"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." -Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States (Brainy Quotes)
Calvin Coolridge had the right attitude about Christmas. I've realized that over the years my own attitude about Christmas has changed. At Christmas I realize that I don't need anything at all. There is no object that I want or need. So why do I celebrate it? First of all, because it's a spiritual time, a time to think about the birth of Christ and to pray for world peace. Christ is peace, not war, and we must apply this to our own lives. Everywhere we look these days people are acting out on their anger and misery, causing destruction everywhere they turn. But true peace begins with a kind gesture to someone. It beckons me to be a peacemaker, to see the good in everyone, and to always hope for the best. The second reason that I enjoy Christmas is that I get to spend time with my family. With our son living in Northern Ohio and our daughter away at college for her Senior year, these moments are priceless. The time that I spend with my daughter baking Christmas cookies is my most cherished Christmas tradition, and I look forward to it so much. By the way, Lydia, I've penciled in our cookie day for Saturday, December 12, so don't plan anything else then! We love to bake, decorate, and arrange a variety of cookies. Then we divide them up among friends and put some in the freezer. You can never have too many Christmas cookies, pretzels dipped in chocolate, and pumpkin logs. Everyone seems to appreciate receiving something that is homemade.
I've read several Christmas books in the last few years, and I thought this would be a good time to share them with you. My favorite one is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. I read this book about 20 years ago and laughed all of the way through it. This little book will help you get in the true Christmas spirit. It's about some little ragamuffin children who go to the local church for the first time and want to be in the Christmas play. You can imagine what sorts of things happen when these poor, dirty kids get involved. Another great little book is Two From Galilee by Marjorie Holmes. This fictional account of the birth of Jesus gives you some things to think about as you read the real Christmas story this year. After reading this book you may want to read the sequel, Three From Galilee. Another one of my favorites is Christmas in Plains by Jimmy Carter. The Carter family celebrated the birth of Jesus in meaningful ways, always emphasizing their deep faith and reliance on Christ. I remember meeting Carter here in Durham about ten years ago when he visited The Regulator bookstore. I waited in a long line to get his autograph in several copies of his books. As the line winded down the stairs to the basement of the bookstore, I saw the secret service agents and realized that none of us were allowed to shake Carter's hand. Still, I remember that he said "Hi, thanks for coming" to me, and it was special. I was able to take some quick pictures too. I've read several of Carter's books and enjoyed them all, but I have to admit that I just couldn't get into his novel, The Hornet's Nest. I never finished that book. He was here in Durham, in fact, to promote The Hornet's Nest that was hot off the press at the time.
Some other good books for adults are Skipping Christmas (the basis of the movie, "Christmas With the Kranks"), Blue Christmas, and The Christmas Train.There are many, many more Christmas-themed books out there for us to enjoy this Christmas, so if you need a little nudge to help you get into the Christmas groove, these might help.
There are a lot of great Christmas books for children as well. All of the books that I read to my children at Christmas are still on a special shelf. Here is a list of some of our favorites:
1. Luke 2 in the Bible, the real story of Christmas
2. The Small One by Alex Walsh (it's about a boy and his beloved donkey)
3. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski (this one has to be my favorite for the beautiful story that it tells and the beautiful illustrations)
4. The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg (a MUST-READ)
5. Santa's Favorite Story by Hisako Aoki
6. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
7. Country Angel Christmas by Tomie de Paola
There are many other good books to read during the month of December, so in my next post I may add some additional books to my list. I'll also discuss the book that I started reading yesterday, The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. It's a novel about Ernest Hemingway and other writers. Thank you, DH, for loaning this book. I'm enjoying it already. I had started one of the classics that I recently bought, but I just can't "get into it" right now. If you are an avid reader, you know what I mean. I'm sure I'll get back to it soon.
There's so much to read and so little time, so I will close. Any thoughts on the books that I've discussed? What are some of your Christmas favorites? Hey, our son is now a part-time writer for www.epicstream.com so check it out! Look for Ben Hill's name. His first article is about horror films that people might like to watch this Halloween weekend. As they say, the nut doesn't fall far from the tree - this young man really likes to write.
Hey, have a great Fall weekend!
-Melissa Hill
Book Blogger
www.onegoodbookblog.blogspot.com
Amazon used book seller: MCH Seller
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