Choosing Joy to fill your Home to become Lifegiving &More Giveaways!

"The joy-filled life is not found by diminishing my God-given responsibilities as a woman, wife, and mother, nor can I find joy merely by refusing to face the hard realities of life in a fallen world. There is a tension that God is asking me to acknowledge and accept ~ the tension between ideals and realities. True joy is found by living somewhere between the ideal life and daily realities. That is where Jesus meets me, where His Holy Spirit empowers, and where I learn how to live the Christian life with supernatural joy. To celebrate life is simply a choice."Sally Clarkson The Lifegiving Home Book

When my adult children come back home to visit me, the excitement and anticipation ignites me to tidy the house, set out lovely flowers, light candles, and leave them chocolates and goodies, prepare their favorite meals. I do this so that they can feel welcome, experience my love for them, and feel the peace and joy that comes with home. However, can you imagine how I would feel if I went to all of that effort to make things beautiful and love them extravagantly, only to watch them walk in, sit on their phones and computers all day, have bad attitudes, and tell me that they're just "too busy" or "too stressed" to enjoy it? How must our loving God feel when we don't choose to celebrate this life He has given us to subdue or prepared for us to enjoy?God is available, prepares for us each day, wants to shower us with His love, grace, compassion, wisdom, but often we are too busy or self-centered to notice Him and to "be" with Him.

Often times, our own expectations of how we thought life would be, get in the way of us being able to grab onto the joy and abundant life that God has for each of us. Finding peace and joy does not mean giving up on our ideals, but in seeking the balance, the ebb and flow, that is life. 

Joy won't always feel as second nature as taking a breath, but with every breath, how can you choose joy?

 It is a conscious, daily effort that can transform your life if you allow it to. Joy is a choice to see Him in the midst of daily moments, to call upon His spirit's presence and strength at each turn, each curve in the road. Joy comes from being assured we are not alone in the dark places and that He is light and will shine His light in each place.

You are the conductor of joy inside the walls of your home.

But joy is a choice of faith, of submission when we say, "I will choose to believe in your goodness. I will lead all who are in my home to a pathway of being thankful and finding God's fingerprints in the moments of my life so that I can be joyful."

Decide to lead yours into a pathway of joy today. The more you practice having a grateful, joyful heart, the more the atmosphere of your home will breathe the life of God.

**********************************************

Friday has finally arrived--whew, what a busy, wonderful week!  And what fun we've had, giving gifts to our friends here!  More today--and we hope you've registered for all the fun we have planned for Tuesday night of next week, with even more giveaways including the grand prize--a weekend at Sally's! Find out more and register here:  Online Launch Party Registration

Thursday's prize winners are ...

Fruit of the Spirit Embroidery Kit--Laurel M!

Precious Hymn Notecards--Wanda O!

Fruit of the Spirit Teacups Painting--Elizabeth!

First Hands-On-Bible and Devotional Reading Journal--Shannon B!

Winners have been emailed.  Congratulations!

AND NOW FOR TODAY'S GIVEAWAYS!!!

#1. Rejoice Evermore Print from Breezy Brookshire!

This chalk lettering art print is a cheerful reminder of thanksgiving and prayer, featuring 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

If you want to purchase one of these lovely prints, find Breezy here!

#2. 2 copies of Think Through the Bible kids devotionals!

Impact a new generation for God!

"Think Thru the Bible" offers:

- a concise explanation of how the most familiar stories in the Bible fit in with God's Big Picture

- illustrations and simple summaries for easy memory

- an easy to read time-line

- a fun song to remember the main sections of the Bible

Teach children God's history with man and help them catch His hope for using them in His plan! Find it here on Amazon.

#3. Three One Sentence books from Tyndale!

These sweet books are just right for beginning readers--a simple way to learn more about Bible heroes, animals from the Bible, and great Bible stories. Find more from Tyndale at your favorite bookseller!

#4. HOME sign from It's a Beautiful Life!

This 8"x24" wooden sign was created just for Sally--and you!  Find more designs by Kirstyn Wright and the girls at Beautiful Life by visiting their brand-new blog and shoppe here: It's a Beautiful Life.

Today, enter by visiting Sally's Facebook page! Or leave a comment here--We'd love to hear from you. Then come enter with the Rafflecopter entry form below. Contest ends Friday at 8pm. a Rafflecopter giveaway Be sure to order your own copy of The Lifegiving Home--or one for a friend!-- at your favorite bookseller--we have them all here!

Making Your Home a Safe Refuge from Storms of Life &Lifegiving Home Launch Week

Launch week is a test to the normal "live at home a quiet life" Clarksons. As a family that God has chosen to put, at times, in front of the public eye, we have experienced ups and downs of the demands this puts on our lives But learning to create a haven of sacred life and protection, a place to retreat and regroup safely from the eyes of the world, is important to all of us at times. We all have disappointments, failures, stresses. How important it is to find a way to pull back and restore with the grace and love straight from God's heart. Today I share a story from our book. How do you provide a safe refuge in your home so at times, your family can all escape from the pressures of life?

Furrowed eyebrows above large dark eyes was the signal to me as a mom that something was not right with one of my children. Like my other precious ones, she had faced the challenge of growing up more or less in public and was feeling exposed and fragile, inadequate to live into such a pressured role. It was not the life we chose, it was the life we were given. We must each figure out how to manage the unique puzzles of our family stories and our home life.

God has blessed our family with the opportunity to interact with so many people from so different walks of life and to touch others with our ministry, but I had learned very quickly that this was not always easy for my children. And this particular child had begun to grow into a challenging point of adolescence and especially needed attention and affirmation from me.

“Mama, do you ever feel like a hypocrite when your life is so . . . visible? Doesn't it get hard to keep on writing and speaking about your ideals when your failures are right out there for people to see? Do you ever feel disqualified?”

She went on: “I really need to get away from the voices and eyes of the world right now. Can’t we hole up in the house for a few days and just be ourselves, with all our warts and weirdnesses?” (We ended up doing just that.)

Truth be told, I could totally relate to what my sweet daughter was saying. I feel like quitting ministry about ten times a week! I am just a normal Christian woman wanting to love Jesus and live according to His example, and God simply called me into a more public place than I would ever have chosen.

How well I know what my child was discovering—the vulnerability that comes from being a leader, from publically standing firm on an ideal. You put your neck out and stand for principles, and yet you are still only human and make mistakes along the way. Not everyone understands, and there is plenty of criticism to face in the journey. Add to that our breakneck, high-pressure, high-consumption contemporary culture and it’s easy to reach a place where all of us feel depleted, needing a place of safety and refuge, desperately thirsty for emotional, physical, and spiritual water to refresh us.

The way I have been able to bear all this (most of the time) is to make our fallibility a part of our message. I’ve always been upfront about the reality that I and my family aren’t perfect or always strong. We fall down and mess up like any other family. But even when we’ve blown it, struggled with the dark side of life, or wallowed in our own sin and selfishness, God has been faithful to us.

The heart of my message is that God still redeems every moment, every mistake, and every failure.

It is a risk to stand for something, to seek after the holy ways of God, to keep going when you are weary to the bone, to love when you feel hurt and rejected, especially by those who call themselves "Christians." Every one of us will be called in some capacity to live into a call and will face this struggle in some way.

That’s why all of us need a place to escape from time to time. We need a home—but not just any home. Home needs to be a haven of safety, acceptance, and unconditional love, a place where we can rest and find refuge from all the devastating and depleting parts of life. When the storms and difficulties come, home should be the first line of defense against despair. This is why we must guard our homes as if they were our very lifelines. Because they are!

Today I challenge you:

How will you make your home a place of refuge? How will you provide a place of unconditional love where secrets can be shared and carried as a holy trust? How will you provide quiet and rest, recreation and inspiration for those within your walls? How will you keep the messages of a frenzied culture at bay so that the truth heard in your home will be that which instructs, comforts, gives insight, and shows love to those who hunger for peace and restoration?

How will you plan your home? Go forth and prepare.

From The Lifegiving Home

Thanks to everyone who has shared our books with your friends. It means so much to Sarah and me. We pray it will encourage women all over the world!

It's a party here at SallyClarkson.com, all week as we celebrate the launch of my newest books, The Lifegiving Home and The Lifegiving Home Experience! Written as a collaboration between myself and my children Sarah and Joel, these books are a magnum opus of sorts of the home we've created as a family.  We're so glad to welcome you in!  You can buy a copy from your favorite bookseller here!

All week we're drawing names and picking winners, who are the beneficiaries of our wonderful friends who are joining in Launch week with us!  Yesterday's winners are ...

For Crystal Sutherland's painting, Bethany N!

For the two children's devotionals, Nicole L and Lisa W!

For the Princess sticker sets, Sue Tan and Krista T!

and for the two great books from Tyndale, Heather B!

Congratulations, and watch for an email with more information! We have even more giveaways for you today (all week!)  Here they are!

#1.  Fruit of the Spirit Embroidery Kit from Clementine Patterns--be sure to visit their lovely shop!

Featuring the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23, this delightful embroidery sampler features hand lettering in various stitches and colors, with an added touch of whimsical doodles.

#2.  Precious Hymn Notecards from Mercy is New!

These lovely hymn cards can be used in multiple ways! You can use as postcards to send an encouraging note in the mail. You could also use them as a lovely addition to your home decor. Hang on twine with clothes pins, frame, or give as a gift! You could also add a few to a gift to give it a special and unique touch!

#3. Art by Chastity Giles!

Chastity is offering this darling painting of Fruits of the Spirit teacups- watercolor, inktense, and ink on watercolor paper- 12"x9"!

#4. First Hands-On Bible and Devotional Reading Journal from Tyndale Publishers!

My wonderful publisher, Tyndale, is going to send these books to one winner!  The First Hands-On-Bible is perfect for preschoolers, and I pray this Devotional will help you continue or begin your own practice of quiet time.

Today, please enter by tweeting about Sally's new book!  Or visit Sally's Facebook page and comment on one of the posts; we keep you up to date on what's happening 'round here. Enter by using the box below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember to sign up for the party for an opportunity to receive fun recipes, printable posters and a chance to win a trip for you and friend to Sally's home this summer.

Lifegiving Home Launch Week:Giveaways Galore! Share & Win!

Eighteen inches of snow and still going. We are living through a record snow on launch week. Having been inside for 3 days because the plow has not cleared 2 feet of snow in our street, we are beginning to go a little stir crazy! Since all the Clarksons are hobbits at heart, eating has been a great comfort. Cheesy egg quesadillas, dipped in cherry preserves, (thanks to a generous friend!), fresh chocolate chip cookies and reading Out of the Silent Planet outloud by Joel, and Cheesy potato soup for dinner with candle light, music, and lots and lots of giggles about some funny happenings today.

God has provided us with so many pleasures to enjoy and to "Taste and see that He is good."

I am convinced that one of the ways we most profoundly reached our children's hearts was through great food, meal times together over much discussion of  ideals, issues, stories, world events, and a sharing of hearts. Both my boys always say they are lonely for the food and talk that they don't find in most of their circles.

Today, if it is a crust of bread and cheese or popcorn, make  your meals a feast of pleasure, friendship and build a rhythm in your life that will serve to encourage you for many years to come.

LAUNCH WEEK!

It's an exciting week around here as we celebrate the launch of The LifeGiving Home!  We're so glad you're joining us for the party.

THANKS FOR ALL OF YOU WHO SHARED ABOUT MY NEWEST BOOK. SEEMS THE WORD IS GETTING AROUND AND WE ARE SEEING LOTS OF BUZZ ALL OVER. YOU ARE MAKING THIS BOOK REACH WOMEN ALL OVER THE WORLD! I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU, MY SWEET FRIENDS, SO MUCH.

And now for yesterday's winners!

Debbie, Becky C., Sheri G, Nicole N, and Alyssa Z won copies of The Lifegiving Home and The Lifegiving Home Experience!

Nicole M, Carol, Brittany, Adriel H, and Jeminah won copies of Music for the Lifegiving Home!

Rachel S won the books from Tyndale, and Danni S won the mug and devotional from Mercy is New!

Today, we have more giveaways. If you share on social media, to a group, send an email to a friend, whatever, tell us about it and we will enter you into the giveaways for today.

And remember! Sign up for the Launch Party, invite some friends for an evening of fun, and you will be entered in our final giveaways. We have added some of the prizes that will be given out on the last evening so go to the registration page and have a look. Remember, one woman and her friend will be flown to Colorado for a weekend with me and friends next summer. But you have to sign up for the webcast to win. Make it a memorable evening for you and your friends.

Here are today's giveaways!

#1.  Original Painting from Crystal Sutherland!

This is an original acrylic painting on a 5x7 canvas board, and then mounted to a white-washed display about 8x10 in size. Crystal says, "I depicted a pair of angels in my pieces because they represent protection, comfort, and guidance God gives us as His children, and I thought a representation of a mother and child would be perfect for the focus of Sally's book!"  Find more from Crystal at Crystal Sutherland Design !

#2.  Two Think Through the Bible Children's Devotionals from Amy Sanderson!

It is said that children are the messages to generations not yet seen.  They will carry the messages that are placed in their hearts today.  Let's marinate this generation of kids in God's Truth found in the Bible!  "Think Thru the Bible" is simple enough to read the short summaries and look at the pictures with young children; and includes longer explanations for an advanced understanding of God's plan in each section of the Bible.  You can order Think Thru the Bible, here!

#3.  2 sets of Princess Parables Sticker books!

Jeanna Young has been a friend of Sally's for many years. These lovely sticker books--one for each princess!--are a fun way to engage with the story and learn some wonderful character qualities along the way. You can find Jeanna blogging at www.theprincessparables.com  and  find the store with all the Princess Parables products at http://www.theprincessparables.com/store/!

#4. Book Pack: Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage and Bible Dinner Devotions from Tyndale Publishers!

Marriage is one of the puzzles we've been given by God.  Here, Dr. Greg and Erin Smalley offer 12 secrets to lifelong romance! Plus, a year of devotions to use at your dinner table.  Find more from Tyndale at your favorite bookstore!

We love giving away presents around here, so be sure to enter with Rafflecopter below!  To enter, visit Sally's Facebook page--we'd love to make sure you're seeing her posts!  And then come add your name and check for more ways to enter on our Rafflecopter, below.  Winners will be announced tomorrow! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget you can find Sally's newest books here!

Celebrating the Lifegiving Home Launch Week: Giveaways Galore!

Two little ones in two and 1/2 years, a blueberry eyed little girl with long straight brown hair and a hundred questions a day and a little baby boy who looked a bit like Winston Churchill with a head that was almost bigger than his little body, who just rolled around and grunted and growled--not the same baby noises I had become used to with Sarah. 

Living in Vienna, Austria without parents, support systems, and few friends, I tripped through my days seeking to find routine and rhythms so I could make some order out of life. After 30 days in a row with under 32 degree temperatures and 3 feet of snow lining the sidewalks outside our ancient little Austrian cottage, Clay recognized my cabin fever and dark clouds hovering over my emotions. 

"You need to get out for a bit and have time to be alone. Why don't you walk to the coffee shop down the street and have a little time by yourself. I will stay home from work for a few hours today."

That morning, I was reading in my Bible and stumbled upon Genesis 1:28, "And God blessed them and said, be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it...." Right there a lightbulb went on--the first words out of God's mouth were of blessing. He encouraged the bearing of children to his first couple, Adam and Eve, and then He gave them the earth, as a family to rule over and to subdue.

The family, a man and woman, and children were the first institution through which God would bring His work to bear in the world. This was the beginning of my understanding that family was profoundly important in God's plan at the beginning. This was my first "aha" moment that my home was imbued with eternal significance....The Lifegiving Home: Creating a  place of Belonging and Becoming

Hurrah! Launch week, at last!

(Download this photo and send it to your friends in a personal email invitation.)

Giving birth to a book is a little akin to giving birth to a baby. The wait is long, the progress is slow, but finally, the day comes. Today is that day. To celebrate the launch, a number of my sweet friends have offered gifts to give away to you for helping me celebrate this day of birthing two new books.

I am  so excited to announce the official launch today of my newest books, The Lifegiving Home and The Lifegiving Home Experience! (You can order copies at your favorite bookstore by clicking here: The Lifegiving Home .)

Sarah and I hope you will be inspired by our stories, traditions, recipes, favorite books, home rhythms and so much more. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have homes all over the world that are outposts of the love, beauty, life and redemption of Our Lord where people could come to find Him within our walls? My prayer is that real life and real people will be inspired and transformed by these companion books.

 Help us celebrate the week by leaving comments, sharing with your friends.

Next Tuesday evening, we want to connect with women all over the world, who are gathered together in homes to encourage one another in this amazing task of building a home.

Invite your friends, bring treats to share, connect to me in my webcast where I will be sharing some favorite stories, two of my favorite recipes, giving away prizes galore, including a beautiful printable poster of the 24 Family Ways, books, music cd's, kid's journals and the grand prize of a weekend for 2 at my house here in Colorado--with flight paid for, lodging, food and a weekend of inspiration. 

Sign up to come to our celebration party live webcast a week from today, February 9. (You will not be entered into the giveaways unless you sign up for the webcast.)

Learn more and register here: Launch Party Registration

Each day this week, we will share a story from our lives, some podcasts and gifts galore!

Remember, the grand prize will be for one woman and a friend of her choosing to come for a 3 day trip, staying in a hotel, and attending a small private conference in my home. To enter into this contest, you must have signed up for the launch party. Five finalists will be chosen on Monday, February 8, and the final winner will be announced at the launch party on December 9.

 So be sure to also sign up the friends who will attend your party so that they can have a chance to win, too.

Enjoy and check back all week for more giveaways--and to see if you won any of each day's prizes!

You can order copies of our newest books here: The Lifegiving Home

We hope to encourage you to make your home a place of welcome!

To that end, today's giveaways are:

#1. 5 Copies of the Books!  One copy of each book will be sent to the winners.

#2.  5 Copies of Joel Clarkson's newest CD, created to reflect the book!

This beautiful album, Music for the Lifegiving Home, was Inspired by the book, "The Lifegiving Home." This delightful collection of piano and string instrumental compositions immerses the listener in the rhythms of home. Each track corresponds to a different month of the year, and captures the joy of celebrating life in every season. Journey through a world of elegant soundscapes, with soaring lyrical melodies, and warm, elegant harmonies. 

"I have been listening to this gorgeous music in my home every day since I bought my copy at the Mom Heart Conference. It has brought a whole new atmosphere to my home. My whole family almost has all the tune memorized." SJB

Joel Clarkson is an award winning composer and orchestrator and has composed several film scores, recorded 4 professional cd's of original music, and contributed to several award winning scores for television and film. (Available on Amazon)

3. One copy of Kingdom Woman, and one Pray Prayer Journal from Tyndale!

Crystal is a friend and we're so glad to have this book to offer today!  And the Pray prayer journal will be a great place to record what you're bringing to God during your own quiet times. Find more from Tyndale at your favorite bookseller!

#4.  One coffee mug and devotional from Mercy Is New!

11oz white coffee mug with dark pink verse on both sides.

“New mercies every morning; great is His faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23”

Dishwasher and microwave safe.

            and the devotional ...

Spend 40 days reading and listening to what God has to say about waiting on Him alone. Each day offers 1 Scripture passage on waiting on God alone, one prayer, a short devotional and journaling lines. 

Find more from Candace at Mercy Is New!

 We hope you will enter to win one of these four giveaways!  We have so many gifts, we're doing a giveaway once every 24 hours, so you only have through 8pm MST to enter.  Today, we'd like you to do so by entering your email in the box here on the upper right corner of the blog page, so you can receive each new post here in your email.  Then, enter your name below in the Rafflecopter box!  Other options there, too. And leave us a comment to let us know you're joining us! Winners announced tomorrow!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And of course, don't forget to order your copy of the book from your favorite bookseller, here!

Thanks so much for all the wonderful comments from those of you who have already read the book and reviewed it. I am so grateful for your wonderful encouragement. So happy you are being inspired by the books.

Announcing The LifeGiving Home Resources Page! A New Podcast about Home

Homes are like gigantic treasure chests to be filled with our own personal artifacts of life.

Sally Clarkson, The Lifegiving Home

Hurrah for Launch Week!

I am so excited. I feel like a little girl with great anticipation!   Living this message over the weekend and traveling through memories with sweet friends and hundreds of women just increased my anticipation. Such a great, heart-warming concept:

Home as a place where people feel they belong, and the laboratory of life where all in its walls can grow into the people God created them to be.

We have just wrapped up the 2016 Denver MomHeart conference.  What a wonderful time with so many friends, both old and new! We pray everyone left with a renewed vision for home, as well as a determination to offer hospitality to others.  I feel so privileged to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of women all over the world who love Him. We hope to tape one of the conferences so everyone can have a part in this years very profound message: Building the Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming. We all long for home, roots, a people and history to feel a part of--and woohoo! The books are out!

And today, we are launching our resource pages to provide lots of ideas for building the treasure chest of your home with new ideas!

Launch week is finally here--so much excitement for us all.  And so today, we are glad to be ready to welcome you in to the new Lifegivinghome.com!  Here, we have extensive lists of our family's very favorite resources in many areas--favorite books, things to memorize, tv and movies -- all kinds of wonderful topics.

Our plan is to offer these lists so you can return to them at anytime.  We'll be adding posts periodically which will discuss and give more details, so you can hear how they've been used in our home.  And we'd love to hear from you on those pages also--feel free to offer your own suggestions and favorites to the comments!  We hope this will be a great resource for you as you do your own homebuilding.

Be sure to order your copy of The Lifegiving Home and The Lifegiving Home Experience, here, from your favorite bookseller! And be sure to come back each day this week, as the giveaways begin tomorrow!

Today, I have a new podcast for you! Please subscribe and share it with your friends! I am so grateful for so many of you who are helping me share the message of this book! Tomorrow starts an amazing launch week with lots of prizes that my friends have provide for me to give away to celebrate.

Spread the word so that we can see godly homes springing up with the Light and Life of Christ all over the world! So excited and so thankful.

Listen and Subscribe to HERE

A LifeGiving Home Book Club

 

Hi Friends!

Feeling alone or exhausted through the journey of marriage and parenting in seasons of my family life, I always wished for someone to speak into my heart, to pray with me, to do life with me. But with 17 moves, often I could not find that friend.

That is why I am so excited to share a place where you can find fellowship, ask questions, be encouraged right where you are. We will have an online Study where you will find women like yourself interacting with all of the issues of home that you face.

I'm so excited to invite you to join a book club right here at SallyClarkson.com. My sweet friend Christin Slade will be hosting the study and I'm so excited to have her share her thoughts and experiences on the LifeGiving Home.

We will begin Friday, February 12th with chapters 1 & 2. You can see the full schedule below:

Schedule

Feb. 12 - Chapters 1 & 2 Feb. 19th - Chapters 3 & 4 Feb. 26th - Jan, Feb, Mar Mar. 4 - April, May, June Mar. 11 - July, August, Sept. Mar 18. Oct, Nov, Dec.

Each Friday Christin will post some ideas from the chapters of the book as well as something she implements in her own home with her family.

We invite you to share your comments and ideas with us here each Friday and invite a friend who my want to go through the book in community!

The essence of home is not necessarily a structure. What makes a home is the life shared there, wherever that may be. And cultivating the life of home requires intentionality, planning, and design. There must be someone (or several someones) to craft the life, the beauty, the love, and the inspiration that overflows from that place. -The LifeGiving Home

If you wan to join us and haven't ordered the book yet, you can order it from several different retailers here. We would love to have you join us!

There is no need to sign up. Just come here after reading chapters 1 & 2 on February 12 and we will have some great discussions.

A Lifegiving Home Webcast! & a new podcast!

The  Life Giving Home is a story that says "Welcome." It has been our heart and our prayer in helping Sally launch this book for others to realize the capacity and beauty and ministry in their homes, where the artistry of God is displayed through the personalities and gifts he has given to each one of you. We see home as outposts for God's Kingdom in the midst of the difficulties of this world, a place that is a sacred haven to your family and to all those who visit there, a light shining in the darkness, and a place that is thriving and full of life, where you find true belonging.

So many of you have written and expressed your own feelings of loneliness, of longing for friends or a mentor, and  that's one of the reasons that we decided that when Sally launched this book, we would have a grand party and invite all of you! Not just to celebrate the release of this new work from Sally and Sarah, but to give you an opportunity to gather together.

So, on Tuesday night, February 9th, we're celebrating together with a webcast from the Clarkson's home in Colorado! We want to encourage you to register for this free event and to ask your friends to join you, so that as Sally and Sarah share their story, you will be inspired to cultivate your own stories of beauty and home and share them with one another- building friendships with like minded women that can encourage you!

The Webcast will  also include a chat box where you can ask questions and talk with Sally directly, and have an opportunity to win some amazing prizes throughout the night, including the grand prize of an all expense paid trip for one person and a friend to fly to visit Sally at her home in Colorado this summer.

We not only want to encourage you to register and celebrate with us, we want to equip you as you love others with simple hospitality.

 So, When you register for the webcast, you will receive:

-A Digital Invitation to the webcast that you can share with friends on email or social media. (Shown here at the top of this blog post)

-A beautiful digital print featuring a quote from the book that you can frame in your home or display during your webcast party.

A beautiful 24 Family Ways  Art Print that lists all the 24 Family Ways!

-Printable Recipe cards featuring some of Sally's own recipes

Blank Printable Recipe cards to be able to exchange your own favorites with friends at the webcast.

-Inspiration for hosting a webcast party, or any gathering, with ideas for how to pray for your guests, prepare, simple ideas to for appetizers to serve and how to cultivate a great conversation that reaches the heart.

We do hope you will join us and that you will be encouraged and have a fun night with new or old friends! Don't forget to order your books now so that each member of your party has a copy to take home!

Sally and I had an opportunity to speak with one of our like minded friends, Kristen Welch, of We Are That Family recently and wanted to share our time with you in a new podcast. Kristen has written a beautiful and necessary book about how to raise our children to be servants and leaders, to find their identity in the Lord and how to develop a strong family culture. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation with her!

Blessings to you today,

Kristen Kill

Seeing Those in Your Home with the Eyes of God

Tears streaming down his little face, ruddy red from crying, my little one stood  said, "I'm sorry, mama. I know you are sleepy, but I just couldn't get to sleep without one more kiss. My brain wouldn't let me go to sleep unless you kissed me and prayed with me one more time."

This nightly routine had gone on for years. Later I was to discover that the plague in my little boy's heart had a name, OCD. As a young child, he could not say why he could not stay in bed like his brother and sisters. But, as his mama, I prayed to God, "Let me see the inner workings of this child you have placed into  my hands. Show me how to guide this little one to you. Show me when to discipline, when to give grace. Give me understanding."

God showed me that his behavior was not an issue of his disobedience, his heart was sweet. It was an issue of his little brain that never turned off.

Each of my four were different. All had quirks and differing personalities that, many times, were a mystery. But, I knew that I was God's agent, His hands of love, His voice of encouragement, His ways of truth for those He had trusted into my hands.

"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

The Psalms told me that my children were a gift from God--as they were, with their color of eyes, their color and texture of hair, their various personalities, desires, loves--and weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Each of my little ones wanted to be known, loved as they were, and honored as a child made in the image of God who was designed to fulfill a purpose in this world, a part in His greater play in history. This they were created to find in our home.

But I knew that the place of my worship, my obedience, was to treat them as a gift, to serve them because God had trusted them into my hands, placed them in my home. Until a mama accepts the unique puzzle that she has been given, and submits to the limitations of that puzzle out of love for God, she will fight against the burden of raising children every day. There is an illusion that if we find the right formula, the most perfect instruction manual, that somehow we can control our children, our lives, the outcomes.

But God asks us to live by faith, to be obedient to His ways, and to trust Him with the outcome.

My children, those who come into the walls of my home, my family and friends, are divine appointments from God where I live to show His reality by generously pouring out my life because He generously poured out His life for me.

I am so honored today to be on the podcast of Jefferson and Alyssa Bethke's podcast where we talk together about Creating a Lifegiving Home. I love their hearts for God, their desire to encourage, and their passion to become the parents God wants them to be. A sweet time, indeed.

Go Here to find our discussion today. Anything and Everything with Jeff and Alyssa Bethke

This is the time to order my book, The Lifegiving Home, as we will be studying the book together in a book club in just a couple of weeks. Can't wait to jump in to the chapters with you. Stay tuned for more information about this soon.

Getting to the Heart of Hospitality and a New Podcast !

"Come in and sit for a while and let's be friends," were the best words I had heard in months. My sweet friend, also new to Austria, and our work in Eastern Europe, was the first person in 3 months to actually have me in her home for a meal. I had gone to language school, found my way around this new strange city, learned how to buy groceries with my very limited German, but I longed for a personal touch. Loneliness as I had never felt it, thrummed through the beats of my heart. I wished for someone to talk to who understood the "foreigness" of being in a country where few people fluently spoke my native language.

I even remember what she served me that night--meatloaf, cottage cheese and steamed broccoli. Not fancy, but it seemed so familiar and I remember it as one of the best meals of my life, because is was served with such kindness and love. She extended the hospitality of Jesus to me and it warmed me to my toes.

Hospitality comes from the same root word as hospital, hospice, and hotel. Behind the words is the idea that hospitality seeks to provide for, protect and care for the person who stays in your home. Hospitality is really committing to caring for the emotional, physical, spiritual needs of someone as long as they are in your home.

So often, we consider hospitality to be something that symbolizes perfect rooms with lovely decor, a well prepared meal in the order of a Martha Stewart evening.

Yet, the history of the word was much more about heart than it was about performance. The Heart of hospitality is captured in the last supper when Jesus lovingly prepared for his last evening with His beloved disciples. He prepared for these weary men he called his friends by choosing a quiet room, away from the noisy crowds. Food was carefully cooked and laid out to appease their manly appetites. Each man was served by having his dusty, dirty feet washed by the gentle hands of their master.

Candlelight flickered as the shadows of the setting sun creeped along the walls of the old room. The comfort of being well provided for set the stage for their hearts to be open to the final, lasting words He desired to speak to the hearts of the men who would carry the kingdom messages into a dark and demanding world.

Our home is the place where we offer the hospitality of Christ to our children, our spouses, our friends and to the needy who live with us inside our walls.

Cultivating a heart for hospitality begins with a mental grid of seeing those in your home as a divine appointment allowed by God to extend His generous and gentle love, His words of healing, His promise of hope.

Join Kristen Kill and me today as we share from our heart some of the messages you will find in my new book, The Lifegiving Home.

Be sure to order your copy of The Lifegiving Home and The Lifegiving Home Experience this week so you can join our Celebration Party and be inspired with great ideas for your home in 2016.

Register for the party and invite your friends!

Celebrating the weekend with a Great Italian Feast

"I reach hearts by cooking meals, by washing sheets and fluffing pillows, by reading a favorite book one more time even though I have it memorized."

Sally Clarkson, The Lifegiving Home

Oh, no! It's dinner time again and everyone will want to eat!"

But it is the rhythms, the regular meals, the daily traditions that make memories and spell love in the hearts of my family. Meals make memories.

Do you ever feel like it's hard one more night to figure out what everyone wants to eat?

I have had a pretty overwhelmingly busy week--launch, arranging details, hotel rooms, meals, meeting with Clay, writing my talks for the Mom Heart Conference, and just living life with my present family of four. And every night this week when dinner comes around, with several of us trying to lose the Christmas weight, I wonder what to make?

However, Friday night starts our weekend and we take off on the weekends and eat our favorite meals. We are pretty healthy 5 days a week, but weekends are for celebrating. In my home, having a stash of my favorite "go to" meals, helps me not to think--but just to to recipes I know by heart. Food makes memories, food draws hearts, food soothes weary bodies.

It will smell like a fine Italian restaurant in our home tonight, and it is all due to a beautiful recipe I have made for years.- Spaghetti Pie! ( It is Nathan's favorite, so I make it every time he comes home! A definite comfort food for everyone! And it is easier than Lasagna--but just as pleasing!

Since I am writing about home a lot lately, I thought I would give you a window into one of our favorite meals that brings comfort to all because it is so familiar and tasty.

This recipe begs to be doubled or even tripled! It is a quick and easy way to make a dinner that tastes like mom’s homemade lasagna, although it only takes a fraction of the time to assemble and cook! I love to make lunch - size spaghetti pies by using a muffin tin. This gives you 12 go-to after school snacks or a great addition to your salad at lunch! Cook, cool, wrap up in plastic and place them all in a gallon size ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator.

Ingredients: 2 tsp olive oil 1/2 cup onion - diced 8 oz baby portabella mushrooms - diced 1 pound ground beef (or 1/2 pound Italian sausage 1/2 pound ground beef) 1/2 tsp garlic salt (or 1 clove fresh minced garlic) 1 tsp dried oregano (or Italian seasoning) 1 tsp dried basil Salt and pepper to taste 6 - 8 oz. spaghetti noodles (depending on your pie dish) 2 Tbsp butter (optional) 3/4 cup parmesan cheese 2 eggs - well beaten 1 cup cottage cheese - blended 1 8 oz can of diced tomatoes 1 6 oz can of tomato paste OR 1 small can of tomato sauce 1 tsp sugar 1 - 2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese - grated *Optional: pinch of Italian seasoning to finish on top of mozzarella

 Directions: In your skillet, over medium high heat, saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute until cooked through. If using fresh garlic, add garlic and stir into the onion and mushroom mixture for 1 minute. Add ground beef to the skillet and stir until completely cooked. Add dried herbs, salt & pepper to taste. In a colander, carefully drain off any excess oil. Return the meat mixture to the skillet and return to a medium heat. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and garlic salt if not using fresh garlic. Turn off heat and set aside. You can also use immersion blender for sauce if your kids are not fond of a more rustic style sauce with diced tomatoes. This will make your sauce a smoother spaghetti meat sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti per instructions on package. Drain. Then stir in butter, parmesan, and eggs into the warm spaghetti. Pour spaghetti mixture into a 10 inch pie dish and press in to form a spaghetti crust. Spread the cottage cheese on top of the crust. Add meat sauce mixture. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes then remove from oven and top with shredded mozzarella cheese and return to oven to bake for 5 minutes longer to melt cheese.

Cultivating a delicious meal that "wows" your family doesn't have to be time consuming and filled with extreme difficulty. Turn your home into your favorite Italian restaurant tonight. Light candles, put down your favorite red tablecloth, and you can even grab the "Little Italy 1930 Radio" station from Pandora for free (it is so much fun and really creates the Italian ambiance)!

Enjoy Little Italy tonight!

Happy Weekend!