Arise, Shine, for thy Light is come!

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion,

get thee up into the high mountain:

O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem,

lift up thy voice with strength:

lift it up, be not afraid:

Say unto the cities of Judah,

Behold your God.

Arise, shine, for thy Light is come,

and the glory of the Lord

is risen upon thee.

Handel's Messiah

based on Isaiah 40:9, 60:1

Castaway Christmas ~ A Review

We have discovered a new book to add to our Christmas favorites.  As I was scouring my shelves to find a new treasure that 12-year-old boys would enjoy (without too much sap...) I came across this book by an author with whom I was unfamiliar.  Just the title was intriguing so I took a chance that they would love it...and they do.  It's one of those books that makes them beg for more at the end of each chapter.

Castaway Christmas by Margaret Baker is the story of siblings Pinks, Miranda and Lincoln Ridley who are meeting their parents at a rented cottage for Christmas.  The rains become floods and a joyous holiday vacation turns into danger as the children are stranded at the cottage alone.  They must make their own way, relying on fortitude, courage and cooperation.  As they work together through many hardships, their bonds are strengthened and they experience a Christmas they will never forget.

A quote from the book...

"Miranda stirred the logs and they drew nearer to the dying fire.  The wind battered against the stone walls of the house.  The first Christmas wasn't safe or comfortable either, Miranda thought.  In his palace King Herod had plotted to take the Baby's life.  The Child had come to a country occupied by a powerful foreign power and full of danger.  In the stable overhung by the star, hay in the  manger had warmed him and the love of Mary and Joseph had shielded him from harm.  The Wise Men, when they came to worship did so in secret, and because of Herod's treachery, went home by another way.  Now King Herod was no more than a half-forgotten tyrant and the Kingdom of the Holy Baby whose life he had sought to take still flourished and endured."

Add this title to your Christmas reading list for an action-packed, heart-warming tale.