The following was originally posted October 2012. With Halloween falling on the same day as our closing of the #write31days challenge, it seemed only fitting.
Thank you for joining me on this October journey, and especially tonight in prayer.
On this Halloween night, pray.
Seven years ago, I received a call from a woman in a class I was teaching at the time. She asked if she could stop by and talk for awhile. I didn’t know her, but the heaviness in her spirit was obvious.
We sat face to face, her tears falling hard, and words barely pouring forth for the heaving. Finally, she was able to share that as a young child, her
parents forced her to participate in Satanic rituals every Halloween
night. Babies and children were sacrificed in deep basements—here, in
our city.
The more
details she shared, the sicker I felt. An unspeakable oppression
hovered. We moved to our front porch. I had to catch clean air and fresh mercy.
We talked, prayed, and then she drove away.
Although
we’ve since lost touch, she wrote me several years ago sharing how
she’d become active in her church, praising God for removing her night
terrors, and replacing them with the reality of freedom, grace, and
mercy. Only God, only God.
Needless
to say, I will never view Halloween the same. I hope I’m not alone now that you’ve read this true story. You see, she was convinced that human sacrifices still take place every October
31st. We know the enemy’s forces have not diminished — so
now, I pray for the innocent on this night, and I ask you to join me.
“Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”
Yes, there are Hallmark movies—some even containing the word Autumn—but there is only one timeless show that personifies this season and it comes on TONIGHT, ABC at 8:00 p.m.
Pop the corn, break out your family’s favorite beverages, and maybe a little candy corn on the side?
Turn out the lights and gather the family under a warm blanket. Enjoy!
This is no trick. This is a classic treat.
What’s your favorite scene in the show?
{Don’t miss the new Peanuts Movie (rated G) coming to a screen near you in November!}
Okay, I agree. Hot tea is a pleasure Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall — but there’s something about this season that sends me in search of new harvesty-laden flavors at the first whisper of Fall.
How about you?
Lucky for me, we have a quaint, but well-stocked tea shoppe a few blocks from the house, so I decided to swing by and pick up some of their latest finds…to share with you. 🙂
And then I also came across this…
Psalm 32:11 lovingly lines the inner rim of the cup.
“Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.” Psalm 32:11
On the outside of the mug:
“Simple, pleasant moments, joy the whole day through, rich abundant graces… this is my prayer for you.”
Few things stir the heart towards this season like holding a steamy cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa. Savor these moments, allowing the Holy Spirit to stir His purposes and desires within you.
With this in mind, how can I pray for you today? After all, tea and mugs, while beautiful, are temporal. I’d like this post to be more than just giving away goodies. I care about you, your family, and God’s plans for your life. Praying for you is a true privilege. Truly.
Simply share your request(s) in the comment section. Unspoken requests are welcome. 🙂 Your name will go to a random drawing list but your requests will go in my prayer notebook.
It’s no coincidence that my hubster and I refer to the month of October as the month o’ love. We love everything about it! We were even married on the side of a mountain during the month of October (Pretty Place, Greenville SC).
Every open weekend during the month we plan a getaway. Sometimes it’s an overnight stay but often it’s day trips. One of my favorite day-trip destinations is Carl Sandburg’s home, perched atop a hill in Flat Rock, NC.
This past weekend we took a hike around the front lake, the one that sits at the bottom of the hill, below his home. The crimson-threaded leaves embraced the lake as if they were saying a final farewell, at least for now.
Could Carl Sandburg have been sitting on his front stoop, observing the same breathtaking views, as he penned Autumn Movement?
(It was a foggy morning but if you look carefully you can see Connemara at the top of the hill.)
Autumn Movement,
by Carl Sandburg
I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.
The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.
The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go, not one lasts.
What will you miss the most with the passing of Fall?
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…
Last week, we made our way up to the highlands of NC to Blowing Rock. Its downtown area is much like a village with charming boutiques and dangerously delicious ice cream shoppes lining the streets.
One of the loveliest perks in venturing out to new towns is meeting people you would never meet otherwise, like Sheri Furman, owner of Take Heart.
Sheri, along with her staff, go out of their way to make you feel right at home in their cozy cottage-like setting. Purple-planked walls, Scripture quotes on pillows, wooden canvases, etc. As the young ladies lovingly wrapped my purchases in lilac colored tissue paper, one of them smiled and shared how they’d also tucked in a bag of fresh lilac for my birthday. Yes, this is my kind of place.
Not just because of the boutique itself, which is lovely…
or the white-planked floors and funky chandeliers…
but because of Sheri and the two young assistants who turned a simple walk-through of a store into a delightful experience. As we were leaving, one of the girls asked if we wanted her to take our picture on the bench outside their door. Although the exposure to sun worked against us, it’s still a picture we’ll treasure as it caught a moment in time that will always remind me the beauty of venturing to unfamiliar places.
Thank you, Sheri and staff! {Instagram: takeheart_nc}
Take a moment to consider an unfamiliar place, town, store, setting that you could visit this Fall. Stay alert to the blessings you discover along the way. I’d love to hear about your adventure!
Take Heart
1009 Main Street
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
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If one must have lab work, let it be somewhere that has an amazing cafe! Yogurt and a fresh blueberry scone (minus one bite) 😉 = score! 🙌 Thank you Prisma/Greer Hospital!!
If one must have lab work, let it be somewhere that has an amazing cafe! Yogurt and a fresh blueberry scone (minus one bite) 😉 = score! 🙌 Thank you Prisma/Greer Hospital!! ...
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Neighbors invited everyone on the street. Many of us had never met. I think that’s more common in the country but I’m thankful these neighbors brought us all together. Community is a beautiful thing, as is their view. Happy 4th! 🇺🇸
Neighbors invited everyone on the street. Many of us had never met. I think that’s more common in the country but I’m thankful these neighbors brought us all together. Community is a beautiful thing, as is their view. Happy 4th! 🇺🇸 ...
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