The Hidden Art of Homemaking

Fabulous read. This is not your traditional “how to keep a home” book with cleaning tips and organizational advice. This book approaches homemaking from the perspective of God. The earth is His creation and is our true home. It’s our job to preserve its beauty in its entirety. And by being good stewards of His creation (via art, nature, limiting our consumption of nonessentials, etc., we are honoring Him.

This book is so good! It's a little dated but regardless holds wonderful truths to how our lives can reflect God's beauty and art to others. Love it!

Excellent book

I read this book when I was newly married, in 1980, and this book has been a great inspiration for my life as a woman, a wife and a mother.Edith Shaffer is the wife of the well known Christian philosopher Francis Scaeffer, and they have together built up the L'Abri community in the Swiss Alps.Edith Shaeffer says herself about this book: I would define hidden art as the art found in the ordinary areas of everyday life. Each person has, I believe, some talent which is unfulfilled in some hidden area of his being - a talent which could be expressed and developed.Jesus tells us in the Bible to use our talents, and Hidden Art gives us some great help on this road. I remember when I read it the first time my favorite part was where the writers tells us about taking small children to long services and how to help them to stay concentrate and listen to what the preacher preach. I was not a mother myself then, but I was a Sunday school teacher, and all the children in my Sunday scholl became familiar with the drawings I had learned from Edith Shaeffer.Other areas the writes tells about are music, painting, interiior decorating, gardening, creative recreation - to name a few.I'm rereading this book now after more than 20 years. It is lent, and for me lent is a period where I try to find time to be more quiet and live closer to God and the meaning he has for my life. There are many books helping me to walk this road, and Hidden Art is a wonderful book sent from the Almighty God.Britt Arnhild Lindland

I read this book many years ago. It summed up a beautiful philosophy of homemaking, one that needs to be heard in our day. I had been scoffed at for my choice of staying home with my children, but no one scoffs anymore. Now, after years of following my heart, I have four great children and a beautiful home. I started simply, with ideas including Mrs. Schaeffer's ideas, and the Lord has blessed our family. This book is a must-read for every woman who needs to get a vision of what her home could be. It was wonderfully pleasant to find a kindred spirit in Mrs. Schaeffer...to find someone who agreed that the beautiful things in this world are God-sent and should be echoed in our homes.

This book is great for anyone who needs a little "life boost". Edith Schaeffer helps you to work with what everyone's got--God-given talent! You may think you can't do anything, but she makes you see that it's the simple things in life that are important to concentrate on and "bring out". (Relationships are important, especially those with children) I only wish I had read this when I first got married or when my kids were younger but its not too late to start doing some of these things NOW. I especially enjoyed her chapter entitled "Interior Decoration". It's never really been a topic of interest to me but she has a lot of simple ideas (and inexpensive) on making your house a "warm" place to want to be! This is a book that everyone could read and be encouraged. I feel that even people who live alone, no matter their age, could benefit from this inspiring book!