The Women of Christmas: Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna

by Liz Curtis Higgs

Hardcover, 2013

Status

Available

Call number

232.92

Genres

Religion & Spirituality

General Nonfiction

Nonfiction

All Topics

Publication

WaterBrook (2013), Edition: First Edition, 224 pages

Description

"A sacred season is about to unfold for three women whose hearts belong to God. Elizabeth is barren, yet her trust in God remains fertile. Mary is betrothed in marriage, yet she is willing to bear God?s Son. Anna is a widow full of years, yet she waits patiently, prayerfully for the Messiah to appear in the temple courts. Following in their footsteps, you too can prepare for the Savior to enter your heart, your mind, and your life in a vibrant, new way. Best-selling author Liz Curtis Higgs explores the biblical stories of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna, unwrapping each verse with tender care and introducing you afresh to The Women of Christmas. -- from publisher's website.

User reviews

LibraryThing member rjabpab

Received as an early reviewer copy. Liz Curtis Higgs is an authority on women of the Bible, and this book proves it once again. She weaves together the stories of Elizabeth, Mary and Anna to share with us the hope, expectation, joy and fulfillment that we as Christians experience during the

Christmas Season.

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9 more

LibraryThing member wearylibrarian

Higgs tells the story of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna and how God chose them for a very special mission.

I would have preferred this book in a different format. The author takes The Book of Luke, small portions at a time, to explain The Christmas Story. Higgs is an excellent author and I plan on

reading more of her books. While the book itself was very interesting, I didn't enjoy the format. This would be a great book for any Bible Study group.

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LibraryThing member PhDinHorribleness

This is a wonderful and inspirational book. It is a quick read if you just want to go through it for the inspiration and insight. It definitely gave me some new ideas for looking at things in ways I hadn't thought of before. If you want to go more in depth with a small group or by yourself, there

is a study guide at the back with great thought provoking questions to get you started. Highly recommend!

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LibraryThing member croknot1

I was a little disappointed in this book. I would, however, like to read some of her others. I was expecting more about the women, and less about the birth of Jesus. I was a bit put off, also, by her lack of capitalization of the pronouns of our Lord. She did give chapter and verse, and noted many

different translations. I learned a few things, so I know she did a lot of research. It was good, but not what I expected.

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LibraryThing member dutchgirldtd

Other reviewers have outlined the contents of this book so I won't bother to do that here; I will say that I liked this book very much and plan to use it for my Advent devotions in future years. Liz Curtis Higgs walks the reader through the accounts about Jesus' birth in some detail, commenting and

interpreting along the way, and helped me see a familiar story in a new light more than once. Her focus is on the three women in these accounts - Elizabeth, Mary and Anna - but she also explores what it was like to be Zechariah and Joseph and Simeon. Beautifully written and inspiring, this one's a keeper.
(reviewed for the Early Review Program).

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LibraryThing member tebowfamily

I enjoy reading a new book to help refresh my look at Christmas each year, this was a good one which I will read again. Liz Curtis Higgs has an interesting way of thinking of the details that influence the lives of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna; details that in the quick, familiar reading of the

Christmas story I tend to overlook. She helped me look closer at the experiences, thoughts, and relationships between these women and those close to them. That closer look makes them more human and more real to me, which in turn, makes Christmas an even more precious time.

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LibraryThing member deanna13

The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs is a wonderful book for the Christmas season or for any time of the year. The book covers the lives of Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna in the months before the birth of Jesus and a few weeks after His birth. Each woman is presented through Bible scriptures and

the narrative of the author. Mary is newly betrothed but she is pregnant, Elizabeth is old and barren but she also becomes pregnant, and Anna is old, widowed, and lives in the Temple waiting for the arrival of the Messiah. Of course the story also includes Joseph a carpenter who is betrothed to Mary, Zechariah a priest who is the husband of Elizabeth, and Simeon also a priest and living each day waiting to see the promised Messiah. The one thing that all three women have in common is that their hearts belong to God. And Mary and Elizabeth are blessed to have husbands that love and obey God.

Liz Higgs does an excellent job in presenting the story of these three women and showing the involvement in and contribution of each of them in the Christmas story. The style of the writing made for easy reading and enjoyment. Liz wrote a paragraph or two to introduce each woman and then a verse of scripture was given and Liz would then give her interpretation of that verse, another verse was given, Liz would interpret, and this style of writing was continued throughout the entire book.. This form was also used for the three men in the story. This style of writing made the Christmas story so easy to understand and brought new thoughts to mind even though I have been hearing and reading the Christmas story for decades. A study guide is presented at the end for individual or small group study. This is a small book but it packs a big punch.

I definitely recommend this book to all who would like to know more about Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna and their participation in the Christmas story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers through their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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LibraryThing member vintagebeckie

Looking for a way to inject a new spirit into the Christmas season? Consider adding The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs to your reading list this year. Liz returns with her unique and insightful voice in bringing the story of Christ’s birth to light through thorough Biblical research and a

writing style that touches a woman’s heart. The story of the wonder of the Messiah’s birth is told through the eyes of three women and their touch from God. Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna all lived God’s promise. Their experiences bring a personal reality to the wonderful miracle of Christmas.

I used The Women of Christmas as a daily devotional, reading a chapter a day. There is a study guide in the back of the book to enhance your quiet time and bring more depth to your study. Good for personal study, this book is also ideal for a small group study – a great way to welcome the Christmas season with friends, co-workers, or neighbors.

Recommended.

Great For Group Study.

(Thanks to the publisher for a review copy. All opinions are mine alone.)

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LibraryThing member kaykwilts

The Woman of Christmas written by Liz Curtis Higgs is an excellent book to read and study during the Advent season and Christmas season. This book is helpful in learning to understand the heart of three women involved in the birth of Jesus. These women are Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna. All these women

prepare for the Savior's birth.

What I really found useful in getting to know these women was the study guide at the end of the book which had suggested Bible passages to read with each chapter.

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LibraryThing member lauraodom

The Women of Christmas looks at Christ’s birth while focusing on three women integral to the story: Elizabeth, Mary and the prophetess, Anna. Higgs breaks the story down verse by verse and offers insight on the lives of these three women. I enjoyed her conversational voice and her commentary. I

thought the book was a good one to use as part of my advent this year, and would recommend it to others. 4.5 of 5 stars.

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