Christmas is everywhere . . . even where you least expect it.  
  
Join award-winning author and storyteller James Calvin Schaap as he uncovers the grace, joy, and love of the season through seven heartwarming tales of miracle moments in a messy world. This beautiful and inspiring collection of contemporary Christmas stories will remind you what grace looks like--and where to find it.  
  
  
"Jim Schaap knows our lives. He re-fires our memories. He draws us into settings familiar. He causes us to inhabit the worlds of plain folk struggling with the problems of an ordinary life--and he makes it all so very, very important. . . . Schaap writes sacred mystery into our common lives."--from the foreword by Walter Wangerin Jr.

James Calvin Schaap, a professor of English at Dordt College and president of the Chrysostom Society, is the award-winning author of 22 books. His articles, essays, and short stories have appeared in more than 25 magazines and journals, including The Banner. He lives in Iowa.

That I wholeheartedly agree with Kathy Simpson about oversentimentalizing Christmas does not change the fact that Ms. Simpson is not my favorite human being. She gets her way by sheer force of character. She's great to have on your team. Oppose her, and you lose.  
  
"There's an awful lot of silliness connected to Christmas celebrations already, and we don't want to add to them," she said. She held forth at the end of Christmas pageant practice, and she had all the kids--shepherds, wise men, Mary and Joseph, the whole works--in the first two pews for her address. "Animals singing and all of that? It only sentimentalizes the real story: that Jesus came for us, for sinners." She barely paused for breath. "Did he cry? Well, of course he did. He was human. Humans cry. Case closed. So this foolish little line, 'No crying he made,' is just ridiculous, sentimental hooey."  
  
I knew how my daughter would take that remark. For most of her thirteen years, Angela has considered The Lion King the greatest story ever told.  
  
"Jesus was born in a barn because, quite literally, there was no room in town." Kathy pointed in the air. "Have any of you ever not found a motel? It's awful. Jesse and I were in Athens, Ohio, once, years ago, and we couldn't find a thing, but that's another story."  
  
Thank goodness, I thought.  
  
\--from "First Cry in a Stable"

James Calvin Schaap, a professor of English at Dordt College and president of the Chrysostom Society, is the award-winning author of more than twenty books. His articles, essays, and short stories have appeared in many magazines and journals. He lives in Iowa.

A gift. The baby. The pageant. The parties. The worship. The afterglow. The story. These are the elements of almost every Christmas. In Finding Christmas, award-winning author James Calvin Schaap takes a look at each of these elements through seven stories that show how imperfect people can find joy and grace in an imperfect world.  
  
His eyes turn on an outgoing bus driver, a passionate mother, a daughter reluctant to return to church, and even his own assumed-mediocre performance at a Christmas pageant. Along the way, readers see how the amazing message of Christmas can be found in the oddest of places. This heartwarming read is both moving and magical and will help readers usher in a joyful Christmas season even amidst the howling winds of winter.

An award-winning author helps reader encounter Christmas through seven stories that show how imperfect people can find joy and grace in an imperfect world.

Schaap, James Calvin

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You’ve Been Searching for Joy . . .

Prepare for the Unexpected: A Foreword

The Mystery: A Preface

1. The Baby

2. The Party

3. The Gifts

4. The Church

5. The Pageant

6. The Afterglow

7. The Snow fall

About the Author

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Cover Page

A gift. The baby. The pageant. The parties. The worship. The afterglow. The story. These are the elements of almost every Christmas. In "Finding Christmas", award-winning author James Calvin Schaap takes a look at each of these elements through seven stories that show how imperfect people can find joy and grace in an imperfect world. His eyes turn on an outgoing bus driver, a passionate mother, a daughter reluctant to return to church, and even his own assumed-mediocre performance at a Christmas pageant. Along the way, readers see how the amazing message of Christmas can be found in the oddest of places. This heart-warming read is both moving and magical and will help readers usher in a joyful Christmas season even amidst the howling winds of winter.

Finding Christmas [eBook]

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