“God is our refuge and strength, a helper who can always be found in times of trouble..”  Psalm 46:1

Going for a run in Appleton I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful fall colors and all the Halloween decorations.  Front yards have become makeshift graveyards, complete with tombstones and life-size skeletons.  Not to be outdone, another neighbor chose a life-size witch for their front porch.  Admittedly, other decorations are more subtle, even playful.  Goofy Jack 'O Lantern winked from porches and friendly scarecrows flapped in the breeze.  Take a long enough walk around the area and you’ll probably see the whole range of decorations, from the grotesque to the goofy.  But what about us Christians, how do we respond to Halloween? 

“Amen I tell you: Whoever will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  Mark 10:15

The book of Judges contains shocking pictures of life without the Lord or his love.  Consider the following:

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them, who did not know the Lord or the deeds that he had done for Israel. The people of Israel committed evil in the eyes of the Lord.  (Judges 2:10-11a)

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked, who does not stand on the path with sinners, and who does not sit in a meeting with mockers.  But his delight is in the teaching of the Lord, and on his teaching he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and its leaves do not wither.  Everything he does prospers. – Psalm 1:1-3

Queen Elizabeth’s passing has thrust the royal family back into the spotlight once again.  But even when the royal family isn’t making headlines, there still is a preoccupation with royalty.  Disney has a whole line of princesses (and to a lesser degree, princes) that you can choose from.  They’re not alone.  How many movies, fairy tales, or Hallmark specials can you think of involving royalty?  Viewers, it seems, aren’t just interested in watching the kings and princesses.  They’re dreaming about what life would be like as royalty. They wonder how it would feel to wear the crown, live in the castle, and have everyone’s attention.