Monday Manna #27

On what you said about Halloween, why we’re done just surviving the holidays, the eight weeks ahead, and everything we’ve published since Manna #26.

Nov 02, 2026

Hey y’all, and welcome to Monday Manna!

Last week we told you Halloween was only the opening act of something much bigger, and that it would start this week.

Well, here it is. For the next eight weeks, from today through New Year’s Eve, everything we publish is built around one simple conviction about this season…

You Weren’t Made to Survive the Holidays

First, thank you. We braced ourselves for last Tuesday’s Halloween post, and we told you it would probably cost us some unsubscribes and unfollowers.

Instead, your comments surprised us again.

Allyson wrote:

“This is one of the best arguments against Halloween that I’ve ever read. Thank you for its succinctness.” — Allyson

Abigail didn’t grow up celebrating Halloween, and she named what concerns us too:

“I’ve been alarmed by how many Christians make excuses for it!” — Abigail

And Sunny told us what her family is choosing instead:

“We will join you and celebrate Fall Harvest and all the healthy treats our Father GOD grew for us this year!”— Sunny

That last comment is the whole point. Saying no to something only lasts when you have something better to say yes to, and Sunny’s family found it in the harvest God already gave them.

And that’s the problem with the way most of us do November and December. We spend two months bracing for the calendar, the cookie trays, the relatives, the spending and the late nights, and then we crawl into January promising to fix it all with a resolution.

That’s survival mode, and it was never God’s plan for His people:

“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” — Psalm 16:11

Notice where David found fullness of joy: in the presence of God, and that presence doesn’t take the holidays off.

So for the next eight weeks we’re doing something different. Every post between now and New Year’s Eve has one goal: helping your family thrive through the holidays, not just survive them.

Here’s where we’re headed:

Gratitude and the body, and what thanksgiving does to the way God designed you
The table, and what the Bible actually says about feasting when the pie comes out
Thanksgiving week, with a blessing to pray over your family
Advent, with one week each on hope, peace, joy and love
A fresh start for the new year, leading into our Home & Body Detox study in January

You’ll also hear from us more often this season, with something new almost every day, because the holidays are when most of us need the Word the most.

It all starts tomorrow with a manifesto: Why Christians Can’t Enjoy the Holidays. Keep an eye on your inbox.

If you missed it, here’s the post that started this whole conversation…

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? The Spiritual, Mental & Physical Cost

Dr. Z & Mama Z

Oct 27

Read full story

Walk this out with us

YOUR DAILY MANNA

“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24

Notice what the psalmist doesn’t say. He doesn’t say “this is the season” or “this will be the year,” because he says this is the day, the one you’re standing in right now.

And notice where he’s standing when he says it. A few verses earlier he describes enemies surrounding him like bees (Psalm 118:10-12), so this is not a man with an empty calendar.

That’s how you thrive in November and December. You don’t wait for the season to slow down before you rejoice, because the Lord made the busy days too.

So here is your one thing this week.

Before you pick up your phone each morning, say Psalm 118:24 out loud, then name one thing God has already given you that day. Do it for seven days, and bring your kids into it if they’re up.

Joy is easier to keep when you decide on it before breakfast.

What We’re Loving This Week

Experts call it the “master antioxidant” for a reason…

Research has shown that it helps regulates key hormones within the body that – when unmanaged – cause the body to store fat in the belly. This is why so many functional medicine practitioners tell their patients that as glutathione deplete with age, it’s so much easier to gain weight with each year). Read why here →

Early Black Friday BOGO: Buy 1, Get 1 Nano Liposomal Glutathione (the “Master Antioxidant & Your New Favorite Tool On Your Weight Loss Journey)

Stock up before the holidays to support Your liver, antioxidant defenses, healthy cells, energy levels, and normal hormone metabolism (naturally)...

Bible Health Daily

Every morning, Bible Health Daily gives you one verse and a few minutes with Dr. Z, so the Word gets into your heart before the world gets into your feed.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or right here on Substack. And if it blesses you, would you take ten seconds to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts? It helps more people find it.

Here are a few of our latest episodes:

Joy in the House (Acts 16:31-34)

Dr. Z & Mama Z

Nov 1

Listen now

Every Good Gift (James 1:17)

Dr. Z & Mama Z

Oct 31

Listen now

Rising After the Fall (Micah 7:7-8)

Dr. Z & Mama Z

Oct 30

Listen now

Rivers of Living Water (John 7:38)

Dr. Z & Mama Z

Oct 29

Listen now

LIVE IT OUT - Unlock Full Access

Inner Circle

Founding & Inner Circle Members: we did it! We wrapped up the 41-Day Nervous System Reset last week with Week 6: A Family Built to Stand, and every replay is waiting for you in your Bible Health Vault. We’re taking a break from live studies over the holidays, but we’ll be checking in with you along the way, so watch for a quick poll asking what you’d like from us this season. Our Home & Body Detox study kicks off in early January.