Your Gifts

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas 

and the gifts of God's blessings.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus

and enjoy fellowship with friends and family,

I pray we are all blessed with peace, hope, love, and faith.

For everyone missing someone, I pray you'll be wrapped 

in memories that bring comfort.

For anyone struggling, I ask God to pour His peace over you.

May we all celebrate Jesus birth with wonder and joy!

 

Joy Replaced Fear

Luke 2:9-10
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."

I remember sitting in a classroom in the junior high building, my heart pounding with fear.

I'd been absent the day my class took the standard exam, so the teacher sent me to the big study hall, which seemed miles away from my classroom. There I sat, a painfully shy, elementary student, surrounded by teenagers. The teacher stood what seemed like seven feet tall, while the paper and pencil on my desk taunted me. As I started to darken circles on the multiple-choice questions, tears stung my eyes. The teacher, in all of his wisdom, must have noticed my discomfort. He leaned over and assured me everything would be okay. And it was. I don't recall the results of the test, but I took it and evidently passed whatever hurdle I needed to.

My teacher wasn't an angel, at least not that I know of, yet he calmed my fear and gave me courage to finish my task.

When the angel appeared to the shepherds in the field near Bethlehem, the fear must have overwhelmed them. The night was most likely quiet, a few sheep baaing, maybe a breeze, and a snore here or there from dozing shepherds. Then the sky lit up with God's glory and surrounded the mighty messenger. Bless those shepherds' hearts, as they trembled in fear, and the angel consoled them with encouragement and spoke of the most wonderful news.

No doubt the shepherds had heard of the long-expected Messiah, but they never dreamed they'd be alerted to his birth in such an awesome way. With courage and encouragement from the angel, the shepherds listened and followed his directions. And lo and behold they witnessed baby Jesus in his mother's arms.

At the sight of the Lord, pure joy replaced any fear.

This season seek Jesus with the courage of the shepherds and experience true joy.

The Best Gift

It's that simple.

Come let us adore, cherish, love, worship Him!

As I celebrate Christmas, I think about the best gift to give Jesus.

On my knees, hands lifted, I offer Him my heart.

What will you give Jesus?

 

Historical Fiction Book Review: The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel

Book Description:
In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy's father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without all the trappings of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family--descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh Ring.

Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than run his family's jewelry shop. Having had his heart broken, he no longer believes in love and is weary of peddling the ÒliesÓ the Claddagh Ring promises.

Meanwhile, as the war for Irish independence gains strength, many locals resent the De Lacys and decide to take things into their own hands to display their displeasure. As events take a dangerous turn for Annabeth and her family, she and Stephen begin to see that perhaps the "other side" isn't quite as barbaric and uncultured as they'd been led to believe--and that the bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty are only made stronger when put through the refiner's fire.

Travel to the Emerald Isle for another poignant and romantic story from the enchanted pen of Jennifer Deibel.

My Thoughts:
I love reading Jennifer Deibel's books. She pulls me into the story and allows me to live in Ireland for a bit. This story was particularly appealing to me because of the Claddagh ring. My daughter brought me one from Scotland, and I wear it to remind me of God's love for me. In the book, Stephen shares the history of the ring with Annabeth, and it's simply beautiful. And I love Annabeth's character, because she's so unexpected for her time and position in her life. Stephen is a bit brooding but lovable. Deibel's historical details show how unsettling life was for the Irish and how Annabeth's family grew to understand their plight. The romance just adds to the beauty of this story. This is a lovely story filled with hope in the midst of difficulty. If you enjoy Irish stories or historical romance, you'll enjoy The Lady of Galway Manor. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Consider This—God is in the Details

Matthew 1:18-21
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

An important decision requires consideration.

I had dreamed about retiring and pursuing writing for years. When the time neared for me to take the retirement years seriously, Tim and I contemplated what that would look like. We took into account my health, benefits my job offered, the practicality of me no longer working outside our home, and of course our income. We prayed about the decision for me to retire early and thought about what that would mean for our family. I'm thankful God saw fit for us to move forward with our plans and provide Tim with work and me with writing opportunities.

Joseph was a man who considered the needs of his wife-to-be, Mary. When he learned she was pregnant, he didn't jump to conclusions. He could have broken the engagement in haste, instead he contemplated his options. He prayed and pondered about what was best for Mary and for him. Before he made his final decision, God sent an angel to assure him. You see, God chose Mary to give birth to Jesus, and He also chose Joseph to be Jesus' father on earth. God knew Joseph's heart. He found Joseph to be a man of faith who considered what was best for the people he loved. God knew Joseph would do the same for Jesus.

God is in the details of my life, and He knows my heart. He hears me, sees me, and understands me. He has given me the beautiful gift of prayer to guide me as I reflect on decisions and life's choices.

Joseph trusted God with the decisions he made. God trusted Joseph with His Son.

Trust God and give Jesus your heart this Christmas.

Celebrate with Joy!

Something inside of me sparks when I near the Christmas season. 

I so wish every one could experience the holiday the way I do.

The joy that bubbles over comes from the beautiful baby born in a manger,

 so many years ago.

I love celebrating the One who came to earth to offer grace. 

His grace has saved my life.

Celebrate Jesus Joy!

 

Welcome Penny Zeller, Author of Love Under Construction

I'm excited to be part of the blog tour for Penny Zeller. Enjoy meeting Penny and learning about her latest release.

About Love Under Construction:

She builds websites. He builds houses. Together, can they build a family for two orphans?

Irelynn agreed two years ago to help raise her best friend’s twins should anything happen. When she is called upon to fulfill that agreement, there is only one problem—Irelynn must share the responsibility with the arrogant but handsome Quinton Gregory.

Quinton takes the role of raising his niece and nephew with all seriousness. He will do anything for the twins, even if it means putting up with the beautiful but stubborn Irelynn Brady.

When forced to be in each other’s presence far more often than is comfortable, things slowly begin to change. Will the unexpected attraction between Irelynn and Quinton become a love under construction?

Available for purchase:

https://amzn.to/3HZ86mN

About Penny Zeller:

Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics. Today Penny is a multi-published author of several inspirational books. She is also a homeschool mom and a fitness instructor.

When Penny is not dreaming up new characters, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, camping, hiking, canoeing, reading, running, cycling, gardening, and playing volleyball.

She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and loves to hear from her readers at her www. pennyzeller.com and her blog, random thoughts from a day in the life of a wife, mom, and author, at www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com.

Find Penny at:

Website: https://pennyzeller.com/

Blog: www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pennyzellerbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennyZeller

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennyzeller/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/zellerpenny/

To follow Penny's tour all week, check out:

Love Under Construction Mini Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, December 6:

Blog Tour Kickoff/Sneak Peek/Meet the Characters | Penny Zeller

Author Interview | Kristina Hall

Tuesday. December 7:

Book Spotlight | Joy Hannabass

Book Spotlight | Penny McGinness

Wednesday, December 8:

Author Interview | Vanessa Hall

Thursday, December 9:

Book Spotlight and Guest Post| June Foster

Friday, December 10:

Book Spotlight and Giveaway| Chat with Vera

Book Spotlight and Review | Madi’s Musings

Book Spotlight and Guest Post | Kathy McKinsey

Saturday, December 11:

Ebook Giveaway | Patti’s Porch

Blog Tour Wrap-up/Love Under Construction Quotables | Penny Zeller