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Treasured Stories of Christmas: A Touching Collection of Stories That Bring Gifts from the Heart and Joy to the Soul
For decades, Guideposts magazine has been a profound source of joy, hope, and strength to millions of readers -- especially at holiday times. Now in this holiday classic, the Guideposts editors share their most treasured selections from decades of publishing. Brimming with true-life stories and uplifting poems by authors such as Billy Graham, Helen Steiner Rice, Norman Vincent Peale, Catherine Marshall, Pearl S. Buck, Leonard E. LeSourd, Jim Bishop, Fulton J. Sheen, Cecil B. DeMille, Robert Louis Stevenson, and dozens of others, Treasured Stories of Christmas highlights all of the season's wonder and joy. Beautifully designed and unforgettably inspiring, it's sure to become every family's holiday keepsake.
- GenresChristmas
Hardcover
First published November 1, 1997
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About the author
Guideposts
618 books83 followersWe inspire people to believe anything is possible through faith, hope, and prayer.
In all we create, we affirm the positive, unite rather than divide, and meet people where they are on their spiritual journeys.
In all we create, we affirm the positive, unite rather than divide, and meet people where they are on their spiritual journeys.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 23, 2019
Each year since I was in high school, I have tried to read at least one book with a Christmas theme. Sometimes it's a murder mystery, or a feel-good novel, but definitely something light and enjoyable: the divinity of Christmas literature!
Someone gave me this book one year, and I read parts of it, but this year I read the whole thing. Guideposts is the "Hallmark movie" of Christianity. Nothing of deep theological thought. No controversial topics. Usually "fluff". This book is a nice collection of those fluffy feel good stories. This Christmas I'm feeling nostalgic and sentimental, so I enjoyed these very short stories and poems about Christmases in the past. Each selection is at the most, a few pages. Various writers tell of miracles, events, unusual Christmases that they recall from years ago. Each story is a stand-alone, so you can certainly read them out of order, put it down and pick it up. It's a quick read.
Someone gave me this book one year, and I read parts of it, but this year I read the whole thing. Guideposts is the "Hallmark movie" of Christianity. Nothing of deep theological thought. No controversial topics. Usually "fluff". This book is a nice collection of those fluffy feel good stories. This Christmas I'm feeling nostalgic and sentimental, so I enjoyed these very short stories and poems about Christmases in the past. Each selection is at the most, a few pages. Various writers tell of miracles, events, unusual Christmases that they recall from years ago. Each story is a stand-alone, so you can certainly read them out of order, put it down and pick it up. It's a quick read.
September 13, 2017
Okay, but I have read better---still uplifting short pieces.
November 16, 2017
I enjoyed this book.
July 15, 2018
Really good and touching feel good stories about Christmas time, but good any time of the year.
April 9, 2019
Read my review here:
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13158977
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13158977
December 15, 2020
I have this book in our library. I enjoy reading it every year. The stories seem to come alive each year.
December 26, 2025
Marvellous micro stories of love, generosity, and the beautiful hope of Christmas.
July 4, 2013
I read about every Christmas book, poem, or essay that I can find. I purchased this book at a used book story with the hope that I might find one or two good Christmas stories to add to my annual Christmas reading list.
This book is a collection of Christmas stories, poems, and essays associated with the main idea of each stanzas of a poem – Time for Christmas - by Fred Bauer. Each stanza of the poem expresses a virtue of Christmas, so the stories in each section are related to this virtue.
As with most Christmas stories collections I have read, you have to read several overly sentimental and even some bad stories to get to the few gems. This book is about the same as those other collections of Christmas stories – some good, some not so good.
Some of the stories, poems and essays that I found enjoyable were the following:
The Year We Had a Sensible Christmas by Henry Appers – A family decides to have a sensible Christmas and cut out all of the activities and traditions of Christmas to find it is these things that make Christmas extraordinary.
Is Your Heart in Your Giving? – An essay based on practical suggestions for Charity by Maimonides called “The Golden Ladder of Charity.” This essay would be the foundation of a great talk on Charity, especially in the Christmas season.
The Gift That Lasts a Lifetime by Pearl S. Buck – One of my favorite Christmas short stories about a farm boy who gets up early to do the chores as a gift to his father. I am a farm boy at heart and this story has particular significance to me.
Christmas Bells by Henry W. Longfellow – One of my favorite Christmas hymns about the despair the author felt during the Civil War and the hope that Christmas and Christ brings to all.
Long Walk Part of Gift by Gerald Horton Bath – Story about a boy who gave his teacher a Christmas gift, seashell, which was only found a great distance from his home.
Prayer for Peace by St. Francis of Assisi – A prayer asking God to bless us that we can be the change the World needs.
Trouble at the Inn by Dina Donohue - A moving story about a Christmas pageant that takes an unexpected turn when the Inn Keeper shows compassion to Mary and Joseph by giving them his room.
Holiday Candles by Betty Girling – A pioneer story about how holiday lights saved the life of a lost man in a near whiteout storm.
Let’s Go Neighboring by Leah Neustadt – A heart-warming story how a man and his family decided on Christmas to reach out in friendship to an estranged man and his family.
This collection of Christmas short stories, poems, hymns, and prayers would be enjoyed by any one that loves Christmas. I recommend that the reader find the stories that personally relate to them and add them to their annual Christmas reading list.
Quotes
From “The Man Who Missed Christmas” by J. Edgar Parks
“To love people, to be indispensible somewhere, that is the purpose of live. That is the secret of happiness.” Pg 191
From “Sit Next to Me, Please” by Robert H. Rockwell
“How selfish I was to consider money alone an adequate gift. Why does it take so long for most of us to learn that the real gift is of one’s self? Pg 131
This book is a collection of Christmas stories, poems, and essays associated with the main idea of each stanzas of a poem – Time for Christmas - by Fred Bauer. Each stanza of the poem expresses a virtue of Christmas, so the stories in each section are related to this virtue.
As with most Christmas stories collections I have read, you have to read several overly sentimental and even some bad stories to get to the few gems. This book is about the same as those other collections of Christmas stories – some good, some not so good.
Some of the stories, poems and essays that I found enjoyable were the following:
The Year We Had a Sensible Christmas by Henry Appers – A family decides to have a sensible Christmas and cut out all of the activities and traditions of Christmas to find it is these things that make Christmas extraordinary.
Is Your Heart in Your Giving? – An essay based on practical suggestions for Charity by Maimonides called “The Golden Ladder of Charity.” This essay would be the foundation of a great talk on Charity, especially in the Christmas season.
The Gift That Lasts a Lifetime by Pearl S. Buck – One of my favorite Christmas short stories about a farm boy who gets up early to do the chores as a gift to his father. I am a farm boy at heart and this story has particular significance to me.
Christmas Bells by Henry W. Longfellow – One of my favorite Christmas hymns about the despair the author felt during the Civil War and the hope that Christmas and Christ brings to all.
Long Walk Part of Gift by Gerald Horton Bath – Story about a boy who gave his teacher a Christmas gift, seashell, which was only found a great distance from his home.
Prayer for Peace by St. Francis of Assisi – A prayer asking God to bless us that we can be the change the World needs.
Trouble at the Inn by Dina Donohue - A moving story about a Christmas pageant that takes an unexpected turn when the Inn Keeper shows compassion to Mary and Joseph by giving them his room.
Holiday Candles by Betty Girling – A pioneer story about how holiday lights saved the life of a lost man in a near whiteout storm.
Let’s Go Neighboring by Leah Neustadt – A heart-warming story how a man and his family decided on Christmas to reach out in friendship to an estranged man and his family.
This collection of Christmas short stories, poems, hymns, and prayers would be enjoyed by any one that loves Christmas. I recommend that the reader find the stories that personally relate to them and add them to their annual Christmas reading list.
Quotes
From “The Man Who Missed Christmas” by J. Edgar Parks
“To love people, to be indispensible somewhere, that is the purpose of live. That is the secret of happiness.” Pg 191
From “Sit Next to Me, Please” by Robert H. Rockwell
“How selfish I was to consider money alone an adequate gift. Why does it take so long for most of us to learn that the real gift is of one’s self? Pg 131
December 27, 2015
Part of the 2015 Reading Challenge: A book set during Christmas
This book was full of Christmas stories and poems--some I have heard many times before, and some I have never heard. Like any collection, there were some pieces I enjoyed, some I didn't care for, and some I didn't really have an opinion on either way. Overall, though, it's not a bad collection. It's not one I'll probably ever read again in its entirety, but it's one I could read a story or two out of every Christmas.
This book was full of Christmas stories and poems--some I have heard many times before, and some I have never heard. Like any collection, there were some pieces I enjoyed, some I didn't care for, and some I didn't really have an opinion on either way. Overall, though, it's not a bad collection. It's not one I'll probably ever read again in its entirety, but it's one I could read a story or two out of every Christmas.
December 28, 2010
Each Christmas, I like to read a holiday story. My friend Julia gave me this book as a gift for Christmas, 2005. I finally got to reading it this year.
Some stories were a little too old fashioned for me. Stuck in the 50's and 60's. I could relate better to the older stories from the 1800's.
Still, I could find a few that basked in holiday joy.
Won't read again though.
Some stories were a little too old fashioned for me. Stuck in the 50's and 60's. I could relate better to the older stories from the 1800's.
Still, I could find a few that basked in holiday joy.
Won't read again though.
January 2, 2016
Along the line of Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but Christmas themed. A few were nice, sweet or touching, but in general I just didn't find this too engaging or memorable.
December 12, 2022
This had some good stories here and there, but overall, I liked their other collection better.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews