Pumpkin Patch Fun...

Fall would have to be my favorite season...and going to the pumpkin patch is one of my favorite things to do. The girls got to go to a pumpkin patch birthday party and as you can see, they had a blast!

Kerby Pumpkin Patch is complete with a zipline, a playground, a corn maze, a spooky house, animals, and of course, LOTS of pumpkins to choose from.

We have only been able to carve 1 of 3 big pumpkins...hopefully we will get them done before Halloween. I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I wrote "big pumpkin". When Ellie was almost two, we drove by someone's house and they had a big inflatable pumpkin. Ellie started screaming in excitement, "Buffukin...buffukin!!" (big pumpkin!) These people continue to display this big pumpkin every year and we laugh so hard every time we drive by it.

Ok...on a much more edifying note...I just love this devotion...who says you can't incorporate Christ into Halloween...this devotion is so awesome to do while carving your pumpkins and such another neat tool to teach your kiddos about what Jesus did for them....

Being a Christian is just like a pumpkin!

First, God picks you from the pumpkin patch and brings you in from the field. The Bible says He selects us out of the world. We are in the world, but no longer of the world.

He then washes all the “dirt” off the outside that we received from being around all the other pumpkins. All the outside influences of our former life must be cleaned up. Old things are passed away and all things become new.

Then, He carefully removes all the “yucky stuff” called “sin” out from the inside. Look at this! Yuk! He then changes us from the inside out by the Power of His Word. That’s why it is important to go the church and learn about God’s Word.

He carefully removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and fear. He replaces them with the seeds of faith, hope and love. After Jesus is invited inside, you begin to experience the changing power of God’s love in your life.

Then He carves a new smiling face. We are changed by the power of His presence in our life. We then become so grateful. It can even show on our face!

Now we are going to light this candle inside. Look! This pumpkin now reflects the light from inside out. So too, when Jesus, who is called the Son of Light, lives inside of us, He shines through our life for all to see. We can let His light reflect through us to reveal His presence. “Let your light so shine before men that they may be able to see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven.”

So you see, we Christians are really like this pumpkin! We will never be the same with Jesus inside of us!