Merry Christmas, my dear bookish friends!
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas weekend celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, with family and friends.
We are convinced that celebrating Christmas is so much better with kids! This year we decided to stay home and it has been such a relaxing and fun Christmas season. We are just about ready with the presents (the play kitchen is done! That has been my big project and stress this month!). Now we can just look forward to good food and great memories together.
I’ve mentioned my religious beliefs before here on Greenish Bookshelf, but the Christmas season seems like an especially appropriate time to share my faith in Christ. Perhaps some of you have heard about the #LighttheWorld campaign that the LDS or Mormon church hosts throughout December. As a member of the LDS church, I am grateful for this chance to focus on service and our Savior.
Jesus taught:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” —Matthew 5:16
Check out this video that shares ways we can serve and support those around us and throughout the world.
I am grateful for this time of year to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This year, I read several books that have helped me grow closer to my Savior. I want to share a few thoughts about those today.
Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage // This book details the life, teachings, and divine mission of Jesus Christ. Elder Talmage is a magnificent biographer who offers intelligent and thought provoking insights into Christ’s ministry. This is not a book for the faint of heart. With nearly 500 pages and multiple footnotes, cross references, and complex language, this book is a dense, compelling masterpiece. A truly spiritual experience to read.
The Life of Our Lord by Charles Dickens // I have owned this book for several years. I think I got it for Christmas a few years ago. I finally picked it up this December and enjoyed it. It is simple and rather short. But I appreciated Dickens’ message of faith, service, and kindness to his children. This book would be a great one to read out loud to kids. It offers simple accounts of the Savior’s earthly mission and my copy has gorgeous pictures as well. A worthwhile reminder of the reason for the season.
I’m taking a little holiday break from the blog next week. Planning to spend a lot of time with my family, eat lots of yummy food, and finish my reading goal for the year–one to go to hit 50! My goal is to finish Les Miserables next week. I’m at 85% and feeling motivated! Hope y’all have a wonderful Christmas and get to read lots of wonderful books.
greenish bookshelf 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 🙂
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Thank you! Same to you! 🙂
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Merry (belated) Christmas Jane! I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season. I agree, I enjoy Christmas as a parent even more so than as a kid. There is just something about watching your own children experience the magic of the season 🙂 I hope you have enjoyed your break! See you when you get back.
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Thanks so much, Amanda! So great to see you back in the blogging world 🙂 Hope y’all had a fantastic Christmas as well! Were you in the new house??
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I’m so glad you feel comfortable enough to share your feelings and your faith on your blog! I feel like the society we live in has gotten so PC lately no one can really be themselves. While I am a Jew, I completely understand and respect what you’re writing about here. Faith is essential (to me, at least) to maintain happiness and perspective on life.
Merry Christmas!! I hope yours was perfect. 😀
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Merry Christmas, my dear Jackie! Thank you so much for your comment. That means a lot to me. I absolutely agree with you–faith is essential! I felt inspired to share that faith in a small way.
We had a wonderful Christmas!! I hope you did too! [Or should I be saying Happy Hanukkah? 🙂 ]
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Haha. We had a wonderful Hanukkah at my house, and we celebrated an extraordinarily secular Christmas with David’s family. They are all about trees, gifts, stockings, and classic holiday films like A Christmas Story. It was a wonderful break from reality– but I am ready to get back into the swing of things!
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Even better! Celebrating both holidays! Hey, I enjoy the secular side of Christmas quite a bit myself. Santa totally spoiled us this year 🙂 And we got Home Alone and Charlie Brown Christmas this year–Christmas movies are the best! 🙂
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Merry Christmas! I love to read about the faith over the twelve days of Christmas. Were Catholic and celebrate through epiphany (Jan 6) so it’s a great time to reflect and recenter around Christ through the new year.
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Merry Christmas to you, Emily! That is really neat to continue the celebration through to the new year. A wonderful time of year to focus on faith 🙂
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Merry Christmas! I hope you get the chance to finish Les Mis! 😄
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Thank you! And I did! 🙂
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