I got the best comment on an old Halloween post this week. It is so good I just had to share it with you!

When my kids were tiny, we made special treats (like cookies or brownies), dressed them up in adorable costumes and went to “treat” the widows and elderly from our church. We always called ahead, and by the 3rd year, they knew to expect us. It became such a special part of our holidays… I will always treasure those special widows who loved on my kids on Halloween! One has Alzheimer’s now, and we went to see her last year (after 4 years away). We were told she wouldn’t remember us, but she remembered my kids’ names and went on and on about our special times together! Such a beautiful memory for all of us!

Isn’t that great? I just love the idea of letting the kids have the “trick-or-treat” experience but taking away the greed and the scariness!

I’m trying to figure out where my kids and I could go to do this same thing. We could make a yummy fall treat, add a fun card with a verse, don our costumes and visit some people who are in need of a little love and fun! I’d love to turn Halloween around and make it a time of giving and love!

Maybe we could make these cute acorn dough nuts from Family Fun (see photo above)? Or these apple cupcakes? Oh my goodness! I’m getting so excited!

Any other ideas for making Halloween about TREATS and not TRICKS?!

linked to WFMW at We Are That Family

Can you believe we’re over halfway through October? How is that possible? This year Halloween falls on a Sunday. And although it’s great for all th parties and festivals and trick-or-treating, it’s kinda weird to celebrate Halloween on a the Lord’s Day, dontcha’ think?

At our church, the month of October has had a special Super Kids theme! We’re all wearing new t-shirts, there are balloons and cardboard cutouts of super heroes. We even have a coloring book for the kids with the Super Kids and some super Bible heroes. On Sunday, October 31, we’re inviting kids to come to church dressed as a superhero. I’m actually really excited about it! I think it will be so cute. And I love knowing that (potentially) the most exciting thing the kids do on Halloween is go to church and learn about God’s Super Heroes!

Since Halloween has been on my brain, I thought I’d share some past posts about Halloween (mostly the whole what’s-a-Christian-to-do-with-Halloween kinda thing) and a few posts from around the blogosphere that will tickle your crafty fancy! Enjoy!

A Pumpkin Patch Parable Family Time {This is my very favorite thing ever! You MUST do this!}

Skipping Halloween {A haunting story by an in-real-life friend of mine…haunting in a good way!}

How We Do Halloween {A guest post by mamahall—full of easy, practical ideas!}

Halloween: A Normal Christian American Mother’s Perspective {my personal opinion of Halloween}

Your Turn: Halloween {A Halloween story with some great comments to boot!}

Make a Pumpkin from a Roll of Toilet Paper from Real Life Blog {These are just too cute and too easy!}

Mix and Match Pumpkin Faces from Make and Takes {A fun craft that is very very UN-scary!}

Halloween Books from Silly Eagle Books {A great list of books that are not scary or even Halloween-ish!}

7 Bible Halloween Costumes from ohAmanda {A funny little post by moi!}

Octoberbark by a farm girl’s dabbles {YUMMO}

Do you have a Halloween-ish post, craft or recipe to share? Please leave it in the comments!

linked to Top Ten {Tuesday}

Last night we did our first family devotional time. OK, it wasn’t exactly a devotional. But it was a family activity. And it was about Jesus. So, I’m going to call it a devotional.

We sat down together and read The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs. Then we acted it out. Here’s how it went:

First we picked out a beautiful pumpkin from the pumpkin patch grocery store. Then we washed it off and opened it up! (Psalm 51:10)

Then we cleaned him out–all the hidden, dirty things inside! (Ezekiel 11:18-20)

We gave our pumpkin a new face! (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Finally, our pumpkin was lit from the inside and shining for the whole world to see!
(Matthew 5:16)

The Pumpkin Patch Parable tells this same story in more details and gives scriptures every step of the way. The scriptures and the story point to the miracle that Jesus does in our lives–he chooses us, washes us off, takes away all our dirty sin, gives us a new heart, a smile on our face and a light to shine to the world! It’s a beautiful picture and a long-standing object lesson that we are able to see for  weeks to come! Lydia and I were chanting, “Let your light shine! Matthew 5:16!” the whole time we were looking at our shining new pumpkin. It made quite an impression!

I know this is a blatant rip-off of the Halloween Jack-o-Lantern. Liz Curtis Higgs describes it as redeeming something that God created–a pumpkin. And can I say something else? God knew. God knew people would use the pumpkin as something scary. And that his creation would be a symbol for a mostly evil holiday. And I think he put this symbolism together for this very purpose–to redeem it and remind us how He has redeemed us!

This is an excellent book with sweet pictures and a very profound message. I encourage you to get this book even if you don’t do the carving of a pumpkin together. It will help your kids associate a pumpkin (or jack-o-lantern) with God’s love instead of with Halloween!

See my review of Liz Curtis Higg’s The Pine Tree Parable! One of my FAVORITE Christmas books!