5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wanted to read this for Christmas because I get so overwhelmed this time of year and I wanted to read someone else’s perspective on it.
I had no idea that it was going to help me throughout the entire year. Yay!
This book was so encouraging and practical. It never felt “preachy”. Each chapter had me pause and see a different way to approach my “seasons”. Helpful things that felt doable. All of this made me take a step back and breathing in my walk with the Lord. I found the check list at the end of every chapter super helpful.

What I loved:
• Lots of practical insight.
• Writing a personal mission statement for that holiday.
• Praying over Christmas cards.
• Preparing for my struggle areas.
• Learning more about Lent and Easter and why we celebrate it.
• All the helpful ideas about summer activities.
• Getting involved in reading and book clubs. ♥️
• Tips on how to make Halloween holy.
• The importance of managing money well as Believers.
• Looking at grief and knowing when it’s okay to not be okay.
• Asking for help.
• Learning how to say no when I’m doing to much.
This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own.

This is a good book if you want to bring more Jesus into all your holidays! Definitely one to go back to all year long.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the sort of book I need to be able to craft excellent lessons about the Christian holidays in order help young people understand the differences between the commercial and spiritual aspects.
It’s clear and well written but certainly more of a reference guide for myself than a book I would provide students.

I like this book for the encouragement of bringing Jesus into our Holy Days and even to my own birthday!! Being part book and helpful ideas, it is also part journal for notes for future years. Cooking is the hardest part for me for big holidays as it all is on me to do. I'm making sure to keep notes of meals I've done.

If you struggle with Christmas becoming about THINGS, instead of a meaningful connection to Jesus, this might be the book to help you balance the holidays a bit more thoughtful. It's an inspiring read, but not always something that is easy to implement. Read for the ideas, incorporate what works for you and your family.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to say this book was not what I thought it was. I guess I should have looked closer at it before requesting. I am not an overly religious person. I would say I am more spiritual. But this did teach me a little about the holidays and enlightened me a little. That is a good thing.

This book really brings you back to what the holidays should mean. It delivers thoughtful and pointed tips and ideas that have you rethinking your holidays and in many ways living them fuller.

In Sacred Holidays: Less Chaos, More Jesus, Becky provides you with a 3-part roadmap that will help you become a masterful celebrator of meaningful holidays.

What's unique about this book is that - in the midst of helping us plan fun family celebrations and navigate potential part pitfalls, she helps us to maintain our focus on Jesus throughout the process.

Sacred Holidays is a unique holiday book that every family and party planner should read!

With honestly and transparency, Becky Kiser takes readers on a journey of discovery to find the best way to keep holidays full of "whimsy" and yet dedicated to Jesus in her new book, Sacred Holidays: Less Chaos, More Jesus. This journal gives readers opportunities to reflect on holidays, set goals for how they'd like to have more of Jesus, and also note what works and doesn't work. Kiser gives great ideas for how to include more Jesus in various holidays, including Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, and even birthdays. One of the things I appreciate most is Kiser's clear stance that while Christmas is wonderful and we celebrate Jesus' first coming, Easter should be front and center--because without Easter we wouldn't have salvation. Also, instead of trying to keep up with Pinterest or Instagram by making a bunch of changes at once, Kiser advocates picking one or two things to start with and taking baby steps toward change.

As readers journal through Sacred Holidays, they'll find they've created their own working plan for how to make the holidays less stressful, less chaotic, and more sacred and set apart. Kiser helps readers clarify what the holidays are really about and helps readers discover how to best celebrate Jesus. In doing so, she covers some controversial topics, like whether or not to celebrate Halloween and whether or not to do "Santa." Some readers may be offended at first glance, but those readers who take the time to read and reflect may find themselves surprised by what they discover. It's also important to not that Kiser does not judge anyone for how they choose to celebrate the holidays. In fact, she clearly states that each person must search the Scriptures and seek God for what is best for their own family. And she advocates grace above all.

For those truly interested in setting apart their holidays and making them more Christ-centered, this is an amazing book cum journal to keep referring back to through the years as you ready, study, pray and work through how God wants your family to make the holidays sacred and less chaotic.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

Before the holiday season began, I read "Sacred Holidays: Less Chaos, More Jesus" by Becky Kiser. Basically, the idea to examine the ways we've been doing a certain holiday, why we've been doing it that way, dream how we want to do it in the future and offer ways to focus more on Jesus. There are a couple of ways to read the book. Cover to cover or jump to the next upcoming holiday. I began right before Thanksgiving and continued with Advent and Christmas.

We made a few changes, adding a few ideas from the book, and removing a few from our traditions that just don't make sense at the moment.

Overall, we were all pleased with how the holidays went. Less stress and definitely more Jesus (thanks to the Jesse Tree tradition we began this year.)

Looking forward to using this book over and over again.

I was alittlelatein reading this but I learned some invaluable information. Yes, the is a great book that willbewonderful to look at all year. Thank you

I thought this book was great. I really loved the beginning about how to make the holidays more Christ centered. Then this book broke down what to do before the different holidays to prep and make and keep them more sacred instead of commercial. This really was a fantastic read, and I'm hoping to return to it often as I make this a better part of my life and holiday celebration.

Sacred Holidays provides many practical ways to find that peace that only Jesus can provide. It’s not only for Thanksgiving or Christmas; it’s for every holiday of the year, which makes this book refreshing and unique.

Ideas for Joyful Holidays
The author leads you through a thoughtful journey of what hasn’t worked in your past holidays, what HAS worked, and what you can do to move forward in peace. She offers creative ideas for making each season more joyful and intentional. I’ll pull out a few:

Advent: Read verses while you light candles (ideas included)
Christmas: Pick a memory ornament or have a family fundraiser for a cause
New Year: Choose a word for the year and pray over your Christmas cards.
Lent: Make a Jesus tree or light Lent candles.
Summer: Too many great ideas to choose from!
Halloween: Pray over your street or host a pumpkin carving/painting party.
These ideas will help you foster family closeness and a giving spirit toward others. She also includes budgeting tips, adjusting expectations, handling conflict, and even dealing with grief during holidays. All the holiday bases are covered.

I like the author’s down-to-earth tone and bevy of doable ideas. She encourages you to do what works for you and your family–no pressure involved. If you want to be more intentional in celebrating holidays with your family, Sacred Holidays will help you do just that.

I received a preview copy of Sacred Holidays from B&H Books and Netgalley.

This is the most well-balanced book I’ve read on celebrating the holidays all throughout the year. I liked that this book is written for everyone: young, older, single, married, with or without children. There’s something for all in this book. It’s not a “how to” book of ideas, although the author does include some of those. This book focuses on discovering your own personal view of each season and celebrating your holidays in an intentional way. It’s a tool to help you all year long as each holiday draws near. Mrs. Kiser is not shy about sharing her own personal viewpoints on some holiday traditions ( such as Santa and Valentine’s Day), but she does realize that Christians share differing views on these subjects. There’s also plenty of scripture shared throughout the book on several topics to be an encouragement.

There’s a chapter in grief in this book that takes a look at how loss affects our celebration of the holidays. I thought it was excellent and has already been of personal help to me.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book is transforming as the reader reaches a deeper understanding of the holidays and the opportunities that come with each one. I appreciate the author's writing style and the way she made me feel like I was a friend. I learned alot through this and am eagerly anticipating the coming holidays. I hope to truly experience the love and joy of this season instead of feeling that I fall short, run behind and am exhausted the way I have been in years past. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this book and I plan to share it with many of my friends.

This bookmis a much needed breath of fresh air on how to approach holidays. This is not a read through and put on bookshelf kind of a book. It is to be used as a reference guide for each holiday. It is written like the author is sitting with you and is very engaging.

I have been wanting to read this book since I was doing a daily devotional using part of this book for Halloween. It has been a wonderful tool for me to use since I stress a lot about different holidays and not staying up on top of where others are. I compare myself and my holidays to what others are or what they do. It has allowed me to realize that I am my own person and I have to find the real reason in the holidays and not feed so much into why the holidays are commercialized. Thank you for allowing me to help work through my troubles with this book. I will find out soon how I do with Thanksgiving since I'm hosting it this year at my house. Thanks for a great book!

Sacred Holidays

by Becky Kiser

I’ll admit it: I have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. My efforts to achieve a Norman Rockwell holiday a la Pinterest are integrated into the midst of a mishmash of emotional chaos and wonderful childhood memories. Sacred Holidays caught my eye as I realized Becky Kiser had written a book dealing with some of the issues I and many others have with the holidays. She aptly subtitles her book Less Chaos, More Jesus. This is in many ways a reference book designed to be adapted to the reader’s choices about holidays. it should be written in and referred back to during the year and over the years.

First, Kiser talks to the reader about her own journey at simplifying the holidays and putting the focus on Jesus. She stresses the need to change your mindset about the holidays before you begin, in the second part, to baby step your way through individual holidays and decisions about how and why you choose to celebrate the way you do. Lastly she addresses “common struggles” people face. She discusses how to have a Jesus focus without losing the whimsy that makes a holiday special for both children and adults. Other topics include grief during the holidays, realistic expectations, and budgets and generosity. She talks openly and honestly about the Santa Claus dilemma for Christians. Spoiler alert: there is no one right answer! It’s a decision you need to prayerfully make for your family.

As a reader preparing to review the book, it seemed top-heavy with Scriptures, BUT if I were studying a particular holiday trying to ferret out the traditions I would most like to choose for my family, I think they would be valuable. What appeals to me most about this book is the emphasis on creativity. Readers bring to the table traditions they might want to continue, but they can also use suggestions from the book or create new traditions all on their own. The place to start your planning is probably not the 50 pins you scored on Pinterest last night. Simplifying and being able to say “no” are key tools in making memories for your family’s holidays.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to B & H Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Christian, Crafts & Hobbies

Notes: This book is not just for families, but can be used by singles equally well. It is for those with and those without kids.

Publication: October 16, 2018—B & H Publishing Group

Memorable Lines:

Holidays can be especially tricky to navigate as a Christian—wanting to celebrate and focus on Christ yet being pulled into the chaos or whimsy of each holiday.

Let’s stop living life in survival mode, constantly on the defense, a victim of our schedules and the expectations of others. Instead, let’s live sacred—holy and set apart—with our holidays having less chaos, and more Jesus.

I am better for the choices I’m learning to make. I am doing exactly what I feel most called to do, and it’s because I am learning to say no to all the little good things that may not be my best things.

So let’s take our eyes off of what everyone else seems to be doing and focus more on what God says we should be doing.

I've been a follower of Becky Kiser and her studies for awhile now, and jumped at the opportunity to read this book. Becky Kiser's Sacred Holidays is the perfect practical resource for less chaos and more Jesus, during all the holiday seasons. I sometimes find that Christian women's books make me feel pressured and that some of the tenets are unobtainable for this messy soul. Sacred Holidays is none of that, and encourages us to embrace imperfection, while pointing each holiday towards Jesus in a super practical manner.

This book is a resource. It's meant to be dog-eared, marked up, and used. From page 1, Becky provides practical tips towards having a sacred holiday. The book begins with a chapter to teach you how to use the book and then launches into the pressures and worries of the holiday season, while providing biblical truth and spaces to journal your regrets during past seasons, and your wishes for the future. This is a great section for refining your heart and figuring out how to pray over your life.

From there, the book breaks down every major holiday from a biblical perspective. How should we as Christians demonstrate Jesus in the midst of chaos? Let's face it, holidays can bring out the very worst. When consumerism, greed, and trying to keep up with your neighbors' shows up loud and proud, Becky provides simple, practical tips to navigate the bad feelings with grace, and confidence in Christ.

This book is for every woman. There are so many practical tips to embrace the goodness of Jesus right where you are, regardless of income, schedule, location and more. I feel like Becky gets us and understands that it's okay to balance chaos with a dose of intention. That not everything during the holidays may be perfect, but if your heart is focused on Jesus, it will all turn out okay.

I very much enjoyed this. I definitely think I should have waited to start this one and have read it around the holidays more