IN THE INTERIM Another month has come and gone.  Lemonade on the patio has now been replaced with pumpkin spice EVERYTHING.  Hoards of people will flock to Starbucks to enjoy a pumpkin spiced latte.  I must say that I have never had a pumpkin spice latte.  I am saving that for a later time.  However, I did treat myself to a pack of pumpkin spice cream wafers.  Not bad, but I would not recommend them for a daily snack. There are other pumpkin spice products such as Pumpkin Spice Goldfish, Pumpkin Spice Greek Yogurt, Pumpkin Spice Jell-O, Pumpkin Spice English Muffins, Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows, and the list goes on, and on, and on.  This time of year seems to be a time of everything pumpkin. For us, however, this time of year should be for something different.  For us this should be a time of comfort, relaxation, and preparation while still maintaining our given responsibilities.  The two months following October are commonly referred to as the holiday season. We start with Thanksgiving, a time to give thanks to the Lord our God for our many blessings.  But also a stressful time for those preparing for family visits and meals.  Then we fall into the Advent Christmas season. ...

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