Well, hello and Merry Christmas, my lovelies! I'm back today with a lovely little interview with writer Abigail Holmes! Abbi has recently published a Christmas devotional all about reclaiming the true meaning of Christmas! Keep reading to learn more about Abigail and her latest release!
Thank you so much for joining me on Of Blades & Thorns today, Abigail! I’m so excited to have you on to talk about your latest devotional, Seeking the Wonder of Christmas! But before we jump in, could you introduce yourself?
I am Abigail Holmes, I am a Self-Published author and I live in a tiny village in Wisconsin, though I was born in a coastal town in Oregon (story for another day).
I am a born-again believer; I believe in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I have been writing for about 5 years.
I believe God has given me the gift of writing, there is no other explanation for how I can do what I do. He has given me this gift and He could take it away. So, I will use this gift for His glory and His purpose.
I published my first devotional in March of 2022. It was a challenge, and many things and people tried to hinder my progress, but I knew it was what God wanted me to do.
So, when I am not writing, (which is a rare occasion), what am I doing? I am very active in my church, teaching Sunday school, playing the piano, and serving wherever needed.
I am an aunt to seven nieces and nephews, they often keep me busy, but I love spending time with them. My favorite pastimes are reading, spending time outside, photography, music, and graphic design
You’ve published two devotionals thus far—your first being Refusing to Bend: Becoming a Steadfast Woman on the Course for Christ. What led you to write devotionals?
As I said, I believe God has given me the gift of writing. But in 2019 I started a Christian blog where I wrote devotionals and Christian articles.
The blog helped me discover how much I loved writing and awakened a desire to take my writings beyond my blog, but I didn’t know how.
Unfortunately, my blog was never successful and I shut it down after about two years of writing. I was disappointed, I felt God pulling me towards writing. The theme verses I’ve always had for my writing are Matthew 5:14,16 which says 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
I had a light inside me and I wanted to share it through my words, but now that my blog was done and gone, what now? I knew I had written many good articles , but now they were stuck on my laptop with no audience. It was my mom who gave me the idea to compile my articles and devotions into a book. And that is how my first devotional came to be.
I very much enjoy getting into God’s word and writing about it and challenging not only myself but others as well.
What are some other authors or books that inspire you?
This is kind of hard question. As nearly all my writings come from the Bible, I would have to obviously say the Bible. But beyond that, I do find that John MacArthur’s books are great reading. Elizbeth George has a couple of devotionals I have enjoyed being challenged from, but beyond that, I would have to think more about that question.
Tell us about your Christmas devotional! Seeking the Wonder of Christmas is intended to guide readers back to the true meaning of Christmas—what drew you to that topic?
I honestly do not know where a good portion of ideas come from. I now use Instagram as my “blog” of sorts and a lot of the things I write on there just come to me.
I was on a plane with my parents coming back from my home (and my dad’s) state of Oregon when I was thinking about what my next book should be, and Christmas immediately popped into my head.
I love Christmas, but I do not like how over-commercialized it has become.
Christmas is not about the extravagant decorations or over-the-top gifts.
It is about the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world. God sent His only son into a sinful, underserving world so that we could be saved from sin and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
That is why we celebrate Christmas. And I wanted to convey that wonderful message and reminder; bringing our focus to the true meaning of Christmas.
How can readers apply the message of Christmas to their everyday lives?
Christmas is a giving holiday. God gave us His only Son, and through Jesus, He gave us Salvation.
We feel very generous during the Christmas season, but it tends to fizzle out when the decorations come down. But that is in contrast to what we should do.
At Christmas we read about the wonderful story of Jesus’ birth, how the shepherds spread the news far and wide that the Savior was born! They could not hold in the wonderful good news!
We need to continue to share the joy of the Christmas story with everyone. They need to hear that Jesus came for them; it is a priceless gift that all need.
What are some of your favorite aspects of Christmas?
As Christmas is my favorite holiday, I could just say everything, but I won’t.
I love decorating our trees with ornaments especially the ones that have a happy memory attached to them. I love blasting the Christmas music and singing to every Christmas song. I love playing Christmas songs at my church and arranging music for my fellow musicians for our Christmas concert.
I love seeing my nieces and nephews joy when they see our decorations and open their presents.
But when it comes right down to it, I love simply dwelling in the wonder, joy, and thanksgiving of Christmas. To simply forget about our troubles for a while and focus on the happiness and good of Christmas.
Do you have any advice for those who are interested in writing devotionals?
Study. That would be my first bit of advice. Once you pick a topic or theme that you want to write about, study! It is important to write about a topic you feel strongly about or maybe have personal experiences with. But again, study.
My dad is a retired pastor and he has a large library of books, commentaries, topical books, and study Bibles. And I use many of them.
Dig deep into your subject or passages that you want to write about. You will find it challenging though, but the growth and knowledge you gain through it will be so worth it.
Where can readers connect with you and find your books?
I am a Self-Published author, so my books are on Amazon. I am in the process of coming out with a second edition of my first book, so that one will change soon, probably come February.
And then I am on Instagram @Abbiholmes and then I do have a website abigail-holmes.com
~ the author ~
Abigail Holmes published her first devotional, Refusing to Bend - Becoming a Steadfast Woman on the Course for Christ, in March of 2022 after she felt God call her to write for Him. When she's not writing (which is a rare occasion), she can be found teaching Sunday school, playing the piano, and reading. You can connect with her at abigail-holmes.com and on Instagram @abbiholmes.
~ the book ~
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. But this wonderful holiday that once had the focus and theme of peace on earth, and goodwill towards men, has now been twisted into one big commercial.
We have begun to lose sight of the true meaning and message of Christmas.
It is a message of love, hope, and grace. It is the wonder of how Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, came humbly as a baby to save a sinful world. The very reason why we celebrate Christmas.
This devotional will show you the wonder and amazement of the birth of the long-awaited Savior.
It will guide you back to the wonders of Christmas, and how to live fully in them.
~ snag your copy ~
Do you ever feel like Christmas has lost its meaning? How can you reclaim the true purpose and wonder of Christmas this year? Let us know down below!
