Merry Christmas to all our family and friends! At times, this year has gone agonizingly slow waiting for Dennis to retire, yet here we are in December, counting down the days until we again celebrate the birth of Jesus. We enjoy everything that goes along with the holiday season, but Christmas is especially dear to Jeannie as it is also her spiritual birthday. This year marks 54 years since she knelt in front of the family Christmas tree on Central Park Street in Topeka, KS, and asked the Lord Jesus to come into her heart. The Macs used to sing the song, "I Came to Love You Early." That truly was our testimony. Dennis came to know the Lord at a young age, and Stacie was only four when she said the prayer of salvation. To us, Jesus is truly the Reason for the Season.
Though we enjoyed our time at the camp in TN, it has been wonderful to stay in NC, getting to know our new town and surrounding area. Jeannie is already stocking two "Little Libraries" in the neighborhood, and Dennis has enjoyed getting to know our new neighbors as they have helped to clear our land. We look forward to being close to our new "home" every weekend (when Dennis doesn't have a Friday night game, or the temps don't fall below freezing too far.) We are anxious to explore southwestern NC, and the North Georgia mountains which are only twenty minutes away. These elk, who live near the entrance to Smoky Jeannie would like to announce a few Christmas sales on her Tresia books. As you can see from the banner, her short eBook, A Glimpse: The Truly Excellent Scepter, is FREE again on Amazon, December 1-5. She is currently working on Book III, but took time out to write this short story. It is for those who have read the first two books, and for those who haven't, but wonder about her imaginary Tresia universe. By reading this free eBook, you can see what it is all about, without committing to buying the books first. But hopefully that's exactly what you will want to do after reading it! You may find that Tresia is very familiar in many ways to the world in which we live. Middle-graders through senior adults have enjoyed Trinity Tales of Tresia. Also, the eBook editions of Books I and II will only be $1.99 each from December 15-22. If you have been thinking about a new Kindle, Nook, or other e-reader for yourself, your kids, or grandkids, this Christmas would be the time to buy one and download these three books for Christmas giving! Of course, if you are like Jeannie and still love the feel of a real book in your hands, she will have a print edition giveaway on Facebook before Christmas. If you are on Facebook, check out her author page at www.facebook.com/jamcphailbooks so you don't miss out. (And please "Like" her page.) Or if you aren't a Facebook person, you can go to her website, click on Links, then Alliteration Alerts, and read all her weekly Facebook posts. Then email her that you visited the website, and she will include you in the drawing for free books! (Please forward this newsletter to anyone in your address book, especially those who know us, or may be interested in our books and songs, so they can subscribe to the newsletter on the website. Word of mouth is our best promotional tool and we appreciate your help to spread the word so much.) Dennis is in the middle of basketball season, and as counselor, will be busy with end of semester testing soon. This week, he will also conduct the Firebird Chorale in the Winter Concert at Challenger Early College High School. He has enjoyed all the "hats" he wears, coach, counselor, and vocal music director, but he is looking forward to more time for songwriting and developing his recording studio. Macs Music is his dream, and he is already spending as much time as he can in the home studio in our spare bedroom. It's even how he winds down from a basketball game! God gave him a love for teaching and kids, but his love of writing and recording music is growing every day. Now, if Jeannie can just talk him in to making a CD with the Music of Tresia...! The video book trailer that he did for her earlier is updated and posted on her website. Dennis wrote the background music for the video and if you haven't seen it yet, or want to again, take a look and listen. It's been quite a year for the Macs, as we PREPARE, (my 2017 word of the year,) for all that comes next. We are daily amazed at the Blessings God has given. Not surprised, just amazed. Christmas brings many memories, and we wanted to share these two photos of our last Christmas together at Dollywood five years ago. Stacie had no hair under that fuzzy cap, but she certainly rocked her hats!
This old song comes to mind more and more:
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and Grace." We pray your Christmas and New Year be filled with God's never-ending love, peace, and joy. Christmas Blessings, Dennis and Jeannie Dear Family and Friends, Since our first Summer Edition of MountainView Moments was sent out in June, Dennis has become quite adept at technical artistry. In our Special Edition earlier this month, you saw his efforts on Jeannie's behalf to create a video book trailer for her new ebook. Now we have a brand new digitally created logo for Macs MountainView Ministries. You may recognize both the "M" mountain view that God created on our future ministry property in Franklin, NC, as well as the McPhail tartan in the foreground. The Macs used this tartan for the cover on our product table. Stacie discovered it at a local Scottish shop and it was her idea to buy the material and use it for our singing ministry table. We chose the Old English font to embroider our name on the tartan. Jeannie has continued to use the tartan in promotional tools for her writing, and recently Dennis taught himself how to incorporate it into our logo using a graphics program on his computer. We are thrilled with the result of combining the old with the new for our new ministry logo. Jeannie wants to thank everyone who downloaded her newest ebook, "A Glimpse: The Truly Excellent Scepter," during the free Amazon promotion at the beginning of September. If you missed it, you can still get it for $.99. There will be future free promotions and we will let you know when those are available. She has begun the writing process on Book III. Jeannie is looking forward to this last installment in the Trinity Tales of Tresia trilogy which will be available in 2018. Now, she has a favor to ask those of you who have read any of her books. If you would take a few minutes to submit a review on Amazon, it would be much appreciated. Reviews are what regulate the rankings and how much Amazon will help promote a book, so the more reviews the better. Even "I liked it!" will work. Thanks in advance for your help with this. Here is the link to J.A.'s Amazon Author Page where all five of her books are listed: Visit J.A's Amazon Author Page Dennis is gearing up for his last basketball season at Challenger Early College High School by holding a few open gyms for potential team members. He is excited for the season to begin, and though he hasn't said it will be the end of his coaching career, Coach McPhail is looking forward to a 2018 retirement from full-time teaching, counseling, and coaching in the public schools. His main interest and God-given assignment for retirement in Franklin, is to keep writing new songs, which he has been doing a LOT lately! Along with writing, he will establish his own recording studio where he will be able to record demos for his own original songs, provide an outlet for others to record their music, and even help authors make audio recordings of their books. Lots of possibilities for Macs Music Publishing and Recording Studio! And if he has a summer basketball camp or helps out a local team somewhere close, it will be icing on the cake.
Our ministry verse is Jeremiah 29:11. A favorite writer, Rick Renner, shed some light into the Greek meaning of the word "plans" in this well-known and beloved verse of scripture. In the Greek, it's more than just ideas or possibilities God has planned for us. It means His unique and intricately woven pathways created individually for his children. Knowing that, how could we do anything else but follow Him?
Be Blessed. Dennis and Jeannie Dear Family and Friends,
We are excited to share this update with you. For the past five years, since our daughter, Stacie moved to Heaven, we have been seeking the Lord for His next assignment for us. The search led us to several states, on many church visits, contemplating different ministry possibilities, and looking at hundreds of physical houses and acreage to call home. God's plan has been revealed and we are thrilled to announce that after the 2017-2018 school year is over, Dennis will retire from teaching, and Franklin, NC, and Cherokee Bible Church, will be our new home. This is where we will establish Macs MountainView Ministries, our next assignment. We won't share details now, but will keep you updated as we get closer to the vision becoming a reality. Hint: As our "tag" line for the ministry says, it will be "A Resting Place Where Books and Songs are Born and Shared." Please pray for us as we prepare to make this transition. In August, Dennis will begin his last year at Challenger Early College High School in Hickory, NC, as counselor, basketball coach, and director of the Firebird Chorale. Though he is looking forward to retirement and our move to Franklin, being a music teacher, counselor, and coach has been his calling. He has enjoyed every minute, well, almost every minute, of his almost 40-year career with the school systems in Kansas and NC. But he is looking toward a new venture that will center around writing and recording his own work, and others. As often as he can spare time, Dennis is in his home recording studio working on his new songs. Or he takes the time whenever the Holy Spirit gives him a song. Writing songs and recording will be the focus of his part of Macs MountainView Ministries. Jeannie's writing has kept her busy for many years and it will continue to be her focus for Macs MountainView Ministries. Though her library job was her calling for a season, being a writer is clearly her assignment now. She recently released Book II in her Trinity Tales of Tresia series, her fourth published book. Her summer project is a short story ebook that will be available this fall as a free download on her website and Amazon, based on the Tresia series. With the help of Carol Nelson, one of Stacie's dear friends from Kansas, and a technology guru for the McPherson, KS, school district, this website has been revamped and updated. Check out all the pages for lots more information (and photos!) on J.A.'s books and more. Updates on the progress of Macs MountainView Ministries will be posted on the "Ministry" page. For those who are already on the email list and received this newsletter in your inbox, we hope you will stay in contact and let us know what God is doing in your life! If you are reading this through a link on Facebook, then please go to the website and subscribe to the newsletter so you won't miss out on any future news from the Macs and all the arms of our new ministry. God has been so good to us over the past five years. We miss Stacie more than we can say, but God gives us His unexplainable joy and peace that passes understanding. They have sustained us, and now given us this new vision for the future. We can't wait to share more about Dennis, Jeannie, and Macs MountainView Ministries! Still, Heaven's Sounding Sweeter All the Time. Be Blessed. Dennis and J.A. McPhail |
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