It was Halloween night, 1985, and I was home alone. Only 16 at the time, I was tasked with passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters while my parents went out for the evening. Around 10 o’clock, I climbed into bed and turned out the lights. Immediately, I began to hear tapping on my window, which was strange since I was on the second floor. Every few minutes, I heard what sounded like pebbles hitting my window, but when I looked through my curtains, there was no one there. It was unsettling. Soon after, the doorbell rang. I thought my parents must have forgotten their keys, so I headed downstairs and opened the front door. I was startled by two 4-foot-tall boys in frightening masks standing there. My heart started to pound. I asked them, “Isn’t it a little late to be trick-or-treating?” As they silently shook their heads “no,” someone started beating on my back door. This completely freaked me out, and I let out a small scream. That’s when one of the boys took off his mask, and I instantly recognized my boyfriend’s younger brother. When my boyfriend appeared—laughing hysterically—from around the corner, I realized two things: I had been tricked, and I really needed to break up with my boyfriend! It's fun to participate in harmless shenanigans and mischief from time to time. On the other hand, sometimes people play tricks on us that can cause real harm. Phishing, spoofing, ghosting, and catfishing—new terms are popping up left and right—it’s hard to keep up with all the ways people can hurt you these days! The enemy is always coming up with diabolical schemes to wreak havoc on us. In fact, you can trace all lies and partial truths back to him. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 NLT) Thankfully, there is One who will never prank you, deceive you, or have a big laugh at your expense. God won’t trick you because it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18)! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true (Romans 3:4). In Matthew 7:9-10, Jesus presents a scenario that sounds a little bit like “trick-or-treating”: “You parents, if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!” Jesus is making the point that if we ask God for something good and necessary, He’s not going to trick us and give us something terrible! We serve a kind and loving God who wants to give good gifts to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11). I love to pray the promises of God. The Bible is packed with promises for healing, for provision, for protection, for peace, etc. And since God cannot lie, I know in God’s time, they will all come to pass. What are you praying and believing God for today? Be assured that a good answer is on the way. God won’t trick you. ~ Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Many people associate October 31st with Halloween, but let me challenge you to see it as something more. Let’s take a look at history and see how a German theologian, Martin Luther, impacted Christianity on this day so many years ago. According to Britannica.com, Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483. This and the anniversary of his death, February 18,  were once celebrated by Protestant Christians as a day to remember him. However, most now celebrate Martin Luther on October 31st. This date was chosen to be commemorated because on this day in the year 1517, Martin Luther is said to have posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the Castle Church located in Wittenberg, Germany. It was a document challenging the religious leaders of the Catholic church of its day to repent and turn back to God and the truth of His Word. At this time in history, common people did not have access to God’s Word in the way we do today, and the leaders of the church were teaching things that did not line up with the true Word of God—specifically accepting money from people as a way of being absolved from their sins. Being raised in church has given me a great curiosity. Since Jesus prayed for us all to be united (John 17:21), why are there so many denominations? I don’t pretend to have that answer, but my research has convinced me that Martin Luther was not trying to bring division or start a new religion or church. He was genuinely seeking to bring repentance to the church of his day. Being a man who knew the Bible, he knew he could not follow the law to the letter. He also had a great revelation of God’s mercy and forgiveness that can only come through Jesus. He knew he could not earn heaven. He could not buy his way in. He could only accept what Jesus did for him by living a perfect life and dying in his place. He was passionate about God’s truths not being misrepresented. What about today? What about us? Do we know we cannot make it without the forgiveness that only comes through Jesus? Are we standing firm on the Word of God? Romans 3:23 (NLT) says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” We just cannot live a sinless life. Romans 10:9 says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Through our faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and victory over death, we can be saved. What a blessing!  So, on this Reformation Day, let’s take a moment to thank God for forgiving us. Let’s look at our lives and the truth of God’s Holy Bible, and ask Him, “Where in my life do I need reformation?  What truth are you wanting to show me today?” ~ Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

As a mom to 3 little boys, I constantly look for new and creative ways to keep them entertained. Recently, my children have shown a huge interest in playdough, or as they like to call it, “clay,” so I decided to learn how to make “homemade clay” for them—the kind that is made from edible ingredients just in case they decide to have a little snack during playtime, if you know what I mean. Now, multiple times a week, they will sit at a table with cookie cutters and play with their “clay.” This creative free-play often keeps them occupied for a long time, because once they make something, they get bored with it, and decide to gather all the clay in a big pile and start over again. They repeat this process over and over. Because the clay is moldable, it can be formed into something new time and time again. All throughout Scripture, we see humanity referred to as “clay” in the potter’s (God’s) hands. These passages remind us to become like clay and to be moldable into what God desires to make us. Jeremiah 18:1-4 says: The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Ouch. I picture myself as the clay in the potter’s hands when I read this passage. Then I noticed that the Potter remolded the jar because it didn’t “turn out as he had hoped.” The Lord was using this example to show Jeremiah that He could uproot, tear down, or build up the nation of Israel—all in response to whether they turned from their evil ways and sought the Lord. It’s a beautiful thing to be molded and formed by the Lord. But molding our lives as clay can also mean being stretched and uncomfortable, just as it was for the nation of Israel. To become more like Christ, we must daily choose to lay down our flesh, sin nature, and anything that separates us from God. It’s easy to pray “God mold me like clay” or “I give my life to You as the Potter,” but living out those words is hard. It requires daily surrender to the refining and sanctifying process, as the clay. Sometimes, we can go through multiple revisions of being remolded as clay. This molding process is often uncomfortable because we do not control it. We must surrender our lives to God as the Potter to form and make us into what He desires—at the time of His choosing. And while this may sound discouraging, take heart! This is good news! We serve a God who creates good and beautiful things. We can rest in hope, knowing that God will form us into His masterpiece if we surrender to Him as the potter. Today, picture yourself as the clay in the Potter’s hands. Will you surrender to Him to be molded and formed into what He desires to make you? ~ Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.