'Desperate Christian Housewife' reaches top 10

|PIC1|Creative Soul Records recording artist, singer/songwriter Stephanie Newton reached No 9 on CRW's Global INSPO chart this week, with "Why is the Sky Blue?", the current single from her Fairytale Life project, which shares space in the Top 10 with The Katinas, Avalon's Greg Long and Kristy Starling.

Meanwhile, life goes on for the "Desperate Christian Housewife" as she multitasks her way through the long days of summer - fitting in humour and worship between carpools and concerts, working alongside her relatives to renovate their family's 100-year-old Paint Lick, Kentucky farmhouse and writing a new song for her upcoming family reunion.

"As a modern woman, I struggle with juggling the responsibilities of wife, mother and career," Newton says. "I think most women can relate to that. As I view all my roles through the lens of my faith, I realise I'm constantly striving to know God's purpose for my life and to understand how I fit into His plan."

Newton's Fairytale Life project explores the hectic life of a suburban mum in a light and humourous manner. Her honest songwriting and intimate vocal and keyboard style are reminiscent of Nichole Nordeman and Sara Groves, but with a twist. Songs like "Keeping Up With the Joneses" and the title cut employ a wry sense of humour to underscore spiritual truths, while sincere ballads and worship songs, such as "Moments of Grace", "Unchanging One" and "The Well of Redemption" create intimate moments of worship.

"For this project, I definitely wrote from my heart," Newton relates. "It's a snapshot of my life. One minute, I'm frantically making peanut butter sandwiches and changing diapers; the next minute, my girls run up to hug me, and I'm awed by how good God is. And then there are the moments that are hard, the moments when just putting one foot in front of the other is a real struggle. I admit my faith can falter at those times, and I wonder if God is there. I wanted to write with honesty about all those moments, knowing that every one is infused with His grace."

In addition to being a wife and mother, Newton is also an experienced worship leader and musician. Over 10 years of leading worship in suburban Atlanta churches has prepared her well for ministry as a solo artist.

Creative Soul Records president Eric Copeland, who produced Fairytale Life and co-wrote several of the songs on the album, saw real promise from his initial meeting with Newton in Nashville. "The first time I heard her song, 'Moments of Grace', I knew Stephanie not only had a knack for writing a powerful song, but that this fresh perspective of a modern stay-at-home Christian woman, trying to keep a house and children in today's world, was a powerful ministry," he says.

Newton's hope is that as she sings about her experiences as a "Desperate Christian Housewife", others might be encouraged in their faith. "My song 'Worship You Again' talks about how God invites us to share in His kingdom as His children," she says. "That's an awesome thing to remember when you're slogging through a tough day wondering if your life has significance. It's something I call a sacred mystery - that the God of the universe would want to be intimately present in my life. The intent of this album is to describe the joy of living in this crazy, turbulent and sometimes funny world."

Stephanie Newton's Fairytale Life is available on Creative Soul Records. For more information on Stephanie Newton and her new album, Fairytale Life, visit www.stephanienewton.com