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The subtitle expresses the focus of the book:  "A Treasury of Gaither Christmas Songs, Reflections and Holiday Traditions."  Gloria recounts family experiences around their Christmas celebrations.

These family vignettes join her thoughtful and creative reflections on the Bible stories of the birth of Jesus.  In the process she refelcts on various family experiences that provide insights and helpful perspectives on the traditional biblical stories and their popular holiday recital.

Gloria writes these reflections around her actual compositions from the Gaither family experiences over a 40-year period.  The included CD presents 10 of these songs, a pleasant addition to the Christmas collection in my CD rack and on my computer.

I was impressed with how well-read she is in a wide range of contemporary and classical authors and topics.  She draws upon insights from a wide range of teachers and writers.  Gloria's meditations are not deeply theological in the abstract, but she focuses on life-skill meanings of faith.

While this was not particularly intellectually challenging, I found her reflections a welcome relief from the sometimes stultifying formalized views that force faith into the stratosphere.  Gloria is grounded in real life, around the home and family, where the key decisions of life are considered, determined and evaluated.

Some readers will be pleased at the surprising last section of the book, a collection of Gaither family recipes for the Christmas season.  I found the work somewhat homey and nostalgic, without being sentimental.

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OBJ

Initial reading notes written 5 January 2009
Initial review posted on Amazon 14 February 2009
Expanded 23 February 2009
Posted on Thoughts and Resources 24 February 2009
Last edited 19 July 2011

Orville Boyd Jenkins, EdD, PhD
Copyright © 2009 Orville Boyd Jenkins
Permission granted for free download and transmission for personal or educational use.  Please give credit and link back.  Other rights reserved.

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