Oh, what a beautiful season it has been for pumpkin spice and everything nice! What a beautiful season it has been to sit outside and watch the community flock to the pumpkin patch, watch the youth enter the doors of the haunted house with equal parts fear and excitement, and to smell the rotten pumpkins drifting through the air as I sit on my front porch. Wait, what!?!? Rotten pumpkins! Yep, there is often a downside to something good. The real test is what you do with that downside. As I was sitting on my porch smelling those pumpkins, I also saw the farmer pull up and load his truck with pumpkin guts to feed his animals. I thought this was good timing. This also had me thinking about all the other ways we use the not so good to make something good. The straw that is like glitter and finds its way all over the place has been repurposed to serve in the Haunted House as a backdrop for a barn scene. The pallets that put forth an added challenge for the necessity of removal offered us an opportunity to reconnect with friends and local businesses. I stood there and watched a child in absolute awe as the leaves, which will pose a clean-up issue, fell to the ground in a magical display. Every season we are in is full of beauty and opportunity to see the unfavorable as a matter of heaven.

This November, let’s challenge ourselves to not just end it with recognition of all the things we are thankful for, but let’s start it with recognition of all the things we are thankful for. On the first Sunday we gather, we will honor those who have passed away this last year. This will be an opportunity to think about them with gratitude for the times we shared. We will also rejoice as the youth group begins their life together. This has been a joint effort of perseverance in prayer and the willingness of Felicity Johnston as she follows God’s leading in her own life. That brings us full circle, as she grew up in our church’s youth group. We will give thanks to the veterans and their families who have given so much to serve so many. As we prepare to send off the shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, we will give thanks for the path God has prepared for them to receive this message of love. We will bake, buy, and sell cookies galore as Debbie and Joe Consoli lead us in another fast and sweet fundraiser. Did I mention? We will eat the cookies too! We will gather for Bible study, children’s church, worship, ladies’ group, Sunday school, band rehearsals, nominations on leadership and lay development committee, ad board, prayer group, and decorating the church for the Christmas season. For all of this and for all of you, I give thanks!

Give this a try: as you look at your calendar and all the things you have on it to do, give thanks before you even get there. It might be one of the harder things to do, but also one of the most rewarding. ”…in everything, give thanks.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

From one light to another,
Pastor Hannah Loughman