Evidence inside each of us

The truth about Halloween?

There are many versions of how Halloween came to be but most of them agree that the Celtic Druids gave it an evil start.

Halloween is by definition "All Hallow's Eve" meaning the day before (eve of)  "All Saint's Day".  Now, the thought of a day for celebrating all the saints sounds quite holy (hallowed) and that would be the complete opposite of what pagans believe; so, what are they to do? They would celebrate their socks off the day before.

On this day, the souls of the dead were suppose to revisit their homes. It was a time for the living to placate the demonic supernatural powers that came with the dead souls with lavish displays of food. While the dead wreaked havoc on the living, they did so with masks and disguises to keep their identity a secret.
Another version goes like this:

In Ireland especially, people thought that ghosts and spirits roamed after dark on Halloween. They lit candles or lanterns to keep the spirits away, and if they had to go outside, they wore costumes and masks to frighten the spirits or to keep from being recognized by these unearthly beings.

Trick-or-treating has its roots in Druid history, too. The Druids (pagan priests) would use a candle in a gourd to light their way when they went to ask for materials for their great bonfire or food. If you gave them what they wanted, the priests would be on their merry way. But if you didn't comply, they would leave the gourd on your doorstep and someone in that house would die before the next Hallowed Eve. That sounds like fun, don't you think!

There are many versions and opinions about this holiday. Churches have alternate parties on the day. Some churches hand out tracts instead of candy. Are they right? I don't know.

I can only tell you my opinion, which is based on the contradictions of the Bible vs the holiday. God's laws concerning witches is very clear.

“You shall not permit a sorceress to live." - Exodus 22:18

He wants us to rely solely on Him--that means not knowing what tomorrow will bring or what dead relatives have to say. Witchcraft is about knowing the future and changing what you don't want; diametrically opposed to what God wants.
As far as I am concerned, this day we dress our children up as characters that God wanted struck down, has nothing to do with Christianity, no matter how you spin it.

Disclaimer: This is my blog and my opinions. You are  allowed to disagree with me but I will not publish comments that are not civil.

Toilet paper and God

I am not the most observant person in the world and, as I have mentioned previously, I don't usually 'think outside the box'. I want a movie to have an ending. I don't care if it's happy or not, just tell me how the story ends.

I do, however, know when God is speaking to me--most of the time, anyway. And today He spoke to me through 'Cotton Softs double length, softly white, unscented, 2 ply toilet tissue'. OK, not through it and, of course, not with an audible voice. But, nevertheless, the TP sparked a God-thought (one that I know in my heart is from Him).

See, I have to buy 'Cotton Soft's brand toilet paper because all the others I have found here irritate me in places I would never be able to mention to you face to face. This was never anything I had reason to think about in Kansas, but when you move to another country, anything can be a challenge.

I prefer the double length rolls because they, obviously, last longer on the roll. I found them once in the local Stratford store, a couple of times in a Hawera store I sometimes shop at and a couple of times in a New Plymouth store. But, again, in this country, store stock isn't as reliable as it is in US stores. That doesn't keep me from looking in every store I enter.

Things have been a little intense around our house financially, as I'm sure it is in many homes across the globe right now. So, in an effort to save gas, I did our pay-day shopping in Stratford today. When I got to the TP aisle, I found the double length rolls for the second time ever! As I gleefully pulled three packs off the shelf, the God-thought crossed my mind that, if God can make sure I have the surprise of my favorite toilet paper, then He can surely take care of everything else that is a problem in my house at the moment.

That might not make any sense to you, but I will never be convinced that it wasn't the Man Upstairs telling me that He has it all under control.

Please don't go to the toilet paper aisle in your store and hang around waiting for a voice. Even if you do, it won't be audible. And you have to find your own aisle.

I'm joining Spiritual Sunday

and Brag on God Friday.