Good morning…
This Halloween morning 2024, I notice three things. An ending. A beginning. And the culmination of a fun season.
First, today is the ending to the registration period for our “Finding Peace of Mind Through Brain Science & Spiritual Practices: A Faith-Based Symposium” being hosted at The Carter Center on November 15th. Remember? My dear friend Dr. Cathy Snapp is one of the keynote speakers, and we anticipate an incredible day. To register, please visit peachtreeroadumc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/403/responses/new.
Second, our KIND30 movement sparked intentional acts of kindness throughout the month of October. Having trained our brain to embrace the K.I.N.D. acronym, Kindness Is Needed Daily, now we begin to live more intuitively into our established habit of kindness.
Finally, today is the culmination of a fun Halloween season. Last Wednesday, we thoroughly enjoyed our Fall Festival at Northside Church.
Then on Monday afternoon, at PAWkids we learned about the Day of the Dead tradition in Mexico, which involves making an “ofrenda” to honor loved ones who have passed away. We had a blast painting faces and enjoying a yummy meal provided by our generous Mission Circle women from Northside Church.
Today I will make homemade chicken vegetable soup, and tonight my husband and I will sit on our front porch beside the pumpkins we carved with our young adult kids. We’ll hand out candy to neighborhood families, eating soup and enjoying a glass of red wine.
What a wonderful day and three special ways to celebrate the life that is ours to live.
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely (Galatians 5:22-23, MSG).
…Sue…
P.S. If you would like to join the fun as we do arts and crafts at PAWkids each Monday from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, please let me know. We are also in need of people to provide a meal on Mondays at 5:30 pm or to donate funds to cover the cost of a family style dinner for the kids in our after-school enrichment program. Please reach out to me personally if you are interested in supporting our weekly dinners.
