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It's easy to think of Santa Claus as just a jolly, plump man in a red suit, a cozy figure who perfectly sums up the magic of Christmas. But what if I told you that the story is a lot weirder and a lot older than you’ve been led to believe? Forget the North Pole for a minute, and picture something a bit more primal: a flying shaman on a mushroom fueled trip, a wild god leading a ghostly hunt through the winter sky, and ancient tree spirits honored long before Christianity came around.

The wise men didn't arrive on a single starry night, in a stable bustling with shepherds. Their journey was a grueling, months-long quest across treacherous deserts and forbidding mountains, not a peaceful stroll to a manger. These were not gentle kings, but powerful, influential astrologers, so potent that their mere arrival in Jerusalem could send a paranoid king into a panic. They were men of power, science, and wealth, driven by an unshakeable conviction that a new king had been born, and they would stop at nothing to find him. Forget the gentle fable you know.

'I adored this magical heartwarming family story with my two favourite ingredients at Christmas - movies and the Cotswolds!' Helen Rolfe 'This was such a beautiful and sweet romance!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ _____________________________ A Christmas film festival. Can this be their second shot at...

The Most Wonderful Time is a warm, funny, and unexpectedly profound journey through the centuries of stories, symbols, and surprises that gave us the holiday we know today. From the winter solstice rituals of early humans to the chaos of Saturnalia in ancient Rome… from the real Saint Nicholas to Coca-Cola’s Santa… from pagan ghosts and Yule logs to Mariah Carey — this is the true, tangled history of Christmas as you’ve never seen it. Along the way, James Johnson explores the contradictions at the heart of the holiday: joy and grief, light and darkness, sacred and commercial.

Holly only planned on a quick stop to Candy Cane Creek to gather notes for her travel blog, not to get stranded in the most Christmas-obsessed small town imaginable. But when her car breaks down beneath the town's nauseatingly festive welcome sign, she's forced to rely on the town's pet shelter owner (and holiday enthusiast), Rex Wellington. After Rex spills his coffee all over her brand-new coat, he informs her of the inn's lack of vacancy and offers her a place to stay in his guesthouse.

This unique advent devotional from bestselling author Trillia J. Newbell encourages families to make Jesus the focus of their Christmas festivities.

Through this 25-day Advent devotional, enjoy daily readings that help you slow down, savor the season, and deepen your relationship with Jesus—from the bestselling author of The Deeply Formed Life. The holidays often feel like a marathon, as we dash from one event, errand, or party to another...

There is a story that speaks into our question. It's the story of a man the institutions rejected. It's a story of a man who was brought to trial yet refused to defend himself, punished yet was innocent, suffered yet remained in complete control, even when everything seemed most out of control. This is the story at the heart of Easter.

When Clara first arrived in Rowan Vale to visit her new boyfriend, Jack, she had no idea her life was about to change forever. After being a stay-at-home mum for years, Clara has an opportunity to start a new business and maybe find herself again. But when fate intervenes, all her hopes seem shattered, and as she and Jack struggle to cope with their new reality their relationship has never been more precarious.

Read by the author. Embrace wonder and focus your heart amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Are you longing for the peace, hope, love, and joy that surrounds the holiday season? Anne Neilson's Christmas Angels invites you to calm and reflect on the wonder of the Savior's birth...

This Advent, join acclaimed author Cynthia Ruchti for a faith-building, eye-opening walk with the Holy Spirit. Highlighting the power and presence of the Spirit at work in the sacred story, each entry of this twenty-six-day devotional contains core verses on the Spirit's role in the narrative of Scripture; devotional thoughts perfect for the whole family; often overlooked details that will change the way you see and understand the Christmas story; practical application with optional projects to help you prepare and celebrate; and an Advent prayer.

Read by the author. Who was in the manger that first Christmas morning? And how can we know for sure? In this completely revised and updated edition of The Case for Christmas--reflecting the latest scholarship and research--award-winning legal journalist Lee Strobel weighs the evidence to...

Through the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, we are reminded that God remembers us and keeps His promises. Robert Morgan dives deep into Scripture around the birth of the Messiah and helps us discover the glorious, victorious life that awaits us in Christ. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth...

Walk closely with the Virgin Mary this Lent and let her apparitions and messages guide your daily steps toward Easter. This book offers you a Marian roadmap through each week’s theme, showing you how to deepen your prayer, trust, and conversion. Find new peace as you learn to listen for God’s voice, pray for healing, embrace the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, and carry your crosses with Mary’s help — ready to rejoice with her in Christ’s Resurrection.

Step into the Advent season with The Art of Living in Advent, a beautifully crafted daily devotional by Sylvie Vanhoozer. Centered around the traditional French santons, or "little saints," this book invites you to imagine Christ's presence in your daily life―right where you are. Through thoughtful devotions and prompts for prayer and reflection, this devotional offers a creative and meaningful way to deepen your faith this Advent.

Witness the worship of Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon as you dwell daily on their songs of wonder at the Savior’s birth this Advent. Designed to bring joy during the Christmas season, this 24-day Advent devotional will help you pause and ponder the marvel of Jesus’ birth. The short daily reflections will guide you through each song of praise poured out around the time of the incarnation.

From New York Times bestselling author Donna VanLiere, Looking for Christmas is a thoughtful and heartfelt reflection on the origin and meaning of Christmas. As you explore the people and places found in the biblical Nativity account, you will uncover the powerful ways this story can fill your life with celebration and purpose.

Surely, Christmas in the distant past must have been different from the one we know today. But how different? You’re about to find out. The Christmases of long, long ago were a merry mess of odd superstitions, dangerous games, and overindulgences that lasted from Christmas Day until Epiphany twelve days later. The “Christmas season” of earlier times was not the period from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day that Americans experience today, but rather a no-holds-barred bacchanalia following the austerity period of Advent.

Even 300 years ago, believers found it difficult to sustain for 40 days the proper Lenten spirit. That's why even then, countless Christians turned to the writings of Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627–1704), whose great piety and simple eloquence won him renown as one of the greatest preachers of his time. From Bishop Bossuet's sermons and spiritual writings, believers drew ever greater Lenten wisdom and strength.

From Mary’s act of sacrificial love in Bethany to Jesus' brother watching Him ascend into Heaven, this collection of fifteen interwoven short stories will transport you back in time and immerse you in the most pivotal moment of history.