TURNING OFF THE CHRISTMAS MACHINE by LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT

TURNING OFF THE CHRISTMAS MACHINE by LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT
12/4/2019 6:20:00 AM by: Patti Shene

FEATURED BOOK: A Doctor in the House (The Hope of Christmas Collection)

AUTHOR: Linda Shenton Matchett

PUBLISHER: CelebrateLit

GENRE: Historical Romance

SERIES OR STAND ALONE: Stand Alone

TARGET AGE: Adult

IS THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS ALREADY BURIED UNDER A MOUNTAIN OF EXPECTATIONS AND COMMERCIALISM? AUTHOR LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT SHARES SOME SUGGESTIONS HOW TO TAKE A BREAK AND FIND JOY IN THE SEASON.

LINDA IS OFFERING A GIVEAWAY! SIMPLY LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER THE DRAWING FOR AN EBOOK COPY OF THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS COLLECTION (INCLUDING A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE).

TURNING OFF THE CHRISTMAS MACHINE

(or how to survive the holidays)

Linda Shenton Matchett

The retail industry unveils Christmas earlier each year. This year, some stores didn’t even wait until after Halloween to trot out their displays. In addition to the barrage of advertisements everywhere I look (including my smart phone – ugh!), I sometimes find myself too busy to enjoy the holiday or feel worshipful during the Christmas Eve service. The grind of getting year-end tasks done at work and meeting writing deadlines is overwhelming.

It can snuff the joy of the season right out of a person.

Here are a few ways I have found to recapture the sense of wonder and awe of God’s gift of His Son’s birth:

Listen to music. Make an appointment with yourself and God (outside your regular devotional time) and go to a favorite location where you can be alone. If it’s in the house be sure to shut the door and hang a “do not disturb” sign on the knob. Using the music producing device of your choice (iPod, CD, YouTube, etc.), listen to Christmas carols. Lots of Christmas carols. Listen at a sound level that tunes out everything else. Sing along (no matter your vocal ability) and pay attention to the words. Let God remind you of the “reason for the season.”
Take a walk. Yes, I know it’s winter, and here in New England it’s downright frigid. Bundle up and tuck hand-warmers in your gloves. Promise yourself a cup of hot chocolate, tea, or coffee upon return. As you walk, look at God’s creation. With the leaves gone, it’s easier to notice the variations in tree bark, size and shape of shrubs, and the nuances of color in soil and stones. Talk to God and thank Him for His attention to detail in everything He made. Be specific. Remember, He could have created one type of everything, and we wouldn’t have known the difference. Instead, He gave us variety beyond belief.
Go to church. Not on Sunday or a day it’s full of people, but when the building is vacant. Let yourself into the sanctuary. Remove your coat and sit down in one of the pews. Take a deep breath. Then another. Is there a cross in the room? Gaze at it and remember that before Christ died for us, He came into the world as a tiny baby. Then list the reasons you are thankful at this particular time of year. Speak them out loud. You may feel foolish at first, but once you get going, you’ll discover they readily roll off your tongue.

It’s my prayer that you’ll be able to turn off the Christmas machine this year, and regain the joy of the season.

“…Behold I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:10-11 (NASB)

Blurb for A Doctor in the House (Part of The Hope of Christmas collection):

Emma O’Sullivan is one of the first female doctors to enlist after President Franklin Roosevelt signs the order allowing women in the Army and Navy medical corps. Within weeks, Emma is assigned to England to set up a convalescent hospital, and she leaves behind everything that is familiar. When the handsome widower of the requisitioned property claims she’s incompetent and tries to get her transferred, she must prove to her superiors she’s more than capable. But she’s soon drawn to the good-looking, grieving owner. Will she have to choose between her job and her heart?

Archibald “Archie” Heron is the last survivor of the Heron dynasty, his two older brothers having been lost at Dunkirk and Trondheim and his parents in the Blitz. After his wife is killed in a bombing raid while visiting Brighton, he begins to feel like a modern-day Job. To add insult to injury, the British government requisitions his country estate, Heron Hall, for the U.S. Army to use as a hospital. The last straw is when the hospital administrator turns out to be a fiery, ginger-haired American woman. She’s got to go. Or does she?

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DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE PLACED IN THE DRAWING TO WIN AN EBOOK COPY OF THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS COLLECTION BETWEEN NOW AND SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14TH AT MIDNIGHT MST.

BY LEAVING A COMMENT, YOU GRANT PERMISSION FOR YOUR EMAIL TO BE REVEALED TO THE AUTHOR IF YOU ARE THE WINNER TO FACILITATE RECEIPT OF YOUR BOOK.

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, she has lived in historical places most of her life. Now located in central New Hampshire, Linda’s favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors. Connect with Linda: