...but that's not the point. The point is that I took the time out of my day to spend with my sister. To make her day even more amazing and enjoyable I said, "Joy, do you want to sleep downstairs on the couch tonight with me?" Of course, she was overjoyed!
So that night, we had some left over pizza, watched, "Anne of Green Gables", and slept downstairs in the company of one another.

I made Joy's day when we were together.
No, not all the time siblings will get along, but take those moments and memories, and make them last.

When I was helping get ready for my friend's wedding, we were decorating cards, and talking about our siblings and how we want to be their best friends, and try to enjoy life with them while we can; It was then that my friend, "Laura" said, "After I got married, my brother came up to me and said, "Laura, I'm so sorry that we didn't spend as much time together as we should have. I wish that I could do it all over again."

When my friend told me that, I thought, "Wow! What would happened if we all did that. What if we played with our siblings like we would a best friend.
I want that kind of relationship...how about you?
It's never too late to start. My mom is now closer to her sister than ever before.

On another side note, in the movie "Courageous", one of the daughters of the police officer dies of a car crash. The son says, "I'm sorry! I wish that I had spent more time with her, and now she's gone."

Do it now, before it's too late! You'll never know what will happen tomorrow. Enjoy them while you can, don't put it off.
My sister and I are now only sisters, but best friends...for life!
I love you Joy!!!

My Sister, My Friend, and My Hero

One more year has passed on by, don’t look back Keep your head held high, for you’re missing the most valuable moments,
You see…When you are looking down toward your feet. Walk, if you run, you’ll find yourself wondering Why or When What never failed to smile down at you, Somehow, forgot to grin.We somehow took for granted then, the special times we shared-Smiles, smells of home, were thereWhenever we got scared. I ran to and from that place, Yet, never saw that smile. I look up now, no place to run, and it’s been here all the while. I realize late, the things that time can’t allow us to hold for long. The youngest, the oldest, and all in between can’t return, once time has gone-Take time, hold the moments, in time they slip away, Words one heart fought, with a smile to say. This year will pass, as the years before, Smile at the life, that you most adore. When time comes and you “forget” to grin, too…Those who remember your smile of love, will hold heads high, to smile right back at you.

~Author Unknown

Hospitality

Hospitality:

What does hospitality mean to you?
If you would have asked me a few days ago, I would have said, “inviting people into your home”…but on Monday, I was hiking with some friends, and I asked my friend, “How can you be hospitable, if you are always busy, or tired?” My friend, “Megan”, replied, “Well, Hospitality doesn’t always mean that you have to have someone in your home to be hospitable. Sometimes it’s merely bringing a meal to someone, or serving one of your brothers or sisters with a project. Sometimes it could be helping your parents out with a special project.”
The definition of the word Hospitality in the 1828 dictionary it says:

“HOSPITAL'ITY, n. [L. hospitalitas.] The act or practice of receiving and entertaining strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality.”

Hospitality isn’t just about people being invited into your house, it’s about serving others.

~ Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. ~ 1^st Peter 4:9

In one of Max Lucado's book's, he talks about hospitality. We are always worried about how our bathroom looks, or if the floor has been vacuumed, or if the dishes are done. Max Lucado goes on to say that, for a homeless person, the home is a castle, for the homeless person, the floor is a warm, soft place, and for the restroom, it's a place out of the rain.
The next time you are about to have company over, just remember that to a homeless person, your house is a castle.

Wedding's and Saying, "I Do's!"

This last weekend, I had the joyous news of having and witnessing my very good friend, Meredith's wedding.

We were all overjoyed by this new couple whom are very precious to us.
As the words were said, "I Do," it made me think, "that's exactly what we have to do to God." Jesus is the bride, and just like bride's, and groom's say, "I Do" to one another, we have to do it with our walk with Christ. "I Do want to be like Christ, I do want to sacrifice myself to serve...etc..."
What would happen if we all said, "I Do" to God?

~"And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water freely.~
~Revelation 22:17~

~"For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."~
~Isaiah 62:5~

Cell Phones Vs. The Bible!!!

I have forwarded this to a few friends, but thought I'd share it with you.

Cell Phone's Vs. The Bible
Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purse or pocket?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to the kids as gifts?
What if we took it with us when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
This is something to make you go...hmm...Where's my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing: Unlike our cell phones, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected, because Jesus already paid the bill.
And no dropped calls!
Makes you stop and think, "Where are my priorities?

~Author Unknown

Courageous

Earlier tonight, my brothers and I saw the movie, "Courageous"...
so many things to say, but one of the most precious things to me in the movie was that
a father asked his daughter if she would be willing to trust him to know when the "right" man would come along. The daughter told the father yes, and the father then took out a ring with a heart on it, to remind the father and the daughter the trust, and love between both of them.
When my father gave me my purity ring...I didn't appreciate as much then, as I do now.
Many people ask me what the ring signifies, well...it signifies my purity between me, God, and my dad that I will keep my heart faithful and pure until the day that my dad gives me away to my husband...if the Lord wills.

Sometimes in life we are tired, and worn out. We want to quit, and just give up, but just like in the movie we need to run the race that God has set before us.
In the movie, a tragedy happens and the mother says, "I feel like I am in a black hole, and that I can't see anywhere in front of me"...that's exactly how I felt when I went through various trials in my life. I felt like I couldn't breath, or see in front of me. God is there though, and I was reminded time after time, that God is there and that he will never leave us or forsake us!

The main part of the movie, is to have fathers take a step up to the plate, and train their children in the admonition of the Lord, so that their children can have a strong faith.
I hope that you will all see the movie if you haven't already.
By the way, bring some tissue!

This movie has made me really appreciate the times that I have with my family!
I love you daddy!!!