Becky Wade's Blog, page 108

Christmas Isn’t Over Yet

As you may know, I write historical fiction set in early 19th century England, a period called the Regency era.  A large part of writing fiction set in another country more than 200 years ago is research, which I (thankfully) enjoy. I have especially found it interesting to discover similarities and differences between how the British used to celebrate Christmas—and in many cases still do—compared to how Americans celebrate today. (Research that helped me to write An Ivy Hill Christmas, which came out last year.)

In America, our yuletide celebrations seem to culminate on Christmas Day, with one last hurrah on New Year’s Eve. But in 19th century England, celebrations extended longer. After all, the Twelve Days of Christmas begin on December 25th and continue all the way until January 5th or 6th to Twelfth Night or Epiphany.

And, in the early 19th century, festivities centered more on socializing and less on gift-giving.  Charity was also a big part of an old English Christmas.

For example on December 21st people observed St. Thomas Day. On this day, elderly women and poor widows went to the homes of their wealthier neighbors to gather gifts of food or money to help them celebrate Christmas. It was not considered begging on this day, but their due. It was called “Thomasing,” or in some places “mumping,” or “a-gooding.” The women might sing or give out sprigs of holly or mistletoe. In return, wealthy landowners would give them a little money or parcels of wheat and tea, which were very expensive then.

Women “Thomasing”

But it was not only the very wealthy who were charitable. Many people prepared extra food to share with the less fortunate. Here’s a line from a letter from 1818:

I have been busily employed in preparing for passing Christmas worthily. My beef and mincemeat are ready (of which, my poor neighbors will partake), and my holly and mistletoe gathered.”

—A letter from “a wife, a mother, and an Englishwoman”

Clergymen often hosted Christmas dinner after divine services for their poorer parishioners, as this diary entry from December 25th, 1784 illustrates:

I dined today at 1 o’clock and [several] poor old people here also. After they had dined, I gave to each one Shilling 0.7.0. Pray God ever continue to me the power of doing good.”

—James Woodforde, The Diary of a Country Parson

Boxing Day is another example. On December 26th, servants would traditionally have the day off, and they were given “boxes” containing gifts of cast-off clothing they could sell or make over (fabric was expensive), food like leftovers or preserved fruit, and perhaps a few coins.

Also, churches collected money in alms-boxes during the season and distributed it to the needy on this day. (Boxing Day is still observed in Britain, but from what I understand, it is now a day for shopping sales and relaxing.)

A wealthy gentleman distributes food to the poor on Boxing Day. Thomas Kibble Hervey, The British Library.

At its heart, an old England Christmas was a time of family and faith, hospitality, and Christian charity, and those are things we can put into practice for all 12 days of Christmas, and all the year through.

Christmas because…Easter

I hope you all had a wonderfully blessed Christmas celebration with family and friends. As you read this, our four children, their spouses, and our ten grandchildren (with two precious babies on the way for an even dozen next year!) are all gathering at our oldest daughter’s house for a week of fun and chaos. Nineteen under one roof! Because we have several teachers in our family, it has worked best most years for us to celebrate together the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. It leaves the actual holiday free for our married kids to be with their in-laws, and it means that we are usually all together to celebrate Ken’s late December birthday. I’ve always said that I don’t care when we celebrate, as long as we are all together.

Each year, I like to share this artwork that my talented husband created many years ago. It is a sobering, yet glorious reminder of the profound REASON for Christmas. As hard as it may be for us to understand with human minds, Easter was the plan of our omniscient God all along. God—who knew from the beginning that His creation would sin and would need a Redeemer—sent His son, Jesus, into the world—”the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8 NIV). He came as a baby, yes, but ultimately, Jesus came to become the only sacrifice that could save us from ourselves. And only because “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), can we find forgiveness of our sins and the incredible, unspeakably blessed gift of eternal life.

As we head into a new year, I pray that you know this amazing Gift from God—His son, Jesus Christ—in a personal and redemptive way. God has made it so simple to accept His gift of new life that even a child can invite Jesus into his or her heart with a simple prayer: “God, thank you for the gift of salvation through Jesus. I repent of my sins and desire to follow you and the truth of your word, the Bible, from this day forward.” If you’ve never asked Jesus to come into your heart and give you new life, won’t you do that today? And if you have made that life-giving decision to follow Christ, I hope you’ll reflect on the profound implications of that decision and then share Jesus with someone who doesn’t yet know Him.

May these last few days of 2021 lead you into a 2022 overflowing with God’s blessings and grace.

Inspired by Scripture

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Merry Christmas from us to you

Southwest Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

Today, I’m sharing pictures from my family’s road trip this past week to New Mexico. It was so much fun to experience the Christmas season, Southwest style!

We kicked things off in the unique and charming town of Santa Fe. Our AirBnB was just a ten minute walk from the historic downtown.One of the oldest churches in America, built in the 1600s.The downtown was festooned in greenery for the season.I’m a card carrying chocoholic, so I’ve made a stop at Kakawa Chocolate House every time I’ve been to Santa Fe. Kakawa’s truffles are wonderful but the real gem is their liquid chocolate. This time, I ordered liquid chocolate spiced with chili. AMAZING!Southwest Christmas on Santa Fe’s town square.For years, traveling with my little kids was exhausting. I haven’t forgotten trying to survive long drives and flights by serving them a constant stream of snacks, board books, toys, and movies. My payback for all that effort? The fact that they’re awesome to travel with now at 21, 18, and 12.When people think of New Mexico weather, they think warmth and sunshine. And that’s certainly true. However, we were in the mountains at an elevation of 7,500+ the whole time. Highs were in the 30s and 40s.When we left Santa Fe, we resettled at a mountain cabin thirty minutes from the Sipapu Ski Resort.Lift tickets at most ski resorts are expensive, but not at Sipapu. It’s small and affordable. This early in the season, they didn’t have much snow so only a few runs were open. The girls didn’t mind. They became experts at the long, easy run!The sunset view from our cabin.Are you traveling over Christmas or New Years? Have you been to New Mexico?

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” John 1:4. I’m wishing everyone a Christmas filled with Christ’s light and life. I’ll see you again here at Inspired by Life…and Fiction in 2022!

Merry Christmas and Blessings!

We’re traveling and almost home, so this post will be short and quick. Thank you for reading with us this year! Thank you for all the ways you encourage us! My prayer is that 2022 would be year filled with blessings and peace. And may your Christmas season be filled with joy and family and friends.

Memories & Meaning

As 2021 draws to a close, I hope to move into the New Year with a heart filled with gratitude, a focus on savoring the small moments that mean so much, and the joy of making lasting memories. I want to ease my hectic schedule so I can slow down and enjoy the blessings God’s given me. Nothing brings me happiness like seeing my grandkids smile, my family laughing as we all gather, or the simple act of holding hands with my hubby while we walk along the beach. I love feeling squishy sand between my toes and the coolness of the ocean foam spraying over my feet. I find such peace being outdoors—in soaking up the feel of the sun’s warmth on my face, the softness of a gentle breeze, or the stillness of a fresh blanket of snow.

I find time spent in God’s creation helps me to feel closer to Him. Whether we’re swimming in the sea, hiking in the forest, or enjoying a picnic on a boulder at a favorite river. It’s in these activities and moments in which my mind slows down enough and all my senses kick in so I can just feel enveloped by the Lord’s presence and the time spent with family.

I truly believe that memories and meaning are deeply connected with one another. The memories we make, along with the remembrance of God’s work in our lives and His promises result in the culmination of meaning in our lives. How we live for Him and how we invest our time.

One memory I hold dear from a young age is the beautiful cardinal that would perch on my windowsill every morning and sing. Whenever my mom spotted a cardinal, she’d say “there’s your bird.” She bought me many cardinal gifts over the years, and every time I see a red Cardinal, I fondly remember my mom and my singing friend, and I’m filled with comfort.

As you move into 2022, I pray for a year of making wonderful memories and deepened meaning in our Lord.

What’s one of your favorite memories?

Merry Christmas and much love,
Dani

Tears in a bottle

As 2021 draws to a close, I imagine we’re all a bit skeptical of what awaits in 2022, understandably so. Which makes me especially grateful for the enduring truth that God holds all of our days in his hands.

This time last year most of us were probably thinking, “Wow, it’ll be so nice to have 2020 behind us.” Only to quickly discover that more of the same awaited us in 2021. Any way you look at it, it’s been a difficult last two years. So much heartache and loss, and yet it hasn’t been without incredible joy and blessing. God is so faithful to bring joy out of pain.

As he promises in Psalm 56:8…

“You keep track of all my sorrows.
    You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
    You have recorded each one in your book.“

TEAR JARS from New Lens Biblical Studies with Kristi McLelland

He loves you and me so much that he collects our tears in a bottle. Not one of them goes to waste. He sees every hurt and, in his faithfulness, uses those hurts to draw us to him and to shape us for eternity.

In the biblical world, Jewish women used tear jars to store their tears in times of grief and lament. I love it that the Creator of the Universes chose a commonly known practice to communicate the depth of his love and compassion for us.

Would you like to have a tear jar as daily reminder of God’s presence and care? Or do you know someone who’s had a particularly hard year who could use this reminder? Usually $45 each, these particular tears jars are currently 50% off at New Lens Biblical Studies.

The tear jar pictured above (named Live Like a River) is my personal favorite, but Kristi has others left too. Click to see the entire collection.

Finally, can you use prayer for a particular situation in your life right now?

Yes, we sing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” and it is as we remember and celebrate Christ coming in the flesh to make his home among us. But it’s also a difficult time of year. Is this your first Christmas without that dear loved one? Is this season an especially stressful one for you? Is everyone coming to your place and you’re feeling totally overwhelmed? Is a loved one sick or going through a really rough time?

Here at Inspired by Life and Fiction, we’re a community who prays for each other. And whatever is on your heart this week, only four days before Christmas, we want to pray for you. Just leave your request in a comment below and we’ll ask the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf.

I’d appreciate your prayers for Esta, my step-mom, who has pancreatic cancer. She’s just out of the hospital. Again. Esta is a jewel of a woman. She and Dad married when she was 79 and Dad was almost 80. They had been childhood friends and I love how, after Mom died, their paths crossed again. Dad’s been gone for over two years now and Esta still misses him dearly, as we all do. So I’d appreciate your prayers for her—for healing as the Lord wills, and for comfort and strength for her through the power of His Spirit. Thank you, friends.

I’m praying blessings and JOY for you in 2022, a year that God holds securely in his hands. Just as he does you and me, if you’ve surrendered your life to Christ.

Merry Christmas, friends, and see you again 2022,

Tammy

In anticipation of the release of Redeeming Love, the movie on January 21 (tickets are already on sale!), I’m giving away SIX Francine Rivers’ books this month on my website. Want one for your or a friend?

Enter today!

A Birthday Wish

December 20, 2021 

Happy birthday to me!  Today I am three-score and four . . . and I hope the Lord gives me more years to serve him. 

I’ll never forget the shock I felt a few years ago when I realized that I had entered the latter part of my life.  I think it was around fifty . . . suddenly I realized that I didn’t have as many years ahead of me as I had behind me. 

Wow. When we are younger, we think we have all the time in the world, don’t we? At eighteen, we feel immortal, and at thirty we finally feel mature. Ha! 

I remember sitting in the car with my mom—she was thirty and I was eleven. I was reading a biography of Catherine the Great. “Hey, Mom,” I said, looking up in surprise. “This book says that at thirty, Catherine was entering her prime.” 

“So?” Mom looked at me. “Don’t you think I’m in my prime?” 

I knew better than to answer out loud. 

In the last few years, when we’ve lost so many to disease, accidents, cancer, and all the frailties that beset mortal man, I’ve learned to be grateful for every day and to value each moment. To weigh my projects while considering my investment of time, because time is life, and we have a limited allotment of hours.

In my study of theology, I’ve realized that God, who certainly knows our birth date, also knows our death date. He exists outside time, and to Him, our lives are a blink when compared to the span of eternity. So why does He give us continuing weeks and years? He does because He knows we influence others while we live on earth—and this is when we can have an eternal influence on others. After death, we continue to live into eternity, but we will never again be with lost people. We will never have another chance to talk to them, write for them, do them a kindness or share a prayer. This life is it—our one limited opportunity. 

So when your birthday rolls around, thank God for the years He has given you, and pray to use your remaining days—no matter how large or small their number—for His glory. That’s what I’ll be doing when I blow out my candles tonight.  

Until next time—

~~Angie 

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashVerseoftheDay.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with Scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.