NAUGHTY OR NICE? Meet three sophisticated women who aren't above a little mischief under the mistletoe to relieve holiday stress. CHRISTMAS PRESENCE ~ Donna Birdsell Young widow Astrid Martin wants to boycott Christmas—but her husband's ghost won't let her! Before long she has a tree, even a gift-wrapping job at the mall, where she meets the man who holds the key to her Christmas future. SECRET SANTA ~ Lisa Childs When Maggie O'Brien receives gifts from a secret Santa, she suspects one of the three men in her life has finally wised up to how special she is. Who's the mystery man—her ex, her boss, or that good-looking car mechanic? Come Christmas morning, will true love be waiting under Maggie's tree? YOU'RE ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS ~ Susan Crosby Divorcée Lauren Wright opts for a Bahamas Christmas getaway—only to be stranded at the airport by weather. But a very personable fellow traveler makes the time fly—and temperatures rise. Bahamas or no Bahamas, things are about to get steamy….
Worst Christmas ever. Christmas was about traditions. Currently, Zay and her mom had about five traditions, things like gingerbread cookies and tree decorating. Not going to work. Zay has to stay home. On Christmas. Alone. Mom said her boss felt real bad about the whole thing so he was sending a nanny. It just keeps getting worse. She's fourteen years old. She doesn't need a nanny. But then the nanny shows up. She's not really a she. Or a he. More of an it. The nanny shows her that it's not really magic that makes Christmas special. It's the adventure. And when it's all over, she'll never forget. The best Christmas ever. This is an introduction to the Claus Universe, a series of original retellings of holiday legends.
Hannah is a plump, re-headed pre-teen struggling with various elements of her life including the search for the perfect dog who will brighten her life . See how she learns one of life's most valuable lessons on a comically disastrous Christmas.
From the influenza pandemic of 1918-19 and a Christmas that never was to a modern day Christmas that almost wasn't, two young girls are brought together for one mysterious and uplifting holiday.
Previously published as Christmas Presence: An Advent Devotional by Ray Cummings and Scott Hanberry. Advent is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It traditionally encompasses the four Sundays leading up to Christmas and is centered around the four themes of hope, peace, love, and joy. This devotional is a little longer; it is a 41-day journey. The number 40 shows up often in the Bible, commonly in contexts dealing with judgment or testing. Forty-one often represents victory or an end to the trial or testing. The 41 series guides you past judgment to the deliverance, past the testing to the testimony. These forty-one days of Advent readings will help you and your family prepare your hearts for the celebration of Christ''s Nativity and the anticipation of His Return! For Christians all around the world, Advent is a season of waiting. Individually and collectively we wait for the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Advent is clearly tied to the coming of Christ, but what if we began to see more than just a celebration of Christmas, "The First Advent"... What if we anchored our hope in a future glance? Yes, we look forward to Christmas as a reminder of Christ''s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but few Christians invest mental energy in anticipation of His second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. The word advent itself means "arrival" or "an appearing or coming into place." And so this season of Advent should be a time when we also wait with great anticipation for the ultimate arrival: Jesus'' Second Coming! His arrival at Bethlehem changed everything and His promise of return secures our hope. In this time of waiting the experience might be different from household to household and believer to believer. For some, Advent is an experience of joy, peace, and love while others desperately long for the same. Some will experience a time of family gatherings, festive meals, renewing friendships, and the reunion of relationships, while others experience empty baskets and empty chairs, separation, brokenness, and loneliness. Isolation and separation have marked the past year. Pandemic quarantine has brought about a nagging sense of loneliness and disconnection. However, isolation and loneliness are not modern-day problems. They are as old as human relationships and they are by-products of a much deeper issue than a pandemic...they are rooted in sin. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, their first inclination was to hide. Simply put, sin separates. But separation was never God''s intent. The story of Scripture begins and ends with the presence of God. God''s desire and His design is to dwell with His people. In the book of Genesis, Eden is the first couple''s home but, more importantly, it is God''s sanctuary--the garden temple where the Creator and his image-bearers relate (Gen 3:8). However, their disobedience cut them off from God, Who is the very source of life. Death entered. And so, people felt the ache of separation. They felt a longing to be in His Presence. They experienced a sense of exile. And that''s where Jesus steps into history and therein lies the hope of His Arrival! His Presence equals hope! This sentiment was captured in the Christmas Carol, O'' Holy Night... Long lay the world in sin and error, pining, ''Til He appeared and the soul felt it''s worth A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn''! Emmanuel, also called the Christ, changed the world. At that moment when God became flesh, humanity watched prophecies unfold as hope was born. Jesus, our Emmanuel, provided hope that sin and death wouldn''t always win and mankind wouldn''t always feel so painfully alone. Join other believers in a 41-day journey of anticipation of God''s presence!
NAUGHTY OR NICE? Meet three sophisticated women who aren't above a little mischief under the mistletoe to relieve holiday stress. CHRISTMAS PRESENCE Donna Birdsell Young widow Astrid Martin wants to boycott Christmas--but her husband's ghost won't let her Before long she has a tree, even a gift-wrapping job at the mall, where she meets the man who holds the key to her Christmas future. SECRET SANTA Lisa Childs When Maggie O'Brien receives gifts from a secret Santa, she suspects one of the three men in her life has finally wised up to how special she is. Who's the mystery man--her ex, her boss, or that good-looking car mechanic? Come Christmas morning, will true love be waiting under Maggie's tree? YOU'RE ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS Susan Crosby Divorc e Lauren Wright opts for a Bahamas Christmas getaway--only to be stranded at the airport by weather. But a very personable fellow traveler makes the time fly--and temperatures rise. Bahamas or no Bahamas, things are about to get steamy....
This collection of true stories from bestselling author Karen Kingsbury celebrates the mystery and wonder of Christmastime. A chance encounter that changes everything . . . help that appears from nowhere . . . kindness when it's least expected . . . We've all experienced miracles in our lives. Now Karen Kingsbury has collected a series of real-life stories about people whose lives were changed by the mystery and wonder of Christmastime. In each of these stories, Karen brings undeniable proof of God's presence in our lives. And with an uplifting voice, she gives us a joyous reminder of the true meaning of Christmas: the greatest miracle of all is opening our hearts to love.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury shares a collection of inspiring true stories from women whose faith has sustained them through monumental trials. For mothers, wives, sisters, and friends, this book will uplift the hearts of its readers through accounts of faith proving triumphant over any obstacle.
Controversial yet beloved among audiences, Christmas-themed horror movies emerged in the early 1970s and gained a notorious reputation with Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), depicting Santa as an ax-wielding maniac. Some parents and conservative groups condemned the film, while others embraced the portrayal of Yuletide as a backdrop for fear and dread. Drawing on interviews with directors, producers, special effects artists, photographers and actors, this book celebrates the sordid, colorful history of the Christmas horror subgenre. Psycho Santa films such as Christmas Evil (1980) and 3615 code Pere Noel (1989) are examined, along with "Yule-Die" slashers like The Dorm that Dripped Blood (1982), Black Christmas (1974) and Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972). Commercial successes like Gremlins (1984) and Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) are covered, as well as more recent releases such as Better Watch Out (2016), Red Christmas (2016) and Deathcember (2019). Rare photographs, promotional materials and an annotated filmography are provided.
Energetic, upbeat, and inspired by Classical style, this anthem for the Advent season is based on scripture from Isaiah 2. From Christmas Presence (65/2093L), the theme of anticipating Christ's birth is spoken through an infectious rhythm and irresistible melody that culminates with a segment of "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."
