Philippians 4:8
Finally… whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Brace yourselves. Pumpkin spice everything is coming.
In fact, it’s already here! Pumpkin spice, the popular flavor that defines the fall season, can be found at your local grocery store in coffees, baked goods, and many other variations. And if you’re willing to wait a little longer, most coffee shops will have some kind of exotic coffee drink featuring pumpkin spice. For a limited time only, of course.
As a user of social media, the advent of pumpkin spice season has been popping up on various feeds, and I started thinking about why. Pumpkin Spice is popular and many people like it. I’m one of the rare ones that don’t care for the flavor, but I harbor no ill-will for those that partake.
People get excited for the things they like, and not only with foods. As Christians who are part of a church family, we get excited about the things we like. With the world changing so rapidly, with so much negativity in the world, it is an easy thing to carry that negativity into our faith journey and into our church. As the father of one of my best friends likes to say, “Life is 90% attitude.” If our attitude is not good, it’s very likely our experience will disappoint.
As we begin this new month and start thinking about the fall I’d like to suggest an exercise for all of us. First grab a piece of paper and something to write with. If you use a journal, find a blank page. Second, make three headings:
- Ways God has Blessed Me,
- Ways God has Blessed Others,
- Ways God has Blessed My Church.
Third, spend some time making a list under each heading. The reason I encourage us to do this is because all too often these good things get overshadowed by the negative. It is okay to be excited about good things! We must make a conscious choice to be positive. When we are negative, people don’t want to be around us or the things we are part of.
Let’s make a conscious choice to be positive and excited as we begin this season. Even if that means putting “pumpkin spice” all over your list!
Blessings,
Pastor John