Hello, Brave Ones!

October is here.

The air gets a little cooler, pumpkins appear on porches, leaves begin to change, and suddenly there are ghosts, witches, skeletons, and spooky decorations everywhere you look.

I’ll just say it: Halloween has never been my favorite.

And as I’ve grown in my relationship with Jesus, I’ve become even more thoughtful about what I welcome into my heart, my home, and my imagination.

But I’ve also learned something important.

I don’t have to be afraid of Halloween.

And I don’t have to be angry about it either.

I can simply choose something different.

As followers of Jesus, we aren't called to spend our lives pointing at darkness. We are called to be light.

“You are the light of the world.”
— Matthew 5:14

I love that.

He didn't tell us to be frightened of darkness. He told us who we are.

Light.

So instead of making October about what our family doesn't celebrate, what if we made it about what we do celebrate?

We celebrate Jesus.

We celebrate goodness.

We celebrate courage instead of fear.

We celebrate laughter, family, warm soup, pumpkin bread, cozy pajamas, beautiful leaves, and God's incredible creation.

And yes—perhaps a ridiculous amount of candy corn. 🍬

This is also a wonderful opportunity to teach our children something they will need for the rest of their lives: discernment without fear.

Not everything the world celebrates has to become something our family celebrates.

We can lovingly say, “That's not something we choose for our family,” without judging the family next door who makes a different choice.

Our children are watching how we respond.

Do we respond with fear?

With anger?

With judgment?

Or do we quietly and confidently show them another way?

Philippians 4:8 gives us such a beautiful filter:

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable...think about such things.”

That's the kind of October I want.

An October filled with things that are lovely.

Maybe that means a family harvest dinner. Maybe it's carving pumpkins and talking about how Jesus shines through us. Maybe it's inviting neighbors over, serving cider, giving generously, praying together, or finding someone who needs encouragement.

We don't need to hide from the world.

We can bring Jesus right into the middle of it.

Parents and grandparents, our children don't need to be taught to be terrified of darkness.

They need to know that Jesus is bigger than darkness.

They need to know they carry His light wherever they go.

And they need to learn that following Jesus sometimes means making choices that look different—not because we're scared, but because we know Whom we belong to.

So this October, our family can choose:

Joy over fear.
Peace over anxiety.
Discernment over judgment.
And light over darkness.

No fear.

No condemnation.

Just Jesus.

And maybe a pumpkin or two. 🎃

Because, Brave Ones, when you know the Light of the World, you never have to be afraid of the dark.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
— John 1:5

Woot! Woot!

With love,
Julie