Halloween, 2007

My wife, along with a growing number of good Christians, isn't "into" Halloween any more, for reasons best left alone. (Which is a nice way to alude to the fact that I don't entirely agree with the sentiment. Nuff said. Okay?)

Meantime, Gordon Atkinson, the Real Live Preacher, has been telling the story of how he wrote a book...which didn't sell...which got dumped by the publisher...and he was able to buy all the copies in print and have them shipped to his home...which he is selling on line...an order at a time...personally signing and mailing every one...and putting some little keepsake or souvenir into the pages of each one...and I think he's having a ball.

Got that?

So here is this morning's post from RLP.

Candy Corn

Here is someone who had an unusual experience with one of the books I sent. Jung would call it synchronicity. She calls it God. I don't know what to say about things like this. The scientific part of me says, "Coincidence. You're looking for 29 everywhere, so of course you notice it."


But I have learned a thing or two over the years. I'm not so fast to pass judgment these days. One way to look at a situation like this is to think that it has to be proved or disproved. Another way to look at it is to understand that all we have are our perceptions of things. Some things seem more obvious and objective, but really, what do we have but our perception of reality? And so her life sometimes is truly blessed by the number 29 and candy corn.

Who knows?

And here is what happened to one of his books...

Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Who doesn't love candy corn? I love the stuff but the only time I ever eat it is around Halloween. It's an autumn candy, I guess. I hadn't had any yet this year and yesterday as I putzed around the house doing laundry and general household chores I was lamenting the fact that there was no candy corn around and that I needed to get some. (I actually had this conversation in my head. Scary, I know.) About 3:30 or so I went out to get the mail and found a package. It was a book I had ordered from Real Live Preacher a couple of weeks ago. I've wanted this book for some time but when I read that he was signing them and placing a surprise in each copy I thought that sounded really fun, so I ordered one.

When I opened the package there was an obvious bulge in the book. You guessed it. A package of candy corn. Isn't God fun? What made it even more special is that it was stuck in on page 29. I think I've blogged about that number before. There is something going on with me and that number. I suspect someday I'll know it's significance. Maybe not. For now I all I know is it's everywhere. Our phone number ends in 2929. My last address was 2949. It was on my last license plates - I was sorry to see them go. It just keeps creeping up. Oh! And he also placed some dried plumbago from his backyard on page 59. For those who don't know that's a purple flower. Flowers, candy corn and 29. I love it.

I know you may think I'm crazy to think God had anything to do with Gordon sending me candy corn on page 29 of my book, and I'm okay with that. But I choose to see it that way and the funny thing is - so does my family. My boys love that I get this stuff. They think it's crazy how it always happens to me. They even guessed the page number before I could tell them.

All this to say, over and over again, that I think God sees us, individually and personally. He cares about us and wants us to know it. Maybe He knows I need it more than the average busy human. Maybe He just enjoys how I notice it when He notices me. Maybe He knows I'll share it with you and maybe it will help you see things a little differently than you did before. I don't know. All I do know is that I am feeling pretty loved right now and not a little bit delighted all because of some candy corn and a number. It just doesn't take much these days.

I report. You decide.
But know this...my own life has been so cluttered up with God's blessings or coincidences or good luck or whatever you want to call it...that I'm with Gordon and the lady on this one.
And yes, Russ, if you're reading this...we do tithe and have been doing so for years, on gross income, not "net after taxes."