Since the discussion of Halloween has been unfolding on Doves, my family and I have searched the Scriptures and came to the conclusion that we won't be "celebrating" it this year, a change from every other year in our family's life.  Our sons are 11 and 13, and have been very involved in our discussions and learning.  When we found that Martin Luther nailed his list of 95 questions to the door of a church 490 years ago to the day, we decided to begin a "homeschool" study of his life and the impact it had on our lives.
 
Our lives would have been much different had he not questioned those things he did.  In very real ways, his theses led to us gaining access to Truth, as it is spoken in the Bible.  We read through so many Scriptures given in people's emails to this forum about Halloween and have found incredible joy in two: 2 Cor  and Isaiah 60.  Arise, Shine indeed!  For He is our God and we are His sons and daughters.
 
So this coming Wednesday, we will find ourselves at the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, FL, walking through replicas of a Jerusalem street market, the Temple, the Dead Sea caves and the Via Dolorosa all the way to Calvary.  I feel quite certain that much of the Bible will "come alive" while we are there, the very Bible we may not have had in our language if Martin hadn't dissented.  I read that in the decade from 1510 to 1520, he studied and lectured on Psalms, Romans, Galatians and Hebrews.  Interestingly enough, in our little homeschool, we are reading and learning through Galatians, so will take what we have been taught, add some study time on Martin, and head to Orlando.
 
It is interesting that it has been 490 years since his theses was hung.  I think we could call that moment in time, his action of questioning the established rules and rituals of the Catholic Church, the "shot heard around the world" in the spiritual world.  If you do a search for that length of time on the 5 Doves web site, you will see it has significance time and time again.