"'Twas December 24th, and three brave knights were just settling in for the night when out on the drawbridge, there arose such a clatter! The knights try everything to get rid of this unknown invader (Santa Claus!), a red and white knight with a fleet of dragons"--

Strange things begin to happen the minute young Kay Harker boards the train to go home for Christmas and finds himself under observation by two very shifty-looking characters. Arriving at his destination, the boy is immediately accosted by a bright-eyed old man with a mysterious message: “The wolves are running.” Soon danger is everywhere, as a gang of criminals headed by the notorious wizard Abner Brown and his witch wife Sylvia Daisy Pouncer gets to work. What does Abner Brown want? The magic box that the old man has entrusted to Kay, which allows him to travel freely not only in space but in time, too. The gang will stop at nothing to carry out their plan, even kidnapping Kay’s friend, the tough little Maria Jones, and threatening to cancel Christmas celebrations altogether. But with the help of his allies, including an intrepid mouse, a squadron of Roman soldiers, the legendary Herne the Hunter, and the inventor of the Box of Delights himself, Kay just may be able rescue his friend, foil Abner Brown’s plot, and save Christmas, too. At once a thriller, a romp, and a spellbinding fantasy, The Box of Delights is a great English children’s book and a perfect Christmas treat.

An appealing guide to 33 neglected gems in children's literature by the author of A Reader's Delight.

I Believe in Christmas It's the first Christmas I can remember. It arrived just seven weeks after the deaths of my father and baby sister. To make matters worse, it was in the heart of the Great Depression. Things were tough. All of us children who were older made what income contributions we could, but the truth was my mother had eight of her eleven remaining children still living at home, and six were too young to work. Understandably, the Ziglar kids were concerned about what kind of Christmas it would be! The good news is that though our grief was fresh, we still celebrated Christmas. We received no toys that year, but much to my delight in my gift box I found three English walnuts and something I had never tasted before--raisins! They were absolutely delicious. Mama prepared her wonderful molasses candy, and we had a small cedar tree. And my mother read the Christmas story, like she always did. My sixth Christmas will always have great meaning to me. We celebrated the birth of Christ even in hard times because we believed in Christmas. A Change in Celebrating the Season Unfortunately, over the years things have changed. The cheerful "Merry Christmas" of yesteryear has been replaced by the politically correct "Happy Holidays!" In the minds of many people, we celebrate "holidays." Not only is Christ not at the center of the celebration, he isn't even considered to be a reason for the season! If I seem upset about the changes that I see taking place in regard to Christmas, it is because I am! It's not because an old tradition is being changed. No, I'm upset that the event that made it possible for me to have a life I could never have imagined is being hidden from view with decorations, wrapping paper, parties, and political correctness! Christmas! A Reason to Celebrate You see, I believe it's worth celebrating that Jesus came to earth--his birth signaled hope for all mankind. I believe that as he lived a perfect life before God and mankind, he showed that he truly was God's Son. And I believe that by giving his life up on a cross, he completely paid the penalty that my sins--and yours--deserve before a holy God. And it was made possible because of that first Christmas. How could I not believe in Christmas? Because Christ was born as a baby in a manger, that's more than enough reason to celebrate Christmas for what it is--a joyful occasion. I've experienced forgiveness of my sins, and have the assurance of eternity in heaven! If you don't know Jesus Christ, let me say that he tells us in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." How do you do that? First, understand that I'm talking about a relationship, not a religion. All the world's major religions emphasize that you qualify for heaven by your good works--the things that you do. Such "religion" is spelled "d-o." Christianity is spelled "d-o-n-e." Christ already paid for our sins when he died on the cross. "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). And he rose from the grave proving that the punishment for our sins was fully paid. Nothing we could ever "do" could qualify us for God's forgiveness and reserve our place in heaven. That's why Christ himself said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent" (John 6:29). Celebrate Like Never Before! God forgives us, saves us from our sins, and gives us eternal life based on our belief in what Jesus did for us. Why? Because God is gracious beyond measure! The Bible says that it is "by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Though "the wages of sin is death" (eternal separation from God), the greatest Christmas gift we could ever have is "the free gift of God ... eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). With gift-giving like that from God, I don't want to lose the significance of Christmas. I believe in Christmas! I urge you to accept the greatest "Christmas gift" you'll ever receive: If you're convinced that God's way is the only way to meaningful life now and eternal life in heaven, you can tell him in words like these: Dear God, I do believe Jesus died for me and took the punishment my sins deserved. I want to receive your free gift of salvation and eternal life. Thank you for making this possible! Then join me this year in celebrating Christmas like you've never celebrated it before! Merry Christmas! Zig

This innovative retelling of the classic Christmas tale takes a whimsical look at what Christmas Eve might be like for an American Indian family when Old Red Shirt (the Indian Santa Claus) comes a-calling. He brings with him his team of flying white buffalo to deliver fry bread, commodities, and other goodies. Renowned Cherokee artist Jesse Hummingbird’s inspired illustrations transform the author’s playful adaptation into a fresh, modern work of art. A delight for people of all ages and cultures. The title was the winner of the 2010 Moonbeam Award for Holiday Books. A glossary is included to explain terms commonly used in Native communities such as fry bread, commodities, and medicine bundles.

Take a daily step toward joy and contentment and ditch stress, overwhelming thoughts, and boredom with encouraging and biblical messages from Alli Worthington. You do your best to live life well—you work hard to be present in the moment, take care of the people in your life, knock it out of the park at work and home. And yet, somehow, you still have days (perhaps more than you'd like to admit) where you're simultaneously stressed and bored, and you wonder if you even know how to be happy. Is happiness a worthy goal? Does happiness matter to God, or does He only care about holier things? Alli Worthington gets it. As a wife, mother of five boys, author, speaker, and entrepreneur, she knows a thing or two about being busy, stressed, and happy in the midst of a crazy world! Over the years, she's seen how happiness gets a bad rap in Christian circles, and now she is standing up to shout the good news from the roof (or the internet, as the case may be): You are allowed to be happy! Yes, you! You can be happy right now! Join Alli for The Year of Living Happy: Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World, and find the roots of your happiest life yet. Each of the 100 short and inspirational entries includes a thoughtful message from Alli, based on God’s Word practical ways to make your life happier day by day a journaling section This gorgeous book is an empowering gift for yourself or any woman you love. It can be used as a daily devotional or as a guided journal. Be part of this exciting message: Happiness and holiness can coexist for a beautiful life. Don’t miss the great big adventure God has for you. Let this be The Year of Living Happy!

Open the secret pockets to reveal hauntingly entertaining Disney Villains surprises every day (or night) leading up to Halloween! The Disney Villains have come to haunt your holiday with mini books, mementos, decorations, and other tricks and treats! Why celebrate Halloween only one night a year when the 13 nights leading up to All Hallow’s Eve can be filled with villainous fun? Enjoy daily surprises with Maleficent, Ursula, Scar, and more with Disney Villains: 13 Frights of Halloween. COUNTDOWN TO VILLAINY: Uncover a new surprise every day in the thirteen days leading up to Halloween! SCARY SURPRISES: Collect sinister stickers, games, and holiday decorations to display or share with friends. DEVIOUS DELIGHTS: Discover mini-books, themed recipe cards, and more! MEMORABLE MOMENTS: Relive favorite memories from the classic films starring Disney Villains with favorite quotes and scenes. NEW TRADITION: Start a new Halloween routine with a daily surprise!

Understand the shared story in which we all play a part. Connect human creativity with the impulse of our Creator. Explore the relationship between images and imaging God. Do you like movies? Are you a cinephile? Do your friends consult YOU instead of IMDB? Were you raised on television? Spend hours talking cinema? This book is definitely for you. If you're a casual consumer who thinks Hollywood exists simply for diversion, this book may change your life. ""I am a Junior film and Television student... your interpretations of the films have helped formed the kind of filmmaker I am becoming, and also the way I experience films."" Humans crave narrative and usually don't stop to question why. Are we perhaps created to consume story, to create story, because we're image bearers of a Master Storyteller? In this book, movies meet God at the multiplex as the author challenges readers to redefine entertainment, understand the story they're in, and experience a new integrated level of spirituality and entertainment. ""You actually look at the film aspects and see how the artist's worldview really comes through."" What can we learn about God from Doctor Who and Han Solo? What are people like Jon Stewart and even Michael Bay helping us understand about story, good and bad? Peppered with movie quotes and metaphors, journey through the incredible changes film and storytelling have had on 21st century culture. Instead of an overly-academic offering on film and faith, Cinemagogue weaves a narrative from the author's own pop culture saturated life to the Greatest Story Ever Told, from Superman to Citizen Kane, Bertrand Russell to John Frame, Kurt Vonnegut to the apostle Paul, from our favorite narrative to our shared meganarrative. .".".I grew up on television in the 80s and relate to the context you grew up in.... I thank God for you and your ability to glorify him in everything, no matter what."" Classic notions of story structure, "monomyth" and universally shared themes in both popular and classic tales are examined in light of ancient scripture. From there, readers can see the genesis of creativity and worldview distortions from which conversation can bring us back to the future. After a dirty dozen examples of popular film in chapter five (with questions for discussion) the book tackles common objections with genre and content: horror movies, foul language, violence, sexuality, magic and more... and how many traditional objections are overshadowed by incredible opportunities for those brave enough to overcome fear and wade into the culture stream, secure in their faith. ""Your talk was one of the final confirmations of our move to Los Angeles to re-engage the film business by getting upstream in culture and trying to influence from the top down. Worked as an assistant on a TV series for a year, and now I'm working at a digital marketing agency that does a ton of film/TV work, as well as writing/producing my own projects."" The book ends with a call and commission to those who consider themselves spiritual and religious to get their heads out of the sand, to start realizing and utilizing the power of narrative. .".".really convicted me in both the movie and gaming arena to analyze what I am watching/playing and why. I had almost zero discernment before stumbling onto your series..."" A requested resource by movie-goers, movie-makers, pastors and teachers, Cinemagogue is an extension of a website and podcast, providing a "how-to" for those who want to experience the transforming power inherent in all story. ""Listening to your podcasts... opened my eyes to examine what I watch even closer."" Take your entertainment seriously while simultaneously having more fun with it than ever before. Learn how to watch to glorify, to be edified, and possibly to evangelize. Even better, create to