4 eggs

1 1/4 cup water

1 yellow cake mix

1 package instant jello pudding

2/3 cup oil

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all together and pour into greased loaf pan.  Bake at 325 for 40-50 minutes (until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.)

Another Halloween and Reformation Day approaches. It was October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his grievances with the Church to the doors of All Saints’ Church in Wittenburg, Germany - an act we now consider to have sparked the Protestant Reformation. The motto of the Reformation is “Semper Reformanda,” which means “always reforming,” The spirit of the Reformation is the thought that the Church should always be willing to re-examine and change our beliefs, should the Lord open our eyes thusly, and not get bogged down in tradition for tradition’s sake, not knowing why we believe the things we do.

It is in this spirit of “semper reformanda” that I have come to my current thought on the issue of Halloween. Last year, I posted an article I’d written many years ago on why perhaps we shouldn’t celebrate Halloween. This year, however, we came across this short blog post, which gives some background on All Saints (and All Hallows) Day and Eve as well as Reformation Day, and which has given us some food for thought.

One is the points is that these days have belonged to the Christian Church for many centuries and we should act like it, celebrating them in various ways, including with costumes and “boatloads of candy.” He suggests only that we not dress up as “members of the other team - witches, ghosts, devils, imps, or congressmen.” A comment asks if the blogger has any thoughts on the tradition of dressing up as these things is to mock the devil instead of join forces with him, and I’m curious about that, too, though I’ve not looked into it. Clearly, most people in our culture who do dress up as bloodied zombies (think Halloween Horror Nights or their billboards, if you’ve never been) aren’t mocking the devil, but maybe a little child of God who dresses up as a devil with spiky tail and pointy red horns could be. Maybe. Any thoughts on that?

Another suggestion is that we believers ought to give more candy than our unbelieving neighbors, “as opposed to a glare and/or a tract about the fires of hell.” As one of the comments points out, there’s probably nothing wrong with giving a bunch of candy in addition to a tract, but you get the idea.

I don’t take this little blog post as my authority on all things Halloween, but it’s given me something to consider. What do you think about Halloween?  Has your view changed over time?

I know it’s still October but people are not just thinking about Christmas gifts but are already buying gifts!  If you need a few ideas for where to shop for new creative gifts I have a few ideas.  Some I’ve already mentioned before and because I love them so much I’ll probably mention them again.  Some websites will be new.

Ten Thousand Villages - You can visit them online or look for a store in your area.  This non-profit shop has handmade gifts for around the world.  They are made by co-ops in the different countries.  Part of the money recieved from a sale goes back to that co-op to help the men and women make a living.  Things I love are the items from Kenya and Uganda.  They also have really cool jewelry.

Etsy - This is a site to buy and sell all things handmade.  Etsy had all kinds of creative, fun and unusual gifts that are great for anyone year round.  What a unique gift?  This would be the place to go.

Uncommon Goods - Another website with unique and uncommon goods!  Why buy the usual when you can get the unusual gift!

Overstock.com - This site has all kinds of items at lower than normal prices.  While you can often find a good deal beware that items can still be expensive.

Do you have any website you shop from?

——————————————————————————————————
To receive articles by email enter your email in the box below. After pressing the “Subscribe” button you will be asked to enter letters in a gray box. You will then receive an email called “Activate your Email Subscription to: Craving Grace”. In that email click the provided link to confirm you want to subscribe.

How long have you been at UPC?
around 5 years

Where are you originally from?
Egypt

What are some of your hobbies and/or interests?
cooking and baking, hosting, jogging, playing board games with family and friends, getting alongside other women to encourage them in their walk with the Lord.

What’s your favorite dessert?
fruit tarts

Favorite TV show?
The Closer, I might change my mind later  

What are you involved with at UPC?
coordinating connect eight dinners, prayer team, and life group 

How have you seen God work in your life recently?
I see God teaching me how precious I am in His sight and He gave me all the gifts in spite of my state and in spite of my weakness.  He looks at me through Jesus. 

How can we be praying for you?
Pray for me not to settle for the convenient but to be brave to extend myself but not at the expense of my family.

——————————————————————————————————
To receive articles by email enter your email in the box below. After pressing the “Subscribe” button you will be asked to enter letters in a gray box. You will then receive an email called “Activate your Email Subscription to: Craving Grace”. In that email click the provided link to confirm you want to subscribe.

Fall has arrived in Florida! The highs are now only in the 80s. I know many of you have lived elsewhere and remember what a “real” fall feels like, but I haven’t, so I’ll take what I can get!

One thing we look forward to each October is the annual St. Joseph’s pumpkin patch and carnival. We plop the kids amidst the pumpkins and try to get some good shots, then ride the rides and eat some funnel cake. This year the carnival will run October 16 – 19. The pumpkin patch usually lasts until Halloween. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is located on Alafaya just south of 50.

For me, October also means candy corn. Even though it’s available year round, I limit my candy corn consumption to the month of October only, to make it more of a treat.

Another fall tradition we’re establishing is a trip to Green Meadows Petting Farm. It’s a bit pricey for what it is, but there’s an Entertainment Book coupon that makes it more reasonable, and a coupon on their site that reduces the price $2 a ticket. In addition to the animals, there’s a pony ride, train ride, and hay ride. You can also milk a cow! You get a free pumpkin from their pumpkin patch if you go in October. My tip is to go during a weekday when there aren’t as many people there.

And last, fall means pumpkins (click for good recipes) – pumpkin desserts, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin shakes, roasted pumpkin seeds, and carving pumpkins. Over the past few years, we’ve experimented with vcarious pumpkin-carving strategies. The first year we decided to carve pumpkins, I got a little ambitious and decided to do a pumpkin for each member of our family – a big one for Matt, and medium one for me, and a littler one for Evie. But, needless to say, that was a lot of cleaning and carving! I might need to put that tradition on the shelf until the kids are old enough to clean and carve their own, and then perhaps we can have a contest! Do you have any pumpkin-carving traditions or strategies?

What activities do you and your family enjoy at home and around town during fall? I’d love to hear!

——————————————————————————————————
To receive articles by email enter your email in the box below. After pressing the “Subscribe” button you will be asked to enter letters in a gray box. You will then receive an email called “Activate your Email Subscription to: Craving Grace”. In that email click the provided link to confirm you want to subscribe.