Away in a Manger

Have you ever thought about what it was like that first Christmas? I mean what it was really like? Maybe it's just the daydreamer in me, but I have so many questions. Questions that I just like to wonder about. What was it like for Mary, a girl between 12 and 16, to be visited by an angel? She was a nobody. God had not spoken through the prophets to His nation Israel for 400 years, yet they were still waiting expectantly for the Messiah. They didn't know how He would come...many didn't recognize Him because they thought He would come as a great and mighty king to overthrow the Roman rule and free His people. Think about this young girl getting this news from the Angel. Who was she to believe that she would have anything to do with the Messiah, and what did she think about the news that He was coming in the very weakest of human forms--a fetus? And what about Joseph? What courage and reckless faith it would have taken for him to believe, and decide to still wed a girl who in the world's view had already been unfaithful to him? How did Mary tell Joseph, anyways? How did she tell her parents? How did they react? What thoughts were going through Mary and Joseph's minds in the months that were leading up to Jesus' birth? Did Mary ever wonder, "why me?" How did she wrestle with the knowledge that she was to be the mother of the Messiah, alive in her womb? Did she feel anxious and fearful about what being the mother of God Himself would be like? At the very least, she must have felt totally and absolutely inadequate. How do you parent God incarnate?

Have you ever thought about the night Jesus was born? It was probably not anything close to a "silent night!" I can only imagine the rush of people that must have been crowding the streets of the little town of Bethlehem. The inns were full to bursting! Bethlehem could not fit one more couple. What was Joseph thinking as Mary went into labor and he had no power to provide for her comfort or even adequate shelter? To all those people crowding Bethlehem, Jesus was just another baby, Mary and Joseph just another couple. How many stopped to acknowledge that their Messiah, God in the form of a baby, had just been born? It was just a normal night for so many people. Were there any others besides the shepherds who gave the average couple and their baby any attention? How many times do we go about our business, unaware of what God might be doing right underneath our noses?

As we all get wrapped up in all the joy and bustle of the holiday season, I encourage you to take some time to quietly ponder the reality of Christmas, and thank God for His most precious and inconceivable gift to us--a Savior that would grow up to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and bring us back into fellowship with God.

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Ceylan

When Hard Times Come...

What is the hardest thing you've ever been through?

I've been thinking about the topic of suffering lately. For my literature class, I just finished reading "The Trail of Tears" by W.A. Swonger. Seeing the inhumane suffering that the Native Americans went through at the hands of the white Americans was convicting. As John Quincy Adams said, the Indian Removal Act was “among the heinous sins of this nation, for which God will one day bring them to judgment.” 

However, reading the book was also an encouragement. The author wrote very openly about the way God uses suffering in our lives. Is all suffering good? Much of it is evil, but God is greater than the evil, and many times He will use suffering in a Christian's life to make them stronger in character, so that He can use them for His purposes later.

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that life is not all flowers and daisies. It is not easy, and a lot of times it's not fun either. Many times it's just downright painful and confusing. But you know what? That's okay. Because God is still on the throne, and He is sovereign over all of life...even the painful, the difficult, and the confusing.

Glory to God!
Ceylan

"My Father's Princess" in Silent Auction

I just heard that "My Father's Princess" sold at a silent auction in support of cancer research for $45! Thank you to all the generous hearts and to the people who organized the event! I am honored that my book is raising money for such an important cause.

My Father's Princess

"13 year old Saranna was an orphan in France...or so people thought. But Saranna secretly believed that her father, who had been arrested years ago, was even now still looking for her. She dreams of the day when he will come into the orphanage, sweep her off her feet, and bring her home with him again. But now that she is being adopted by a family in America, she feels like her hope--or was it really her wish?--of him ever coming back for her is shattered. In the midst of being submerged in a new culture and adapting to life in her new family, Saranna learns about a Heavenly Father who loves her very much. And while she struggles to feel at home with her new mom and dad, she wonders, "Can I possibly be loyal to three fathers?" Follow along Saranna's journey as she battles the pains and hurt of her past and eventually learns how to overcome her fears, struggles, and insecurities...not alone anymore, because she has come to know her Heavenly King, Jesus."

Buy Now in Xulon Press Bookstore!

Also available on

• Amazon.com
• Barnesandnoble.com

"My Father's Princess" Available as an ebook!

On:

• Amazon.com--Kindle
• Barnes & Noble--Nook
• Apple ibooks

READ "MY FATHER'S PRINCESS" PRESS RELEASE HERE!

About Me

Hello there!


My name is Ceylan (jay-LAHN) Gunduz, and I am 15 years old. I am the oldest of 5, and I live in New Hampshire. I am chief goat-herder for my family, and my passions include acting, writing, horses, and inspiring others. In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing, creating, and spending time with my family.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to write a book. Even before I could read I was a bookworm, memorizing my favorite books and reciting them as I flipped through the pages. I must have put my first "book" together by age four. As I grew up, I continued passionately writing short stories and dreaming about the day when I would be a published author. My enchantment with books only grew with me. Words have always fascinated me--the beauty they can illuminate, the power they have over people, and the profound truths that they can share. So many great lessons in my life have been communicated to me through words on a page. When I write them myself, I feel free. It feels natural, like it's a part of me.


I've always been curious about what God's will for my life is. Praying and thinking about how I could serve Him with my brief time here on earth, I always seemed to think that writing books with Godly truths in them was somehow a part of my future. I began researching different self-publishing companies and the process that went into becoming a published author. The more I researched, the more I realized that I was in for a HUGE journey, yet I was not turned away.

Finally, when I was 14, I finished the draft of my first chapter book. It is titled, "My Father's Princess," and is the story of a young orphan's journey to find out who she is in Christ.



After much prayer and searching, God opened the door for me to begin the publishing process. Although I go through moments of being overwhelmed, excited beyond imagination, and doubtful of my book's potential, I am committed to trusting God and am looking forward to seeing where He takes me.

How about you? Have you ever had a big dream that you wanted to realize? Do you think that God is calling you to do something big to impact His kingdom? I firmly believe that everyone has been given a special set of gifts and talents that God can use to accomplish amazing things for His glory...if we'll just surrender the controls of our lives to Him.

To God be the glory!
~Ceylan Gunduz