Created to Create

7 Must-Read Christian Books for College Women

Today, I went to the Barnes and Noble in my hometown, and y’all, it’s like freaking Christmas every single time I’m in there.

I love love love to read, but more than that, I just love bookstores. While I love independent bookstores with all my heart, Barnes and Noble just has so many more books! I can’t hardly contain myself!

I want to read ALL OF THE BOOKS.

Typically my trips to Barnes and Noble go one of two ways.

One: I have a lot of time on my hands and I spend all the time that I have and then some trying to read all of the books.

OR 

Two: I have no time on my hands so I make rash decisions and end up buying four books even though I already have 17 on my shelf that I have yet to read (oops).

Today was a mixture of the two. I spent slightly too much time in Barnes and Noble and purchased two books while at least 12 books on my bookshelf go unread.

ANYWAYS…

Because of my love for books, I’ve been on the lookout for some time now for the best books for Christians. In the past four years, I’ve read some of the most amazing books that have shaped my walk with Jesus (in a beautiful way!).

So, today I want to share a few of them with you!

Here is a list of the 7 must-read books I recommend to any Christian woman in college!

1.  Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

I’m not even rell the way finished with this book yet and I just know that literally everyone in college needs to read this.

ATTENTION BUSY COLLEGE CHRISTIANS: READ THIS BOOK!!

In college, busyness is the norm. It’s almost expected of you to be overcommitted, drained, and running on empty.

In Present Over Perfect, Shauna Niequist shares this truth: it doesn’t have to be that way.

Present Over Perfect is about Shauna’s journey from exhausted to rested, from people-pleasing to grace. I am so glad I picked up this book because it’s shown me that I don’t have to do everything. I can just be.

You need to read this book if…
1. You’re feeling hella overwhelmed
2. You feel like you need to say yes to everything.
3. You know that you need to slow down your life but you don’t know how.

 

2.  Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

I cannot rave about this book enough. Stop what you’re doing. Read this book.

In Mere Christianity, CS Lewis both beautifully and practically articulates the Christian faith. I’ve heard others describe it as apologetics, but it’s so much more. Reading this book put words to many of the thoughts I’ve had swirling around my head for years, and because of it, this book is one of my favorites of all time.

You need to read this book if…
1. You want to read something by CS Lewis but don’t know where to start.
2. You can dedicate a fair amount of time and energy to reading and digesting the book in its entirety.
3. You’re interested in apologetics.
4. You want to look super Christian while you’re reading it.

 

3.  Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst

A lot of the anxiety I’ve struggled with in college has come down to two things: insecurity and rejection. In Uninvited, Lysa TerKeurst talks about just that.

Lysa is the President of Proverbs 31 Ministries and has written several incredible books for women chasing after Jesus that I’ve been wanting to read. This is the first and only book I’ve read of hers and I’m so glad I picked it up!

You need to read this book if…
1. You have struggled with insecurity
2. You have ever felt left out or rejected
3. You want to read an amazing book by the President of Proverbs 31 Ministries

 

4. Boundaries in Dating by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

To be honest, I was incredibly hesitant to read this book. To me, the title screamed: “Don’t you hold your boyfriend’s hand, you sinner.” Luckily, I picked it up anyways and I’m so glad I did. This book isn’t like that at all.

Boundaries in Dating is so much more than physical boundaries (which I believe only constituted a chapter or two). It’s about dealing with conflict, understanding when you’re the problem, dealing with breakups, etc. I’m so glad that I read this and couldn’t recommend it highly enough for college women trying to figure out this whole dating thing.

You need to read this book if…
1. You have questions about this whole “dating” thing
2. You want a Christian perspective on relationships
3. You struggle with setting emotional boundaries

 

5. Love Does by Bob Goff

Love Does is a must read for many reasons, but mainly because it was so dang fun to read. Bob Goff is a HOOT and this book is an awesome (and hilarious) collection of stories he shares about living out the gospel in his life.

The perspectives he shares in this book are truly wonderful and propel you to live out the love of Jesus because of this: love does stuff. Love doesn’t just sit around; love helps, gives, listens, restores, heals. Love. Does.

You need to read this book if…
1. You’re looking for a feel-good, easy read that propels you towards Jesus
2. You have a hard time sitting down to read a novel and prefer to read a collection of essays over a longer period of time

 

6. Jesus Calling

We’ve all been there – three tests in one day, two group projects, and blah blah blah. How do you fit in a quiet time on those days? The answer is here – Jesus Calling!

Jesus Calling is an incredible devotional book that only takes 5-10 minutes to read and process. It’s perfect for someone who is in a particularly busy season of life, or even someone who is just trying out this whole “quiet time” thing.

You need to read this book if…
1. You want to have daily quiet times but aren’t sure that you have the time
2. You are looking for short 5-10 minute devotionals to start/end your day
3. You haven’t tried quiet times before and aren’t sure where to start


7. The Bible

*cue the eye rolls*

Hopefully this is a given, but come on, I couldn’t not include the Bible on here.

(If you’re wondering what translation I recommend, I bounce between NIV, ESV, and NLT!)

You need to read this book if…
You are a living, breathing person.

 

 

 

I’m so glad you stopped by and I hope you enjoyed this post!

Please say hello in the comments and let me know what you think of these books and if you have any other book recommendations!

Praying Through Psalm 118: Verse 5

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Welcome to Week 2 of Praying Through Psalm 118!

This week’s focus is on Psalm 118:5, one of my favorite verses in the Psalm. This verse is incredibly powerful to me because it gives me faith that God hears our cries to Him in our distress.

As you pray, I hope you reflect on these three things…

  1. God is with us at all times.
  2. God listens to our prayers.
  3. God will bring healing (in this life or the next).

Father,

When I pray, I do not always feel Your presence. Yet Your scriptures reassure me of this: You are always with me! High or low, near or far, still you are with me.

I confess, God, that I do not always feel you with me when I pray, and I do not always believe that you listen to my prayers. But I must remind myself of this truth: when I pray, you listen!

God, you have delivered me from my pain, and you will deliver me from my pain. Will you remind me of how you have delivered me? Please, Lord, give me hope that just as you have before, you will deliver me from my sufferings. When I cry out to you, you listened you answer. Please give me the patience and strength to endure my circumstances and walk forth with joy in the gospel. For when I cry out to you in my sufferings, you set me free. 

 

 

It is my hope and prayer that this prayer is useful to you and freeing for your soul. In the midst of our struggles, God is with us. Whatever season you may be in, I hope that you feel God around you and within you as you pray. Join me next Sunday as we continue praying through Psalm 118!

 

PRAYING THROUGH PSALM 118: VERSES 1-4

Welcome to the first official week of Praying Through Psalm 118!

This week we’ll be praying through the first four verses. While most of this Psalm deals with pain, the first four verses open with praise and thanksgiving. Join me in praying this short prayer, asking for reassurance in God’s unfailing love.

Heavenly Father,

In the midst of the season that I am in right now, I know that You are with me. You are with me and You are good. Your promises are true and You promise me this: Your love endures forever.

God, will you let my words be glorifying to you? Will you let the words and actions of this world bring glory to you and you alone? 

In the midst of our pain and struggle, give us peace in knowing that your love endures forever. Your love is never failing.

 

I hope that you enjoyed praying through Psalm 118 with me! Join me next week as we go through verse 5.

PRAYING THROUGH PSALM 118: AN INTRODUCTION

God called me to Psalm 118 in the most difficult season of my life.

In 2015, I struggled with depression.

I was a freshman at an enormous public university I never wanted to attend, and my days were largely marked by sadness and loneliness. Nothing in my life felt right, and my sadness began to consume me. My brokenness led me spiraling down into a dark season of depression and anxiety.

With nothing else to turn to, I turned to God. I clung to the promises of my Father, who I was just beginning to know, and dove into scripture. Previously only a prescriber of Pinterest-friendly Christian culture, I strove to know the God that Jesus knew.

And in my struggle, God spoke to me.

During that time, I felt God call me to several passages. However, I felt that I spoke to me the most through Psalm 118. To this day, two years after my battle with depression, I hold a special place in my heart for Psalm 118 and how it has carried, and will carry, me through dark times.

For this reason, I have decided to pray through Psalm 118. Every Sunday for the next few months, I will be using this Psalm to guide my prayers of joy and praise, of fear and pain, and of struggle and perseverance.

I hope you enjoying following along and praying with me through Psalm 118!

HOW WORKING FOR THE CHURCH CHANGED ME

I never would have pegged myself for the type to work for a church, so when I felt God’s call on my life to intern for my church, I was terrified. Little did I know how much my heart would come on fire for God while I was there.

Working for the church has changed me in more ways than I could have ever imagined, and it would take me hours to explain in depth exactly how. Instead, I’ve decided write about the 5 key ways working for the church has changed me.

1. Working for the church has empowered me.

Working for the church, there were a number of tasks I tackled on a weekly basis that I had never tried before. However, at my church, I felt secure in the knowledge that not only would God love me regardless of my performance, but so would my team.

My team constantly reassured me of their confidence in me and their care for me as a sister in Christ. Their encouragement anchored me in my identity as a daughter of the King. Ultimately, this was what gave me the strength and perserverence to pursue any task.

As I complete my time at the church, I feel empowered to continue to pursue (and #slay) any task because I know that I am loved by my Father and my brothers and sisters in the faith regardless of my performance. It is this security that has empowered me to take risks and ultimately do my best and it is this security that I will carry with me.

 

2. Working for the church has taught me the importance of alone time with God.

At the church, it was literally a part of my job to spend time with God every day. I kid you not, my signed job description includes the requirement of a minimum of 30 minutes spent daily communing with God.

Prior to working for my church, I had quiet times with God most days, but they often fell flat and felt more like an obligation than a privilege. However with time, perseverance, and the influence of my colleagues at the church, I have realized how fruitful quiet times can be. As I walked in community with my coworkers who reaped the fruits of deep, meaningful quiet times, I began to implement their practices and dive in with zeal. Consequently, my quiet times have become more rich and more enjoyable than ever before. (I hope to share in future posts more about how I spend quiet times as well as a few pointers I’ve picked up along the way!)

Working for the church taught me that quiet times are not just a recommended practice for church goers. Rather, they are a rich time of communion with the Father, and one of the most important opportunities to grow in relationship with God.

 

3. Working for the church has given me a sense of community.

At my private, secular university, I have longed for a true and constant sense of Christian community. Working for the church, I have found just that.

At the church, I have experienced the purest form of fellowship. By working and interacting day-in and day-out with fellow believers, I have gained a church family. This opportunity has not only given me a sense of community with the church staff, but has restarted my motivation to pursue Christian community among my peers at my university.

 

4. Working for the church has changed my view of church.

Prior to working for the church, I viewed the church as a building, an entity, and/or a nonprofit organization. Now, I know that the church is so much more.

I no longer view a church congregation as one of many. I know know that my church is a part of THE Church, Christ’s Bride. I now understand the church is not a building; rather, the church is the body of Christ. As I end my time working for the church, I am beginning to see how church congregations can work together to live into Jesus’ vision for The Church.

 

5. Working for the church has changed my outlook on life.

Lastly, and most importantly, working for the church has changed the way I view my life.

When I began my internship, I would likely have told you that my faith was a huge part of my life. Now, I live into the reality that faith is not a facet of life. Rather, faith is life.

 

I end my time working for the church with the knowledge and expectation that life will not be enriched by faith, but instead, life is is only truly experienced through faith.

If there’s anything you’d like to know more about, let me know in the comments, and I’ll write about it! I hope you enjoyed reading about how working for the church has changed me!

 

 

THE ULTIMATE LIST OF INFJ RESOURCES

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE the Myers-Briggs. I love it for no other reason than the fact that it is SO DANG ACCURATE for me.

 

I am an INFJ. The INFJ personality is the least common of the 16 MBTI personalities, and the one that feels the least understood. Perhaps that is why I love the Myers-Briggs so much – it gets me.

While INFJs are the least common, they are one of the most common that I’ve seen written about on the web. I have developed somewhat of a collection so this blog post is just that: a collection of online resources about INFJs.

 

 

13 AMAZING RESOURCES FOR INFJS
     
  • What is an INFJ? // The Basics
 
 
 
  • Articles about INFJ’s
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  • Pins about INFJ’s

13. Check out tons of pins about INFJ’s on the Created to Create Pinterest account here: https://www.pinterest.com/iwascreatedtocreate/infj/

 

 

 

WHY I’M STARTING A BLOG

There are a lot of blogs out there. And I mean A LOT OF BLOGS. Fashion blogs, lifestyle blogs, travel blogs, food blogs, you name it. And why? Because we’re living in the age of the blog.

It is easier than ever to sign up on Blogger or WordPress, play with type and color, write up your perspectives, and launch it out to the interwebs. That being the case, it makes a lot of sense where we are now. Anyone and everyone can make a blog.

Truthfully, I’m incredibly disinterested in starting a blog that looks and acts like everyone else’s. It’s for that reason that I’ve been hesitant for a long time to start a blog.

So why am I starting a blog?

I’m starting CREATED TO CREATE because I want to be a voice for Jesus Christ in the blogging community. I want to be a voice of honesty, of vulnerability, of grace, and of kindness in a world that is filled with a lot of the opposite. I’m starting CREATED TO CREATE because I want the light of Jesus Christ to shine out from me, reaching the hopeful and the discouraged, the lost and the found, the reached and the unreached.

More specifically, I want to be this kind of voice for Jesus Christ among young people.

Now more than ever, the online world is in need of pure, scripture-breathed Truth. I hope, through this blog, that I will be able to deliver Truth through:

  • Devotionals
  • Perspectives on Christianity in America
  • Book and Music Reviews
  • Tips and Advice

If any or all of this sounds good to you, please stick around!

And welcome to Created to Create.

 

 

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” // John 8:12

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be middle. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” // Matthew 5:14-16