Life Creative // A Book Recommedation

A few weeks ago, my new Insta-friend Wendy Speake, sent me her latest book Life Creative. I couldn’t wait to read it and I’ve been reading it throughout my quiet times in the morning ever since. 

Here’s the beautiful thing about Life Creative… it’s written by two creative moms. They’re right there in the trenches with us, ladies. They know what it’s like. They get it. 

The words that they have so eloquently written on paper make me feel like I’m not alone in this strange, but wonderful, need to create. To write and to paint. And I’m also not alone in the struggle to find balance between making and family. Art + life. 

Wendy and Kelli offer a fresh take on creativity - what they rightfully portray as a gracious gift from God. They discuss the battle that they found themselves fighting as a new mom - not even realizing that creativity was such a huge part of who they were.  But without cultivating it - even in those weary seasons of motherhood - we feel a deep and unexplainable sense of loss.

What I find so exciting about this book is that it doesn’t give you a prescription to fix it, or a way to balance it all. They point out that God is the Author of our timeline, and He created us with creativity for a purpose, for today and for our future. So what can we do now, where we find ourselves today, to live the creative life? 

Isn’t that every mother’s struggle? To find the time to do what is necessary to fill your own soul with joy? (Read the last blog post.)

Only in the past few years have I accepted that what fills my heart with joy, and what uniquely makes me me, is the need - the deepest desire and longing - to create. I used to see it as a flaw, not as a blessing. But through much study, I’ve come discover that our Heavenly Father is a creative God and celebrates creativity throughout scripture. 

The key is - surrendering to His timing to use it, isn’t it? 

This book is a MUST for all the makers, writers, artists, bakers, chefs and teachers that struggle with what the creative life looks like in the middle of motherhood, day jobs and marriage. Wendy + Kelli’s words have deeply encouraged me as I know they will for you as well. I cannot wait for you to read it! 

The good news is that it comes out TODAY!! You can buy it on Amazon here. You can follow Life Creative on Instagram here. 

Wendy and Kelli - thank you so much for including me in this journey. I have been extremely blessed by you both! 

And without further ado, here is an excerpt that is one of my favorites. 

“For many creative souls, inspiration floods late at night when the house grows still and the distractions of the day fade. As the light of the moon winks a story into your heart, grab (a) journal, pick up your laptop, pin your inspiration, record the raw melody on your iPhone, sketch the design, lay down the lyrics at the altar table of your journal’s pages, then sleep. The rest will continue to fuel your creative soul, and it will give you the grace to focus fully on your most beautiful creations when they toddle to your bedside in the early morning hours. 

Visions and inspiration can be all consuming, but don’t worry about bringing them to fruition today, my friend. There is an appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come. There is a time for visions, a time for dreams, a time for living, and a time to create. And the One who inspires is the same One who makes all things beautiful in His time.” Life Creative, page 72

10 Random Facts About Me

I realize that a lot of y'all are new to our little handmade business, so I thought I'd spend the week re-introducing myself!! You can read the first post here.

Today, I'm sharing

1. I love coffee, but I really drink it for the creamer

2. I am only five feet tall. No additional inches.

3. I am a habitual list maker. But rarely do those lists get done. Ooops.

4. I am a procrastinator. I've learned to embrace it and move on... have you?

5. I am a killer at Mario Kart.

6. It's incredibly difficult for me to give myself grace.  

7. I'm addicted to makeup... specifically lip gloss. I have a ton, but they all look the same.

8. I have a hard time finishing books.

9. I am a bible study leader of embrace grace at our church. It is my heart's song.

10. I feel like I was born to sing... unfortunately, my voice doesn't agree with me.

Are you still here?? I'd love to hear 10 random facts about YOU! Ready? GO.

So who ARE you??

 

I thought since we're starting a new year + starting a "re-branding" for the blog, I'd start off with an introduction of sorts to those of y'all who might be new to Little Branches!

So, first thing's first :: my name is Becky and I'm the artist behind the handmade sign shop Little Branches. Most days you can find me reheating my coffee for the tenth time while juggling a newborn, my other two feisty littles {ages 4 + 6} and trying my best to not smell like poop + spit up all day long. Other days, you can find me praying for strength just to make it through the day without losing my temper or losing my mind. I am just an imperfect human trying to serve Jesus as best I can. I am blessed to live in Texas with my high school sweetheart, cheer on our Baylor bears and worship Jesus on Sundays at our hometown church.

I "grew up" here in North Texas, after living in six other cities before settling here for high school. I went to a small-ish Christian school in Addison {which I loved, by the way} and my hubby went to one of the largest public schools in the same area! We come from two different worlds in that respect! We met in our high school youth group and started dating about a year later. I'm a lucky girl!

When I grow up I want to be an elementary school art teacher. And a drill team sponsor. At my alma mater. I have a sweet friend who teaches biology at our high school and she LOVES it. {And I bet she's an awesome teacher, by the way!} I always loved art... and the messiness of creativity. I've never been neat + tidy... I guess that's a side affect of being "a creative". Just today someone was saying "you're just the artsy type" when I told her I had waited until the last minute to meet a self-imposed deadline. I guess it's just who I am, and I'm just now learning to accept it and give myself some grace.

Right after starting my little handmade business, the Lord called me to go to Africa. It was life changing and soul searching all at the same time. I had the chance, unbeknownst to me, to share the gifts that the Lord has given to me {hello artsiness!} with the women in Uganda. We talked with them about business and even how to start a handmade business. How awesome is our God? That He would bring me halfway around the world to not only use me to encourage others - I mean, anyone could do that - but to show me that His gifts are just that. Gifts. No matter what those gifts may look like, they are from Him! 

I'm on a journey to discovering that just because "creativity" and "business woman" are not in the spiritual gifts test, it doesn't mean that they are not straight from the Lord - and made just for me. I'm learning to love how He made me, and surrender ALL of me to Him on a daily basis. I've been in a habit of belittling myself - and how He made me - and I'm learning that is not how He intended it. Work in progress, right here, y'all!

Here, I hope to provide a safe place that we can all be inspired and encouraged here on this blog. I hope that you will feel free to ask questions and challenge me and reach out for encouragement all at the same time. I tend to be all over the place - I hope that's okay! I'll be writing a little bit about business, a lot about faith, a little about family and friends. I hope you want to stick around!

Thank you for joining our space! I pray that you will find a little bit of Love and a whole lotta Jesus here.

why i quit blogging. {and why i'm trying again.}

so i quit blogging a few months ago. maybe two or so.

and it wasn't quite on purpose, persay. 

i just wasn't feeling it. 

i used to blog quite regularly on my first blog. it was about my family. our adventures with the littles. project life. crafting. mommyhood. friendship. 

it was awesome. i loved it. 

it was an outlet for me. i loved taking pictures. editing. posting.

but most of all, i loved writing. i shared my heart with whoever wanted to listen. and, to be quite honest, i didn't care if anyone was listening. 

it was simply for me. 

and if it happened to bring joy or inspiration or encouragement to someone else out there, it was a bonus. icing on the cake. 

and then the campaign happened.

my hunky hubby and i decided to answer a call that the Lord had placed on our lives long ago. the timing came way faster than i ever thought it would. you can read more about it here. 

and along with that, came ugliness. people twisting family pictures & taking words - MY words and making it sound like i was saying something i wasn't. and mind you - i am NOT a politician. i will never EVER speak for my husband. i speak for myself and only myself. 

but nonetheless, i took my original blog down - out of fear for what it might do for my husband.

he encouraged me to start a new one. but i've been filtered. less honest. less vulnerable. 

some posts have been sincere and from the heart. some have been less so, only because i felt like i couldn't share fully what was going on. especially with the struggle during this first legislative session. 

if i had shared that it was hard, and that i missed my husband & that i cry sometimes, i feared that someone would blast out "family headed for trouble". 

if i had shared that i liked some of the people on the other "side".... that some of my favorite people i've met have been of a "different party", we'd be labeled as "comprimising our values". 

if i had described to you how i wanted my husband to be "allowed" to be home when he was home, constituents would have taken it to mean he wasn't ready for this.

but that's the thing.

there's always something. there's always going to be someone who can misconstrue, mistrust and mistreat me. there's always going to be someone looking for the worst in me. in us. 

it's just the name of the game. 

and from the very beginning i have been telling myself i need to get a thicker skin. be myself. break the mold. 

and my husband has been telling me that too. and my precious friends. and, to be honest, the Lord has been gently whispering it in my ear for the last year and a half. 

"I made you. I do not make mistakes. I have a story to tell. let Me tell it."

so here i am. 

broken and beat down. 

humbled and ready. 

ready to tell His story. 

whatever shape or form that might take. pictures or no pictures. words. music. whatevs. 

i'm going to stop comparing right now & attempt to break the mold. i'm going to say yes to Him and let Him make it what He wants. because that's all He requires. 

saying yes.