The title of the book, Christmas with Hot Apple Cider, begged for a story that warmed the heart. A Mennonite teenager is enthralled by her introduction to Handel’s Messiah in Toronto’s pretigious Massey Hall. After considering which of my Christmas memories would best portray the warmth I felt was necessary, it didn’t take me long
Canada is changing. Have you noticed that? Two treasures—one hidden, another shared. Which one will change lives? In 2016 we admitted 46,000 refugees. In 2017, an additional 32,000 plus asylum seekers crossed our borders. That’s a lot of new faces. How will we choose to respond? Take Gailynn MacDonald Grant. Gai’s church spent a year
I don’t think it’s possible to write anything without your life creeping into it somewhere. Not all miracles are obvious. Not all Christmas trees have needles. “Is this story true?” That’s one of the most common questions I am asked as a writer of short stories and novels set in the Yukon, especially by those
The “Light of the World” in a changing landscape. What if Jesus had been born in our century, and only a few immigrant farm workers and a baffled reporter recognized him? Though I’ve spent almost all my life here, I often find my own city unrecognizable. From the sleepy semi-rural community of my childhood, Surrey, a
From the time I was very young, I had a fascination with Africa. A teacher witnesses the joy of a simple gift at a Nigerian orphanage. Africa was so far off and exotic that it captured my imagination. Whether it was the National Geographics I read or the documentaries on television, I don’t know, but
I chose to write fiction because that’s my preferred mode of writing. A frustrated Christian Education director who has a love/hate relationship with Christmas receives an unexpected gift. My habit as editor of the Hot Apple Cider books has been to look over the pieces I’ve selected, see if there’s an aspect of the theme
A Poem in the Making The gift of past scents and sounds, sights and textures, unwrapped in a quiet Christmas moment So much of Christmas is wrapped up in memories. At the same time as we are experiencing Christmas anew, we are reliving Christmases we have known. In many ways, Christmas is experienced in the
With innate skill and perfect timing, Craig shared his story. A family’s desire to bless their mother turns a last Christmas gathering into a forever moment. Entering a circle of conversation between my husband and our friend Craig, I was in time to hear Craig tell the story of his family’s last Christmas with his
I have fond memories of my Grandpa and me. A grandpa and granddaughter’s loving relationship, and their love of God We lived about two hours away from my Grandpa and Nana, and I couldn’t wait to see my Grandpa when we visited at Christmas. My favourite thing that happened at my Grandpa’s house involved the
Writing a “true story” can be difficult. The resiliency of love, wrapped in three unforgettable Christmases. When the opportunity was presented to submit something for Christmas With Hot Apple Cider, I searched my memory banks for some special event connected with Christmas that might make for an interesting tale. One did come to mind. But
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