Hello Dear Reader,
The last newsletter of the year! I can hardly believe that another year has passed. It’s such a fulfilling and crazy thought to think back over everything that has happened in the past 12 months. Just in my life, some crazy and big things occurred. From my little sister getting married, to my husband and I celebrating our three-year anniversary in Spain, and all the other little adventures we had along the way. Now here we are welcoming 2025. But before we do that, we still have the biggest holiday of the year to celebrate — Christmas!
As my gift to you, I’m sharing some of the things that I do to celebrate this holiday season. Maybe you’ll find something that you’ll like and want to incorporate it into your traditions. Plus, there’s a bonus gift suggestion at the end, but I’ll let you see all that it entails on your own!
But that’s not my only gift — for those of you eagerly waiting on news of “The Abditory’s” sequel, I’ve finally got some for you — IT’S BEEN COMPLETED! Yes, finally Rivka’s story continues on. The release date has not been set, as the manuscript has been shipped off to my publishers and is still under review, but we are one step closer to the finish line. Go ahead, let’s all do a little dance in celebration.
KNEE SLAPPER THURSDAY
VERSE OF THE MONTH
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV
SERVINA
Servina’s been enjoying the holiday season doing what she loves — snacking on her favorite treats and snatching up belly rubs from anybody and everybody!
IT’S CHRISTMAS!
Here’s some of the things I do to celebrate the Christmas season!
The Story
There is no better thing to read than the Gospel when it comes to Christmas. You can find the story of Christ’s birth in Luke 2, Matthew 1-2, and Isaiah 9:6-7.
“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is also a classic and on for December of our 2024 Reading Challenge.
The Movie
All four of these movies are something that I make sure to keep on rotation before the Christmas season to add to the spirit.
- Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch – While this may be the third rendition of “The Grinch,” it’s my favorite.
- Christmas With the Kranks – this clean comedy is great to watch with the family that balances comedy and one of the Christmas qualities.
- The Nativity Story – the reason we celebrate Christmas is for Christ and His birth, and this film tries to portray just that!
- It Happened on 5th Avenue – a few people take shelter in an abandoned mansion during the Christmas season in New York while the owners are South. Little do they know the owner came home early and joined them! A comedy, romance, and Christmas film all rolled into one!
The Sweet
An easy and yummy treat that is good for all ages, and the perfect thing to take with you when visiting during the holidays.
The Charity
Through all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we can sometimes miss the point of it all – I know I can. While it may be small, something that I have done for many years is Operation Christmas Child run through the nonprofit organization, Samaritans Purse. You fill a shoe box for a child in need overseas. You can choose an age bracket, gender, and then the rest is up to you!
Their drop off time for this year closed near the end of November, but you can always still donate financially and remember this for next year!
Everyone’s Perfect Gift
…Based on what they enjoy, Advent style!
BOOK REVIEW
“EMMA”
This month’s book is “Emma” by Jane Austen.
My Overall Opinion:
Here we are covering our second Jane Austen book of the year. Also set in the same era as her famous “Pride & Prejudice,” and still circling about love, the classes, and other similar themes, “Emma” came at it from a different angle. Emma’s attitude and her mannerisms were interesting, making me chuckle at times. As a whole, I enjoyed the comedic aspects of the book. While Emma is spoiled, I think deep down she does care for people, doing what she thinks it’s best, even if that might not be the case for the person – in this case, Harriet. All of the characters interactions were fun to read, making me curious for each encounter. Maybe a minor spoiler, but I am a sucker for happy endings!
My Favorite Character:
I’m usually drawn to people with a high moral character, so it didn’t take long for me to choose Mr. Knightly. He is a smart man, of good character, as I said, and his chivalrous attitude is what pointed him out for me. When he asks Harriet to dance at the ball when she is snubbed, even though he normally refrains from dancing, I couldn’t help but smile.
Things I Didn’t Like / Would Change:
I can’t think of anything that I didn’t like. I was pleased with Austen’s writing and imagination in this story, leaving little for the heart to want. The age gap between Mr. Knightley and Emma is considerably large, but as the times were, it’s understandable.
Ranking:
4.5/5 — I would probably read this story again.
Other Comments:
There amount of film and TV adaptions that have been made from this book are almost uncountable it feels like. Some honorable mentions are the 1996 version starring Kate Beckinsale, the 1996 version starring Gwyneth Paltrow, the 2020 version starring Anya Taylor-Joy, and “Clueless” 1995 starring Alicia Silverstone.
COMING NEXT MONTH
Everyone says, “new year, new me,” right? We’re going to take that, double it, and make it even better. Can’t wait of another year of newsletters and learning with you!
See You Next Month!
