When I had my first child, I took him to the pumpkin farm, got him a pumpkin, came home and thought "now what?" I didn't want to introduce the wickedness of Halloween to my son so I gave him the pumpkin, a hand full of markers and let him color the pumpkin. Over the years, my children became aware of the pumpkins with the "smiley faces". As I was talking to my mom one day, the subject of the pumpkins with the smiley faces came up. She suggested that I do the following:
When we are at the pumpkin patch choosing a pumpkin, remind the children that God chose us.
After we get home, we wash all the dirt from the pumpkins and we cut a hole in the top to scoop out the yucky insides. I then remind the children that the Lord has washed our sins away and replaced the yuckiness with the Holy Spirit. We then cut a smiley face on our pumpkin and I tell the children that the Lord has given us Joy and it puts a smile on our face. Then, we put a candle in the pumpkin and light it. This reminds us that we should be a light in the world and show Christ in our lives to others.
So that is what we have done for several years now. A couple of years ago, my mother gave me a book called: The Pumpkin Patch Parable.
This book is what I have been telling my children. It has wonderful illustrations and scripture passages for every step.
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