back to school bookshelf picks

{Image Credit: We Heart It}

Autumn is here. Leaves are falling, the seasons are changing, and every store is loading up on pumpkin flavored products! Back to School notebooks are on sale, freshmen are nervously biting their nails, and it's time to get back into the rhythmic comforts of a daily routine. 

Whether you're headed back to high school, are just starting college, starting a new job, or bouncing a baby on your hip, it's a season of new beginnings for all of us! 

To help you venture into this new phase of life, we've selected our top Back to School Picks! These are all books that will help you start your new year off right!

Lisa Bevere is one of my favorite Christian authors. She has a special gift for speaking to the warrior princess inside of you, and stirring her to awake.
All of her books have helped me gain more revelation about my true identity in the Lord, and I would absolutely recommend that you check out her newest book, Without Rival.  

Just check out this quote from Without Rival;

"You are a daughter loved by a Father without rival, entrusted with a message and promise beyond compare. You have been chosen for this moment that is at once great and terrible. For this very reason, you must love fearlessly...believe courageously...and hope without measure.

You don't have to fight for your place at the table, or to win His love. No one can take you out or replace you. You are loved without rival."

When you're stepping into a new season of life, it's so important that you fill yourself with words and truth that will give you fresh vision for the future! 

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Do yourself a huge favor and purchase this gem. 

Without Rival: Embrace Your Identity and Purpose in an Age of Confusion and Comparison

If you've never heard of Dr. Caroline Leaf, then prepare for your mind to be blown. (In a good way, of course!) She is a cognitive neuroscientiest with a PhD in Communication Pathology, specializing in Neursophycholgy. Basically, that's a whole bunch of super fancy words to say this much: she studies the scientific workings of our brains, and how they line up with scripture. 

That being said, this book might sound a little bit overwhelming! But thankfully, Dr Caroline shares what God has shown her about science and how it backs up His Holy Word, in simple concepts that are easy to grasp. 

This book will teach you about the power of your mind, your brain, your thoughts, and why it is so important to do what He commanded, "take every thought captive into obedience to Christ Jesus." {2 Corinthians 5:10}

We are commanded to "be transformed by the renewing of your minds" {Romans 12:2} and Dr. Caroline talks about why this is so important. So many problems in our lives stem from the way we are thinking! Science proves that many diseases, physical ailments, stress issues, fears, anxiety problems, and mental illnesses all come from what we are thinking about!

God doesn't want us to think dark, damaging, toxic thoughts. We were created for love and He wants us to think the way that He thinks. 

When we renew our minds in God's Word we can actually change our brains and thought structures so that they are no longer toxic! 

Understanding these truths, taking dominion over your own mind, and retraining your brain to think with the mind of Christ, is absolutely life changing.

Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health

If the book above is all about doing surgery on your own mind, than this book is all about God doing surgery on our hearts. Experiencing Father's Embrace is loaded with the transforming power of God's Word. 

The author, Jack Frost, talks about how he grew up with a very distorted image of who God the Father is. That messaged up image of what a Father is (or rather, is not), caused him to live a life of striving through his personal works of "ministry". His goals and accomplishments were all in vain because he wasn't doing them from a place of peace. He struggled to earn the approval of God, and was extremely hard on himself, and the people around him, all because he didn't understand how much the Father loved him.

This book is a must read for anyone who desires to have a greater revelation of the love of God! So much healing and restoration will pour into your heart as you read the words on these pages. This book is like a love letter from your Heavenly Daddy who absolutely adores you. 

Experiencing Father's Embrace

I have always been a dreamer. But I didn't always believe that God actually wanted these dreams to come true. 

Dreaming with God is so much more beautiful, powerful, and exciting, than dreaming on your own! Once you learn that God Himself is a dreamer, it puts all of your dreams into the right perspective. 

This book is a spectacular diving board for anyone who wants to launch out into a new adventure with Jesus. It's like a passport to take you into the wild and wonderful unknown! 

If your life has felt a little dull or predictable, or if you're struggling to figure out what God wants you to "do with your life" then this book is a must have! It will peel back new layers of who God is, reveal fresh perspectives, and give you an exciting new outlook on what it means to dream with the King of Dreams!

Dreaming with God: Secrets to Redesigning Your World Through God's Creative Flow

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on them will take you to Amazon, where if you choose to make any purchases, a small percentage of your total will be given to Crown of Beauty, at no extra cost to you! Shopping at Amazon through these links will help support our ministry so that we can continue reaching girls all over the world!