About the Author

Stephanie Bryant is the co-founder of @incourage and a podcaster at the #JesusLedAdventurePodcast. She owns a Marketing & Business Coaching company. She is passionate about guiding you to your promised land and personal brand therapy. She enjoys spending her days with her husband and their miracle daughter, Gabrielle, on #BryantFamilyFarm....

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Last year my baby girl was born the week before Christmas-what a great gift! One year my husband built a headboard for a bed for us. He worked on it between class and work, while I was away at work, and then hid it under the topper in his truck after each day’s work. When he finished, he stored it inside our neighbors’ apartment who left him the key so he could retrieve it to surprise me for Christmas! I was so excited and surprised! The headboard was all that was in our budget, so later he built the footboard, sides, and a side cabinet/table and painted and distressed it all. He made it tall because I wanted a big bed and storage underneath for our little apartment. I still love this special gift-practical and thoughtful!

  2. Well, I have to leave a comment, because my toddler was eyeballing this DVD the other day, but I never win these things, so don’t worry!
    The Christmas gift that leaps to mind has such a story. It may not even sound like a gift. The Christmas my husband and I entered a romantic relationship, we had been sharing an email dialogue about a previous relationship of mine, talking about forgiveness. He was encouraging me through a time when there was no one there to encourage me.
    The day before Christmas, his brother-in-law came to him and lectured him about his email correspondence with me, throwing our God-friendship into serious question as to its purity. My then-friend-now-husband called me, and quietly shared the situation, calmly explaining that God had asked him to be my friend, no matter what. He wasn’t giving that up now.
    That conversation freed feelings in my heart I didn’t know I possessed for him, and a week later, I called him and told him that I was falling in love with him. It’s been five years. We’re having our second child any minute. The gift of his friendship in spite of that bad situation is still the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received.

  3. I think my favorite Christmas gift has to be wwwwaaaaaaayyyyyy back when I was small. My sister and I got a collection of Strawberry Shortcake dolls and the big strawberry case. I can remember being excited for days about receiving them 🙂

  4. The greatest Christmas gift I ever received was a quilted tree skirt made by my grandmother. She gave every woman in the family one. That means she handmade eight of them. Now that she’s gone home to be with the Lord it’s the little handmade things she gave me that always makes her feel close.

  5. One year, my husband bought me one of those gorgeous, 50’s style microphones. I am a singer, and it’s something I’ve always wanted, but it’s not practical so I never thought I’d get one. That year, I was able to use it to sing at a talent show. It was the most thoughtful gift!

  6. My favorite gift was when my husband arranged a shopping trip to the outlets for me to get new clothes that actually fit me after the birth of our first daughter. I had had our daughter a month before Christmas, and the fact that nothing fit (mixed with lots of crazy emotions!) was pretty depressing. This was such a thoughtful gift from him, knowing that he doesn’t enjoy shopping, but he went with me and helped me pick things out! It was the thoughtfulness and the time spent with him that meant the most.

  7. I would love to win one of these for my 3 year old son! My favorite gift was when I was 6 and my folks got me a Cabbage Patch Doll. They were so popular that Christmas and I know my parents scrapped together every bit of money they had to get one. I still have that doll and she is very worn and played with! I’ll never forget that Christmas! 🙂

  8. One year, my husband and I decided not to get each other presents. I took that to heart and got him nothing, but he took it to mean that he should make a gift. He made beautiful celtic cross earrings for me from wood with the celtic knot pattern that is on our wedding rings engraved into the wood. They will always be one of my favorite gifts ever!

  9. Quilts from my Grandmother! I like quilts but I LOVE family heirlooms……so when putting the two together there is no way to go wrong. It is STILL my favorite gift and think of her every time I get it out to lay under it. I can see her, smell her, hear her…….it’s a wonderful thing. Much better than something brand new in a box!

  10. One Christmas (we were a young family in seminary at the time) we had moved far away from all of our family. Our kids were small but at the fun exciting stage and we hated that our parents missed much of the cute stuff with our kids.
    Our parents decided that we would all meet and stay at a Disney resort for our Christmas present. We stayed for a few days and everyone was able to have a great time TOGETHER!
    It was one of the best ideas ever!
    I wish we could do it again (kids are high school/college age now).

  11. Favorite gift? Probably a rocking horse that my uncle made for me as a child. I am not sure I treasured it as much then, but now as I see my son ride it, knowing that he’ll never meet “Uncle Mark” in person (on this side of heaven), makes it special.

  12. My favorite Christmas gift was actually given to me 3 years ago, on my first Christmas morning with my husband. We had both just finished college and were renting a small house from my family – I don’t think he even had a full time job at that point! And still, on Christmas morning he knew how much it would mean to me to open a small, computer printed card that said “A donation has been made in your honor to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital”. It brought me to tears! That gift has been more meaningful than any other, because he knew how deeply I cared for that cause and how involved I was in raising money for them in college. Now it’s a tradition to donate to St. Jude’s in honor of our family each Christmas 🙂

  13. My favorite gift was one I received several years ago while working in a store. I had admired a frequent shopper’s homemade cat sweatshirt that she made one time when she was in the store. Right before Christmas, this shopper came in with her daughter and gave me one of those special sweatshirts that she handmade just for me. I’ll never forget her selflessness in giving that gift knowing she wasn’t getting anything in return. I still treasure that sweatshirt and the kind of giving it represents.

  14. Oh Yay! My kids love Veggie Tales!
    Let’s see….Hmmmmm – I have lots of favorite Christmas gifts. The one that stands out most in my mind though is a gold plated rose from my husband. He drove over 2 hours to get it for me. It was so special to me. It stands in a vase in my curio cabinet. I love it.

  15. My favorite Christmas gifts came in 2003 and 2005. Both of my daughters were born shortly before Christmas! With my oldest, they brought her to us in a Christmas stocking (after they had given her a bath and examined her). Can’t think of a better gift than that!

  16. Favorite Christmas Gifts…are those that we purchase and wrap to be given to our local families in need. Not knowing them but knowing the joy these gifts will bring them in their time of hardship.

  17. It’s hard to say…I really appreciate all the gifts because I am a very practical person and pretty much everyone knows it! LOL
    I did get a set of pots and pans a few years back that I still really love. Nothing fancy, but the lids have little holes in the sides for draining so I don’t have to use a strainer. I really like that. 🙂

  18. The best gift I ever received is most definitely my husband! We met just a little over a week before Christmas. We went out for dinner the very next night, and the rest is history! If there ever was a case of love at first sight, we are it. We both knew from the beginning that God had intended us to be together for life! Still thankful every day, but especially this time of year that God gave him to me!

  19. My family has never been much for gift-giving, my husband and I married as teens and money has always been tight so we generally don’t buy gifts for each other, occasionally just a book or a cd or something handmade, so my greatest gift each Christmas is watching our children take in the wonder of the day. I never imagined I’d have this Wonderful Life! 🙂

  20. One of my favorite Christmas gift was a small star shaped jewelry box. It was special because I just met my then-boyfriend-now-husband — and years ago, when I was very lonely one Christmas, God brought the Christmas Star to my mind and encouraged me to just trust & follow Him, just as the wise men followed the star.

  21. The best Christmas “gift” I ever received was 7 years ago when I got my yellow lab, Jake! 7 years and a 100 lbs later, he’s still the best Christmas gift Ive received! However, nothing compared to last year when I got to watch my 10 month old daughter celebrate her first Christmas! I imagine the years to come will only be sweeter…cant wait!

  22. Our greatest gifts have been our two December kiddos. One on the 10th and the other on the 18th. Thank you so much!

  23. My favorite gift was from my parents. They got me a sewing machine (has to be at least 20 years ago now). I still have it and use it.

  24. I’m not sure I have a favorite gift. But I love watching my kids at Christmas. I almost cry seeing the excitement and joy on their faces. I know this year will be especially meaningful since they both seem to understand what Christmas is really about this time. 🙂

  25. The best gift I get each year is when our grown children come home with their families and spend a whole day with us. The house is full, the food includes everyone’s favourites and the thoughts and love we each put into small gifts to share is so meaningful. The memories of that day carry me through the whole next year.
    My best gift ever is that Saviour who came and takes away my sins every single day and then wraps me in His love.

  26. I loved American Girl dolls as I was growing up. I enjoyed learning about the history surrounding each doll, reading their stories, and dressing them in their different outfits. One Christmas my mom and dad made me a four poster doll bed and a clothes rack to hang all my little outfits up on. What a wonderful, handmade gift! I certainly saved those things all these years, and someday, when I have little girls, I’ll let them use them in their little world of make believe.

  27. The best gift I remember getting was 2 sheep when my siblings and I were young. We were thrilled!

  28. I’m feeling a little shallow after reading some of the other posts, but I still have to say my favorite Christmas gift was a new car my parents gave me before going off to college. They wanted to say they were proud of me and give something that would get me back and forth from home and school dependably(knowing I would visit often!). It had a red bow on it and everything! …It was also one of the best years because my sister got a laptop to start law school and we surprised my parents with a new dish washer. 🙂

  29. My best gift was finding out last year I was pregnant with baby number two!! Now we’ll get to celebrate Christmas this year as a little family of four, and I couldn’t be more happy!
    Merry Christmas to you all! Thanks for all you do, for all you inspire!

  30. My favorite gift is Jesus. I came to know the Lord just before Christmas a few years ago, and now Christmas doesn’t mean the same thing for me as it did. I don’t go crazy buying presents for people, and family is more important now. This is the greatest gift I ever could have received!

  31. My favorite Christmas gift is the time spent with my friends, before or during Christmas week, to fill our cups with friendship. We always exchange little presents, but it is the support and love I get from them that is the greatest gift!

  32. My best Christmas present ever was the year I was engaged. My soon-to-be husband prayed with me. And promised to do it every day. Now, more than seven years and three kids later, we haven’t done it every day, but we try.

  33. My favorite Christmas gift has to be my firstborn, my daughter Clara Anne, who waited just until after midnight to make her appearance. Now we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and reserve the 25th for her birthday. She is five this year! What a gift she is to our family, and a great big sister to Chloe (3) and Christin (1).