Craving Connection

by Crystal Stine (Editor)

We all long for meaningful relationships, the Colossians 3:14 kind that fulfill our desire for unity and connection with God, our friends, and our community. But where do we start? Craving Connection is a journey with (in)courage writers sharing real-life stories, practical Scripture application, and connection challenges that will encourage you to:

Embrace the desire God has given each of us for connection
Invest in meaningful relationships, right where God has you
Become the friend you wish you had

The (in)courage community invites you to grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair to the table, and commit to creatively and prayerfully fulfilling your cravings for connection. How could your life be different after prayerfully and intentionally connecting with God, friends, and your community?

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Audiobook, Relationships, Christian Non Fiction

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2017

About the author

Crystal’s passion is encouraging, equipping and inspiring women of all ages to embrace a work hard, rest well lifestyle that honors God - so they can work without shame and rest without guilt.

Her first book, “Holy Hustle: Embracing a Work Hard, Rest Well Lifestyle” released June 5, 2018 (Harvest House), followed by "Quieting the Shout of Should" (Oct 2020, Harvest House) and a "Holy Hustle" planner (January 2021, Harvest House).

You can connect with Crystal online at crystalstine.me, learn more about her book at holyhustlebook.com, get a sneak peek of her books & planner through three free devotionals of the same names on YouVersion, or find her on Instagram @crystalstine.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some chapters are better than others, but that's to be expected with a collection written by many authors.
I love, love, love the challenges to connect with others. With our coivd world, I couldn't do all of them, but I did some.
A great way to connect with people and think about friendship.

Thank you, Rachelle, for giving me this beautiful book.

[Create With Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to build long-lasting friendships with other women but are wondering where to begin in a world where Facebook likes often serve as shallow substitutes for genuine friendships,
Craving Connection: 30 Challenges For Real-Life Engagement is a great place to start!

Craving Connection is a 30-day devotional from the (in)courage community that challenges us to become the type of friend that others want to have in their lives – and to reach out to those in need of a friend.

Each chapter contains:

* A Scripture, thought to consider, and engagement challenge to open the devotional.
* An inspiring devotional and prayer, written by different women, to encourage you.
* A list of connection questions for personal reflection.
* Connection challenge to help you move from reflection to action.

What I love about this book is that Craving Connection shows us how even the smallest acts of compassion, connection and love empowers us to change our lives and the lives of everyone around us. By reaching out to one woman at a time and making a genuine connection, we have the power to change the world!

Craving Connection is the perfect book to share with your friends, your book club, your Women’s Ministry, and any women in your life.

This review is an excerpt from the original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, based on my assessment of this book.

[faith ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing that you need to know, in case you don't already is that this book is edited by none other than the wonderful Crystal Stine who hosts the write31days challenge that I have done the last couple of years. If you haven't connected with her on social media yet - get to it! Her 31 days posts this year were written specifically and directly to me. I am not even joking. What you need to know about this book - it is divided into three sections - connecting with God more deeply, connecting with friends more purposefully and Connecting with community more intentionally. The chapters are from (in)Courage authors (like Annie F Downs, Lisa-Jo Baker, and Holley Gerth) and they are really similar to the blog posts we see on that site. The chapters vary in length and tone but they are all similarly pointing to the singular idea that we are made to live connected - to God and to each other. There are questions, a challenge and a prayer with each chapter. There's a Bible verse and a quote to consider. There's also a fun section at the back where the authors answer random questions like "what role would you play in a rock band?" I received a digital advance galley from NetGalley.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of stories and devotions from the writers at the popular (in)courage blog. If you are unfamiliar with the blog, it’s definitely worth checking out. I’ve read it for years, and I’m very glad to see this first book from this lovely community!

Craving Connection will help you learn new ways to connect with God, with friends, and with community. Each devotion has a suggestion for how to engage with the material through a Connection Challenge. I thumbed through the book and the lesson “When Wounds from Women Are Hard to Forgive” caught my attention. For about 15 minutes I read author Kristen Strong’s words, mulling deeply over her personal stories and the truths she revealed. God spoke to me through her words. I needed to hear godly advice on how to handle a prickly situation, and I found it in this story.

What’s even better about reading this book right now is the chance to read in community. Every Tuesday’s blog post over the next few weeks at (in)courage will feature a chapter of the book. Each Thursday they are broadcasting on Facebook Live with the author of that week’s chapter. Click on this link for more information. I’m definitely checking out the comments on the Tuesday blog posts. It’s fun to interact with others in a virtual book club!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

These devotions are different from any I've read before. They are more like stories of women sharing their own experiences and then giving us lessons. These devotions are meant to encourage and inspire on a very personal level.

The book is divided into three sections. Stories in the first section are aimed at helping us connect with God more deeply. The second section encourages us to engage with friends while the last section helps us connect with our community.

Each devotion is written by a different woman. Many are published authors or bloggers. That makes the quality of the writing pretty good. The stories are heartfelt accounts from women writing about their lives and having to rely on God, establishing relationships with friends, and ministering to their community. They write about actual experiences of loneliness, jealousy, fear, forgiveness, hurt, and many more. I think my favorite was from Lisa-Jo Baker on how her high school friends helped sustained her as her mother was dying of cancer. There are some questions included at the end of each devotion, a challenge, and a prayer. There are also a verse, something to consider, and a suggestion for engagement at the beginning of each reading

I like this collection of stories. The idea is for us to see ourselves in the stories and I could certainly identify with many of them. I was impressed with the insights the women had to offer on some hard topics like sin and the words coming out of our mouths.

I recommend this book to women who want to connect with others. It could certainly be used by an individual for a month of inspiration. It would also be a good resource for a ministry leader of women.

I don't think this book is suitable for discussion among a large group of women. I see it more as a springboard for one woman connecting with another, perhaps over coffee a couple of times a week. The stories are good for initiating an openness through story telling but it would have to be with a trusted person.

Food for thought: “Love is being willing to inconvenience yourself for the sake of another – and finding joy in it.” (225)

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Icon Media. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Jenifer Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I deeply struggle to strike up a conversation and at times even struggle to add to a conversation. Sometimes it is out of fear of not saying the right thing or fear of sounding stupid. And sometimes it's because I have nothing to say and don't know how to really create a conversation. I deeply crave connecting with women. I think this is what God intended, for women to connect with one another, share with one another, encourage one another, and pray with one another. Yet, it just doesn't come easy for me. {in}Courage has a brand new book, available today, called Craving Connection: 30 Challenges for Real Life Engagement. Craving Connection is written by 30 different women who share their real life stories, practical tips and encouraging words on connecting with each other. Jennifer Ueckert says, "We are at our best when we are walking together on this journey." Holley Gerth says, "We can't take the tension of life all by ourselves. We need to share it with others or we'll be pulled to pieces." And Lisa-Jo Baker reminds us that our story might just be someone else's life preserver. One thing I deeply love about Craving Connection is each chapter comes with an engaging challenge, connection questions and a connection challenge. These precious ladies know how to get right into our hearts and draw us up and out as we learn to connect. What else I truly love about this book? These 30 women are real women. They aren't experts, counselors or even celebrities. They are real women, real wives, real moms, real sisters, real friends. They are all on this journey right beside us. And here, in this beautiful book, they have shared their own findings to give us hope and encouragement.

[Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craving Connection contains 30 stories paired with connection questions and connection challenges. Each section is packed with biblical understanding and real life narratives. The rose and grey colors of the pages bring them alive and provide a tranquil reading experience. It is a hardcover book with beautiful typography.

I enjoyed how each narrative was relatable. In a world where connection is hard because of our fast moving lives on social media, Craving Connection begs us to slow down to find Him in one another.
My favorite story is by Kate inadvertently titled, “Loving Beyond the Gate,” where she challenges us to tear down our preconceived notions of others unlike ourselves. While living in South Africa, Kate encountered Angela standing at her gate time and time again in need. Kate was challenged to love beyond material goods. “…may we never be accused of being stingy with love” (p.227).
“Love is seeing and appreciating the reflection of God Himself in all who bear His image, no matter where they are in the world” (p.222).

Kate’s story and others make a strong case for the connection and love of Jesus. Seeing Him in our neighbor is imperative to break down the barriers we inadvertently put up.

I recommend this book to anyone craving a deeper connection to our disconnected world. These 30 stories will challenge us to turn off the TV and serve with our whole heart. It is a great book to give as a gift to teens, friends, parents, and loved ones. It would also make for a great study.

It was a great gift and I’m very appreciate to the Five Minute Friday community. Pick up yours on (in)courage’s DaySpring store or at Amazon.

[Kim]

I am excited and grateful to be a Goodreads winner.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So through no fault of it's own, this book was not what I thought it was. I picked up Craving Connection thinking it was formatted more like a traditional book. When I read the back cover more closely later, I realized that this book is actually written by multiple authors and contains personal stories about how these women have found connection with others.

Overall, I thought the book was good. It was hard to get past the initial "this is not what I was expecting", but once I did get over it I started to enjoy it. Since each chapter is written by a different author/blogger, it was more like reading a collection of blog posts than a book...and with that came a lot of variety. Some of the chapters I really enjoyed and felt challenged by, and some were just okay.

After each chapter are a couple quotes and some short "challenges" to help you get started in connecting with your community. I liked those sections, but found myself skipping past them a bit toward the end of the book, but mostly because the format was different in the version I read. I'd love to see how pretty everything looks in the print and finished Kindle versions of this book!

This is more of a devotion type book, so if you pick it up I'd say to expect to read it in short sections. It's not the type of book you can sit down and read several chapters at once, at least for me. However, I enjoyed it overall!

Note: I received a digital galley of this book for free in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.

[Rachel Lundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Craving Connection is the first book from (in)courage! It is just what you would expect from the (in)courage community – words filled with hope, love for Jesus, friendship, and encouragement. This book is written by many of the in courage authors, plus other writers whom (in)courage readers will recognize from the (in)courage community. These women come together to share their stories of community. They share examples from their own lives, and they give practical advice for reaching out in friendship.

Each chapter ends with connection questions, a connection challenge, and a prayer. These practical steps will help you to put into practice what you learn. This is a great book to read through with a friend, a book club, or on your own. Be prepared to be challenged and stretched!

While reading this book, I was encouraged to pursue friendship with intentionality. I was challenged to keep reaching out in friendship and to keep seeking community. One afternoon, after reading a few chapters, I invited my next door neighbor over for an impromptu tea party. We had a delightful time chatting and drinking tea for over an hour! Reading Craving Connection was just the prompting I needed to step outside my comfort zone and risk friendship again.

I received an advanced review copy of Craving Connection from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Teri Lynne Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of honest essays by writers like Lisa-Jo Baker, Kris Camealy, Denise Hughes, and Amanda White (along with 26 other incredible women), Craving Connection is a guidebook for all of us desperate for real connection with God, with friends, and within our communities. Each essay ends with a Connection Challenge where we are invited to put our desires into action.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who has wondered how to build connections with others ... and especially for those who have felt rejected or insecure in themselves and their ability to relate and engage with other women.

{Note: I received a free copy of this book from Dayspring as an influencer. My recommendation comes with no reservations and no expectation of a favorable review by Dayspring, (in)courage, or any of the writers involved with this project.}

[Lauren Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Full of great ideas of ways to connect with community, plus plenty of good examples to help the reader see the importance of community. A much-needed resource in today's world, where many of us have tons of "friends" on social media but few real-life connections.
I did receive an ARC of this book from Netgalley. I am posting my honest review.

[Rosetta Mandisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book few months ago to read during my morning quiet times. I found the stories here very pleasant and interesting to read. I like that each story included a scripture, prayer and challenge for the day. The thirty day challenges made me think about my own personal relationships and how I could work to improve them.

[Kimberly Olson Sutor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this devotional! Almost every author spoke directly to my heart. Sometimes I was grateful to be able to say "I do that :)" and other times I was convicted and have some areas I need to pay better attention to. I highly recommend this daily devotional for women looking to connect more....with God, with gfs, and with community.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1st section definitely drew me back to Scripture as I reflected on my life and relationship with Lord. The rest of the book as it focused on developing friendships and community, offered good suggestions but not really what I needed at this stage of life.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only took me 2.5 years to finish, 😆 but it was an enjoyable and relatable read. It made me feel less alone in my craving connection with other like-minded women.... and the sadness over how that sense of community has changed in our culture.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

S1V1L1

[Marla Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book one devotional at a time. So far it has really challenged me to look at how I handle relationships with friends.

[Jenni Wertman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a yearly read! Gives you a push in the right direction!

[Nikole Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The times that I’ve grown the most–as a mother, a wife, a friend, a child of God–have all happened as a result of doing something new and trusting God to equip me to do the work He’s called me to do.” – Pg. 11

Walking into the church service, the semi-dark, intimate room might as well been a concert that held 30,000 people. I chewed on my lower lip, tightened my grip on my purse straps, and found a seat in the back. People knew me here. I knew them. Still, I could not break into their tight groups when service was over. Forced conversation, awkward silences, and even more awkward excuses to move on made for uncomfortable situations. I’m not alone to have encountered cliques or to face inward anxiety on making connections.

Friends over the years have confided in me how they feel alone at church, whether that church is in a city or a small town. Some of us are just meant to always invite, but rarely be invited. It’s not intentional, and with what I do with WorldVenture, I am more aware than ever of those that linger on the outside. Women crave connection. “He (God) had to first take me through a season of removing the old, hardened pieces I’d built up like a wall,” writes Crystal Stine on page 11 of, Craving Connection: 30 Challenges for Real Life Engagement. Sometimes, it’s our own walls that keep people away.

The first page immediately caused me to do a Facebook Live review of this book. The book brings in technology with face-to-face engagement. Some books I’ve read reluctantly bring up technology as a point of connection almost like the author doesn’t like technology, but brings it up because it is our reality. Rather than fight technology, Christians can use the practical applications in this book to create those much needed connections.

Page 167 encourages women to host a book club. Chandler Bible has a women’s book club. You can have a book club online and face-to-face. To do one online, you can use Skype for a group call. For an area like mine where getting women together is almost impossible because we’re over-scheduled or not interested in meeting, online groups are wonderful ways to work at those connections. This book has much to offer.

It starts with a thought to consider, a piece of Scripture, and practical application. This is helpful for the introvert. Let me encourage those of you who always feel as if you are always inviting, but never being invited. God may have a different plan for you. We can resent our situation or give ourselves as an offering to those who need a good friend.

On this Valentines Day, think and pray for those who lost their spouses, are single and do or don’t want to get married (and have families that wish they were married), and the single Christians who are trying to live holy lives. Let’s celebrate healthy families who work at their marriages and folks who have been married over fifty years. Let’s thank God for them and celebrate the good and lovely things on this day.

Can I pray for you?

*Book given by publisher to review

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when I first found (in)courage about five years ago, I felt welcomed. With several different writing styles, experiences, and voices, it could be a place for everyone without judgment and with godly encouragement -- and relatable to real-life, which can sometimes be hard to find among devotions.

The thirty devotions, written by thirty different authors, share personal stories of friendship challenges and friendship successes and what God has shown them connection can mean in their lives and the lives of others.

The devotions are split into three main sub-sections:

-Connecting with God More Deeply
-Connecting with Friends More Purposefully
-Connecting with Community More Intentionally

Each devotion starts with a focus verse (designed well in a sidebar box), an initial thought to consider, and an action step to create connections in your own life as you read. After the devotion, each ends with three connection questions, a prayer, and an action 'challenge' to take what you're reading and apply it to real life. The book has lovely design aspects with border accents, sidebars, and quote highlights, which help make it a lovely gift book.

With thirty authors, there is definitely some diversity (racial/cultural, abilities, and a little bit of economic) in the book. I feel the book would be able to reach even more people if more diverse backgrounds were included. As a special needs mom, I'd love to see more stories that did touch on special needs go deeper and more opportunities in generally to really look through a window into other perspectives, other voices, and other life experiences. That said, most readers will be able to find aspects of life they can relate to and relate to well. (I did, too.) And you'll never feel judged reading this book. Instead, you'll read of ideas on remaining intentional in the hard but needed work of connected with others. You'll see grace, see the value of connection, and see writers who are growing in life just as you are.

And that's a gift. I'm thankful for the (in)courage community.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own, and this is my honest review.

[Sarah Koontz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craving Connection: 30 Challenges for Real Life Engagement is written by real-women sharing real-stories from their real-lives. The format of this book is perfect for busy women, offering engaging story-based devotionals rooted in the life-giving truth of God’s word. The inspiring women from (in)courage believe that we must remain (in) Christ if we ever hope to find the courage to embrace community.

For this reason, the book is divided into three sections (each section building on the last).

Section 1: Connecting With God More Deeply
Section 2: Connecting With Friends More Purposefully
Section 3: Connecting With Community More Intentionally

Each section includes 10 easy-to-read devotionals, including real-life stories, thought-provoking questions, and a down-to-earth connection challenge. Each devotion takes less than 10-minutes to read, and the connection challenges are very doable (it is obvious that they were carefully crafted with introverts and exhausted extroverts in mind). With 29 contributing authors offering a fresh voice and unique perspective on every page, there truly is something for every woman in this beautiful book.

Here are a few of my favorite challenges:

Sincerely acknowledge the work of someone who inspires you.
Go from “me” to “three” by connecting with two people this week.
Practice actively capturing your thoughts as you go about your day.
Share your story first so that someone else might feel comfortable sharing theirs.

Feelings of isolation and loneliness fade away as you make your way through Craving Connection because the brave women of (in)courage are not afraid to “go there” and humbly reveal their own struggles and insecurities. As Renee Swope says on page 44, “Our weaknesses are the things that keep us connected because they are what we have in common.” God created women with a craving for connection, and this book is a fantastic tool to help us break free from the insecurities that isolate and find courage to embrace community.

[Crystal Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:

I often find it hard to connect with people, I consider myself more of a introvert then extrovert. I would rather be alone, with a good book then at a get together with a lot of people. That wasn’t how God created us, He created us to do life together, to have someone we can talk to. Meaningful relationships are meant for all us but some of us have a hard time finding those. Colossians 3:14 tells us “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” We all long for this type of relationship.

Craving Connection is written by the authors from (in)Courage, created in 2009 by DaySpring, (in)Courage is a community for women, a place of faith, connection, and friendship. Craving Connection gives us 30 challenges to have real-life engagement. Three sections: Connecting with God More Deeply, Connecting with Friends More Purposefully, and Connecting with Community More Intentionally, each section has 10 chapters in it. Each one begins with a Bible Verse, Consider statement and how to Engage. For example: Starting a New Thing by Crystal Stine Consider: God’s desire for relationship with us requires us to believe in a promise that brings change. Engage: Text or e-mail a note of encouragement to a friend and let her know she’s important to you. Isaiah 43:19: “Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” (pg.6) At the end there is Connection questions and a connection challenge, and a prayer.

This is a book that I highly recommend to anyone that is looking for way to connect with people. If I can do this so can you!

I received a copy of this book for free. A Favorable review was not required, all opinions expressed are my own.

[Melanie Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpectedly good! I tend to have low expectations for women's devotional books. They are often sappy and predictable pulling out the same tired truisms and gender specific scriptures. I felt an authenticity with this collection that was new for me in this genre. I also really like and appreciated that it was set up to read at my own pace without dates or day numbers, so that when I missed a day (or a week!) I wasn't overwhelmed with judgment and guilt. Well done, @incourage!

[Edie Melson · Rating 5 out of 5]

We live in a world with more "friends" and less "connection" than ever. This book hits at the heart of the matter with encouraging—easy—things to help us recalibrate. The (in)courage website has always been my favorite online place for encouragement and inspiration. Now it feels like they've come for coffee at my house every morning. I love the layout of the book and the ease in which I've begun to incorporate the principles. It doesn't feel like another thing I have to do, instead this book is helping me shed my to-dos and find freedom in being. Definitely a book that you'll want to have on hand to give to friends!

[Cindy Mattern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

[Sherrinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Bible class used this book and it sparked some good conversation. It had challenges that we could complete as a whole group or individually. Overall a good book for discussion with women.