Christmas is my favorite holiday.
I love listening to the music, buying and wrapping gifts for people, and going to Christmas parties with friends and family. It is not very difficult for me to get into the spirit of the season. I am more than ready to break out Michael Buble’s Christmas, album on the first day of November. Of course, I wait until after Thanksgiving to put up the tree and all the lights and other Christmas décor.
For some, however, they find it harder to get into the Christmas spirit. Maybe they have a legitimate reason to be sad during the holidays, or maybe they have chosen to not celebrate any winter holidays because of commercialization. Or, perhaps most common, they do not know the real meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ. We celebrate Christmas because He came down from heaven to save the world from sin; to bring joy to all people. It is because of Jesus we have the opportunity to live eternally with Him in heaven someday.
If you would like to start getting into the Christmas spirit, there are a few different ways to do so. For the first segment of this blog series, I will share seven Christmas-themed books that I want to read this season. Most of them I have never read before, a few others I have read. I hope you will read at least one and that it inspires you to enjoy this upcoming holiday like never before.
1. “Substitute Guest” by Grace Livingston Hill
Technically, I have not read this one. My mom read it aloud to my sister and I one December. I hope to read it for myself soon. Grace Livingston Hill is one of my mom’s favorite authors. Find it on goodreads by clicking this link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/574038.The_Substitute_Guest?ac=1&from_search=true.
2. “Finding Father Christmas” by Robin Jones Gunn
RGJ is one of my favorite authors and this book has been adapted into a Hallmark Christmas movie. I cannot wait to see the movie, but I think I would like to read the book first. This book is actually the first in a trilogy. The other two are titled, “Engaging Father Christmas” and “Kissing Father Christmas.” Read more about this trilogy here on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28450805-finding-father-christmas-engaging-father-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true.
3. “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
Truly a classic. There have been so many film and theater adaptations, I do not even know which are the most accurate. I am guilty of watching the movie version before I had the chance to read the book. Fun fact, in middle school I played Scrooge’s older sister, Fan, during his visit to Christmas past. If you really need to look it up, find it here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5326.A_Christmas_Carol?ac=1&from_search=true.
4. “The Christmas Shoes” by Donna VanLiere
This is a precious story about a little boy and his mother. There is also a song about this story and a movie. I think I heard the song, read the book, and watched the movie. If you do not have time to read the book or see the movie, please at least listen to the song. Look at the book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42172.The_Christmas_Shoes?ac=1&from_search=true.
5. “Mandie and Joe’s Christmas Surprise” by Lois Gladys Leppard
This is one I have read and it is pretty good. It has been several years, however. One really cool feature of the book is that it contains a script to the theater play based on the book. The Mandie book series was written for pre-teen and teenage girls. Read more about this book at this link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1310257.Mandie_and_Joe_s_Christmas_Surprise?ac=1&from_search=true.
6. “The Case for Christmas” by Lee Strobel
If you’re all about the true meaning of Christmas, I think this is the book for you. This book as well as “The Case for Christ” (also written by Lee Strobel) have been on my “to-read” list for a while. Perhaps I’ll move them to my “have read” list soon. Find out more here:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/259218.The_Case_for_Christmas?ac=1&from_search=true.
7. “Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas” by Ace Collins
This book is not a novel; it is a collection of stories behind over thirty Christmas songs. I really like learning the stories behind songs; how they were written, what inspired the author to write it, and the real meaning of the song. Check it out on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/288407.Stories_Behind_the_Best_Loved_Songs_of_Christmas?ac=1&from_search=true.
~~In the next segment of “Tis the Season” I will be writing about ten of my favorite Christmas movies~~
