The Beacon - October 2023

SELF-SPIRITUALITY AND EVANGELICALS

by Suava Hoffman

GROUNDED

by Aiden Hatchard & Charles Taylor

THE BEACON

THE MYSTERY OF MONCTON’S DISAPPEARING MAYOR

NO.2

by Alley MacDonald

DEALING WITH MIDTERM STRESS

by Mari Kadri

OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE NO. 2

OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE NO. 2 Front cover photo credit: Matt Cook @mcook_photos

Self-Spirituality and Evangelicals: A Summary of Dr. Reimer’s Public Lecture

by Suava Hoffman This month, Crandall University’s own Dr. Sam Reimer celebrated the launch of his latest book, “Caught in the Current: British and Canadian Evangelicals in an Age of Self-Spirituality”. This book explores the impact of cultural trends of spirituality on evangelicalism. In his launch, Dr. Reimer shared his research and conclusions that he describes in this book.

In his public lecture, Dr. Reimer began by highlighting the foundation of evangelicalism: orthodoxy.

Orthodox religious beliefs, he says, are beliefs and practices that are authorized by an external authority. In contrast to orthodoxy, our culture is experiencing a widespread trend of self-spirituality.

The basis of self-spirituality is an internal authority of personal conviction. It involves selective beliefs, an emphasis on the private journey, and, thus, is subjective.

In a series of interviews with 125 evangelicals, Dr. Reimer examines the cultural shift away from orthodoxy and toward self-spirituality. He reports that the church is greatly affected by this trend, and many members are heavily influenced by self-spirituality. One example he highlights is the church’s stance on controversial issues. He reports that the evangelical church has softened their stance on many of these issues, moving from a strict orthodoxical approach to one that is more socially acceptable and coloured with grace instead of conviction. Evangelicals have also often stated that their personal beliefs about these topics do not align exactly with their church’s, with individuals tending to lean more liberally than the church. Dr. Reimer finds that most evangelicals operate now with internal authority of self-conviction rather than the external authority of orthodoxy, and this change of beliefs is attributed to changes in the culture.

Both evangelical individuals and organizations have become less orthodox and more self-spiritual.

While he finds that evangelicals have started to lean away from orthodoxy, the evangelical church still is orthodox enough to deter some non-evangelical, self-spiritual individuals. Dr. Reimer reports that our culture has a hard time accepting parts of evangelicalism such as exclusivity in beliefs, strong external authority in God, and full commitment to the religion instead of picking desirable beliefs and practices. However, culture has not completely rejected evangelicalism. The culturally accepted, and even celebrated, parts of evangelicalism include therapeutic experiences within the church, friendships and community built in the church, and guidance on one’s personal path of life.

Dr. Reimer highlights several key actions evangelical organizations can take to stay true to orthodoxy while also appealing to a changing culture. These include emphasizing mentorship through building and maintaining relationships, providing opportunities for “God moments” through service such as mission trips and camps, and coming alongside people in prayer. The most important thing that he highlights is community. In a culture of self-spirituality where people are encouraged to figure out everything by themselves, community is an aspect of life sorely missed. Creating supportive, accepting communities that emphasize growth, camaraderie, and belongingness will benefit individual’s faith and the evangelical church as a whole.

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In a world where many feel alienated from the church because of strict orthodoxy, it is important to extend the loving hand of Christian community and offer acceptance, grace, and a safe place.

Community offers all the things self-spirituality cannot: support, accountability, and learning from many different perspectives within the group. Knowing this, it is more important now than ever for individuals to reach out, form communities, and get connected.

Suava is a second-year psychology and sociology student who loves art, fashion, and laughing with her friends. She can usually be found with a latte in hand and several papers on the go.

Dealing with Midterm Stress

by Mari Kadri Despite it not being the middle of the semester, midterms are fast upon us. Whether it's your first year or fourth, midterms can bring with them a lot of stress and anxiety. While it might be impossible to completely eliminate stress from our academic lives, we can learn healthy ways of dealing with stress in order to work through it and minimize it's harmful effects.

I spoke with Sarah Fletcher and Bethany Robertson, Crandall's on-campus councilors, to see what their top tips for students are this time of year.

They both talked about the importance of understanding stress. Sarah explained that there are two different types of stress: eustress and distress. Eustress, she explained, can actually beneficial to us.

It's the stress that motivates us to actually write that paper before the deadline hits. While we might thing of it all as the same thing, its important to realize its not. Bethany encourages us to "actually stop and consider how stress has served you well." Almost like a gratitude prompt, this can help us realize that stress is a normal function and is there for a reason that can benefit us. Bethany adds, "having a mindset that can see both sides of stress can propel you to having more self-compassion for yourself and equip you to reframe any negative feelings related to stress."

While eustress can be a good thing, distress can be more harmful. According to Sarah, this is the "more debilitating type of stress which leads to avoidance, [and] feelings of being unable to accomplish a task."

The first piece of advice Sarah gives is to face the problem head on: "don't avoid the thing that is causing you to feel stressed. For example, don't avoid studying just because you are stressed about midterms. The more you avoid it, the worse the stress will get."

Bethany advocates for us to pay attention to the "signs that our body is telling us that we may need breaks, healthy snacks, and proper sleep and water. If you find your belly rumbling in a study session or your mouth being parched, you’ve waited too long to look after the basic needs of your body. Put your oxygen mask on first! Setting realistic expectations for your time and energy can also add a calming effect to managing your stress." Sarah echoes that and adds "Don't end up on an unplanned break where you get sucked into the social media black hole for two hours and then realize how much time is gone. Choose what you will do on your break that will reenergize you to allow you to come back and study more."

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Bethany also points out that location matters: "getting some fresh air and studying in a location away from your bed can also set you up for success. If you tend to study in your room or on your bed, experiment with switching up your location. It’s hard to get proper sleep when your body starts to associate your bed as a place where you do schoolwork."

Sarah wants us to remember the little but important things that are normally the first to be forgotten this time of year: "Eat well, drink lots of water, get proper sleep and get some exercise. All of these things help our brains to function better and help us feel less stressed."

Bethany leaves us with this: "While acing every midterm is an ideal you might have, you may inadvertently be putting excess pressure on yourself. There is only one you, and you are doing the best that you can."

Everyone has mental health. If you need someone to talk to, Sarah and Bethany are available throughout the week by appointment.

Announcements & etc.

Book Worms: Little Women with Chelsea Cliff There’s a new book club at Crandall!

Check out @CrandallBookWorms for more information :)

The English Society & History Society Present Coffeehouse Look forward to a evening of coffee, snacks, and live entertainment October 20th

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Grounded: Crandall’s Student-led Worship Service

by Aiden Hatchard & Charles Taylor In 1875, Moncton became a town. Again.

After a large recession, Moncton had lost its township, its economic footing, and its spirit. As Moncton entered a new chapter, a new motto followed: Resurgo.

It’s Latin, and means: “I rise again.”

Over the years, the spiritual landscape of Moncton evolved. Generation after generation, followers of Jesus rose up, again and again, to proclaim and live out the good news of Jesus Christ in their city.

Crandall, in 1949, rose up to train the next generation of Christian leaders. With each graduating class, for over 70 years, students have wrestled with expressing this call – with loving God, those around them, and their city. All while in their own time and context.

With increasing cultural pressures and complexities, I wonder…

Is it time to rise again?

To radically reach out to our city? To love, as Jesus did, with no bounds?

Frankly, I think so.

Each day, all across campus, students wake up and go about their day. In other words: they rise. And they rise, having already decided most of what they’ll do. Like, when they’ll be in class. Or when they’ll go get coffee. Or when they’ll do their homework. Or who they’ll spend their time with, and when and where they’ll do it. On and on it goes. The life of a student is often dominated by the schedule grueling over them.

Each day, students do rise. They get out of bed, wipe their eyes, and go to an 8:30 stats class (or, I do anyways). But the question is: do we rise with purpose?

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In practicality, Grounded is a once-a-month student-led worship night. It happens the first Thursday of every month in the student centre at 7:30pm.

But more importantly, Grounded is an invitation for those who want to rise. For those who see value in coming together – as students, and as followers of Jesus – to have Jesus known and experienced in the city of Moncton. To begin not with a program, but with orienting our hearts towards the one who makes us whole. To begin not with a smooth and shiny service, but with one built by those who are willing to serve. For those willing to take the first step in pondering and praying about how Jesus can use them in their city and their school.

A spiritually healthy student body needs a time and place where they can freely come together and worship God – both as individuals and as a community. This is what Grounded aims to be.

When dreaming amongst ourselves, and with Steve and Matt, we dreamed of something that — while staff, faculty, and visitors are welcomed — would be predominantly run by students. We want to create a place where students can practice their gifts, no matter how refined they are. Do you feel led to preach? Grounded can be where you preach your first sermon. Do you feel that you could be a worship leader? Why not get a band together and lead your peers in worship?Perhaps you feel moved to encourage your community through prayer? Lead us in prayer for our city and the Church. If you are worried that you may not be skilled enough or that you may not have enough practice in this, Grounded is the place to practice.

Our goal is not to have services that run perfectly. Our goal is for students to grow in their gifts and for God to be praised.

Let’s rise!

Aiden and Charles

Grounded meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:30pm in the Student Centre located in the basement of Stultz Hall. For more information, visit @grounded_cu on Instagram.

Join us tonight for the second Grounded of the year!

Crandall Mentoring Groups Ratio Christi – Mondays @ 11:30 in SH218 Contact Cody Guitard – codyguitard@ratiochristi.ca YLC – Mondays @ 11:30 in SH214 Contact Tim Carruthers Claystone Mentoring For Claystone Students Only Christianity and Business – Mondays @ 11:30 Contact Robert MacDonald

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"The Knitwits" - Mondays @ 11:30 in the Great Hall a "faith in action" group to teach crocheting & knitting to students to create handmade goods for Moncton's housing insecure population (Contact Sarah MacKenzie) The Man in the Mirror Book Study – Time TBA Contact Nathan Weaver The Sanctuary Course - Thursdays @ 11:15 – 12:30 in SH034 Led by Sarah Cogswell from The Journey Church Power in Prayer - Mondays @ 11:30 in SH213 Contact Mari Kadri

Local Lore: The Mystery of Moncton’s Disappearing Mayor

by Alley MacDonald It was an ordinary summer morning in the tiny, newly designated city of Moncton. Citizens strolled down the wooden sidewalks, chatting about the newly available fabrics in Sumner’s store and carrying baskets full of goods from the market in City Hall. A group of workers stopped their tasks along the shore of the Petitcodiac River to admire the tidal bore coming in.

Nearby, a cluster of children gathered outside the post office, excitedly retelling the story of the recent capture of criminal Jim Christie by famous Detective Peter Owen “Peachy” Carroll. In fact, one child exclaimed, Moncton’s very own mayor—James Snow—had had a part in Christie’s arrest, driving the wagon the prisoner was held in all the way to Moncton’s jail. But Mayor Snow didn’t have time to chase down criminals today; he was out of town on personal business. Still, he was due to return that very day to give an oration he had prepared before his departure. Maybe, the children exclaimed, he would even regale them with the story of Christie’s arrest Moncton’s City Hall, built at when he got back. At any moment, his wagon would come rumbling down the foot of Alma Street in 1885, is where James Snow Main Street on his return from Hampton.

The problem is, James Snow didn’t return that day.

would have presided over council meetings before his mysterious disappearance.

Photo courtesy of the Resurgo Place Collection.

The citizens of Moncton weren’t too concerned—after all, in addition to being mayor, Snow was busy running his insurance brokerage. His meetings in Hampton had likely just taken longer than expected.

But Mayor Snow didn’t return the next day, nor the day after that. By July 24, Monctonians were growing concerned, and by July 26, the city council had summoned Detective Ring from Saint John to investigate the situation. It was discovered that Snow was seen at the Hampton train station on July 22, clutching a satchel in his hand. Reports of Mayor Snow sightings soon began pouring in. Some claimed to have spotted him in Boston. Others believed to have recognized him in Saint John.

Eventually, it was confirmed that Snow had purchased a ticket in St. John for a small town in the western United States. But had he travelled there? Was he still in St. John? Or was he somewhere on the streets of Boston? No one seemed to know. James Snow had dropped off the face of the earth.

Furthermore, no one could figure out why Mayor Snow would disappear. He was in the middle of his term as mayor and generally respected—he had helped capture a local criminal, after all!

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Was he deep in debt and escaping his debtors? No, reported his friends; Snow’s minor debts were hardly great enough to justify fleeing the city. Had he committed a crime himself? Again, the citizens of Moncton ruled out the idea. Though Snow wasn’t known for being the savviest businessman in the world, everyone knew him to be upstanding and trustworthy. Eventually, the Monctonians realized that there was nothing to do but elect a new mayor.

For over a century, the mystery of James Snow has persisted. Modern researchers have been unable to answer the same questions the citizens of Moncton were asking in 1892, leaving us to only speculate on the fate of Moncton’s disappearing mayor.

Alley is a third-year history major who gets way too excited about dusty old things!

Thanksgiving: A Story of Hope, Happiness, and Tradition

by Evan Carr Feasts of thanksgiving and celebration of the harvest and/or good health date back millennia. In Canadian history, for instance, the first Thanksgiving is said to have been held by Sir Martin Frobisher and his crew to thank God for safely arriving at Nunavut in the latter part of the 16th century. They feasted on mushy peas, salted beef, and biscuits followed by communion. A couple centuries later, the first turkey dinner was served in Nova Scotia in the mid-18th century. Modern day Thanksgiving was established in 1957 to thank “God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.” 1 There are also examples from the Bible where men and women of God feasted to thank Him for his goodness. For instance, the Jews celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot) at the end of the harvest season. It was a “happy time of celebrating” (NLT) for seven days to thank God for His provision and success in their work (Deuteronomy 16:13-15). It was also a commemoration of wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and God’s deliverance (Leviticus 23:43). Imagine feasting and celebrating with loved ones for an entire week to thank God for His blessings! The Psalmist rightly declares, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1).

What are you thankful for? I challenge you over the next few days leading up to and after Thanksgiving to be thankful for at least three things a day and ponder those things and how they impact your life. Thankfulness is important to positive mental health and function of our lives.

Even in times of trouble and distress, we can still be thankful. In light of recent exile, ruins and chaos, Nehemiah instructs the newly returned people to “[g]o and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

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Habakkuk writes that even despite harvest failure and subsequent famine, “I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign LORD is my strength!” (Habakkuk 3:18). Even in the face of difficultly, God’s people can still be joyful because He alone is our source of hope.

Paul tells the Thessalonians to be “thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Ultimately, we can always be thankful for the greatest gift, which is relevant in any circumstance: That Christ paid the price for our sins and defeated sin and death by rising again. Anyone who repents of their sin and trusts in Him will be saved (John 3:16; 1 John 1:9; Romans 10:13; Romans 6:23, etc.).

So, this Thanksgiving, ponder at how God has provided and delivered in your life, and look at the present and future with anticipation of his goodness and mercies, for they are new each morning, and he never changes nor casts a shifting shadow (Lamentations 3:23; James 1:17).

[1] Mills, D., & McIntosh, A., & Bonikowsky, L. (2019). Thanksgiving in Canada. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thanksgiving-day

Evan Carr is a third year Science student who enjoys reading various genres such as Apologetics, Non-Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction, and Adventure. On the topic of reading, he also has an interest in making connections with Old Testament passages to the New Testament and our present lives.

The CSA is Growing!

by Malcolm Ohlhauser Crandall has just finished the first month of the school year which held the fall by-elections. Six positions were available for Crandall students: Arts senator, two Business senators, Off-campus Liaison, Chapel Liaison, and Athletic Liaison, five of which were filled successfully adding new members to the CSA team!

Hannah Vachon and Olivia Spataro were successfully voted as the two business senators for this year as both will represent the Business students attending Crandall this year.

Hannah Vachon when interviewed said, “I really wanted to do my part in the Crandall community, and I’m French”.

Penny Able won the position of Arts senator for this year, completely filling the Arts senator positions left for this year.

Next Janelle Blanchette of the Volleyball team stepped up to serve on the CSA as the athletic liaison representing the varsity sports here at Crandall.

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Lastly Zoé Fournier is working as the off-campus Liaison, representing the student body living around the greater Moncton area.

Luke Sullivan, CSA President, when interviewed about the by-election results said, “It’s been awesome seeing the level of student involvement in the CSA so far this year! From attending our events, to forming a club or society, there are plenty of ways to get involved with us this year! Be sure to follow @crandallCSA on Instagram to stay updated on what we have planned next!”.

As Crandall moves through the semester keep an eye out for the new CSA members and the already existing members and encourage them as they serve and represent the student body of the 20232024 school year.

Malcolm is a first-year Sociology major who thinks everyone should own a sword

PSA: Fall Foliage Day The beginning of Fall is traditionally marked by three things: the changing color of the leaves, the abundance of pumpkin spice drinks at coffee shops, and of course, Fall Foliage Day. Fall Foliage is a special day in mid October when Crandall cancels afternoon undergraduate classes to ensure that all students, staff, and faculty can go out into nature and enjoy the beauty of God’s Creation.

This year, Fall Foliage falls on Friday, October 13.

Much like last year, the English Department and the English Society will be helping the Chapel Team to put on this event.

We encourage you all to come out and enjoy the snacks and hot chocolate, the music and poetry, and of course the beautiful scenery as we take an afternoon to recharge in nature and appreciate the Creation that we’re surrounded by.

And make sure to keep an eye on the English Society’s Instagram for an exciting way you could get involved in Fall Foliage! Details to follow :) Mari Kadri English Society - Treasurer

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Before we talk about our review, we wanted to shout-out our president Evan Cook and his participation in the 48 Hour Film Project - a film festival in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. This past weekend a few members of the Crandall Film Club went to the premiere to view the participants films! We are also very excited to announce that Evan’s film, “The Pitch,” took home the award for Best Location! Congratulations Evan!

Trent Webb Crandall Film Club

Film Review: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

by Evan Cook & Hayley Cook Hello again, movie enthusiasts! Crandall Film Club is back with another review, this time for director Wes Anderson’s (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fantastic Mr. Fox) second project this year, following June’s Asteroid City. This review is about the first of four short films in his adaptations of Roald Dahl classics, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar!

Nothing is any fun if you can get as much of it as you want.

At it’s centre, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a story about the importance of telling stories.

Much like Anderson’s 2021 ode to writers and artists, The French Dispatch, it begins and ends with authors and storytellers, whether by profession or as hobbyists. At a mere 39 minutes, Anderson manages to take us on a larger-than-life adventure spanning an overgrown jungle of 1890 to the colonial ennui-filled streets of London in the 1950s, which is successfully done through the use of painted sets, stage cinematography, and on-screen wardrobe changes. The cast, which is a cross between star-studded to “hey, I recognize that guy,” make great use of the script, often speaking with meticulously crafted lyricism and speed.

If you are familiar with Anderson’s body of work, this compliments every previous film—a cherry on top of his already loaded sundae. If you are not familiar with Anderson’s filmmaking style, however, this is a good film to ease into his filmography with. His style is quirky, iconic and recognizable, inspiring this year’s TikTok trend of shooting symmetrical videos with the presence of yellows, pinks, and other pastels. Other works to start with before checking out his greater filmography would be Fantastic Mr. Fox, an earlier feature The Royal Tenenbaums, and his next three Roald Dahl shorts which are all available to stream on Netflix now.

Check our Instagram and Letterboxd @crandallfilmclub for news about our next event, a Halloween-themed movie on October 29th. See you there!

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CU Serves + Harvest House Fundraiser

by Mari Kadri Have you ever wanted to see your professor thrown off the side of a building?

That's exactly what happened this past Saturday... well, not *exactly.* At the beginning of every year, CU Serves puts on a car-wash fundraiser in support of a local charity.

This year was no different. The local charity selected was Harvest House, a charity which helps with food insecurity to our most vulnerable communities. With the rising food costs, this charity is more needed than ever.

The original fundraising goal for CU Serves was $800 - the amount that covers one day of operation costs at Harvest House. Enter a twist. Harvest House was doing their own fundraiser at the exact same time - and anybody who raised $1,000 would get the chance to repel off the side of Assumption Building.

With this new opportunity presented, Tim Carruthers, the Director of Student Life and CU Serves, reached out to Crandall's staff and faculty with the ask: who is willing to repel off the side of the second tallest building in Moncton for charity?

There were eight brave souls who put their name in the ring: Steve Watts, Sam Reimer, Graeme Ching, Diandra Singh, Donnie Moore, Alisha Doucette, Tyler Steckly, and Moriah Ohlhauser.

Then it was left up to the students to vote with donations for who they would like to see face their fears. For about a week, buckets bearing the faces of each of these wonderful humans popped up around campus welcoming people to vote: one dollar = one vote. Simple as that.

The race was tight. Unsurprisingly, the student body jumped at the chance to see their favorite (or least favorite?) professor get thrown off a building. The glee that I saw in one person's eyes as they placed a crisp $50 in one of the buckets was truly a sight to behold.

We quickly raised $1,000 - Donnie Moore, a Graduate Studies professor, got the most votes and was selected to go down the side of the Assumption Building. But it wasn't over yet. There was still time left in the fundraiser. If we could raise another $1,000, then we could send a second person down, we were told. We didn't know if we would be able to do it, but with the hard work of everyone who came out to help with the Car Wash we were able to reach over $2,000. The final tally was $2483.02 enough to cover three days of expenses for Harvest House!

The person with the second highest number of votes was Graeme Ching, who most of you probably know from first-year English. After a postponement due to Hurricaine Lee, the team of two, Donnie Moore and Graeme Ching, repelled off Assumption in front of a crowd of on-lookers.

Donations were gained; entertainment was had - I would call that a success.

Are you interested in getting involved in our community? Contact Tim Carruthers to find out more about upcoming fundraising projects and volunteering opportunities!

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SHALLNOT a place for creativity October by Abbi Skaling October was Mr. Carey’s one last hurrah before his yearly hibernation. His joints always became extra stiff and his movements slower and more deliberate when cold weather came about but he found October’s breezes just forgiving enough to grant him numerous pleasant evening strolls. He enjoyed taking walks around the apple orchard his grandfather had planted decades ago, back when the street he lived on was just a farm house or two and dozens of acres of lush farmland. After about eighty years of living on the same street, Mr. Carey had seen many old fields cleared and new houses built.

Thankfully, his family orchard still sat next door to his house, all red, orange, and green and untouched by the passage of time.

On October evenings, Mr. Carey pulled on his favorite woolen sweater and scuttled over the hill to his orchard, cane in hand. He liked to take note of how the apples had grown that year as he crunched fallen leaves under his feet. The grove was shaded by towering maples adorned with warm colors which Mr. Carey loved to look at. When he was a younger man, he used to gripe about the leaves and how they blew into his driveway, making extra work for him. He’d grumble as he raked. Now, in his older age, when raking was much more difficult for him than it was back then, he regretted that perspective. Now all he could think of when he pulled out his rake was how much fun he used to have when he was a boy with his brothers, raking up piles and jumping into them. Why had he allowed something that once caused so much joy become so tiresome? Although it was no longer wise for him to leap into a leafy pile himself, he always raked up heaps with great care in case any of the neighborhood kids (the ones whose lawns weren't graced with the presence of deciduous trees) needed a place to play.

When Mr. Carey finished his loop around the orchard, he always sat on his front porch under a soft quilt and reminded himself to purchase a bag of potatoes, his annual contribution to his family’s Thanksgiving meal. He looked forward to crowding around the table, telling stories, and enjoying a slice of his family’s famous apple pie.

As he sat, he would also remind himself to buy candy for the trick-or-treaters who would soon be at his door. The thought of Halloween brought him back to his childhood more than anything else could. It had been decades since he had last bobbed for apples at his friend’s yearly Halloween party, but after all these years he still proudly held the title of Apple Capital Bobbing Champion.

Mr. Carey’s parents had never seen it fit to give him any money to buy Halloween costumes back then, fully trusting in his ability to craft his own. More often than not, he would pull an old sheet or tablecloth over his head and cut eyes out to make a ghost costume. Then he’d spend the rest of the night tripping over it as he tried to keep up with his brothers. These days, Mr. Carey found joy in seeing all the extravagant store-bought costumes the children wore when they came to ring his doorbell.

Every year when October ended, Mr. Carey bundled up and hunkered down. Cold weather has its way of making one feel older than dirt, he’d always muse to himself. However, Mr. Carey always entered the chilly months of late fall and early winter with a warm glow, a glow which emanated from all the memories of his childhood that he held dear and which were only brought to his remembrance during the month of October.

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SHALLNOT a place for you

Oh, to laugh in paradise A world away from fear Where aches and pains of yesterdays Are gone since Christ is near Oh, to laugh in paradise!

Life’s purpose—His grace—now shown Where the shadow of lack of time Is crushed by cross and stone Oh, to laugh in paradise With brothers and sisters close Fear forgotten, hope eternal In His Name we’ll boast Oh, to laugh in paradise!

With heart and lungs now free!

To run into the arms of love That bled and died for me Oh, let that day come soon, Lord!

God’s light, burst through sin’s clouds!

Then, with the Son of God Most High, We’ll laugh and laugh aloud!

And dance in grace, unbound - Bekah Swanson

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