MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE SUSPENSE SISTERS!

 

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS CONTEST IS OVER AND....

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO DEBBIE WILLIAMS! SHE'S WON OUR 2021 CHRISTMAS CONTEST!

THE SUSPENSE SISTERS WANT TO WISH ALL OF YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. WE'LL BE BACK IN JANUARY!

Christmas Reflections

 I find myself reflecting on Christmas’s past around this time of the year. I love remembering the special Christmas’s from my childhood. Though our family never had a lot of money, Christmas was always special and filled with little things that have come to mean so much to me.   

From the Christmas program, our church did every year that depicted the birth of Jesus, to the candlelight service filled with beautiful songs followed by our pastor reading the Christmas story.   

And of course, picking out the perfect tree. We lived in a very small town and so buying a Christmas tree meant going to the local grocery store. They’d have them leaning against the store outside. My dad, sister, and I would find the perfect one and take it home to decorate and the house would be filled with the scent of the tree. This year, I bought a real tree for the house and the smell takes me back in time.

As Christmas grew closer, I can still recall the excitement of looking under the Christmas tree and seeing presents with my name on them as well as the excitement of waiting for Santa to appear.

Then, when Christmas morning finally came, I’d run to the tree and find what gifts the jolly man had left there for me there. Soon, the aromas of the Christmas meal being prepared by my mother could be experienced. Relatives would arrive and we would enjoy each other’s company as we celebrated the birth of our Savior.

Yet more important than all those special memories from childhood, or the gifts under the tree, is the realization that God gave us the most important present of all. His Son. It’s the only time in history when a King left His throne to become a baby and live a humble life and then die in order to save His kingdom.

So, this Christmas, I hope you get to make many more memories with your family that you can look back on a smile and remember this special year.

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net 

A.D. LAWRENCE SHARES HER RECIPE FOR CRANBERRY BRIE BITES

Hi Friends!

I wanted to share a recipe that is perfect for the holidays. They look super fancy but don’t take a lot of time or make a lot of dishes. Those are both wins in my world.

CRANBERRY BRIE BITES

INGREDIENTS

1 (8-oz.) tube crescent dough

Cooking spray, for pan

Flour, for surface

1 (8-oz.) wheel of brie

1/2 c. whole berry cranberry sauce

1/4 c. chopped pecans

6 sprigs of rosemary, cut into 1" pieces.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375° and grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out crescent dough, and pinch together seams. Cut into 24 squares. Place squares into muffin tin slots.

Cut brie into small pieces and place inside the crescent dough. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce, some chopped pecans, and one little sprig of rosemary.

Bake until the crescent pastry is golden, about 15 minutes.

Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

A.D. Lawrence

CHRISTMAS AND CHANGE

Life is full of transformation. Christmas is one of the things that changes down through the years. I remember Christmas when my parents were together. It was special…magical. I also recall Christmas after their divorce. It was different, but my brother and I found a way to enjoy the holiday even though someone was always missing.  

After I was married and had my own child, Christmas took on new meaning. This time we were the ones who set the traditions. I loved every part of it. Getting up early, watching my son open his gifts, preparing Christmas dinner, and reading the real Christmas story.

But years later things changed again. My son isn’t here on Christmas morning. He is with his wife and our grandsons. Now I get to watch them open their gifts and my daughter-in-law cooks our Christmas dinner. It’s different – but it’s still wonderful.

No matter what changes when it comes to Christmas, it can still bring happiness – as long as we’re willing to adjust our attitudes. Change can be a good thing. But it depends on us.

I pray you have a blessed and joy-filled Christmas.

Nancy Mehl

Christmas for those who are alone by Mary Ellis

 Ah, the holidays. Those two words often evoke feelings of anxiety in the hearts of many Americans. So much to do to get ready: Clean the house, decorate it from top to bottom, send out greeting cards, and prepare the food ahead of time so the ham or roast turkey will look as effortless as the cooking shows on cable TV. And what about the shopping, you ask? Yes, what should we buy picky mother-in-laws, our kid’s ballet teacher, the neighbors, and the work gift exchange? And what about children and grandchildren who already have everything under the sun? It’s no wonder some people greet December with little enthusiasm. As Christians, we know to keep Christ at the center of the holiday. If we give Him the focus, then we’ll choose activities that keep the spiritual aspect of the season.

My husband and I represent a small group who’re almost never heard from…people with no one to cook for at the holidays, who clean the house expecting no guests to drop by, and whose gift list is miniscule. You might be thinking…at least you won’t find yourself deep in debt once January rolls around. But remember, once you’ve finished your list of chores and the blessed holiday arrives, you’ll be surrounded by people who love you. With our close friends and small family all far away, my husband and I will have only each other. Please don’t think I’m complaining, because at least we have our faith to see us through difficult times.

So those of you with families close by, stop focusing on what you must accomplish. Split up the chores, settle for less-than-gourmet meals, and set limits on spending. Do whatever necessary to keep the Christmas season from spiraling out of control. Then take time to give thanks for the blessings of family. Pity those that are truly alone—the homeless, the incarcerated, or children waiting to be adopted. Consider ways to serve them during this blessed season. And have a merry Christmas.

Mary Ellis is a former schoolteacher turned USA Today bestselling author who’s written twenty-six novels including Amish fiction, historical romance, and suspense. Her first mystery, Midnight on the Mississippi, was a finalist for the RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award and a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award. Her latest series is the Bourbon Tour Mysteries from Severn House. Book two, One Hundred Proof Murder released August 3, 2021. Her latest Amish novella is Missing available on Amazon Kindle. She enjoys gardening and bicycling and lives in Ohio with her husband and dog. She can be found at www.maryellis.net or

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

HOW CAN IT BE DECEMBER??

 by Patricia Bradley

Photo by Kristina Paukshtite from Pexels

How can it possibly be almost Christmas? I mean, it seems like New Year's was just last week...oh, wait...that was Thanksgiving!

I went to my Sunday School Christmas party today and as we sat around the tables, a subject near and dear to my heart came up--the Worst holiday food blunders.

The lady next to me started it with a story about when she came home for Thanksgiving. She was visiting her sister who always held the Thanksgiving meal at her house, and my friend rose early to walk her dog. As they came around the corner of her sister's house, she almost stumbled over a half-eaten turkey. Evidently, her sister had set the cooked turkey on top of her covered grill and a neighborhood dog had smelled it...they had a hastily baked hen that Thanksgiving.

The lady across from me told of her sister-in-law who always baked plumb cobbler and how everyone always looked forward to it. One Thanksgiving the sister-in-law stumbled as she came in the hostess' brand-new house with brand new beige carpet, and the juicy red plumb cobbler went flying...not sure if they ever did get that stain up.

And then there was my story...I'd fixed turkey and all the trimmings including a 9 by 13 Pyrex dish of cornbread dressing. When it was done, I grabbed two potholders and took the dish out, intending to take it straight to the table...unfortunately, one of the potholders had gotten wet and about halfway to the table, the dish was too hot to hold and I dropped it...So much for Turkey and dressing that day.

So, what's your disastrous story? Or has it always gone well with you? Leave your answer in the comments along with your contact information and I'll draw a name by next Friday for one of my 2022 Calendars made from the meme's on my blog (made from photos I've taken and a scripture verse)...www.ptbradley.com/blog

Here's a recipe for my cornbread dressing--just remember making dressing is not an exact science. You may need to add more seasoning to suit your family...

Cornbread dressing:

1 skillet of cornbread (probably about a 10-12 inch skillet—we always used Mother’s if you still have it.)

Package of Pepperidge Farm seasoned bread crumbs (you’ll use about 1 ½ cup)

3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped up

1 uncooked egg

1 cup onion (give or take)

1 cup celery (give or take)

Half stick of butter

Chicken broth (either from cooked chicken or store-bought)

1 tbls vinegar 

Mrs Dash

Cavenders

1/8 black pepper

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon of sage (kinda have to guess at this)

Mix all together—should be the consistency of a very thick cake mix. 

Bake until golden brown, usually about an hour.

If I cook chicken (usually chicken legs and things) I cut it up and put it in the dressing.

Don't forget your disaster if you had one or know of one...

And DON'T FORGET TO ENTER OUR 2021 CHRISTMAS CONTEST!