Erica Vetsch's Blog, page 44

Let's start this year off right!

I've already made three resolutions...but I made them about a week ago.

I don't really believe in resolutions just because I never succeed at them.

My resolutions, much less time wasted playing games on my computer...yes, I do that.

I've deleted a blog I hang around that discusses personal problems. I find them sort of addictive to read at the same time I just shake my head and wonder why people are idiots. Or if maybe all the letters are written by either Fiction Writing 101 college students or thirteen-year-old girls.

Haven't been there in a week and I'm not going back.

And to say NO to sweets. After a badly bacchanalian Christmas season of over-eating, I'm done. I'm back to my usual sense. I promise.

No, none of these resolutions are writing related. But wasted time is time away from writing.

And being healthy is just a good idea.

I'm still writing my usual 1000 words a day.

I'm about to kick off a new series called The Lumber Baron's Daughters. Book #1 The Element of Love is coming March 2. Book #2 is Inventions of the Heart coming in July. Then book three, no cover, no title yet, releases in October 2022.

(wow, I can't quite believe I just typed 2022!!! I remember when everyone was so worked up about 2000, that's closing in on a quarter century ago.) I suppose it means I'm closing in on old age. :(

I've tried to raise my daily writing number a few times. For example, last November...not two months ago, but a year and two months ago, I did NANO. I wrote 50,000 words in one month. Then I spent two weeks revising that fast flow of words.

So six weeks is about 45 days. That's 45,000 words. Not that much of an improvement over my usual speed and the plodding revisions were sad. I had to fix some things that were deeply wrong because my brain just didn't seem to have time to ponder what's next and I went in a few odd directions.

It was good in one way though. It helped me realize NANO didn't work for me. So...insert a sort of weak YAY here.

So resolutions. Did you make any? Have you EVER kept one? Tell me your resolutions. If you made them January 1st, you CAN'T have given up on them yet. 

Leave a message to get your name in a drawing for one of TWO $22 Amazon gift cards.

The Element of Love

With their sharp engineering minds, Laura Stiles and her two sisters have been able to deal with their mother's unfortunate choice in husband, until they discover his plans to marry each of them off to his lecherous friends. Now they must run away--far and fast--to find better matches to legally claim their portion of their father's lumber dynasty and seize control from their stepfather.

When Laura befriends a mission group heading to serve the poor in California during their escape, she quickly volunteers herself and her sisters to join their efforts. Despite the settlement being in miserable condition, the sisters are excited by the opportunity to put their skills to good use. Laura also sees potential in Caleb, the local minister, to help with gaining her inheritance. But when secrets buried in Caleb's past and in the land around them come to light, it'll take all the smarts the sisters have to keep trouble at bay.

Inventions of the Heart

After her sister's marriage, Michelle Stiles and her younger sister Jilly are left at Two Harts Ranch, owned by Zane Hart. They've so far managed to stay one step ahead of their stepfather and his devious plans.

Zane has his own problems, having discovered a gold mine on his property. How does he harvest it without kicking off a gold rush? Michelle, educated and trained to run her father's business, wants to manage all aspects of the mine. Zane thinks for a smart woman she can have some misguided ideas. Running that mine will be dangerous, and he doesn't want her exposed to what might occur out there.

But danger finds Michelle anyway when a man breaks into the house and attacks her. Able to fend him off and capture him, they realize he has ties to Michelle's stepfather. If they go to the sheriff, they'll reveal her location, but if they do nothing--their troubles have only just begun.

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

Adoration of the Magi, Giotto, 1303, Scrovegni Museum,
Padua. [PD-US]

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod, 
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled, 
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, 
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, 
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly 
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word, 
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, 
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star, 
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures 
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, 
they departed for their country by another way.

Matthew 2:1-12 

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country!God Bless the USA!
Our special prayer request this Sundayis for the people who were in the path of the Colorado fires. Lord, help them to rebuild their communities. Bless the heroic firefighters and first responders. Comfort all those who lost so much and heal those who were physically or emotionally harmed. 
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe. 

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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.  Please send to Seekerville2@gmail.com. If the winner does not contact us within two weeks, another winner may be selected.


Monday: Erica Vetsch wrote about how to be productive in the 'in-between' times.
Wednesday: Pam Hillman shared Utilizing Amazon’s Buying and Gifting eBooks for Others Feature.
Friday: Ruthy wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
 



Monday: Mary Connealy kicks off the new year with resolutions and prizes.
Wednesday:  Mindy Obenhaus will be here to share with us,  Friday: Surprise!






The Accidental Guardian ON SALE ONE DAY ONLY Click Here to Buy on Amazon KindleKindle Daily Deal on MONDAY January 4th. NOT TODAY
$4.99 on Monday.

Rafflecopter Giveaway!Enter to win one of Pam's books from the choices above.Click here to enter.






But Then, Life Happens by Mary A Felkins at Learn How To Write A Novel
Holiday Book Ad Templates for Authors by Teresa Conner at Book Brush Blog
Time To Make Merry by Angela Ackerman at Writers Helping Writers
New Year, New Life Resolutions for Writers by Tim Suddeth at The Write Conversation
Merry Writing and a Snappy New Year by James Scott Bell at Kill Zone Blog

Happy New Year's To All!

Wow.

Ruthy here...

As we draw this year to an end, as we say goodbye, good day and goodnight to 2021, I am looking forward to 2022 for so many reasons.

First, we are seeing and living history first-hand. I'm not sure what history will say about what's gone on the past two years, but they will have the vantage point of seeing what was, what occurred, what was fabricated and where truth lay in the folds of panic.

But we're forging on in so many wonderful directions as writers and we're so excited about that!

A long time ago I learned to grab hold of the Serenity Prayer and discern what I could change... what I couldn't... and the wisdom to know the difference, and isn't that a marvelous thing?

So now I look forward to a new year knowing that I'm writing a bunch of fun mysteries... That our pumpkin farm is growing each year and I get to meet so many people... that our family is working together on multiple projects and I love that. And... not for nothin'.... my 70-year-old awful upstairs bathroom is being REMODELED. :) Right there is reason enough to set some fireworks off!!!! If I said it was a wretchedly awful bathroom, it is not an exaggeration, darlings, but it is gone... and about to be rebuilt. So that's happy stuff.

But on serious notes many of the Seekers and villagers have said goodbye to family and friends this year and that's never easy. It's a heartbreak and a heartache and that stinkin' hole that's left gaping can only be filled by our love for Christ and time. I never assume to know how folks are feeling when they lose a loved one because we are all different... but I know that ache. That longing. Those tears.

So let's move on together. We'll laugh. We'll cry. We'll keep copious boxes of tissues on hand because the weirdest things spur tears. And we'll hug... Around here we hug a lot, and we ignore folks who tell us not to hug because oh my stars....

Hugs are essential to my well-being. And that's that.

So from all of us in Seekerville to ourselves, our Seeker sisters, our Seekervillagers and readers and writers and friends, we wish you the best and brightest in 2022!

Go boldly forth. Grab hold. Both hands if needed... and may the peace and love of Christ our Lord be with every one of you. Thank you for hanging out with us... and just for being you.

We've been blessed to share this journey with you for all these years.... and just as blessed to embrace it this year.

Godspeed! 

Multi-published, bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne is living her dream of writing delightful stories while running a crazy-fun, will-keep-you-in-shape pumpkin farm in Western New York with her family. She loves God, her family, her country, chocolate, dogs, puppies, and growing things! She's particularly fond of her grandkids and loves watching them do pretty much anything because that's the fun of being the Grammy! Email Ruthy at loganherne@gmail.com or follow her on Facebook or stop by her website ruthloganherne.com She loves to hear from readers and writers. 

Utilizing Amazon’s Buying and Gifting eBooks for Others Feature

I’m the queen of jumping into something, being all gung-ho for a few weeks or months, then forgetting all about it. I’ll sign up for something (usually something that COSTS me), and then forget about it. Months or YEARS later, I realize I’ve been paying for something I never use.

Some examples that I’m not proud of: 

A gym membership: Took me months to get the gym to stop charging my card. :(

eBates: Signed up years ago, got a nice bit of cash back on some purchases, then promptly forgot about it. The good news is that ebates was bought out by Rakuten, and I switched over last year. The good news is that Rakuten doesn’t COST me anything, but if I remember to use it, it SAVES me a few dollars, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you like, check out my Passive Income [https://seekerville.blogspot.com/2020...] post from last year that deals with this a bit.

And, most recently, I’m really, REALLY upset with Hootsuite. Their plans jumped over 500% from 2020 to 2021, so a plan that costed $119 a year ago now costs $588 a year. NOT COOL. So if you use Hootsuite and have it on auto renewal, be aware. But anyway, that’s another kettle of fish that’s going to get stinky soon. :)

But I digress….

Today’s post digs deep into Amazon’s Buying and Gifting eBooks for Others option which is an author’s friend.

Now, if you don’t want to read today’s entire post, just click on the link above to see what Amazon says about the process, and you’ll be all set. However, I do have some ideas and tips for you so that you do as I say and not as I DID five years ago. :)

So, let’s get started. Here’s the skinny from Amazon’s Buying and Gifting eBooks for Others page:

You can promote your books buying single units to send to specific people or buying multiple copies to offer to a bigger audience. 

  

• Buy for Others – eBook gift (single copy): You can gift a single eBook. When you gift an eBook, the recipient receives a redemption code and can choose to accept your eBook gift by redeeming the code. You can also exchange it for a gift card (US only).

• Buy for Others – Prepaid eBooks (single and multiple copies): You can purchase one or multiple prepaid eBooks as a gift in a single order. We create a set of redemption links (instead of redemption codes), one for each copy of the book. The purchaser can refund any unredeemed copies within 60 days or can re-gifted at any time. Recipients cannot exchange eBooks for gift cards or other products.

Pam again. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the “Buy for Others - eBook gift (single copy)” option where you gift an ebook to a winner of some giveaway program you’ve participated in, or perhaps you’ve offered to draw a name or two from your newsletter subscribers to gift one of your ebooks to.

All well and good, except then you realize that the book your subscriber chose from your stable of books costs $9.99. What if you had a handful of copies available that you’d purchased when they were put on sale by your publisher that you could slide into that slot for that winner? That’s where the “Buy for Others - Prepaid eBooks (single and multiple copies)” becomes your best friend.

In the first option, you log in to your Amazon account and purchase an ebook and send it to the recipient, usually with a “Congratulations, you won XYZ in the recent Ho-Ho-Ho giveaway!” Yada-yada. Unless all the stars have aligned, you’re going to pay full price (whether that’s $2.99 or $9.99) for that ebook that you just gifted on the fly.

In the second option, you purchase a handful of copies when they’re on sale and have the redemption links send to YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. Then weeks, months, YEARS (cough-cough), you use those $0.99-$1.99 ebooks for giveaways.

But there’s a CATCH!!! Well, not really a catch, but… Don’t do like PAM did and FORGET about your stash of ebooks just waiting to be gifted. (Face-palm!!!)

So, let’s start with the basics: How DO you purchase in bulk in the first place? Again, Amazon makes this process pretty painless on the page I shared above, but I’ll walk you through the steps here.

To buy Prepaid eBooks (single and multiple copies) to send to others: 

1 Go to the eBook's detail page and find Buy for Others.

2 Choose the quantity. On Amazon.com, choose a quantity greater than 1.

3 Enter recipient email address(es) to have Amazon send to the recipient(s) on your behalf (optional).

4 Complete your purchase.

If you didn't send all copies at checkout, you'll get an email with instructions to retrieve redemption links. You can also go to Your Account › Your Orders › Manage eBooks to copy and send redemption links to your recipients. 

Pam again: Notice that even with this option of buying multiple ebooks, you CAN go ahead and enter recipient email addresses (see step 3) if you’re ready to do that. But the purpose of this strategy is to have a few copies that you purchased when they were on sale to use for later promotions at your leisure. The sentence that I changed to red is the key. Just don’t enter recipient emails and you’ll receive an email with the dedicated redemption links for each ebook you purchased on this order.

Now, how do you keep UP with this stash of orders? There are two ways, and I recommend both.

1) Create a spreadsheet of your orders. This can be as simple or detailed as you like. The most important part is to include your Amazon Order # and the link to your Digital Orders. That way even if it’s been a year or more, you can easily plug in that order # on your Amazon account and see how many copies you still have left that haven’t been claimed. You can include book title, # of copies ordered, date, etc., but the main thing is the Order # so you don’t have to dig through everything else on your Amazon account to find unclaimed ebooks.

2) If you think you might already have unclaimed ebooks on your Amazon account, follow these steps to check:

                  a) Go to Account > Content and Devices

b) Change “View Books” dropdown to “Gifts”

c) Change “All” to “Unclaimed”

Now you can see if you have unclaimed ebooks languishing on your account. If you’re ready to do something about those unclaimed ebooks, you can follow through on Steps d-g…

d) Either Resend the Gift email OR select change recipient email if it’s been a long time since you sent the gift..

e) Enter your email address as the new recipient

f) Check your email and the ebook is now in your “holding” stash for later

g) OR… you can at that point Request a gift card credit.

#g wasn’t even on my radar, but as I worked through this post, it quickly moved up the chain of importance. If you gifted someone a copy of an ebook at full price like FIVE YEARS AGO (because you were committed to one of those Ho-Ho-Ho!! Promotions when your ebook wasn’t on sale!) and the book was never claimed, AND you also have copies that you purchased at a discount sitting in reserve, then it makes sense to request a gift card on that OLD EXPENSIVE ORDER and get that $7.99-$9.99 back. (I had 2 of these from 2016. 2016??? Seriously? I paid $7.99 (each) for them and they were never claimed. You can bet I’ll try to get that gift card credit, and then buy 4-5 when they go on sale again. 

Update: As I was working on this post, I went ahead and requested a refund for both of these gifts that were never claimed… I paid $7.99 for the books in 2016. They’re listed at $2.99 now. Requesting a refund was a no-brainer. The gift card balance on both were approved immediately. $15.98 applied to my Amazon account! Boom!)

Who benefits the most from this strategy? A traditionally published author or an independently published author? I would say that since you have no control over when your publisher will put your ebooks on sale, then using this strategy on your traditionally published books would be a good plan. Not to say that having a copy or two of independently published ebooks to gift would be a bad idea, but typically you can gift those direct if you’re not concerned with the person pirating the copy in some way. Also, my understanding is that you won’t get royalties on any of these ebooks until they are “claimed” by a reader. Since racking up royalties isn’t the point here, that’s sort of an aside, but I thought I’d mention it, just in case the question came up.

Final Tip #1: If you (or a group of authors you’ve partnered with) ever decide to UNPUBLISH an ebook or a collection, check your “stash” of ebooks available to give as gifts. Give those away before the ebook/collection is unpublished. Otherwise, you’ll lose those few copies forever and have no way of getting your money back OR gifting a (now) unpublished ebook. I only had this happen with a couple of ebooks that someone never claimed. If I had been on top of my game, I could have refitted those before the collection was taken down. Fairly cheap lesson to learn, though.

Final Tip #2: I’m sure that buying a handful of ebooks on sale throughout the year might not be high on the list of things for readers and bloggers to do, but if you do enjoy giving ebooks to family and friends, or even gifting them through your blog, then this strategy will also work so that you have a small stash of .99cent or $1.99 ebooks ready to gift whenever the urge strikes.

So, there you go. I thought I’d have a really short post this week, but I guess as usual, I’ve gone around the world to explain a simple process. Oh, well, sometimes more is better, yes?

Thoughts? Good idea? Bad idea? Pros? Cons? Let's chat!

And... what good would a post about finding long, lost eBooks do without offering them to readers, yes? So, here you go. Here's what you DO with those ebooks. You give them away. I'm on a mission to increase my followers on Bookbub, so that's the focus of today's giveaway.

Kindle eBooks - Two Winners - Winners Choice

Enter through the Rafflecopter widget

Also, I’m babysitting today since school is still out for the holidays, but I’ll check in as often as I can to hear your feedback.

Happy New Year!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The In-Between Times

Erica here. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends!



Here we are, on the Monday between Christmas and New Years. It’s a bit of a limbo time. The big rush of Christmas Day has passed, the gift giving, the caroling, the feasting is mostly done. And we’re days away from New Year’s.

But the kids are still home from school, there are still some family gatherings to navigate, and the need to start thinking about removing decorations begins in the back of your mind. You're stuck in the 'in-between' time.

In the writing life, there are lots of ‘in-between’ times, too.

The time between when you decide to write a novel and when that novel is completed.The time between when you submit a novel to an agent or editor and when you hear back.The time between when you hear from your agent that she is submitting your work to a publisher and when you hear a verdict on the submission.The time between when you get the call from your agent that a publisher is offering a contract and when that contract arrives and you can FINALLY share about it.The time between when you sign the contract and when you get your first edits, second edits, third edits, cover art, a release date, a marketing plan, and FINALLY hold the book in your hot little hands.The time between when book one and book two release.The time between your first contract and when you might get another one.
As you can see, there are lots of ‘between’ times, and these are only a few you may encounter. So what is a writer to do in those ‘between’ times?

This may sound boring, but the number one thing a writer should do is…WRITE. If you’ve submitted a novel to an agent, don’t sit by the inbox waiting. Write the next book. If you’re waiting to hear from a publisher, write the next book. If you’re waiting on edits from your publisher, write the next book.

With so much ‘between’ time factored into the writing life, it can be easy to fritter away the days, waiting, thinking, doing all the things that aren’t writing. But writers write. That’s all there is to it. Write a novella as a lead magnet for your newsletter. If you don’t have a contract currently, write the next book. Start a new series, target a specific publisher, and write the book!

Perhaps you won’t write at the same fever-pitch as when you have a solid deadline, but don’t waste time either.

 

Why, you ask?

1. Writer’s write, and your writing muscles will atrophy if you don’t use them.

2. More than one agent has gone to a client and said, “A publisher needs X in a hurry. Do you have anything that will fit?” If you’ve been resting on your laurels instead of writing, your answer will always be, ‘Um, nope.’ (Sad face emoji.)

3. If a publisher is interested in  you, they may very well ask, “What else do you have?” And believe me, you want to have lots of completed things to show them.

Those are just some of the reasons you don’t want to squander the in-between times. Rather than sit and be frustrated at not getting any news, get your fingers on that keyboard and create something new! Be a good steward of your writing time and opportunities, and don't waste the 'between times!'
Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies--and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors--not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?
The Debutante's Code is now out in the world! You can get your copy HERE: https://amzn.to/3GQnoZt Or wherever you buy your fiction! 


Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. She’s a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota, and she is married to her total opposite and soul mate! When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!

 

 

Sunday Scripture & Prayer Requests

The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Jesus Found in the Temple, James Tissot, 1886-1894,
Brooklyn Museum. [PD-US]

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast
of Passover, 
and when he was twelve years old, 
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning, 
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, 
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple, 
sitting in the midst of the teachers, 
listening to them and asking them questions, 
and all who heard him were astounded 
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished, 
and his mother said to him, 
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them; 
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.

Luke 2:41-52

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please join us in praying for our country!God Bless the USA!
We are so grateful for all of you—for your friendship and your support! 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe. 

    MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Seekerville is closed today as we celebrate the birth of...

 

Seekerville is closed today as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Please join us again soon!

What Would You Put Under the Tree?

Merry Christmas, Seekerville.

This is the time of year when everyone starts making their "best of" lists for 2021. My daughter, the librarian, has compiled her staff's picks for their favorite books of the year, and that gave me an idea.

Some of us still have presents to buy, some of us will get gift cards for Christmas, and some of us are just always looking for any excuse to buy a book.

So, today I have a question for you.

If you were putting the presents under the tree, what books would you pick to gift? What were some of your favorite reads this year??

I'll get us started.

One book I loved this year was Patti Callahan's Once Upon a Wardrobe - I read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe with my 6th grade class earlier this year, so I was fully ready to return to Narnia with Patti in this enchanting story.

The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor was another book I really enjoyed this year. It's a murder mystery set in Ireland and on Long Island. A little gritty, but I loved how it reminded me so much of the Ireland I visited several times back in the early 80s.  I enjoyed the sequel, A Distant Grave, even more, and I'm really looking forward to Book 3, The Drowning Sea, out this spring.

The third book I'll mention is All the Ways We Said Goodbye, a complex tale (or three tales) written by three separate authors, but the stories are completely entwined. Karen White, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig weave their story through France in WWI, France in WWII, and France in 1964. I loved how everything tied all together in the end.

Please let us know, what book would you recommend to go under the tree?

A Carol of Christmas

 

Silent Night, Holy Night. All is Calm, all is Bright…

Are you humming the tune to yourself? It’s the ultimate Christmas song, isn’t it?

What is it about this hymn that speaks so well to that deep place in our souls?

Maybe it’s the image the words invoke – the stable, the joyful receiving of a newborn baby, the night filled with stars –

Maybe it’s the nostalgia. How many Christmases have you sung this song at a Candlelight Service at church? How many idle moments spent humming the tune?

Just hearing the opening bars takes me back to a cold Christmas Eve at least sixty years ago and a snowflake-filled sky. The hymn spans the time and brings that scene to mind once more.

 
It’s all of that, isn’t it? But when I think of this Christmas hymn, it is the poetry that speaks to my heart the most.

Silent. Holy. Calm. Bright.

Mother and Child.

The Child? A baby.

But not just any baby – this baby is the Savior of the World.

This baby is the long-awaited Messiah.

And then another tune comes to mind…
How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given. So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.

The Hope of mankind, given so humbly. So silently. So gently.


During this Christmas week I intend to put away the trappings that have been distracting me since the end of November. Shopping, wrappings, trees, baking (endless baking!) Even Christmas parties and church preparations.

Putting them all away for now because the time of preparation is nearly over.

Christmas Day is nearly here… It’s time to let silent contemplation have its way.


Joy to the World! Our Lord is come!
Have a blessed and joy-filled Christmas!