40 Days of Christmas

40 Days of Christmas by Joseph Castleberry is a good read for the beginning of advent and go through epiphany. Each devotional begins with a scripture passage, then moves into encouragement, and ends with a prayer.
With the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season this book is a timely reminder of the true Christmas story. I do feel that there was times that the Author lost my attention, but overall was a read. Would I buy this probably not.
Thank you Broadstreet Publishing Group LLC via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

I've enjoyed (and am still enjoying) this devotional because not only does it guide you through the Advent season and the actual celebration of Christmas, but it keeps going through Epiphany.

"I have never heard a child say, 'I can’t wait until Christmas is over!' How sad it feels to hear an adult say it. What a waste!"

Joseph Castleberry does an excellent job highlighting the famous passages that we typically read during this season, but also some different ones. He also shares new insights as well, prompting us to think and worship Jesus in fresh ways along with our familiar ways.

Each devotional begins with a scripture passage, then moves into encouragement, and ends with a prayer.

I appreciate Castleberry's outward focus as well. Loving our neighbors is an important part of the Christmas story.

"Ensuring that Jesus receives honor at Christmas does not depend on whether the entertainment industry or secular people celebrate the birth of Jesus or remain silent at Christmas. It depends upon Christians showering their neighbors with love and friendship so that everyone knows and enjoys our observation of the real reason for the season."

I highly recommend this 40-day devotional. I'll read it again in future years.

My thanks to Net Galley for the review copy of this book.

3.5 stars. I was very excited to read this devotional. What a great idea to start at the beginning of advent and go through epiphany! I enjoyed the verses the author chose and the prayers were relevant to the topic of the day. I also liked that the author had us praying scripture each day. However, I did not love each days devotions. Some were definitely better than others. Overall a good little devotional and I would recommend it to some, but not all.

What a refreshing devotional to celebrate the whole Christmas Season! Most people celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December, and maybe a day or two before or after. That’s it! The tree comes down and we wait another year for the season to start again. What Joseph Castleberry does is encourage us to prepare our hearts for 40 days. As he states, there are three seasons, Advent, Christmas and the Epiphany. We prepare during Advent, celebrate Christmas and then live out the season during Epiphany.
I loved the chance to prepare my heart with the true meaning of Christmas with this devotional. Joseph provides us with Scripture, reflection and prayer throughout the forty days. Each day a new insight to reflect and meditate on. It was truly a refreshing and heartfelt journey. I am looking forward to picking up this book again next year. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book to review.

I'm still using 40 Days of Christmas, as it is only December 4, and its absolutely lovely. It reminds me of the prayer books that my Grandma used to give me only this one is themed instead of one page for every day of the year.

Looking for a unique Advent devotional that will take you through 40 days instead of the usual 25 days in December? This is an excellent choice that will bless you into the new year.

I read through 40 Days of Christmas in a single sitting because it was so good, I just had to keep going. However, it is best to read it in small bites, as the author intends. You can savor it for a few minutes before your busy day begins or perhaps before your head hits the pillow at night.

An Advent Devotional for the Faith Spectrum
Maybe you are very familiar with the Bible stories of Christmas, like I am. Maybe you are rather new to the Christian faith and wanting to learn more. This book will encourage you and give you fresh glimpses of truth, no matter where you are in your faith journey.

The author is a college president, professor, pastor, former missionary, husband, father and grandfather. He weaves stories from his family life and years on the mission field into these brief devotions. I truly appreciated his enlightening views on biblical history, Greek meanings of words in the Bible accounts, and orthodox teachings based on sound doctrine.

Dr. Castleberry also helps us understand more about the annual festivals the church has held for thousands of years in 40 Days of Christmas. He encourages us to celebrate Epiphany and important dates during Advent. I like this suggestion because I love the traditional aspects of Christmas, and I plan to do something special for Epiphany for the first time.

An Upbeat, Enthusiastic Devotional for Advent
His enthusiasm for Christmas and the Christian faith shines through his writing. It’s infectious, and I so enjoyed his positive, upbeat tone on controversial subjects like commercialism and Santa Claus. He seems to have retained a childlike innocence toward Christmas, and I found it delightful and uplifting.

Each devotion ends with a lovely prayer. I use several devotionals every Advent, and I’m happy to add this to my regular rotation. You will love it too.

I received a preview copy of 40 Days of Christmas from Netgalley.

This is a book that intends to bring the reader back to understanding the true meaning of Christmas through a combination of verse, prose and prayer. With the modern world having hijacked Christmas over the years this book is a timely reminder of the true story and Christian values.

Let us celebrate the true spirit of Christmas with "40 Days of Christmas" by Joseph Castleberry. The pressures of the Christmas season often bear down upon us incessantly, with the urgent need to find perfect Christmas cards, perfect Christmas gifts, host perfect Christmas parties or create the perfect Christmas ambience in the home. It is so overwhelming and easily distracts us from the real significance of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. With Bible verses, inspiring daily devotions and enriching, uplifting prayers, this book is specially designed "to prepare your heart during Advent, rejoice in His birth at Christmas, and reveal the light of Christ on Epiphany." May the true wealth of richness of God’s divine presence fill your lives as you celebrate the glory of the Savior's supernatural birth. The true spirit of Christmas flows from God's Holy Spirit and will fill your hearts with His love, joy and peace.

More than just an Advent devotional, Joseph Castleberry’s 40 Days of Christmas includes daily Scriptures, inspirational meditations, and uplifting prayers for the entire Christmas season, from November 28th to January 6th. Mini-sermons, simple enough for family readings, often go beyond traditional interpretation, offering new insights as they reflect on modern-day living. Covering Advent, Christ’s birth at Christmas, and the 12 days of Christmas through Epiphany, this handsome volume is an excellent guide for the family’s religious celebration of the holiday season. Four stars.

I don't remember requesting this book because if I had known it was a daily thing I wouldn't have requested it. I have had the bible where you read it daily starting on January 1. If done correctly, by the end of the year, you will have read the bible in chronological order. I have had that book for 3 years and have not started it. I know I am no disciplined. I want to read when I want to read and stop when I want to stop.

With that being said, I did read through 40 Days of Christmas quickly. I do think it is a great reflection book and if you are disciplined to read small portions everyday it would be great. I do have several friends who journal and read inspirational passages every a.m. while they drink their coffee. If this is the type of person you are, I think you would thoroughly enjoy it.


Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review an ARC of 40 Days of Christmas in exchange for my full review.

Lovely festive Christmas read. Perfect for over the long winter nights. Magical storyline. Great characters that pull it all together

I agree with the author- the Christmas Season should last at least 40 days! Let your outside lights sparkle and keep your tree up as long as you can. If you aren’t as thrilled with the holiday season as I am, then I encourage you to read this book. This solid, vibrant and affirming devotional will give you quiet and gentle guidance, as it teaches and inspires.

This book contains a devotional, one for each day of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. Thus, we can prepare, celebrate and live out the truth of Christmas. Each daily lesson features scripture, history and theology and reflections of the season and ends with a short prayer. I was astounded at how much I didn’t know about our Christmas traditions. The devotion on the Christmas Tree was so beautiful and moving. Did you know that in the Middle Ages, Christians set up “paradise trees” on Christmas Eve?

The author explains that long ago, Christmas was designed as a Christian celebration to lift our spirits during the darkest time of the year. Christmas is God’s gift that allows us to meditate on the glory and wonder of our Savior’s birth. This sincere and well-researched book will help you to decorate your heart and inner life for the joyous holiday season.

Author Joseph Castleberry holds a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Education degree in International Educational Development from Columbia University. For 20 years, he served as a Missionary in Latin America. He is currently the President of Northwest University in Washington.

I highly recommend this book. What a wonderful gift for family and friends.

40 Days of Christmas has made it simple to be reminded of the reason for the season and to really get to spend a good time with the word.

Growing up I would always read a religious Christmas story with my mom during advent time. This was one of my favorite things about the holiday season. 40 Days of Christmas reminded me so much of that time, and I can't wait to read it again with my mom during advent.

40 Days of Christmas is separated into days with no real date on them just being Day 1, Day 2, etc. This means that this book will become a timeless read and can be used year after year if need be. Each Day has a bible verse, a little story from the bible and some history about it, and a prayer to say for that day. Nothing has to be looked up to go along with this book, which means if you only have a few minutes to spend with 40 Day's of Christmas you have all you need. This was a big selling point for me because while I love them including the bible with so many different versions with different interpretations of the same verses it can get a little confusing at times when you don't have a lot of time to devote to the books.

Overall I absolutely loved this book, and I hope the author comes out with more in the future.

This is a cool book! I like the idea of having a devotional for the late November and the Christmas season. The cover and interior designing are a m a z i n g and definitely complement the book. However, when reading it, I did find that the author had a tendency to tell instead of show. I normally wouldn't be so bothered by this that I would take two stars off for it, but I think in a devotional it's important to show how Biblical characters were strengthened by God in their walk to Him instead of merely saying so.

Even though the author has much room for improvement in his writing, I do like it as a devotional and I would consider recommending it to friends. Would I personally buy it myself? Probably not, but I am definitely going to be looking for future releases by this author. 3 stars.

It's great to read a Christian book with such a positive attitude towards Christmas celebrated as we do in our western culture with all the extra trimmings. I must admit I have not read all of this yet as I intend to use it during Advent. However I have read the intoduction and dipped in to later readings in order to get a flavour of what's in store. Although not my usual style of devotions, I think it will prove an interesting and worthwhile tool for the coming festive season. NB I hope that the full publication has a better layout.

This is a great devotional for a Christian who is looking for something beyond secular celebrations for Christmas. Focusing on Advent restores us and our communities as the author states in his introduction. No one denomination seems to rule the entries, so this would be good for many walks of faith.

This devotional takes you through the Christmas season with a daily bible verse, a short look at how this applies to the season and ends with a prayer. Along the way it looks at traditions, hymns, and shows us how they hold meaning for Christians. The book does not seem to be aimed at any particular denomination of Christianity, and so I feel can be enjoyed by all.

I look forward to rereading this devotional at Christmas, it really doesn’t take long and would be a lovely tradition to start.

Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for my free copy in return for an honest review.

40 Days of Christmas: Celebrating the Glory of Our Savior by Joseph Castleberry is a book that will be published on October 2; in this book it is celebrated the beauty of Christmas and the importance of celebrating Christmas not just for few days, but starting from the Advent, then Christmastime, for arriving at the moment of the epiphany lived as a feast just in Italy, with the arrival of the Befana an old and ugly lady bringing sweet coil to nasty children and sweet treats to all the rest; for the Christianity it's the arrival of the Magi and their gifts to little Jesus Christ (in this sense there are fascinating Russian fairy-tales of an old lady who didn't offer to the Magi hospitality and that since there goes in the world bringing sweet treats to all babies, searching for little Jesus Christ); personally I haven't never loved the Befana, but we enjoy of a long moment of light hope and expectations thanks to our Christmas's Tree like also of all the rest of external lights, removed only after that Jan 6th is over. Christmas was the feast of Light before the arrival of the Christianity; being a very loved, pagan feast, considering also the moment of the year plenty of darkness, Christianity transformed the feast of Light in another wonderful celebration; a birth; the one of little Jesus Christ, that it is a beautiful moment for staying together, for enjoying life in the most profound sense, for praying, for developing a new vision of our close future, for a re-born; of course it can't be a quick passage. Christmas says the author and it is true, motivates us "To save money throughout the year. It provides a season to love our family and friends tangibly with cards and phone calls and presence and presents. It leads us to cultivate a childlike attitude to corresponding childlike joy. It gives us an excuse to set aside fasting diets and eat a great feast."
We all say that this one is maybe the most important consumer's period of the year.
Well, yes but these story of gifts must be lived well because gifts were commons also in the old Rome, maybe less expensive, because Romans donated little branches of some trees considered sacred, but there were gifts; why?
Because a gift is symbol of gratification, appreciation, love and friendship.
This book by Castleberry analyzes all the aspects of Christmas, so the Christmas Tree, the arrival of Archangel Saint Gabriel, Christmas Food, gifts and every chapter is interesting because a mix of history and religion. Chapters start all with some verses taken from the Bible, then a comment and at the end a prayer. An important book for living Christmas as it should be lived; praying, being good, and waiting.

I thank NetGalley for this eBook.

This is a very nice Christmas devotional. It is all about the true meaning of Christmas. Each day has a bible verse, a devotion and ends with a prayer. You will be glad you got this book. Thank you Broadstreet Publishing Group LLC via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

40 Days of Christmas promises to be a treasured keepsake for generations to come. It is scripturally based and will lead hearts in the right direction from advent through epiphany.

Broken down into bite-sized chunks, these devotions tell the Christmas story in a completely new way. Each of the characters is brought to life, with their struggles as well as their strengths, and we really feel like we're seeing it play out. The days each have a scripture at the beginning and prayer at the end, and each day is meant to help you focus on one particular aspect of the story of Christ. Also, it's very beautifully colored, though the coloring is clearly meant to enhance the text, rather than be the show.

I cannot wait to share this book with my Christian friends and family once it has been published. It's a great Christmas devotional, to get you through this most important Christian holiday, with the sole focus on Jesus and the Christmas story from the bible. Joseph provides deep thoughts, great insight into the Christmas story, and the prayers at the end of each day are so positive and reassuring of God's love in our lives. A must read.