#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR SUSAN WIGGS INVITES YOU TO AN UNFORGETTABLE CHRISTMAS IN THE CATSKILLS A single father who yearns to be a family man, Logan O'Donnell is determined to create the perfect Christmas for his son, Charlie. The entire O'Donnell clan arrives to spend the holidays in Avalon, a postcard-pretty town on the shores of Willow Lake, a place for the family to reconnect and rediscover the special gifts of the season. One of the guests is a newcomer to Willow Lake—Darcy Fitzgerald. Sharp-witted, independent and intent on guarding her heart, she's the last person Logan can see himself falling for. And Darcy is convinced that a relationship is the last thing she needs this Christmas. Yet between the snowy silence of the winter woods and the toasty moments by a crackling fire, their two lonely hearts collide. The magic of the season brings them each a gift neither ever expected—a love to last a lifetime.

Candlelight Christmas Garden is a unique, multi-generation Christmas program that celebrates the coming of Jesus, who is God's Light. Perfect for children's, youth and adult choirs, separately or combined, it may be presented in its entirety as a 20-minute program or in individual suites throughout the season.

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen...but do you recall the story of Candlelight, the greatest and most important star in all the skies? Assigned as the star to watch over the town of Bethlehem, Candlelight the star doesn’t see many reasons to shine brightly. His town is dull and quiet, with not much going on. But Candlelight is about to find out just how special his little town actually is when an angel of God comes to him and tells him he must shine the brightest he ever has, as God is sending his Son Jesus, who will be born in Bethlehem to save his people. Candlelight’s Christmas is a wonderful Christmas story that reminds us that God gives all of us special skills—and that we, too, should always shine our brightest. About the Author Thomas A. Brown is retired from Eng. Westinghouse Electric and currently lives in Swarthmore, PA.

Captain Moorcroft’s Christmas Bride by Anne Herries Selina Searles is in desperate need of a refuge this Christmas. Taking the position as housekeeper at Banford Hall, little does she expect the lord of the manor to be Captain Robert Moorcroft, the man who stole her youthful heart one magical evening before going off to war! And as the Christmas bells chime, Selina’s heart is well on its way to being lost all over again… Governess Under the Mistletoe by Elizabeth Beacon The day before Christmas governess Sophie Bonet wasn’t prepared for any unexpected visitors at Heartsease Hall, especially not the Earl of Sylbourne, Peter Vane. Sophie hasn’t seen Peter since she ran away eight years ago and her heart has never been the same since. But now her past has caught up with her and her buttoned-up exterior is crumbling under the seductive gaze of Peter Vane…

How did enslaved African Americans in the Old South really experience Christmas? Did Christmastime provide slaves with a lengthy and jubilant respite from labor and the whip, as is generally assumed, or is the story far more complex and troubling? In this provocative, revisionist, and sometimes chilling account, Robert E. May chides the conventional wisdom for simplifying black perspectives, uncritically accepting southern white literary tropes about the holiday, and overlooking evidence not only that countless southern whites passed Christmases fearful that their slaves would revolt but also that slavery’s most punitive features persisted at holiday time. In Yuletide in Dixie, May uncovers a dark reality that not only alters our understanding of that history but also sheds new light on the breakdown of slavery in the Civil War and how false assumptions about slave Christmases afterward became harnessed to myths undergirding white supremacy in the United States. By exposing the underside of slave Christmases, May helps us better understand the problematic stereotypes of modern southern historical tourism and why disputes over Confederate memory retain such staying power today. A major reinterpretation of human bondage, Yuletide in Dixie challenges disturbing myths embedded deeply in our culture.

Imagine announcing a new series of sermons and seeing worship attendance increase by 1,000 people on the first Sunday of the new series. Or consider a pastor developing sermon plans two to three years out. What kind of pastor sits in a bar with a notepad just looking for ideas for sermons? Or has as his aim to preach the best prepared, best researched sermons his congregation has ever heard? All of these and more explain part of the reason the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection has grown from four people to over 10,000 in just thirteen years.In Unleashing the Word, Adam Hamilton helps pastors and church leaders consider the purpose, planning, and execution of excellent preaching. He offers detailed descriptions of the sermon planning, writing and preaching process behind one of the fastest growing churches in the United States. He includes numerous personal anecdotes and enough sermon ideas to keep the average pastor busy for years Finally, after you have read how sermons are planned and prepared at the Church of the Resurrection you can watch the included DVD which features four full-length sermons and other resources to help you apply what you've read in the book. If you only buy one book on preaching this year, this is the book you must buy

From the bestselling author of If I Were You comes a nostalgic and endearing holiday story that reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful gifts are the ones we least expect and dont deserve. Best friends Audrey Barrett and Eve Dawson are looking forward to celebrating Christmas in postwar America, thrilled at the prospect of starting new traditions with their five-year-old sons. But when the 1951 Sears Christmas Wish Book arrives and the boys start obsessing over every toy in it, Audrey and Eve realize they must first teach them the true significance of the holiday. They begin by helping Bobby and Harry plan gifts of encouragement and service for those in their community, starting by walking an elderly neighbors yellow Labsince a dog topped the boys wish list for Santa. In the charming tale that follows, Audrey and Eve are surprised to find their own hearts healing from the tragedies of war and opening to the possibility of forgiveness and new love.