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Happy Go Stuckey

Tethering Grace & Togetherness

Meaningful Christmas Books: Unwrapping the Greatest Gift

December 14, 2014 by HappyGoStuckey 2 Comments

Last year, Ann Voskamp’s book The Greatest Gift was a very important part of my own personal Advent celebration. The readings are short and begin with a passage of Scripture. Apart from just being a beautiful book, it is an excellent way to begin or end each bustling day in the Christmas season with quiet and rest.

When I discovered that Ann had also written Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas for the entire family, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy! Tyndale House Publishers mailed me a complimentary copy for our family’s enjoyment in early October and we began to enjoy it long before December arrived.

IMG_1815

We received the beautiful book just in time to take it along to the Mountains in October, and Lucy spent a lot of time stretched out on the floor of the cabin, looking at the lovely pictures and reading a few words.

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift is a large hardcover book- about 12×12- and has gorgeous full-color illustrations throughout. A similar format is used as the original Greatest Gift version, taking the principle of the Jesse Tree and exploring the elements of Advent as they all point to the coming of Christ. A passage of Scripture comes first in each day’s reading, followed by a part of the story. Each day (or chapter) puts one story in front of the other pointing along the way to the coming of Jesus.

Though the book is meant to be for Families to read together, if your family is made up of active toddlers, you will want to take that into account as you read. Those of you, (myself included) who struggle to get your almost three-year old to sit attentively for one small board book– may find yourself gritting your teeth through the pages of this book if you are hoping your kiddos will sit still and take in the beautiful lyrical text. That being said, I feel there is a lot of value in Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, no matter the stage of your family. It would be a great piece to read a small bit of each chapter, show them the photos and then build on as your children grow. The fact that the title suggests it is for families to experience together should not dissuade anyone from enjoying Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. I have enjoyed reading portions both by myself and with the little people in our home.

What I love most about this book is perhaps what I love most about Ann Voskamp’s writing in general, her ability to cross bridges and boundaries to bring the Hope and Joy of Christ right in front of you, no matter your season of life. And the gift of being able to share that with my children with wording and pictures they appreciate is just icing on the lovely, poetic cake.

I hope that in a rush of this December, you are enjoying a few moments of quiet peace. If you are looking for a tool in which to focus more of your attention of Jesus and the gift of His coming FOR YOU, I wholeheartedly recommend Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas.

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift was given to me by Tyndale Publishers to enjoy and review. I received the free copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

**The Amazon links to purchase the book are affiliate links. Thanks for clicking! 
Hope and Grief are not Enemies.
Things I Learned in 2014

Comments

  1. Linda Baker says

    January 4, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    Looks like a beautiful book!

    Reply
  2. Linda Baker says

    January 4, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    Looks like a beautiful book!

    Reply

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Hey There!

I'm Cynthia and I'm so glad you're here. I am an introvert with an extrovert's love of gathering people together. I love good books and capturing moments. Whether you visit me here or on my own front porch, I'll be the one holding the Iced Coffee for us both.

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Throwing it back but not way back: remember last y Throwing it back but not way back: remember last year when we *discovered* the whipped, frothy, goodness of Dalgona Coffee?

I made it again today for the express purpose of seeing if it would still work with less sugar and I rather like my lightened up version!

(Tip: in my opinion, it makes enough for two— especially because I use instant espresso— so it’s pretty strong! Not warm where you are yet?  Tap the little flag to save this post for later.)

✨Whipped Coffee✨ 
2 TBS. instant espresso
2 TBS. cold water
1 TBS. maple syrup or simple syrup
1-2 glasses of ice and milk

Whip/ Beat the espresso, syrup, and water with an electric beater, immersion blender, or hand-held milk frother until frothy and light in color. Scoop over the milk and ice and enjoy!
🪡Do I seamstressed to you?🪡 Really though, 🪡Do I seamstressed to you?🪡 

Really though, after completing my first embroidery project, I feel like it might just be the cheapest, prettiest, stress relief out there. I am officially a believer in relaxing this way. And PS, if I can do it, you can.

Thank you, @thebarmyfox for bringing this lovely art into my life!
Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all the answers, yet.

While you sit in a season of waiting,
the calendar can often be a cruel companion, reminding you that days go by, weeks, months— with what feels like very little change in the right direction.

Perhaps you can easily assent to: 
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but you strain to see just how it will be when: “...a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

Wherever you and I are today— whether we wander, wait, stand firmly planted, or some pressed together combination of all three — we can take heart.

We are not alone.
And this will not be wasted.
What seems to be an unending blank space, an indefinite pause, is a space for new things.

Long before all is made right, and whether or not it all is tied up neatly with a perfectly crafted bow— we can know this:

We do not have to know the outcome to be faithful today.

✨Joy is not disregard for reality as much as it is obstinacy against despair.✨
Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. T Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. There. I said it. These days I’m gravitating to the true & the beautiful as rest for my weary self... and I wonder if you are too.

So much so, that I’m starting a new little offering, it’s called “The Feast: Wonder for the Weary” and the first issue goes out this weekend. It’s a bit more personal (okay this first one is WAY more personal. 🤭) It will be a little bit of everything, all with the goal of offering REST to both the feasters & foragers alike. If you’re already a subscriber— no need to do anything, if not— click through my bio to “keep in touch” and join the feast.✨
We are a people of both lament and praise. We hol We are a people of both lament and praise.

We hold questions without answers— yet we hold them in hands already full of good things.

We hold our daily bread, our daily gifts, and we hold the daily closeness of the God Who Sees.

The God who is no stranger to our lament, and Who Is the reason for our every hope.
He does not grow weary of our asking. Of our need to be told again, He will. 

You friend, are not invisible.
You are seen and cared for by the God who does all things well. (Even when they feel anything but.)
Married love ambition: making the kids roll their Married love ambition: making the kids roll their eyes at our “gushy-ness” as often as possible. 

President & CEO of the Lance Stuckey Fan Club— in every season, but especially on days like today.
Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty k Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty kitchen.😍🌧📚

On this chilly Saturday, we spent entirely too long browsing for books at our library and then all came home to a fire, mochas, and cocoa, respectively. Of all the things we do not know at this very moment, we know the gifts abound, and are worth counting.

PS, if you haven’t spread whipped cream on a foil-lined baking sheet to freeze, and then cut out cute shapes with cookie cutters to top your coffee or hot cocoa, may I suggest you get thee on that at once.
“If God sends us on strong paths, we are provide “If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes.” — Corrie Ten Boom

✨File under, things to save in a fire.✨

The prayer journal pictured here contains six months of the hard & the sweet.
Six months of prayers asked & answered for ourselves and for others.
Six months of seeing through prayer, not how it changed our circumstances necessarily but how it changed us.

I always appreciate a record like this— being able to clearly see the paths we are led down, rocky though they may be? Priceless.

The ways God has come near us & drawn us to Himself again and again are written on these pages and I’ll treasure it forever.

Also pictured: Psalms Illuminated Scripture Journal. Highly recommend. Thank you always, @allifarnell
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it th “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

While scrolling through my photos today, my heart was heavy to realize how far back “before” was.

Before masks and distancing, before loss, before other, more personal bits of hard. Multitudinous change, neither all bad nor all good.

With our free time, we’ve introduced our girls to Tolkien, Bilbo, Frodo, and especially Samwise the Brave. They are officially hooked and we are delighted to watch them discover another world where evil doesn’t win, and the courage of the small matters much. {they close their eyes at the Orcs and we haven’t had a nightmare yet!}🤞🏻😂😬
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