You Shouldn't Know From the Snow.....

Christmas Ornaments Come to Life When We're Asleep....

Can't Stop Taking Photos...New Camera....Help!

MacDuff Guarding the Baby Jesus

We Live Forever Because of Christmas Day

I have two words to say to people who fear death so much that they can’t enjoy life: Merry Christmas. These words offer hope to a once hopeless world because through the miracle of Christmas, God has arranged it so that no one has to be afraid to die anymore. The Bible says “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”


But let's examine how death and Christmas fit into the picture in the first place. "Death came into the world," the Bible says, because of what one man (Adam) did, and it is because of what this other man, (Christ) has done; now there is the resurrection from the dead."

In essence by coming back from the grave, Christ rendered death moot. It was set in motion by sin, and that couldn’t change. But because Christ rose, we now know death is not final. It no longer has a hold on us. It can’t hurt us anymore. It’s lost its “sting.” Our Savior, Jesus, has vanquished death, and the Bible affirms the good news.

Isaiah 25:8 tells us the Lord “will swallow up death forever.” David says “God has delivered my soul from death.” John says, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn (it), but that the world through Him might be saved.” Jesus, Himself says, “Don’t be afraid. I am the living one! I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I have authority over death.” And Paul says, “He became flesh and blood to destroy the devil, who has the power over death, and in this way set free those who were (are) slaves all their lives because of their fear of death.”

Because the scary part for most of us isn’t so much the dying—but what comes afterwards: final judgment. Our sins make us fear and tremble at the thought of the Almighty. And that’s the worry that Jesus has done away with. By coming to earth and suffering for us, Jesus has removed the fear because He’s removed the sin. Jesus stood in for us, was judged, paid our debt, and God accepted his offering. In that magnanimous effort, our sin slate was wiped clean, and our ability to say “No” to sin and (spiritual) death were secured.

So if we accept Jesus, following His Word as best we can and begging His forgiveness when we fail, we have no reason to fear God’s wrath—and can stand before Him without quaking. We have Jesus’ promise on that: “I assure you,” He tells us, “those who listen to my message, and believe in God who sent me shall have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”

As if that weren’t good news enough, there’s more. Because our old sinful selves were joined with Jesus and died with him, they will also rise with Him. “For I will live again,” Jesus explained, “and you will, too.”

Okay, but that doesn’t mean the bodies we’re in now won’t go the way of all flesh. On the contrary, we are temporary people. We are destined to expire. The Bible says “Yet, even though Christ lives within you, your body will die because of sin; but your spirit will live, for Christ has pardoned it.” So it’s as though we get rid of our outer casing which was dust in the first place and will decompose back to dust, and free up the other part of us, our spirit, to be joined to the new improved bodies Paul tells us about. Actually, Paul says that getting rid of these earthly bodies is a prerequisite to getting into heaven. He says, “These perishable bodies are not the right kind to live forever.” And if that’s the case, why anguish about letting them go?

Indeed, because of God’s immense love for us, and what happened in that stable long ago, we don’t have to agonize over losing our bodies or our souls. “We will not be ashamed and embarrassed at the Day of Judgment,” the Bible says, “but can face Him with confidence and joy because he loves us…. And His perfect love eliminates all dread of what he might do to us.”

So we can take death—and for that matter, the struggles and pain of life—off our worry list for good. We no longer have to behave like “cowering, fearful slaves,” anxious about living and petrified of dying because Jesus gives us the strength to survive one and has broken the bond of the other. So let’s exchange fear and terror for faith and hope. Let’s rejoice in what Christ’s birth and death accomplished. And let’s never stop thanking God for the gift of Jesus, because as the choirs and carolers remind us each year in their songs of praise: “Man will live forever because of Christmas Day.”

From: The Worrywart's Prayer Book by Allia Zobel Nolan.


“God so loved the world”: John 13:17 NKJV
“Death came into the world”: 1 Corinthians 15:21 TLB
“will swallow up death”: Isaiah 25:8 TLB
“God has delivered my soul”: Psalm 56:13 NKJV
“For God did not send his son into the world” John 3:17 TLB
“Don’t be afraid. I am the living one!”: Rev 1:18 TEV
“He became flesh and blood to destroy”: Hebrews 2:14 TEV
“I assure you, those who listen to my message”: John 5:24 NL
“For I will live again, and you will too.” John 14:20 TLB
“millions will come back”: 1 Corinthians 15:20
“Yet even though Christ lives with you”: Romans 8:10 TLB
“These perishable bodies are not”: 1 Corinthians 15:50 TLB
“We will not be ashamed and embarrassed” 1John 4:17, 18 TLB
“cowering, fearful, slaves: Romans 8:15 NLT

Advice for the Holidays: Don't Worry; Purr More, Hiss Less

Does this look like the face of a creature who worries?
Does she come off as a flustered feline,running around like a headless chipmunk in a frenzied attempt to get her cards written and all her mice,captured, wrapped, and placed under the tree?

Nah.... My laid-back puddy, Angela, knows better than to worry....She lives in the moment and lets what will happen happen. She knows Christmas is fast approaching, but also knows everything that needs to get done, will. There's no cause for anxiety.

Things weren't always this calm. In fact, Angela used to be a nervous nelly. So how did she get so mellow?

Glad you asked.... Angela read a book her Mama wrote, and it has helped her immensely:THE WORRYWART'S PRAYER BOOK taught this former worrier and catnip addict to, "let there be no crisis before its time," and to realize "God's in charge."

Yup, after sitting on the book for weeks, she decided to open it,and chew on some of the pages. The difference in her behavior was palpable. She stopped running around in circles, wasting time wringing her paws over what MIGHT happen. She stopped thinking negatively about terrible things (like what if Tom, her boyfriend, fell for the new kitty down the block? Or what if her Mommy forgets she promised Angela salmon on her birthday?). And she didn't let what others thought of her put her in a tailspin. She found peace at last.

So much so, that she decided to pad through another of her Mom's books,PURR MORE, HISS LESS. "It's such a fun book," says Angela.... "and a good mantra for the New Year. I particularly love the advice, 'You can never rub up against a person's leg too often,' and 'when you're angry,hiss, spit, then get over it.'"

"I give these books five stars," says Angela, who says if you're looking for a non-vampire type of gift, these are cat-a-gorically purr-fect." Have a blessed Christmas.

How I Do the Things I Do...Creating Kids Books that Flip, Sparkle, and Pop

Explain-ing what I do is really the hardest thing I have to do, which is why I don’t do it that very often. I’m not one who keeps to a strict routine. I have no set formula. I can’t account for the fact that at times, I can write a book or article lickety-split; other times, filled with sturm und drang, I sweat and struggle for weeks. What’s more, I’m definitely not one of those authors who sit down every day and the words just pour out. Ye gads! Wouldn’t that be wonderful! Yet, I’ve managed to survive (with help from an understanding husband) as a writer, and have over 170 children’s and adult books, not to mention the odd blog and on-line article, to my name.

Now that I'm participating in a writers' workshop and had to think about my process (which is really as simple as “work like a dog when you have a deadline and work like you have a deadline when you want to walk the dog”), I’m amazed at how much info I have that I didn’t think I had that I can write up and share so other writers can do what I do as well as I can, but hopefully not so well as to put me out of business, so I can continue to do what I do well and share how I do it with others.

So, I am hoping and praying that, since I’ve finally gotten all of this good stuff (20 years accumulation) out of my brain and into seminar form….that those interested in writing your average kids’ book, inspirational titles, Bible Storybooks for kids, or kids' novelty books that slide, pop, sparkle and squeak, (or those looking for a good guffaw, some neat handouts, and free LOL cat books) will mosey on down (or up or whatever) to the Myrtle Beach Hilton this October 23-25 for this tres kewl conference.

Not interested in Kids’ or Inspirational? Not to worry—there are many other
really neat workshops on all kinds of writing with wonderful authors, plus open mic sessions, meetings with agents and publishers (I’m first, though), work critiques, the sun, the sand, the surf…. Go to the South Carolina Writers' Workshop Conference site for the scoop: http://www.myscww.org/conference/

Meantime, I must get back to my piece on helping writers deal with distractions, which I’ve been working on for a month now because I keep getting all these silly emergency tweets from my friends, not to mention a ton of Facebook fan page offers, and well, the cats’ nails need to be polished, and I have to write some more blogs, otherwise when people open this site, moths will fly out. See you in October.