Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 122

Good Friday in December: Birth to Dying to Resurrection

Today is a sandwich kind of day. One of those days where you're not sure whether to look back or look forward.

Monday is our big NYE bash, so we don't want to start talking about all our plans for 2019, our "One Word" for the new year, or even all that we're thankful for that happened in 2018.

Then what good is this Friday for?



As I write this, it's dark and bleak outside. We're expecting rain and the temps will likely drop. Nobody wants to go out shopping because they've spent all their money. Everyone is still stuffed from all their Christmas goodies, the presents are all unwrapped and as Erica shared yesterday, the toys were either hits or misses, the clothes either fit or need to be returned, and the pie and cookies are winking from the sideboard, but we don't think we could hold another bite of anything... at least until lunch time.

And it's still dark and dreary outside. Bah-humbug!

Funny how exciting the promise of snow (well, not here in MS, but work with me...) is in the weeks leading up to Christmas, but not so much in those dark, rainy days between Christmas and New Year's Day. As I reflected on this odd time in between all the excitement of Christmas and the dawning of a new year, I'm reminded me of the three days between the crucifixion and the resurrection.



For Christians, Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection is the most important week of our faith and the most momentous occasion in all of history because it paves the way for eternal salvation culminating in the Second Coming. Second to Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection is His birth. Here in Seekerville, we've just celebrated an entire month of Advent, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for that birth. But did you know that part of the description of Advent is also a celebration and reflection on His return at the Second Coming?

Mary's travails to give birth to her first child and the Son of God were probably the darkest moments of her young life. Who knows how long she was in labor? Could it have been three whole days? Perhaps. The three days that Jesus was in the tomb were dark and dreary for his disciples, who believed that all hope was lost. So it seems that the dark, dreary days after all the hoopla of our Christmas season might feel like a deflated balloon for some, but joy is coming and that makes this a <b>Good Friday in December</b>.

Christmas is not really about the presents or the festive lights or all the family photos we all shared on Facebook on Christmas morning, although I enjoyed all of it just as much as anybody! It's about the babe that lay in a manger whose mother had to change his stinky diapers that probably started full force about the third day. It's about the man 33 (ironic?) years later who died on a cross and whose body decomposed for three days before the sun rose and He rose with it.



January 1st is coming. A New Year, a new beginning. But in the meantime, think about those few days right after Jesus's birth, about the uncertainty that a young mother and father were facing as they learned to take care of a newborn. Reflect on that same babe, Jesus, our Lord and Savior, lying in a tomb, waiting to be resurrected and reborn on Resurrection Sunday.

I think you'll find it's a Good Friday in December after all.

Please comment for a chance to win the prize package below. Both copies of books #1 and #2 in my Natchez Trace series, plus a Christmas themed adult coloring book, All is Bright.


And if you haven't already tossed your name in the Rafflecopter wheel to win December's grand prizes, today's your last chance!

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Post Christmas Blues?

Erica here:



If you're like me, the days after Christmas can feel like a bit of a letdown. All the planning, the anticipating, the partying...it's over for a whole 'nother year.

You're left with the post-Christmas chores. Cleaning up and packing away the decorations. Writing the thank-you notes. Exchanging the gift-clothes that didn't quite fit. Eating all that leftover Christmas baking before your new diet starts on the 1st. (Mmmhmmm, might be why the clothes didn't fit, Erica.)

Then for some of us, other things ramp up. In my case, there's all the end-of-year financial business to tie up. I am the company bookkeeper for our family lumber business, and the week between Christmas and New Year's means inventory and closing out the books and visits to the accountant and the bank and board meetings and minutes and time spent at my computer filing end of year reports with the government. Oh joy.

This can leave us feeling a bit blue. All that fun and festivity and now it's just a long, cold, flat winter ahead.



But does it have to be that way? What can we do to mitigate those post-holiday blues? Here are a few ideas:

1. Save a gift. Hold back a gift for each of your loved ones, keep it wrapped, and then surprise them with it a week or two after Christmas. (The trick here is to remember where you put it so you can find it when it's time to give it out!)

2. Start a new tradition...pick a night in January to schedule something special. A movie night, a game night, invite friends over....something to which you can look forward as you wrap those ornaments and put them back into the boxes. Maybe you push the party back to February. A President's Day party or Valentine's gathering? A theme party where you serve Mexican or Italian or Ethiopian food....you get the gist.

3. Practice 30 Days of Gratitude. Every day for the month of January, do these three things:

Tell someone you are thankful for them...and be specific what you're thankful about. Their cheerful smile, the way they always listen when you need a friend, the way they're always ready to step in to help....Tell God one thing about Him that you are thankful for...His provision, His grace, His patience...Do something nice for someone without letting them know it was you. Be sneaky, be thoughtful, and be kind.

I'm going to follow a a bit of my own advice here:

I've saved a gift for one of YOU! Leave me a comment telling me something or someone you are grateful for to be entered to win a book bundle of my three Christmas titles, The New York Times Bestseller, A Log Cabin Christmas , my last Love Inspired Historical, A Child's Christmas Wish , and my latest release, The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection !



Also, time's running out to enter to win one of TWO Kindle Fire tablets! Hurry and enter before it's too late!
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Just Another Love Story

The blog title says it all.

What it doesn't say is that "A Cowboy in Shepherd's Crossing" is an absolutely beautiful and fun love story!

It doesn't say that this sweet, kind, hard-working and talented cowboy/contractor, a carpenter who learned the trade from his late father and who has simply run out of work in a failing, fading Western town is on the verge of leaving when everything...

And I mean everything...

Changes.

Jace Middleton has worked hard to establish himself as a building contractor/carpenter and a cowboy. He can round up sheep, mend fence, sit saddle and hit the hills in search of wandering ewes with the best of them. And he's a talented builder, but with the economic crunch in Shepherd's Crossing, there ain't nobody building a thing. And Jace faces the inevitable at the end or book one "Her Cowboy Reunion"...

The three Fitzgerald sisters were hung out to dry by their money-embezzling father. He left the family publishing fortune to crumble after bilking massive funds, went to Dubai with his current sweetheart and left his three steel magnolia daughters to deal with the Kentucky bankruptcy, a boatload of student loans they didn't know existed, and the loss of jobs when the publishing empire crashed and burned. The largesse of their late uncle brings all three women to Western Idaho, and it's Melonie Fitzgerald who rolls into town as the story begins. A gifted home fashion designer, Melonie made her mark in one of the publishing companies trendy home magazines, and was on the verge of getting a cable TV home restoration contract when everything fell apart. Her boyfriend disappeared, the job crumbled, the TV contract offer was never extended because right now the name "Fitzgerald" equates "Public Disaster" and what production company wants that onus?

Not a single one!

To fulfill the terms of the bequest, the women must stay in the area for a year and must do something that helps Pine Ridge Ranch continue to grow.

Mel's got nothin' on that. She's got a healthy and deep-seated fear of horses, she knows nothing about sheep and the entire town is falling-down wretched, if you know what I mean.

But when a wealthy, elderly white woman steps up to the plate and admits she's Jace's grandmother-- his biological grandmother...

Jace's world turns upside down. Throw in two toddler nieces from a half-sister he didn't know he had...

And the fact that he's been living a lie for nearly thirty years...

And that his newfound grandmother wants him and Melonie to restore her crumbling house and barns to their former beauty on "Hardaway Ranch", Jace is pretty sure his world just spun out of control.

How does a strong, faithful, committed family man deal with all of this? How did it happen in a town where color has never been an issue for the Middleton family, one of the earliest settlers to the area? And in a small town where everyone knows everything, how did they manage to keep this secret?

These protagonists have very diverse journeys ahead of them. Their dreams and hopes and goals are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but as Gilda Hardaway insists that the very talented Melonie guide the restoration efforts IF Jace takes the job...

And IF Jace steps up to the plate to make a home for Ava and Annie, the eleven-month-old abandoned babies...

And IF Jace stays in town...

While Melonie has plans to pursue her own dreams of her "Shoestring Southern Charm" cable show, housed in Kentucky...

It can't possibly work, can it?

And yet, when folks rise to a challenge, it's amazing how doors swing open! And if they don't, surely God has cracked a window somewhere, right?

I hope you love this story. It's a story about diversity, but not about the obvious difference in skin tone.

That doesn't enter the picture between Mel and Jace.

The difference in goals and dreams and hopes and fears and faith lay enough hurdles along the path for this beautiful couple to climb over.

I've got two copies of this book to give away today. Leave a comment below... and as for a question of the day, how's this:

What draws you to writing and/or reading romance? Is it the journey? The happy ending? Or both? Hallmark Channel lovers will love, love, love this story!



AND THE LAST DAYS OF OUR DECEMBER TO REMEMBER RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAYS LEADING UP TO OUR NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION!



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Seekerville is Closed Today and Tomorrow

Wishing you a blessed Christmas!
Seekerville is closed as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Please join us here again soon!

Weekend Edition

  



If you are not familiar with our giveaway rules, take a minute to read them here. It keeps us all happy! All winners should send their name, address, and phone number to claim prizes.  Note our new email address and please send your emails to Seekerville2@gmail.com





Monday: Jan Drexler shared some ideas for a lovely, simple Christmas. The winner of her prize package of the three books in her Journey to Pleasant Prairie series and Christmas wall art is Lee-Ann B. Congratulations, Lee-Ann!

Tuesday: Janet Dean's back on Seekerville chatting about Christmas, and her way of keeping Christ in Christmas. She's giving away a hard copy of Love Inspired Historical’s October 2018 “Two for One” of my debut Courting Miss Adelaide and Valerie Hanson’s Wilderness Courtship or my Ebook novella “A Daddy for Christmas," and the lucky winner is Jubileewriter.

Wednesday: Debby Giusti shared an Advent Reflection with artwork from the Old Masters, depicting the Lord's Nativity. Debby's giving away the first three books in her Amish Protectors series: Amish Refuge, Undercover Amish and Amish Rescue. The winner of the drawing is Anne Rightler. Congrats, Anne! Send your address to Seekerville2@gmail.com to get your prize.

Thursday: Carrie shared about her favorite Christmas traditions! The winner of Literary Listography: My Reading Life In Lists  is Amy Anguish. Congratulations, Amy!

Friday: Ever wonder about the history of Advent? It might not be what you thought! Winnie Griggs shared her research of Advent and came up with some surprises! The winners of their choice of any one of her five Christmas themed novels are: Caryl Kane, Amy Anguish, Vince, Jackie Smith, Winnie Thomas, Lee-Ann B, Tracey Hagwood, Sandy Smith, Wilani Wahl, Trixi.




Monday/Tuesday:  Seekerville wishes you the merriest of Christmas Eves and Days! God bless you always.
Wednesday: Join Ruth Logan Herne as she chats about not only her newest release "A Cowboy in Shepherd's Crossing" but the fun of writing Westerns in a world that loves its heroes!
Thursday: Erica Vetsch will give some tips on how to beat the Post-Christmas blues.   Friday: Pam Hillman is the lucky Seeker to bring our blessed Advent season and December to a close.






The first two books in Jan Drexler's Journey to Pleasant Prairie series are now available in audio! Hannah's Choice and Mattie's Pledge are available now, with Naomi's Hope to follow soon! Click here for the link to Hannah's Choice in audio!


With Christmas around the corner, literally, it's time to look at our goals, plans and dreams for 2019 and that means having a rousing good time with The Seekers as we say goodbye to 2018 and welcome the New Year in with our goals, dreams and plans.... and yours! 

What are you looking for in this newest year granted us? What do you want to do as a writer or a reader? As a person or a Christian?

We're looking forward to hearing from you this week as you have a warm or rollicking Christmas... and we're looking forward to welcoming the new year in with you next week at our 2018 Seekerville Annual Rocking It New Year's Eve Party!


JUST RELEASED!!!!!! This beautiful story has just hit the shelves NATIONWIDE and we are so excited for Ruthy!

You can find this tender love story at Walmart, Kroger, Winn Dixie, Amazon and anywhere mass market paperbacks are sold! LINK TO A COWBOY IN SHEPHERD'S CROSSING ON AMAZON.


And the first 15 chapters of Ruth Logan Herne's "The Cowboy's Christmas Surprise" are live on Harlequin.com now! And the final five chapters are so cleverly timed for this week: Christmas week!!!




My Top Books of 2018 by K.M. Weiland at Helping Writers Become Authors.


Author's Legal Guide to Stock Photos for Book Covers by Jonathan Green at Kindlepreneur with Dave Chesson.

10 Top Book Marketing Articles from BookBub in 2018 by Diana Urban at BookBub Partners Blog.

Are you feeling creative? Design Cuts is offering a huge Christmas special on fonts and other creative elements to keep your inspiration thriving in and out of your books. Feed the creative you Celebrate An Amazing 2018 With This Special $2 Design Bundle at An Indie Adventure.

Cut and Cut (and Cut Again) - The Self-Edit Credo by Michael Gallant at BookBaby Blog

Why Is A Creative Routine So Important For Authors by Joanne Penn at The Creative Penn

Feeling Stuck? Focus On A Single Sentence by Jane Friedman

The History of Advent

Hi all, Winnie Griggs here. We’ve been focusing on the Advent Season here at Seekerville and it got me to wondering, just how did this annual observance come about. So I did a little online research and the results surprised me.
Most scholars believe Advent dates back to the fourth century.  But originally it had nothing to do with Christmas.  Instead it was a time set aside for converts to Christianity to reflect and prepare themselves for baptism.

A couple of hundred years later, around the turn of the sixth century, Advent became associated with the coming of Christ, but rather than focusing on the past - His birth in Bethlehem - it was rather an anticipation of the future - His still-awaited-for second coming. Today, many liturgies balance these two elements of Christ’s coming, remembrance and anticipation. They focus the first two Sundays on looking forward to His second coming, and take the last two Sundays to look back and remember the Holy Night when he first came to us as a babe.



The origin of the Advent wreath is equally as fascinating. The modern day Advent wreath was first developed by a German Protestant pastor in 1839. Johann Hinrich Wichern worked with children at a mission school. During the Christmas season, the children would constantly ask if Christmas Day had arrived. Looking for a way to give the children a visual way to mark the days, he took an old wagon wheel and attached 24 candles to it – 20 small red ones and 4 large white ones. Each weekday and Saturday a small red one was lit successively and on Sundays one of the large white ones was lit. The practice grew in popularity among German congregations and eventually evolved into the smaller 4 or 5 candle wreaths in use today.

So there you have it - a short summary of what I learned during my research. Was any of it new to you? Do you have any traditions you and your family observe during the Advent Season? Are there other bits of history or lore you'd like to share?

Today I'm giving away winner's choice of any one of my 5 Christmas-themed novels to TEN individuals.  Leave a comment to win!







PLUS!!! Don't forget about our Kindle Fire giveaway (Two winners!)
Enter via the Rafflecopter below! And yes, you can click on each option to garner multiple entries.

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My Family Christmas Traditions

Hi y'all! Carrie here on a Thursday - what?? Oh yes, because when Ruthy says you post on Thursday, that's exactly what you do ;) 
Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I love all the traditions that go along with it. From reading the Christmas story, to stockings, to Christmas carols, to favorite snacks and goodies.
My family is big on tradition. Ok... my mom and I are big on tradition and we force everyone else to follow suit ;) I decided that today would be the perfect time to give y'all a peek inside my family and some of my fave family traditions.
First, what's Christmas without Santa Claus?!? Even if you don't emphasize this part of Christmas, his real story is pretty special. Fortunately for my family we have a built-in Santa Claus in my dad - add my photographer brother and adorable nephew to the mix and we're a Christmas card waiting to happen!

*above two photos by Josh Booth Photography
Next is my & my mom's annual trip to this delightful little restaurant in the basement of an old school turned antique shop in a teeny town called NoneSuch, Kentucky. (Isn't that the greatest?!?) The restaurant is called The Glitz and they serve a Roasted Chestnut Soup that I call 'Thanksgiving in a bowl' - oh my word it's so good! The entrees vary but the soup is a constant at Christmas, as is their Grandma Snyder's Christmas Cake which even my often-dessert-eschewing mom loves. This photo is from a couple of years ago but we also just went there this past Tuesday :)

Probably the most meaningful tradition we have (although they're all meaningful to me) is our Names of Jesus ornaments that we add to every year. Sometimes we do this on Christmas Eve, sometimes Christmas Day and even sometimes New Year's Eve - depending on what's going on and who is together - but at some point every Christmas season, each of us shares a "name" of Jesus & how He has been that to us this year. For instance, one of us may pick Teacher and talk about something He taught us in the past few months. Another one may say Great Physician or Wonderful Counselor and reflect on how He has healed something in our lives (not just physical) that year. The possibilities are pretty endless - Redeemer, Truth, Life, Alpha & Omega, Prince of Peace, etc. It's so sweet to hear how God has been working in our lives, and since we make a new ornament for each name shared, we get to look back on those moments whenever we decorate my parents' tree. 



If you celebrate Christmas with a family who doesn't follow Jesus, this is still something you can do in your own worship time during the holiday season - a nice touchstone to remind you that you aren't alone, that He is there and very personal toward you. 
Another tradition at Christmas? Making a list. Checking it twice. When you're bookish like me, some of that list-making involves compiling the best books I've read this year and the ones I'm looking forward to for next year.
Leave me a comment telling me about your favorite Christmas traditions - OR your favorite book of 2018 - OR just say hi - and I'll enter you in the giveaway for this super cool list-making book for bookish folk - Literary Listography: My Reading Life In Lists. Open internationally as long as Book Depository ships to your country!


 PLUS!! Don't forget to enter to win one of TWO KINDLE FIRES!!! 
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Advent Reflection

By Debby Giusti
O come, O come, Emmanuel…
The daily scripture passages during Advent set the stage for the birth of the Christ Child as we draw closer to Christmas. Today’s reading—Luke 1:5-25—focuses on Zechariah, who goes to the Temple in Jerusalem to perform his priestly duties and is chosen by a drawing of lots to burn incense before the Lord. Zechariah was well-aware of the great honor he was being accorded as he entered the Holy of Holies, yet when the angel Gabriel appears with news that Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth, thought to be barren, will bear a son, Zechariah doubts the angel’s message could be true. Because of his lack of faith, Zechariah is struck dumb until the birth of his son, John the Baptist, the one who will “prepare the way for the Lord.”  Annunciation of the Angel to Zechariah, by Domenico Ghirlandaio,
1490, fresco in the Tornabuoni Chapel, Florence. [PD-US]
Tomorrow’s scripture is the annunciation when Gabriel appears to Mary. In contrast to Zachariah’s doubt, we read in Luke 1:26-38 of Mary’s total faith and her immediate yes—her fiat or “let it be done”—as she readily accepts God’s will for her life with the words, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
The Annunciation, Carravagio, 1608.
Museum of Fine Art of Nancy, France. [PD-US]
The question for us to ponder is our readiness to accept the Lord’s will for our own lives. Are we like Zechariah, unable to believe that God will grant us the desire of our heart? Or are we like Mary, eager to accept God’s will even when we don’t have a clear picture of how the future will unfold?  Nativity, Sandro Botticelli, c 1473-1475, Columbia
Museum of Art. [PS-US]
What about our writing journey? Have we given up on following our dream for publication because of our age or our commitments or our inability to believe that with God all things are possible? Are we frustrated by rejection and tired of never having our stories achieve recognition? Have we settled for good enough instead of working to become a better writer? A bestselling author? A world-acclaimed author?
Adoration of the Shepherds, Matthias Stomer, c 1632-1635, North Carolina
Museum of Art. [PD-US]
Or do we trust the Lord enough to follow our dream? Do we shrug off rejection and use it as a catalyst to spur us on? Are we focused on the future with all the promise it holds, instead of wallowing in the unfulfilled past?
Consider the following…
           What’s stopping you from achieving your goal? What’s holding you back from taking the next step forward? Are you a Zachariah? Or are you a Mary?
The Adoration of the Magi, Giotto, 1303, Scrovegni Chapel,
Padua, Italy. [PD-US]
Share your thoughts about Advent and/or your writing journey to be entered in a drawing for the first three books in my Amish Protectors series: Amish Refuge, Undercover Amish and Amish Rescue!



Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
With abundant blessings and much love,Debby Giustiwww.DebbyGiusti.com
AMISH CHRISTMAS SECRETSSafe Haven for the HolidaysThe thrilling Amish Protectors conclusion
Leaving the nursing home where she works, Rosie Glick’s accostedby a man demanding incriminating evidence her murdered boyfriendstole—until Ezra Stoltz scares him off. Now with a killer dead set onsilencing the Amish single mother, Ezra must hide Rosie and her babyto keep them safe. But can he expose a sinister conspiracy in timeto save the woman he secretly loves?
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AMISH SAFE HOUSEHiding in Plain Sight The second thrilling Amish Witness Protection novel
After Julia Bradford’s son witnesses a gang shooting, hiding in witness protection on Abraham King’s Amish farm is the only hope the Englischer and her children have. Even as danger closes in, Julia is drawn to the community’s peaceful ways—and the ex-cop turned Amish protector. But when their location is discovered, can Abraham protect her family…and possibly have a future by her side?
Pre-order Here!






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Janet Dean is 'Keeping Christmas'

Mrs. Claus checking in (Ok... it's really Carrie) to remind us that holidays are a time for gathering together with family and friends that we might not see as often as we would like. Today is one such opportunity - let's welcome Janet Dean back to Seekerville for the day as part of our month-long Advent celebration!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Keeping Christmas

Janet Dean here. I’m excited to talk about Christmas, my favorite time of the year! I love everything about Christmas. The music, decorations, goodies, gifts, gatherings with family and friends, and especially the long-awaited day we celebrate Jesus’ birth.
My husband and I tried to keep Jesus front and center with our children by attending functions at church and trying to put the focus on the true meaning of Christmas in our home. Not that we cut out Santa. In fact, when “naughty” seemed to be winning over “nice,” a mere mention that I had Santa’s phone number at the North Pole immediately restored harmony. The hard part for us was finding ways to put Santa in his proper place.
Sometimes that required taking time away from the hubbub of Christmas activities to spend quiet time with our girls, sharing our love of Jesus and the reason we celebrate. We used storybooks and little coloring books that presented the story of Jesus’ birth and Advent calendars with spiritual symbols to trigger conversations about Mary, Joseph, the Star, the Wise Men, their gifts and Bethlehem. Most evenings, with only the lights on the Christmas tree, we gathered around a lit candle to sing one carol and, yes, one secular song before putting the girls to bed. Young children love the story of the birth of Jesus and ours acted out the manger scene with make-do costumes and props.  
We tried to counteract materialism by encouraging homemade gifts and decorations. Our daughters created both out of paper, plaster, bread dough, yarn, shells, tin cans and felt. Many of the ornaments still hang on one of our trees, worse for wear but sentimental favorites. If they wanted to buy family gifts, they had to forgo their “wants” and save their small allowance to shop at their elementary school Christmas store.  
As they grew, we encouraged doing good deeds for others. One way we used was a doll cradle and a supply of straw under the tree. When the girls did an anonymous kindness for someone, they were to put a straw in the cradle. By Christmas morning when the doll representing Baby Jesus was laid in the cradle, he had a soft bed. Or so we hoped!  
When our grandkids came along, we made birthday cakes for Jesus and used the candy cane to talk about Him. Our grandkids entertained us with singing, playing “instruments” and acting out the Christmas story. One year they turned the tables on us, giving the adults roles. Thankfully they were kind and applauded for us, as we always did for them.  
These activities helped our children and grandchildren and yes, us adults, too, to focus on the reason we celebrate Christmas, and provided some wonderful memories and mementoes. One truth I’ve learned is the time our children are under our roofs and our influence passes quickly!  
I brought iced cut out cookies and hot chocolate. While we nibble and sip, share a tip for keeping Christ in Christmas or a favorite Christmas memory for a chance to win either a hard copy of Love Inspired Historical’s October 2018 “Two for One” of my debut Courting Miss Adelaide and Valerie Hanson’s Wilderness Courtship or my Ebook novella “A Daddy for Christmas”—winner’s choice. 
Thanks for having me today and Merry Christmas!

 winner's choice between Janet's "Two For One" (above) or her ebook novella (below)
Just leave a comment to win!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
PLUS!!! Don't forget about our Kindle Fire giveaway (Two winners!)
Enter via the Rafflecopter below!
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Have a Lovely, Simple Christmas!

by Jan Drexler

You know the song, “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas”, right?  Well, start humming and then add in the words:

Have a lovely, simple Christmas! It’s the best time of the year,I don’t know, if there’ll be snowBut the family will have cheer!
Have a lovely, simple Christmas,And when you see your children smile,You’ll know they’ll remember thisFor years and years with bliss.
Look for the Spirit’s glowShining in your home,This is what you’re waiting for,The Savior Christ has come!
Have a lovely, simple Christmas!And in case you didn’t hear,You can simplyHave a lovely, blessed ChristmasThis year!

Did you have fun with the sing-a-long?
But mostly, did you get the message?
Christmas is….Christmas. 

And the message of Christmas is that Jesus came to earth…as God promised,
to live a sinless life…as God promised,
to make the perfect sacrifice…as God promised.
The manger and the cross. What more do we need?

When you’re planning your family Christmas celebration, remember that we don’t need all that stuff that we would like to buy….



Simplify your Christmas this year – hold on to dear traditions, but don’t fall into the trap of lights, candy, loads of food, and presents and more presents…
Give your family the gift of yourself….
…make cookies with your little ones

…read a book together

…play games together
…volunteer to ring the bell for the Salvation Army
…sing
…laugh
…play
Have a lovely, blessed, simply awe-filled Christmas!

Now it's your turn! What do you do to keep your own Christmas celebrations simple?



Today's giveaway to one commenter is a copy of my trilogy, The Journey to Pleasant Prairieand some lovely wall art to decorate your home!


Seekerville Advent Giveaway:

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