"Sacred Holidays"

Book Blurb from the publisher:
Sacred Holidays is part book and part resource: meant to help you avoid what has tripped you up in the past and give you insights, tips, and tools to make your holidays less chaotic and more about loving Jesus and others. Don’t let your holidays be marked by regret, whimsy whirlwinds, or survival mindset. Let’s celebrate every holiday together purposefully and worshipfully – loving Jesus and others well in every moment.

My Review:
First of all, what a great book and resource!  Seriously, I wish "Sacred Holidays" was out years ago before I had children and when I was making holidays my own, our own way of celebrating as a family.  Holidays can become super chaotic, which is a given as it is time that is off of a normal routine, typically involving many people and people who you do not often interact with and see.  Therefore, this can make everyone stressed, but also take the focus off the true meaning, the true focus of a given holiday.  Starting out this, the first section in this book is an overview and an encouragement and reminder to the reader to take baby steps with this process and to look at the whole picture as far as how holidays are celebrated, the positive aspects and any regrets and negative aspects.  This is to be read now.  Then the second section focuses on the actual holidays and these chapters are to be read 30-60 days before each holiday.  Each chapter focuses on a specific holiday with information about the holiday and also common practices and suggestions for ways to celebrate that will hopefully result in less chaos and more Jesus focused, more purpose-driven.  Then there is ample space for the reader to reflect upon current practices and traditions and changes that can be made after reading this.  Then the third section consists of specific chapters that are to be read as needed.  For example, there is a chapter on grief; as we all know losing a loved one impacts holidays, our attitudes toward celebrating and the memories that are associated with it and not having that person present. 
This is such a great book and one that I am looking forward to working through before each of the holidays and really making the holidays more meaningful and less chaotic, tweaking little things here and there.  I highly recommend this book!

*Thanks to the B&H Bloggers/Lifeway Blogger Program for the complimentary copy of this book.*