Halloween 2010

This has been a very boring Halloween when compared to the ones I celebrated during the dark ages. The kids get all hopped up on chocolate and every other candy Fortunately they burn out like little bottle rockets and are in bed by 7:30. This allows dad to get some solace by sitting out in the garage and wait for the trick or treaters to come to our little half acre. I have a few memorable moments from Halloween 2010 to share.
First: I never want to see another Tootsie Roll again or at least for another year.
Second: Eating a Tootsie Roll and drinking a Miller Lite is not a substitute for a drinking a good "Chocolate Stout"
Third: Doing the "Time Warp" with your shadow in the moonlight is not very entertaining. Unless you happy to be the neighbor watching.
Fourth: Cool 101FM out of Kalamazoo played great Halloween themed music. I heard everything from the "Monster Mash" to "Dead Mans Party" to Thriller and even "Dead Mans Curve" great stuff! (can you name the artist?)
Fifth: The scariest moment of the evening was talking to my little Polish neighbor who I really do not know at all and learning he killed 3 squirrels with his crossbow that weekend. I asked him what he did with them and he said he made a great stew out of them. MMMMMM TASTY!. Has anyone seen my cat?
My final thought on Halloween is this. It is becoming a huge commercial holiday and creeping up on Christmas as a national favorite. I enjoy watching people decorate their yards to the hilt just like they do at Christmas time. I think the whole purpose is the personal satisfaction that people receive from decorating their yard and giving away allot of candy is that it makes them feel good inside. Unconditional giving away. Give us your witches and super heroes and little Disney characters and we will give to them unconditionally. It makes people feel good inside. Imagine instead if it was homeless people and HIV victims or people in need of health care walking the streets and asking for a hand out from every house on the block. This would be truly frightful for most people. Yet the opportunity is happening every day.
The same people who spend hundreds of dollars decorating their homes and buying candy come to church and have a contribution statement for the year of less than $100. I guess their is something really quite disturbing there. When Jesus told the thief to stop stealing and get a job and start giving he had a specific lesson. The thrill of stealing could only be matched by the thrill of giving. I wish Halloween could be happening every day. KNOCK KNOCK! Trick or Treat?