Mary's Treasure Box: A Book Review & Giveaway #FCBlogger

**Book received for review. All thoughts are my own.

Like most moms, I get pretty sentimental when it comes to my children. I have those boxes with filled with little momentos for each child. I have hospital bracelets, birth announcements, cards from family, welcome home outfits... well, you get it. Be honest- we all have those, right? If we took a look at them all, we'd probably see some similarities, but there would also be some unique differences- special tokens that have meaning only for us though they may seem like nothing to others.

Have you ever wondered if perhaps Mary kept such a box of treasures to remind her of Jesus? Tokens from his birth and his childhood. And if she did, what would we find if we took a look inside?

That's just what we find out in Mary's Treasure Box:

Doesn't every mother have a box filled with treasured mementos and trinkets? If sweet memories aren't hidden in a closet or an attic, perhaps they are tucked away in a corner of her heart. But Mary's treasure box is unlike any other. She has filled it with bits of straw from a manger, a little gold from the Magi, and other dear reminders of one silent night in a Bethlehem stable. Now, decades later, Mary opens her treasure box once again and shares her most cherished memories with her granddaughter, Hannah. Join them as they revisit the simple splendor of the Nativity story.


The splendor of the Nativity story? Perhaps you're wondering, why on earth am I posting this review in January!? Christmas is over, let's leave the nativity in December.... but why? If you ask me, the story of the nativity is one that should be remembered throughout the year, not just at Christmastime. It's too important to only think about once a year. This sweet book is a great way to do just that. It may tell the story of the nativity, but it's not overly Christmas-y. Instead it is a sweet story about relationships- the love of a mother and her child, and of a grandmother and her grandchild.

I'll be honest, when I think of Mary I- like many others I'm sure- tend to think about that story we all know. The angel coming to her. The miraculous birth of Christ. Of course, I do think about her presence at the cross as well, but mostly the image in my mind is that at the manger. But what about the toddler years? The crazy teen years? All the in between that we do not see or hear about? While this is of course a work of fiction, to me it was wonderful to have the chance to look at Mary more like any other mother...and to see her as a grandmother. It made her sacrifices all that more relate-able to me as a mom.

Of course, the kids didn't care anything about all that! For them, it's a sweet, simple story. During the holidays it gives us a unique reminder of the events of the manger- how it all happened, the gifts that were received following. Instead of telling the whole story over and over again, it gives us a completely new look at it. But throughout the rest of the year, it serves as a reminder of the greatest gift of all-the gift of Jesus... and that's the true treasure!

Whether in December or throughout the year, this is one book that I know my family will come back to again and again. It is available to purchase now at Family Christian.

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And one very lucky reader is going to win a copy for themselves! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below:

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Winner will be contacted via e-mail after giveaway ends, and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. One entry per household, winning entry will be verified. Odds of winning depend on valid entries received. A Modern Day Fairy Tale is not responsible for prize delivery