Jesus – the True Light
When I was a little girl I always looked forward to the night our family would pile in the car to go for a drive to see the Christmas lights. We’d wander all over SE Portland, but we would always end up at one particular street near Mt Tabor, just a few miles from our home. I don’t remember the name of the street, but we called it Candy Cane Lane. This cul-de-sac included about 20 houses all on one side of the street with a park on the other, and it ended with a large turnaround. Every house on Candy Cane Lane was decked out with an amazing array of twinkling lights and Christmas figures in the yard. One house even had Santa’s sleigh and eight reindeer on the roof! Sometimes residents dressed up in costumes and passed out candy to the kids in the cars. We always loved that!
But my favorite part of visiting Candy Cane Lane came when we reached the turnaround at the end where a live nativity had been set up. All the cars would slow down as they drove past to look in the stable to see the wise men and shepherds, and Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus in the manger. We’d roll down our windows and listen to Away in the Manger or Silent Night playing in the background. It was a magical moment.
I loved visiting Candy Cane Lane and seeing all those colorful decorations and twinkling lights . . . but seeing the manger scene and remembering the true meaning of Christmas is what made it so very special. That Candy Cane nativity scene made a deep impression on my heart. And the memory still stirs a sense of wonder today. Jesus . . . the True Light of the World.
“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12
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Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of more than a dozen novels and novellas including The Governess of Highland Hall, Where Two Hearts Meet, and Snowflake Sweethearts. She loves to travel for research and on on ministry trips with her husband Scott, who is a pastor, author, and speaker. She enjoys connecting with reading friends on Facebook, Pinterest, and her blog/website: http://carrieturansky.com/
A Refuge at Highland Hall
A Refuge at Highland Hall, the third and final novel in the Edwardian Brides Series, takes place in England in1915. The Ramsey Family and their staff and friends face the dramatic challenges and losses of World War One, yet they also experience hope and triumph as they put their trust in God to carry them through. Penny Ramsey helps her family welcome a group of orphaned children to Highland Hall, but she soon discovers caring for them is more difficult than she expected. She writes to Alex Goodwin, a daring British pilot, who chases German Zeppelins across the sky over the front line in France, and she longs for the time when she will see him again.
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