April Recommendations

Having recently given up most secular music, I know how hard it can be to find a Christian replacement for the music you've come to love.  I also know how hard it can be to find good Christian fiction and relevant Christian news sources.  Basically, good Christian media is hard to find.  So I thought I'd do a recommendations post each month.  And this is the first one!  Here are the things I listened to a lot in April. (Please share your own awesome Christian media finds in the comments section.)

Music:
Jimmy Needham.  He has three albums out and they're all amazing.  His style is very like Jamie Cullum and Jason Mraz mixed.  I would love his music even if it weren't Christian.  But he gives an added bonus of great lyrics.  I especially love listening to his music because, if I listen to the lyrics, I feel like I'm listening to a sermon.  But in a really good way.  He really speaks the word.  Give him a try. 
http://www.myspace.com/jimmyneedham

Fiction:
Terri Blackstock.  I've read four or five of her books now, including the Restoration Series.  She's really good.  Clean (obviously), but not boring.  The Restoration Series offers a bit of natural disaster, which always makes for good drama.  She has a way of making you remember the things that are important in life.
http://www.terriblackstock.com/

Media:
Christianity Today is a really great resource.  They offer news stories online as well as a number of Christian print magazines that you can subscribe to.  Check them out.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/



As always, with any sort of media, please exercise discernment.  Just because someone or something claims to be Christian doesn't mean that they are.  And even if they are, they may have differing or errant viewpoints.  My goal is to share the safe things I've found, but at the same time, I make mistakes.  So please be led by the Spirit and exercise discretion when exploring new media.