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

Mission of Motherhood: Now in Spanish

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“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

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"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.

Tea Time Tuesday: How To Celebrate Life With Your Loved Ones

Celebrating August birthdays with my wonderful daughter-in-law, Keelia.

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Celebrate! Celebrate! Dance to the Music!

And so my wonderful daughter-in-law, Keelia, and I are celebrating our August birthdays together for the fourth year.

Don’t miss an opportunity to celebrate a loved one. It shapes their heart.

There is something sacred about life celebrations. To underline and commemorate a life accomplishment, a normal day, a birthday, or just life, gives the person value, adds importance. Celebrations live in the hearts, minds, souls of the one celebrated for a lifetime and gives hope and courage when hard times come.

Many of you know that in my 40’s I made a commitment to seek to choose joy, to cultivate it, to be thankful and to celebrate the daily fingerprints of God through out the moments of my life. It is a practice, a choice. I have not always succeeded but the more I grow in practicing joy, the more of His grace I feel in my life.

The dance of life goes on—one more generation anew will have their turn to make it beautiful because we have captured their imagination that celebrating life, especially with the people God gave us, is a way of living by faith, pleasing His heart.

I still have time to invest, to send gift cards when they need a boost, to call, write small texts, notes, about how much I love them, to encourage. Because they are busy adults, much of my time to celebrate life personally with them is gone, to love, encourage is less than it used to be. Remember, my friends, today, you are living, writing the story of your life, crafting the legacy of love and joy, you will leave to generations to follow.

“Teach us to number our days that we might present to you a heart of wisdom.” -Psalm 90:12

No longer the door slamming as a boy child runs into the house yelling, "Mama, you'll never guess what we did! Mama, where are you?"

or a girl child, "Mama, will you sit here with me just for a minute to talk before I go to sleep? I want to tell you what I was thinking today."

Join me today on my podcast for more fun stories of celebrations.

My own heart is filled to the brim by your wonderful love, messages, memories and friendship. Heartfelt hanks to each of you.

Tea Time Tuesday: Heart Felt Discipline

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I became a mother over 40 years ago. I was quite inexperienced with children so as my children began to grow, I was looking for a magical formula to train and discipline my children. In my era, almost everyone I knew believed in a prescriptive philosophy. Physical discipline was most popular. It did not sit well with Clay and me. So many philosophies were prescriptive with formulas for every child, every situation, starting with babies.

My husband, Clay, an honors seminary graduate, began digging into scripture to get the heart of God as He entrusted children and their lifetime training and love into our hands. In April of 2003, he released his book, Heartfelt Discipline, with the most beautiful study of reaching the hearts of children, giving them a vision for the life of relationships, faith, character, values through personal relationship, love and biblical training. (Have I told you that I think Clay is one of the most gifted, insightful writers I know?!)

Studying the life of Christ, the ways He instructed and inspired his own disciples and His messages influenced us and gave us a vision about how to implement His values and messages into our own disciples, our children.

Over the years, we have received countless thousands of comments, letters, emails from people all over the world saying that this book was a life-changer for them, a light into shaping the hears, faith and behavior of their children.

Lately, after 23 years of being in the world we have begun to see a surge of interest in this book—many people asking us to podcast about it. So, here we are with a very short explanation of a big and broad philosophy. I hope it encourages you.

God bless you with grace and abundant love today for your own sweet ones. Be sure to listen to my podcast, Life with Sally, today.

You Can Create A Lifegiving Home

We are all capable of creating a lasting legacy in the form of a home that gives life to others who come under its roof.

A home that serves all who enter.

A home that reflects our own tastes and the values we treasure.

A home that meets the needs of family and visitors alike, that fosters beauty and creativity.

A home where the atmosphere, traditions, and celebrations give life to the hearts, minds, and souls of those inside its walls.

A home that provides a lifegiving legacy that will last for generations to come.

I believe God has designed us to do just that.

Wherever you are, you can create a lifegiving home that will become a significant part of your family’s story.

Read more about this in The Lifegiving Home.

What Makes A Table Lifegiving?

It starts with developing a lifegiving self-image, seeing ourselves as mentors and ministers. We are not just cooks and servers and fellow diners.

Instead, we are called and commissioned to be the hands of God’s love to those He brings our way, the voice of God’s words in our messages and conversations, the touch of God’s love in initiating friendship and seizing the moments given to us each day.

Every coffee shop, café, restaurant, dorm room bed, cup of tea, smoothie, or hot chocolate can become a place where hearts and minds meet when we see ourselves that way and train ourselves to look for opportunities to mentor and minister.

Read more about this in The Lifegiving Table.