Accentuate the Positive

"whatever things are pure, 

whatever things are lovely..."

Philippians 4:8

Man, I love autumn.  The little chill in the air... pulling the warm, snuggly clothes out of the back of the closet... the colors of the trees... casseroles and soups and hot chocolate and that cozy feeling that home has on autumn evenings...

But man, do I hate Halloween.  Blood and death and evil.  It's a celebration, really, of so many things that are not fit to be celebrated.   I used to like Halloween.  When I was younger, and even when my kids were younger.  It's so much fun for kids to dress up, and halloween sometimes allows for more elaborate costumes than just the games of imagination that kids play on an average day.   Plus, there's the candy.  Even as a grownup, aware of things like cavities, and weight gain, and diabetes, I appreciate a little candy now and then.  Plus you get a variety of candy.  You can't do that, even as as grown up, without buying a ton, and keeping it in your pantry so you're prepared for any candy urge you might have.

So, we've got candy, and the fun of dressing up.  Princesses, cowboys, FBI agents, fairies.... I've seen all of those.  And don't forget falling leaves, and carving jack-o-lanterns, and caramel apples and pumpkin seeds and candy corns....

And yet, everywhere I look, I seem to see ghosts, and skeletons, and bloody axes, and wicked witches and tombstones and zombies and ghouls of varying description.   It makes me sad.  I'll never understand why anyone would want to spend any more time thinking of unpleasant things than they absolutely have to, when there are so many pleasant things to think of.

Autumn was God's idea.  So was imagination.  And sugar ~ in moderation.  And every year my family focuses our thoughts on these fun aspects of this time of year.  Beauty and love and kindness are everywhere, but they often seem drowned out by the negative in the world.  We have to work to focus on the pure and lovely.  But there are plenty of them.   Think on these.

~ "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, 

whatever things are noble, 

whatever things are just, 

whatever things are pure, 

whatever things are lovely, 

whatever things are of good report,

 if there is any virtue, 

and if there is anything praiseworthy... 

think on these things" ~

Philippians 4:8