Catching Up...

Greetings, everyone! Hope your Thanksgiving holiday was fulFILLING in every way. ;) My family and I traveled to the Chicago area to spend the past week with my husband's extended family. We had a great time catching up with them. Thanksgiving is our one time of the year to see them all. We returned home late last night after waiting for hours in the Chicago O'Hare airport. We nearly didn't make it home due to a winter storm that blew into our area. The snow is beautiful but we are "snowed in" today. Of course it's the perfect weather to help get us in the Christmas spirit!

Christmas and Post-Abortion Pain
The topic of abortion is a difficult one, and never so much (generally speaking) as during the month of December. If you have been wounded by an abortion, take this time to reach out to someone trustworthy for help through the holidays. You do not have to suffer alone. Likewise, if you know someone that has lost a child to abortion (or miscarriage, etc.), reach out to them with some special care and compassion. Let them know you recognize their pain and loss. Help them to find a positive way to remember their child at Christmas, always with the understanding that their child is in heaven with Jesus now..... (For more on the healing process and how to help yourself or others struggling with symptoms of Post-Abortion Syndrome, go to SafeHaven .)

Secret Sin and the Secular World
Secret Sin has been out a couple of months now, and the response to it has been overwhelmingly positive. The most unexpected response has come from some non-Christians that have read the book. If someone close to you has confided that they have had an abortion, do not hesitate to give them a copy of Secret Sin simply on the basis of their religious affiliation. Although the book was clearly written to the body of believers in Jesus Christ, it (astoundingly) has a way of connecting to the non-Christian as well as to the Christian. (No one is more surprised by this than I am!) I suppose it is testimony to the power of God to go beyond our designs and determinations! How big is our God!!!

If you would like to order a copy of Secret Sin, go to Amazon.com. The hardcover edition is not yet available, so click on the paperback link.

A Holiday Challenge
Our family has begun to talk about what we are going to do this Christmas to make it special. We always try to keep Christ in Christmas by giving to those less fortunate than ourselves, but this year we feel an especially strong tug in that direction. We have been so blessed and have such an abundance...and there are so many that have little or nothing. The tricky part is locating those people and finding ways to be Christ to them. If you have a special way of helping the less fortunate at Christmas (or anytime), let us know by clicking on the comment link below. We want to hear from you!

Warm or cold, sunny or snowy, I hope wherever you are you are enjoying the beginning of another CHRISTmas season. We have so much to celebrate in Jesus!

Blessings in Christ,
Mary

[Clip art from ChristmasTimeClipart]