For the Love of CHR I S T M A S

My Story
HEATHER MCCALL

There have been many reasons for writing this book.
Firstly, my Heavenly Father and His heart and His word
have always been very precious to me.

Secondly, from a young age, the story of Christmas has
fascinated and excited me. I am always intrigued how God
used two ordinary people, one a young girl, to bring His
chosen Son into the world. I guess it’s even more than that;
the whole story is one of simplicity, no fuss, no publicity,
just using what they had and using the weak and abased to
confound the wise. I am not saying that Mary and Joseph
were weak but there was something about the simplicity
of their life and lifestyle that reflects our Heavenly Father’s
heart. When I was young, each time our Sunday school class
acted out the nativity scene, it always stirred a desire in me
to understand more about God’s plan for Jesus’ birth. What
an amazing “love story” God planned for His people. This
is a love story that was to bring life and hope and love to a
dying world. Why are we dying? Well if we don’t know Jesus
as our saviour and Lord we are dying.

Thirdly, each year now I find myself frustrated with how
Jesus becomes less and less the focus of Christmas and how
watered down the story becomes. Sometimes He isn’t even
mentioned and more and more the main emphasis is on
Santa Claus, his reindeer and little helpers. This is happening
not only in the secular world but in Christian churches as
well. I sometimes wonder how far we have moved from the
real meaning of this special celebration and what we can do
to turn the tide before it is too late. Don’t get me wrong, some
families and churches do put Christ first and think about the
lonely, needy and poor and the true meaning of Christmas.
You often see Christmas written as “Xmas.” Is it because we
want to leave Christ out of Christmas or because life has
become too busy so that we haven’t got time to write the full
word and give Christ the honour He is due?

I believe that, as we become more and more focused on
the real reason for Jesus’ birth, our focus will change, our
priorities will change, and our giving will change. People
will be more important than things. People will be more
content, not feeling they have to spend X amount of dollars
to try and impress or please their family and friends.
Christmas is about love, relationships, communication,
simplicity, creativity and giving. Christmas is about bringing
love, hope, righteousness, peace and joy to a lost world. To
me it’s about celebrating the birth of the most precious gift
God gave to the world – His one and only Son.

What an amazing
“love story” God
planned for His people.
This is a love story
that was to bring life
and hope and love to a
dying world.

Then fourthly, with having a creative mother and
grandmothers, I wanted to write something for my children
and grandchildren as an account of the creative and Godly
heritage they have; something they might like to pass on to
their children and grandchildren. In this book I have tried
to share some of my creative gifts with you, not because
they are any better than anyone else’s, but that it might
help stir up some of the gifts you already have, for example
hospitality, creating gifts, arrangements and decorations, as
well as preparing exciting food for gifts or Christmas meals.

Each one of us has gifts and talents but we only recognise
some of them. I want to encourage you to step out of your
comfort zone and try something new this year. Create
everything with love, to express the real reason for the
season at Christmas. Christmas should be about family,
friends and sharing our love. Make new traditions and lots
of memories for your family. Spend quality time just being
with them. Spend time finding out the real reason for the
Christmas celebration.

Some of the recipes I have shared with you are family
favourites that my daughters always want at Christmas
time, like Ham on the Bone, Strawberry Whip, and Nana’s
Plum Pudding (unfortunately, there are no sixpences and
thruppences in it now, like there were when I was a child).