(Hey readers, it’s Preslaysa. If you are looking for the 12 Peals of Christmas, Day Ten, you’ll find it at the end of Michelle’s guest post. A double treat! Enjoy)
When Love Collides officially releases on Dec. 15, 2011 in e-book format. Recognizing that Dec. 15th is the official “Bill of Rights Day” for our nation, I thought I’d post a little bit about how my novel, When Love Collides, ties into that particular day of observance.
Did you know that the Bill of Rights actually began with the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States? That’s right. The amendments were ratified on Dec. 15, 1791 and form what we now call “The Bill of Rights.”
If I had to choose one to focus on as an author, I would have to say the first amendment stands out as being the most significant in regards to my personal freedoms despite the ongoing debates over the interpretation of its full meaning. The freedom that I have as an author to express my thoughts, opinions, and feelings regarding any subject, including religion, is a freedom that I do not take lightly. I can’t imagine being an author in a world where the government decided what I could and could not write about.
Specifically, the First Amendment reads:
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
For me, the beauty of personal freedom is inherent in the ability of individuals to express themselves. I pray that we never lose this freedom, for it is one of the many reasons the United States is such a great place to live.
In particular, When Love Collides deals with the spoken and unspoken expression of love, and the ability to trust. There is a strong faith element to the story. One important theme is that communication is critical in all relationships, because this allows people to make informed choices. One of the barriers to the heroine’s happiness is the knowledge that she made some poor choices in the past which resulted in painful experiences she could have avoided. Had she known the truth about how the hero had felt about her back in college, she may never have married an abusive man. Ten years later, she believes that God has given her a second chance. This story is about her journey and being given a second chance at love.
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Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!
Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from some of today’s most beloved writer’s (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.
AND just for fun … there’s also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 – 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
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Inside Out Christmas
by Debora M. Coty
My veterinarian friend, Dr. Katie, tells the story about the December when a woman brought a very sick black lab into her clinic. The dog was only ten months old, so she was really just a big puppy, but she’d been vomiting incessantly and her worried owner didn’t know what was wrong.
“Why don’t you go on home?” Dr. Katie told the owner. “I’ll need to run tests for about four hours. We’ll give you a call when we’re finished.”
Dr. Katie’s assistant took x-rays and hung them on the light panel for Dr. Katie to examine. Hmm. Something looked a little peculiar. Dr. Katie called her assistant over.
“Is it just me, or does that look like a … a camel to you?” she asked incredulously.
“Matter of fact, it does,” replied the astute assistant. “And look, there’s an angel here, a shepherd there, and down there in the colon, it’s Baby Jesus!”
At that moment the phone rang. It was the dog’s distraught owner. “I can’t believe this! I just got home and glanced at the coffee table where I put my manger scene yesterday. There’s nothing there but an empty stable!”
As I thought about this quite literal technique for internalizing the true meaning of Christmas, it occurred to me that sometimes I have the opposite problem. With all the bustling busyness, my inner joy in celebration of my savior’s birth never really makes it to the outside.
Oh, I have plenty of glittery, festive evidences of the holiday in decorations, baking galore, and gifts under my tree. But those things are for show. They’re merely the pretty wrappings, not the gift itself.
Can people really see the core-deep joy that radiates within me when I think of the true gift that Papa God sent the world in his son, Jesus? Is my immeasurable gratitude for eternal life evident as I dash through this hectic season?
I’m afraid all too often, the answer is no.
I’m just too preoccupied to allow my outside to reflect my inside so that nonbelievers recognize that I rejoice because of the hope that is within me. My joy is obscured by the mounds of clutter. Gratefulness is sucked out of my soul by the vacuum called urgency.
“But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy” (Psalm 68:3, NLT).
This verse has become my prayer this Christmas season – that I would make the time to give priority to rejoicing, being glad in God’s presence, and letting my inner joy show for those who may be silently desperate to know the giver of true joy.
Yep, there’s a better way to internalize the gift of Christmas than the black lab technique. We can lodge the Little Lord Jesus in our hearts rather than our colons.
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Debora M. Coty is a humorist, inspirational speaker, and award-winning author of twelve books, including Too Blessed to be Stressed, and coming in March, More Beauty, Less Beast: Transforming Your Inner Ogre. Debora would love to swap Christmas hugs with you at www.DeboraCoty.com.
Thanks for the chance to do a guest post for you. Merry Christmas!