The Secret to Making Your Holidays More Meaningful with Becky Kiser and Sacred Holidays

The holidays don’t have to be stressful! Your family can celebrate them with thoughtfulness and intention! << Click to Tweet

This new book from Becky Kiser called Sacred Holidays: Less Chaos, More Jesus is a game changer for me. I really do love the holidays, all of them. However I typically get stuck in the ugly cycle of being too busy, not preparing for the holiday, making a mad dash to save the day, and then feeling crummy because it didn’t meet my expectation. It’s the worst when Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, or my child’s birthday did not match the picture I have in my head of what it SHOULD be. Yikes!

I want 2019 to be the year I break out of that cycle. This doesn’t mean that every holiday form here on out will be perfect but that they would be approached with intention and on purpose.

What I love about Becky’s book is that she make it easy to achieve that. It’s part soul encouraging and part resource that walks you through the steps you can take to simplify and bring meaning back to your holiday experience.

She touches on what to consider when planning and decorating for each holiday, how to manage friends and family who do things differently than you, and why grace matters in the process of figuring our what works for you and your family.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Becky on The Family Culture Project Podcast about her new book and how we approach our holidays with intention. Check it out!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Rhythms of Rest Book Review

In 2013 Shelly Miller started the Sabbath Society, “a group of hundreds declaring “I’m all in” when it comes to making rest realistic in our busy world.” The book Rhythms of Rest was birthed from that community.

I discovered them back in March, right around the time I decided to observe Sabbath regularly. I got off to a rocky start, but through trial and error I figured out what it looks like for me to rest, recharge, and draw closer to God in stillness. The #SabbathSociety emails and online community greatly encouraged me in my journey.

Having experienced the benefits of taking a regular Sabbath, I was thrilled to be a part of the Rhythms of Rest launch team! As a member of the team, I read the book before it was released, participated in chapter discussions, and connected with others who are excited about Sabbath and its benefits.

In our culture, many of us are stressed out and over scheduled. We often tell ourselves, “I don’t have time to rest.” We wear busy as a badge of honor and neglect what our soul and body need most in hopes of pleasing others or achieving more.

In Rhythms of Rest, Shelly Miller talks about the life-giving essence of Sabbath without being legalistic. Not only does she tell us what the Bible says about it but shares real life experiences of the #SabbathSociety community along with practical suggestions for removing the obstacles that prevent us from keeping this day set apart.

The undercurrent of the book is Shelly’s personal story of how Sabbath helped her and her family weather a season of uncertainty. You won’t feel judged when reading this book, but rather progressively awaken to the importance of consistent and intentional rest. It is a breath of fresh air amid a culture that often focuses on how to do more and be more.

Whether observing Sabbath is a new adventure or an established ritual for you, this book will encourage you set aside self-sufficiency and lean into a God who has given us the gift of rest.

I encourage you to get yourself a copy of this book, then head over to Instagram to check out the #SabbathSociety or #RhythmsofRest.