10 REASONS WHY I ABSOLUTELY ADORE CHRISTMAS
Guest Post by Cathy Bryant
Hands down and without any question, Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday. And I have a feeling I’m not alone! You know who you are–the ones who start Christmas shopping at the end of the previous year, the ones who flip breakers turning on the Christmas lights for the first time, the ones who wake up at 3 a.m. on Christmas morning. Yep! Many of us have been bitten by the Christmas bug!
Photo Credit: FreeImages.com/Bartek Ambrozik
- After-Christmas sales! As an introvert, I usually try to avoid large crowds, but my frugality wins out when it comes to bargain basement prices!
- Snow! When I lived in Texas, I very rarely had the opportunity for a white Christmas. Now that I live in the lovely Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern New Mexico, it’s not at all uncommon. (Though I’m not nearly as excited as I used to be at the prospect of shoveling snow…)
- Lights! My love affair with Christmas lights started as a very little girl, when my mom, dad, three siblings and I would pile into the car to go look at Christmas lights. It’s a family tradition that we carried on when our two boys were little.
- Music! As a former music teacher, music will always hold a special place in my heart. Traditional Christmas carols, classical gems like Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, Mannheim Steamroller, Pentatonix–it really doesn’t matter to me!
- Decorations! I always go overboard with decorations, but at least I’ve cut back from five Christmas trees to just one. There is hope for those of us addicted to Christmas decorations…
- Scents! Pine trees, eggnog, hot chocolate, cinnamon, wassail, freshly baked cookies… Is there any holiday that smells as good as Christmas?
- Movies! My personal favorites are It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, and Miracle on 34th Street (1994 version). Childhood favorites included: The Littlest Angel, The Little Drummer Boy, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
- Christmas Eve Services! There’s something so special about being able to sit and reflect on the reason for the season. I especially love candlelight services. Breathtakingly beautiful…
- Family! I’m blessed with the best! Parents, siblings, children, grandchildren–what’s not to love? And watching the wonder and joy on the faces of the youngest family members brings an exquisite delight that is hard to match.
- The coming of the Fixer! (You’ll have to read my new Christmas novella to find out what I mean. 😉 See below.)
Okay, I know I’m not alone in my obsession over Christmas. Let us know your reasons for loving Christmas in the comments below. (But don’t forget to don your favorite pair of Christmas jammies, turn on the music, and grab your hot chocolate first!)
Amazon best-selling author Cathy Bryant loves to write heart-stirring stories of God’s life-changing grace, and has done so through six Miller’s Creek novels, two Bible studies, one Christmas novella, and two devotional books written in collaboration with other Christian authors. She’s also written for The Upper Room devotional magazine. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her rummaging through thrift stores, romping in the great outdoors, or up to her elbows in yet another home improvement project in the mountain cabin she shares with her minister husband of over thirty years. You can connect with Cathy in the following online spots, including her website: http://www.CatBryant.com, where you can download a free eBook copy of one of her novels.
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PIECES ON EARTH
Christian Women’s Fiction Novella
As a young mother and wife of a naval aviator in sunny Pensacola, Florida, Liv Tulley eagerly anticipates the first Christmas in several years with her husband, daughter, and extended family. Then her husband is unexpectedly deployed for an undetermined amount of time, smashing her white Christmas dreams, as she shoulders a secret and battles unrelenting fear. Can she find God’s peace in the midst of life’s pieces?
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Read sample chapters here:
http://www.catbryant.com/books/pieces-on-earth/
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Enter for a chance to win Cathy’s latest Miller’s Creek novel, Crossroads. Here’s a little about the book:a Rafflecopter giveaway
A soldier battles for a prodigal’s soul…
A bitter single mom starts her own real estate company in Miller’s Creek, Texas. Then her young daughter’s symptoms lead doctors to a disturbing diagnosis. With her new life now turned upside down, Mara battles to keep her business afloat.
An ex-military operative struggles with the return to civilian life while coping with his rebellious teen-aged daughter. During a house-search, Carter meets Mara, a headstrong Realtor who questions his faith. When Mara’s little girl becomes terminally ill, the clock ticks down for him to convince Mara to return to a life of faith. Then circumstances beyond his control throw his efforts into a tailspin.
What will this crossroads of decision bring for Carter, Mara, and their daughters?
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