Music is one of the defining cultures of the Clarkson family. A handful of talented musicians have permeated all the seasons of our family history, as we listened together ...
Andrew Peterson, a New Podcast & A Great Story
Why We Read to Our Children
It’s autumn here in Colorado, my favorite time of the year. The changing of the leaves from green to yellow creates great anticipation in my heart for what is to come. The brisk, cool air invites me to stop, look, and listen ...
The Urgency of Resting & A Giveaway!
The Urgency of Resting
Henry Maynell Rheam
(Many know blue is my favorite color and this is one of my favorite prints.)
Today was the first day I have had off in many weeks. Not only did I have my 5 children home since mid July, with needs for medical attention, personal time, family time with all sorts of out of town company and I literally hundreds of meals, snacks and clean up, but I launched a new course, had to keep podcasts going, write articles for many others for my launch, run a launch team and travel and speak at conferences.
It has been quite a stretch and exhausting and taxing. Yet, I count it a privilege to be a hands on mama, and to be available to my children when they come home. I also am so very blessed to be a steward of truth, messages that matter that God allowed me to know, a desire to inspire, help and encourage women all over the world in their roles as followers of Christ, as women and as mothers and wives. So, passion for Jesus keeps me going. Yet, I am also human and have needs, physical limitations and emotional needs and spiritual needs.
A part of being a godly mature women means recognizing your personality limitations, (I have to have time away from people to stay sane--and so did Jesus.) Also, knowing that you have to take care of yourself if you are going to finish well. I have to be filling my heart on a regular basis so that others have something to draw from there. I must enjoy life if I am to pass on joy. And so today, though I have quite a few clamoring for my attention now that they know Clay and I are home after 10 days, I chose to sleep late, to sip tea, to go out to breakfast with my beloved Nathan and to take some time to breathe.
Sometimes, when we have piles of responsibility on our plate, we start to place a lot of energy, worry and fear into the issues of our lives and fret. The last thing that seems to be productive when we are overwhelmed with responsibility is to choose to rest.
Yet, rest may very well be the most strategic thing to do if we have a busy, full and demanding life.
If we do not practice a habit of a restful life, we will end up with serious illness, exhaustion, bad attitudes and fist shaking faith aimed heavenly.
As I have said before, "Fretting leads only to evil doing." Psalm 37: 5
God put Sabbath Rest into the weeks of our lives with a purpose. I have found that when I believe and engage my heart in the goodness of God's character, and put out of my mind, after praying, all that I am carrying and just seek to be still and find joy, I see the miracles bubbling up slowly, surely, as He, my Father, delights to provide.
A godly woman makes time to rest and restore.
However, a Martha heart is want to see the miracles, as she is so busy living in the whirlwind of her own meek provisions, she loses all hope and becomes a wretched nag.
The more exhausted I am with life, the more tense, grumpy and tight I become and it spills all over everyone else.
Finding myself at a juncture of exhaustion from giving all that I had the last weekend 2 weeks, to the sweet, wonderful women in my conferences and online, I find that somehow when I try to figure out all of the responsibilities of the next few months, which are huge, I am tempted to be overwhelmed.
I could still be doing more work for my publishers to launch my book, I could despair that my house is showing signs of my too busy life in the past weeks. I could try to answer every message, email, instagram friend.
Yet, from so many times like this in the past, I have learned a secret. My Prince Jesus comes to me and beckons me away to have time with him, to listen to His voice and to trust him to fill in the cracks of all the things I am too limited to do.
Like the story of Sleeping Beauty, the prince comes, not when she is searching the horizon, pounding her fists, running the floor, but when she is doing nothing but resting.
Resting in Him, choosing peace and putting off responsibilities and restoring is sometimes such grand medicine for my soul, that after choosing to rest and to invest in fun and love and ease of life, my strength is renewed and all issues are able to be faced with grace. I know more deadlines of life are coming, but I will face them with courage, trust and resilience if I choose rest today.
Often I find women shaking their fists at God, ready to quit their ideals when I think they are actually overcommitted and doing more than God ever asked them to do. If God's will is good and acceptable and perfect and we feel at great odds with our life over a long period of time, then we need to ask what we are doing that may not actually be a part of God's wise and gracious will for us.
And so today, my plan is to go back to bed, to pace leisurely through the pathway to a new week, to sip and really taste my coffee and tea!...to just sit and listen to my beloved ones in facetime and phone calls, and focus on the beauty of the love we share that deserves my present attention, to stay in comfy clothes all day, to read and pray, and then maybe to rest again, because I know that while I am resting, my Prince is already coming to my rescue.
And I pray you, too, will find time to give your heart, mind and soul a rest amidst a too busy world.
Peace, be still, the Lord is near.
************************
So many people donated prizes to my launch about table that I still have a prize or so to give away. Thanks for everyone who has gone to such a great extent to help me get the word out about my newest books. I hope they also help you to slow down, to celebrate time with your loved ones, face to face within the peace of your home.
I wish I could win this as I need new knives and pans!
Receive an 4 lovely printable posters to use at your table if you purchased 5 or more books!
This special prize will go to one person who has bought 5 or more books. I know many of our small group leaders of Mom Heart Groups have bought books for their whole Bible study. We have several thousand participating in Mom Heart Groups or Mum Heart Groups all over the world. These sweet ones spread the messages of our books and ministry online. So we wanted to give you who are in or lead a Mom Heart Group, ( Mom Heart Groups and Mum Heart Groups) special thanks for supporting our ministry of messages for purchasing books for you and friends and small groups.
And a Big shout out of thanks to all of you who wrote to say you were buying extra copies to donate toyour library, homeless shelters, crisis pregnancy centers. Our team of staff is doing the same thing in their areas, seeking to be an encouragement to those who most need the messages. Many of you have done this for years. Heartfelt thanks!
If you have bought 5 or more books for any reason, fill out the form below and you will be entered in to win this contest. But also, those who purchase 5 or more books, when you fill out the form below, will receive several downloadable printables we have prepared just for you---a printable poster to use at your table with questions to stimulate discussion with your family; a poster of how to develop family culture, a tea time discipleship poster to give ideas on how to use your table as a place of sharing friendship over coffee or tea and the poster for The Armor of God to share with your children. We want you to feel encouraged by these beautiful resources that my sweet friends have prepared as a thanks for being supportive of the message and encouragement part of our ministry.
If you have a purchase receipt for the copies you ordered, we would appreciate having that. But, it is on an honor system. If you do not have a receipt by email, then tell us how you purchased and you will receive these special items our team prepared just for you. Thanks again for everyone who has helped us in this launch in any way. We appreciate you.
Many have asked, you are not too late to join Kristen and me on our podcast series about the discipleship principles found in these books that speak of reaching your children's hearts with the messages of Christ on our podcast. Purchase the books, read the quotes, principles, questions and follow along with us. (And so glad you liked this week's podcast.)
Heartfelt Mentoring to Transform Your Table
Episode #105: Heartfelt Mentoring to Transform Your Table
PODCAST: DOWNLOAD
ITUNES: SUBSCRIBE
Thank you so much for the notes, emails and messages from all of you who have written me to tell me how much my new book is encouraging you and changing the way you think about your table. Kristen and I are so excited to begin our book study with you today about the discipleship principles in the book and to share some of the table conversation starters. We are learning so much ourselves as we prepare this 7-8 part series covering 14 chapters of the Lifegiving Table. I pray you will be inspired by what we share. Get your copy of the book and underline and copy the quotations in the book and join us as we discuss the mentoring principles that will shape your children as they learn to love God. (On sale right now!)
How can our table make Christ real to those who share life with us? How can it inspire them to serve him their whole lives? In this episode, Sally and Kristen begin a series on discipleship and invite you to discover how feasting invites you in to celebrate the delights, creativity, and personality of God.
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:
-The example of the Life of Christ- feasting, caring for those he came in contact with, feeding them, preparing a place for them, touching them, and desiring intimate connection with them.
-How feasting fills spiritual, physical and emotional needs.
-The meaning of sanctuary and why is it important to create one for your family.
-What qualities of the table aid in reaching the personal harvest fields of our lives.
-Coming to the table is not just about the physical act of eating, but about sharing life as God designed and gave it to us.
-Approaching the table with an intentional purpose and expectation with shape how we cultivate it.
-What we can do to protect and set boundaries for our tables.
-Why the table is just like a beautiful piece of music: carefully arranged, thoughtfully directed, and passionately played.
LINKS:
"The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine." Isaiah 25:6, NASB
"When Jesus wanted to explain to his followers the meaning of his death, he didn't give them a theory, he gave them a meal"- N.T. Wright
"If the home is a body, the table is the heart, the beating center, the sustainer of life and health." Shauna Niequist
"For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." Psalm 107:9
"For Jesus the home is not what defines the table; the table is what defines the home." Leonard Sweet, From Tablet to Table
I have a couple of more wonderful giveaways for you this week. Today, if you leave a comment on Amazon or Barnes and Noble about my book, if you share a photo of you holding the book on FB or instagram or if you share a photo of the book, leave a comment below and you will be entered to win this lovely assortment for fall--lovely napkins, a fall runner and these darling chargers. So much fun.
And happy week.
A fall runner, fall napkins, a pumpkin and fall chargers--hope you win.
Buy yours today and join Kristen and me in our 7 week series on Discipleship principles to win the hearts of those who join you at your table.
C.S. Lewis on Table, An Oxford Prof and Why Stories Matter (And an ART Print to give away!)
Sometimes God provides a serendipitous gift that delights your heart, but you didn't even know to ask for it. Dr. Michael Ward was such a gift. He was Sarah's first private tutor, (prof to us!), and over several years of events that we all shared together, he quickly became a family friend.
As it happens, an artist wrote to me about a week ago and said she would love to give one of our audience a lovely print about children. It just happened that Dr. Ward, (Michael), was coming to stay in our home and to give a lecture in Colorado Springs.
So, naturally I thought, "I should ask him to give us some insight on the importance of "table" in the life of C.S. Lewis, as that is his expertise. And I will give away an Art print to go along with the podcast. He shared so much more. I know you will love this surprise "mini-podcast" I made just for launch week.
And, What a great time we had at the FB Live Launch Party on Tuesday evening! We had so much fun giving many prizes away to you, our audience. I would just love for you to share about the launch of my new book with your friends. If you missed our party, you can watch the replay here. If you won a prize, please email admin@wholeheart.org and let us know which prize you won and your contact and mailing information.
I am so excited to share this Mini-Podcast with you. We sat down quickly together and recorded this conversation after a quick breakfast the morning I left for Nashville. I know you will enjoy hearing his lovely accent and his insight about stories, an inspirational poem and C.S. Lewis about table time.
I know someone will love this C.S. Lewis art print below created by Alissa Merritt.
To enter to win, please share about my new book, The Lifegiving Table, and leave a comment letting us know where you shared.
"Spud" is the name his close friends call him. So happy to be in this auspicious company of people. (Clay's hands holding up our welcome sign. :))
Love (III)
George Herbert, 1593 - 1633
Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lacked anything.
“A guest," I answered, “worthy to be here”:
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
“Who made the eyes but I?”
“Truth, Lord; but I have marred them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not," says Love, “who bore the blame?”
“My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down," says Love, “and taste my meat.”
So I did sit and eat.
Also today, I have a beautiful gift for one of you! Alissa Merritt of Ivy Letter Co. has a gorgeous watercolor print for one of you who leaves a comment on this post telling where you shared about The Lifegiving Table. This is one of my favorite quotes that has inspired me for years. Also, Ivy Letter Co. is offering all of my readers 10 % off of any purchase with the code LIFEGIVINGTABLE. Thank you, Ivy Letter Co!
I would love for you to share about my books in all of your places. Remember to leave a comment below and tell me where you shared it and you will be entered to win the print.
Now available for purchase here or wherever books are sold.
Simple, Savory Sarah-Strone!
What a wonderfully fun time we are having this week, as we launch my new books, The Lifegiving Table and The Lifegiving Table Experience! We had a fantastic launch party Tuesday evening and it was fun to give away wonderful prizes which we've shared below. Thank you all for sharing about this book; I pray it will be an encouragement to you as you gather around your own tables.
Some of our family's favorite recipes have come about because someone decided to try something new! Here's a simple, wonderful recipe Sarah made up one day. It's become a family favorite, and nice because it's mostly a matter of chopping and simmering.
Sarah-strone
1-2 Tbs olive oil
2 Turkey sausages slice thin
I whole onion, chopped
a heaping tablespoon of garlic
1 large can (29 ounces?) tomatoes (I like the chopped)
1 full can of water--or a little more to taste
2-3 thinly sliced zucchini
1 can beans (navy beans preferred--but we didn't have them last night so we used pinto)
1-2 teaspoons salt to taste
1 heaping tablespoon Italian seasoning
Saute sausage, onions and garlic in olive oil in a large soup pan. Add the tomatoes, water, salt and zucchini. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the zucchini is soft. Add the beans and seasoning and salt. Simmer another little while (I think it tastes better if you just leave it on to simmer while you are doing other things--the tastes blend together better.)
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and a small dollop of sour cream on top and enjoy!
And here are the winners we announced last night!*please remember, if you've won a prize, to email your address and information to admin@wholeheart.org so we can send them your way!
Lifegiving Home book set: Wanda Opitz, Katie Miller, Megan Knight, Sara Karr, Kris Grafton
Lifegiving Home CDs: Arletta Boulton, Ashley Byrd, Kylee Feagan, Jenna Boyd, Kelly Hammer
Child’s First Bible: Samantha Conrad
Inspire Art Bible: Ashley French
Prepdish Subscription: Courtney Cameron
Cultivating Life Subscription: Lee Seekins and Vinae Winn
Wood Art Strong Tower: Mariah Frantz
Wood Art Cultivating Beauty: Chelsea Ramos
Dayspring Mugs: Lisa Bosma, Sharon Frisch, Kate Harden, Amy Fulton
Dayspring Tray: Rhea Ward and Emily Washer
Dayspring Lazy Susan: Kara Ayres
Martha and Mary Pitcher: Joy Price
James Runner: Justine Anstiss
James Napkins: Holly Miller
Ruth Simons Print: Jill Davis
Gracelaced Book: Lauren Smith *
Warrior Mama Painted Sign (for launch team member) Stacy Monk McCabe
And finally, grand prize winners of the trip to Colorado for time with Sally at her Lifegiving Table: Ashley Klepac and Stefanie Mast!
Congratulations to all our winners, and thank you all so much for joining us! Please help us get the word out by sharing about the book today! You can find them here ...
Celebrate My Launch Day with me & Ellie Holcomb: Music, Tables and Planting a Flag
What a fun, exciting, wonderful day!
I am so very excited to have my newest book, The Lifegiving Table, available for you to hold in your hands! Today is my official launch day. I hope it will inspire you, give you lots of ideas for how you can bring the life and love of Christ to all who join you at your table and that you will love trying some of my recipes.
A special treat for me today was the opportunity of having Ellie Holcomb as my guest on my podcast. We spoke of music, life stories, our table and planting a flag. You will love her story about how her new album came about and the story of her family holding fast together during some trials will touch your heart.
Find her newest album, Red Sea Road in your favorite places to purchase music. Hear about how this inspiring project came about.
Find Ellie and her amazing music in these places:
Instagram: ellieholcomb
Twitter @ ellieholcomb
FacebookEllie Holcomb
Her new album:
Don't forget to join me at my launch party tonight where we will give away 36 Gifts to those of you who left a comment here by sharing about my book and those who left a #mylifegivingtable photo.
Hope you win! Get your own copy and join Kristen and me for a new podcast series starting next Monday.
We shall have a grand time together. See you tonight!
Celebrating the Table With Kristen, Sarah and Joy
Episode #102B Celebrating the Table with Kristen, Sarah and Joy
PODCAST: DOWNLOAD
ITUNES: SUBSCRIBE
So many people have told me they loved hearing from my sweet girls, Sarah and Joy, about our lives, table, anything! So today, I have a podcast for you that we recorded just before they both went back to Oxford and Scotland. I hope you will enjoy it.
And, Woooohooooooo! This is my launch week for The LIfegiving Table. I hope it will inspire you to make memories, mentor in inspiring ways and be invigorated in building an even closer family bond. Please help me launch this book well and tell all of your friends about it so that you can all have it to join Kristen and me for a new discipleship series from the book on how to better reach the hearts of your children. buy HERE. (I love love love the new hardback version--it is so beautiful.)
Our celebration of the Life-Giving Table begins this week! In this episode, Sally is joined by Kristen Kill and they both share why the table is important to them, and why this book is really about something far greater than merely dinnertime. Then Sally is joined by her daughters, Sarah and Joy as they share memories, insight and encouragement about the Clarkson family table, traditions and the heart of why it all matters most. Join the first day of celebrations with us as we celebrate the launch of this new book and stay tuned all week for wonderful giveaways and surprises right here!
We don't want you to miss the LIve Book Launch Party tomorrow night, OCtober 3rd at 9ESt,hosted on sally's facebook page!
Gather with your Momheart group or just on your own for encouragement, giveaways and a chance to win a weekend in Colorado gathered around Sally's table. Click here to find the Sally (and the big party!) on Facebook:
My Favorite Blueberry Muffins!
"Friendships can be built by our intentionally purposing to serve others through our words, our meals, our conversation, our leadership." ~Sally Clarkson #thelifegivingtable www.thelifegivingtable.com
One of my favorite ways to build friendships is sharing a simple breakfast! These pretty muffins are a perfect addition to an elaborate brunch or a simple egg dish.
We're big fans of blueberry muffins in our family, and this recipe is especially wonderful to make ahead and pop into the fridge to be baked in the morning--the ultimate in yummy and at least somewhat healthy fast food!
Sally's Blueberry Muffins
1 1/2 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (Or flour of your choice)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk or 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup fresh blueberries (you could also use frozen)
1/2 cup white sugar (I use organic turbinado)
1/3 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (very important!)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup unbleached flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven--or cover batter in pans and pop into the fridge to bake in the morning! Double the recipe to make about one dozen muffins.
Enjoy!
Little Boys around the Table & A Kindle Giveaway!
PODCAST: DOWNLOAD
ITUNES: SUBSCRIBE
As I have received letters in the past weeks about using our tables as a place to bring the life to God into our faith, our love, our friendship shared, many women have written me or talked to me about how to do it with little ones. So often, dinnertime is a struggle and it seems like all the little ones are bent on making messes and thwarting the "civilized" atmosphere of what we want our tables to be.
I am so excited to share this mini-podcast today with you. My sweet friend, Heather MacFadyen, has four little boys, and she knows the reality of trying to help them move toward maturity. She also knows what it feels like to fail and fall short of your own expectations when your own children act in an immature way.
Heather is the host of a wonderful podcast called The God Centered Mom. You can read more about her here and find her podcasts HERE Hope you are encouraged by our time together.
Today, share about this podcast or this blog or my book, The Lifegiving Home and enter to win one of two kindle versions of my new book.
Leave a comment about how you shared and maybe you will win the kindle version of this. :) Hope our podcast today is fun and encouraging.