The Sound of Sleigh Bells - Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store and serves as a contact between Amish craftsmen and Englischer retailers. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart every day, and she still wears dark dresses to indicate her mourning of her fiance. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow in an Englischer store, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds, and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work. Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after meeting Jonah, the artist, she is determined that Beth come to know this man whose hands create healing art. But it’s not that simple—Beth has cut herself off from any possibility of romance. Will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth new hope and a second chance at real love—or just more heartbreak?
Christ in the Carols - “This Christmas will be different.” Every year you tell yourself that. Every December you promise that you’re going to make time for wonder. For pondering the Story of stories. But somehow the crush of holiday activities often leaves us feeling like lonely observers instead of participants in the true meaning of Jesus’ birth. So come closer to Christmas. To Christ. Let this devotional be your guide as it leads you through thirty-one readings guaranteed to leave you awestruck at Jesus, our Emmanuel. Discover little-known stories and meaningful insights about your best-loved carols. And experience the warmth of the songs of the season. This Christmas season really can be different. Let Christopher and Melodie Lane take you on a journey toward the Jesus of Bethlehem. We promise you’ll love every minute you invest in discovering Christ in the Carols.
Cosmic Christmas - We know the Christmas characters well: the singing angels, the simple teenage girl, the surprised carpenter… We know the Christmas story so well: journey to Bethlehem, no room, stable, shepherds, star, hosts of angels, wise men… But do we know all the characters? Do we know the whole story? What about the hidden happenings that might have led to the Savior’s birth? Was the arrival of Jesus a quietly profound event? Or could it have been the result of heavenly battles, angel armies, and a scheming Satan? Envision a confrontation in heaven between the King of creation and the rebellious Satan. Threats, challenges, a gauntlet laid on the floor of the sky. And then the passage from heaven to earth — “There was a war in heaven” the Bible states (Revelation 12:7). Angels battling Satan’s armies as they transport the essence of heaven itself. Come along as author Max Lucado takes us on a journey into his imagination — pulling back the curtain as we see what might have taken place one “Cosmic Christmas”
The Purpose of Christmas - Why is Christmas such a big deal? If you stop to think about it, it is astounding that the simple, unassuming birth of a peasant baby boy more than two thousand years ago in the Middle East can today cause traffic jams every December in places like New York City, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro. The night Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a small group of poor shepherds were quietly tending their flocks of sheep in a nearby field, looking up at the stars. Nothing seemed any different from a thousand other nights. But what was about to happen would transform not only their lives but billions of other lives as well. The world would never be the same again. Regardless of your background, religion, problems, or circumstances, Christmas really is the best news you could get. In his powerful yet compassionate voice, Rick Warren explains how God designed Christmas to meet your three deepest needs and how understanding and receiving God’s three Christmas gifts to you will transform your life forever. An instant classic, this book is one to be read every Christmas season and then passed on to friends, family members, and loved ones.
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” The famous praise that the shepherds heard the angels proclaim the night of Jesus’ birth, is brought back every Christmas season. Either through home decor or holiday cards, we are presented with the hope of “Peace on Earth.” And in the holiday books that I chose for this week, the characters and authors are all either: hoping for peace, finding peace, fighting for peace, and also proclaiming peace. In The Sound of Sleigh Bells, we find Beth weighed down by grief with the recent loss of her beloved husband. Her Aunt Lizzy longs to help her find peace in this hard time but through this story, that proves to be quite difficult. While Beth’s peace in life is everyone’s hope, authors Christopher and Melodie Lane help us find Christ in the Carols. This holiday devotional gives us a brief history of the carols and also what we can take from their messages. For example, even though it wasn’t technically wasn’t a Silent Night, author Joseph Mohr captures a moment of peace, a holy hush that surely settled over Bethlehem as all of heaven viewed His birth. And speaking of heaven’s view of things, Max Lucado’s Cosmic Christmas gives us an interesting view of Christ’s coming through the eyes of the angels. God asks Gabriel to deliver a couple important things to earth, a message to the virgin Mary and God’s ultimate gift. But the journey from heaven to earth was not going to be easy. The angels knew that the devil would do anything to prevent God’s gift from making it to earth. This battle for everlasting peace put in this perspective reminds me of the song, The Champion by Carman. The Champion represents the fight between Jesus and Satan during the time of the crucifixion. In a very powerful way, this song describes the excruciating pain Jesus underwent in this gruesome battle between good and evil. The song ends with Jesus’ victory and peace on earth finally gained. After all, that is why He is the Prince of Peace, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:6-7. So come on down to the Cross Reference Library and discover some of these amazing holiday reads.