The Hidden Art of Homemaking
For those of us aspiring domestic goddesses, Edith Schaeffer has written a beautiful book, totally different from any I've ever read before. I've always struggled with the place of beauty in the Christian life and Schaeffer was inspiring to me that there are many ways the beauty of Christ can be displayed in our everyday lives. She gives dignity to the art of keeping a house and ideas for tons of ways in which people with various artistic bents can give expression to their creativity in ways that will bless their families and others who enter their homes. She also serves as a good antidote to our throwaway culture, encouraging forms of beauty that are simple, frugal, and people/relationship centered. Things of beauty themselves never become the main thing but rather point our eyes to something else that is the main thing. While I can't say it caused me to clean my house any more often, it did cause me to think differently about beauty and the home, and made me excited about the opportunity I have for adding meaning to things that often feel mundane.