Tea Time Tuesday: Pondering, Reflecting, Praying

Click here to play today’s mini podcast episode.

Yesterday, Clay and I celebrated our 45th anniversary here, in the comfort of familiarity and peace in a mountain town we have visited for almost 30 years. We find rest, peace, beauty. We shared an exquisite dinner together. We ended with off with sweet memories shared and amazement at what the Lord had generously given us over the years. It has been such a privilege to be able to speak, write, podcast and encourage women and families all over the world.

But as we talked about our future, we wanted to plan and reflect on how we might best serve our community of precious friends and followers. I am trying to figure out how to slow down and cut back so that I can have more free time and personal time with friends and family. So for the next few weeks, I will be traveling, speaking and visiting family, but I am taking a little break on my regular podcast schedule.

My assistants and I have chosen special, old podcast episodes to share with you so that I can take a break from that for a few weeks. After all these years of sharing my life and encouragement with you, there are some episodes that have particularly resonated with my listeners and that have had the most listens. I am looking forward to sharing these episodes with you over the next few weeks.

My podcast is like opening the door of my home and welcoming you in. Oh how I would love to spend time with each of you over a cup of tea. My heart to encourage and equip women, mothers, and families led me to create my membership site, Life with Sally, a treasure trove of resources for you! While my podcast is like opening the door of my home, Life with Sally is like spending time with you in each of the rooms of my home.

We may sit in my library with a cup of tea and discuss education, awaking wonder with your children through books, exploring nature, and reading aloud. Then we may go to my kitchen and prepare some of my favorite meals together and discuss the importance of creating a lifegiving table rich with words, meaningful conversations, and rhythms of feasting.

We may then spend time in my living room, sharing a Bible study together, discussing how to create a lifegiving home, listening to the great composers, or looking at beautiful works of art.

All of these discussions and more are a part of the resources available at Life with Sally. As I share some of your favorite episodes from the archives in the coming weeks, the blog post/show notes for that episode will include samples of how you can dig deeper and receive more encouragement and resources at Life with Sally. I hope you will join me there!

My posts will be up just the same. I get so many notes from all of you and it means so much. Please pray for me that I can figure out how to simplify life and pull back on some areas so that I can spend my time strategically with those in my world.

Do you require times of reflection? Please pray for us as we evaluate and dream about projects and books, as well as carving out more personal time with family and friends. I would love your feedback.

Raising Children Has Been The Most Fulfilling Work I Have Ever Pursued

As a mother who has raised four children from birth into adulthood, I can affirm that engaging my life and faith in the lives of my children has been the most fulfilling and fruitful work I have ever pursued.

My investment in my children was about more than all the routine work of motherhood, and even more than my spiritual influence as a discipler. In the bigger picture of my life at home, I was civilizing my children, and shaping their hearts and lives. I was cooperating with God to mold them into well-rounded adults.

Each mom has a different puzzle, but she has to keep what is a priority to God at the center of her decisions in life, and when she seeks the heart of God, her legacy will be one of faith and faithfulness and will have implications for eternity.

What Will You Fill Your Home With Today?

Home is so much more than a shelter where we simply eat, sleep, and gather. It is a place of refuge, a safe haven for our children that is welcoming and beautiful.

I truly believe that the home we cultivate as mothers is the restorative training ground for our children — a place where they can be discipled and filled with love and care prior to growing up and heading to battle.

God has entrusted you with an incredible responsibility as the "home maker." What will you fill your home with today?

Read more about this in The Lifegiving Home.

Tea Time Tuesday: Sometimes My Faith is Fragile

Sometimes my faith is fragile. I have spent a greater part of my adult life reading or studying scripture as a way of life. Sometimes I feel like I am walking in darkness or find fear, discouragement influencing my sense of faith in Jesus. I love Him always, but sometimes, He feels far away. Then I live into His gentleness, His humility toward me, His child, His promise to never leave me or forsake me. As psalms, we see that dark nights of the soul are a part of a faith journey with our precious shepherd in this broken world.

That is when I need to gently reach for His hand and heart, walk slowly through each season with His kindness, compassion leading me.

Some years ago, I met Elizabeth Santelmann online as we shared podcasts. A kindred spirit, indeed. She sent me a message when I was living in Oxford. She was going to be in town on the night I held my Oxford Bible studies. We all brought food to share, squeezed around my small dining area, squished the chairs as close as possible, crowding in 18 women to my tiny space. we shared a lovely, special memory together in my tiny home in Oxford.

From that time, I better understood the heart of Elizabeth. Such a love of the Bible, gentle sympathy, compassion for each woman attending, life-giving encouraging words.

Now she has filled a wonderful book with words of guidance, truth, compassion and all encompassed in the light of Jesus’s words—the Bible. This timely book invites weary women to rediscover closeness with God through simple, grace-filled spiritual practices. I know you will love it.

You can find all things Elizabeth on IG @sunshineinmynest — I know you will be refreshed by a gentle, inspiring teacher who will walk beside you and make the beauty of Christ come to life. Be sure to listen to my podcast today where you will be encouraged by my conversation with Elizabeth.

Be sure to sign up to my membership, Life with Sally, for a new virtual teatime livestream next week, Tuesday, September 1st, and a Mom Heart Meetup in Nashville for all who are members. Can’t wait to meet you face to face. More details for both meetups on my membership. Would love for you to join us.

The Fingerprints Of God Are All Over Your Life

When we read of Abraham's life, it is said, "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going." (Hebrews 11:8)

This has been true of my own life: following God over many years, often not knowing where my obedience would require me to go or the demands it would place on my life.

Many times I was led to countercultural decisions. Yet I counted on the fact that if I followed hard after God, my life would be filled with meaning. I had faith in His leading to work in me and shape me to become more like Christ and to mature more, and that He would companion me each and every step.

Read more about this in Well Lived.

Tea Time Tuesday: A Long Term Dream: Mission of Motherhood in Spanish

Mission of Motherhood: Now in Spanish

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7-8

The Bible tells us that God wants us to pray and He can work out the details of our prayers and desires. Yet, I have been amazed to see His handprint in my life through answered prayers over many years.

As a little girl, I grew up being surrounded by Spanish at the same time I learned English. Some of my best friends were little girls from Mexico that I spoke to in Spanish. The elementary schools in my city even taught Spanish in the classroom as an every day subject.

Fast forward, many years later, Clay and I wished we could reach out in ministry by publishing in Spanish. Many of our books were in other foreign languages (Dutch, Korean, French, German, etc). But we did not have the rights to our published books so we kept praying about the possibility. Clay is our publisher and diligently sought many ways many people to help, but alas each time it fell through.

Enter Dorcas Showalter, my friend, who had a passion to influence women she knew in the Spanish speaking world that she thought would drink up the messages of our books. You’ll have to listen to our podcast today to hear how the Lord miraculously brought us together and made this a possibility—a long life dream come true.

Now, you can be a part of that dream of reaching parents all over the world with this message in Spanish. Support at www.wholeheart.org to help us fund our outreach, buy a book for one of your Spanish speaking friends, pray that many parents will be inspired and instructed by the book.

We are also working on The 24 Family Ways and two more books. So it is our hope to reach the Spanish speaking world, as well las other countries in the future. Also, when you join our membership, Life with Sally, it helps support us, our staff and projects like this.

Listen to the rest of our story on my podcast today. You will be encouraged.

Thanks for all of you who have encouraged us in our outreach to families all over the world.

The Lord bless you today and answer your prayers in His time.

God Is Waiting To Respond To Your Cry

Everyone's situation will be different: a broken marriage, a prodigal or otherwise seemingly impossible child, financial issues, loneliness, failure, deep soul wounds and rejection at the hands of those who should have loved us, broken dreams.

Whatever the situation, we feel alone, unnoticed, helpless. Of course, this is just the place where God can teach us to rely on Him completely.

He so desires to be the One who fulfills our greatest longings. He wants us to know His voice of guidance, purpose, love, and mercy.

Read more about this in Mom Heart Moments.

Tea Time Tuesday: A Gentle Way of Life

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." — Proverbs 15:1

Several women have emailed me or messaged me lately about how exhausted, weary, drained they feel in the warp and woof of life. And then, often comes, “And I have been so harsh with my loved ones.”

Then follows self-condemnation, guilt that weighs heavy hanging over thoughts and hearts.

Committed motherhood is a long marathon of life with constant demands, draining, endless tasks. Yet, over years and seasons, I realized how much choosing, practicing gentleness brings peace, provides comfort of being loved unconditionally through all circumstances.

A hormonal teen, an exhausted toddler, a school-aged child, or a husband who is angry, a depressed or critical friend—all of these, long to be treated with focused attention, an understanding heart, a loving gentle response.

As we all know, it is natural to react in like—anger to anger. However, it is supernatural to give a gentle gracious answer from the Spirit of Him who is love that leads us to react in love. And yet, as the Spirit lives through us, we will see His power and fruit drawing others to Him in us, when we choose to remember bits of truth he has left for us to follow. A gentle answer, turns away anger.

Gentleness grows stronger with practice. It comes with humility. It grows as wisdom and takes root in the heart that values the ones she loves.

“Always to be gentle toward everyone.” — Titus 3:2

Perhaps before I became a wife, or parent, I assumed, I would be able to be mature, healthy, loving, and successful at these relationships. Conflict in my own heart and life, the stress of living with so many needs and so many constant demands showed me my selfishness.

I longed for mercy, but especially for gentleness. I wanted to be understood—that I had a heart to be good at  these relationships but sometimes I just couldn't—my own selfishness got in the way. I meant to be patient, giving, loving, but I had my limits. As an idealist and “feeler” heart, I wanted compassion and sympathy, but especially a gentle response—not anger and condemnation.

How can you practice gentleness today?

Hear more today on my podcast.

God Loves Our Children Even More Than We Do

I know from experience how easy it is to become discouraged when we fail as parents or when our children fail (or refuse) to live up to what we expect of them. But failure is not a reason to give up! It is a reason to regroup, refresh our vision, and then continue moving forward.

We must remember always that it is God’s responsibility to lead our children, even our different children. We are called to love them and guide them to the best of our ability, to teach them that their choices have consequences, and to provide a strong foundation for stewarding their lives. But we are not ultimately responsible for all that happens to them.

Read more about this in Different.