Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 164

January 10, 2011

January is National Book Month

Dec 22/10 Unpacking and sorting booksJanuary is National Book Month or National Book Blitz Month—or maybe not.


I've seen one of those two designations on several places, including John Kremer's Book Marketing.  The articles I found were from previous years, and everything about "Book Blitz Month" seem to be a marketing gimmick for a couple of booksellers.


Although I haven't found anything about who sponsors National Book Month or the purpose of it, I'm always ready to celebrate books! So I'm going to encourage everyone to add to their book collections and read more books in January. In fact, "read more" is a New Year's resolution I'll love to keep.


Whether you read free books online, buy print books, or purchase ebooks for your ebook reader, spend a little extra time with books this month.


Of course, if you need recommendations for great books—fiction and nonfiction, print and ebooks—look no further. Browse around my website, and you'll find:



Books I have written
Books by my clients
Books by guests to my blog
Free ebooks to download or read online

That should keep you busy for January! Happy National Book Month!


Creative Commons License photo credit: Jude Doyland


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Published on January 10, 2011 01:38

January 8, 2011

Prayers for Tucson, AZ Victims

Prayer for the Deceased:

REMEMBER thy servants who lost their lives in this act of senseless violence, O Lord, according to the favour which thou bearest unto thy people, and grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, they may go from strength to strength, in the life of perfect service, in thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.


Prayer for the Injured:

O ALMIGHTY God, who art the giver of all health, and the aid of them that turn to thee for succour; We entreat thy strength and goodness in behalf of these thy servants injured in this act of senseless violence, that they may be healed of their infirmities, to thine honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Prayer for Those in Mourning and Those Traumatized by the Event:

O MERCIFUL God, and heavenly Father, who hast taught us in thy holy Word that thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men; Look with pity, we beseech thee, upon the sorrows of all these thy servants for whom our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy; endue their souls with patience; comfort them with a sense of thy goodness; lift up thy countenance upon them, and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Prayer for Our Country:

O GOD, merciful and compassionate, who art ever ready to hear the prayers of those who put their trust in thee; Graciously hearken to us who call upon thee, and grant us thy help in this our need. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government and law enforcement, that justice and peace may come after this tragedy. In this day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


All prayers taken or adapted from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.


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Published on January 08, 2011 19:57

January 6, 2011

Interview: Aggie Villanueva on The Rewritten Word

[image error]Just about a year ago, I reviewed Rightfully Mine and interviewed the author, Aggie Villanueva. Since I first discovered what a talented and active author, blogger, photographer, and much more she is, Aggie has gone on to many new accomplishments. Her latest book, The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art, No Matter the Genre, is a how-to guide for writers—not how to write, but how to rewrite.


Lillie: Welcome back to A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye, Aggie. I'm thrilled that I got to edit The Rewritten Word for you. I described that experience in my last post. Would you please tell us what led you to write this book?


Aggie: Thank YOU for such an intro. I'm delighted to be here. I always enjoy your blog, posts, and visitors. I'm excited to be back.


There is only one answer to why I wrote the book: because I'm a terrible writer. I utterly stink. It isn't until I've rewritten untold times that my work will withstand the eye of the professional editor.


When I first started writing I heard and obeyed the pros who admonish "write, write, and rewrite." But my tenth rewrite wasn't much better than the first. That's because I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't understand the purpose of rewriting.


Its purpose is to clarify and organize, cut rambling and verbosity, switch from passive to active voice everywhere possible, and always use exactly the right word that electrifies your work. These basic necessities are overlooked more often than you can imagine.


When I got serious about studying the craft of writing I was shocked by what I didn't know about polishing my words. Reading books on editing I found them lofty, using grammar terms that college level English students would have a hard time following.


So way back then I did exactly what I did with the examples in my new handbook, The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art No Matter The Genre—I took the sentences and paragraphs that were unclear to me and clarified, simplified, and shortened—rewriting until they to made sense to me and eliminating what didn't relate and, in fact, distracted.


Many times this meant translating into words I could understand, and at times that required searching basic grammar books to find out what the heck the author had said.


What I didn't realize was I was teaching myself to rewrite. It was years before I understood my own process, but this is what I did to my own work from that point. And, like most artistic types, I just wanted to share what I learned. Also I want to stress I'm not a professional editor, like you, Lillie, or English grammar teacher. Just a simple writer struggling to improve my own work.


Lillie: How does your book benefit writers? What do you want readers to take away from it?


Aggie:  I hope they take away an understanding of the types of mistakes we need to look for in our first draft and the basic steps to correct them.


Lillie: One of the things that most impressed me was how short the book is. How did you manage to compress so much valuable information into so few words?


Aggie: I'm laughing because verbosity is my number one writing sin. I rewrote the book more than twenty times. The first draft was more than twice as long. And I think, subconsciously, I held the thought throughout of how much I dread reading most long, boring how-tos.


Lillie: There are a lot of words used for the process of taking a first draft and turning it into a polished manuscript. Rewriting, revising, editing (and a plethora of kinds of editing), and proofreading are just a few of the terms we hear to describe various aspects of this process. Can you tell us what the different steps are, who should do them, and how they fit together?


Aggie: I can only speak to my own process, and I use the same for my fiction and nonfiction work. First, of course, I just get it down. Sometimes that in itself is difficult, but not to be mistaken for the final draft.


I never purposefully set out to address one specific flaw in each rewrite like the lessons in the book do; it just happened that way for me. And it does keep me focused on one aspect at a time, such as using the active voice. It's easy to get scattered if I try to zoom in on every type of mistake in one rewrite.


In the second rewrite I concentrate on, say, verbosity, and so on. Then I let it sit for a few weeks or a month and start all over with the same process. At this point I may be addressing several aspects in each rewrite because I have a much better handle on the whole after having rewritten it on several levels.


Each rewrite is left to sit for some time before I go back to it. Some chapters are rewritten more than others. I usually rewrite just one chapter at a time, rather than the whole manuscript. The last couple of rewrites I work straight through the book for cohesiveness and flow.


I do all the rewrites before I hire or submit to a professional editor. Of course, if an editor suggests I do another, I will certainly comply. They know what they are talking about, and I'm too close to the project to have their cool objectivity.


Lillie: What has been the reaction to the book from readers and/or reviewers?


Aggie: I'm humbled and honored. A few remarks have been:


"A tiny book that is big on great advice. This is not a dry read or boring guide. Villanueva entertains while she goes about demonstrating her points. A must for anyone looking to make his or her writing more dynamic."


 "The Rewritten Word is a brilliant little book!"


 "I don't write novels but do occasionally write short articles pertaining to a dish I've just created or some other food-related topic. So I had my doubts about the information pertaining to a cookbook writer like myself. I was wrong."


 "I have to admit something: This is my fifth draft of this review following all five lessons taught by this outstanding author in this great 60-page book."


 "Not everyone knows what it is they're supposed to be doing when they rewrite a piece. Never fear! The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art no Matter the Genre, can help."


 "Villenueva takes the art of perfecting, sharpening and polishing your writing to a new level. I highly recommend this book for any writer, novice or experienced."


My schedule of interviews and reviews can be found on my page at Promotion a la Carte. And just for fun, on the same page there's a commercial I created for the book, heavy on the humor!


Because of the positive feedback, I now feel the book merits an updated version every few years. So you'll probably see me back here telling you about the updates.


Lillie: Another of your many talents is book promotion. Tell us about Promotion a la Carte and what you offer to authors.


Aggie: The response to the new business doing promotional work for authors has also been overwhelming. We specialize in landing interviews and reviews. We offer other services too, but this one is the most purchased.  


Another most popular feature is the Industry Reports written by the company's vice president, Nanci Arvizu, and myself.  People say we give industry information they never heard before. Many authors and promotional experts have even blogged about them.


Popular sellers are "Working Amazon: The Importance of Amazon Tags & How to Get the Most Out of Them," "What You Don't Know About POD & Self Publishing Can Ruin You," and both our DIY papers: DIY: Interviews You Can Land for Yourself. And DIY: Reviews You Can Land for Yourself. These two aren't how-tos, but actual lists of resources beyond the places we land for our authors.


Lillie: Where can readers learn more about you, your books, and your many other talents?


Aggie: Check out my staff page at Promotion a la Carte.  You'll find more than you could ever possibly want to know about me, including connecting with me at Twitter, Facebook, etc., and links to my photo art sites and videos.


Lillie: Have I overlooked anything that you would like to share with my readers?


Aggie: You haven't overlooked anything, but if I may add something… As I said above, Nanci Arvizu, my vice president at Promotion a la Carte, and I write industry reports that have gained some great feedback, some authors and marketers even blogging about them.


I'd like to offer your readers a free copy of the report titled Working Amazon: The Importance of Amazon Tags & How to Get the Most out of Them. Just email me at aggie@promotionalacarte.com saying you got this offer from Lillie's interview and I'll email you the pdf file.


Lillie: Thank you for visiting with us today, and thank you for this generous offer. I'm sure many of my readers will take advantage of it. I hope you will stop back by to answer questions and respond to comments from my readers.


Aggie: Thank you so much for having me today. I certainly will stop by. I always enjoy talking with your readers.


===================


A published author at Thomas Nelson before she was 30, bestselling author Aggie Villanueva published Chase the Wind, and Rightfully Mine, both Thomas Nelson 1980s. Her two self-published books Rightfully Mine (God's Equal Rights Amendment) and The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art, No Matter the Genre each became bestsellers in three Amazon print and Kindle categories within months of publication, The Rewritten Word within weeks. She founded Visual Arts Junction blog February 2009. By the end of the year it was voted #5 at Predators & Editors in the category "Writers' Resource, Information & News Source" for 2009. Aggie is founder of Contextual Related Posts

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Published on January 06, 2011 23:21

January 4, 2011

Editing the Rewritten Word

[image error]A few months ago, I had a new experience in editing. I edited The Rewritten Word: How to Sculpt Literary Art, No Matter the Genre by Aggie Villanueva.


Last year about this time, I reviewed Aggie's novel Rightfully Mine and also conducted an interview with her. We got to know each other better throughout the year, so she contacted me when she was working on The Rewritten Word.


The book is described this way:


The only How-to-Write book that has nothing to do with writing. It's all about rewriting. Whittle away what buries the art of your words beneath pulp, no matter the topic, no matter the genre.


You can see that this job could be slightly intimidating. I have come to respect and admire Aggie and her talent, so I knew I would be editing an already-excellent manuscript. And the book I was editing was about how to make your writing better, which is also what editing is all about.


I'm not going to get into the similarities and differences between rewriting and editing. I'll be interviewing Aggie later this week, and I'll ask her to talk about that. What I'm going to focus on is the way Aggie and I worked together. In addition to editing the manuscript, I also formatted the book for print and ebook editions. My comments below relate to the entire project.


Our collaboration was both a pleasure and a success:



We each respected the other's expertise. I recognized and maintained Aggie's voice. As I do with all my clients, I tried to make her work sound exactly like her—only better. In turn, she was very open to suggestions. Rather than getting defensive about her own words, she considered every suggestion and agreed with changes that improved the book.
We stayed in communication. She kept me informed of deadlines and questions, and I kept her apprised of my progress.
We each recognized our part in the finished product. The book is completely Aggie's—she had the final say over every word, and it's her voice you "hear" when you read the work. However, she appreciated what I did to help bring those words and that voice out in the best possible way.
We each honored our commitments. Aggie got the manuscript to me on time and responded to my questions promptly, and I carried out my obligations and met deadlines.

It really sounds simple, doesn't it? And it is easy when you're working with a writer and person of Aggie's caliber.


In the book, Aggie talks about working with editors. I'd say she knows what she's talking about!


Be sure to come back Friday to read the interview with Aggie.


Disclaimer: The Amazon.com link is an affiliate link.


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Published on January 04, 2011 22:58

January 2, 2011

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Happy birthday, Cindy and Jack


My hero, my husband Jack, turns 78 today. It's amazing to realize that we have been married for more than half of his life (and more than two-thirds of mine).


Cindy, Jack's brother David's wife, shares Jack's birthday—but even though she's only a fraction of his age, she says she's not having any more birthdays.


This photo of Cindy and Jack is from their last birthday party.  David and Cindy live in China so we don't always get to celebrate together.


At their joint birthday party two years ago, fourteen family members got together at a restaurant. This year, David and Cindy are bringing lunch over to our house for a quiet celebration. We had a lovely dinner with Jack's sister Carol and her husband Sam last week, so Jack is getting to celebrate twice.


He still looks much younger than his age, but he's slowed down a little. He is convinced that he has disproved a popular theory. They (whoever "they" are) say it's impossible to use all the capacity of our brains. However, Jack says his brain is so full that there's no room for anything new. He has a wonderful memory for the long-ago, but his short-term memory is like that of a goldfish (which we've heard is five seconds!). Couple that with his poor hearing, and we have some good laughs over what he understands compared to what was actually said. His sense of humor is still as strong as ever.


We're content to spend most of our time at home. Once a week we have our big outing to Wal-Mart about 2 AM. There are lots of stockers filling the shelves, so there's someone on just about every aisle to ask for help, but there are seldom any other customers in the store. Jack gets on one of the little scooters and sets off with a short list while I take the shopping cart for my part of the list. After grocery shopping, we have breakfast at IHOP or Denny's and always enjoy our weekly date.


God truly blessed me when He brought Jack and me together!


WATCH over thy servant Jack, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide him wherever he may be, keeping him unspotted from the world. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he fall; and in his heart may thy peace which passeth understanding abide all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer


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Published on January 02, 2011 23:31

January 1, 2011

Wishing You a Blessed New Year

Isaiah 55 May the Lord richly bless you and yours in the coming year!


May He open your eyes and inspire your heart by His wisdom.


May He sanctify all your thoughts and endeavors begun and continued with pure intentions and His blessings throughout 2011.


ALMIGHTY God, who alone gavest us the breath of life, and alone canst keep alive in us the holy desires thou dost impart; We beseech thee, for thy compassion's sake, to sanctify all our thoughts and endeavours; that we may neither begin an action without a pure intention nor continue it without thy blessing. And grant that, having the eyes of the mind opened to behold things invisible and unseen, we may in heart be inspired by thy wisdom, and in work be upheld by thy strength, and in the end be accepted of thee as thy faithful servants; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. ~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer





Creative Commons License photo credit: bbrown6


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Published on January 01, 2011 00:40

December 30, 2010

December 28, 2010

Thanks to November 2010 Commenters

 


Thank you to the 128 commenters who left 177 comments in November. Your comments extended the conversation and added value and interest, and I enjoyed replying to every one of them.

Every month when I post thanks to commenters, I get questions about how I compile this list. I have explained my system in detail in Compiling Thanks to Commenters.


 


Top Contributor (9 comments)


Christopher  Roberts
Christopher Roberts


 


Major Contributors (4-5 comments)


Jenny
Software Business Partners


Vinish Parikh
Let's Learn Finance


Mike
Free Fiction Books


 


Outstanding Contributors (3 comments)


Bluestocking
The Bluestocking Guide


Carla
Personal Writer


Christopher  Roberts
Christopher Roberts' Philosophy Blog


Claire
Starapplet.com


Dave
First Class Hampers


Dawn Colclasure
Dawn Colclasure Blog


Matt
Good Christmas Gifts


Mike
Show Me Jobs


Rodney
New Home Steps


 


Significant Contributors (2 comments)


Christopher  Roberts
Christopher Robert's Technology Blog


Dominique
4 Walls and a View


JadeDragon
JadeDragon's Innovative Passive Income


Jason
Infrared Heaters


Jason
Wear Palettes


Jen
All Say Auto Transport


Joy
Maximum Slim


Kevin
Perpendicularity


Paula Jo
Clean Star Home and Garden World


Sensei Matt Klein
Fun affordable self defense karate for kids, 10/17


Sophia
Cool Glow


wrack
Smith Monitoring


 


Important Contributors


Abi
Kindle Review


Alberto
5 Minute Membership Sites


Alex
Wedding Videography Singapore


Alvaro Castio
enterprise rental car locations


Andrew
Best Bread Maker


Angela 
Rocor Kantoo


Angela Ward
Tattos of Angels


Anne
Shih Tzu Dog Training


Annie
I Believe This


Aretha
Faxless Payday Loan


Arragon
Stop Tinnitus


Arvind Singh
Law Is Greek


Barbara Ling
Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach


Barry
abc gatwick


Brian H.
AnyTime Teas


Brian H.
Buy Blenders from the Blender Guy


Britt Phillips
DVD Training Video


brittany
Christine Foster Photography


Buchi Palem
Confessions of a Manchester United Fan


Calvin
Mycasa


Carry Anne
Public Schools


Catalin
Calor


Charleen Larson
Best of Fiverr


Chris
Lin & Jirsa Wedding Photography


ChrisCD
Jumbo CD Investments


Cristain
Dating Tips for Men


Csrol
Web Design Expert


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Philips AirFryer


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Wheeled Luggage


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Timberline Estates Sandpoint


Dawn
Inspirational Motivational Quotes


Debbie
Wall Mirrors to Go


Dr. Stewart
Charles Stewart, Cosmetic Surgery


Dylan
Stock Orange


Emma
Queen's Valley School


Eva
Indian SEO Company


Fred
Internet Business


Frederik Trovatten
Adwords Uddanelsen


George
Law Office of Ledger & Associates


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Gruvix.com


Gwyn
n/a


Helen Ginger
Straight from Hel


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First on Scene First Aid


Jackie
Inspiring Lives


James
Attitude Agency


James
Heart Rate Monitor Reports


jane
Mortgage Repayment Calculator


Jefferey Orion
Sat Nav Heaven


Jenny
Melissa Skidmore Photography


Jerry
Removal South London


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West Allis Cheese and Sausage Shop


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Cabinet Solutions


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Organic Shampoo Store


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Ezine Articles: Water Pik 100


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Guru Online


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n/a


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Julianne Rowat's Blog


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Words for Hire


Katya
Games 24×7


Kevin
Live Lovely Life


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Fashionable Laptop Bags for Women


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ShuffleboardTable.net


Lily
Law Office of Steven A Kellis


Loi Scellier
Scellier-Invest


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Words on the Page


Lou
World of Christmas


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richibrown


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Focus Packaging Ltd


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Geek Hosting


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Karriere, Geld und Lifestyle


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Mava Webdesign


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Sweetheart Diapers & More


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The Mari Method


Mark Hodson
101 Holidays


Martin
The Gutter Guys


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Tenant Direct


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Miss Kim Dance


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DocRaptor


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Nurul Azis


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Lin & Jirsa Wedding Photography


Olivia Lin
SLR Lounge


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Indian Diabetics


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High Heels Shoes


Roger
Spiderman Games


Ron
Chiropractors London


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Ryan
Fan's Edge


Sarah
Adiamor Diamonds & Fine Jewelry


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QA Guild


Steve
Gold Curtains


Steve
Jewellry Holder


Steve
Red Toaster


Steve
Rotary Airer


Steve
Sitegrinder 3 Review


Steve
Turbo Trainers


Susan
Hotel Scheveningen


Tim
JMX Bamboo


Tom
American Money Solutions


Tom
Tomos Crowle


Travis
Cordless Strimmer


Vanessa
Miami Glamour Properties


Vicky
Boniti



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Published on December 28, 2010 21:32

December 24, 2010

Wishing You a Blessed Christmas

[image error]


And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.


(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)


And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.


And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)


To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.


And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.


And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.


And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.


And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.


And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.


For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.


And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.


And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,


Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.


And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.


And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.


And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.


And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.


But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.


And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.


Luke 2:1-20


ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.


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Published on December 24, 2010 21:48

December 23, 2010

Scripture for Christmas Eve 2010

Luke 2:15-20


15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.


Lord, You revealed the birth of the Savior of the world to simple shepherds in the fields, unlearned and unsophisticated men rather than the learned and elite. They recognized the magnitude of what they saw and went about praising and glorifying You. Make our hearts like the hearts of those simple shepherds. Wipe away the sophistication and cynicism and touch our spirits so we praise and glorify You above all. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.


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Published on December 23, 2010 22:34