I was disappointed in the book. My wife was very confused by it, and gave up reading it. Make sure you go to the website listed at the beginning of the book to get the resources. I agree it’s very sad that this is used to gain followers for her Website/blog. You have to sign up for her newsletter to get the ornament template.

The concept of the book is good. Traditions make our lives richer. The only way to make Christmas into a meaningful Christian holiday is to add family traditions to lead it in that direction. A qualifier: my wife was trained in liturgical music and I was the Asst. Pastor/liturgist for her church for nearly fifteen years. We come out of a liturgical church background. This book is about adding that which was tossed out when evangelicals and pentecostals tossed out the liturgy [replacing it with the equally rigid but much poorly written “worship service” format we all know]. As a former charismatic Episcopalian who left for well-known reasons, I find it sad that a book like this attempts to reinvent a long and very useful worship and discipleship history. This is a very anemic attempt at a non-liturgical revival of Advent–that season of preparation for the celebration of the birth of our Messiah.

For a young family attending a church with no understanding of the necessary elements of liturgical discipleship, this book will be helpful. It is certainly more helpful than books on Advent written by liberal idiots who no longer believe in the reality of what God did in designing our creation and in sending His son to redeem it. But please take it as a first step only. I was given this book with the responsibility of giving an honest critique.

It’s a good start, but very minimal.