Embrace Change. Ignite Creativity. Break Through with Imagination. by Ken WytsmaReview by Lori Scearcy, Roots of Integrity Founder  Create vs. Copy is a must-read for... everyone. I read this book at a pivotal time, personally, and it helped to inspire a clear vision for my life AND my business. So many great quotes, but really, you just HAVE to read the book in it's entirety. It's an easy read, you wont want to put it down. It can be read in one sitting, however, I recommend a slower pace so that you can really let it resonate. I chose to read it one chapter at a time, taking notes and journaling my thoughts along the way. The illustrations are fantastic too! Right now, you can get Create vs. Copy PLUS the companion coloring book for $10 from Moody Publishers! It's on Amazon too! Go on. Go get it. (Scroll down for some notable quotes.)  Notable quotes: "It's an honest admission that we have all been shaped by a thousand hands, and much of our creative energy takes inspiration form what we have seen, experienced, and appreciated." "Remember, however, that embracing creativity is embracing what's already inside of you. It's about being fully human. It's a recognition that the challenges in front of you don't define your existence and aren't the totality of the world. Instead, the challenges are located in a dynamic environment over which God sits sovereign and within which God has placed a creative, problem-solving being: you." "All of us influence someone - and as we exert that influence, we all change the world daily... for better or for worse." “Fall in love with why you’re doing what you’re doing all over again. Creativity feeds on passion.” "In our creativity, our intent needs to match God's; to make space for life to happen, for goodness to take root, for fruit to be borne, and for God to be glorified. When that happens our creativity is aligning with God's image in us." “Creative leadership is what the future requires.” “Christians who study salvation under a microscope tend to reduce it to a single moment of forgiveness, which highlights the transaction of salvation but removes the process.” “Pruning is as much a part of the creative process as planting. Part of creativity is choosing what to leave behind in order to move ahead.” "Not all creative pursuits have to come to a perfect end in order to be beautiful." "Shape culture instead of reacting to it."  Today’s leaders simply can’t succeed without putting creativity in their toolbox.
"If you don’t think you’re creative, that may sound discouraging. But take heart: creativity can be taught and practiced, and Create v. Copy shows you how. This short, punchy book explores various aspects of creativity and imagination and leads you toward a healthy, confident, more innovative life mindset. It celebrates the good news of your God-given capacity to create and helps you harness it to take charge of your life, navigate changing times, and ultimately, flourish and succeed. Having traveled to dozens of countries, founded the leading international conference on justice and theology, and collaborated with scores of nonprofits, Wytsma is uniquely fit to help us be culture-shapers in a world of global change. He blends theology, history, and cultural observation to show us what being God’s creative image-bearers might look like today. Whether you're a parent, CEO, pastor, or politician, this fresh look at contemporary leadership will challenge the way you view your position of influence, and it will equip you to adapt and thrive in our perplexing yet exciting cultural climate."
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This book is not a spiritual "Whole 30", or a "10 steps to a better you", or any of those follow the rules & your life will be awesome types of self help programs that we Americans seem love so much... nope. This book is a reset button. "If we were made for relationship with God, why do we often feel lost and distant from Him? When we, who call ourselves followers of Jesus, feel as if we're groping blindly, have we missed some key concept or failed to grasp the correct formula?" -Ken Wytsma, The Grand ParadoxWhen our daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, it was heavy... it still is... but we are positive. We know God has allowed in this our lives and we trust that He has a purpose for our pain. But disease still sucks. She is a child. She has questions, she has doubts. We do too. We want our daughter to feel safe enough to ask questions, to share her doubts, to ask "why me"... to be real with us. In the same way, God wants that for all of us.  Many of us have been misinformed, and/or built up our own misconceptions that being a Christian means our life will be easy, and if anything should go wrong (which it shouldn't) - we just pray about it and God will answer us and make it all right and good once again. And when He doesn't answer, when we feel as though He isn't there, we begin doubting if he really exists at all. Some of us feel betrayed, alone, hurt, disappointed - THIS is what it looks like to be a Christian?! This is what God has for me?! Most wouldn't dare share these raw, honest, deep questions and feelings with our Christian friends, or any of our friends... because that would mean they will see how messy our life is - but life is messy, isn't it? And without doubt, what is faith? What if following Christ means that life will still be messy? That's real. In The Grand Paradox, Ken answers some of the most deep questions we have as followers of God:
Honestly, I believe this book is so relevant to where we are as a culture. I personally feel that this book has reset my faith back to how God originally planted it in me.
"We're too wise and too jaded for cheap answers, promises of The American Dream, and religious quick fixes--they don't really satisfy us. Instead, they leave us desperate for something solid, hoping for a more sure foundation upon which to build our lives. Our hope can't simply be in controlling our present circumstances; if we are going to live lives of meaning and purpose, we're going to have to learn how to embrace The Grand Paradox: Life is messy and God is mysterious, but yet there is a way to follow Christ, develop a relationship with God, and pursue the happiness and joy we all long to experience." - Ken Wytsma, The Grand Paradox The Grand Paradox is scripturally based, free of clichés, full of honest truths and real answers. Released today, look for it on Amazon (the Kindle edition is only $2.99 right now!), or at Barnes & Noble. |
