Cowboy Daze

We had so much fun at our new church's Roundup Sunday yesterday.  It was a combination tent meeting, church picnic and show.  They had the Guinness Book champion whip cracker and knife thrower who is also a Christian and so performs as his ministry.  He and his wife were awesome.  My hubby likes to play cowboy in his spare time as a member of the Single Action Shooting Society, so he has ALL the gear, and we got duded up and headed out to the farm.

I really like the new church, but the quest for a new church home has left me with so many questions.  And because of the nature of my work as an illustrator, I've gotten myself pretty confused.  Bear in mind that I'm a relatively new Christian who grew up in the worldly ways.  Of course I regard the Bible as the authority in doctrine, but I find there are many things on which reasonable Christians disagree.  I thought I'd ask you guys out there what your opinions are, and see what you say.

First, I've nearly completed an illustration featuring a bottle of wine, some bread, olives, tomatoes, etc.  Methodists and Baptists are not supposed to drink, I guess, but some do.  Jesus obviously drank wine, so what do you think?  Is it an appropriate image for a Christian? 

Then there's Halloween.  Are cute witches ok?  Jack-o-lanterns?  Kids dressed up in non-occult costumes (clown, bee, kitty, etc.)?  How do you handle that with your kids?

And Easter -- do you have the Easter bunny and eggs at your home, or do you stick strictly to the Christian symbols?  How about Santa Claus?  What about depictions of the cross?

My initial mission was to depict common images of family and life that would appeal to non-Christians, and then expose them to God's Word through Bible verses.  But as I consider Easter images, I feel uneasy depicting chicks or chocolate bunnies, when there is something so much more profound and fundamental about Easter.

Well, as you can see, I'm in a state of confusion and questioning.  I don't want to illustrate God's word in any way that would not bring glory to Him.  So tell me what you think.  And if you don't want to share, at least pray for me to gain direction from the Divine Designer so that I will be in His will.