A Personal Opinion.

I remember......
That's what happens when you do a lot of living....
You create memories.
You remember.
Truth be known, the memories are probably better than what actually took place, but that's o.k.
I remember what it was like to a be a kid.
I remember when October would roll around.
Back then we had Halloween Carnivals......this was before people got offended by that word, Halloween, and changed it to Harvest Festivals. You can call it what you want.
It was Halloween.

As a kid, I didn't know that I was worshipping the devil...( later I would find out that some folk actually believed this....)
I thought it was just about having fun with my friends. Dressing up like Cowboys or Hobo's or Clowns. It was the one night of the year when grown ups forced candy on us.
It was a time to ride our bikes after dark, up and down the road of our community.
It was a time to go to Miss Ruby Brothers house first, because she made caramel apples to give away and you sure didn't want to be late for those.
It was popcorn balls and home made fudge. Peanut Brittle and Divinity. Parched Peanuts and taffy.
It was a different time and store bought candy wasn't the norm.
It was going to Gallan Elementary school and shelling out ten cents for the fish pond, hoping that you would catch some neat prize.
It was cake walks and dunking booths. It was huge red wax lips and orange wax pan pipes.
It was Halloween.
Like I said, we didn't know we were worshipping the devil.
It was just the gang being together.
Seeing whose bike was the fastest.
Poking fun at one another and just enjoying believing we were getting away with something by being out after dark.
So what does all this have to do with anything?

II Corinthians 13:11 - When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.
As a adult, I need to be a protector of children.
But I don't need to transfer my fears into their lives.
Cutting off every avenue of letting them have an imagination.
I see too many people who let their own fears get the better of them, and it causes them to operate toward their children, not from faith, but from their own fear.
Seems to me people have become so fearful, that they seek to shut down and keep kids from the things the adults fear. My Bible tells me that God has not given us the spirit of fear.......but of a sound mind, or the ability to see the truth and act accordingly.I am, in now way, advocating the absence of adult supervision or guidance by a parent. And I know that each parent has to make decisions which they deem appropriate. But don't let fear be the determining factor in the decison.

I have kind of an idea that you can't stifle a child's imagination and then turn around and tell them to believe in Man (Jesus) who could walk on water........heal people........raise people from the dead....
My own son's growth and beliefs in Jesus happened over a number of years as we talked and shared together, as we prayed together, and most of all, studied God's word together.
To me, a child's imagination opens the door to having a true faith as they grow older.
This is just my own personal view of life.
Knowing that protection of our children is important, God empowers us and helps us so that they may grow up into passionate believers, chasing God on their own.
Each parent has to decide what is best for them and their family.
Let God direct you in the raising of your children. Not fear. Not the world, but God's Holy Spirit.
Thank you for letting me share today.

God on you.......
mb