25 Days of Christmas Stories: Finding Home, a devotional by Lillian Duncan

Welcome Lillian Duncan to the blog today! She's an author who loves to create suspense-filled stories and wrap it up in a message that points people to Jesus Christ.

Today, she's here to share a devotional she wrote about prodigal sons and daughters. It's called "Finding Home."

Enjoy! :)

~*~
Finding Home

A holiday devotional written by Lillian Duncan

My latest release is No Home for the Holidays, a Christmas-themed suspense novella. Christmas and suspense? I love the challenge of finding a way to mix the two together. The gist of the story is about a “prodigal daughter” who wants to go home but knows she will put her family in danger as well as herself if she does.

That got me thinking…Christmas…home…prodigal!

In a way, we’re all prodigals, searching for our home here on earth.

Jesus left his home in heaven to come live among us so that we could go home to live there someday with our Heavenly Father and the rest of the family! Think what a joy-filled experience that will be! As Christians, we don’t have to wait until then to experience God’s joy.

One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 Peter 1:8: "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy."

WOW! Doesn’t that sound amazing, an inexpressible and glorious joy? Unfortunately, that inexpressible and glorious joy often gets lost in the details of our daily lives, especially during the busyness of Christmas.

We get so focused on the details of Christmas or life that we lose the joy of Christmas. But it doesn’t have to be that way—you may have noticed the word WOW that I used in the previous paragraph. Do you want the WOW back in your life?

Then how about…

W is for Worship. Spending more time worshiping God for who He is will put joy back in your life.

O is for Obey. Jesus said, “if you love me, then you will obey me.” God’s instructions are meant for our good. The more we obey Him, the more peace and joy we’ll experience.

W is for the Word Of God. There is no better way to find inexpressible and glorious joy than to study God’s Word. Life can be tough, but God’s Word will light our path. But first we have to know the Word to use the Word.

Now, a quick word about my latest release: No Home for the Holidays is a Christmas-themed novella. In it, Chloe Sullivan needs a miracle but has given up on getting one. As sad as it is, she’s resigned to the fact that she has to stay in hiding if she wants to remain alive as well as keep her family safe.

Ex-FBI agent turned preacher, Colton Douglas believes in helping others. When Chloe enters his life, he’s sure God has put her in his path for a reason—to help her. And that’s just what he plans to do, whether she likes it or not.

Both Colton and Chloe learn a great deal about themselves and about life as they face death.

At the beginning of this devotion I talked about how we’re all prodigals, searching for our home. Our home is God. He will never turn us away when we are searching for Him. And we should all be searching for him all the time.

So this Christmas season (and the rest of the year) put more WOW in your life. As you do, you’ll feel as if you’ve come home to God. Wishing you a very merry Christmas!

~*~

Exciting news for blog readers: To celebrate the release of No Home for the Holidays, Lillian is running a contest on her blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes. Five lucky winners will receive a $10 Amazon Gift card. So hop on over to www.lillian-duncan.com and leave a comment under the No Home For The Holidays blog post so you’ll be entered to win one of the gift cards!

~*~

Author bio:

Lillian is a multi-published writer with several Amazon.com bestsellers, including The Christmas Stalking and Betrayed. Lillian writes the types of books she loves to read: fast-paced suspense with a touch or two of romance that demonstrates God’s love for all of us.

Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit her official website, www.lillianduncan.net. "Tiaras & Tennis Shoes" is Lillian's personal blog and you can read it at this address, www.lillian-duncan.com.

Falling in Love with Jesus: Ordained Appointments

Welcome Barbara Ann Laws to the blog! She's here today to share her story about appointments in her life that were ordained by God. 

It's a powerful testimony and I believe you will be blessed by this message from one of God's faithful followers.

~*~

Ordained Appointments
A Falling in Love with Jesus story written by Barbara Ann Laws

Like some Christians, my son and I were Baptist. We were looking for a new church home after having moved, so we prayed to God about finding a church. In answer to that prayer, we found a Bible-teaching church in New Carrolton, Md. We joined AWANAS (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed), which is a Bible centered program that requires memorizing Bible text. This was one of my first recollections of God’s ordained appointments for my life.

The second ordained appointment in my life was meeting Dr. Warren Harrison who treated me holistically for arthritic pain by changing my diet. He gave me Bible Studies on health from Genesis to Revelation. After getting well, I started going to church with him. For a while, my son and I attended church on Sunday and Saturday. It wasn’t until a colporteur visited my home that I was able to connect the dots on worshipping on the true Sabbath. My son and I because we had attended a Bible teaching church, we understood when we heard the truth. We received God’s truth because we had memorized God’s Word.

When we understood the truth, we started attending church on Sabbath only. A “colporteur” or “colporter” is one who travels about selling and distributing religious tracts and books.

This was another ordained appointment as well because as a result, my son and I were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist faith. It is through studying and surrendering that I learned how much God loved me. On my baptismal day, I wore white and quoted John 14 in my vows. I was declaring Christ is mine and I am His and my life was not my own. Since that time, I recommit every morning. I know how easy it is to forget who is in charge. Jesus is gentle, kind, meek, and a loving Father. Like the woman who used the entire bottle of Alabaster oil, I love God because He has forgiven me much. God clearly affirms that He does not want me or anyone lost.

Since that time, I’ve had one growing experience after the other. Some are difficult and others are easy. Yet, God is my Shelter and Strength always ready to help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). I find that His love for me is far greater than I imagined. One thing for sure, God is always growing us. God is about relationships, Him with me and me with others. I thank God for the people He has put in my life to study His Word and pray together. I thank God for all his humble servants that try to think the way He does. I thank God for teaching me how to pray. Prayer is the most essential part of our Christian walk.

Here’s how I know: After doing a children’s story in church, I recognized the importance of relational prayers, which are a result of seeking God "putting on the full armor of God". After writing the book Are You Fully Dressed: A Christian’s Guide to Wearing God’s Armor, I asked God this question “Lord, what’s next?” That prayer was immediately answered. I received the money for publishing the book the next day. Our relational prayers are prayers that are within God’s will. God constantly communicates with us through the Holy Spirit, the Bible, others, dreams, visions and through Spirit of Prophesy. The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesy (Revelation 19:10). “God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do this work.”—The Great Controversy (pp. 8, 9).

In the epilogue of my book, I list the names of God as I embraced Him through my readings because while reading the Bible we should be searching for God’s name, Who He is to us and who we are to Him and what invitation or warning is He giving specifically to us in this case, me. I love Him because He first loved me, truly like no other.

So I invite you to have a relational prayer with God by putting on the full armor of God.

Salvation is found in Christ alone and we grow in Christ by putting on the full armor. May we all stand having our loins girded with Truth, so that in the end/beginning we may be able to stand on the sea of glass, casting our crowns at the feet of Jesus, singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Be blessed forever!

~*~

Author bio:

Barbara Ann Laws believes God’s Word and is devoted to a life of prayer. As the author of Are You Fully Dressed: A Christian’s Guide to Wearing God’s Armor, her book explains what it means to walk in the spirit and that unforeseen spiritual warfare is constantly occurring. Her guidebook gives simple but insightful tips for growing as a Christian. 

She enjoys explaining what it means to put on the full armor of God. 

Barbara is a retired federal employee and a college graduate. She is an avid writer having published several articles during her career in the federal government as well as church-sponsored writing.

25 Days of Christmas Stories: Interview with Krista Phillips, author of A (kinda) Country Christmas

Welcome Krista Phillips to the blog today! She's the author of A (kinda) Country Christmas and she wants to give away one paperback copy of it and also an audio book of her non-holiday related book, Sandwich with A Side of Romance.

Do you want a chance to win a book by Krista? You can enter the book giveaway contest by filling out the Rafflecopter widget below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway Keep reading for Krista's author interview. Questions from Alexis are in bold and answers from Krista are not in bold...

~*~

Alexis: I must say that “A (kinda) Country Christmas” is a unique and intriguing title for your holiday story! How did you create that title?

Krista: I'm weird about titles. I start with something simple as a filler and as I write, hope for some stroke of genius for a better title! I originally was going to title it the "name" of the store, but it just never felt right. And so I decided "A Country Christmas" since it was set in Gatlinburg, a VERY country tourist town. But my heroine isn't as country as she thinks she is, and I write with a bit of humor, so the (kinda) just added that just-right bit of extra fun!

Why did you choose Gatlinburg, TN as the setting for your story? Is it a real town or fictional? Describe the setting.

That is a funny story! My husband and I went for a quick weekend getaway (KID FREE! WAHOO!) to Gatlinburg this past summer. I was needing to write this Christmas novella and inspiration was FAR away from me. But that cute little town with its adorable little shops sparked my imagination, and I knew I'd found my local!

Sadie Jenkins is your leading lady in this story. Why do you say she’s a “kinda” country girl? Explain.

She's lived in the epitompe of "country" in a very country tourist town since she was 17. She owns a little country Christmas shop. But at her heart, she has a flair for modern that has been suppressed for many years. She doesn't realize it though as her whole life has revolved around raising her daughter and putting her own needs and wants on the backburner.

What’s Sadie’s backstory? Why is it that she “lives and breathes Christmas every single day of the year”?

Sadie has lived Christmas literally since birth. She was a late-in-life surprise baby, and her parents at the time worked as Mr. and Mrs. Clause in Santa Claus, Indiana. When she was sixteen, they moved to Gatliburg and opened The Bethlehem Boutique, a touristy Christmas shop. So she literally has been surrounded by Christmas her whole life!

How many years has Sadie owned and operated her store, “Bethlehem’s Boutique”? Tell us about it. What does it look like? Feel like when a customer walks in? What products are sold there? What makes it special?

It is a typical country Christmas boutique shop! They sell all sorts of Christmas decor including handmade items from local crafters. Every year they have a "centerpiece" tree that stands 10-foot tall in the middle of the store that has some WOW factor. Unfortunately, their tree this year has a mishap. But you'll have to read the book to find out how!

Maribelle is a beautiful name! She’s Sadie’s daughter. Tell us about Maribelle. Where is her dad? What happened to him?

Well, her name is explained at the end of the book, so I'll keep the WHY for her name a secret for now. Her dad was Phin, her mom's boyfriend who was not-a-great guy. Sadie found out she was pregnant when she was 16, and Phin didn't stick around. But that was 18 years ago...

What happened to Sadie to make her realize she has no time for the “bad boys of her past”?

Ah, see Phin's story above! After she gave birth to Maribelle, she vowed to devote her life to her daughter and never get mixed up with "bad" boys again.

Nate Myers is your leading man in this story. Tell us about his love for traveling the world. What is his career exactly?

Nate works as a Corporate Consultant who travels the globe, helping struggling companies find out where they are failing and assisting them in getting out of the "red"--- or helping them dismantle the company as painlessly as possible when that isn't possible. He doesn't really "love" traveling per say, but has a desire to "fix" things so his job fits him perfectly.

What draws Nate to Sadie and what draws Sadie to Nate?
Definitely a bit of an opposites attract! But then again, what draws them to each other is a big part of the story, so you'll have to read to find out more!!! :-)

What’s the moral of this story?

Nate lived life to please himself, and Sadie lived her life to please others. They both have to realize that both extremes are wrong, that true joy and contentment will happen when they live life to please God.

Complete this sentence: What I want readers to feel when they read this story is _________________ because ___________________!

What I want readers to feel when they read this story is joy because smiles make everyday a little bit better!

~*~

Author bio:

Krista Phillips writes Christian romantic comedy. 

She enjoys life with her husband and their four beautiful daughters in Tennessee. 

She is an advocate for congenital heart defect and organ donation awareness and blogs at www.kristaphillips.com.

~*~
Blurb for A (kinda) Country Christmas: 
Sadie Jenkins lives and breathes Christmas every, single day of the year. Owner of Bethlehem's Boutique in the tourist mountain town of Gatlinburg, TN, she has no room for the bad boys of her past and devotes her whole life to the struggling boutique and her teenage daughter, Maribelle. She's perfectly happy with her country-living life until he walks into her store. 

Nate Myers travels the globe for his job and has the bank account to prove his success. The former "bad" boy is in town for a short visit with his sister and is determined to not get caught up in all the Christmas hype. But then he falls for the beautiful shopkeeper—quite literally. 

Will these two (sorta) opposites be able to find a happily-ever-after together?

~*~

Buy Krista's book: 

Amazon.com e-book - http://amzn.to/1lNVJzn

Amazon.com paperback - http://amzn.to/1NSoDsn
Boxed Set (it is included in the Love's Gift box set) - http://amzn.to/1P6xxDu

~*~
Connect with Krista:
Website - www.kristaphillips.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/authorkristaphillips
Twitter - www.twitter.com/kristaphillips

25 Days of Christmas Stories: Interview with Paula Mowery, author of Love Again

Welcome Paula Mowery to the blog today! She's a wife to a pastor, mom to a college student, editor and author! Today, she is gladly giving away a free e-copy of her Christmas story, Love Again! Here's the cover photo for Paula's book:

You can enter the book giveaway contest by filling out the form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway Now enjoy getting to know Paula, the author of Love Again! 

~*~

*Words by Alexis are in bold, words from Paula are not in bold:

Alexis: Love Again is a Christian romance story. What message are you hoping to convey to your readers through this book? 

Paula: God is there when we experience loss in our lives, and He can even bring opportunity for a second chance at love. Things that we might see as setbacks might really be set-ups from God.

Ben is a soldier who’s returned from his duty overseas to raise his children after his wife dies in a car accident. What—or who—was your inspiration for this character? Describe Ben’s personality, strength and flaws. 

A few years ago my family was vacationing in Myrtle Beach. We love seafood, so we went to a local seafood restaurant. Our waiter was very kind and my hubby asked him a few questions about how he came to be working there. This was his story. His wife had been killed in a car accident and he gave up his career in the military to come home and raise his children. His story sparked the writer in me and I immediately started penning the story of Ben. The character, Ben, is determined and yet conflicted by his grief, which he has never really dealt with since losing the love of his life. He says he wants to move on and make a life for his children, but he deals with memories and guilt of whether he should know happiness or even love again.

Who is Jenna and how does she inspire Ben to “love again”? Give us insight into Jenna’s personality, hopes, dreams and life skills. 

Jenna is fulfilling the calling and desire of her heart by coming to a church in Myrtle Beach to be their new children’s minister. 

Her only knowledge of love has been a distracted and mostly self-centered Peter, who doesn’t understand her calling. Jenna moves to Myrtle Beach and moves in with her former roommate from Liberty University. Jenna meets Ben and his daughter at church and then again in the church’s daycare program. Jenna feels attracted to Ben but doesn’t know if she can compete with the memory of his wife.

Who was Jenna’s ex-boyfriend and why did she break up with him with no regrets? 

As mentioned above, Jenna’s ex-boyfriend is Peter. He is self-absorbed in that he can’t even put down his cell phone to have dinner with her. Then he is demanding in that he assumes that she will not work and just be his wife. He degrades her calling from God. She finally sees Peter doesn’t love her but the person he wants her to be for him and his business.

What is it about Ben and Jenna that instantly draws them to each other? 

The first draw is Ben’s daughter. Jenna knows just how to calm Avery’s nerves when starting the children’s weekday program. Ben is intrigued by how Jenna handles herself and also relieved with the help she gives with Avery.

What was the most challenging part of writing this story? 

The most challenging part was to make sure I was true to how Ben would feel losing his wife, someone he truly loved. I wanted to show the tug-o-war going on in his heart. But I also wanted to make sure it was the male perspective. 

What did you love the most about creating Love Again? 

Personally, I like a story of a second chance at love. And I have no idea what happened to the real Ben - the waiter. I suppose I hoped he got his happy ending with love again too.

What do you want your readers to cherish most about Love Again? 

I hope they’ll cherish the fact that God wants to lead us in our lives. Just as Jeremiah 29:11 says, He doesn’t want to harm us. He wants to give us a future and a hope.

What do you love the most about penning Christmas stories? Why? 

I will have to admit that I haven’t written many holiday type stories. I can speak for this one only. Love Again didn’t have an ending. When my publisher created this Christmas series, I remembered Love Again and knew that ending at Christmas time would round out the story perfectly.

Will you write more Christmas stories in the next years? If so, can you give us a glimpse into what it’s about and when your book(s) will be available for purchase? 

I don’t have a Christmas stories in the works right now, but I’m certainly open to being included in a series of this sort again.

I do have a book coming out at the end of April that is in another series from Prism Book Group. The first of this series which is called Love Is will release around Valentines Day. These books are based on The Love Chapter, First Corinthians thirteen from the Bible. My book is based on the part of the passage that states that love does not dishonor. The name of that book is The Crux of Honor.

Thanks for the interview, Paula! Would you like to share any closing thoughts? 

Thanks so much for letting me share about this story. I hope readers will enjoy reading Ben and Jenna’s story as much as I enjoyed creating it.

~*~
Author bio:

Paula Mowery is a published author, acquisitions editor, and speaker. Her first two published works were The Blessing Seer and Be The Blessing from Pelican Book Group. Both are women’s fiction, and their themes have been the topics of speaking engagements. 

Be The Blessing won the Selah Award in 2014 in the novella category. In November of 2013, her first romance released in the anthology, Brave New Century, from Prism Book Group. This book went to number five on Amazon’s bestseller category, historical Christian romance. Legacy and Love was her first solo romance and was a finalist in the Carolyn Readers Choice Awards in 2015.

Reviewers of her writing characterize it as “thundering with emotion.” Her articles have appeared in Woman’s World, The Christian Online Magazine, and the multi-author devotional blog, Full Flavored Living. She wrote a section for Join the Insanity by Rhonda Rhea. She has devotionals included in several collaborative books.

As an acquisitions editor for Prism Book Group, Paula particularly looks for romance stories with Christian values at its core. She’s especially attracted to those manuscripts that leave the reader mulling over the story long after turning the last page.

Having been an avid reader of Christian fiction, she now puts that love to use by writing book reviews. She is a member of ACFW and is on the author interview team. She was a member of the 2014 and 2015 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference faculty.

Paula is a pastor’s wife and mom to a college student. She homeschooled her daughter through all twelve years, and they both lived to tell about it. Before educating her daughter at home, she was an English teacher in public school.

~*~
Book blurb for Love Again: Ben Jacobsen never thought he would find himself leaving his role as a soldier and living his life without his beloved wife. But, his two young children need a present parent. 

Jenna Campbell moves to Myrtle Beach to take a Children’s Minister position, much to the disbelief of her boyfriend, Peter Callahan.

Through helping Ben’s daughter adjust to the church’s daycare, Jenna is taken by Ben Jacobsen. The feeling is mutual except Ben worries he is betraying his deceased wife.

Can Ben find a way to love again? Will Jenna remain in Myrtle Beach and give love a chance?

~*~

Buy Paula's book:

Amazon - http://amzn.to/1QFa0cH

Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1YdmWXV

~*~
Connect with Paula:
Facebook - www.facebook.com/pages/Paula-Mowery/175869562589187

Website -  www.paulamowery.blogspot.com 

Enjoy her monthly columns on www.christianonlinemagazine.com

25 Days of Christmas Stories: Interview with Valerie Comer, author of Merry Kisses

Merry Kisses is A Riverbend Romance Novella written by Valerie Comer. 

Merry Kisses will be available to you, my dear readers, for free on Amazon.com from December 19-23, 2015! So there's no book giveaway contest today because you can order it for free during those dates. Here's what the cover of Valerie's book looks like:

Valerie is here today for an interview about her lovely Christmas story. I hope you will enjoy learning about Valerie as an author and you may find out why she calls this book "Merry Kisses" instead of "Merry Christmas"! 

*Words by Alexis are in bold, words from Valerie are not in bold...

~*~
Alexis: Hi Valerie! Thanks for agreeing to another author interview. I am delighted to feature your Christmas story Merry Kisses on my blog today! Let’s jump right in with those interview questions…Merry Kisses is such a wonderful and unique story! Tell us the “story behind the story.” How did you imagine that title?

Valerie: I'll credit my daughter with coming up with the title and opening premise several months before I began writing the story. "Merry Kisses" sounded fun and definitely Christmassy! I love starting with a title then working it into the narrative. Almost all of the Riverbend romance novellas were written with the title as inspiration.

Let’s talk about your leading lady, Sonya Simmons. What does she look like? Why does her boss not want her saying “Merry Christmas” to customers?

In the opening scene, we find Sonya wearing a bright green uniform with a screen printed giraffe peering over her shoulder. She works at a toy store, after all! Her boss is very anti-Christmas and anti-religion and is doing the socially correct thing of not allowing the traditional greeting in her store. It's somewhat ironic that she's in a business where Christmas purchases keep things afloat for the rest of the year.

Early on in your story, Sonya gets fired when she tells a good-looking man, “Merry Kisses” as a holiday greeting while she is at work in the store. I found it interesting how that man (Heath Collins) is the hero of your story. Tell us about him. What does he do for fun? What were his first thoughts and reaction when Sonya told him “Merry Kisses”?

Heath is a fun-loving and hard-working guy who owns his own landscaping and snow-removal business. Add the mall Santa gig to his life, and December is a busy time, but he sticks with it because he loves making a difference in kids' lives. When he heard Sonya's words, they made him laugh and take a second look. It pleased him that he'd flustered her so much…at least until it became apparent that her boss believed she'd said the forbidden words.

What is it about Heath that causes Sonya to fluster and blush?

The direct, warm look in his eyes. His compassion for her and others. And the fact that he's perfectly willing to gently tease her.

What is it about Sonya that makes Heath want to kiss her?

She's so endearing when she gets flustered, yet she seems to carry a heavy load. He wants her to keep her chin up, but when she does, her lips are right there.

Why do Sonya’s parents disdain Santa Claus? Did you have a particular audience in mind when you wrote that part of the storyline?

I didn't have an audience in mind, actually. I don't plan much of a story out in advance, so much of what happened — even this type of backstory — didn't become clear to me until I was writing it.

What did you love the most about telling Sonya and Heath’s story? 

Is it shallow to say the kisses? How about watching Sonya blossom? How about the fun of letting readers catch another glimpse of Elena and Sophie, the two little girls who "matchmaked" their parents in Pinky Promise?

What was the most challenging part of writing Merry Kisses?

Getting into Sonya's head and figuring out what lines she drew over Christmas, and why. And writing about snowstorms on hot summer days!

What’s the moral of the story? 

Hmm. Don't make a snap judgment about cultural things without examining them and their history.

Complete this sentence: If someone told me “Merry Kisses” instead of “Merry Christmas” this year, I would _____________________.

If someone told me “Merry Kisses” instead of “Merry Christmas” this year, I would pretend not to notice because I'm shy like that! 

Thanks for the interview, Valerie! God bless you and Merry Christmas!

~*~
Author bio: 

Valerie Comer’s life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. 

Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their creation-care-centric church. 

She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie writes Farm Lit where food meets faith, injecting experience laced with humor into her award-winning Farm Fresh Romance stories. 

~*~

Book blurb for Merry Kisses: Fired from her retail position for saying Merry Christmas to a customer, Sonya Simmons chafes at the over-commercialization of the season and the difficulties of finding a new job. If only she’d actually SAID Merry Christmas instead of Merry Kisses to the tall, good-looking man buying enough toys for at least a dozen children. How embarrassing!

It was fun to fluster the pretty toy store clerk, but Heath Collins, the mall’s volunteer Santa Claus, hadn’t meant to get her fired. When his elf assistant comes down with a bad cold, Heath offers Sonya a few days’ work, only to discover she believes Santa is nothing but a liar and a fraud instead of an opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives.

Can Sonya and Heath embrace each other — opinions, traditions, and all — in time to share merry kisses for Christmas?

~*~
Buy Valerie's book:
Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1QmZlEP
~*~
Connect with Valerie:
Website - http://valeriecomer.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valeriecomer.author
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/valeriecomer/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/valeriecomer
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/valerierco

Christmas Song Spotlight: All Is Well

I love this song by Michael W. Smith featuring Carrie Underwood. It's so beautiful, Bible-based and awe-inspiring! :)

I hope and pray that God will help you survive this holiday season, enjoy it and be able to say "All Is Well" with your heart and soul.



God bless you, dear ones! 



Love,

Alexis

25 Days of Christmas Stories: Deck the Soul with Boughs of Forgiveness

Welcome Dr. MaryAnn Diorio to the blog today. She's received her MFA and PhD degrees and loves to minister to people through the written word. Today, she's giving away one copy of this book that she wrote:

Enter the book giveaway contest by filling out the form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you will enjoy this guest post by MaryAnn. She has a wealth of wisdom to share! 

~*~

Deck the Soul with Boughs of Forgiveness
A guest post written by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

CHRISTMAS! The word evokes many feelings, depending on our experiences. For some, Christmas is a happy time, filled with beautiful memories and joyful expectations. For others, Christmas is a depressing time, a season one wants “to get over with” as quickly as possible because of bad memories associated with this time of year.

Having ministered to people for many years, I have come to the conclusion that depressing memories at Christmas time are most often related to problems of unforgiveness. Hurts from the past become more pronounced during the Christmas season, but the reason those hurts still affect us is that we have not let go of the bitterness associated with them. In short, we have not forgiven the people who have hurt us.

Why do most people have such a difficult time forgiving? I believe the main reason is that they do not understand what forgiveness really means. If you are one of those people, what follows may help you:

LET’S LOOK AT WHAT FORGIVENESS IS NOT:

• Forgiveness is NOT letting someone off the hook.

• Forgiveness is NOT condoning evil.

• Forgiven is NOT being a doormat.

• Forgiveness is NOT having to trust again the person who hurt you.

• Forgiveness is NOT a feeling.

• Forgiveness is NOT an option.

NOW LET’S LOOK AT WHAT FORGIVENESS IS:

• Forgiveness IS taking the person who hurt you off of your hook and placing him on God’s hook, then praying that God will have mercy on him.

• Forgiveness IS acknowledging that evil was done but choosing to bear the consequences of that evil without retaliation.

• Forgiveness IS taking charge of your emotions.

• Forgiveness IS setting boundaries with the person who hurt you, even refusing temporary or permanent interaction with that person, if necessary. An example would be a wife who is being beaten by her husband.

• Forgiveness IS a decision.

• Forgiveness IS obedience to God’s commandment to forgive.

No matter how badly you have been hurt, choose to forgive. It’s the best thing you can do for your own well-being. Unforgiveness chains you emotionally to the person who hurt you. Forgiveness breaks that chain and sets you free.

What better time is there than the Christmas season to forgive those who have hurt us? The very essence of Christmas is the truth that God forgave humanity through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Who are we not to forgive when God has forgiven us?

So this Christmas, forgive! But don’t just forgive. Ask to be forgiven. As the Word of God tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All of us need not only to forgive but also to be forgiven. And as long as we are on this earth, it is never too late to forgive or to be forgiven.

For a heartwarming, compelling story on the power of forgiveness, you may wish to read my new novella entitled A Christmas Homecoming. It is available in electronic format for your Kindle, Nook, or iPad. You may purchase an electronic copy of A Christmas Homecoming HERE, or for a print copy, please email me at maryann@maryanndiorio.com and write the words PRINT COPY in the subject line, and I will send you purchasing instructions.

To view the beautiful book trailer of A Christmas Homecoming, click here.

Last, but not least, may you forge happy memories this Christmas season as the power of forgiveness sets you free!

*Copyright 2012 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be reproduced without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may reach her at maryann@maryanndiorio.com.

~*~

Author bio:

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio loves God, people, children, and dogs, in that order. She also is passionate about story and its power to transform the human heart. 

Dr. MaryAnn, as she is affectionately called, writes compelling fiction that deals with the deepest issues of life. She is Adjunct Online Professor of Fiction Writing for Regent University and coaches writers on their journey to publication. 

MaryAnn and her husband Dominic are the blessed parents of two wonderful daughters and a fantastic son-in-law. They are grandparents to a beautiful new granddaughter. 

Find out more about MaryAnn at http://maryanndiorio.com/.

~*~
Book blurb: Seven Christmases have passed since Sonia Pettit last heard from her daughter Jody. Since Jody’s departure, Sonia’s world has been turned upside down. Her husband has died of a broken heart, and her son, bitter over his sister’s destructive actions, has become rebellious.

Her greatest desire is to have her family together at Christmas, but after what Jody has put them all through, can Sonia truly forgive her daughter?

Jody Pettit O’Dair ran away to experience a life of adventure and excitement, but since her
departure, her world has been turned upside down. She’s been abandoned by the man she met and married, lost her job, and is unable to care for her two children. With nowhere else to turn, this prodigal daughter begins the long journey home and prays she will be welcomed after walking away so long ago.

Will Jody find forgiveness in the arms of her family as easily as she received it from God?

~*~
Buy Mary's book:
Amazon - http://amzn.to/1YdczU1

Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1YdcFuJ
Christianbook.com - http://bit.ly/1miE82l