Home, Where you Belong

“Where we love and are loved is home, home where our feet might leave, but not our hearts.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

I can't even begin to count how many close friends I have made over a meal or cup of coffee or tea. There is something about stealing time away from the "busy" of life and sipping something wonderful, smooth and warm while sitting in an environment where secrets can be shared, silly moments discussed, sympathy is poured out and dreams become real in the speaking. 

Strong coffees in Vienna with new friends who became "besties" gave me a love for tea times.

Saturday morning omelettes and cheesy egg quesadillas became the foundation of a Saturday tradition that knit my heart to my sweet daughters.

Tea times on my front porch with would be friends opened hearts together so we felt understood. 

Tea Time Discipleship is what I call it. It is a strong draw to pull together when the atmosphere has been set, the table is laid, and the person feels welcome. 

Recently, my sweet Joy, returning from Scotland and finishing her Master's Thesis, came home at the end of the day exhausted and in great need of a warm mama hug, and a "I am so grateful to share this time with you," hour of pure caring for her. We all need that place when we can come depleted and hope that someone will care for us. And if we are sensitive to the needs of other beloveds in our lives, we will provide that for them. Listen to an evening not long ago about how, by grace, I was able to turn a normal evening into a precious, friendship building memory. One of the glories we learn along the way is the fulfillment of becoming life artists in our own spaces.

Next Tuesday evening, I will have the privilege of sharing and celebrating my new book, The Lifegiving Table, with many of you. When I have launch parties, I love sharing pdf's and posters you can print out for your friends who attend your own local party so that each person can have something beautiful to take home. Next Tuesday night, I will be giving these small posters to the friends gathered at my table. If you would like to share them with your friends or just have them for yourselves, sign the form below and you will get the pdf's we have prepared for the party that night. Here are a couple of the ones you will receive when you sign up on the form.

A beautiful frameable pdf for your wall.

There are several pdf's that my amazing team at Tyndale has created for us. Have them printed at your local office supply store for a dollar or two and you will have a nice gift to give to those who come to your launch party--or just print it for yourself. Hope you enjoy! Just fill out the form below and you will receive it in your in box. 

Cherishing the Moments, Celebrating Fall

Making time to celebrate our dinner table because the moments together are precious and few.

Sometimes there are seasons of life that converge to overwhelm us for weeks at a time. The past five weeks have almost done me in for many reasons, and yet here I am, alive and going forward one step at a time. And now, my book launch, traveling for 10 days and speaking at 2 conferences in Nashville (Wild and Free and Hutchmoot) and hosting an online party in between are only a few of the things on my plate. One moment at a time, one moment at a time. 

Yet, having my 5 adult kids home to celebrate life together during this time meant that I was constantly making choices to invest in them instead of working. People take precedence over projects--this is a commitment that I made many years ago. 

So, a last weekend, I determined that I would bring the fall colors into our home so that we could enjoy our traditions, even if it meant extending myself a little bit further. My lovies are not home very often, and so I wanted them to know the beauty and loveliness that they had always enjoyed every fall season before this in my home. And, many many meals have been made and consumed and hours and hours of talking, laughing, being together has knit our lives together more closely than before. 

First, the welcome lets everyone know they have a place to "sit and rest a spell." I love the reddish-maroon mums. Simple was the aim this year--and Darcy Dog loves retrieving Indian corn in her mouth so it is always rearranged and piled again.

Every morning, I light the candles in my living room and put on music and fill the tea kettle. Pajama'd girls come down first to sip tea, whisper, have quiet times and just enjoy being with each other. I will miss the sweet times we have had. Always, there are birds around the house, sprinkled here and there--it is a Sally thing.

We usually eat cheesy eggs every morning at our breakfast table. I have had this basket of fall apples longer than I can remember. The kitchen table opens up to seat 14 at its biggest and has held lots of secrets shared and memories made.

I couldn't resist the fresh berry plant to poke into fresh carnations. I found this old vintage pitcher last year for $5 in an open air market in Oxford--again, birds! Couldn't resist.

My recipes these days have been for big quantities and everything is consumed in minutes. But I make quiche when I need something fast and easy. Here is a recipe I use when I am in a hurry. 

Every day, my table says, "I love you!" And even now, more than ever, because in no time at all, my sweet ones will be spread to the winds, but they will always know they have a sacred place where all of us will belong to one another.

Find The Lifegiving Table at all most of your favorite bookstores.

The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith through Feasting, One Meal at a Time

$10.99

By Sally Clarkson

Arming Ourselves to Live Strong in a Fallen World

Thanks, billosborne.com, for the image.

Episode #101 Arming Ourselves to Live Strong in a Fallen World

PODCAST: DOWNLOAD

ITUNES: SUBSCRIBE

When we prepare for a new year, we choose classes for our kids, lessons, activities, buy them some new clothes, gather school supplies, and make sure that they aren't missing out on anything we deem that they need.

Yet, sometimes, in the rush and push of life, we forget that the most important area to plan is how we as their mentors and shepherds need to prepare for ourselves. Christian mothers who are willing to accept the responsibility of seeking to influence their children for Christ are truly in a battle for the heart, soul and minds of their children. They are shaping character that will serve their children the rest of their lives. Yet, often when they become discouraged or weary, they are tempted to think, "I am not doing a great job." "I am not cut out for this." And in this emotionally draining time, they are tempted to give up on their ideals

Yet, scripture tells us we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. Our enemy, Satan, would love for us to focus on ourselves, our own weaknesses, instead of our turning to our warrior king who wants us to feel His pleasure in our hard work, who will sustain us, who cares about our role as moms.

I wanted to do a podcast and blog post that would encourage your precious ones to understand that you and your ability to fight well is crucial to your being able to stay the course of the ideals God has called you to follow. I pray that as you hear Kristen and I talk about this, you will be encouraged, know that we are praying for you.

As Christians and mothers, we can feel overwhelmed with the daily battles. From piles of laundry, bad attitudes in our children, sibling arguing, hormonal teenagers, loneliness and isolation, all of the meals to be prepared, and wanting to do it all with excellence, we can often feel defeated before we even begin.  When we look to God’s Word and in particular Ephesians 6, we can better understand that we are truly in a battle by observing Paul’s inspiring metaphor. 

In this episode, we, Sally and Kristen look at each piece of armor, and share how we can be prepared along with preparing and training our children, too.  We can grow from feeling defeated and on the defense, to becoming more than conquerors and prepared for battle through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.

What We Talk About:

-What a soldier needs before he enters into battle

-What it means to stand your ground

-How we can know what is true

-Why  Jesus says, “If you continue in my Word” is a condition of knowing the truth?

-What it means to guard your heart on a daily basis

-How God's word protects our heart

-What it means to walk in peace

-What it means to move forward instead of staying stagnant in our faith

-Why having a shield of faith pre-supposes that we will have arrows thrust at us from the enemy that it is meant to protect us from

-What we know about the emotional,spiritual and relational battles of life

-The significance of only one piece of armor mentioned that is an offensive weapon and how we should use it

LINKS:

Ephesians 6:10-13 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.2 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

Charles Spurgeon quote: “To be a Christian is to be a warrior. The good soldier of Jesus Christ must not expect to find ease in this world: it is a battle-field.” 

-John 8:31-32 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Ephesians 6:15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

1 John 5:4-5 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?  

Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.

-Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 

Buy a Book for yourself and for a friend!

You will have access to a very special Devotional to use at your Lifegiving Table to teach your own Children about spiritual battle. 

My wonderful team who have produced such beautiful printables for my membership, Cultivating Life with Sally, have produced a 12 page devotional for you to have with your children about "Putting on the whole armor of God" with coloring pages and Bible study and questions.

It is our hope that we can create some life amongst friends in the discipleship atmosphere of our ministry. We are encouraging women to buy a Lifegiving Table book for themselves and one to give away to someone who needs encouragement. (A Home for single moms, your library, a friend who is getting married, a new mom, a neighbor, a friend who needs encouragement, etc.)

 If you have bought 2 or more Lifegiving Table books, fill out the form below and send us a copy of your receipt or tell us where you ordered the book, and you will receive the downloadable pdf to use with your family. We pray your children will also develop a heart as warriors to do battle well in their lifetime. 

Get your 12 page devotional with coloring pages to use with your children when you buy 2 or more copies of The Lifegiving Table. 

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Cultivating Life: A Wonderful Community of Like-minded Women!

Having ideals in a world that has gone crazy can be lonely. Giving of yourself day after day after day can deplete your heart, mind, soul and body. When you are drained on a regular basis, you need some people and a place where you can feel that you belong, where you are understood, where you can find refreshment.

There were so many times when I felt alone and wondered if I was ruining my kids. That is why I started my mom's conferences many years ago and why I wrote books and why I started my blog and podcast. I have received many notes from women in the past weeks about how much they are already enjoying being a part of Cultivating Life with Sally. We are hoping to build a community of like-minded women so that this will be a place of shared values in friendship and a place to grow stronger in faith.

Such a deal & So Affordable!

For the cost of 2 or 3 coffees a month, you can join us and enjoy having a place where these important needs can be fueled with inspiration each month. You will find kindred spirit friends who understand and support your ideals. 

Here is some of what you can look forward to as we build this community. 

If you are a member and are going to be in the Nashville area next weekend during the Wild and Free conference, you will be invited to our Cookie and Milk (and other delicious things) evening. (When you join, you will be notified. We hope to do some more fun events through the year.)

No matter what your educational choice is for your children, your mama heart will be inspired by ideas I share that will help you raise a child who will be educationally sound and strong. I think you will love these conference talks I have given to countless thousands of people at conferences over the years.

We have already received so many notes about how many are loving this part of the our membership. An old friend of mine, Terri Moon, and I, record stories about famous composers each month and insights about the strong character qualities they exhibited as well as music to listen to that they composed or performed. Such a great series.

I love teaching women the Bible and will be teaching a special course on Hebrews, How to be faithful when you don't feel like it. (Heroes who have told us their stories of faith through the Bible.) I will also be reading stories you can share with your children from the heroes of the Bible.

People always ask me what I did to help my children become intellectually strong so that they have studied at some of the best universities in the world and flourished as writers and speakers. You will love this talk and all mamas can be encouraged by what they hear. Different ones each month.

We will be sharing recipes, traditions and other tips to help create a lifegiving table and a lifegiving home. Kristen and I will be hosting podcasts based on the discipleship principles listed in the book so be sure to get your copy of The Lifegiving Table.

The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith through Feasting, One Meal at a Time

By Sally Clarkson

Buy on Amazon

We will have more interesting surprises over the year. My "dream" team of women who helped put together all of these resources are so creative and driven to help us create a wonderful place for inspiration. Your choice to buy a subscription helps me to be able to offer some financial support to all of those who have worked so hard to make this happen, as well as to support our international ministry and outreach to women all over the world.

There will be new content added every single month and it will arrive in your email inbox on or before the first of each month--this time, just in time for my launch party.  It will be as if you are attending a mini-conference in your home, always biblically-based and intentionally thought out to support you in your day-to-day life as a mother. 

You can expect audios and/or videos from Sally and friends along with extras such as outlines for taking notes, printables, and personal reflection questions to help you grow in your walk of faith and motherhood. We hope to have some online seminars and tea times through the year as we add more features to our site.

Take your time to work through the content as it will remain accessible as long as you continue your membership.  You will receive an email each month with descriptions and links to the new content.  We look forward to hearing how God uses Cultivating Life with Sally to cultivate life in your home!

Join hundreds of women all over the world who have already joined! We hope it will be of great inspiration to you. 

What's New This Month?

We are sharing on of my most popular talks over all the years about educating your children to have a spiritual foundation, an inspired mind and a heart full of ideals and grace. I am so happy many are being encouraged by this.

Subscribe https://lifewithsally.com/

The Gift of a Prepared Place Makes us Feel We Belong

A new trailer for you, today! I'm so very excited about this new book!

Jesus said, " I am going to prepare a place for you....." John 14:2

PREPARE: TO MAKE READY FOR USE IN ADVANCE

"Oh, mama, I can hardly wait to come home. Let's have endless cups of tea, share all of our adventures from the past few months, and just be friends for hours and hours. I just love home!"

Excited down to my tippy toes and filled with butterflies every time I think about it, I can't wait till my precious ones are all under my roof. We all belong to each other and we have all needed a place. I have had all 5 (including my new son-in-law) home the past 3 weeks and we have had endless meals, conversations, messes and clean ups. But I find when I prepare by making them favorite meals, putting flowers in their rooms, making time for private cups of tea on old tea tables, our friendships grow even deeper and flourish. --

--Our home and table can be a sanctuary for life, a holding place for all of our ideals, an atmosphere of love and a energy that engages dreams and inspiration. In short, my children and husband to not need a perfect home, or always organized and clean, but they need a mother and wife who is committed to whatever it takes to fully live the life of Christ in this home that they understand, taste and feel His reality.

God created and prepared the garden as a "place" for us to flourish--wild with color, confronted with beauty, texture, interesting sounds, a variety of food, companionship. He contemplated not only the needs Adam and Eve, his children would have, but he also pondered how to make their home a place of beauty, soul satisfaction, mind engaging and interesting and spiritually captivating.

Planning and providing are truly a glory of a woman, living into God's design. With my precious ones coming home,  I have been planning and preparing ahead of time, so that when they come home, I can focus on our time together, meet their needs and walk through the days with peace. With 7-10 people in my home for the next few weeks, three meals a day, will not totally overwhelm me as I prepare ahead of time for the few days I will have with my crew.

If I am behind and in a "Martha" mode, I will miss precious moments with my favorite people. Relationship is the key to love and influence, so it is my goal to prepare to be patient, to stay up late to listen, to understand and to serve. I want them to leave my home to go into the world with the fragrance of Christ fresh in their hearts, minds and souls--and always thinking this is the best place to be.

A Place of Beauty and Tradition

Now in my 60's, I have had a whole lifetime of gathering precious treasures that speak to my children of family, memories--the way we have always done things, and to make our home environment one in which they will always think it is the best place to be.

Actually, I have learned that when I live in a tiny overseas apartment, or a sprawling older home, that it is the "me" inside of it that makes it home for my children.

Each of us, made to be like Him, has an endless capacity to bring beauty in our world as He did. We just have to practice. I tend to do things the same every year, because my life doesn't provide for much creative space right now--but for all the times I have built this in the past, it is now easy for me to put in place because of practice.

Prepare a place for your friends and join us for lots of fun, PDFs for everyone, and inspiration at our launch party October 3rd!

For more information about the launch party (including all our wonderful giveaways!) please go here: The Lifegiving Table . We hope to see you there!

Traditions, Tasty Treats & All that Creates Feasts & a Podcast

Episode #100 Traditions to Create a Feast

PODCAST: DOWNLOAD

ITUNES:Subscribe

Coming to the table is something we do so often that we might be tempted to consider it commonplace. But, wise mamas must remember that the table is a feast! In our homes, it is where we are able to gather with our children and to taste and see the goodness of God. There is wonder, beauty and sacredness to be found in sharing meals together. Traditions too, become a part of our family story, a way that year after year, season after season, our children come to know and feel a part of our family culture, and gain a sense that they belong. In this podcast episode, Sally and Kristen share some of their own favorite traditions, and why they matter so much. Join them as they inspire you to embrace the Fall season and make the wonder of your own table come alive.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:

-What it means to take refuge and delight in God

-How seasons set the atmosphere

-How when we provide places of safety for others, we invite them to meet with God

-How day after day coming to the table becomes and anchor in our lives

-How celebrations and special occasions give our children a culture and a heritage

-The ART of the table

-Our own daily and weekly table rhythms

-Our favorite seasonal celebrations and traditions

LINKS:

Psalm 34: 8  "Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him."

Psalm 36:7  "The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights."

Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

For our listeners today, we are so thrilled to be able to giveaway these beautiful premium cotton tea towels, screenprinted with a design exclusively for us at Sheri Kate Designs by Touches of His Grace. 
I love having scripture around our home and this is such a practical and useful way to remind me. We use these everyday in our home and they wash beautifully. 

One of our wonderful launch team members, Stephanie Mast, donated these. This premium cotton tea towel is screenprinted with a design exclusively for us at Sheri Kate Designs by Touches of His Grace. 
I love having scripture around our home and this is such a practical and useful way to remind me. We use these everyday in our home and they wash beautifully. Thanks so much, Stephanie. You can see more of these lovely designs HERE:

To enter to win, please share this podcast, this post or about my new book, The Lifegiing Table and leave a comment below and you will be entered to win. Winners will be drawn on Friday. (Be sure you are subscribed to my blog to win our prizes in the weeks ahead.) 

, 

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Great Food makes for Great Friendships! Creating Sweet Memories

Creating Memories with a Friend: A Salad for the Last Warm Days

How could I have known 18 years ago when I met Terri Moon, that we would be working these many years later on special recordings together to celebrate great musicians and to tell their stories together. (Terri is my musical, violinist friend who is the host on our new musical series in the Cultivating Life with Sally Course. So glad you all are liking it!) 

After recording two sessions together in my home, I treated Terri to a fun summer salad on my front porch. We live there in the warm season.  Because I live at 7250 feet elevation, I cherish the days when I can sit on my front porch or my covered deck and share a meal with a friend. I take every opportunity that I can to be outside before it gets too cold to comfortably be outdoors.

I try to invite at least one friend a week over for an afternoon cup of tea or a quick salad lunch. Anyone can invite someone over, even if for a simple cup of tea. This one act can be the beginning of a sweet and intimate friendship.

I remember many years ago, I was hosting a lot of people in my home and Terri, as a new friend then, presented me with a big basket swathed with a lovely floral cloth. The basket was full of fresh scones, clotted cream, fresh strawberry jam and a big box of my favorite English tea. Of course I wanted to be her friend after that! Who wouldn't? :)

But these years later, now that we are working together on a project together, our conversaton is based on years of our children growing close as friends and knowing each other through many season of life.

Here is the easy but beautiful salad that I made recently for us.

Fresh Spinach, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, sprouted walnuts, strawberries, green onions, feta cheese and chunks of chicken. (I keep baggies of boiled chicken in my freezer that I can thaw for quick meals.) I drizzled olive oil over the top with a tiny bit of raspberry dressing.

Putting little almond gluten free crackers around the edges of the salad completed my quick festive offering. Sitting on the porch gave us a sweet summer memory.

A memory does not have to become an elaborate ideal. I just used what I had in my fridge and now we have one more sweet memory. Your porch or deck or grass with a cloth can become the lifegiving table is food is enjoyed and the life of a friendship is kindled.

I hope you will be inspired by my new book, The LIfegiving Table. Please share my video with your friends who might enjoy be inspired with great food and sweet friendships over the life given and received at a table. 

For those of you who want to participate in the AXIS conference to train parents how to mentor their junior high and senior high kids, I will be speaking today, Friday, about the importance of table life in passing on values. Sign up to be inspired by 40 speakers. Go HERE to sign up. 

Kitchen Blessings and Memories And a Recipe You will Love!

As a young girl, the smells that wafted from the kitchen always called me to come see what was cooking; hoping there was a special “before dinner bite” for me. What a frivolous gift to be able to run into a kitchen and have the grace to steal a bit of something tasty. 

A beef roast with smells of sauteed onion, garlic, herbs and roasted potatoes was alluring and weekly fare. So was Saturday night steak grilled outside with my father swathed in smoky vapors rising from the inside where the meat sizzled. Mama's fried chicken was my favorite. (I put Sally's Fried Chicken in the book as it is our favorite Family Day food.)

We had huge salads, twice baked potatoes, brisket (I was a Texan, Ya'll!) and all sorts of ways to do zucchini, avocadoes, turkey and dressing and more. 

Food was definitely a heritage from my family. 

It wasn’t complicated...food was comfort. 

Sliding next to mom as she danced around the warm stove all covered in steaming pots and sizzling pans, I would throw my arm over her shoulder. That was all it would take to earn that coveted bite I couldn’t wait till dinner for!

The  memories of gathering, talking, eating sumptuously, every night gave me such a secure feeling inside. Our table was welcoming, a safe place for us every night.

A visit to my "Granny's each summer provided more delights. The aunts, uncles, cousins and friends would gather in the evening for a southern potluck: green beans and bacon, corn bread, biscuits, all sorts of salads, baked apples, mashed potatoes, potatoes o'gratin, fresh garden corn, fish filets, and meats galore, fresh cabbage slaw with carrots, and an array of deserts. All would feast, smack their lips. And finally, the adults would sit on the front porch telling tales, rocking on the porch swing and glider while we children would catch fireflies in jars and play hide and seek. 

Taking a trip down memory lane, I recalled fond occasions that were all around the smells of food, drinks, deserts, gathering as a people that I belonged to.

I never realized what it took my mom to craft these meals and to welcome us over a life-time.  It dawned on me - she made it look so easy and enjoyable! Not as if it were a chore, but something to be celebrated. I remember mom cooking, dinnertime conversations of all sorts, eating a complete meal, washing dishes elbow to elbow each night with antics, stories, singing and complaining now and then.

Our home kitchen had a rhythm of its own. That rhythm was one I realized I needed to learn and embrace now that I was an adult. As a child, the kitchen was a blessing to me, to my family, and all who entered our home for a warm meal.

Eventually, the day came when I had a family of my own and had to learn how to maneuver my way about the kitchen. Coming home with a few bags of groceries, I fondly remembered my mother's routine; doing "her thing" in the kitchen.  Slowly but surely, I remembered some of my mom's ways but added a lot of my own. 

Maybe you have told yourself that you are not cut out for cooking or making friends with your pots and pans. Erase those thoughts, take a deep breath, and apply one or two of these tips to help you have a more functional kitchen that blesses all who enter! My mom forgot to teach me to cook, but now my family always says, "Your food is my favorite!" They just never had another option. 

I am excited to share many of our family's favorite recipes and the traditions around the food that shaped our family culture and heritage. 

Win a Set of my books, The Lifegiving Table and The Lifegiving Table Experience

I am sharing a recipe from my home with you today that you can download. I have a lot of my favorite recipes in my new book. I am also giving away a set of my new books away. Just share about my new book, leave a comment below and tell me where you shared about my book and I will pick two winners to receive a set of my books. 

When I didn't want to make 5 loaves of bread, I made this recipe for birthday breakfasts and family day. Enjoy!

Order a copy for you and a friend from Amazon below or get a signed copy by me through Barnes & Noble.

The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith through Feasting, One Meal at a Time

By Sally Clarkson

Convictions Come Through Table Talk (A New Podcast!)

"If a woman says she wants to have an abortion, and she calls the baby a "fetus" what does that tell you about what she thinks about life, her baby, God's design?"

****The answers that came around our table: "They don't think of the baby as a real human being!""They don't believe that a baby is created by God and has value for eternity." "They don't understand their connection emotionally and physically to the baby inside of them." "They don't believe that God personally created a person that has a personality, abilities, and a story to tell."

It was these kinds of questions that flowed around our dinner table when our kids were teens. We wanted them to think logically, to engage in truth for themselves, to cover a variety of cultural and moral topics in our home, at our table, to exercise their intellectual muscle before they were confronted by all the answers the world, media, peers, television and movies  when they left our home.  

If you want to equip your children to stand strong for truth, for Christ and for family values that includes a high picture of morality, marriage, sex, the foundations of scripture, world view, then you must gently engage over the years, little by little, day by day.  It is best for children to hear about controversial subjects from their parents than on the internet.

Convictions are not naturally a result of just being alive in a home, they must be discussed, cultivated, engaged in and embraced. It is why I am so excited to share my book with you if I can help you think through some of the ways you can help shape the values and souls of your children through table talk. 

On our podcast today, Kristen and I will be addressing some of these issues that we have seen as important in our home and why. And I think you will love another way you can find more speakers to listen to right in your home. 

Starting this week, a wonderful organization call Axis, is sponsoring a conference to help equip educators, parents and grandparents to better understand how to talk to their teen children about important issues from a Christian point of view.  I was asked to speak to the issues of how to mentor and disciple your children to walk with God and I think you will enjoy hearing from many of the speakers presented. You may read about it below as well as see some of the posters they are putting up about my own opportunity to speak to parents. 

To Find out more information about this wonderful conference, go HERE

Save Your Seat for the Parenting Teen Summit: Hope

Doesn’t it seem like culture is changing every day? Teens and pre-teens face tremendous pressure from social media, peers, and even family members.

As parents and faith leaders we play a significant role in shaping our child’s faith into the future. Imagine learning how to better parent your teen or pre-teen from some of the most informed voices in faith and culture… for free.

I’m excited to announce the brand new Parenting Teens Summit: Hope hosted by Axis from September 11th through September 30th.

The Parenting Teens Summit is an online experience designed to help you thrive as a parent of a teenager. We are so happy that you will be able to hear talks from one of your own favorite teachers, Sally Clarkson, as well as:

Experts will cover topics like

Your Teenager's Not Crazy - Jeramy & Jerusha ClarkMentoring Your Children -Sally ClarksonAddictions & Your Family - Dr. Doug WeissTeens, The Screen & Your Family - Dr. Kathy KochSexuality in the Next Generation - Dr. Juli SlatteryWhat Should A Grandparent Do? - Larry FowlerBuilding Faith as a Family - Steve ArterburnSave Your Marriage While Raising Kids - Dr. Les ParrottMissions Trips & Your Family - Mark & Cathy Cornelison

This is a promo photo Axis is sending out to thousands of people that you can also use if you download. Hoping lots of parents are inspired by this conference.

The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith through Feasting, One Meal at a Time

By Sally Clarkson

Sign up today for this FREE online Christian conference for parents through September 30, 2017. 

50+ Amazing speakers, including our own Sally Clarkson, provide tips and encouragement to help you and your teens build lifelong faith with a session releasing September 15. (I will be speaking online on SEPTEMBER 15 through a video.)

CLICK HERE to Sign Up for the Summit

The goal of this online conference is to help you help your students build lifelong faith in Jesus. Our friends at Axis (the hosts of this summit) will have three categories for this summit:

CLICK HERE to Get Your FREE Summit Ticket

CLICK HERE: Join The Parenting Teens Summit

Episode #99 Convictions Come Through Table Talk

PODCAST: DOWNLOAD

ITUNES: SUBSCRIBE

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:

The basis of having influence

Why and how to transfer worldview

How to help our children to see temptations rightly

How to help our children see God's ways as blessing

How to give our children rootedness and a place of belonging in the midst of their questions

The importance of taking a vow and what it means as a wall of protection in our lives

Daniel as an example of righteousness in his generation

Technology and how to prepare our children for encountering sinful content

Giving our children a strong will 

The issues necessary to address with our children to prepare them for living out their faith in our culture.

LINKS:

The Axis Conference

Two Benedictions

Cultivating Life With Sally

The Not So Good Samaritan

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy your copy today and join Kristen and me for a 6 week discussion about discipleship and mentoring principles for each chapter of the book. Can't wait!

A Little Comfort and Joy In The Mornings! (And a lost podcast!)

Seems summers were always particularly busy for the Clarksons--is it that way in your house, too? Everyone going their own way on a different time schedule and needing a car or a ride somewhere. We had five drivers in our home one summer--which made us two cars short! This week, we have had 7 drivers and only 3 cars so we had to rent a car for a couple of days. That is what we get for having 4 living overseas! So getting everyone up, figuring out who is going to take who to work, and what we are going to eat was quite a project those summer mornings and still is, at times, because everyone wakes up at a different time.

The deep pleasure of having all or even most of my children at home, though, is worth the trouble. When they are young, a mom feels her children may never grow up. Yet, my children grew up to  become my best adult friends and soul mates, so each moment is cherished and recorded in my mind as a memory to revisit when I am lonely.

Many sweet moms have written me to ask, "What do you do when all the kids at your table are rude, crude, and just make messes all the time--like 3 under 5?" I had that season of life, too. Different expectations come with different seasons. Yet, training children comes even when they are very young. 

When we say, "Tell Daddy what you did today!" Or, "What was the best part of your day and the worst part?" Even little questions help a little one to begin to see themselves as someone who is expected to engage in conversation and have something to say--especially when parents engage and act interested. Have dinner ready when the little ones are hungry. they do not need gourmet, they just need to eat before their blood sugar goes down and they become whiny. Or give them some little bit of protein if they start going downhill. 

Teach children, little by little, what you think is appropriate for "Table voices" (quieter voice, no crudity allowed!) I had to take my own kids away from the table many times when they were little to say, "Our table is a place where all of us belong and want to be friends. If you can't be kind, you may eat by yourself in your room. It is your choice. Can you choose to be kind to your brother? (or whatever minor violation was done. 

For very littles, you just begin to verbalize the expectations you want to enter into--"Mom loves it when we can all be together. We belong to one another. Mama loves her little boy."All of these ways are building an expectation for a time when your children will be able to use more self-control, enter into conversation, set the table. Little by little it comes. And then you will find they eventually love table time.

Because of so many years of our being "at table" together, night after night, morning after morning, we built a very strong family culture, sometimes even when we did not think our sweet ones were even paying attention.

Now, we "get" each other's idealism, love the same flavor of tea and share in mutually favorite musicians and books, and have stimulating discussions every night, the deep intimacy that is shared with no one else in the world in a similar way. This is what makes these moments, however busy, priceless. I feel so very blessed to share in such happy friendships, even amidst so many dirty dishes, more messes and lots of frenzy.

Joy, though, brings a special happy/melancholy depth to my heart. She is my baby, my last one, the child of my forties grown into a lovely young woman. And so, I wanted to document each morning before she went off to her responsibilities. One summer, twice a week, she served as a leader of 12 junior high aged girls in a morning program designed to build godliness in the lives of these precious ones. Using her own money, she has been meeting each of these girls alone at Starbucks to invest in them personally and to hear their hearts.

No matter what else is pulsing around me, I awakened her each morning with a china mug of steaming hot Yorkshire Gold tea. Making breakfast for her as she spends a few last moments in bed is a gift I gave to her and to me. It was a time to pray for her, love her, and prepare her for her day ahead. She may not know how much of my heart went into these times that I know, from experience, would be gone too quickly.

Most days, I made some kind of egg with toast or muffin, sometimes a little grated cheese on top like our own version of egg mcmuffin. But occasionally on early days, we revive a Clarkson (from Clay!) favorite.

Banana, Peanut Butter (or almond butter) and honey toast

Homemade or bakery bought whole wheat bread, toasted. A little dab of butter melted on the hot toast, spread with peanut butter, sliced bananas, drizzling honey over the bananas to be sure each bite receives a taste of the golden sweetness and finally a bit of cinnamon suger sprinkled on top, to make it prettier. This served in bed with her mug of tea made getting out of bed a possibility some slow mornings!

It is not about food being complicated, it is about friendship and closeness being real every day. 

Funny how when they are tiny, you hope and hope they will stay in bed just a few more moments. Yet, before you know it, they will stay in bed every extra minute possible and then too quickly dash off to life. Oh to hold on to these moments and appreciate each one given as a favor from God.

Plan a fun breakfast treat for your sweet ones and yourself, sometime this weekend!

The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith through Feasting, One Meal at a Time

By Sally Clarkson

The Lifegiving Table Experience: A Guided Journey of Feasting through Scripture

By Sally Clarkson

Be sure to order your copy of my new book so you can engage with Kristen and me in a 6 week book study about the discipleship principles in the book. Be sure to sign up for my email list to be eligible to win our prizes on launch night.  

Episode #98 Communication Skills for Mentoring Well

If you missed Kristen and me earlier this week, now you can finally catch the podcast after we've solved a few glitches! We hope you'll join us as we discuss the 4 principles of interpersonal communication and how meaningful our words (and lack of words) are to our children. Listen below:

Podcast: Download

itunes: Subscribe