Christmas was Good ( a personal note)

Christmas was good--for once we satisfied the children, no tears, no
"I didn't get such and such," etc. But you know what? The most wonderful
materialistic Christmas doesn't satisfy the soul, does it? I think all the unwrapped presents actually emphasize the poverty to be found in seeking fulfillment from gifts and "stuff."

I have started to belatedly read my advent devotional (Calvin Miller) and it's like
SO obvious--leave Christ out, even when you are not consciously doing so--and the holiday leaves you longing for more. Returning to God's gift of His SON is really what this holiday is all about.

I'm still glad the kids were all happy with their gifts, but I want to look outwardly more during this time for now on. Think OUTside the box, outside our little family circle and close friends. Last year (and I'm sorry I didn't have
time to plan it in this year) I took all my kids with me and went to a local hospital and gave one of my books to the patients on one floor who were going to be there for Christmas (I did this on Christmas Eve day).
Nothing can beat the great feeling you get just from GIVING.

Do you ever feel like you just can't "afford" Christmas this year? I believe that t what I really can't afford is to forget the real giving. The giving to strangers, to those who can't repay me with thanks or gratitude or gifts. For now on, I want to make it one of our traditions. To visit a hospital or nursing home and give out a number of my latest book, or someone else's book, or just cheer and good will--to those who need a lift, a reminder that God loves them, even if they're in the hospital, and even though they're in there for Christmas.

This Christmas, And Always!

Towards the end of the Regency, book sellers got wise to the fact that books make great gifts and developed a special compilation in an exquisite binding called, "The Keepsake." It was intended for women, had a beautiful, cloth-bound cover, and was a compendium of poems, short stories, illustrations, fashion, and essays--everything a woman would like, all beneath the covers of this special gift book. It sold so well for Christmas that it became an annual staple in bookshops, and a counterpart for men was even published. Sales, even then, decided what books would be supported by a publisher.

You don't have to be a book publisher to know that books make a great gift. And if you choose from the hundreds of new inspirational fiction books available at Christian Book or any other bookstore, you know you're giving adventure and romance, or suspense and chills, a mini-vacation, all in one economical gift! That's what I call a wise choice in these days of watching one's pennies. I love to give books as gifts--both fiction and non-fiction--just ask my kids! If I didn't get them books, they'd feel cheated!

Give a book or two this Christmas. Be sure to give books of the sort that you would like to support. Publishers today watch, just as they did, then.

Happy book giving!(And here's a tip for good value. Sign up for the online newsletter for BarnesandNoble.com and Borders.com and you'll get weekly coupons right in your inbox. Sign up at ChristianBook.com and you'll get weekly links to special sales and closeouts!)

Make It Special

Christmas was always special for me, but once I became a Christian, it was extraordinary. More than anything else, I want to share that love for the Season of Christ's birth, and I can't think of a better way to do it than by stuffing my ebook into a much larger package of goodies, so that you'll feel extremely gift-laden when you get your hands on it all--without question!

You see, a Regency Christmas, far from being a pale shadow of what came under (Queen) Victoria, was actually a less commercial, much more personal holiday. I can't *make* you adopt my faith, nor would I wish to; I probably couldn't convince you of how wonderful it is to know the One whose birth the day celebrates. But here's what I can do: Give you the simple resources you need to improve your holiday immeasurably, no matter what you believe.I can share a little of the joy and wonder in this small way.

Everyone longs for a Christmas filled with love, warmth, and good memories. These things are not tangible--they don't come in a box, nor wrapped in pretty paper. But they are attainable.
My ebook supplies many ways to enjoy the togetherness that promotes loving--and lasting--memories. Laughter that comes not from watching TV, but from playing games with those you love best; Quiet reading, or shared reading, that is of a quintessentially Christmas essence, allowing you to actually enjoy your labor of love that went into decorating your home, and your tree.

There's more....oh, so much more! Please do come back or sign up to be notified of my next posts! You don't want to miss this! Tomorrow's post--Make It a Steal! (A list of the "goodies" you'll get for free with my ebook, no kidding.) There's nothing else like this around anywhere --I guarantee it.