Merry Christmas

Laura Reading, please send me an email at hello@marjamcgraw.com with your address. You're the winner of a copy of "Having a Great Crime - Wish You Were Here, A Sandi Webster Mystery." I hope you enjoy it.

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Once a year I write about my beliefs, and this is your lucky day.

I thought long and hard about what to write for my Christmas blog. I read about the origins of celebrating on December 25^th, and then I thought some more. I know from reading the bible, books, articles and from listening in church that Christ wasn’t actually born on that date. December 25^th was probably chosen for all the wrong reasons, but it’s the date we’ve become accustomed to for celebrating the birth of Christ. I still didn’t know what I was going to write about. Logically, a Christian should probably celebrate that birth every single day of the year. Many of us do.

 

 Then I remembered a song. It’s the one song I’ve ever heard that makes me cry. I doesn’t matter if I’m shopping at a mall or sitting at my desk, or even watching television. If I hear this song, it makes me cry, no matter where I am or what I’m doing -- and I'm not a crier. O Holy Night is the most beautiful and powerful music I’ve ever heard.

CLICK HERE to listen to O Holy Night, and listen to the end. I’m amazed that Charlotte Church (love her last name) can hit that oh-so-high note.

Christmas has been neatly deleted from schools, public buildings, stores and all types of places (except for the Santa Clause angle), but the joy of the Lord is still in my heart. Someone might wish me Happy Holidays, but I’ll always wish them a Merry Christmas. Yes, Santa came to our house when I was a little girl, to my house when my daughter was small, and he kept coming after my grandson was born. However, first and foremost was the real reason for celebrating – the birth of Christ. We never lost sight of this.

I know not everyone believes the way I do, and that’s okay. Celebrate whatever you want to in any way that pleases you. I’ll do the same.

Someone might think, “But, hey! She writes murder mysteries. How could a Christian write something like that?” Well, there really are murders and there really are mysteries. My intent isn’t to gross someone out, but to entertain. While there is drama in my books, there’s also some humor. My characters, for the most part, have heart. They’re just ordinary people who sometimes find themselves involved in extraordinary circumstances. Although one of my characters goes to church each week, the books aren’t religious. Oh, well, there was one book about some church ladies wanting help to find a missing friend, but it still wasn’t a religious book. The Church Ladies are fun and funny, and they remind me of some of the women in my life.

No, I don’t keep my Christianity and writing exclusive from each other. I’m simply not a writer of religious stories. Might be fun though.

So back to Christmas and O Holy Night. I confess, as if you couldn’t tell already, I am a Christian and I love the Lord with all my heart. I celebrate Him each and every day. I pray for people. I try to do the right thing, but often fail miserably. Am I perfect? Not on your life! I make more mistakes than you can shake a stick at, but I am forgiven, thanks to the birth of one small boy.

This week I wish you all a very blessed Merry Christmas, and I hope you’ll keep coming back here to find out what little tidbit I’m talking about each week. It’s usually something about mysteries and/or writing, and I hope you have a good time when you drop in.

Until next time, celebrate whatever’s right for you, and please keep an open mind when people like me pop up in your life. We care.

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Wishing you all a happy and memorable New Year, too!