Philippians 4:8
\nFinally… whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is\u00a0pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if\u00a0there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.<\/p>\n
Brace yourselves.<\/strong> Pumpkin spice everything<\/em> is coming.<\/p>\n In fact, it\u2019s already here! Pumpkin spice, the popular flavor that defines the fall\u00a0season, can be found at your local grocery store in coffees, baked goods, and\u00a0many other variations. And if you\u2019re willing to wait a little longer, most coffee\u00a0shops will have some kind of exotic coffee drink featuring pumpkin spice. For a\u00a0limited time only, of course.<\/p>\n As a user of social media, the advent of pumpkin spice season has been popping\u00a0up on various feeds, and I started thinking about why. Pumpkin Spice is popular\u00a0and many people like it. I\u2019m one of the rare ones that don\u2019t care for the flavor,\u00a0but I harbor no ill-will for those that partake.<\/p>\n People get excited for the things they like, and not only with foods. As Christians\u00a0who are part of a church family, we get excited about the things we like. With the\u00a0world changing so rapidly, with so much negativity in the world, it is an easy\u00a0thing to carry that negativity into our faith journey and into our church. As the\u00a0father of one of my best friends likes to say, \u201cLife is 90% attitude.\u201d If our attitude\u00a0is not good, it\u2019s very likely our experience will disappoint.<\/p>\n As we begin this new month and start thinking about the fall I\u2019d like to suggest an\u00a0exercise for all of us. First grab a piece of paper and something to write with. If\u00a0you use a journal, find a blank page. Second, make three headings:<\/p>\n Third, spend some time making a list under each heading.\u00a0The reason I encourage us to do this is because all too often these good things get\u00a0overshadowed by the negative. It is okay to be excited about good things! We\u00a0must make a conscious choice to be positive. When we are negative, people don\u2019t\u00a0want to be around us or the things we are part of.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s make a conscious choice to be positive and excited as we begin this season.\u00a0Even if that means putting \u201cpumpkin spice\u201d all over your list!<\/p>\n Blessings,<\/p>\n Pastor John<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let\u2019s make a conscious choice to be positive and excited as we begin this season. Even if that means putting \u201cpumpkin spice\u201d all over your list! Continue reading \n