Each year I love sharing with you some of my favorite things – books, podcasts, and organizations I’ve enjoyed reading, listening to, and being connected with during the year.

There’s a plethora (OK, that means a LOT!) of stuff out there. Perhaps this list will help you find a resource you didn’t know about before.

Books

I usually have a few books on the table beside my chair. I read almost every evening.

And here are some of my favorites I’ve read this year. (Some of them were published a few years ago but are new to me.)

• The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Eyewitness Account, by Bear Grylls (Hodder Faith, 2025). The story of Jesus told in a way you’ve never heard before. Beautifully written as through the eyewitness accounts of those who knew him best. What if this one Man could be the focal point of the entire universe.
• Experience Jesus. Really: Finding Refuge, Strength, and Wonder through Everyday Encounters with God by John Eldredge (Thomas Nelson, 2025). A fascinating look at what the deeper life with God can mean for “ordinary mystics” like you and me. Be intrigued, and decide for yourself.
• Knowing and Being Known: Hope for All Our Intimate Relationshipsby Erin F. Moniz (IVP, 2025). Marriage was God’s idea. But romance idolatry has distorted the souls of both married and unmarried people. Discover the deeper needs, and the deeper ways to fulfill them, regardless of relationship status.
• Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love by Michael J. Cusick (IVP, 2025). Insight and information cannot change a heart. This uplifting raw exploration of the path to God will help you experience the love and connection with God that you need and deeply long for.
• Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything by Adam Young (Baker, 2025), trauma therapist and licensed social worker. Discover how your experiences shape your brain, and the powerful way engaging the particulars of your story empowers you to change your present and your future.
• Open-Hearted People, Soul-Connected Church: How Courageous Authenticity Can Transform Your Relationships, Your Community, and Your Life by Tom Bennardo (Baker, 2025). OK, connection is nice. But it’s more than that. We need what Tom calls Level Three intimacy to become truly whole. Find out how.
• How to Speak Life to Your Husband: When All You Want to Do Is Yell at Him by Anne Wilson (Zondervan, 2025). You have the power of life and death in your tongue for the people closest to you. While targeting the way wives speak to husbands, this book is also a broader look at the power of your words.
• Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection by Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw (Tyndale, 2025). A unique and very user-friendly look at attachment styles, the impact of your story, and how to get unstuck and more forward in your relationship with others and with God.
• A Failure of Nerve, Revised Edition: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by Edwin Friedman (Church Publishing, 2017). Written by a therapist and rabbi with decades of experience, many Christian leaders (including myself) find this a powerful perspective on the way God is asking His leaders to lead in a very troubled culture.
• Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters, by N.T. Wright (HarperOne, 2018). An older work by an amazing Biblical scholar, this fresh look at Jesus in His culture will help you know Him better and experience Him in your culture today.

Podcasts

The podcast feed on my phone is full of episodes. You can gain an education while you jog, drive, or clean the house. Here are some I find especially enlightening or nourishing – some are long-standing favorites, and others new finds.

• Ransomed Heart with John Eldredge. Conversations about the life of the heart, and the ongoing restoration God intends us to all experience. I don’t miss an episode.
• Being Known Podcast, with Curt Thompson MD and Pepper Sweeney. Conversations about the mind, spiritual formation, and interpersonal neurobiology. One of the most life-changing podcasts I’ve encountered.
• The Emotionally Healthy Leader, with Pete Scazzero. Exploring themes around spiritual authenticity and growth in the Christian life and church.
• Java with Juli, from Authentic Intimacy. Conversations about sexuality, intimacy, and culture from a solidly Biblical worldview. Unafraid to “go there!”
• THINQ Media Podcast, with Gabe Lyons. Educates, equips, and empowers Christian thought leaders in creating conversations that lead to wisdom.
• Restoring the Soul, with Michael John Cusick. Spiritual director and licensed counselor, Michael shares conversations that help people become whole by cultivating deeper connection with God, self, and others.
• Rule of Life by Practicing the Way, with John Mark Comer, friends, and guests. Guiding you in arranging your life as you apprentice under Jesus in the 21^st
• The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. Interviews with top leaders from the church, business, and culture about leadership, change, and personal growth.
• Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast. Practical insights from the leader of one of the largest multi-site church organizations in America.
• The Faith-Driven Entrepreneur. For the faithful disruptors called to create. Stories and topics from entrepreneurs who have learned to put God first for kingdom impact.
• Relationship Prescriptions with Dr Carol. OK, shameless self-promotion here. This is my weekly podcast about the deeper matters of the heart around intimacy and relationships with each other and with God, and I’d love you to join me!

Other Organizations

Here are some organizations I connect with, believe in, and am glad to recommend.

• Christian Healthcare Ministries– believers helping each other by sharing the costs of necessary medical care. (I am honored to be a member of the Board of Directors.)
• Emotionally Healthy Discipleship– helping believers move from shallow Christianity to depth in Christ. At least take the free personal assessment on their website, and discover if you’re a spiritual/emotional infant, child, adolescent, or adult.
• Compassion International– releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name. (I sponsor a precious child in Columbia, Luz Esther, who’s now 13 years old.)
• Charity Water– they do water – and charity – right. I love donating to this organization.
• Covenant Eyes– great organization providing help for those who want to break free from pornography and related sexual bondage. (Use code DrCarol for a free month.)
• SHE Recovery – resources and online community helping women seeking recovery from porn, sex, or love addiction.
• Ransomed Heart– led by John and Stasi Eldredge, a bunch of resources, events, and more helping men and women regain the life of the heart as Jesus intended.
• JuicePlus+ – the only nutritional supplement I take. It’s the next best thing to fruits and vegetables.
• The Sex Talk – are you as a parent equipped to have “the talk” with your kids? This video course with top experts answers your questions and equips you to be the parent and have this decade-long conversation. (Use code DoctorCarol for 10% off.)

May these resources be inspiring and fill your winter days and evenings with meaning and growth.

Your Turn: Do you have a favorite book, podcast, or resource you have found meaningful? Leave a comment below.

Want More? This week on the podcast I share some God stories – women and men who have been part of one of our Intensives – in their own words.  Listen or Watch.

Tweetables: why not share this post?

• Every year I share my list of favorite books, podcasts, and other organizations I love interacting with. Here’s my list of favorites for 2025.   Tweet that.

** Note: Listing a resource here does not imply that I or Dr Carol Ministries endorse every idea promoted in these resources. Amazon links and links to Covenant Eyes, SHE Recovery, JuicePlus, and The Sex Talk are affiliate links, whereby you can also support Dr Carol Ministries by purchasing/connecting with them.