Puppy and Gwandle

I am almost done with Puppy's fence. The wire is not all the way in the ground yet, but it's connected. I accidentally shocked myself and it reminded me of the electric fence at the Hodgin's house. Poor Puppy was shocked so much she was breathing funny!

My pets eat strange food, Puppy will eat anything DDD and Gwandle loves that sweet stuff made out of puffs. She also likes chicken noddles (not the actual broth just the noodles) and has been known to eat napkins that are soaked with milk or tomato soup. Right now Puppy is chewing on a washcloth that was used to wipe Timmy off (bad girl, naughty, naughty!). Previously she was eating Doritos and had her head stuck in the bag. Oops, I didn't take it away fast enough, there is now a hole in the cloth.

It's nice that it's getting colder; I like summer, but when it gets too hot to move I start dreaming of snow. Besides when its cold its not muggy and its not a chore to breath. The perfect temperature is when everyone else is wearing a jacket/coat but too you it's not that cold.

Puppy just relieved herself on the floor and made everybody fear that germs were now invading our home and we are all gonna die soon. Well I might be egzagerating, (yeah, I know thats spelled wrong but I have know clue how to spell it) but not much. I guess I'll have to take her outside now.

There is no title

After lunch today Elijah, Josiah and I plucked and cleaned six ducks. Well, actually it was one mallard, two merganser, and four wood ducks, I think. It was a bloody, squishy and smelly job. My fingers (my whole hand) got so slimy with blood it was hard to cut. The boys wanted me to take pictures but I declined. I didn't want to go through all the trouble just for some ugly birds.

There is a website called godtube that started up a while ago. It's supposed to be like youtube but christian related and no offensive videos. In the newspaper yesterday it was said that Baby got book was one of the most popular videos. Hmmm, I don't see how that video is christian since I know where they got the idea for it, and the original song is not to nice. Besides that, it's like rap and I hate rap.

Since this is Sunday, the Lords day, I think I'll copy and post a song.

Create in me a clean heart
Oh God and renew a right spirit within me

Cast me not away from thy presence, o Lord
And take not Thy holy spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me

Candy

This is what I do when I'm waiting to use the computer, I take pictures 'till the batteries die on the camera. The first is just nonsense and the second is supposed to show how orange and light blue contrast. BY the way, how do you like my shoes? They are not like tiny tim's shoes; they were the pair right next to them. I like dark shoes because they don't show dirt as fast as light colored ones.

People are playing Monopoly right now. For some reason I don't like that game, its too slow and everybody talks and talks and nothing gets done and the game drags on and on.

So yesterday night went well. I can hardly believe this myself, but I played Teenage mutant turtles on Ethan's game boy. We had Milano's pizza for supper and I had English breakfast tea with four spoonfuls of sugar. later I had chocolate milk. Then I had some candy. For breakfast I had chocolate chip waffles (with Aunt Jemima) milk and Ethan gave me some more candy. Elijah was mesmerized by Bugs Bunny and the Tweety show, it was funny to watch him stare at the TV with his mouth open and watch it.

I can't think of much to write. Who wouldn't mind if I deleted the songspot? I kinda got tired of it.

By the way, we get an extra hour tomorrow!

Hey ya'll

Its really funny when I am using the computer (at my house) at the same time Joseph is at his house. I am so clogged today and the smallest thing makes me laugh. As soon as Chelsea got home she gave me potato chips and candy and now I'm kinda wired. I am sleeping over at her house tonight and so is Elijah, so we will see how much we sleep tonight.

Joseph, my mom sys you can get a blogger identity without getting a blog so then you can get a picture beside your comment.

Chelsea does not wish for me to be writing so I am stopping, y6t. There see? that was her!67y aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

And now, the last part

Should Christians adopt such practices?

Can we borrow pagan customs and superstitions of ancient peoples and "Christianize" them?

As believers, we are called to "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. [1 Thesalonians 5:21-22] Who can deny that virtually all of the symbols of Halloween are evil? Witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, devils and demons all portray evil. Christians are to "... have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." [Ephesians 5:11]

Is Halloween just another innocent holiday that doesn't harm anyone? Is it really just childish fun? Vandalism and wanton disregard for the property of others is common on Halloween night. Even normally well-behaved children are driven by unseen forces to destructive behavior. Police officials everywhere report a great increase in such activities on Halloween. Worse yet are the horrifying accounts of poisoned candy and fruits booby-trapped with razor blades and needles. Such threats are so real that many hospitals offer free X-rays of Halloween treats in order to prevent children from being harmed. Who but Satan could inspire such monstrous actions?

Should the church be compromised by accommodating itself to the culture?

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." [Romans 12:2]

"For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?" [2 Corinthians 6:14, 15]

When America and the world celebrates the Festival of Samhain and the powers of darkness by masquerading as evil creatures or decorating our homes, schools, businesses and churches with occult symbols, Satanic power is glorified.

The sort of practices celebrated on Halloween are what defiled the ancient nations [see Leviticus 18:24-30]. The Israelites were warned against such practices when they entered the Promised Land, "When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations." [Deuteronomy 18:9]

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. [Deuteronomy 18:10-14]

As an alternative to the celebration of evil and death, Christians should rather do what Christians are supposed to do every day and that is shine the light of Jesus Christ.A day that emphasizes the light of Christ instead of the darkness of evil.

While you may have participated "all in fun," be assured, Halloween is serious business for Satanists and witches. Those who oppose Christ are known to organize on Halloween to observe satanic rituals, to cast spells, to oppose churches and families, to perform sacrilegious acts, and to even offer blood sacrifices to Satan. While some may say, "But we only do this in fun...we don't practice witchcraft," those things that represent Satan and his domain cannot be handled or emulated "for fun". Such participation places you in enemy and forbidden territory and that is dangerous ground.

Tom Sanguinet, former high priest in the Celtic tradition of Wicca (witchcraft) said "The modern holiday we call Halloween has its origins in the full moon closest to November 1, the witches’ New Year. It was a time when the "spirits" (demons) were supposed to be at their peak power and revisiting the earth planet." He went on to say, "Halloween is purely and absolutely evil, and there is nothing we ever have or will do that would make it acceptable to the Lord Jesus." [The Dark Side Of Halloween]

As evil prevails, Americans have embraced an evil day of Satan, with the pranks of 'would be' hoodlums, combined with 'demon faces' on pumpkins, clothing of 'death' being worn, and calling it fun. When Christians participate in Halloween, it sends a message to children that witchcraft, demonism, Satanism, and the occult are something fun, entertaining and harmless.

Witchcraft Many years ago, C.S. Lewis wrote that one of Satan's most deceptive tactics is to convince people that he doesn't exist. Apparently he has done a good job in his deception. Sadly, many people think of the devil as no more than a symbol of evil: like Santa Claus, he is just a fictional symbol. Many people today also do not think of witches as real people who practice magic, but simply as imaginary figures who represent the supernatural world and everything that is 'spooky.'

Recognizing this pagan holiday gives the false impression that what is actually lethal is innocuous. Children develop a fascination with the supernatural which leads them later into more sinister occult practices. It's the spiritual equivalent of painting a loaded gun to look like a toy and giving it to child to play with.

It is the kind of celebration that encourages kids like the 16-year-old in Pearl, Mississippi who stabbed his mother to death in her sleep and then opened fire at his high school, killing two students and wounding seven. Authorities found this student along with at least six others involved in a small, avowedly satanic clique that calls itself "Kroth."

How some people can defend this kind of activity as just another innocent holiday that doesn't harm anyone is beyond me.

Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. (John 3:19-20)

Acceptance of the Supernatural

Central to Satan's goals is the widespread acceptance of the supernatural, including the occult, on the part of North Americans, accompanied by a great revival of spiritism all over the world.

Over the last 30 or so years, the occult has moved into the mainstream of America - in television, movies, magazines, business, and various aspects of daily life. Movies, books, magazines and encyclopedias of the supernatural have abounded. Turn on your TV and hear from the ever-present "Psychic Friends" hotline, or see lead characters in TV shows meet their "spirit guide." Entire bookstores devoted to the occult have become common. Universities regularly offer courses on witchcraft and magic - usually the so-called "white" variety. Myriads of mystical Eastern religions, bizarre and often demonic, have invaded North America and found in most cases an amazing responsiveness.

Indeed, Halloween has taken root in America. Americans spend $21 million on Halloween candies yearly second only to Christmas in total sales. Halloween is the Number 1 season for selling humorous greeting cards. In North America, some 25 million cards are sold annually. (Peter Smith, "By the Numbers," The Toronto Star, 2002-OCT-27.) Halloween is the third-largest party occasion next to Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Increasingly the curriculum in many public schools is becoming a primer in occultism.
Impressions, a curriculum used in many school districts instructs teachers and students in how to cast spells. One teacher's manual reads, "Tell the children that a magician has cast a spell on some children. Have them work in pairs to write the magic spell the magician used. Have each pair write another spell to reverse the first spell. Have them chant their spells."

About 16,000 school districts use the Pumsey the Dragon curriculum, by Jill Anderson. Many of the relaxation techniques used are identical to those used in hypnosis. Another curriculum called Duso the Dolphin employs relaxation techniques and sends hypnotized youngsters off on guided fantasies to a place called Aquatron.

Satanism has become a phenomena that crosses the city limit into the rural areas of our nation. It is reported there are some 6000 witches, and approximately 10 million people are involved in the occult. However, it is very difficult to establish how many actually participate. These individuals are involved in a wide variety of activities from simply casting spells to human sacrifice. The news wires carry story after story about young children being kidnapped, only to be found later as victims of some bizarre ritualistic crime.


As satantic involvement among our youth increases, we begin to see the primary goal of such activity. According to Scripture (2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 12:9), Satan's goal is to deceive man by blinding him to the truth of the gospel and to receive worship for himself (Matt. 4:9; Isa. 14:12-14).

It has become clear that the primary goal is to alter an individual's values and turn him against himself, his beliefs, family, God and society.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

Young satanists believe the strong will rule with Satan. Once an individual becomes involved, they often make a pact with Satan. They commit themselves to a future date when they will take their own lives by suicide. They believe if they submit themselves to Satan in death, they will come back in another life as a stronger being and rule with him forever. According to recent statistics, fourteen young people a day take their own lives.

Recently, a California skateboard manufacturer used a package enclosure similar in appearance to a gospel tract to encourage purchasers to sell their souls to the devil. The brochure titled, "Let's Make a Deal" has a smiley-faced devil who explains to Flame Boy what happened in heaven after he was banished: "First off, they set up a bunch of dumb rules, and then they imposed a really strict dress code. I'l wager that people must be quite bored up there, but hey, that's what they get for being good." He contrasts this with, "Flame Boy, even a dimwit like you can see that hell is by far the best place to retire. Just look at all the fun to be had." Children are asked to sign and return a contract, by which they give possession of their souls to the devil for eternity.

What's wrong with Halloween?

It does not have even one single redeeming virtue. It is custom born out of pagan superstition. It is a demon-inspired, devil-glorifying, occult festival. It is an evening holy unto evil, death, and divination. The Scriptures tells us to "Abstain from all appearance of evil." [1Thess. 5:22]

Wake up Christian! This is the night of evil and those who love the Lord Jesus Christ should have nothing to do with it.

We are all accountable for our choices and decisions. Ignorance is no excuse. The choice is up to you. Have you been involved in this satanic holiday? Do you struggle with giving it up because "it's just fun" and an innocent opportunity for children to dress up and collect candy? Don't take my word for it. Let God show you what he would have you do. http://www.jeremiahproject.com/culture/halloween.html

Mars bar and potato chips

I'm sorta bored so I am posting twice. I feel like somebody hit my head with a baseball bat and is continually shining a flashlight into my eyes. Plus my nose is quite stuffed and I'm coughing. I could use some potato chips and a Mars bar with peanuts right now. Speaking of candy, Chelsea was hyper today but she says thats how she normally is. Which is true, she always is hyper just today she was more hyper. Chelsea says she got about a pillowcase and a half of candy. WOW. I don't get that much in an entire year! I made blueberry/walnut pancakes today for supper. I cracked and picked out the walnuts and got the blueberries out of the freezer. Then I rewrote a recipe so that it would feed my family. Then I ground some wheat since we were out of flour. As I got the bucket to put the flour in down, I knocked over the container of soybeans. I watched them spill over the floor and marveled at how much dust was in them then finished grinding wheat. Timmy had just gotten up from his nap and declared he would help pick up the soybeans, which meant, I later found out, that he would grab a handful of beans and carry them into his room, then drop them.

Right now John is walking on the table while Lizzy and Abby are trying to make button/bead dolls. Timmy, who happens to be wearing only a diaper (his sleeper is around his ankles 'cause John pulled it down) has a small dowel rod that he is hitting himself with as he gleefully climbs on the table. Ben is pouring glue on the table for no reason and smearing it around with his finger. John now has a flyswatter and is hitting all the "flies", meaning his brothers. Now Lizzy, following Ben's example, is pouring glue on the table. John and Timmy are rooting through the fridge, while Abby is yelling at Lizzy to stop wasting the glue.

The kitten seems to be not so jumpy now. Earlier I was vacuuming up dirt and cat litter in my room while Gwandle watched. The noise seemed to have bothered her for a bit because for a while she was very jumpy and when I moved my foot the teeniest bit she jumped. It was rather funny actually. Now Elijah is putting Timmy's sleeper on backwards because he (Timmy) keeps taking it off. John is folding Nate's clothes because he knocked them over, on purpose.

We may bew watching a DVD about 1812 so I'd better get off the computer. Not that I'm actually on it, well you know what I mean.

Part two (nice and long)

Trick-or-Treat?

Some trace the origins of present day "trick-or-treat" to Samhain, which was the supreme night of demonic jubilation. Spirits of the dead would rise out of their graves and wander the countryside, trying to return to the homes where they formerly lived. Frightened villagers tried to appease these wandering spirits by offering them gifts of fruit and nuts. They began the tradition of placing plates of the finest food and bits of treats that the household had to offer on their doorsteps, as gifts, to appease the hunger of the ghostly wanderers. If not placated, villagers feared that the spirits would kill their flocks or destroy their property.

The problem was... if the souls of dead loved ones could return that night, so could anything else,human or not, nice or not-so-nice. The only thing the superstitious people knew to do to protect themselves on such an occasion was to masquerade as one of the demonic hoard, and hopefully blend in unnoticed among them. Wearing masks and other disguises and blackening the face with soot were originally ways of hiding oneself from the spirits of the dead who might be roaming around. This is the origin of Halloween masquerading as devils, imps, ogres, and other demonic creatures.

Others trace "trick-or-treat" to a European custom called "souling". Beggars would go from village to village begging for "soul cakes" made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers could guarantee a soul's passage to heaven.

In many parts of Britain and Ireland this night used to be known as 'Mischief Night', which meant that people were free to go around the village playing pranks and getting up to any kind of mischief without fear of being punished. Many of the different customs were taken to the United States by Irish and Scottish immigrants in the nineteenth century, and they developed into 'trick or treat'.


Halloween Comes to America

Traditional Halloween symbols (witches, black cats, pumpkins, candles, masks, parties and pranks) appeared in the U.S. during the late 1800's. In 1848, millions of Irish emigrants poured into America as a result of the potato famine. With this sudden influx of people, the holiday of Druidism found its new home on alien shores. "Proudly Celtic, they called Halloween Oidche Shamhna (`Night of Samhain'), as their ancestors had, and kept the traditional observances" [Common Boundary, Sep./Oct. 1993, p. 31].

The Jack-o-lantern is the festival light for Halloween and is the ancient symbol of a damned soul. Originally the Irish would carve out turnips or beets as lanterns as representations of the souls of the dead or goblins freed from the dead.

When the Irish emigrated to America they could not find many turnips to carve into Jack O'Lanterns but they did find an abundance of pumpkins. Pumpkins seemed to be a suitable substitute for the turnips and pumpkins have been an essential part of Halloween celebrations ever since.

Jack-o-lantern Pumpkins were cut with faces representing demons and was originally intended to frighten away evil spirits. It was said that if a demon or such were to encounter something as fiendish looking as themselves that they'd run away in terror,thus sparing the houses dwellers from the ravages of dark entities. They would have been carried around the village boundaries or left outside the home to burn through the night.

Bats, owls and other nocturanal animals, also popular symbols of Halloween, were originally feared because people believed that these creatures could communicate with the spirits of the dead.

Black cats have religious origins as well. Black cats were considered to be reincarnated beings with the ability to divine the future. During the Middle Ages it was believed that witches could turn themselves into black cats. Thus when such a cat was seen, it was considered to be a witch in disguise.

Witches and witchcraft are dominant themes of the holiday. Witches generally believe themselves to be followers of an ancient religion, which goes back far beyond Christianity, and which is properly called 'wicca'. Witches are really just one side of a modern revival of paganism - the following of pre-Christian nature religions, the attempt to return to worshipping ancient Norse, Greek or Celtic gods and goddesses.

To witches, Halloween is a festival of the dead, and represents the "end and the beginning of the witches year. It marks the beginning of the death and destruction associated with winter. At this time the power of the underworld is unleashed, and spirits are supposedly freed to roam about the earth; it is considered the best time to contact spirits" (Halloween and Satanism, P. Phillips and J.H. Robie, 1987, p. 146).

The apostle Paul said Witchcraft is one of the acts of the sinful nature and those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:16-21; see also Revelation 22:15).

Divination

The various activities traditional to Halloween are mostly associated with the idea of obtaining good fortune and foretelling the future. Samhain was a time when it was customary for the pagans to use the occult practice of divination to determine the weather for the coming year, the crop expectations, and even who in the community would marry whom and in what order.

* The idea behind ducking, dooking or bobbing for apples seems to have been that snatching a bite from the apple enables the person to grasp good fortune. Unmarried people would attempt to take a bite out of an apple bobbing in a pail of water, or suspended on a string. The first person to do so was believed to be the next to marry.
* Samhain is a time for getting rid of weakness, as pagans once slaughtered weak animals which were unlikely to survive the winter. A common ritual calls for writing down weaknesses on a piece of paper or parchment, and tossing it into the fire.
* There used to be a custom of placing a stone in the hot ashes of the bonfire. If in the morning a person found that the stone had been removed or had cracked, it was a sign of bad fortune. Nuts have been used for divination: whether they burned quietly or exploded indicated good or bad luck.
* Peeling an apple and throwing the peel over one's shoulder was supposed to reveal the initial of one's future spouse.
* One way of looking for omens of death was for people to visit churchyards, because the spirits of those who were going to die during the coming year were thought to walk around the churchyard during this night.

Tomorrow is the last part.