The Gift of Christmas Day

The Gift of Christmas Day

I sometimes think we expect too
much of Christmas Day. We try
to crowd into it the long arrears
of kindliness and humanity of
the whole year. As for me, I like
to take my Christmas a little
at a time, all through the year.
And thus I drift along into the
holidays--let them overtake me unexpectedly--waking up some
fine morning and suddenly saying
to myself: "Why this is Christmas Day!"

David Grayson
(1870 – 1946)
American Journalist and Writer



My gift to you will be uplifting and motivational quotes by famous and not-so-famous authors over the next two weeks. I hope you enjoy them and I invite any comments on what any passage may mean to you. Christmas is the time of sharing.

Write it down,
Carma

The Gift of The Honest Scrap Award

Writing Coach and Award winning Author, Suzanne Lieurance, has awarded me with the Honest Scrap Award. Challenging me to reveal ten honest to goodness deep dark secrets about myself. Thank you Suzanne. I am not sure the world is ready for this but here are the rules.

1. List 10 honest things about yourself (make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!)
2. Pass the award on to 7 bloggers.

1. I am a licensed Plumber and my husband works for me.
2. I went back to college at age 55 and graduated with a GPA 4.0. I was always older than my teachers.
3. I lost 104 pounds in 1998 by following Weight Watchers guidelines. For the first time in my adult life I wore a size 14.
4. I gained back 60 pounds by 2007. What happened? Behavior Modification fall out.
5. My weight loss/gain experience has taught me that one can never, never, stop practicing the principles of success in any venture in life.
6. I am lousy at journaling but I love to write.
7. I wrote a play when I was in the 6th grade. I got an A.
8. I never drank store bought milk until I was 16 years old.
9. I am thankful that I was born in America.
10. I love this award because it is all about me, me, me.

OK you guys let's all fess up. I believe you all have the gutz to tell it all.

Lisa Holdren
Yvonne Perry
Phil Gerbyshack
Judy Ferril
Theresa Schultz
Karen Cioffi
Dawn Phillips




Thanks for participating.

Carma

The Gift of Humbleness

Think about it, the good news was proclaimed first to ordinary working people.


And so the good news was told to shepherds, to working men who were toiling in the fields. The coming King would hallow the common work of man, and in His love and grace all the problems of labour would find a solution.

The Lord of the Christmas-tide throws a halo over common toil. Even Christian people have not all learnt the significance of the angels' visit to the lonely shepherds. Some of us can see the light resting upon a bishop's crosier, but we cannot see the radiance on the ordinary shepherd's staff. We can discern the hallowedness of a priest's vocation, but we see no sanctity in the calling of the grocer, or of the scavenger in the street. We can see the nimbus on the few, but not on the crowd; on the unusual, but not on the commonplace. But the very birth-hour of Christianity irradiated the humble doings of humble people. When the angels went to the shepherds, common work was encircled with an immortal crown.

(John Henry Jowett)
(1864 – 1923)

Jowett was born in Halifax, England in 1864. "I was blessed with the priceless privilege of a Christian home," he later remarked.

His love for reading manifested itself early as he spent his evenings in the town's Mechanics' Institute, devouring volumes from their library. Jowett's father had arranged for him to begin working as a clerk for a lawyer in Halifax, but the encouragement of his Sunday school teacher, Mr. Dewhirst, turned Jowett's heart toward the ministry.


Over the next two weeks, my gift to you will be daily uplifting and motivational passages by famous and not-so-famous authors. I hope you enjoy them. If any passage moves you, please comment and share. Christmas is the time of sharing.

Write it down,
Carma

Gift of Defrosting the Heart

Christmas is for children. But it is for grown-ups, too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts.

Lenora Mattingly Weber

Lenora Mattingly Weber wrote books and short stories for over 40 years. She is best known for her Beany Malone series and Katie Rose/Stacy Belford books. Beyond these series, Mrs. Weber wrote ten non-series books which are also captivating to readers of all ages. Her numerous short stories in McCall's, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Saturday Evening Post, American Magazine and Pictoral Review reveal this author's amazing gift for character presentation and storytelling.


Those who have not Christmas in their hearts
will never find it under a tree.

Roy L. Smith


Write it down,
Carma

My Gift to You - The Gift of Simplicity

Over the next two weeks, my gift to you will be daily uplifting and motivational passages by famous and not-so-famous authors. I hope you enjoy them. If any passage moves you, please comment and share. Christmas is the time of sharing.


At Christmastime, children play an essential part in our celebrations. So much of what we do is intended to please them--and all the while our hearts keep hearkening back to the Christmas memories of our own childhoods. On Christmas Eve, sometimes we can't help but envy our children the stars in their eyes, especially when our own eyes are dull with exhaustion.

Christmas is so much simpler for a child. Can we open our tired, adult eyes to that same simplicity?

Ellen Sanna
For Unto Us a Child is Born

Tarantula Tide - Book Review

Tarantula Tide
Author: Sharon Tregenza
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Floris Books (October 16, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0863156738
ISBN-13: 978-0863156731


Tarantula Tide is a fast paced, page-turning suspense novel for the middle grade reader. Jack grudgingly accompanies his mother to one of the Shetland Islands for a holiday which is known for their Land of the Viking Fire Festival. During the long ferry ride to Shetland, Jack gets sick and vomits all over a pair of red boots that are on the feet of a biker named Slasher. Jack spends the rest of the trip avoiding Slasher but mysterious circumstances involving, suspense and humor will bring them together again.

Jack’s summer holiday becomes more interesting when he meets his next door neighbor, Izzie, who has a penchant for exotic pets. A couple of favorites of mine are Karma the chameleon and Minx the Siamese cat. Shetland is full of adventure with its private coves, historical brochs and Viking history. Izzie knows her way around and her connection with the police department comes in handy. Things are not what they appear to be. The curious duo discovers the wandering tramp is not a tramp and the local vet does more than care for Shetland ponies. At the center of all the mysteriousness is an eight legged visitor named Octavia.

Also throughout the adventure, Tregenza describes a variety of other wildlife native to the area such as skuas seabirds, seals and puffins. Tarantula Tide is an exciting and easy read for everyone. Kids will love this book because of the unpredictable plot. There are a few unexpected twists and turns when Izzie and Jack explore the historical broch. You may guess the ending will turn out OK but there is no way you can guess how.

Award winning author Sharon Tregenza has written over 400 articles of poetry and short stories for children published worldwide. Tarantula Tide is her debut children’s novel and won the Kelpies Prize which rewards new Scottish writing for children’s literature.

Write it down,
Carma

Find Out What All the Buzz is About. Join the CWCC Today!

The Children’s Writer’s Coaching Club (CWCC) is open for business. All that is needed is a desire to learn to write for children. No experience required. Already have a writing career? The CWCC can help you make more of the writing career you have.

Writing is not the only thing writers do. They need to learn how to market their books, author visits, how to conduct seminars and workshops more effectively.

As a member of the CWCC you will work with both published children’s authors and aspiring authors to achieve the career of your dreams.

The best part of all this is that you can do it all in the comfort of your own home. Full time or part time. The decision is yours.

Membership is $27 per month. Read on and see what a member receives.

• LIVE teleclasses EVERY month. Each teleclass is taught by a successful children’s book author and/or illustrator who knows the “tricks of the trade” of children’s writing, illustrating, and publishing.

• A monthly writing assignment, designed to become a finished project ready for submission to a publisher, usually by the end of the month, although some projects take longer. Each month we focus on some area of publishing. For example, one month we study how to write short fiction for children’s magazines. Another month we focus on writing nonfiction for children’s magazines. Another month we target writing picture books, etc.

• The opportunity to have your monthly assignment professionally critiqued, so you know if further revisions are needed before it is ready for submission to a publisher.

• Network opportunity via an online discussion list with other members of the CWCC.

Come and join the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club today as I did and you’ll be on your way to creating your own career as a published children’s book author. Click the logo below.

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Write it down,
Carma