Cynthia Ruchti | Spread the Christmas Joy

The Christmas Pageant That Didn’t Stop

One year, our small church decided to expand our typical Christmas pageant to include more than the story of the birth of Christ. Through drama and music, we told the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as part of our Christmas celebration.

Children, moms, dads, and grandparents all had parts in this grand venture, counting on relatives and community members to people the audience.

Practices had their comic moments with forgotten lines and out-of-control sheep and angels and an odd mixture of darkened catsup representing the blood Jesus shed. On the day of presentation, the mood changed. A church member’s newborn played the part of Baby Jesus. That part was tender but expected for a Christmas service. But we carried the story beyond Christ’s birth.

Seeing people I knew well playing the parts of disciples, including Judas, sobered me as I sat watching the Upper Room scene from the piano, waiting for my cue for the next song. People like you and like me betrayed Jesus, doubted Him, abandoned Him. The scene in the Garden of Gethsemane gripped me with its impact. Jesus’ sleeping friends could have been me.

The audience held their collective breath—as I did—during the Cross scene. The man we knew as Dave played the suffering Jesus role well. But it was Jeannine—a grandmother drafted to play the mother of Jesus—who drove the story deeper into my heart that day.

When Dave (Jesus) was lowered from the Cross, the soldiers laid him in Jeannine’s (Mary’s) waiting arms. Her soft tears turned to wrenching sobs. Real sobs. No acting job. It was as if for the first time she felt the full weight of the sacrifice of “her” son, God’s Son.

We entered into her grief with her. Weeping swept through the sanctuary. The music swam before my eyes. A few minutes earlier, we’d seen a younger Mary cradle a Babe. Now we watched an older Mary weep over the loss of her Child.

Somehow my vision cleared, both figuratively and literally, and music ushered in the next scene. From the womb to the manger to the cross to the tomb to His resurrection. And even then, the story was only half told. Because of God’s gift of His Son at Christmas and Christ’s gift of Himself at the Cross, our own stories have a chance to breathe.

“The Father has sent the Son to be the savior of the world,” I John 4:14, CEB

Easter scenes in the Christmas pageant? Uncommon. Profound. Life-changing.

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Author and speaker Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in Hope through her award-winning novels, novellas, devotionals, nonfiction, and through speaking events for women and writers. She and her husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from the charming setting for An Endless Christmas. You can connect with her at http://www.cynthiaruchti.com or http://www.hemmedinhope.com .

Cynthia is offering a copy of An Endless Christmas (U.S. residents only)

On the way to Christmas with his family, Micah asks Katie to marry him. She says no, but there is no getting out of Christmas now. The Binder family celebrates every Christmas as if it were their last. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it's Christmas.

4 Gift Ideas: One Size Fits All

We've got a short little break from the Spread the Christmas Joy posts to take a second to think about GIFTS! I love giving gifts and really enjoy thinking through what to get my friends and family. You all know I'm part of the Adventure in Odyssey club and I've got some awesome news from them as well as 4 gift ideas from me below. Let me know what you think!

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Holiday to-do lists often become longer and longer as we get closer to Christmas. From holiday parties to host, Christmas pajamas to coordinate, family pictures, gifts to buy, travel plans to finalize, and more, the joy of the season can often be lost in the midst of the hustle and bustle.

Adventures in Odyssey and Odyssey Adventure Club have you covered. Karen Ehman and Glynnis Whitwer, authors of Everyday Confetti, share ideas and tips for simplifying and taking the stress out of the holidays. Pointing to the real reason for the season, they offer ideas to help you keep Christ at the center. Click here for a free broadcast download to learn how to simplify and de-stress your holiday season.

Speaking of de-stressing, let me help you out with your last-minute gift shopping. One of my top recommendations: the Odyssey Adventure Club (OAC) because it offers free content for everyone, including an Advent calendar, a broadcast download with tips to create a memorable Christmas, AIO cutouts and Christmas stocking stuffer cards. Membership to the OAC costs just $9.99 a month — or even less if parents make a six-month or one-year commitment. Enrollment provides more than enough content to keep kids engaged throughout the year:

• Access to exclusive content and first looks at books and select Radio Theatre dramas.
• On-the-go access to the OAC app for both iOS and Android users.
• 24/7 streaming access to nearly 800 AIO episodes.
• A new, members-only AIO episode every month.
• A subscription to Adventures in Odyssey Clubhouse Magazine, and more.

To learn more about the Odyssey Adventure Club, visit www.oaclub.org, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

4 Gift Ideas: One Size Fits All

1. Get creative

I am a big fan of thinking out side the box - you all know that here on the blog! One of the ways I do that for gift giving comes in the form of "gifts of the year". Now, I don't do this all the time or for every person, but it has come in handy multiple times in the past for me. What is this? Well, inspiration usually comes from searching Pinterest (yes, I'm one of those crafty people) and then finding something that I think my friends will like across the board. One year it was homemade sugar scrubs, the next year it was personalized silver necklaces, and so on. It helps to simplify things and pick one gift that can be customized for each person. Actually, giving the gift of Adventures in Odyssey to friends might be the perfect "one size fits all" gift!

Here are links to my Orange Vanilla Sugar Scrub & Sweet Brown Sugar Scrub

2. Get crafty

Yep, here's where Pinterest comes in again. I love making gifts. Rather than spending a bunch of money on things, I'll often try and make things that are useful and/or memorable. If you're a first-time crafter, make sure you pick something do-able, but otherwise, have fun! Enjoy the process. I guarantee that it will mean more because you put time into it!

Here's a "how-to" to make the scarf picture: Spoken Scarf
 

3. Get out

We tend to think of gifts in the way of items, but some gifts--like the gift of time--can be even more valuable. Think about that special someone you're getting a gift for and consider how you can "get out" with them. Maybe it's a nature hike, a sports game, or a museum that they've wanted to go to. Include some fun items related to the location or that can be used on the day and you've got a great gift! These types of gifts are perfect for best friends, spouses, children, or other family members! And hey, if you find yourself on a drive, you could listen to an Adventures in Odyssey episode along the way.

4. Get sentimental

My last gift idea make take a little more thought than the others. I find that gifts that hold special meaning are the best kind. They don't have to cost a lot to mean a lot. Think about the person you are giving a gift to. What is special about them to you? What things have you gone through together? What sticks out through the years (or time you've known them)? These things are the best things to build a great gift on. And don't limit yourself to one gift. Maybe it's a bunch of small gifts that combine to create a memory collage of you and that person. Either way, you know that the thought you've put into the gift will mean more than anything else.

What about you? Got any gift ideas to add here? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below.

Lorraine Beatty | Spread the Christmas Joy

I’ve enjoyed nearly seventy Christmas’s so far each one with special memories. Trying to pick one to share has been difficult. Between, my childhood, my marriage, my kids and grandkids, I could fill a book with Christmas memories. What I realized as I thought back was that each year had something beautiful, funny, touching or even poignant. The first Christmas without my grandpa, our first Christmas as man and wife, as parents, and the Christmas we enjoyed as new grandparents. Interestingly enough, while each was special none of them were perfect. That’s what made them so memorable.

One Christmas that stands out is my first with my husband’s family. I only had one brother, and one set of grandparents, so our Christmas celebrations were very small and low key. My husband is the oldest of seven and Christmas was a huge deal in his house. His dad liked to decorate so the house was filled with tinsel and lights and candles and all things Christmas. It could have been Christmas store all by itself.

Christmas morning was pure chaos. Paper and ribbon flying everywhere eventually covering the entire floor. The gifts were simple, but everyone got tons of packages. It was the first time I saw anyone put toys and goodies in a stocking. (I usually got oranges and candy.) I knew then that when we had children of our own, our Christmas would include lots of presents and lots of decorations. But it didn’t stop there. My mother-in-law is one of eight. Her mother was one of eight and she lived right next door. Christmas night everyone and I do mean everyone came to Grandma’s house and there were more presents. I counted the people once but lost track around eighty-two. What a fun day that was and it changed my concept of family and Christmas forever. I’m so blessed to have married into the Beatty family.

Whatever your Christmas day is like, enjoy it for what it is. Time with family and time to rejoice on the greatest miracle of all. The day God shed his glory and humbled himself to become human like us so in the end he could reconcile us to the father. Emmanuel.

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

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Lorraine Beatty is a multi-published, bestselling author born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. She and husband Joe have two grown sons and five grandchildren. Lorraine started writing in Junior High and has written for trade books, newspapers, and company newsletters. She writes for Love Inspired Books and is finishing up a ten book series Home to Dover, set in small Mississippi town. She is a member of RWA, ACFW and is a charter member, and past President of Magnolia State Romance Writers. Away from writing she sings in her church choir, loves to garden, spend time with her grandchildren, and travel. I love to hear from my readers. You can reach me at www.lorrainebeatty.com or https://www.facebook.com/Lorrainebeattyauthor/

Her Christmas Hero

Gemma Butler has a grand vision to transform the fledgling Christmas celebrations in Dover, Mississippi, and bring visitors to the town. It’s also the single mom’s last chance to provide or her son and revive her event planning business. But Gemma’s not the only one with something to prove. Linc Montgomery has the weight of the family business on his shoulders. And he’ll go down swinging before he’ll let anyone disrupt the traditions he holds dear. Yet when a storm threatens to destroy the holiday, he’ll join forces with the beautiful planner and discover she just might be the love he’s been searching for.

Christmas Comes to Bethlehem, Maine
A novella collection set around a small town nativity presentation.

This year, spend Christmas in Bethlehem, Maine, as the town prepares for annual living nativities. Will stepping into the roles of Mary and Joseph help empty nesters David and Kate Walters discover the joy of becoming parents again unexpectedly? Can a young pastor and a pretty choir member convince the town to be like three wise men of long ago when a devastating hurricane threatens tradition? Can veterinarian Leesa McElroy survive working alongside a man more at home with camels than Christians? Will the truth about singer Angeline Monroe’s abandoned career come to light at Christmas?

Amanda G. Stevens | Spread the Christmas Joy

Face Time

Every year, my family (parents, siblings, and one sibling-in-law to date) pick a day to shop in Frankenmuth. (Michiganders need no explanation for this tradition; to all others, I suggest Google.) My memory is Christmas last year, two days before Christmas, and we are piled into my parents’ van. We pull out of the driveway and, no more than two hundred feet down the road from their house, my dad hands my mom his cell phone (he’s driving) and says, “Call Scott for me.”

Cue groaning from the entire van. “Seriously, Dad? It’s Christmas. Leave Scott and his family alone.”

Dad: “No, no, it’s fine, I’ve just got this one thing I want to tell him.”

All of us: “Dad, seriously. You don’t need to talk to Scott right now.”

Dad: “Call Scotty for me!”

So Mom does, and Dad takes the phone back. Neither Scott nor my father ever just talk on the phone; they yell at each other as if there is no phone and they are trying to be heard over the miles. Next heard is a joyful, boisterous “HEY SCOTTY!” from my dad, followed by an easily-heard-through-the-phone, equally happy, “HEY BILL!”

I don’t remember what my dad needed to tell Scott on December 23 while driving to Frankenmuth, and I’m sure he doesn’t, either. But they were brothers in the faith and brothers of the heart, and when one of them called, the other always answered.

Until this past July, when Scott left this world to go home to Jesus. Unexpected is an understatement. An undiagnosed heart defect and subsequent rupture of the aorta did more damage to his body than modern medicine could repair, yet Scott hung around here in that physical frame for six weeks while we all tried to imagine what our world would look like without him. None of us had figured it out by the time he departed to enter the presence of his Savior. And we still haven’t, not really.

For some reason, that moment two days before Christmas is personally my most vivid memory of the friendship between my dad and Scott. Maybe because, as ridiculous as it is, I was irritated with my dad for a few minutes. We often teased him and Scott that they talked on the phone as often as two teen girls. Our eye rolling was good-natured, but the consensus in the van was that Dad had plenty of time to talk to Scott later and that Christmas is not the time to bug people.

We were wrong.

Do you love someone? Do they fortify your soul as they come alongside you on the glorious narrow road marked Christian Life? Do they say, “Let’s walk together, let’s be brothers/sisters on this journey”?

That’s who Scott and my dad were to each other. I’m grateful for the spiritual sisters of my heart who do the same for me. I pray that whoever you are, reading these words, you can think of one person who is walking alongside you. If you can’t today, pray that God will bring him/her. And then be willing to invest over time.

Yes, for many, this is an inconvenient thought for December. It’s easy to decide we don’t have time left to spend with Jesus and then shake our heads at the innkeeper who had no room. It’s easy to put people off, to promise to “reconnect after the holidays” and then go through the motions of social interaction without ever glimpsing each other’s hearts. Hardly the meaning of Christmas. In fact, possibly the worst observation of Christmas we could practice.

Jesus came for people. Came to give Himself. His coming would change the world, but for now, only a few got face time with Him—shepherds interrupted from their sheep-tending, Magi interrupted from their stargazing, willing to change their plans. Intimate moments—throughout the Bible, that’s what Jesus is always about.

So this Christmas, let’s come alongside each other. Like my dad and like Scott, let’s be ready to pick up the phone when we’re called on. And let’s be unafraid to call and shout (or just calmly say), “Hey! You matter! Merry Christmas!”

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As a child, Amanda G. Stevens disparaged Mary Poppins and Stuart Little because they could never happen. Now, she writes speculative fiction. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in English and has taught literature and composition to home-school students. She lives in Michigan and loves books, film, music, and white cheddar popcorn. Her debut, Seek and Hide, was a 2015 INSPY Award finalist.

Jennifer Hallmark | Spread the Christmas Joy

A Joyful Christmas Tradition

“A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing…” Proverbs 17:22, AMP.

Some traditions begin when others end. Every Christmas, our family looks forward to the Christmas Eve dinner at my house. We usually have around thirty people, spread all over the house, eating and fellowshipping. After we’ve enjoyed the turkey and ham and tasted the desserts, we gather in the main room for the highlight of the evening, Yankee Swap—or what we call “Dirty Santa.”

We all bring wrapped gifts of similar value, wrapped, and place them under the tree. After the presents are distributed, everyone picks a number and the fun begins. The packages and gift bags are opened and exchanged. Usually one gift stands out that everyone wants. It is passed around but after the third swap, it’s considered safe and can’t be traded again. There’s a lot of laughter and fussing, all in good fun. This year, we’ve added a new element to the game. You have to purchase an “As seen on TV” present to swap. I can’t wait to see all the unique offerings that show up under the tree.

It might surprise you to know that our fun tradition began during a time of grief. We’d always had our Christmas Eve dinner at my mother-in-law’s home until her declining health caused us to move it to our house. When she passed away, we all agreed that we needed to change some things to help with the healing. We still met on Christmas Eve but started the Christmas swap. Now I can’t imagine Christmas without it.

Don’t be afraid to try something new this year, especially if you’re going through a difficult season. Like our family, it might just become a joyful Christmas tradition.

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Jennifer Hallmark has published articles, short stories and been part of four book compilations, A Dozen Apologies, Sweet Freedom A La Mode, Unlikely Merger, and Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage. Jennifer’s website and the group blog she co-founded focus on her books, love of the South, and helping writers.
https://www.facebook.com/jenniferhallmark
https://www.facebook.com/authorjenniferhallmark
https://twitter.com/JenHwrites
https://www.pinterest.com/jenlhallmark989/
 

Leave a comment to win a digital copy!

Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage

Our society understands how terrible the loss of a child is when that child is out of the womb, but what about when a child dies before birth? Or what about the emptiness that comes when a very-much-wanted child is never even conceived?

These quiet, private losses are hard for those who have not experienced them to understand. And these losses leave those who have suffered them feeling alone in their grief.

Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage is a resource both for those who have suffered through these experiences and for their friends and relatives, who want to understand what their loved ones are going through.

This collection contains true stories that are:

• sensitive, and yet honest 
• angry and raw, but not despairing 
• unique, and yet relatable

The contributors to this book are male and female, old and young, some who eventually had children and some who never did, and yet despite their differences, they share a common grief and a common faith.

No experience of miscarriage, infant loss, or infertility is like any other, yet by reading these painful and hope-filled stories, you’ll be comforted by knowing there are others who understand the journey you’re on, the loss you’ve suffered, and you will find that even though your loss is uniquely yours, you are not alone.

Rachel McMillan | Spread the Christmas Joy

My favourite holiday is Christmas. I love it. From November 1 onward I am all Christmas all the time. Indeed, I get Christmas brain and it takes over my head and makes me walk around in a marshmallow fuzz, my ears jangling with chimed jingle bells on repeat mode.

I have several traditions with my family: decorating the Christmas tree, singing carols at the piano (we’re THAT family), but I also made a few Christmas traditions of my own from a young age: my annual Christmas reads.

These are stories that I revisit every holiday season, hopefully while visiting my mom and dad and sitting by their twinkling tree with a cup of something hot in my hand and homemade fudge at my elbow.

First and foremost Vienna Prelude by Bodie Thoene. Every Christmas, I re-visit Elisa and Murphy in the years preceding WWII. Elisa is a beautiful violinist hiding her Jewish heritage. Murphy is a brash reporter for the New York Times. Their love story is one of my all-time favourites. The hallowed silent nights of the Alps that gave birth to the famous carol, the bustling Viennese outdoor Christmas markets and the music!--the unending music---make this the perfect holiday read.

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle is an easy Sherlock Holmes story to find online. In this seasonal case, Holmes and Watson investigate the disappearance of a priceless jewel. It’s fun to see Holmes at Christmas-time. Watson (married and living away from 221 B Baker Street) visits to wish his friend “the compliments of the season” and stays for a whimsical mystery. Fun fact: my Christmas novella’s title A Singular and Whimsical Problem is taken from a line in The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle- like me, my fictional lady detectives read it every Christmas.

Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott which are basically the equivalent of mac and cheese with an egg nog chaser. They just fit like a cozy sweater. Within their pages, we meet young Rose Campbell and experience her trials and triumphs and eventual romance. There are Christmas scenes aplenty in 19th Century New England.

I am hoping that you will consider adding A Singular and Whimsical Problem to your annual Christmas reads. As such, I am happy to offer a giveaway (one digital copy) on Emilie’s fabulous blog! Check it out on amazon, nook, kobo and goodreads.

It’s Christmas 1910 and lady detectives Jem Watts and Merinda Herringford are ready to deck the halls. Unfortunately, their landlady Mrs. Malone has taken the opportunity to visit her sister and the domestically challenged duo is forced to do their own housekeeping! To add, a client and a case of a missing cat leads them down a rabbit hole with a surprisingly dark end. Will they have a happy Christmas after all?

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Rachel McMillan is currently spending too much time watching Hallmark Christmas movies. Her Christmas prequel to the Herringford and Watts series publishes just in time for the holidays. Rachel lives in Toronto with an extensive collection of Masterpiece Theatre dvds. Find her at her blog, instagram, twitter and facebook

Joseph Courtemanche | Spread the Christmas Joy

 Loaves, Fishes, and Butterfingers 

Ten years ago, my wife and I had a great year financially. We’d paid off our mortgage, I had a good job, and the extra money was rolling in for my Santa performances. I knew Christmas would be a very “green” season for us.

Living in a big city, we knew the homeless had a hard time at the Christmas season. It’s pretty tough to get in the spirit when you go back to a shelter in the shrubs near the railroad tracks. You can’t sip a cup of eggnog under the Christmas tree when you live under a tree.

Our church was used as a meals center for the homeless and lonely. Twice a month a great lunch was served on a Saturday to our guests. We decided that this time, this year, this season, we’d play Santa for others and share our blessings.

We started out at Sam’s club and loaded a couple of flatbed carts with Ziploc bags, oatmeal packets, gummy bears, cocoa packets, Milky Bars, granola bars, toothbrushes, and Butterfingers. Half a dozen rolls of wrapping paper later and we were ready to head to the church.

Three of our friends joined us for Chinese food and present wrapping. From my Deacon’s office in the basement I produced 150 pocket New Testaments. One per bag, one per guest.

Three hours later we’d gift wrapped the bundles for each person. To keep the packages safe, we put them in a large cabinet in the basement and locked the drawers.

That Saturday we handed out Christmas cards to all the volunteers, and had them sign them as though they were going to a family member. Each card included a message of love and encouragement.

I helped prepare the meal and then hauled a couple of trashbags full of gift packages up to the lobby once our guests had started eating. As they emerged from the elevator and stairwell I handed a gift to each person, wishing them a Merry and Blessed Christmas.

Smiles, tears, and exclamations of joy followed out the door into the cold winter’s afternoon. A couple of the men came back for one for their roommate - I knew there was no roommate, but a desperate man who needed a few hundred more calories in his stash for the lean times.

At the end of the day we stored the remaining bundles in the file cabinet where they’d been stored during the week. I went about life and decided to hand them out to the people who’d not made it during that service the next time we fed our friends.

Two weeks later, I stood next to the file cabinet and handed out packages again. No new faces that I could spot, so I decided to just hand them out until they ran out.

Every guest, each of the 150 or so who came that day got a package. I had four or five left at the end. That meant that we’d handed out almost 300 packages during two meals.

And that’s the miracle: we only prepared 150. Somehow God had kept that cabinet full each time I opened the drawer. Just like the loaves and fishes.

I was new in my faith at that time. I had walked away from God for almost 20 years and was called back after a business visit to the church. I’d experienced what I thought were miracles before, but this was tangible. I’d packed the bags, counted the ribbons, wrapped them all up and made sure we had enough for everyone to get one.

God is real. Miracles are real. All you need is to open your heart and let Him move within.

This year we’re doing the packages again. But that’s another miracle for another story.

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas. I’m sure mine will be.

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Joseph Courtemanche is the author of the award winning novel Assault on Saint Agnes which is scheduled for publication this coming spring. He writes a bi-weekly blog at www.commotioninthepews.com, and causes trouble almost everywhere he goes.

He’s also a professional Santa Claus who prays over every person who comes to visit him. But don’t tell anyone, he’s just talking to God in private.