This is my best advice!
Sometimes, we try too hard as we journey through life.
Ironically, our lives often improve when we don’t try as hard.
For example, we all realize by now, I’m sure, that a good life consists of:
1) Beautiful hair,
2) Productive work, and
3) Healthy desires.
(Yes, this is a list curated from my own experience. Why do you ask?)
To expound:
Click here to continue reading this (previously published) post.
I was in Dollarama minding my business when a stranger opened her heart to me.
I was as surprised then as you are now, reading this. We were standing near the Halloween decorations, and as she vented, more of her heart came out. “I’m just not sure I agree with these gross decorations and letting my kids dress up as such violent characters.”
Perhaps it was because my homeschooled kids had commented as they walked by the Halloween decor along the lines that the costuming was icky.
I’m unsure if that made this stranger feel I could be her confidante. It seemed she was processing her thoughts aloud as she let them out. But this wasn’t the first time this had happened.
Maybe it’s the fact that more people are accidentally getting themselves in trouble stepping into actual demonic realms, or maybe it’s because skull and demon fashion decor trends are dipping, but we clearly have modern Halloween bystanders who seem uncertain about the whole thing, especially the more disgusting the decor becomes.
But we’re not talking about that today.
We’re talking about how not to look like a loser on Halloween!
To me, Halloween feels like the desire to hang out with the cool kids, but thinking that the cool kids are a bit gross. There’s this cultural desire, or maybe the pull of candy and the fun of dressing up, because I want to play, too! But really? Why are there cut-off body parts right there?
Anyway, let’s talk about how to avoid celebrating Halloween like a loser.
To do that we will need to learn some history.
The eve of All Saints Day, or All Hollows Day (shortened to Halloween) was a day initially designed to celebrate God’s victory and even to mock the devil’s defeat.
“Let’s get free of God!” . . . Heaven-throned God breaks out laughing. At first he’s amused at their presumption. . .
We’re saying to the devil that, “Hey! You’re on the losing team because Jesus has defeated you on the cross!” But when we honor and try to lift the satanic, like those 10-foot demon statues sometimes put on lawns, were saying “I’m voting for the losing team!”
And that’s how we celebrate Halloween like a loser.
So how do we celebrate Halloween like a winner?
Again, let’s turn to history.
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther set the world on fire by birthing a reformation within the Catholic church (He did this by nailing his “Theses” to a church door -The modern precursor to email).
On October 31, nearly 400 years later, the Welsh Revival was birthed, and 80,000 people decided to follow Christ in less than four months (That was more than simply a good marketing campaign!) This move of God then spread around the world.
October 31 is a day of great victory for God!
So let’s dress up, enjoy hot chocolate and friendship, and celebrate like a winner. Jesus won the ultimate victory, although that victory hasn’t seen its full fruition yet and won’t until He comes back again. But we know where the final victory lies!
So we can celebrate October 31 like winners.
And so, stick with me if you want to be cool at Halloween!
O.K., you might not be cool, but at least you won’t celebrate with the losing team!
And that’s one step toward fitting in with our culture, being cool so people will like us, and making sure we’re doing the same things as everyone else regardless of whether or not our gut instincts wonder if we’re celebrating with the right team! (See first paragraph).
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
Once, I was mistaken for Ned Flanders (the ultra-Christian), not in person, but in my writing. Ned and I are pals, actually!
Ned and I are in the same group because we aren’t allowed to expel anyone (I.e., those who aren’t cool enough) from the Jesus club. And that’s a good thing, in hindsight, because what if they wouldn’t accept me? But we’re not talking about that today.
We’re talking about Satanism!
In brief, Satanism to me:
I’ll try to explain.
I began researching Satanism when my friend Ned Flanders said, “Gee, Lori! This group sounds cool!” He sent me some of the stuff he was learning, like these seven fundamental tenets of The Satanic Temple. Christianity has the same principles (Admittedly, “tenets” sound fancier than “principles” though)!
Let’s explore the similarities between the seven tenets of the Satanic Temple, and some key principles of Christianity.
Satanic tenet #1: One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
Christian principle: Amen! For example, the book we like best says the second most important command is to: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’
Satanic tenet #2: The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
Christian principle: Amen! Last year, this organization, International Justice Mission, convicted 1,244 traffickers and abusers in local courts, and is a Christian organization! Do Satanists have a similar organization?
Satanic tenet #3: One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
Christian principle: Amen! An unborn baby’s body is inviolable, subject to their own will alone!
Satanic tenet #4: The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one’s own.
Christian principle: Amen! Jesus was the king of being offensive to certain people! For example, he once said this a bunch of people! “You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded?” By the way, being called a snake was NOT a compliment back then! (In case you think it might be because you have a snake on your logo?)
Satanic tenet #5: Beliefs should conform to one’s best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one’s beliefs.
Christian principle: Amen! There are many noteworthy Christian scientists including Francis Bacon (who invented the scientific method by the way), Isaac Newton, Louis Pasteur, Francis Collins, and many, many others (including me!) Also, check out this this guy who talks a lot about science and Christianity! Also check out this post!
Satanic tenet #6: People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one’s best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
Christian principle: Amen! For example, Jesus taught us to pray like this: Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Satanic tenet #7: Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.
Christian principle: Amen! We agree that the spirit of compassion, wisdom and justice SHOULD ALWAYS prevail over YOUR written or spoken word!
“Come and join our little club!” the tenants of Satanism suggest.
These seven tenets sound like Christianity or at least like something that regular people strive toward! (“Oh, and we also rip pages out of Bibles and have strange rituals including black mass and maiming ourselves with cigars, but that’s not a big deal!” they’ll mention later.)
So, I put my arm around my friend Ned Flanders and said, “If you want to be kind to others, go ahead and do that!” You don’t need to burn the book that is the pillar of our privileged culture in a weird ceremony or call yourself a Satanist to be kind and reasonable! (“Huh? What now?” said someone who just started reading this post).
What often happens instead is that you’ll get wrapped up in a whole lot more than you bargained for by joining this kind of a group – a group that seems great on the outside because it sounds a lot like the principles of Christianity, but is actually on the opposite team of truth.
Don’t fall for it, friend.
(Extricate the lies.)
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
So how do we find ourselves?
We write some stuff, publish it online, and then ask THEM who we are!
What people somehow (inadvertently, I’m sure) forgot to mention when we were children was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here – and, by extension, what we’re supposed to be writing.
Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird
For example, I’ve been trying to figure out why people are reading this Substack for a while, and despite my careful research, I haven’t thought up any reasons!
(You already know why I like you.)
And since we’re talking about defining ourselves by how many people on the internet like us, can you please complete this (quick) survey to help me determine why you like me?
Do you subscribe/read these posts because:
(I’m writing for you, actually, even though I pretend I’m not. Don’t tell my ego. And I DO want to help you find a cup of cold water or to share whatever lint or whatever else I can find here in my pocket if you want it.)
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
Since we’re in a holiday spirit this month, we talked about another time I dressed up in a costume recently.
So you can see a picture of me in my cool unicorn suit later on in this post, as I illustrate – YES! CLEARLY! – why we want to push past any (potentially) annoying people in our pursuit of God.
Click here to continue reading this post.*
* This post is part of our “Say-It-Again-On-Thursdays” blogpost series, where we say it again, on Thursdays!
(No – Not your Kindergarten teacher! Someone EVEN scarier!)
So last time we talked about what parts of demonic culture we SHOULD TRY to incorporate into our lives.
So, this time, we’ll talk about – EW! GET that Satanic stuff OUT of your life, for heaven’s sake! Why the back and forth of recommendations? Well, you never know what’s true anymore on the internet so it’s essential to use our critical thinking skills at ALL times!
Constant vigilance!
(This is a Harry Potter-ism that we WANT to bring into our lives. But we’re not talking about that today. Pay attention!) Wait – you weren’t listening AGAIN? It’s okay – You didn’t miss anything (said in a whisper).
So let’s get started.
“What demonic stuff do you think we should keep OUT of our lives, Lori?” you ask with rapt attention. I’m glad you asked, friend! Let me advise you so I can feel important (Or help you – WHATEVER!).
Nope- those of you who are asleep still haven’t missed anything (whisper).
Let’s begin.
So there ARE people who stay at home concocting ways to hurt people, abuse power or manipulate with fear. And no, I’m NOT talking about your mother or Wall Street, although, come to think of it, a similar culture sometimes dominates there, too. No! I’m talking about REAL live scary people – DIFFERENT ones from the ones you already know!
Are you scared yet?
Oh, never mind setting the mood. I’ll tell you what I already know. But I can hear you asking me, “Wait – Why do YOU, Lori, the perfect caricature of Ned Flanders, have any knowledge of ALL of the REAL scary stuff that happens in the world?”
Good question.
Well, I read this book once.
It’s called Out Of the Devil’s Cauldron by John Ramirez.
The book has over 3,500 reviews and maintains its 5-star rating. That alone smacks you in the face and says, “Pay Attention!”
As well, the guy speaks in SECULAR (that means they don’t talk about religion!) schools people! Another slap up side the head. Someone who DOESN’T BELIEVE all this spiritual stuff thinks that this guy is someone kids need to learn from.
Let’s dive in.
Here’s what I learned from John’s book:
The end.
The point?
STAY AWAY FROM DABBLING IN SATANIC STUFF, people. Seriously! Get your head out of your rear end! (If you are from another culture, that statement is an English expression. No, I don’t know what it means, either! But it seems to fit here.) Or read this book, at least, before you assume you KNOW that there’s nothing behind this gross stuff.
John opens up about stuff that most people don’t usually talk about when they get involved in Satanism because if they did, they wouldn’t get invited to quite as many cocktail parties with their co-workers.
So his book is an opportunity to see the world through some different glasses – through Ned Flander’s glasses, to be precise.
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
And Happy Halloween!
Wait: Halloween isn’t happy. It’s creepy. It’s gross.
Expert advice – read: How To Steal Hallowe’en, So It’s Uplifting, Not Gros! (Shh…!)
Then listen to this song.
As you listen, ask God if there are any scary things God wants you to put in the trash.
Then do it.
Follow joy and freedom instead, friend.
Halloween is around the corner, so I thought I’d post about the last time I dressed up.
No, it wasn’t Halloween then or a holiday of any kind. Why do you ask? But this got me thinking:
What if people HAD to love us (no matter what we wore or how silly we acted)?
The good news is that depending on what your friends and family believe, they do!
For example, we homeschool our kids, so we read to them from books that say things like this:
Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it.
Then, we go to a church where they read the same stuff.
At church, they HAVE to love us, too! If we find people who don’t love us there, we can find some others to love. We’ll all find true followers of Jesus who promise to love us no matter what our personality – even the “unusual” ones – whew!
So we can finally relax and have fun.
We’re loved!
This is good news for me in particular because I figured out what my family REALLY thought about me lately, and it was a bit of a shock.
Here’s what happened.
We were reading an excellent book together as a family.
Caveat: Before you get the wrong idea of us all drinking hot chocolate and stringing popcorn and cranberries by the fire as we each take turns reading aloud together, singing a song between each chapter, aka Little House on the Prairie style, no, it wasn’t like that. It was an audiobook played in the car during our day-long drive to visit extended family. The book just helped us not to want to kill each other.
Setting the mood.
Anyway, the book was excellent. It was called Jesus Revolution. I would highly recommend it*. We all got into the story, and even the child we initially had to bribe to listen to the story with us asked for more!
At one point in the book, the author, Greg Laurie, is described as having something like “deep spiritual depth and a bit of an unpredictable, crazy personality. You never knew what he was going to do next.”
My husband looked at me sneakily out of the corner of his eye, smirking. “WHAT???” I asked. “What are you smirking about??”
“Oh,” he replied, looking away casually, “just something said in the book.”
“What??” I protested. “I’m not…!” And then he laughed, and there was a muffled chuckle, I think, from the back seats.
So I guess my family thinks that his personality describes me!
And this reminds me of what we did last night! I bought a gift for my family – well, sort of. Okay, yes! I did buy it for myself and pretended to give it to the family!
It is called The Adventure Challenge. You scratch off an “Adventure,” and then the family HAS (Yes, teens, that word is “HAS”) to do the Adventure together. Last night, we strung out yarn as an obstacle course through the basement, and we had to go through it as fast as we could, being sprayed in the face with water each time we accidentally touched a string.
It was fun.
And my superhero outfit? Yeah, I am wearing a bathing suit over the top of my leotards. And yes, the big “S” on my shirt WAS made a spur of the moment. It helped me go faster!
I even got first place!
(Before any of the others went, I was ranked first, that is.)
So relax! Make your teens do fun and crazy stuff with you! If you’re unsure how, try making “fun” a prerequisite to “food,” for example! They’ll thank you later! (When they’re old they may thank you – At least that’s what happened to us!)
Your kids are loved, too!
And that was the message of the Jesus Revolution book, actually. It was about a bunch of crazy hippy kids who were overcome, in some cases literally, by the love of God. That love overflowed to others and transformed a nation (Even Time Magazine did a cover article about this movement on June 21, 1971).
So go ahead and be the real you, whatever that looks like.
And then, after you’ve let your stomach fat and the rest of the real you out a little bit, if you’re desperately looking for a way to improve your self-esteem, spend a few more minutes with the kind of people who believe they HAVE to love you!
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
Footnotes
*If bribing your kids to watch a movie with you is less expensive than bribing them to read a book with you, the movie Jesus Revolution can be rented here.
Last time, I wrote here and here about why we should try to give a wide berth to the dark arts and the demonic or satanic.
This week, to confuse you, I will tell you that you SHOULD read the Harry Potter series. I didn’t say I would be consistent! Give me a break! Who has time for authenticity nowadays? We’re too busy scrolling social media to have time to figure out who we are! It’s easier to follow the crowd, anyway!
And since there are gross Halloween decorations in every major department store right now, let’s talk about why you might as well read Harry Potter, too, while you’re at it.
Ahem . . .
So, several years ago, I was huddled in a corner, trying to shut out the world with its scary stuff. Children held out their Halloween candy to me once and yelled, “Boo!” and I screamed, terrified. “We have to keep ourselves CLEAR of all of that stuff!” I yelled after them as they ran away, laughing.
Actually, that memory has exactly the same point as my recent posts, come to think of it! Stay CLEAR of demonic stuff!
So today, let’s run as far as we can in the opposite direction. What satanic stuff SHOULD we be holding onto and perhaps even incorporating INTO our lives?
Ha!
I bet you don’t hear that question every day! You’re welcome! Good luck!
Now let’s get started as we dig a bit deeper to unearth some insights so that we can travel on our spiritual paths free of BOTH:
We’re talking about Point #2 today, so that’s why we’re discussing which demonic stuff we want to incorporate into our lives.
Let’s start with Harry Potter. The books crawl with spider webs and warlocks, abuse of power, and fear-filled followers of evil (I.e., scary Death Eaters).
Surely, this stuff is a NO-GO! We must confidently assert.
Not so fast.
The Harry Potter series helped me to more deeply emotionally resonate with the choice Jesus Christ made to hang on a cross so we could be free.
What now? You’re wondering.
Yup. Here. Hold my popcorn because I need my hands to explain (I’m Italian).
Harry Potter discovered a prophecy that said he needed to die so that his world could be free of evil (I.e., the guy Voldemort). Harry’s struggle with what this sacrifice would cost him personally and what it would mean for everyone else’s freedom in his world was a palpable decision he struggled with that made my hands sweat, quite literally. The point is, the fact of Jesus CHOOSING to undergo such intense pain SO THAT I could be set free came home in a new way to me as I stayed up into the wee hours of the night with a flashlight trying to figure out how the story ends.
The Harry Potter series ends with freedom for everyone in his world because he CHOOSES to sacrifice his one life for them.
Exactly like in our world.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
. . . God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong,
on him, on him.
Can I have my popcorn back? I want to see how this movie ends.
Our movie here on earth, that is, with OUR actors, us.
Great literature must treat evil, sometimes in a base and repulsive form . . . as do the Christian Scriptures.
Three Faces of Evil: Christian Writers and the Portrayal of Moral Evil by Susan Wise Bauer in The Christian Imagination
Footnotes
*Wait – Isn’t that the goal of our spiritual lives? Dang! Now I’m confused again!
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
He was trained and expected to emerge as a teen rock idol.
Then, he died in a sudden air crash at a young age. Over 40 years later, his music is still popular, resonating deeply with our hearts*. And he had shaggy hair, a groomed beard and bell bottoms, so we know we can trust him!
(I’m a closet Hippie, too. How can you tell? One of my teachers didn’t seem to know my real name and called me “Hippie Chick” for four years of high school.)
And that’s how you can know you can trust me, too, because therefore, I MUST be cool, too!
And now that I have established my authority as someone who is MORE COOL than you, I’m sure you will be waiting in anticipation for my next words!
Ahem . . .
You MIGHT want to stop worshipping Satan.
This suggestion is just an idea. See this post for the beginnings of this argument. Now, before you SLAM your laptop closed in indignation, asserting to me, “I would NEVER do that, Loser!” can I have your ear for two minutes so we can challenge each other for a moment?
There has been an alarming increase in people visiting exorcists in the last several years. An exorcist is someone “who expels or attempts to expel a supposed evil spirit from a person or place”. For example, as mentioned here, over the last several years both the Catholic and Protestant churches have noted an alarming increase in the number of reported demonic possessions.
People are more frequently looking for hope in the dark arts.
Why is this?
The musician mentioned earlier, Keith Green, gives us a hint in the lyrics of his song “No One Believes In Me Anymore (Satan’s Boast)”
I’m drawing people just like flies ‘cause they like what they hear
Keith Green said (and we can trust him, as noted above because of his nice hair – remember?) that we are looking for hope in the wrong places.
Also, his words align with those who are intimate with these sorts of issues.
For example, in The Exorcist Files, which is among the top podcasts overall on Apple, Father Carlos Martins explains that many seeking hope turn to Spiritists etc. because they desperately want something. Power, unusual strength, knowledge of the future, or sometimes things as joyful as the hope of having a baby drive people to open the door to satanic practices.
This deep hope is also called worship.
Worship is where we show “reverence” or “deep respect.” It’s where we turn to for hope for our spiritual, emotional or physical ailments. We dabble. We dip. We sacrifice just a bit.
We toss a coin in the wishing well of the dark arts, hoping our wish comes true. And what emerges from this innocent hope is sometimes a dark shape that is much stronger than we anticipated.
And then we need help.
And so many more are returning to the church, but not as we expected. Not as congregants wondering if worship on Sunday will offer their soul’s peace, but as those seeking to be rid of the dark art’s hold on them. Bummer.
It’s better to steer clear of that stuff.
I’m just suggesting.
My opinion.
Photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash
My job is getting easier because no one believes in me anymore
Keith Green – No One Believes In Me Anymore (Satan’s Boast)
And so, the two forgotten reasons we should stop giving Satanism our hope?
More on that next time.
God, we pray you give us the wisdom to steer clear of and open our eyes to any dangers of Satanism.
To learn from real people who have been set free from demonic possession, consider listening to The Exorcist Files. Stories are based on the real experiences of Father Carlos Martins.
If we want to feel scared at Hallowe’en, we might as well fear REAL stuff!
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
As the song below plays, ask God, “Am I seeking hope in the wrong direction? Where can true hope be found to help me with my very real problems?” Consider chatting openly about your thoughts with one who is trying to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
God is love . . . There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear.
Footnotes
*The music of Keith Green still comforts over 175,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, for example.
Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash
Yeah, so I might have had a slight touch of fear now and then over my lifetime.
OK, let’s admit it. Fear is paralyzing me, my constant friend.
Jesus walks over to me, crouches in the corner next to me, and offers me His arm. It is time to stand. I rise on quaking legs.
Click here to continue reading this post.*
* This post is part of our “Say-It-Again-On-Friday” blogpost series, where we say it again, on Fridays!
Restoring Life 