Halloween

Halloween is in just a few days and while I am thoroughly enjoying my one bag of candy corn for the year and incredibly intrigued by fall crafts, which lets face it, are either leaves or spooky things in various shades of orange and other spiced colors-- I have felt conflicted in my celebration..
I've never been one to celebrate Halloween.. You wouldn't either if you were annually forced to watch "Hell's Best Kept Secrets" and/or have ever seen Nicolas Cage in the "Wicker Man" ( neither is recommended!!).
I am also just a chicken. I hate all things scary or dark. I much prefer happiness and bright colors in everything. For example, the years I worked at Knott's Halloween Haunt alone were enough to give me night meres for a while. And yes, that kid's movie "Percy Jackson" did, in fact, scare me.
The idea of adults in costumes concealing their real identity- super not cool..
However, cake walks.. Kids getting to dress up. Decorating with fake cob webs and glow in the dark everything while simultaneously eating all things pumpkin..I am totally a fan.
I guess, what it boils down to when I think about it is: How as should I as a Jesus-loving person approach the celebration of Halloween?  Is it a cope out to just call it "harvest" and celebrate everything else about the day identically? If I had kids, how would I go about explaining this to them..
After many years in the church and two years of Bible college, I am barely asking myself this..
 I've come to the simple conclusion that the best way to do this is to love the Gospel and share my love for it!
First, I believe that the ultimate celebration and comfort of every single day ( holiday or not) is and should always be Jesus.. Sound cheesy to you? Try it. Celebrate Jesus each day- His kenosis, sinless life that explained God Himself, His beautiful submission to the Father, His commission of the Church, His death that satisfied the wrath of God and reconciled a people who were irreconcilable, His glorious resurrection and ascension, His sending of the Spirit to comfort and guide His people while He prepares a place for us, the guarantee of His eminent return for His Bride...Celebrate these things, fix your eyes on Christ-- the Author and Finisher of our faith and then tell me its cheesy or silly. Because I promise that you'll find it altogether comforting, joy-inspiring and freeing.
How does this relate to October 31st specifically?
I don't have a magic halloween formula for this.
Live celebrating Jesus, being excited about Him! Don't run away from everyone or thing on Monday and pretend that the society of people laden with sin aren't going to be coming to your door. They desprately need Jesus as I do. They crave hope and purpose and love as I do- and I know the answer and I love Him..so why not proclaim Him?
I think that celebrating Jesus on Halloween is the answer. In this, we find love for trick-or-treaters rather than annoyance or spiritual pride. In this, we are challenged to see people as God does.
What an opportunity to have so many crafts and gifts and audiences to share your love for the gospel, to proclaim Jesus as worth celebrating each day of the year.

My challenge for you is to think what does this look like?
How will celebrating JESUS on Halloween change what I am/am not planning to do?

Here are someday ideas to spark these thoughts:
Here is an article on the origins of halloween ( in case you dont know :))
-Pumpkin Gospel
-more explaination on "pumpkin Gospel"
-John Piper on Halloween
-Pumpkin Patch Parable and craft
-a book that helps influence my thought on this is The Lightlings while it was written for Christmas Eve, I was personally encouraged to never fear darkness but rather proclaim the beauty of the light..