“Stay Close to Friends” The Ninth Day of Christmas is the feast day of Saint Gregory and Saint Basil, two 4th century monks who were great friends. Throughout their lives, they studied together, corresponded, and faced down the heresies of their time. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10…
Christmas in July–Day 8
On the Eighth Day of Christmas Ali added this to her list: “God has blessed us and will continue to bless us.” On the Eighth Day of Christmas, Ali was introduced to the eight Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:1-10: Matthew 5:1-10 NIV — Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside…
Christmas in July–Day 7
“God has given us gifts to use in doing His work.” (From Ali’s list.) Romans 12:6-8 NIV — We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;…
Christmas in July–Day 6
“The true call of a Christian is not to do extraordinary things, but to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.” Dean Stanley The presence of Jesus makes us holy because He is holy. Because He was extraordinary, if we follow Him, we are extraordinary. (From Twelve Days at Silverleaf.) When we invite Jesus to…
Christmas in July–Day 5
On the Fifth Day of Christmas, Ali found herself in a dilemma that led her to write, “Pray. Invite God into the situation.” Prayer should be a first response, not a last resort. When we pray, we acknowledge God’s presence and power in our lives. We get aligned with God’s will. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not…
Christmas in July–Day 4
Matthew 18:10 See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. On the Fourth Day of Christmas Ali wrote “God and Jesus care for children and will comfort them.” She had found comfort…
Christmas in July–Day 3
On the Third Day of Christmas Ali added “Listen for God’s voice. His Word is the truth” to her list. What would God’s voice be like? 1 Kings 19:11-12 The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a…
Christmas in July–Day 2: Serve Others
The Second Day of Christmas is the feast of Stephen, whose story is told in Acts 6:5-7:60. Ali and other guests at the resort are inspired to serve others in honor of Stephen, and Ali adds “serve others” to her list. Galatians 6:9-10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper…
Christmas in July Day 1
The first thing Ali learned in her pursuit of the true meaning of Christmas was to focus on Jesus. Jesus made these statements about Himself: John 6:36 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.” John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever…
Welcome to the Website of Janet Kaderli
I have always enjoyed Christmas–which is why four out of my eight books take place during the holiday season. Molasses Cookies, which came out in 1998, is a middle-grade reader featuring 10 year old Erica Kraft who learns her family history while helping her grandmother bake cookies for Christmas. The story reflects the history of…
janetkaderli.com 