February 2020 Christian Book Picks

These are my February 2020 Christian book picks in my favorite reading genre of Christian non-fiction. They are great picks for men and women who want to grow in faith. I’d love for you to tell me which ones sound best to you in the comments below. Books for Lent, parenting, friendship, stress reduction, spiritual growth, and social media management.

Journey to the Cross

This is a pretty new Lenten devotional for 2020 and beyond. I love the modern illustrations and word art. There’s a daily reading checklist in the front, then a brief and thoughtful devotional. The book also has questions with blanks so you can record your thoughts.

I’ve long been a fan of Mary Carver‘s writing for (in)courage, and her devotionals in this book are perfect for deepening your faith this Lenten season. It’s a great read that will be convenient for busy women who want to pursue their faith in intentional ways.

I received a preview copy of Journey to the Cross from B&H Publishers.

Purchase your copy on Amazon or CBD.

Devotions for Easter

I reviewed this book a few years ago in this post. Since we used the similar Devotions for Christmas book for family dinner devotions in December, I lifted this book out of my stash and began using it again on Ash Wednesday. The devotions are short and sweet, with a brief prayer and beautiful stock photos. A nice little book to have Lenten devotions on the go or with your family of older children.

Purchase your copy on Amazon or CBD.

Still

Which of us doesn’t want more calm in their daily lives? But does that seem unattainable for you? Jenny L. Donnelly lays out a specific plan that really works. She shares her testimony in the first half of the book, telling us how her hurts and failures tempted her to think that calm wasn’t available to her. After this, she unpacks a strategy called REST for seeking stillness in the center of chaos.

Her ways include leaning on God, letting go of expectations and attempts at perfectionism, cultivating intimacy with Jesus, and more practical ways to pause and engage your senses and faith. There are several places in the book where you can jot your feelings down and process what you’re learning. These blank spaces invite you to a place of calm, where you can realistically evaluate your life and reorient it toward God.

I enjoyed this book even more than I expected. A wonderful resource if you are feeling stressed out, overwhelmed, or far away from God.

I received a preview copy of Still from Revell.

Purchase your copy on Amazon or CBD.

The Art of Friendship

We live in a massively connected society, as far as online relationships go. Yet true friendship seems so elusive, and our hopes and dreams often crash due to loneliness. The Art of Friendship addresses this challenging subject with love, compassion, humor and wisdom.

The author recounts her many struggles at finding friends. She shares stories of heartache from her time as a child, young woman, and mom. I appreciate her honesty and willingness to talk about her awkward fears and failures.

Later in the book, she builds on the trust she’s established to help readers examine the ways they may be contributing to the lack of friendship problem. This is a good approach, because if she had started out that way, I may have been put off.

Since she started with the “I’m with you in this” approach, I was willing to listen, evaluate, and even hear the “ouch” statements that can help me improve my relationships and friend-making potential. I wager that you’ll find this book helpful, prescriptive, and eye-opening just like I did.

I received a preview copy of The Art of Friendship from Bethany House Publishers.

Purchase your copy on Amazon or CBD.

Hidden Faces

Josh Trombley and I follow each other on Instagram, and I admire his contemporary writing style. He is a pastor in Nova Scotia. When he reached out to me to ask if I’d review his book, I was eager to help.

He gives 10 Bible examples of people who were hiding from God and/or the truth about themselves, and how this relates to our personal struggles. I enjoyed the way he unpacked Bible stories with wit, insight and humor. He also tells plenty of personal stories to give this book a fresh feeling.

The book’s interior and exterior design is hip. He includes many thoughtful quotes from various authors. Each chapter includes discussion questions for personal or group study. I enjoyed this book as a Christian woman, but I also think it would be a perfect read for teen boys or a resource for men’s Bible study.

I received a preview copy of Hidden Faces from the author.

Purchase your copy on Amazon.

Renovating Your Mind

Patrick Egle is a California writer who published his first devotional last year. He’s another Instagram friend who asked me to review his book since we write on similar topics of transforming your thought life.

Patrick’s love for the Lord, enthusiasm for Christian living, and joyful spirit is evident in this year-long devotional. Each devotion takes maybe 5 minutes to read, which is convenient for busy people. He shares many stories from his marriage and church, which I found engaging. I read through the January devotions and appreciated his biblical knowledge and hope-filled words.

As with Josh’s book, I enjoyed this devotion as a Christian woman. But I think it would be most appreciated by a young husband trying to live a godly life, or a new male believer looking to get his thought life on a God-pleasing track. No matter what, you’ll find Patrick’s writing voice to be uplifting and encouraging.

I received a preview copy of Renovating Your Mind from the author.

Purchase your copy on Amazon.

5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Son

The clock is ticking on how many conversations I can have with my oldest son before he leaves home – he’s turning 16 this spring. I also have a soon-to-be 14-year-old son, and I need all the help I can get to be an intentional parent to my boys.

I’ll be honest – this book isn’t easy to read. It was revised and updated in 2019 to reflect the brutal changes in our culture. The author paints scenes with photo realism, which is hard to stomach in our post-Christian culture. However, her words are compassionate and wise, based on years of parenting and ministry.

Though the subject material is challenging, this book is strong and necessary medicine of the best possible kind. It has equipped me with scripts for starting hard conversations about social media, porn, relationships with girls, and pursuing a godly path for the future.

Before reading this book, I felt uninformed and hesitant. Now I feel street-smart and confident. I would recommend this book to moms of boys aged 8 and up. If you read it before they hit middle school, you’ll be well-prepared to have thoughtful conversations with your beloved sons.

I purchased my own copy of this book from CBD. It was so helpful, I’ll be purchasing the version for daughters too.

Purchase your copy on Amazon or CBD.

The Golden Rules of Social Media Marketing

I subscribe to the Sweet Tea Social Marketing newsletter, and when Heather Heuman offered a free webinar, I was happy to join in. Then, my name was drawn a winner of a signed copy of her new book!

Social media marketing can seem daunting. But Heather breaks down her time-tested process into highly practical steps that won’t change with the algorithm whims.

She has a positive, uplifting approach with expertise based on her years of marketing for big brands such as Chick-Fil-A. I enjoyed reading her story of how she started very small with a Facebook group, and the lessons she learned paid off as she began marketing for multi-million-dollar corporations years later. It gave me hope for my own platform growth.

Heather’s approach is all about meeting the customer’s needs. She gives dozens of practical tips for connecting with customers and handling your social media accounts in responsible ways. She also lists 17 tools that she uses to streamline her approach, which I found helpful. Then she gives a social media strategy plan to help you stay on top of the game.

This book is a short, breezy read that I recommend to my fellow content creators. Social media marketing isn’t rocket science, but it does require an intentional approach. I appreciate that Heather lays this out for us from a Christian perspective.

I received a copy of this book from the author.

Purchase your copy on Amazon.

February 2020 Christian Book Picks

Which one of these books looks best to you? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. I also thank you in advance for considering making a purchase through the provided links to help offset my writing ministry costs. Blessings to you!

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