10 reasons to fast from Halloween--Guest Post by Linda Harvey

My blog header promises that this blog will be "practically usable," which is a little play on words. (Is it practical? Is it usable? Is it almost--or practically--usable?) As an author I enjoy word play, of course. But today's post is a link to a definitely practical exploration of why we, as Christ followers, should consider bypassing this increasingly dark celebration we call Halloween.

Before you read it, take advantage of this litte harvest-themed picture frame you can use.

A gift for you today: Copy this image, print it out on card-stock and use it to frame something pretty!

But back to the issue of Halloween: Here's an intro to what Linda has to say. Please click through to the WND site (World Net Daily) to read the full discussion. If you return here and leave a comment, it'll count as an entry to the book drawing I have going on here this week. If you're comment is (randomly) chosen, you'll win a free book!--one from among those I've written and which you can see if you scroll along the right side-bar of this blog. If you win, you choose the book you want.

Anyway, here's what Linda says:

 10 Reasons to Fast from Halloween

 Skip Halloween? Many American Christians cringe at the very idea. Who wants to be labeled a witch-hunting fundamentalist? And no one wants to be the bad parent who deprives a child of the “essential” childhood experience of trick-or-treating.

 But the number of Christians stirred by conviction about Halloween is growing. I believe Christians need to bypass overt celebrations of Halloween, and some of my reasons may surprise you:

Click through to read the rest of this thought-provoking essay. Then, RETURN HERE to read my thoughts and leave a comment.

My thoughts:  When we lived on Long Island, my next-door-neighbor's daughter was a self-proclaimed witch. A "white witch," she said. She had a "spirit guide"--a demon!--giving her counsel. Her life was a shambles, but she was essentially a sweet girl that I tried to reach out to.   HOWEVER, Halloween night was a huge thing for her and her friends. They went into the nature preserve behind both houses and did some sorts of rituals, things, quite honestly, that I didn't want any details of--not that she was offering. Ultimately, I had to choose to put distance between us as my little ones were so young (and vulnerable). I never wanted to give her an opportunity to be alone with any of my children--not for a moment. She admitted to using spells, for example.

While I firmly trust in the power of Christ which is FAR GREATER than any satanic power, I had church elders telling me to avoid contact, especially on account of my newborn. It was a dilemma. Sometimes I wish I hadn't listened, and had continued to try and reach out to this young, lost woman. My withdrawal hurt her feelings, and that is something I will always regret. In any case, the fact that Halloween is the biggest event of the year for such people should tell us something.

Surprisingly, my nine-year-old-daughter has actually ASKED to skip Halloween this year--that says a lot right there.  She's a sensitive soul and, at her young age, has already discerned an uncomfortable amount of not-so-fun stuff in this supposedly kid-friendly day.  She has moments of weakness on account of the candy (of course) which is why I will buy some and hide it for her to find, like an Easter egg hunt.


What about you? Will you be celebrating Halloween this year? How could you switch things up so that you aren't participating with darkness? Some years, I've bought candy for the kids and hidden it all over the house like I'll be doing this month.  Other years, I've trudged along with them as they went from house-to-house, enjoying the social interaction with other parents, as well as the more creative, cuter costumes on kids. (We so WANT this to be an innocent, fun holiday! But it's not.)

Leave your comment below! I hope you win a book!
Hugs,

Linore 

Winner Announcement!

The winner of the drawing from last week's fiction Friday is Lynn!

There's a new giveaway just about every time I host an author here on the blog, which means almost weekly. And you'll only find posts about authors and books that will appeal to you, Christian women of faith. The rules to enter a giveaway are ridiculously simple: Just leave a comment after the post (include a way to contact you, such as your email) and that's it!

What Did Lynn Win?
Last week's giveaway was a surprise package. After I hear that Lynn has received it, I'll post the contents. I've decided to do a surprise package every now and then, so that instead of winning just one book, it'll be a couple of them, and some add-ins that are either pretty, fun, tasty, or all of the above!

Don't forget to tune in this coming Friday, when I'll be hosting Carrie Turansky with her new release, A Man To Trust.

Charge to Young Women
Note from Linore: Today's post comes from fellow writer Bryan Davis, which he shared on facebook. Be sure to read it all, as it gets better as it goes. : )

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By Bryan Davis (http://www.dragonsinourmidst.com/ChargetoYoungWomen.pdf)

She is born with a passion to uplift, empower, and support. She is the mainstay and sail for the captain’s ship. She is the heat in the warrior’s resolve and the salve that heals his wounds. She is the heart that pumps vitality to every joint and sinew. Yes, she is a woman.

Every girl in existence has been lovingly fashioned—from her caring and sensitive brain, to her tender and compassionate hands, to her tireless feet—to be a pillar of strength and resolve. While she might not be a warrior who draws a sword, she is the healer who strengthens the warrior’s hands and heart. Without her, every weapon would drop in futility, every muscular arm would wilt, and every pair of tired legs would shuffle home in defeat, for the heart that drives the warrior forward has stopped beating.

Some young women choose to take up the sword themselves, to step out alone in the midst of darkness to carry a lantern to the lost, to battle oppression and bring relief to the abused and neglected, or to transport life-giving supplies to the destitute wherever they may be. Their partner is the Spirit of Christ, and their sword is His word. They must know Him well if they hope to shine His light and pierce the darkness without the help of an intimate human partner.

Speak the truth. Live the truth. Be the truth. Never let the faithless ones persuade you to abandon any of those three principles. Remember that you are an oracle of fire, as is every faithful follower of our Lord. For all true disciples possess the pure silver, purged of all dross, and the fire of God’s love burns within, an everlasting flame that others, even those who give lip-service to the truth, will never comprehend until you are able to pass along that fire from heart to heart.

Many girls will choose to partner with another in this pursuit, hoping to be the light, the energy, and the drive that pulses within the breast of another. Yet, some never discover what it means to be such a heart. They never learn the secret of the captain’s sail or the recipe of the healing salve. Why? Because they listen to a counterfeit call, a trumpet blaring a falsehood—that their beauty is a lure to capture rather than an inspiration to set free. The inner desire to help and support becomes a lust to take and own. The hope to hear words of affirmation that she has been a good and faithful helpmate transforms into a hopeless search for eyes that admire and lips that speak words of appreciation for her outward appearance rather than for the beauty of her soul. And such a search never ends in true satisfaction.

You, however, are listening to your creator’s call, a gentle voice within that whispers reminders of how you were really fashioned, to be a woman of virtue, of inner beauty, of priceless value. The trumpet announces your need to strut, expose, and seduce, while the inner voice sings of ways to dress your soul in virtue—to feed the hungry, cover those laid bare, infuse encouragement into the hearts of the downtrodden, and nurture the victims of poverty, disease, and abandonment.

As a young woman of virtue, you understand what will happen if you heed the trumpet’s call to lure with flesh and flair. You will draw attention, but from whom? Someone who values face and form but not the heart. He will take, use, and abuse. His desire is for his own benefit, because what his eyes perceive is a girl who offers to fulfill the cravings of his body, and he responds, not with love, but with lust for his own satisfaction. And when your flower of youth fades, he will not perceive value in your soul, and you will never achieve the holy union of hearts for which you were created.

If you listen to the creator’s call, you will suffer temporary loss. When you pour out compassion and pity instead of skin and superficiality, you will be considered old-fashioned, out-of-touch, a prude. Yet, within the fair bosom you are saving for a true warrior, you will be nurturing a heart of unspoiled beauty, for it has not been taken at a cheap price. It has not been hardened by a wolf who captures, abuses, and leaves. And with such a heart, you will be able to reach out and be the captain’s sail, the warrior’s reason for drawing his sword, and the soothing salve for hearts less whole than your own.

The heart of a woman is more precious than pearls, and a man of worth sees it as a priceless treasure. He knows that she is the energy that drives his purpose, and without her, the pursuit of his vision for God’s purpose will be sluggish indeed. For the honor of taking that heart to join with him in fulfilling that vision, he will give his life, his heart, and his soul. The woman who has prepared her heart for that adventure will never regret the small price she paid. Scorn fades, and satisfaction blossoms. Contempt crumbles to dust, and contentment rises in its place. Ridicule is forgotten, while refreshment of the soul lives for as long as the heart pumps its life-giving energy.

Whether you take up the sword yourself or choose to unite with a warrior, now is the time to live according to this standard. It might seem that you are walking the path alone, yet, you are never alone. The One who planted the heart within you will never leave your side, and He will continue to sing the song that fashioned you as a woman of virtue. Listen. It is there. You will have to tune out the surrounding noise, but the sounds of love and virtue will never be silenced, if only you know the Singer and His song.