CDs:
Keith and Kristyn Getty, In Christ Alone (2006)
Perhaps best known for the title track of the album, Keith and Kristyn Getty are quickly becoming some of the most well-known modern hymn writers of the twenty-first century. This worshipful album will be a great gift for any music-lover on your Christmas list. A bonus DVD includes concert footage and interviews of the Gettys discussing their career and their music.
Selah, Bless the Broken Road: The Duets Album (2006)
Selah joins with various CCM artists on heir sixth album to create a CD filled with powerful duets. Although this release features fewer of their signature hymns and more contemporary and original music, the strong harmonies and lyrics make this a must-have CD for any Selah fans.
Casting Crowns, Lifesong Live (2006)
Casting Crown’s two-disc CD/DVD combo includes a CD of seven powerful songs from the Lifesong album and a DVD that takes fans behind the scenes for a meaningful look into band members’ lives and music. While the CD may not contain as many songs as a full-length album, the footage on the DVD—at times humorous and at times moving—makes up for the brevity of the CD.
Books:
Transparent: Getting Honest about Who We Are and Who We Want to Be by Sarah Zacharias Davis (Revell, 2007)
Sarah Zacharias Davis has gathered essays from 15 women who are completely honest about their fears and insecurities. Without offering easy solutions, each essay encourages women to be open with themselves and with others about their feelings as they seek to find God’s will in the midst of their circumstances. Davis’s book makes a perfect gift for any woman on your Christmas list.
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin (Thomas Nelson, 2006)
Set in a small Southern town, Charles Martin’s novel is both heart-warming and thought provoking. While crafting a beautiful story of hope and survival, Martin causes readers to consider what it means to be a Christian living in the real world. Because the novel does not directly confront Christianity but weaves Christian themes throughout the story, Martin’s book would make an ideal gift for a friend who is seeking to know more about what it means to be a Christian.
Hullabaloo: Discovering Glory in Everyday Life by Timothy Paul Jones (David C. Cook, 2007)
Timothy Paul Jones doesn’t claim to have another seven-step plan or well-designed program for success with God. What he does have is honesty about the claims of the Christian existence, as well as what is really needed to help Christians live a more glory-filled life. Hullabaloo will change the way you think about the best way to live out your walk with Jesus.
Beth Holmes writes from her home in Owensboro, Kentucky, where her husband serves on the staff of Yellow Creek Baptist Church. In her "free" time, Beth accompanies a high school choral group, and has recently tried to revive her golf game.
