Be Merry: How to Advent Without Losing Your Mind

by Sterling Jaquith, Cayla Mello (Editor)

Do you feel anxious just thinking about the months of November and December? Are you worried about decorations, presents, and trying to survive your crazy family? This is not what Jesus has in mind for the holiday season. Be Merry is a practical book about how we can avoid the common anxious and depressed feelings that wash over us during the holidays. Find out how to squish your envy bug, how to give your family to Mary to find peace, and more! It's possible to have a joyful holiday season! Come find out what can help you to set yourself up for success this year to draw closer to Christ and to find more peace in your life.

Genres: Christmas, Catholic

137 pages, Paperback

Published November 9, 2016

Reviews

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a better read than this author's Not Of This World: A Catholic Guide to Minimalism. Not much of the advice was especially relevant to me in this stage of my life, but there were nuggets of wisdom that I think might have been useful to me as a young adult. There were some editing issues which always put me off of a book a little bit, but mostly I was able to appreciate the solidly Catholic approach to dealing with difficult holiday celebrations even if it didn't turn out to be something I needed myself.

[Kate Hendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though this book is short and simple, it provides excellent insights into handling the stresses of the holidays. Jaquith presents an honest take on the challenges of the holiday seasons while providing very realistic tips for handling them. I loved the balance of the spiritual guidance and the more tangible steps we can take in our lives. Jaquith's humility makes this book incredibly relatable. There was one point where I called my husband over and had him read a section that sounded like it had come out of my own mouth. The exercises sprinkled throughout the book were great, and the song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter were a phenomenal addition. Something else I really appreciated about the book was her distinction between clinical depression and struggling with feelings of depression. As someone who has been treated for anxiety and depressive episodes, I am sometimes apprehensive about resources that claim they will help me manage these illnesses when they actually just conflate them with feeling stressed. This is not the case with this book; Jaquith distinguishes between the two different situations and recognizes that though her strategies are helpful, a person who is clinically depressed won't benefit from them until they address the more prominent mental illness. Lastly, this book provided advice that was perfect for a variety of life stages. If you're a single person, married without kids, or a mother of five, you will find advice in this book that you can use.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who struggles with stress during the holidays.

[Willa Guadalupe Grant]

This book is perfect to read before your first married Advent/Christmas season. I plan to give it to my granddaughter who is getting married this year. I like how the author points out that we all have expectations of the season & how they are all different because they are formed by both the good & bad experiences and how these need to be brought to light so we are aware of our motivations during this most emotional of seasons.

[ADTB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

It has some very nice stories and perspectives on the holiday season. Great points. The POV is very Catholic. As a Protestant believer, I was with her except for the view on Mary. Those steps to me are about giving situations and people to the Lord.
Very smooth writing. Relatable.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, and I enjoyed reading it by the evening fireplace, though some of the points made are not the Roman Catholic creed I learned pre-Vatican II.

🟣 Media form: Kindle version.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, just not what I was looking for.

[Margaret Closs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Well written with little tidbits to help decrease stress and focus on what really matters as you head into the holiday season. A delightful companion.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay

Some nice tips and a few very meaningful lines but otherwise just a lot of nice but vague words. A quick light read from which you could gain some helpful points

[Judith Letley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more for a young couple .

[Maria Poston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful, quick read.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great quick read

Very practical tips to have a calmer holiday season! Can not wait to implement some of these ideas this year