Christmas week

Another busy week. *smile* I do love Christmas, and I love celebrating our Savior's birth with my family. Every other year my siblings and their families join us in Colorado for Christmas. This year is another Geary family year. My brother, Richard, and his family are already here. And we are enjoying good times and good conversations, waiting for my sister, Kathy, and her family to join us later today. They will all leave next Monday, but we have five jam-packed days planned.

Tomorrow is tubing on the tube hill at Camp Eden, the annual candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church at 5:00, and a soup supper here. Thursday, of course, is Christmas when we open presents and have a big dinner. We'll have thirteen people here (at last count!). We never know, but we always have plenty of food!

Friday, the ladies have a tea party planned. We're not sure what the guys are doing yet, but I'm sure they'll come up with something! Then Saturday we are taking the Ski Train to Winter Park for a big family day of skiing and snowshoeing. We did this two years ago and decided it would become a tradition for whenever we get together.

Sunday is church and dinner out with our stepfather. So it is a busy week. This is also our first Christmas all together without our mom. I've already had a few "bad" moments, and we will have some as a family, but Mom is celebrating her second Christmas in heaven, and we really don't wish her back.

Today, I'm including all the Bible readings for the rest of the year with this post. I do plan to be back before then, though. *smile*

Daily Bible reading: Tuesday, December 23—Nehemiah 12–13; Luke 21:1–19
Wednesday, December 24—Micah 1–3; Luke 21:20–38
Thursday, December 25—Micah 4–5; Luke 22:1–20
Friday, December 26—Micah 6–7; Luke 22:21–46
Saturday, December 27—Zechariah 1–4; Luke 22:47–71
Sunday, December 28—Zechariah 5–8; Luke 23:1–25
Monday, December 29—Zechariah 9–12; Luke 23:26–56

Tuesday, December 30—Zechariah 13–14; Luke 24:1–35
Wednesday, December 31—Malachi; Luke 24:36–53

Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Engaging Father Christmas
FaithWords (October 30, 2008)
by
Robin Jones Gunn


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin grew up in Orange County, California, and has lived in all kinds of interesting places, including Reno and Hawai’i.

She and her husband currently live near Portland, Oregon, and have been married for 30 years. They spent their first 22 years of marriage working together in youth ministry and enjoying life with their son and daughter who are now both grown.

As a frequent speaker at local and international events, one of Robin’s favorite topics is how God is the Relentless Lover and we are His first love. She delights in telling stories of how God uses fiction to change lives.

Robin is the recipient of the Christy Award, the Mt. Hermon Pacesetter Award, the Sherwood E. Wirt Award and is a Gold Medallion Finalist. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Media Associates International and the Board of Directors for Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers’ Guild.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Miranda Carson can't wait to return to England for Christmas and to be with her boyfriend, Ian. She has spent a lifetime yearning for a place to call home, and she's sure Carlton Heath will be it, especially when a hinted-at engagement ring slips into the conversation.

But Miranda's high hopes for a jolly Christmas with the small circle of people she has come to love are toppled when Ian's father is hospitalized and the matriarch of the Whitcombe family withholds her blessing from Miranda. Questions run rampant in Miranda's mind about whether she really belongs in this cheery corner of the world. Then, when her true identity threatens all her relationships in unanticipated ways, Miranda is certain all is lost.

And yet . . . maybe Father Christmas has special gifts in store for her after all.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Engaging Father Christmas, go HERE