by Faith Blum
Maya shrugged and Gareth prodded her gently with his elbow. “It’s Christmas, not gloomfest.”
The slightest smile tugged at Maya’s mouth and she shook her head. “You always know what to say, don’t you?”
Gareth laughed. “Nope. Not always.”
The room suddenly lit up as one of their parents plugged the tree in. The lights were on the twinkle setting Gareth liked the most. Coincidence? Probably not. It was quite possible that he had set both strings of lights to the setting when packing all the Christmas decorations up the year before.
Dad and Mom stepped back to where Gareth and Maya stood. Together they admired the work they had done. Gareth took in a deep breath, his eyes closed. The pine filled the room not only in the physical space, but also in the air. It was perfect. He opened his eyes and something moved just out of range of his vision, streaking toward the tree.
The tree shook slightly. Bells rang, ornaments moved as if in a breeze, but no windows were open. Gareth looked at Maya, who looked back at him, and they turned to get the spray bottles. Maya took the one from the faux mantel, Gareth grabbed the one off the end table by the La-Z-Boy chair, and the four family members turned in concert and started spraying the tree.
With a more violent jangle, an orange-and-white cat sprinted out from under the tree and ran out of the room, stopping just outside the doorway. There she sat licking her paws as if nothing had happened.
Gareth laughed, unable to stop himself, and everyone joined in, even Maya. Gareth put an arm around his sister and when the laughter stopped, “The Christmas Waltz” played through the speakers. Gareth let go of his sister, held up a hand, and bowed. “May I have this dance?”
Maya giggled. “You are too kind, sir. I would love to dance.”
Their parents joined them in dancing, though the adults did a much better waltz than their children, but the point was to have fun, not win a contest. As Frank Sinatra finished up the song, Gareth’s heart was filled with love for his family and for the season in particular. It was so filled he felt it would burst, but knew that wasn’t possible. Maybe it could just grow a couple sizes like the Grinch’s.
Either way, it didn’t matter. The point was that the Christmas season was upon them and they were now fully ready for the holiday.
Author’s Note
Are you ready for Christmas? Yes, I know, this book is coming out at the end of November. Who’s ready for Christmas a month ahead of time? Okay, my family often is, but most people aren’t. But that’s not actually what I meant.
A better way to phrase the question is, “Is your heart ready for Christmas?” A lot of people are like Emmie and Elana with their skepticism of the holiday and life in general. Is that you today? Maybe your house is decorated and presents all bought and wrapped, but you don’t feel the joy, the peace, or the goodwill.
Christmas is about more than decorations and presents. Christmas is about a baby born in a stable over 2,000 years ago: Jesus. If you only read through Luke two and/or Matthew one and two, you get an incomplete picture. Reading those three chapters of the Bible, you’d think this baby Jesus was just an ordinary baby born by extraordinary means. And you’d be right. But that’s not the whole story.
You see, it would be like ending my short story “O Christmas Tree” after they find Maya’s tree and cut it down. The end. There would be no point to the story then. But that’s not where it ended. My story continued to the decorating of the tree and how funny cats can be, especially around Christmas trees.
If you read only the Christmas story in the Bible, you miss the most amazing part of the story and thus the reason Jesus was born as a baby in Bethlehem.
Thirty years after His birth in that lowly stable, Jesus started His teaching ministry. People flocked from everywhere to hear Him speak. He wasn’t trained like the religious leaders of the day and that made those leaders suspicious of Him. He also taught things differently than they had, so they thought Jesus was from the devil.
But He wasn’t. Jesus was God’s Son. Not only that, but He was God and that meant He was perfect. But the religious leaders of the day didn’t like Him and they plotted to have Him killed. What they didn’t know is that they were playing right into God’s hands.
Sin came into the world by Adam, the first man. Sin is all the bad things we do whether in thought, speech, or deed. As Carla told Emmie in “Peace on Earth,” the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). There is nothing we can do to save ourselves from eternal death.
And that is why God sent His Son for you! He sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins. Even if you had been the only one still alive on this earth, God would have done the same thing. He wants everyone to be in heaven with Him when they die. But He also can’t allow sin into heaven.
So He sent the last Adam, Jesus. Jesus could die for your sins and mine because He is perfect and doesn’t need the atonement we do. When the religious leaders succeeded in killing Jesus on the cross, our sins were forgiven even before we existed. All we have to do is accept God’s gift of salvation. I won’t go into those details since Carla did that with Emmie, but I do have to say one more thing. THAT STILL ISN’T THE END OF THE STORY!
Jesus didn’t stay dead on the cross. Yes, He did truly die. There are quite a few medical experts and scientists who say that from the Bible’s descriptions, Jesus had to have truly been dead, not faking or fainted. He was buried in a tomb, and then on the third day, He rose from the dead! What a triumph! No human being could do that on their own, but Jesus did.
Isn’t that a much better ending to a story than just a simple baby born in a stable? I have also written a short story titled “Christ Arose” that is based on Jesus’ resurrection and it is always free if you would like to read more about the Resurrection in fiction form.
If you have any questions on this or anything else, please feel free to contact me.
Keep reading for a special preview of:
Tales of the East #1
Trust and Obey
By Faith Blum
Published June 26, 2018!
David woke up feeling rested for the first time in many years. He opened the flap of his tent and gazed over the camp. So many people. All depending on him to keep them safe and lead them. “Yahweh, You are the only one who can keep me from straying in my duty to these people. Please help me. Be exalted above the heavens, O Most High; let Your glory be over all the earth.”
Ahinoam approached him. “My lord, we are ready to leave.”
“So soon?” David asked.
“Yes, my lord. All we need is to pack up the tents.”
David’s army commander, Joab, passed by. “Joab, gather some men to pack up the tents and then we will all leave.”
Joab bowed and changed the direction he was heading.
David leaned toward Ahinoam and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Ahinoam, for your hard work this morning.”
Ahinoam smiled. “You’re welcome, my lord. Though Abigail did more than anyone else.”
“She is a hard worker, isn’t she?”
“Yes, my lord.” Ahinoam rubbed her swollen belly. “Then again, she is not with child, so she has more stamina.”
David chuckled. “True. Make sure you take care of yourself.”
“I will, my lord.”
“David?” a man called.
“Duty calls,” David said. He headed off to oversee everything going on and they soon left for Gath.
It took them almost three full days to get to Gath. Once there, David went straight to the palace and requested to see King Achish.
Achish stared at David. “What is it you want, Israelite dog?”
David bowed before Achish. “If I have found favor in your sight, O King, let your people give me a place in one of the cities in the country that I may live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”
Keep reading for a special preview of:
Tales of the East #2
Lo, How a Rose
Published October 26, 2018!
Nava loved her life. It was hard, of course, but she still loved it. Her ema had died giving her birth, but her abba did everything he could for her. When he was too busy to care for her during the day, he would send her to her Savta Miriam’s home where she was taught the things she would need to know if anyone ever dared marry her.
Nava had been an energetic girl all her life and she wasn’t about to stop simply because she had grown up a few years. She knew she should try to act more like a mature woman, but every time she tried, she became too restless.
Her abba, Gabriel, was the priest in the small village. Nava loved hearing him tell the stories of old and how Moses had led Yahweh’s people out of Egypt.
“Nava.” The voice near her startled her.
Nava looked up from her view of the wadi. “Yes, Savta. What is it?”
Miriam shook her head. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. What are you doing here?”
Nava turned her gaze back to the water. “Watching.”
“For what?”
“Nothing anymore.” She smiled. “I’m sorry if I worried you.”
Miriam sighed. “You need a mother. No, you needed a mother about fifteen years ago.”
Nava tilted her head to the side. The sandy background with the green of the palm trees framed her savta’s face perfectly. “You would have Abba marry so soon after his wife died?”
Miriam chuckled. “No, dear. But he would have done well to marry a year or so after her death.”
Nava chewed her lip. “I don’t think he ever found someone he liked as well as Ema.”
“I know he didn’t. Now come. You are needed to help Rachel with her daughter, Rina.”
Nava clapped her hands. “I’m so glad they moved here last year.”
“Yes, you mention that every time you go over there.”
Nava laughed and stood. “I’m sorry, Savta. I know I vex you often. I will try to do better.”
They began their walk to the village and Miriam put a hand on her granddaughter’s arm. “Nava, I love you for who you are. You are a sweet, gentle, beautiful young woman who does not care whether she conforms to what society says she should do. I may not always understand or appreciate it, but I am a lucky woman to have had a small part in raising you.”
Nava stopped before they got to the edge of the village and hugged Miriam. “Thank you, Savta. I am blessed to have such a willing role model.”
They reached Rachel’s house and stepped inside.
“You are just in time,” Rachel said. “If Rina had asked one more time when you would be here, I’m not sure what I would have done.”
A light-haired girl ran toward them, and Nava crouched down. “’Ava!”
“Rina!” Nava exclaimed as the girl flung her small arms around her.
“I missed you.”
Nava stifled a laugh. “I was here yesterday.”
Rina pouted. “But that was so long ago. Can’t you live here?”
Rachel sighed. “Sometimes I think she likes you better than she likes me, Nava.”
“I’m sorry, Rachel.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, Nava. I’ll leave you two alone. I’m already running late today.” Rachel hugged her daughter, grabbed a bag, and hurried out the door.
“Where Ema go?” Rina asked.
“To help a sick person get better,” Nava said. “Come, let’s find something to do. Do you still have your doll?”
Nava spent the rest of the morning playing with Rina. When Rachel came back, Nava served a morning meal.
“Nava, you are a gem. I apologize for being so late. I didn’t expect it to take so long.”
Nava smiled. “I don’t mind. I didn’t even notice how late it was until Rina’s stomach growled.”
“Well, thank you regardless. Will you stay and eat with us?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Stay,” Rina said. “Pwease.”
Nava laughed. “I will stay. Thank you.”
Keep reading for a special preview of:
Tales of the East #3
Rock of Ages
By Faith Blum
Releasing early 2019!
(Note: This excerpt is a rough draft)
“Ema, they are staring again.”
“I know, Rina,” Rachel said. “There is nothing I can do. I can’t leave you home alone and I can’t stop them from staring when we go to market or on a house call. It is something you will need to get used to.”
Rina wrinkled her nose. “I know, but do I have to like it?”
Rachel forced a laugh. “No. Just as I don’t have to like it. Come. Chava is waiting for us.”
Rina followed her mother and kept her eyes on the road in front of them.
Once in Chava’s home, she looked up and smiled at the older woman. “Shalom, Chava,” Rina said. “You look better.”
Chava cackled. “Come here, Rina. You are a beautiful little girl, but you cannot lie well. Which is a good trait, I believe.”
Rina approached the woman and took hold of her hands. “You do look better, Chava. I would not lie to you about that. Your skin is not as flaky and you have color in your cheeks.”
“How do you know I didn’t take some clay from the brick here and put it on my cheek to make it appear to have color?”
Rina laughed. “The color in your cheeks doesn’t match the clay.”
Chava huffed. “You are too smart. Soon your mother will no longer need to do anything but sit in her house and relax as you take over for her.”
Rina shook her head. “I don’t think that will happen. Most people don’t trust me like they do Ema.” She pointed to her head. “My hair makes them uneasy.”
“Curious,” Chava said. “It only makes them curious.”
Rachel came over. “Here. Drink this tea.”
Chava sighed. “The taskmaster has returned.”
Rachel closed her eyes, a smile betraying her amusement. “It is for your own good.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have the right to complain.”
“Of course not,” Rachel responded. “Complain away if it makes you feel better.”
“It doesn’t, but I enjoy seeing your reactions.”
Rachel raised an eyebrow. “I see.”
Special Thanks
Many people helped with this book. I’m going to apologize right now for missing someone because I’m sure I did.
First of all, I would like to thank my husband for allowing me to keep writing and pursue my dreams. Your patience is encouraging to me. Your help with a couple of these books was super helpful as well.
Next, I would like to thank my amazing beta-readers Sara, Anna, Claire, Mom, and Rebekah. Your input was super helpful! And I’d also like to give a shout-out to the writing critique group at our local library for helping me out with a few of these stories. And of course, I could never have done this without my proofreader, Kelsey.
Last, I would like to thank my readers. Without you, this book would be nothing besides a fun writing project. I hope you enjoyed the book!
About the Author
Faith Blum is a small-town Wisconsin girl. She’s lived in, or outside of, small towns her whole life. The thought of living in a city with more than 60,000 people in it scares her, especially after some interesting adventures driving through big cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Faith currently resides in the middle of the state of Wisconsin with her husband and their cat, Smokey. She is blessed to be able to have writing as her full-time career with household work and cooking to do on the side. She loves to paint walls as long as she doesn’t have to do hallways or ceilings.
When not writing, you can find her cooking food from scratch due to food allergies (fun), doing dishes (meh), knitting, crocheting, sewing, reading, or spending time with her husband (yay!). She is also a Community Assistant for the Young Writers Workshop and loves
her work there. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to contact her on her website: www.faithblum.com.