A Month of Christmas Stories

Greetings, Pixels! I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was filled with love, laughter, joy, peace, and fun - and plenty of awesome food and awesome football wins. (Or shopping trips ...)

Tomorrow, we're going to start a month of something a bit different. I wanted Debbie, Suzanne, Phee, and Kathy to have time to celebrate the season with their families, so I gave them a month off. Instead of their regular columns, we'll provide Christmas stories written by all of us, and by some of you! The first week of January, we'll post a list of contest finalists, and you'll get to vote on your favorites - your votes will count for half the total score for each entry, so please stop in daily to read all the entries. Of course, the staff of PnP won't be in the contest, but we want to share our stories, too, just for your reading pleasure.

I'm looking forward to this month, and hope you are, too. See you tomorrow.

UPDATE: A clarification upon request - If you submitted a story to the contest, and it is chosen for publication in Pix-N-Pens and/or A Pixel-Perfect Christmas, you will be notified within the next few days. Your story could appear in one or both places, and could be chosen as one of the finalists for readers to vote on in January. Hope that makes sense!

A Recipe for all that Leftover Turkey

Did you head out and brave the crowds today? Or did you stay home and decorate for Christmas? Or cheer on your favorite team in their last regular season game? (Roll Tide!)

We'll be doing several different and exciting things here at Pix-N-Pens over the next six weeks or so. Today, we share a recipe and a story from Christian author Kay Marshall Strom.

LEMON CHICKEN SOUP – SENEGAL, WEST AFRICA

This warm, mellow soup from Senegal, West Africa, can easily incorporate any extra turkey you have on hand. Just substitute it for the chicken.

You will need:

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup diced chicken (or turkey)
1 cup yogurt
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
fresh chives, washed and snipped

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry powder and flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually blend in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, continuing to stir constantly. Add diced chicken (or turkey).

Remove the kettle from the heat and cool the soup slightly. Gradually stir in the yogurt, a small amount at a time. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half and add the juice to the soup.Garnish each bowl of soup with a dash of fresh chives.

The Women at the Well

Kay Marshall Strom

In Senegal, West Africa, I sat beside the community well, because that’s where the village women gathered. Out of the dusty wasteland they came, from every direction, their babies tied to their backs and their water containers balanced on their heads. They were glad to rest beside the well, for they had to walk many miles to get there. The average woman in the world, we are told, walks seven miles a day in her quest for water. When you factor in those of us who only walk to the kitchen to turn on the faucet, you can see that some must trek much farther than seven miles!

At the well, the women have a chance to catch up with the goings-on in neighboring villages, to air their complaints with one another, and to share their own news. And so I sat by the well with Obei and Helene, two Christian women in a country 98 percent Muslim, and waited to meet the women as they came for water.

And come they did.

A young woman came, sobbing over her baby son who was burning with fever. We prayed together in Jesus’ name that her baby would be healed.

A girl came and whispered her wish to learn to read, but said she could not because the walk to the well and back took her all day. Obei offered to teach her a little every day when she came for water. She started with: “For God so loved the world….”

A woman came with terror in her eyes and confided that her daughter must surely be a witch. Helene prayed for the girl, but also for the mother. “Do not believe what others tell you,” she warned the distraught mother. “Believe in the power of God.”

And Songa came. Obei and Helene had prayed with her before in Jesus’ name, and Songa had seen a miracle as her seriously ill son was healed. Now she too, was a follower of Christ. “My husband ordered me to renounce Jesus,” Songa told us. “When I would not, he threw me out of the house, but he kept my children. Please, please… pray for my little ones. Pray that they too will know the God of mercy and love.”

This holiday season, I am thankful for the women at the well in Senegal—all three of them, for Songa has joined the other two. I’m thankful for the lives they are touching in the name of Jesus. Most of all, I am thankful for the Living Water that flows freely for every one of us.

Author Kay Marshall Strom has two great loves: writing and helping others achieve their own writing potential. Kay has written thirty-six published books, numerous magazine articles, and two screenplays. While mostly a nonfiction writer, the first book of her historical novel trilogy Grace in Africa has met with acclaim.

Kay speaks at seminars, retreats, writers’ conferences, and special events throughout the country and around the world. She is in wide demand as an instructor and keynote speaker at major writing conferences. She also enjoys speaking aboard cruise ships in exchange for exotic cruise destinations. Learn more about Kay at her website.

Thank You!

This year has been a difficult one in many ways for most of us, but it has also been a year of exciting transitions and tremendous blessings. Thank you, dear Pixels, for sharing our year and letting us be part of your life. We cherish the friendships made through our efforts here, and appreciate your participation, encouragement, and prayers.

I also want to express my deepest gratitude to Debbie Roome, Suzanne Williams, Phee Paradise, and Kathy Ide - for making Pix-N-Pens such a wonderful place. Ladies - I appreciate you, admire you, and love you dearly.

Happy Thanksgiving, Pixels!

May the Lord present Himself to each and every one of you in a mighty, mighty way during this special time of year.

A Little Gem

Reviewed by Phee Paradise
Better Than Jewels by Linda Newton

The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom for living. Often you find it one nugget at a time. Better than Jewels is presented to the reader in the same way with 31 daily devotionals. Each one is a meditation on a one word topic, such as experience, parenting and trust. Newton quotes a verse from Proverbs that offers wisdom on the topic, then follows it with her insight about it. To make it personal, she then tells a story from her own life or that of someone she knows. As a pastor’s wife, she has a lot of stories.

I enjoyed this little devotional and I think you will too. It is well written and Newton’s insights stay on topic. She doesn’t expound on the theology or doctrine of the scripture, but offers her readers daily encouragement instead. The stories are well told and to the point. I didn’t see any obvious organization of the book by topic or scripture, but it’s the kind of book the Holy Spirit can use to speak to you about what you need to hear.

Pros: Short devotional with a personal message based on scripture. Easy to read and enjoyable, but with a point you can dwell on each day.

Cons: Not a deep study of scripture. It shouldn’t replace your daily Bible reading.

About the Author

Linda Newton's contagious enthusiasm and engaging storytelling brings God's Word to life. With authentic transparency and down-home humor she shares how God transformed heartbreak in her life into hope from her new book Twelve Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise published by Warner Press. Her new devotional book, Better Than Jewels: 31 Days of Biblical Insight for a Woman Seeking God is currently on sale now.

Linda and her husband Bruce pastor Sierra Pines Church in Oakhurst, CA where Linda has served as a counselor for the past 20 years. As a speaker, author, and counselor her passion is to lead ladies to a greater understanding of the abundant life available to them in Christ (John 10:10). You will laugh, learn, and leave feeling closer to the Lord!

Giving Gifts to God

What can we give God for Christmas
By Debbie Roome

It’s less than a month to Christmas and the pace is accelerating. I’m sure it’s the same where you are. My calendar is jammed full of engagements, dinners and shows ... and most of the time I love it. I have a special bonus this year. My parents and sister are visiting from South Africa and we’ll be together for Christmas for the first time in four years.

It’s a wonderful season but sometimes we lose sight of what is really important. As you celebrate over the next few weeks, here are a few pointers to think about.

Give your Gifts and Talents to God
Christmas is a creative time and our writing talents can be put to good use. Think along the lines of plays, stories and reporting on Christmas events. I’m involved in our local community carols and although it is a secular event, it is organized by a group of Christians. I’m playing keyboard and I’ve written a story to read as part of the fun – but it has a message of hope and love woven into it. Ask God for openings where you can use your gifts to honor Him this Christmas.

Give your Time to God
Time with God is often compromised at Christmas. Everything seems to speed up and quiet times are delayed, cancelled or forgotten. Last year, I made a point of reading the Christmas story from the Bible every day. It was amazing how real it became to me ... and I plan to do the same this December. If you make a firm decision to base your Christmas on God, you’ll be amazed at the peace and joy you can experience in the midst of chaos.

Give yourselves to God
Christmas is the season where we remember God’s incredible gift to us. He gave us Jesus as a tiny baby, knowing He would one day die to pay for our sins. Christmas is a time where we celebrate the birth of Jesus ... but also a time where we can give ourselves to God in a greater measure.

As December approaches, I encourage you to plan your days with God in the center of them – let Him be the thread that runs through all your plans, all your dreams and all your hopes - and then relax and enjoy time with friends and family.

Debbie Roome works as a freelance writer from her home in New Zealand. Visit her at Debbie Roome or read some of her work at Suite 101 , Take Root and Write and Faithwriters.