all hallows' eve: the fun

Hallowe'en (Halloween) is the night when the dead walk the face of the earth or when the weirdos walk the earth if you live in NYC. It's the night of costumes, mischief, pumpkins with candles and a good excuse for freshly baked pumpkin pie.

It's simply my favorite time of the year (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/10/autumn-pumpkins-apple-pies.html) -- an old Pagan celebration of the occult (the unknown) followed by All Saints Day. It's no surprise that these two traditions are intertwined as the dead are celebrated in a variety of customs.

To me, it's a bit different though. The day before Hallowe'en is my brother's birthday (46). It's a two day excuse to party and drink before going to church. Well at least, this is what it could and should have been (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/10/no-bother-no-sisters.html). Nowadays we're older and dull with children, work and other mundane obligations. At least, we still have Hallowe'en to act like children or at least make our children silly.

devotionals, pt. 2

I'd like to take the entries of this blog to something more than merely being wrapped around XML (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xml). I'd like to publish this whole lot, make a difference, convert someone, teach the Word of God and practically start a ministry. It's such a big dream -- perhaps bigger than all others I've had. If we're all ministers of faith, that means that I might be half-way there, but I doubt it.

Does anyone read this blog aside from a handful of my friends at times? I haven't paid attention at the statistics or logs of this blog. I'm afraid to see that no one comes about.

Is this making anyone think? Can these words I write (type) bring anyone closer to God? I truly hope so.

Am I pure in heart and soul to teach and preach to others? No, I'm not. I've got much to learn about being some sort role model. Of course, this would mean rebuilding my whole life from its foundations, but it can be hard (not impossible) to let go of one's wrongly adopted survival instincts (anger, anxiety, lack of trust, etc). Said the latter, I don't consider myself a nice person at times although I want to be. For the time being, I can only advise those who now face the demons (suicide, self hurt, alcohol to cope with life, etc) that I've faced. Once again, answering my previous two questions, I hope I can help anyone with my experiences, sins and pains even if this is no devotional (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/07/devotionals-our-father-which-art-in.html) or collection of.

two baptisms, two wet ones to go please

My little boys haven't been baptized yet. I'm in the process of finding out the proper procedure to get them baptized at FAPC. So far, I understand that at least one of the parents must be a member of the church (me) and that I've got to take a confirmation of faith in their name.

The sacrament of baptism (one of the two sacraments instructed in the Bible; the other being the Lord's Supper, performed on the first Sunday of every month) in the Presbyterian church and in most Protestant denominations is different than in the Catholic Church. I grew up with the belief that's best to have a child baptized as early as possible in his/her life to cleanse off the Original Sin (Adam and Eve for eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin). Therefore, if a baptized child were to die, the child would automatically be accepted into Heaven for being a pure soul (an angel, free from all sin). As a matter of fact, I was baptized less than month after being born, about the same time I almost died.