Looking for a Christmas Gift that will please people of all ages? This is it!Here are stories that can be read aloud to congregations in churches throughout the Christmas season, or at home with a child curled up on the lap of the reader.In the books of Luke and Matthew, the Bible renders true but brief accounts of the birth of Christ. For hundreds of years, authors, composers, and artists have painted pictures, and written songs or stories about imagined persons and events within the nativity scenes.Patricia Looper is one of those imaginative writers. Pat wrote her stories to read during Christmas Eve services at United Methodist Churches she served as a pastor in North Georgia. She wrote stories that would entertain the youngest and oldest persons attending those services. Since her retirement and move to Morganton, NC, Pat has continued to write and share her stories.Annisa Estes is a native of Italy, who moved to the United States several years ago. She has lived in Morganton since 2006. When Pat began looking for an illustrator for her stories, a member of a book discussion group mentioned that her daughter-in-law, Annisa, was an artist. Pat asked Annisa to read one of the stories. After reading the story, Annisa drew what that story said to her. Pat loved Annisa's drawing and asked her to illustrate the book's cover and these nine Christmas Eve Stories.A native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Patricia is married to Daniel Looper. They have six children and eighteen grandchildren. Pat holds degrees from Edison State College in Trenton, NJ; Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia; and, the Doctor of Ministry degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.

In some respects, the contrasts of Christmas are what make it the most delightful time of the year. It is a time of generosity, kindness and peace on earth, with broad permission to indulge in food, drink and gifts. On the other hand, Christmas has become a battleground for raging culture wars, marred by debates about how it should be celebrated and acknowledged as a uniquely Christian holiday. This text argues that much of the animosity is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the holiday's core character. By tracing Christmas's origins as a pagan celebration of the winter solstice and its development in Europe's Christianization, this history explains that the true "reason for the season" has as much to do with the earth's movement around the sun as with the birth of Christ. Chapters chronicle how Christmas's magic and misrule link to the nativity, and why the carnival side of the holiday appears so separated from traditional Christian beliefs.

Why do we all like a good story? Stories give us joy, hope, visions of wonderful grace at work, says William White. But how can we learn to tell Christian stories? How can we find good story ideas? How can we make our stories interesting? Speaking in Stories is full of practical ideas on how to begin, what to avoid, how to use stories in classrooms, camps, churches. White's many examples of stories -- from the Bible, folktales, modern parables, for Christmas -- serve as a valuable resource as you weave your tales.

Dishy Stories serves up a smorgasbord of culinary delights, from the exotic Hungarian cherry soup and French potato classics to the comfort of British and Irish game birds paired with fruit. While many dishes like chip butties, sausages with dumplings, and cheese on toast are everyday favourites, they each carry a rich history that often goes unnoticed. This collection is more than just recipes; it’s a journey through the unique and captivating tales behind the foods we love. From the familiar to the gourmet, every meal has a story to tell. With each chapter ending in a recipe, Dishy Stories invites you to explore the origins and narratives of dishes that grace our tables, offering a fresh perspective on the heritage of these kitchen staples. Enjoy the tales and tastes that have woven their way into our lives.

This title index is arranged with the primary entries using the best known title while offering cross references to variant titles. Titles suitable for young readers are marked with an asterisk, making this a useful resources for school librarians.

"The Fascinating Stranger and Other Stories" is a collection of 13 stories by the American novelist and dramatist Booth Tarkington. The stories are light and pleasant, bringing a reader to the everyday life of America in the 1920s. The characters are simple, witty, intelligent, and adventurous. The same characters repeat in different stories, although they don't follow the same subject line. On the contrary: Tarkington masterfully sets his protagonists in different life situations to show us all the versatility of life.