Christmas in October?
I once sang in a Christmas program where one of the songs we sang had the deep and meaningful lyrics:
I wish every day could be like Christmas,
And every night like Christmas Eve.
I wish every day could be like Christmas,
And I know it could if we would just believe.
The song didn't really specify what we were to believe, just that by believing, and evidently singing this song with great feeling, we could conjure up a daily dose of Christmas all year round. Deep thoughts, I tell you!
The Shelton household seems to be embracing this theme this fall. We, or at least I, think about Christmas all the time. I am one of those clearance shoppers who looks for Christmas gifts all year round. I actually bought a gift in April a few years ago - and I am not ashamed to admit it! It's also not unusual for me to be singing a Christmas song any given day of the year. They just lodge themselves in my brain. And it has long been established that I am the biggest kid at Christmas in our household. I love the traditions, the lights, the ornaments, the music, the buying, the wrapping, the giving, the baking, all of it!
I think I get more excited about the boys' toys than they do sometimes. Last year, I bought a giant stuffed penguin for Trevor at Meijer, and proceeded to keep cuddling and petting it while I did my grocery shopping that day, like the most eager little kid you've ever seen. I couldn't wait to give it to him!
But none of that is actually why we're thinking of Christmas right now. (Warning, this is where I'm about to make a shameless plug.)
Ablaze with Light is a children's nativity story. In it, I tell the story of the angels' visit to the shepherds as found in Luke chapter 2, except that it's done all in rhyme. The book was illustrated by a gifted young artist, who was only seventeen at the time. It's playful and fun, and amazingly enough, parallels the scripture perfectly. It's a great way to introduce the Christmas story to kids, and it's a charming read for adults who haven't forgotten about the wonder of Christmas too.
If you don't have the book yet and want it, please go to Lulu.com and order it. Just enter my name, Janelle Shelton, or the title, Ablaze with Light in the search box and it'll come right up. You can also find us on I-Books or the Barns & Noble website, in the form of an E-book. Or, as if that's not enough, if you live locally, I can sell it to you directly and save you the cost of shipping.
To add to the fun, we have an additional product available for sale. We have Ablaze with Light Christmas cards! The front shows the cover of the book. The back shows an illustration and a quote from the book, and we'll be happy to sell those to you in any quantity you want for $1.00 apiece. You can order cards by emailing me at Janelle.Shelton@gmail.com.
Thanks to those of you who have served as my test market and have already purchased some of these items. This is a huge, huge task, and one that can at times be very intimidating. If I sit down and think about the numbers for too long, I inevitably cry. Without God's help, we can do nothing, and we know it. The task is way too big for Steve and I to accomplish on our own. So we continue to work hard and to pray for a miracle. The pesky thing about miracles, though, is that you can't predict them, which I suppose makes them a lot more fun for God, just not much fun on the front end for we lowly humans!
The Ablaze with Light merchandise is certainly not our only fundraiser, but given the time of year, it is the one we are focusing on primarily right now. We have had really encouraging feedback from friends, family, and coworkers, and I am cautiously optomistic about what this little book could mean for our family this year.
Please continue to forward our story to anyone you think might be interested, and if you have brilliant ideas for how to market a children's book, we're open to suggestions.
Blessings to you all, and an early Merry Christmas!
I wish every day could be like Christmas,
And every night like Christmas Eve.
I wish every day could be like Christmas,
And I know it could if we would just believe.
The song didn't really specify what we were to believe, just that by believing, and evidently singing this song with great feeling, we could conjure up a daily dose of Christmas all year round. Deep thoughts, I tell you!
The Shelton household seems to be embracing this theme this fall. We, or at least I, think about Christmas all the time. I am one of those clearance shoppers who looks for Christmas gifts all year round. I actually bought a gift in April a few years ago - and I am not ashamed to admit it! It's also not unusual for me to be singing a Christmas song any given day of the year. They just lodge themselves in my brain. And it has long been established that I am the biggest kid at Christmas in our household. I love the traditions, the lights, the ornaments, the music, the buying, the wrapping, the giving, the baking, all of it!
I think I get more excited about the boys' toys than they do sometimes. Last year, I bought a giant stuffed penguin for Trevor at Meijer, and proceeded to keep cuddling and petting it while I did my grocery shopping that day, like the most eager little kid you've ever seen. I couldn't wait to give it to him!
But none of that is actually why we're thinking of Christmas right now. (Warning, this is where I'm about to make a shameless plug.)
Ablaze with Light is a children's nativity story. In it, I tell the story of the angels' visit to the shepherds as found in Luke chapter 2, except that it's done all in rhyme. The book was illustrated by a gifted young artist, who was only seventeen at the time. It's playful and fun, and amazingly enough, parallels the scripture perfectly. It's a great way to introduce the Christmas story to kids, and it's a charming read for adults who haven't forgotten about the wonder of Christmas too.
If you don't have the book yet and want it, please go to Lulu.com and order it. Just enter my name, Janelle Shelton, or the title, Ablaze with Light in the search box and it'll come right up. You can also find us on I-Books or the Barns & Noble website, in the form of an E-book. Or, as if that's not enough, if you live locally, I can sell it to you directly and save you the cost of shipping.
To add to the fun, we have an additional product available for sale. We have Ablaze with Light Christmas cards! The front shows the cover of the book. The back shows an illustration and a quote from the book, and we'll be happy to sell those to you in any quantity you want for $1.00 apiece. You can order cards by emailing me at Janelle.Shelton@gmail.com.
Thanks to those of you who have served as my test market and have already purchased some of these items. This is a huge, huge task, and one that can at times be very intimidating. If I sit down and think about the numbers for too long, I inevitably cry. Without God's help, we can do nothing, and we know it. The task is way too big for Steve and I to accomplish on our own. So we continue to work hard and to pray for a miracle. The pesky thing about miracles, though, is that you can't predict them, which I suppose makes them a lot more fun for God, just not much fun on the front end for we lowly humans!
The Ablaze with Light merchandise is certainly not our only fundraiser, but given the time of year, it is the one we are focusing on primarily right now. We have had really encouraging feedback from friends, family, and coworkers, and I am cautiously optomistic about what this little book could mean for our family this year.
Please continue to forward our story to anyone you think might be interested, and if you have brilliant ideas for how to market a children's book, we're open to suggestions.
Blessings to you all, and an early Merry Christmas!
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