By Wendy Speake & Kelli Stuart
Kregel, 2016
Summary
What was God thinking when He created you creative and then gave you children?
Creative moms often feel as though they must lay their passions down. But God had something special in mind for the creative woman during this intense season of mothering.
In this Pinterest age of handcrafted children's parties, Instagram photos of beautifully decorated homes, and blogs filled with poetry and prose, it is clear that we are in the midst of a brand new artistic renaissance. Not one born in Italian cathedrals or Harlem jazz clubs, but rather in kitchens, nurseries, and living rooms around the world. Mothers, working in the cracks and crevices of each hectic day, are adorning the world with their gifts, and they're showing all of us the beauty of this Life Creative.
In this book, you'll learn:
-Why the world needs your art
-How this Life Creative begins at home
-When art can turn a profit
-Your part in this modern day Renaissance
Life Creative paints the stories of moms, just like you, who are fitting their inspired lives into the everyday, ordinary places of motherhood. Women like home decorator Melissa Michaels and jewelry designer Lisa Leonard, author Angie Smith, recording artist Ellie Holcomb, and many more.
Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/2bDsqfz
My thoughts
Take my painting and let it be . . . take my camera
and let it be . . .
take my baking and let it be . . . take my designing . . .
my crafting . . . my writing . . . my mothering . . .
and let it all be ever, only all for Thee.
Life Creative is so encouraging, a book that any mom would find inspiring and very beneficial in living day-to-day life. Maybe not in all cases, but I do know several moms who have set aside their creative talent or outlet when children came along – and felt frustrated as a result, whether they wanted to admit it or not. Wendy Speake and Kelli Stuart have literally become advocates to moms in this book of hope, encouragement, and application.
Although my children are grown, it was easy to reflect on my personal experiences as I read Life Creative. This book helps moms find ways to honor their artistic side that don’t require abandoning the people around us. Children bring a major change into life’s routines, but adjustments can be made with equally satisfying results. Some of my fondest memories are when my children would come into the room where I was practicing the piano in preparation for Sunday worship. I also loved how this book brings out many less obvious forms of creativity, so there is something for everyone.
A couple of chapters were especially meaningful to me. Chapter 6 talks about abiding, something that I found very difficult with young children. The authors talk about the importance of having three areas of sanctified time in our lives – for God, for family, and for creating – and give helpful ideas for implementation. Chapter 7 focuses on worship, how our roles as mom, wife, and creative artist combine in one giant act of worship. I loved how the authors illustrate this through the Hebrew word avodah, which has “three diverse meanings braided together in real life: work, worship, and service.”
There’s so much in Life Creative that will benefit any mom, an abundance of Scripture, application, encouragement and ideas that I would never have thought of on my own. Recommended to all moms.
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Kelli Stuart is a writer and a storyteller at heart. She has written for several websites including The Huffington Post, 5 Minutes for Mom, The MOB Society, (in)courage and Compassion International. She is the author of three books, including Like a River from Its Course (Kregel Publications, 2016) and a noted speaker. Stuart her husband live in Florida with their four children.
Website | Instagram
Litfuse author page:
http://litfusegroup.com/author/SpeakeStuart
Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of this book through Litfuse Publicity. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Sounds like a wonderful book!
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