"Everyone's favorite characters are filled with holiday spirit. And when a swirling snowfall brings them to Main Street for a snowman-building contest, the spirit of competition comes alive as well."--Jacket.
In the first work, the inhabitants of Mitford join together at Christmastime for a fun-filled snowman-building contest and in the second work, Esther Bolick considers not giving her expensive holiday cakes to friends that have disappointed her.
The first novel in #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon’s beloved series set in America’s favorite small town: Mitford. It's easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable. Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won't go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that's sixty years old. Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich comedy about ordinary people and their ordinary lives.
From Jan Karon, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mitford series comes a collection of Father Tim's favorite words of wisdom and spiritual inspiration... For years, Mitford’s Father Tim Kavanagh has transcribed into his dog-eared journals words of wisdom, faith, and encouragement. Written in his own hand or typed on his idiosyncratic Royal typewriter, A Continual Feast contains the lively ideas, common sense, profound wisdom, and plain good humor he has gleaned from the likes of C. S. Lewis, Emily Dickinson, William Blake, Helen Keller, G. K. Chesterton, and Will Rogers, to name just a few. Together with its successful companion volume, Patches of Godlight, Father Tim’s latest quote journal is sure proof of the truth of an entry from Lord Byron: "A small drop of ink produces that which makes thousands think." This entertaining and useful handbook is for all those who relish a good “Aha!,” including authors, clergy, speechmakers, dog lovers, and anyone who enjoys provocative insight into everything from the righteous to the ridiculous.
Get to know the lovable cast of characters that populate the small town of Mitford in this inspirational novel in Jan Karon's #1 New York Times bestselling series. Millions of readers have come home to Mitford, the little town with the big heart, whose endearing and eccentric residents have become like family members. But now change is coming to the hamlet. Father Tim, the Episcopal rector, and his wife, Cynthia, are pondering retirement; a brash new mayoral candidate is calling for aggressive development; a suspicious realtor with plans for a health spa is eyeing the beloved house on the hill; and, worst of all, the Sweet Stuff Bakery may be closing. Meanwhile, ordinary people are leading the extraordinary lives that hundreds of thousands of readers have found so inviting and inspiring.
A new must-have collection for fans of the New York Times bestselling Mitford series, featuring the prayers, sermons, and inspiration from beloved Father Tim, as well as new essays and reflections on faith from author Jan Karon. Over the course of fourteen novels, millions of readers have fallen in love with the faith, encouragement, and wisdom that are at the very heart of Jan Karon's Mitford series. Now, for the first time, readers will have the chance to walk with Father Tim through a collection of prayers, sermons, and inspirational passages that incorporates material from each of the novels. In addition, fans will get to hear directly from author Jan Karon, in a brand-new essay about her own personal journey in faith and the ways that the Mitford novels have impacted her. Full of advice and inspiration from the characters that fans have followed for years, this beautifully designed compilation will soon become a staple for any Mitford reader.
Experience the joys of a small town Christmas in this novel in the beloved Mitford series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon. Millions of Americans have found Mitford to be a favorite home-away-from-home, and countless readers have long wondered what Christmas in Mitford would be like. The eighth Mitford novel provides a glimpse, offering a meditation on the best of all presents: the gift of one's heart. Since he was a boy, Father Tim has lived what he calls “the life of the mind” and has never really learned to savor the work of his hands. When he finds a derelict nativity scene that has suffered the indignities of time and neglect, he imagines the excitement in the eyes of his wife, Cynthia, and decides to undertake the daunting task of restoring it. As Father Tim begins his journey, readers are given a seat at Mitford's holiday table and treated to a magical tale about the true Christmas spirit.
True stories that illustrate the profound impact that focusing on a single word—such as balance, surrender, or believe—for a whole year can bring you, from award-winning, perennially bestselling writer Debbie Macomber. In a world overwhelmed with meaningless words, the simplicity of one perfect word becomes profound. In One Perfect Word, Debbie shares stories of how her life changed for the better when she took the time to intentionally focus on a single word for an entire year. Words like “surrender,” “believe,” and “purpose” took on new meaning for Debbie when she tried to live by them. Learn how Debbie discovered that the word she chose often foreshadowed the crisis she would face in a particular year. For example, the year she chose the word “balance,” her career moved to a whole new level. The pressures on Debbie to be speaking, promoting, and mostly living on the road were overwhelming. It was her yearlong focus on that all-too-difficult word balance, and a plea from a lonely granddaughter, that helped her refine her schedule. You’ll be encouraged to find your own word to guide you, and see how one perfect word can make all the difference in a spiritually fulfilling life. In the tradition of One Simple Act and God’s Guest List, One Perfect Word is full of inspiring stories about how just one word can change someone’s world.
Follow Father Tim and Cynthia on their journey to research his Kavanagh ancestry in the Irish countryside in this novel in the beloved Mitford series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon. Vacation—the very word has been foreign to Episcopal priest Tim Kavanagh. Now retired from tending his flock in the village of Mitford, he is making good on a promise to show his wife, Cynthia, the charming land of his Irish ancestors. But after arriving at a Lough Arrow fishing lodge in the midst of a torrential downpour, the charm disappears. They find their holiday upended by an intruder, a treasured painting is stolen from the lodge, and a family conflict dating back nearly a century turns even more bitter. As three generations struggle to find deliverance from the crucifying power of secrets, Tim and Cynthia stumble upon a faded journal that might just explain the crime—and offer a chance at redemption.