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2003 CHRISTMAS ROUNDUP
As a little boy I always looked forward to the month of December. My enthusiasm for the Christmas season has never wavered; in fact, it has intensified over the years. While I enjoy visiting the magnificent tree in Rockefeller Center and listening to Yuletide songs on the radio, I particularly cherish the time that I'm able to spend with my family and friends during the holidays --- more so now than I ever did as a child. I comprehend more fully the spiritual significance of Christmas and possess a deeper sense of what this day --- and this season --- is all about, a celebration of Christ's birth.
With the holiday season approaching, we at FaithfulReader.com have assembled a number of inspirational and heartwarming titles --- both fiction and nonfiction --- that will help teach young people and remind adults of the true meaning of Christmas. Sharing these books with those you love is a wonderful way to celebrate this most sacred time of year.
ALL GOOD GIFTS
Kathleen Morgan
Revell/Baker Book House Company
Fiction/Romance
ISBN: 0800718526
After the death of her father, successful but jaded plastic surgeon Devra McKay is summoned home from New York City to Culdee Creek. Devra will be the heir to the prosperous cattle ranch if she can meet the terms of the will --- to agree never to sell the ranch and make it her permanent home. She's upset with these terms because she wants to lead her own life, away from Culdee Creek.
However, if she doesn't meet her father's conditions, the ranch will be given to his friend and foreman, Ross Blackstone, a Christian whom Devra abhors. As winter settles on the Colorado plains, she and Ross come head to head in a fight for Culdee Creek --- and Devra's very soul.
• Click here to buy this book from Christianbook.com.
THE CANDLE IN THE WINDOW: A Christmas Legend
Grace Johnson
illustrated by Mark Elliott
Revell/Baker Book House Company
Fiction
ISBN: 0800718151
This richly illustrated picture book will bring adults and children together to share the wonder of an engaging Christmas legend. The story is about a German cobbler named Gunther who no longer celebrates Christmas. He is surprised by the appearance of a woman and two children who set a beautiful candle in his window. They explain that the candle will light the way for the Christ Child to visit.
• Click here to buy this book from Christianbook.com.
THE CHRISTMAS CHILD: A Story of Coming Home
Max Lucado
W Publishing Group/Thomas Nelson
Fiction
ISBN: 0849917689
A Chicago journalist finds himself in a small Texas town on Christmas Eve all alone. He encounters old faces and new facts --- a hand carved manger, a father's guilt, a young girl's faith. The trip into the past holds his key to the future, and a scarlet cross shows him the way home.
Formerly titled THE CHRISTMAS CROSS, this book, which is quickly becoming a Christmas classic, has been repackaged and redesigned. Fans will be thrilled to know that this Christmas treasure is being adapted into a feature film. The book takes place in three different settings with four main characters, but the film has expanded to include nearly 69 locations, 347 set-ups, 34 speaking parts and over 300 extras.
• Click here to buy this book from Christianbook.com.
CHRISTMAS DUTY: Four Stories of Love in the Armed Forces
Paige Winship Dooly, Janelle Burnham Schneider, Tammy Shuttlesworth and Jill Stengl
Barbour Publishing
Fiction/Romance
ISBN: 1586608460
It's Christmas in the service --- but for eight men and women the holidays are anything but joyous. Will these military personnel find Christmas to be a time of renewed hope? And will they be able to hold on to their faith in the midst of tragedy and uncertainty?
• Click here to buy this book from Christianbook.com.
CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
HeartQuest Anthologies
Diane Noble, Pamela Griffin and Kathleen Fuller
Tyndale House Publishers
Fiction
ISBN: 0842335765
This anthology contains three original historical novellas set in the late 1800s, each revolving around the discovery of love at Christmastime and a significant Christmas homecoming.
In "A Place to Call Home" the daughter of wealthy high-society parents falls in love with an Irish immigrant while helping the needy in Boston. "The Heart of a Stranger" centers on childhood sweethearts who are reunited in the New Mexico Territory. And in "Christmas Legacy" a widow returns to her childhood home in Minnesota to sell her late grandmother's farm, only to find that widower Ben Akers has been named co-owner of the farm in her grandmother's will.
• Click here to buy this book from Christianbook.com.
CHRISTMAS IN HARMONY
Philip Gulley
HarperSanFrancisco
Fiction
ISBN: 0060520124
Quaker minister Sam Gardner reflects on the true meaning of Christmas as church elder Dale Hinshaw embarks on yet another of his hare-brained schemes --- a progressive Nativity scene involving the whole town.
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CHRISTMAS IN MY HEART #12: A Treasury of Timeless Christmas Stories
Joe L. Wheeler
Tyndale House Publishers
Short Stories
ISBN: 0842371265
Each of the 15 classic Christmas stories in this stirring collection is a sparkling reminder of hope and joy --- and of the greatest Gift ever given. Many fine authors, including John McCain, Kathleen Norris and Joe Wheeler, will touch readers' hearts and lift their spirits with the true meaning of Christmas.
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THE CHRISTMAS KITE
Gail Gaymer Martin
Steeple Hill
Romance
ISBN: 0373785089
Having stumbled off the beaten path, Jordan Baird feels as aimless as the kites he makes. He has lost his beloved wife and child and leads a reclusive life, paying a self-imposed penance. But unexpectedly an eight-year-old adventure-seeking boy named Mac Hayden and his mom Meara enter his life and have him believing in new possibilities, in the happiness of love and faith in God. Is it possible that Jordan can now dream of the many riches life has to offer?
• Click here to buy this book from Amazon.com.
THE CHRISTMAS SHOES
Donna VanLiere
St. Martin's Press
Fiction
ISBN: 0312289510
Donna VanLiere has written a touching story about an eight-year-old boy named Nathan who, determined to give his dying mother a special pair of shoes for Christmas, coincidentally changes the course of one man's life forever.
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THE CHRISTMAS STORY: Experiencing the Most Wonderful Story Ever Told
G. A. Myers
Howard Publishing
Short Stories
ISBN: 1582293309
The miracle of Christmas is brought to you in vivid stories that allow you to feel as if you were there --- overhearing the angel Gabriel as he announces to Mary that she will bear the Christ Child; peering into Joseph's heart as he grapples with the news that his wife is pregnant; and glimpsing into heaven's silent halls as the angels prepare to announce the Savior's birth. Stirring stories retell favorite biblical passages, and inspirational messages will add meaning and depth to the miracle of the Christmas story.
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ESTHER'S GIFT: A Mitford Christmas Story
Jan Karon
Viking
Fiction
ISBN: 0670031216
Esther Bolick's decision to cut down on the number of orange marmalade cakes she bakes for her friends on Christmas makes perfect sense --- until she is reminded of what her gift really means.
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THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE: And Other Stories
Henry Van Dyke
Paraclete Press
Fiction
ISBN: 1557253153
Destined to become a Christmas classic, this volume combines Henry Van Dyke's most beloved Christmas stories, THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE and THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, with poems and prayers for the season, as the legendary storyteller inspires us to "live Christmas, not just Christmas Day."
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GIDEON'S GIFT
Karen Kingsbury
Warner Books
Fiction
ISBN: 0446531243
When Big Earl Gibson's precious wife and daughter were taken from him one Christmas long ago, he abandoned his belief in God and became a homeless man with an angry heart. But then a seven-year-old leukemia patient reaches out to him. Will her persistent gift of friendship help heal Earl's lonely, broken life?
• Click here to buy this book from Christianbook.com.
GOD REST YE GRUMPY SCROOGEYMEN: New Traditions for Comfort & Joy at Christmas
Laura Jensen Walker and Michael K. Walker
Revell/Baker Book House Company
Nonfiction
ISBN: 0800718348
This unique and delightful Christmas book is filled with humorous and poignant anecdotes --- from her memorable Christmas dinner of potato chips and candy bars to his contagious delight in filling Christmas stockings. This book will help readers discover new ways to make their holiday bright --- from hosting the perfect white elephant gift exchange to recycling that odd-looking fruitcake.
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IN SEARCH OF ... THE REAL SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
Daniel Schaeffer
Discovery House/Barbour Publishing
Christian Living
ISBN: 157293106X
Every year we resolve to get into the "real" spirit of Christmas, yet many of us find it difficult to do so. Why does it seem so hard? What are we missing? Dan Schaeffer sets out to answer these and other questions. He offers a new lens for insightful observations about the first Christmas, addresses burnout in contemporary Christmas preparations, and goes beyond the story of Christmas to help us experience the spirit of Christmas.
• Click here to buy this book from Christianbook.com.
MAGGIE'S MIRACLE
Karen Kingsbury
Warner Faith
Fiction
ISBN: 0446532304
During the summer of her 14th year, Megan Wright spent one week with a boy who shared with her his special definition of love. After college, though, Megan settled for a relationship based more on convenience than true feelings. It has now been two years since her husband's death and she is a high-powered attorney, looking for help with her lonely young son.
Across town, Casey Cummins is still dealing with the tragic loss of his wife. His search for meaning and hope leads him to the Manhattan Children's Organization, which connects him with Megan's son. Now life is suddenly taking a series of unusual twists. How could Megan know that the teenage boy from all those years ago actually kept his promise? Or that the miracle she prayed for as a girl is only a breath away?
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THE POWER OF CHRISTMAS PRAYER
Stormie Omartian
Harvest House
Devotional
ISBN: 0736910042
Drawing from Old Testament prophecies and the New Testament accounts of Matthew and Luke, Stormie Omartian gives the age-old story of the birth of Jesus a personal, down-to-earth flavor. She offers readers an inviting glimpse into possible reactions and perceptions of each of the characters. At the end of each chapter, Stormie provides a prayer for modern-day audiences that powerfully connects readers to the heart of a loving and compassionate Savior.
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THE RED SUIT DIARIES: A Real-Life Santa on Hopes, Dreams, and Childlike Faith
Ed Butchart
Revell/Baker Book House Company
Nonfiction
ISBN: 0800718143
With warmth, humor and wonder, author Ed Butchart shares his stories as a professional Santa Claus in this inspirational read. He reveals himself as a once-hardened Marine who found Jesus and began to serve others in unusual ways. In these pages you'll read about Santa's day job refurbishing medical equipment for the disabled and the story of how he unknowingly found "Mrs. Claus." As Tom Brokaw said, this Santa "can only be described as the real thing."
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THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS: 50 Meditations on the Birth of Christ
Daniel Partner
Barbour Publishing
Devotional
ISBN: 1586607634
Two thousand years ago, angels proclaimed "glad tidings of great joy to all people" --- the birth of Jesus Christ. But even Christians can find their joy lessened a bit by the demands of the hectic holiday season. No worries, though --- because Daniel Partner has produced an antidote to the hustle and bustle.
THE WONDER OF CHRISTMAS is a twenty-five day devotional containing 50 readings on the true meaning of the holiday. These thoughtful and encouraging readings are perfect for the month of December, but the messages they convey are appropriate for the entire year.
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--- Compiled and written by Tom Donadio
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