Let Your (Pumpkin) Light Shine!

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. –Matthew 5:14-16


Contributed by Angie Tolpin

Every year I feel it. The winding of the gears… preparing for three months in a row of Americans celebrations. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. October, November, and December.

When I say preparing, I don’t mean getting out the Halloween costumes, the Santa decor, or even the overload of expensive shopping (although we do give gifts at Christmas). What I mean by preparing, is the spiritual readiness to shine bright for Jesus in a world that has so many idols tempting us to allow Him to be drowned out of the front stage solo position He is due.

Disclaimer: I am not teaching or even proclaiming to know what is right or wrong. I believe this is something that the requires each one of us to humbly ask the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in. But we have to recognize this one truth. We are in a battle. A battle to make God known, especially during these three months in a row.


 

 

We have to recognize this one truth. We are in a battle. A battle to make God known, especially during these three months in a row.  –Angie Tolpin

 

 


In a culture that has so many fun activities to participate in, one could truly get washed away with the tide. So much busy-ness going and hosting parties one might not have the energy to try in the loudness and chaos to make Him known. I’m not talking about being nice to the neighbors as they come knock on your door and sing trick-or-treat. Although, that is part of the ingredients. I am talking about going the extra distance to make Christ known and evangelize this lost world we live in here, out our front door.

It can be an overwhelming thought to try to take on yet one more thing during this season. I get it. But I want to spend myself doing the things that are going to make eternal impact. What about you? Sometimes, this may mean choosing one thing over another. Choosing battles to fight in a sense. I would like to invite you to join me in this mission.


 

 I want to spend myself doing the things that are going to make an eternal impact . . .

I would like to invite you to join me in this mission.  –Angie Tolpin

 


Over the past seven or eight years, my husband and I have done our own version of the Pumpkin Gospel while carving with our kids. It has changed over the years as it started out as a concept, a fun thing to do with the youth group I was leading 15 years ago. The kids loved it, and I have done it a few times over the years while teaching Sunday School as well. This is a great way to share the gospel, to talk about sin, the yuckiness in our hearts, and everyone’s need for a Savior.


 

Imagine children seeing the candles in the pumpkins and being reminded to let their light shine for the glory of God.  –Angie Tolpin

 


Can you envision with me for a moment, hundreds of children, doing the pumpkin gospel. And then on October 31st, when they see pumpkins on doorsteps and porches, they are reminded of God’s deep unconditional love for them. Imagine children seeing the candles in the pumpkins and being reminded to let their light shine for the glory of God.

This is engaging October as I see it. Not just with carving pumpkins, but with praying and asking God, how can I shine your light Jesus? And then choosing to eliminate some other things that don’t necessarily incorporate Him and choosing to create new traditions, choosing to love and serve in new ways.




“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

–Matthew 5:16, ESV

 

 


I hope you will partner with me in redeeming part of October 31st.

Here are some other resources for parents on engaging this season:

Engaging But Not Encouraging Halloween

Redeeming Halloween | FREE Pumpkin Gospel Printable

More on Daring Daughters about Harvest and Halloween
with Ann Dunagan

Shining His Light Together,
Angie Tolpin
http://pinterest.com/Angietolpin

 


 

 

In a Mentor — Look for Fruit!

KEY: Look at the fruit in a person’s life before you choose them to be your mentor.

When looking for a mentor, I have personally always chosen mentors who were AT LEAST a season ahead of me. While I do believe you can learn from your friends and even those who are younger than you, scripturally the Lord has purposefully laid out his design for us to have productive teaching and mentoring from those who are older and wiser. However, just because they are older doesn’t make them qualified! Look at the fruit in their life. Everyone has fruit, good or bad. Be wise! Don’t take advice, counsel, mentoring, or coaching from someone who doesn’t have good fruit or if you can’t see the fruit in their life.

Choosing a mentor as a wife: Again, you need to look at the fruit in their lives. For example, I am a wife. If I am looking for a mentor in marriage, I am going to choose a mentor who’s marriage I respect. If the woman doesn’t seem to respect her husband biblically, or if there seems to be anything obviously “off” or that I wouldn’t want to imitate, then they are a wrong choice. This method requires getting to know people. Really, truly knowing them. But seriously, if you are going to be going to them for counsel and advice, you kind of need to know it is going to be biblical and sound.

Isaac & Angie Tolpin

In marriage mentoring, don’t take advice from someone who has only been married a couple of years. Most divorces happen between 5-9 years of marriage. The longer a person has been married and not just married but really seems to enjoy their marriage, the better. A standard I personally hold on this level is finding a mentor who can encourage me to be the best helper I can to a husband who is an entrepreneur, since I am married to one. Another standard I have is that they both (husband/wife) seem to approach marriage from a team philosophy, they are thriving, not just surviving marriage. I want a great marriage, not a mediocre one.

Choosing a mentor as a mother: As a mother, I look for women who have children a whole season ahead of me. I look at their children. If I think to myself, “Wow. I really like her children . . . I hope my kids turn out like that . . . ” then I believe she has “earned” the right to be heard. Just as the Bible says we need to be wise who we choose as friends, we also need to be wise who we choose as mentors. So do they have strong relationships with their kids? Are their kids following the Lord purposefully? I look for traits I desire in my own children, such as a servant heart towards all people, missions, God’s work on earth. Who are more concerned with God’s plan for their lives than what the next trend is.

So if you are a young mom, find a mom who has gone through the young years successfully, not just survived through them, but thrived through them.

The Tolpin Family – Fall, 2011

While there are some cases where young women have wisdom beyond their years (usually because they themselves have been mentored by their mother or other older women), I have always chosen not to take advice from people who have not experienced it themselves successfully. For example, I would never take parenting advice from someone who only had one or two children who were still very young or someone who never has had children, regardless of education. You can not see the end product of their parenting philosophy. Besides all parenting techniques are easy to talk about, but doing it is another thing. While so many people hold firm to their “philosophies,” the justice/practical side of me wants to see the “proof in the pudding.”

I believe it to be foolish to pursue someone as a mentor if they are going to give you unbiblical or unwise advice. In addition to choosing people to glean “wisdom” from, you need to seek God’s wisdom above all else. You need to have His standard for what “Good Fruit” is and looks like. If you go with our cultures standards, you may be receiving poor advice/counsel. If you have children almost hitting their teen years, find older women who’s children have gone through it successfully and joyfully. If you have children about to marry, find women who have already got grandchildren on the way and so on.

I have personally benefited most, spiritually from the older generations (60’s and up), but I have found more practical advice and wisdom from women who are just a few years ahead (10-15yrs) of me in parenting, as they tend to remember more because they were just in it. However, there is still so much wisdom to be found in those older generations on parenting, a lot of what they grew up with was much more biblical than what is modeled regularly in today’s culture. Since there were no TV’s when they were kids, their parents engaged their children through work, which is something Isaac and I try to do as often as possible. My point is that, there is much to be gleaned from any generation. Don’t be closed-minded!

Use wisdom in choosing mentors by looking at the fruit in their life. Is she a wife, mother, and woman of God I want to be like? Is she following Christ? Is she in the Word? Does she have a good understanding of what God’s idea of a biblical man/woman, husband/wife, and mother/father is to look like, so you can exercise wisdom? You can’t choose wisely if you have no wisdom and God is the one who bestows it.

Blessings on the Journey,
Angie

Friends and Mentors #2 (mp3) –with Angie Tolpin

How can you become more intentional about finding a mentor for your life, or being a mentor? How can a mentor (or a godly friend) help you to step-up to God’s call and purpose for your life?

In today’s LIVE interview (referring to Titus 2:3-5, I Corinthians 11:1, and II Timothy 2:2), we recorded part 2 of our Daring Daughters e-course lesson about Friends and Mentors. Our featured guest is Angie Tolpin, homeschooling mom of 6 kids, author of Redeeming Childbirth, loving wife to Isaac, marriage and family speaker, experienced life-coach, and a dear friend and mentor for all of us. –Ann Dunagan

Ann & Angie

CLICK BELOW to listen ONLINE . . .

[mp3_embed playlst=”http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-129993/TS-788656.mp3″ colors=”#B2B11F” id=”4″ nums=”4″]

Friends and Mentors (part 2)
Interview with Angie Tolpin
(34 minutes)

Or CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD the mp3 . . .

View all of Angie’s posts on Daring Daughters
More on Daring Daughters about Friends and Mentors


Reach for God-Sized Dreams . . . with Daring Daughters!


Come join the discussion (with a comment below). How can you become more intentional in mentoring others? Who is following you . . . and who are you following?

Can you think of a woman who has helped you to follow Jesus? How did she “mentor” you?

Friends and Mentors #1 (mp3) –with Angie Tolpin

Girls, do you wish you had a good friend? Ladies, do you long for a godly mentor? Moms, do you pray for your teenage daughter to have wholesome friendships and role models in her life?

In today’s LIVE online interview, we’re recording part 1 of our Daring Daughters e-course interview about Friends and Mentors. Our featured guest is Angie Tolpin, homeschooling mom of 6 kids, author of Redeeming Childbirth, loving wife to Isaac, marriage and family speaker, experienced life-coach, and a dear friend and mentor for all of us. –Ann

Ann & Angie

CLICK BELOW to listen ONLINE . . .

Friends and Mentors (part 1)
Interview with Angie Tolpin

[mp3_embed playlst=”http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-129993/TS-788270.mp3″ colors=”#B2B11F” id=”4″ nums=”4″]
Or CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD the mp3 . . .

Angie Tolpin, with her husband, Isaac, and their 6 children

View all of Angie’s posts on Daring Daughters
More on Daring Daughters about Friends and Mentors


Reach for God-Sized Dreams . . . with Daring Daughters!


Come join the discussion (with a comment below). Do you have a mentor in your life? Or are YOU a mentor to someone else?

As moms, how can grow closer to our daughters?