Tim Pawlenty | Tyndale House Publishers

The former governor of Minnesota, takes readers into his heart, history and rise to power as a Republican governor in a traditionally blue state.

The fifth child of Gene and Ginny Pawlenty, the governor was raised in meat-packing mecca South St. Paul, where he regularly attended church and learned the value of hard work. His mother died when he was 16, but Pawlenty forged ahead to attend college and law school, marrying along the way.

He became governor in 2002, leading his state through crushing finance wars to a balanced budget, losing Minnesota’s soldiers in war, missing out on a possible vice-presidential bid with Sen. John McCain in 2008 and seeing the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis.

In Courage to Stand: An American Story, Pawlenty shows himself to be unrelentingly honest and optimistic, presenting a chatty, cheerful look at his past and his years in the governor’s chair, along with glimpses of national and international politics.

He speaks openly of his faith, which will interest readers who are seeing Pawlenty’s name bandied about as the 2012 elections loom.

Click here to purchase this book.

Kimberly L. Smith | David C. Cook

Kimberly L. Smith,
president and co-founder of Make Way Partners, has created more than another
mission “how-to” in Passport Through Darkness: A True Story of Danger and
Second Chances. This warrior for orphans, widows, the sick and homeless has
bared her soul in this challenging, startlingly open tale of her journey from
business executive to tireless advocate.

Mama Kimberly, as she
is known in Sudan, describes the tragedy and people of that war-torn country,
as well as the raw emotion she experienced there and at home. Smith reveals her
sin as she struggled with shame and grief at what she experienced, yet she also
speaks of hope and joy. She and Sudanese worker James built more than a home
for orphans; they built an oasis of hope in a war-torn country where torture,
rape and death are everyday occurrences.

Readers can’t help
but come away changed by the deep love and raw emotion shown here. Smith’s
powerful account will appeal to mission-minded Christians and to others willing
to engage to make a difference in this world.

Click here to
purchase this book.

Louie Giglio |
sixstepsrecords

Louie Giglio shares
a special message about Christmas. He reminds us that God is with us and that no
one, not one person, is beyond His reach—His love knows no bounds, has no
limitations. Giglio, founder of the Passion Movement, also reassures us that God
is continually at work in our lives. He will keep His promise to bring us
through any circumstance.

This teaching, recorded
live at Chris Tomlin’s 2009 Glory in the Highest tour, is appropriate for
individual or group study. Participants will be inspired to realign their
hearts this season, which in turn will help them start off the new year with
renewed focus, passion and perspective.

Click here to
purchase this DVD.

To help us celebrate the most wonderful time of year, Charisma asked several artists to share a favorite Christmas memory or tradition. From Dec. 20-24, each day we will feature two artists who shared their thoughts with us.

From all of us at Charisma, Merry Christmas!

My favorite Christmas memory is when my wife and I picked out a tree and decorated it for our first Christmas together. Not only was it a blast, but it was an amazing feeling realizing that I had started a family of my own. —Phil Wickham

My favorite Christmas memory is Christmas Day, 2002, when my daughter, Skye, was born. I remember it was 3 o’clock Christmas morning. Tim, my husband, and I were holding our baby girl. We were the only ones on the floor and the nurses had turned all the TVs in each room to Christmas music. “Silent Night” was playing, and I will never ever forget those moments. God truly blessed us. —Heather Williams

For exclusive videos, podcasts and songs, check out this month’s digital edition of Charisma magazine at

If one can put
1,000 to flight, two can put 10,000 to flight.

That’s the
reasoning behind the new alliance between the Congressional Prayer Team
of Washington D.C. and the Telephonic Prayer Team. These prayer
warriors are joining forces to hold the 112th Senate accountable to
righteousness.

The groups sent
an open letter to U.S. senators to remind them that prayer warriors are
releasing daily prayers—praying for each senator by their full names. The
groups will use the Bible as the standard to measure righteous lawmaking.

In other
district-related prayer movements, the Congressional Prayer
Caucus is under attack from the Americans United for
Separation of Church and State. Led by U.S. Rep. Randy
Forbes (R-Va.), the Prayer Caucus criticized President Barack Obama for
telling an audience in Indonesia last month that the phrase “E
Pluribus Unum” is a good summary of the American experience. The Prayer
Caucus insists the national motto is “In God We Trust.”

“For the
president of the United States to incorrectly state something as foundational
as our national motto in another country is unacceptable. The president is the
primary representative of our nation to the world, and whether mistake or
intention, his actions cast aside an integral part of American society,” Forbes
says. “President Reagan once warned that ‘If we ever forget that we’re one
nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.’”

The Prayer
Caucus also complained about Obama omitting the word “Creator” when quoting
passages from the Declaration of Independence. The complaints drew the ire of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Rev.
Barry W. Lynn, executive director of the group, said the members of the Prayer
Caucus need to “get a life.”

“The Prayer Caucus should just admit that it is
looking for any opportunity to bash the president. It’s not very Christian of
them, but I expect nothing less from a body that takes its marching orders from
the religious right,” Lynn says. “This is one of the silliest manufactured
controversies I’ve ever seen, and I would advise the president to deal with it
by tossing the caucus’ letter into the nearest wastebasket.”

 To help us celebrate the most wonderful time of year, Charisma asked several artists to share a favorite Christmas memory or tradition. From Dec. 20-24, each day we will feature two artists who shared their thoughts with us.

From all of us at Charisma, Merry Christmas!

My favorite memory is my brothers and me sleeping together Christmas Eve when we were little. We would wake up early in the morning and then form a single file line in the hall and wait for our mom and dad to let us attack our gifts. —Chris Tomlin

It’s incredibly hard to choose a favorite Christmas memory. I could say it was when I got the Hee Haw overalls I had asked for when I was 8 years old, or when I got the Madame Alexander Doll or the Easy-Bake Oven—these are great memories. But the memory that I’m so grateful for is that every Christmas Eve my dad would read the Christmas story—the entire story from beginning to end, not just the birth, but also the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It gave us the proper perspective before we began tearing into our presents the next morning, and I am so thankful for that. —Heather Payne 

For exclusive videos, podcasts and songs, check out this month’s digital edition of Charisma magazine at

To help us celebrate the most wonderful time of year, Charisma asked several artists to share a favorite Christmas memory or tradition. From Dec. 20-24, each day we will feature two artists who shared their thoughts with us.

From all of us at Charisma, Merry Christmas!

If there had to be one special Christmas memory, it would be brand-new pajamas and slippers awaiting my brother and me as we braced ourselves for the brilliant, beaming, blinding lights on my dad’s Super 8 movie camera. Second only to that is the Christmas I received my first guitar, giving me musical bliss ever since. —Barry Graul of MercyMe 

For the last four years, my family and church have gone to Fort Hood Army base and fed 1,500 families Christmas dinner. The absolute joy on the faces of these kids is priceless as they open presents we’ve brought them. But the thing I have loved is seeing the faces of my children as they give instead of receive. “You’ll never know what this means to my family”—when I hear those stories I remember why He came.·—Randy Phillips of Phillips, Craig & Dean

For exclusive videos, podcasts and songs, check out this month’s digital edition of Charisma magazine at

To help us celebrate the most wonderful time of year, Charisma asked several artists to share a favorite Christmas memory or tradition. From Dec. 20-24, each day we will feature two artists who shared their thoughts with us.

From all of us at Charisma, Merry Christmas!

The memory that sticks in my mind the most is about the first time I remember asking for a specific gift. I asked for a gray, leather-bound Bible, King James version. Oh yes, and it had to have the thumb tabs! I got vinyl covered cardboard and not leather. But the words were the same. I should go find it and see what Scriptures I marked as a young man. I am sure they will still speak to me today. —Nathan Cochran of MercyMe

One of my favorite things is that each year we pick something to do outside of just giving to our own family members. My favorite memory was the year my dad, mom, sister, brother and me made sack lunches for the homeless and delivered them along with gloves and blankets on a cold Christmas Eve. It has always remained a special memory of seeing how thankful they were. —Kari Jobe 

For exclusive videos, podcasts and songs, check out this month’s digital edition of Charisma magazine at

Stovall Weems | WaterBrook Multnomah

Stovall Weems, pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Fla., issues a wake-up call for believers and shares how to end a season of dryness and walk afresh in relationship with God.

Weems encourages readers to fully surrender and learn a new way to pray and fast. The author doesn’t offer a life of rules and religion. He challenges us to strive for a deep, satisfying and motivating relationship with God.

“It’s time to wake up and put an end to spiritual sluggishness!” Weems declares. “I promise this year will be the best of your life if it is your best year spiritually.”

The 21-Day Plan included will help readers apply the principles discussed in Awakening.

Click here to purchase this book.

various artists |
Essential Records

Nothing could be
better than having many of your favorite musical artists offering Christmas
songs all on one album. That’s what The Essential Christmas Collection offers,
featuring Third Day, Casting Crowns, Michael W. Smith, Jars of Clay, Rebecca
St. James, Brandon Heath, Tenth Avenue North, Building 429 and Matt Maher.
Joining this who’s who list are newcomers Revive, Kerrie Roberts and Anthem
Lights. Many of the artists cover traditional classics, but two original
tracks, “The Night Before Christmas” by Heath and ‘All Is Well” by Smith, round
out the collection.

To watch a video of
Roberts performing “O Holy Night,” click below.

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Click here to purchase this CD.