I have heard it said that you can’t do everything, but you can do something. In a world that is hurting and needs God’s grace more than ever before, be the one who offers the forgiveness and grace that God gave to you. The article from Dr. Denison this morning was spot on! God created us and then paid for us!

https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/how-a-kindergartner-is-changing-the-world-experiencing-the-grace-of-christmas/

Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas, everyone! Thank you for being my online friends! Blessings to each of you for a day filled with the magic of seeing a child’s excitement and the love of family and friends!

I read a Dr. Denison article again this morning that really made me think of something that I had never really considered before. Jesus is God, and He is the only person born who chose His parents. As the article goes on to describe, He could have chosen to be born as a son of a ruler or a priest, but He chose to come to the house of a carpenter. Here is the link to the original article. Please feel free to skip all of the kerfuffle about President Trump, since he seems to cause a kerfuffle even when he isn’t trying. Scroll down and read about Jesus and His choice to come to earth in the family in which He was born. And think about the fact that none of us was given a choice. We got our parents because God chose for us, just as He chose for His Son.

https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/christianity-today-and-five-positions-on-president-trump-experiencing-the-humility-of-christmas/

As my daughter and I discussed this fact, she played a song for me that I haven’t heard in years.

A Strange Way to Save the World

Have you ever considered the special power that comes at Christmas? People are saying “Merry Christmas” everywhere without even realizing whose name they are including in their greeting. We can share the true meaning of Christmas with those who are buying gifts to exchange. We can share the true meaning of Christmas with those who have no gifts to exchange. We can share the true meaning of Christmas with unsaved family members and friend. Why now? Because the power of Christmas is in the word CHRISTmas! Christ is alive in each of us, and His power flows through us to others. Here is an article by Dr. Denison for you to enjoy and ponder:

https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/is-alexa-the-new-santa-experiencing-the-power-of-christmas/

I will be taking the next few days off to be with family, but I want to wish everyone a very Merry CHRISTmas!

In my devotional this morning, I was reminded to be thankful. During this busy season of buying gifts, wrapping them, decorating and attending get-togethers, I’m just passing on the word to be thankful. Any time that you enter into God’s presence during prayer or worship, you are entering “His gates.” So, take time today and everyday to be thankful. God didn’t have to make you, heal you and give you so many blessings, but He did. Just be the one who takes time to say “thank you, Lord!”

I am thankful today for being able to spend a few days with my grandchildren. What a blessing to be able to hold, cuddle and see how much they have grown since the months ago that I saw them last. Thank you, Lord, for grandchildren. Thank you, Lord for family. Bless your Holy Name for this joyous Christmas season in which we can celebrate you with our family members!

This is a sweet romance without any real surprises but lots of happiness in each page. Atticus is a lawyer from Texas who wants to expand his restaurant chain to Marietta, Montana. Specifically, he wants to take over the town’s bookstore and turn it into his high scale restaurant. He is thwarted in his plan when Rachel Mills shows up in town, the young woman who has been gifted the bookstore from her godmother Lesley, the same Lesley that has stalled a sale to Atticus. The humor between the two and their interactions is worth reading the book! Their love is subtle but present nevertheless, and the development of their acceptance of the love they share. Fans of light romance and Christmas love will enjoy this book.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This is a completely clean read that is available online or at your local bookseller now.

Do you know what this phrase means? If I draw a line in the sand, you will know that I want you to stand with me or “the other side,” whatever the other side may be. I stand on the side of Christ, of God and of the truth in the Holy Bible. There are many in today’s world that weave back and forth. They say that they believe in the Bible until it doesn’t match up with what they believe. I was appalled this week when the Hallmark Channel, a channel that prides itself on being family friendly, aired commercials showing lesbians getting married and kissing. I was saddened by their lack of sensitivity for their viewers who do not agree that gay marriage is sanctified by God and is, in fact, an abomination, to Him. I was further aggrieved when they took the commercials off and then reinstated them because of pressure from the LGBTQ society. This morning I read an article by Dr. Denison about the waffling of Hallmark and the concept of drawing a line in the sand. I enjoy the Halllmark Chrismas movies and the mystery channel…a lot! In fact, that is one of the few things that I watch consistently. When I shared my dismay online, my liberal son informed me that I enjoy murder mysteries and murder is a sin, just as I “think” that homosexuality is. Well, folks, the difference is that in the murder mysteries, the murderer is always caught and punished. It’s fiction! It isn’t a commercial to try to sway people to the belief that what God has called an abomination is okay. I wouldn’t mind the gay commercials so much if at the end of them, they had the Scriptures about what God has to say about homosexuality. My sons say it’s just a lifestyle that those who are gay cannot change. I say that it’s a choice, and the homosexuals have made the one that is on the other side of the line from God. So, now what will Hallmark do? I’m waiting to see, but I have expressed my dismay on every petition and in every way that I can. I’m more than a little dismayed that one of the few channels on the television that stood for family values is caving. I hope that a Christian station will replace it, complete with mysteries, Christmas movies and the like.

Photo from patheos.com

This is the article from Dr. Denison this morning.

https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/hallmark-waffles-on-lesbian-brides-gods-call-to-serve-a-cause-is-worth-its-cost/

If you agree with me that homosexuality is a sin and that Hallmark should not be promoting it, please go to the site below to sign the petition.

https://onemillionmoms.com/current-campaigns/hallmark-announced-they-are-reinstating-zola-ad-sign-the-boycott-hallmark-pledge/

Blessings to all of my readers that you will have a day filled with special family moments and one in which God reveals His truth to your heart.

This is a sweet, clean romance that teaches the reader to be sensitive to the problems that others have, significantly depression and grieving. Elizabeth Holt disappeared seven years ago and not that Luke has found her, he brings her back to Haven Point to face her past and their past together. After all, they have two small children that Luke has been raising alone. He did not have any clue that Elizabeth had lost her memory for many years and was still struggling with the after-effects of an horrific car accident. Their story is told with empathy and compassion, set in a small town where everyone knows everyone else and when Christmas is coming, that magical time of the year when anything is possible. This is book number ten in a series, but I had not read any of the other books previously, and I was very enmeshed in the story from the beginning, with no difficulty understanding the plot or the characters. I really enjoyed this tale of forgiveness, second chances and redemption. It is the perfect Christmas read! Fans of romance and Christmas stories will love this book!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Home-Christmas-Haven-Point-ebook/dp/B07L5PP2TG/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1BDELDO8KY6YG&keywords=coming+home+for+christmas+raeanne+thayne&qid=1576504214&sprefix=Coming+Home+for+Christmas%2Caps%2C1145&sr=8-2

This clean read is available now at your local bookseller. I have included a link to buy it on Amazon.

I appreciate being part of the #HarlequinHolidayBlogTour!