Approaching Christmas is always a joy, and our traditions are truly beautiful, be it at home or at church.  Lighting the advent candles, retelling the stories, maybe a calendar with chocolates… it all signals the road to Christmas!

Ann Voskamp has written a beautiful – visually and linguistically – book that leads families to Christmas with daily devotions and the (optional) use of a Jesse tree.  This book slows the reader down and helps guide families into a place of reverence for the journey to Christmas.

I truly need to emphasise how beautiful the artwork is in this book. Truly stunning. The artwork really enhances what is written, and for younger kids will be essential to embracing the bible story and point for each day. The book will be a valuable part of your Christmas tradition from year to year.

Each day is laid out with a scripture passage, a short devotional, thoughts to discuss and families activities, including an option for adding to a Jesse tree.

The devotional writings are best suited for school aged kids and up.  The writing is very beautiful and reflective. It tells the bible story in a very engaging way, and asks rhetorical (or not so rhetorical) questions that helps the kids to interact.  It’s always refreshing to hear a bible story retold with new language, and Ann Voskamp tells the stories beautifully.

Best of all, there are questions for discussion to facilitate faith conversations among your family, and possible activities you can do to put your faith in action. It’s always exciting to hear about each family member’s interactions with Bible stories, isn’t it?  This book is a wonderful tool to get your family talking and reflecting on Christmas.

So this Christmas, consider taking a look at Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, A Family Celebration of Christmas by Ann Voskamp.  I would love to hear about your experience with this book and your family!