I decided to start off 2021 with my friend Chrystal Evans’ new book called The 28 Day Prayer Journey after experiencing all of 2020. After my talk with Chrystal back in Episode 080 (which was fantastic, you should go back and listen to it), I just knew in my heart, this was the way I wanted to start off this year, and I am so grateful I did.

Today's episode is a recap of the very last book in our 2020 Book Club: Parenting with Love and Logic. We read it in December. It was highly recommended to me by so many friends, and it's already proven to be such a gift in our own family and my own parenting. I hope today's podcast will be super practical and helpful for any moms and dads listening.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of surface, trite, make-it-what-you-want-it Christianity. I want the real God of the universe. I want what He has to say, even if it's hard to hear it. This book showed me the practices that we can do as believers to welcome Jesus into our very real lives and to hear His very real voice a little bit clearer. I'll be honest. These disciplines, they aren't easy. They are not for the faint of heart, but they are good. And they have changed me.

Welcome to this month's edition of the Nancy Ray Book Club, where I choose 12 books to read in a year, and I invite you to join me in reading them, and then I share my takeaways in the book of the month every month. This month I am thrilled to be talking about Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.

In it, Rebecca outlines four rhythms for a life of peace and purpose. I couldn't help but think back to my episode just a couple weeks ago on self-care, because I feel like this book is a deeper dive and how we can live out these rhythms and have a healthy, mature life as a believer. All in all, I love the book. I feel like Rebecca is somewhat of a soul sister and I can't wait for you to hear my top takeaways.

As we were starting to do research and kind of figure out what content we wanted to make when I was just starting this brand and podcast, a friend asked me some really good questions, and recommended this book: The Pumpkin Plan.

It challenged me to push pause on all of my own ideas, to zoom out a little bit, to get some more perspective, and ask better questions, not only of myself, but of my clients, my audience, and my work. I'm really excited to dive in today and share what I learned!

I'm not a huge fan of novels or fiction books, but I think The Nightingale may have changed that for me. I could not put it down. On the night I finished reading the book, I was in the bed, wiping tears from my eyes as I finished the last pages, not wanting it to end. If you're looking for a good book to read this summer, this is it. Be prepared to not want to put it down.

All in all, this book has given me the gift of perspective. And for that, I'm so grateful.

Today's episode is one that I hope you will bookmark and come back to. Actually, I'm almost positive this is one that you will bookmark and come back to. That's because I'm going to share with you the simple steps and how to have a really hard conversation—a crucial conversation—steps that will help you think through what you will say before you say it, and tools that will change your marriage, change your family relationships, your work relationships, all for the better.

Today I’m humbled and grateful to have Pastor Dorrell on the Work and Play Podcast. We’re going to talk all about the racial crisis that we’ve been in and how the church, how believers, how you and I should respond during this time, during a racial crisis, and even more than that how to bounce forward, not bounce back, when the current storm we’re in starts to quiet.

Emily P. Freeman is the kind of person I have grown to admire, respect, and quite frankly, adore. I love her. I love her podcast, The Next Right Thing. I love her book, The Next Right Thing, and today I had a conversation with her that I think you are really going to love.

It's time for my takeaways on the latest Nancy Ray Book Club book: Beginner's Pluck. Liz is hilarious and delightful and this book will inspire you to build a life of purpose and passion and impact!

Here are my top three biggest takeaways from the book, When Less Becomes More by Emily Ley.

Today I’m speaking with Richard Blackaby, author of The Seasons of God, and this is the message that quite literally changed the course of my work, and my life, and will continue to change my life as my own seasons continue to change. I hope you enjoy one of my favorite interviews yet.

Usually, when I release an episode about one of our Nancy Ray Book Club books, I give my top three takeaways from the book. I’m so excited to get to do this today, while also getting input from the author herself! I truly cannot wait for you to get to hear from Jess today—she has been such a blessing to me and to many.

Of all the books I read last year, this one is probably my favorite simply because it's full of scientific knowledge about the brain and how it works, which is something I really know nothing about, and how God designed us.

This year, we've been reading one chapter a month in the Nancy Ray Book Club since there are 12 chapters, one for each month of the year. Today, we'll dive into my biggest takeaways—the things that I want to be sure to embrace in my own home.

If you have been following me for a hot second, you know that I love to read. I really value reading. But here's what you might not know. I have not loved to read my whole entire life. Today is all about how I became a reader and how you can, too.

Today I'll be sharing my thoughts on The Coaching Habit, and a few ideas and practices that have really stuck with me since reading it.

My favorite business book of all time is comprehensive, yet extremely simple. It will show you how to grow and sustain a business of any size truly in a healthy and practical way. It addresses the six parts of any business in detail, vision, people, data, process, issues, and traction. The name of the book is Traction, by Gino Wickman.

Today, I'll be sharing my thoughts on The Sacred Enneagram and a few of the ideas and practices that have really stuck with me since reading it.