They have the power to summon up a special kind of mid-winter mood, like the aroma of gingerbread or the twinkle of lights on a tree. It's a kind of magic.But how did they get that magic? Andrew Gant--choirmaster, church musician, university professor, and writer--tells the story of some twenty carols, each accompanied by lyrics and music, unraveling a captivating, and often surprising, tale of great musicians and thinkers, saints and pagans, shepherd boys and choirboys. Readers get to delve into the history such favorites as "Good King Wenceslas," "Away in a Manger," and "O, Tannenbaum," discovering along the way how "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" came to replace "Hark, how all the welkin' ring" and how Ralph Vaughan Williams applied the tune of an English folk song about a dead ox to a poem by a nineteenth century American pilgrim to make "O Little Town of Bethlehem."A charming book that brims with anecdote, expert knowledge, and Christmas spirit, this is a fittingly joyous account of one of the best-loved musical traditions.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    This collection includes some of his best-loved, most beautiful work.'Now's the day, now's the hour' Robert Burns

    On a glimmering winter evening, she got to watch the photo shoot for her very first book and ended up on a magical date with the cover model himself—Colin Renwycke. Fast forward one year. This December, with a looming deadline, restless spirit and her creative spark long since gone, Maren is desperate to get unstuck. And she can’t get Colin out of her head…or his year-old open invitation to spend a couple weeks writing at his family’s farm. Drew Renwycke never planned to come home and take over the Renwycke family farm. But he’s spent too many years watching his siblings unravel, including his brother, Colin, after one terrible family mistake. If moving to Maple Valley, Iowa, renovating an old farmhouse and switching careers is what it takes to put the Renwycke family back together, he’ll do it. But his simple plan upends when a scrappy author lands on his doorstep. And she just might be the key to coaxing his brother home. But what if he wants her all to himself? Drew will have to choose between his Christmas wish and the enchantment of a holiday romance that just might be the happy ending they all long for.

    In addition to the complete lyrics, Lowry add

    Lewis said that upon reading this astonishing 19th-century fairy tale he "had crossed a great frontier," and numerous others both before and since have felt similarly.In MacDonald's fairy tales, both those for children and (like this one) those for adults, the "fairy land" clearly represents the spiritual world, or our own world revealed in all of its depth and meaning. At times almost forthrightly allegorical, at other times richly dreamlike (and indeed having a close connection to the symbolic world of dreams), this story of a young man who finds himself on a long journey through a land of fantasy is more truly the story of the spiritual quest that is at the core of his life's work, a quest that must end with the ultimate surrender of the self.The glory of MacDonald's work is that this surrender is both hard won (or lost!) and yet rippling with joy when at last experienced. As the narrator says of a heavenly woman in this tale, "She knew something too good to be told." One senses the same of the author himself.Newly designed and typeset in a modern 6-by-9-inch format by Waking Lion Press.

    She completed Kept for the Master's Use, an encouragement to believers to follow wholly the Lord Jesus, built around the verses of her Consecration Hymn, published soon after her death. There is true encouragement here to "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth."

    Raised in high Boston society by nannies and tutors, she has been somewhat of an embarrassment and disappointment to her socialite parents. While her older sister has secured a husband, Millicent faces banishment to her cruel grandparents in Paris. Her life will not be worth living, and she accepts the help of the family's loving cook to escape this prospect. Jessie lives in the simple wooden cabin he built in the Utah countryside, with his precious son, Joseph, while his beloved Stacey lies buried out back beneath a simple white cross. Joseph needs a mama and Jessie and the house need a woman's touch. The Cranhurst's cook, Patricia smuggles young Millie out of the city and she is soon journeying alone to her new life in Breakmill, Utah, to be a wife and mother. She had lied to Jessie Swanter during their brief correspondence by letter, and it was quite plausible that he would reject her once he found out that she was deaf. She would cross that bridge when she got to it. From then on in Millie's life is filled with bridges to cross, sometimes perilous, often pleasant and always character-building. Join this young lady and her brave husband, as their intrepid little family weather all that life throws at them and celebrate the blessings scattered upon them. Can the hearts of selfish parents be changed? Can one family have more than just that ONE Christmas miracle in their lifetime? Millie learns that you don't need lavish parties and an exquisitely decorated house to experience the true meaning of Christmas; all you need is love and family.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    As Christmas cheer spreads throughout the village with a Dickens-themed festival, Mary nurses Ben back to health, but she becomes curious about the secrets he seems to carry. On Christmas Eve, one of Ben’s secrets accidentally comes to light, forcing him to confront the darkness of his past and to rediscover the faith he once knew.

    This is perfect for giving out at church events, or with a present. Music is everywhere at Christmaschart-toppers, carols, children's tunes]] Alistair Begg takes us to four songs that were sung by people at the very first Christmas (and his favorite carol). In this short, winsome book a teenage girl, a respected priest, a group of angels and an old man bring readers to the heart of Christmas, showing them the joy and peace that comes from meeting a baby who lay in the food trough and changed eternity.

    Ideal for individuals and spiritual friends to use alone or with one another, "Inviting Silence" is a thoughtful primer on finding silence and a practical manual on meditation for seekers of every persuasion.

    Discover how rough-hewed shelters become a home in which faith, hope, and love can flourish. Marvel in the blessings of Christmas celebrations without the trappings of modern commercialism where the true meaning of the day shines through. And treasure this exclusive collection of nine Christmas romances penned by some of Christian fiction’s best-selling authors."Snow Angel" by Margret Brownley"The Chistmas Secret" by Wanda E. Brunstetter"Christmas Traps and Trimmings" by Kelly Eileen Hake"A Star in the Night" by Liz Johnson"The Courting Quilt" by Jane Kirkpatrick"Under His Wings" by Liz Tolsma"The Dogtrot Christmas" by Michelle Ule"A Grand County Christmas" by Debra Ullrick"Christmas Service" by Erica Vetsch

    She certainly doesn't have a husband on her Christmas wish list. But when a wandering carpenter finds lodging at her boarding house, she admits that she might remarry if she found the right man--the kind of man who would bring her roses for Christmas. It would take a miracle to get roses during a harsh Wyoming winter. But Christmas, after all, is the time for miracles . . .Amanda Cabot invites readers to cozy up with a romantic, heartwarming tale of the greatest gift of all--love.

    One bets the other that someone will make room for them in their hearts and home.