Tradition!

This week on the American Christian Fiction E-loop, writers are talking about their Christmas traditions and where they originated. This idea has prompted me to blog about some of my own Christmas traditions; old and new.

Each year at Christmastime my family participates in a variety of conventional and even a few unconventional celebrations. Our first Christmas tradition we’ll call Chinese Light Night! This is the night, usually a Friday or Saturday night just before Christmas when our family eats Chinese food (the restaurant must have dumplings) and then travels around town to one or more of the beautifully decorated neighborhoods around Houston. This is followed by Starbucks! Why Chinese food? It’s in honor of what the family had to eat in the movie, A Christmas Story after the Bumpus Hounds ate their Christmas turkey. I know, it’s silly, but it’s meaningful to us. Oh, as an added bonus, this year we all wore our footie pajamas in the car…and in Starbucks.

Our second Christmas tradition (in the past) has always been a silent communion service the Sunday evening before Christmas Day. This was a beautiful celebration of the partaking of the body and blood of Christ performed in complete silence. This year was different. Not in a bad way, just different. The service took place on Christmas Eve, officiated by our new minister. He preached on “God’s Indescribable Gift.” The sermon was followed by the second-most interesting communion service I’ve ever attended. The customary cup of juice and cracker was replaced with a self-serve, disposable juice and wafer cups. These were amazing, but difficult to open. Note: When casually asking ex-military named Bubba for help opening something, be prepared to have a knife pulled on you…in church! I would elaborate on my first, most interesting communion, but that would require another blog entry.

Our third and newest Christmas tradition was our celebration of Advent for the first time. This beautiful time of preparation of the Second Coming of Christ was a wonderful way to begin the Christmas season.

Of course we have many more traditions, but just like Christmas, this blog must come to an end. Until next year, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Advent Season

This year our church is advocating the celebration of Advent. I’ve always been curious about the season of Advent, but never paid much attention to it since it wasn’t something my family had ever participated in. The strange coincidence is that I have been researching Advent for the book I’m currently writing. So this year it is my plan to participate in the Advent season with my family.

Advent literally means, “coming,” or “initiation,” or “arrival.” The purpose of Advent is to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ while celebrating His first appearance on earth at Christmastime.

The fourth Sunday before Christmas, or the Sunday closest to November 30, is the first day of Advent. The celebration consists of the following activities, reading of scriptures, prayer, singing of Christmas carols and lighting of candle(s). How is Advent celebrated? The first thing to do is to gather the needed supplies.

The Advent wreath is used nowadays to hold the five candles that will be lit each week. The wreath is usually round with four candle holders around the edge in the shape of a cross with one single candle holder in the middle of the four outer candles. The wreath has special significance as to its shape, etc, but not feeling crafty at this particular point in time I don’t plan on making a wreath. Instead I am collecting five candle holders from around my house and arranging them in a circle (unless, of course, I find one on clearance at the craft store) I’m sure Jesus won’t mind.

The five candles are significant as well with three purple, one pink and one white representing Christ. The three purple candles that will be lit on the first, second and fourth weeks represent Christ’s royalty. The pink candle represents God’s love in giving His only begotten Son. The white candle represents the purity of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Over the next few weeks I will write about how each week of Advent is celebrated. So for now, take this time to gather your supplies and if you desire to make an Advent wreath you can Google the instructions. Remember…the first Sunday of Advent this year is on November, 27, 2011 so get ready!!

Thanksgiving Writing Project For Kids

The coming week brings my favorite day of the holiday season…Thanksgiving! I consider myself an extremely thankful person. Why? Because I know what it’s like to be a sinner saved by grace and I know that someone had to die to save me from my sins. Who died? Jesus died; and for that I am thankful.


For many years as I decorate for the Thanksgiving holiday, I display a piece of writing in my kitchen that was done by my daughter when she was in the second (?) grade. (My daughter, by the way, is turning 19 this month. Happy birthday Casey!) I love the writing so much because it’s a treasured memory of course, but also because she has a special way with words. Here is what she wrote:

So many of us stay-at-home moms will have our children home from school this entire next week. What on earth can I do to keep the little darlings busy? Why not have them do this simple and easy writing exercise! Here’s what you do. Think of a topic and that will be the title of the work; such as autumn, Thanksgiving, Christmas…let them be creative. Then have them write what they think about, concerning that topic, using the five senses; sight, smell, touch, taste, sound. Let them decorate their work and viola, you have a memorable keepsake and you’ve given the kids a writing lesson all at the same time…easy as pumpkin pie!

I can’t wait to do this exercise with my youngest son. If you have a chance to do this with your own children I would love for you to share their work in the comments section!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 118:1

MEET THE CHRISTIAN AUTHORS 2011

The Chair

Christian Author, James L. Rubart’s third release has earned him kind words from heavy hitters in the Christian writing world such as, Tracie Peterson, best-selling author of the Striking a Match series, Bill Myers, best-selling author of Eli and The God Hater, and even Terri Blackstock!  Here’s what the back cover copy says about the book.

If you were given an ancient-looking chair and told Jesus Christ made it, would you believe it? When an elderly lady shows up in Corin Roscoe’s antiques store and gives him a chair she claims was built by Christ he scoffs. But when a young boy is miraculously healed after sitting in the chair, he stops laughing and starts to wonder: Could this chair heal the person whose life I destroyed twelve years ago?

As word spreads of the boy’s healing, a mega-church pastor is determined to manipulate Corin into turning over the chair. But the mysterious woman who gave him the piece insinuates it is Corin’s destiny to guard the chair above everything else. Buy who? Desperate, he turns to the one person he can trust, a college history professor who knows more about he legend of the chair than he reveals.

Searching for truth about the artifact and the unexplained phenomena surrounding it, Corin soon realizes he isn’t the only one willing to do almost anything to possess the power that seems to surround the chair.

Sounds interesting doesn’t it? Well believe me when I say that it is! Rubart hits another homerun with his most recent installment entitled, The Chair. Having loved Rubart’s first two books, Rooms and Book of Days, I highly recommend this book as well.  Happy reading!

Summer Dream By Martha Rogers

Book one in the Seasons of the Heart series is set in Briar Ridge, Connecticut in 1888 the year of what historians call “The White Hurricane.” Summer Dream tells the story of Rachel Winston, the daughter of a small town minister. Rachel believes her only hope of finding a husband depends on a trip to visit her aunt in Boston. Before she has a chance to leave, Nathan Reed, a young lawyer comes to town. There is an instant attraction between Rachel and Nathan until he finds out that her father is a minister. Nathan wants nothing to do with any woman who is a Christian because of a terrible experience in his past. When Nathan finds himself caught in the blizzard he turns his life over to God and vows to take care of his past and plan for his future.

Mrs. Rogers hits another homerun with the maiden offering in this series. The glimpse into 1880s Boston social society alone makes this a must read. But the history portrayed concerning the blizzard of 1888 is what really kept me interested. I have to admit though, the sweet innocence of the main character and her best friend was a true delight. I wanted them to be friends with my own daughter who is of their age.

Summer Dream really hits home when Rachel Winston continues to pray for the man she truly loves and never gives up on him even when it seems hopeless. It’s a good lesson for all of us who have situations or people they are praying for where there seems to be no good solution. But the Bible says “nothing is impossible with God.”

Thank you Mrs. Rogers for once again managing to hook me on another of your heartwarming romance series. Suppose I’ll have to keep my eye out for the next offering in the series, Autumn Song, releasing in October 2011!

Cowboys And Aliens…I think so!

How on earth did this great summer movie receive an average rating of 3 out of 5 stars? Here’s a short blurb describing the movie.

“1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution.The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde. It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.”

One prominent reviewer wrote, “Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford’s steampunk western piles cliché upon cliché—and just ends up being irritating.”

I don’t know what kind of person this reviewer is, cough, cough…old, grizzled dude, who hasn’t found pleasure in any movie since “Yentl” or perhaps “Burlesque” cough, cough. But seriously, I can’t imagine the person wouldn’t like a movie that offers the aspects of a great western, a great sci-fi thriller and acting genius out the wazoo?

Actors…ever heard of a couple guys by the names of Daniel Craig or Harrison Ford? Thought you might have. And one of my all-time favorites, Clancy Brown! What…don’t know who Clancy Brown is? You don’t know the name of the actor who played perhaps the most barbaric nemesis in cinematic history…the Kurgan…from the original Highlander movie staring Christopher Lambert? Well perhaps you might know him as the voice of Mr. Krabs from the SpongeBob SquarePants series.

Kind of have to hand to Jon Favreou who insisted that westerns should only be shot on film and not in 3d. Love 3d films—hate wearing the glasses over my specs.

Overall I give the movie three thumbs up, or 10 out of 5 stars! Okay, I gotta admit there are a few bad words said, but you need to go see this movie. You won’t regret it!