Seeing Purpose & Beauty in Ordinary Days Own Your Life 1 & 2 & Podcast

Joel and Nathan, running wild and playing on our new land in Texas. Sometimes the messes obscure the reality of the joy of life God wanted us to experience. We have to look beyond the messes to see the beauty. Today, I can look at this memory with pleasure and a giggle in my heart. Not so sure I saw it that way back then. 

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Very early one morning found me and my four little ones creeping along the freeway towards the Denver airport on the busy freeway near our mountain home. Flying to Dallas seemed more sane for me with all the kids,  as Clay drove a trailer full of books in our car for the 12 hour trip to our yearly mom conference.

A snowy morning, clouds of steamy fog hovering and moving mysteriously along the pathway of our car meant we had almost no visibility. I strained to keep us on the road. In the foggy darkness, one of my little ones was confused by the scene outside our car as we drove in the muted darkness of twilight just before dawn. 

"Mama, lift the curtain so we can see the mountains," one of my little ones said as we crept towards the airport that memorable morning.

This little one knew what was real and what he could not see,  because the mountains graced our little home every day. He was sure of what his eyes had seen and his feet had walked--the purple mountains just outside our back door. But this day, the snow, steam and fogged covered over so that our eyes could not see behind the curtain of mist.

I realized that this scene pictured for me what life felt like at times. I believed that God was real, by faith, I had learned to believe in His goodness and love. Yet, sometimes His reality was veiled from me in my day to day life because of the life-fog and the snowy mess of life whirling around me. 

The fallen world has veiled the glory of God, and sin has robbed us from understanding how marvelous He created our lives to be. We must push beyond the veil and find our God who is real and present. 

Each of us is born with a spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical capacity to live vibrantly into vast potential for accomplishing great feats, (it is a glory to God when we are excellent in skill, wisdom and life), to love deeply and generously, (to experience deep intimacy, friendship, companionship), to know and understand great intellectual and wise knowledge, (God commanded us to worship Him--to serve Him with our minds).

He created us to know and experience so much because He is great, infinite, transcendent, and dazzling. But we must learn to see with the eyes of our heart and find that His story for us, right in the middle of our messes holds purpose, beauty, celebration, love and life. 

The beginning and ending of Owning Your Life is recognizing the God who created us, loves us, knows us, created us for purpose and intimacy with Him. The God who longs for us to understand His purposes and blessings for us so that our lives might be rich and fulfilling.

Today, amidst life messes and circumstances that seem impossible are the exact places where our own Father is building our character, strengthening our spiritual muscles, teaching how to love more, giving us the grace to leave all the burdens of life in HIs hands. 

This is the day, this day, that God has made. We, as a act of our wills will choose to rejoice and be glad in the moments we have been given. 

In the podcast today, you will hear my own story of how out of control I was of my life when my children were little and we had moved to a very remote country place to start our ministry. You will learn about the circumstances in which I had to yield my impossible life into God's hands and by faith believe that this awful place was exactly the place he wanted me to be, the place I was to cultivate life in my own desert. 

Today I also discuss the idea of moving from chaos to order, the choice to put priorities in place that will yield a sustainable life. 

My challenge to you this year, in 2018, is to live into God's ways as deeply as you are able. Look with the eyes of your heart to see His presence, His fingertips of His reality in all the moments of your day right where you are. Believe Him and serve Him with all of your being. Engage your heart to believe in prayer. Extend generous words of love, encouragement to those who walk in darkness.

This is your year to Own Your Life and to live with deep intention, bold faith, generous love. When you choose by your will to decide to be faithful in the life you are living, you will begin to see a future in which God will bless you and work through your life to bring you ultimate fulfillment, peace and a life worth living. 

Trusting God With Our Little & Big Ones ... From the Beginning

Many years ago, an international move precipitated a middle of the night, life-or-death illness in Joel, who was just a small baby at the time. Frowning doctors came and went from our room where Joel lay unresponsive and my heart fretted, eventually settling into my the knowledge that peace could only come by meditating on truths of scripture, and I determined to remind myself of what I knew God had done in the past. First to come to mind was good old Abraham, who worshipped God before an altar where the life of his own son was in peril. His focus was on loving God, trusting in His integrity to provide for him in a seemingly compromising situation.

At stake was the life of his beloved son Isaac, who was to be killed as a sacrificial lamb. God had called Abraham His friend, perhaps because his heart was so sympathetic to God and His ways. Abraham's giving his son was a picture of what God Himself would have to do. But Abraham could not know this. All he could see was his son and the death waiting just round the corner. Yet Abraham believed so much in God's love and integrity that he raised the knife to kill his son, knowing that if God asked him to do such a thing, God Himself would provide a way of escape.

But even beyond Abraham, I remembered that God the Father Himself had experienced the anguish of watching His own Son die a brutal death on the cross. He knew the torment of a parent watching his child suffer. He knew my feelings about Joel. Yet, God's own Son wasn't saved. He willingly laid down His life so that the entire world could be redeemed back to God through Him.

As I thought and prayed and remembered, my heart was filled to overflowing with knowledge of God's goodness, of His care and love toward His children. I didn't know what God's purposes would be for Joel. This sickness was just the beginning of Joel walking through all the pain and struggles he would experience in life. But I did know I could trust the God who was in charge of the details. In the end both my life and my Joel's life were in His hands. Clay was en route to moving our furniture back home from Austria and I didn't even know which country he was in at this point. No cell phones meant I had no immediate contact with him to let him know about Joel.

It was just me and God in a tiny little country hospital room, orange vinyl chair sticking to my legs, beeps going off rhythmically every few seconds. I was learning that if I carried all of my fears and worries, they would crush me, because day to day I had so many. Slowly, slowly as I sat quietly, I breathed out my fears and breathed in His quiet assuring presence.

 Peace slowly began to permeate my heart and I felt a lightheartedness seeping into my spirit, driving the heavy darkness away. I didn't have any assurance of what would happen to Joel, but I knew that the One who loved him more than any other would take care of him, whatever the outcome.

As I contemplated the idea of motherhood, it seemed to me to be a long journey that would take me on many paths yet unknown. But with God as my companion, holding my hand, I knew I would gain new strength for each situation as I watched and waited for Him. He would give me strength for each step of the way to not grow weary or faint; He would invigorate me to be able to run the course and finish with grace.

My part was to choose to place my life into His hands in the trust that He loved me infinitely more than even I love my children. I was to release them totally to Him, knowing that He would take responsibility for them. But more than that, my part was to love Him and please Him daily as I walked this journey with Him, not alone, but with His strength, love, and power ever available to me. I was merely His servant in caring for them while they were on this earth.

This is what it meant to walk with Him on the road of motherhood. It meant walking with Him as my constant companion, knowing that His love and grace would reach into every corner of my life, every step of my way.

After 36 hours, Joel finally awakened fully. He was bright and back to his gentle, playful self with seemingly no repercussions from his terrible ordeal. Yet, I was changed. I had learned a deeper way of walking with my own Father while trusting in His strength as I held His capable hand.

Your Mom Walk with God: Staying Faithful on the Path of Motherhood

By Sally Clarkson

These lessons or opportunities to trust God just get bigger and bigger. When you practice trusting Him while they are babes, you will be better suited to trust him when they are teens and then young adults and beyond. Now, as I get ready to send Joel off once again to Scotland, overseas with no control over the details of his life, I have seen God be faithful for so long, I rest in that reality of the story God has lived through him in all the seasons.

My book, Your Mom Walk with God, is all about walking with God on the path of motherhood. Find it here!

Ember Rising Review And An Exciting Announcement

“Get outta my way! My name’s Picket and I’m gonna get you, Redeye Garlackson,” I hear him shriek as I make my way down the basement steps. I round the corner in time to see my 6-year-old leap from the toy chest, wielding his wooden sword in the air, blanket-cape flying behind him. As he lands roughly on a stuffed animal, he looks up and smiles. “Oh, hi Mommy! I was playing Green Ember.”

As he collects himself out of the heap on the floor and runs off, calling behind him “‘til the Green Ember rises or the end of the world,” I cannot help but smile, my heart overflowing with gratitude.

Story.

Stories have the power to shape lives and form souls. Stories give us glimpses of all that is possible within us. They tell of things that have been and hint of things that could be. Stories caution us, inspire us, instruct us, and mold us. And one of the goals of my life as a mom is to fill my children’s hearts and souls brimful with stories. I want them to feast on heroic tales and daring adventures. I want them to bear witness to difficulty and suffering, sacrificial love and profound beauty. Through the power of stories, I want them to understand what it means to be human and to hope in ultimate restoration and redemption.

And that is why I am so sincerely grateful for those who share that vision.

If you have been a follower of the Storyformed blog or listened to the podcast for any length of time, you know that we are HUGE fans of The Green Ember Series by S.D. Smith. Often called “new stories with an old soul,” Smith’s books have the unique quality of conveying timeless truths while addressing the challenges that confront the modern reader. The first two books in the main series are favorites of all three of my boys, and I am thrilled that I can now share with them the third installment, Ember Rising.

To continue reading on storyformed.com, click HERE.

The Importance of Peace-- and the Peacemaking Couch!

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Matthew 5:9

He always.......

gets his way, takes my toy, gets the biggest piece, makes my room messy

She never......

cleans up, does her share of the work, says nice things to me, helps me

No one understands me

Everyone criticizes me

I hate you------ooooooohhhhhh!

Sin means we fall short of God's holy standards-it means to be separated from His perfection because of our imperfection and self-centered disposition. And yet, scripture says that those who are peacemakers will be called sons of God.

They will be most like Him.

It cost everything for Him to make peace with us--His servant-oriented, humble, life-giving heart made a bridge between us and Him. And so those who lay down their lives, become servant leaders, and humble themselves will also bridge the gap.

I love what Peter said; he who knew how much he desperately needed and was healed by the peace-making of Jesus. He wrote, "Love covers a multitude of sin." All of us are in great need of this sort of grace.

I have a close friend who designated a peacemaking couch in her home. When her children were arguing or fussing, she would read them scripture about making peace, using words to bless, and the importance of forgiveness. Then she would sit them on the couch and say, "Neither of you may get up from this couch until you have made peace with one another, prayed, forgiven and can tell me that there is peace between you." And so, the children learned that they were responsible to make peace with those with whom they were angry. They learned a pattern for marriage, for work, for friendship that will last the rest of their lives.

All of us are pretty petty and selfish and angry from time to time, but if we all had a peace-making couch and couldn't leave until we made up, we would have such sweet, grace-filled relationships! Indeed, we would have such a close resemblance to God, we would be called sons of God.

Even my children, at this age, occasionally become irritated at each other, (same with Clay and me! We are still not perfect yet!)  We had a little session the other night of peace making--I don't tell them they have to sit there until they make up any more, as they are a little old for that! But I watch them work out their relationships, humble themselves, repair hurt feelings because they know that we are those people who have each other's back. We are those who try to move forward in love. And now it doesn't take quite as long as it has become a life habit.

Is there anyone you need to bring to the peace-making couch? Perhaps a husband who needs a warm cup of grace and life-giving words and forgiveness? A child who is hormonal? Or two years old? or just being childish? A friend who needs forgiveness? A parent? A fellow believer? Siblings who need to find a way to cultivate love and a pattern of grace?

Maybe today, peace could bring about an atmosphere of grace and heal and reflect His glory, to make this day a new beginning.

It has reminded me, this week, that another way I may worship and become more like Him is to determine that  peace-making is a focus of my life, and that as I cultivate it in my home, friendships, marriage, neighborhood, church, I will indeed reflect Him, and find His peace filling my soul and my home.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you. The Lord is near.

Now Is A Good Time to Own Your Life & New Podcast Series

This is the road I walk almost every day, one of my favorite pathways, just around the bend from my house and looks toward the mountains. You will see this from different perspectives many times in my blog. 

I love pathway scenes. I have taken hundreds of pathway photos in the last years. It seems there is such promise in them. A new adventure might be just around the corner. There is promise ahead and possibility. There are opportunities for more love, friendships, things to learn, places to visit, books to read, ideas to stimulate, events to celebrate, family times to enjoy. I look at God as a possibility maker and often get a little bit giddy just thinking about it. 

Probably since I became a believer, I embraced verses that spoke to my heart of God's plans for me. From studying scripture, I began to develop a conviction that my life was not just random, but that God had created me purpose in mind. That meant my days and my years had meaning, significance. Verses like these became my favorite:

"For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Even as God spoke to Israel, the principles of HIs commitment to His children was the same for me--God has plans for my welfare. I can have a future with a hope because He is good and He is my Father.

"But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day." Proverbs 4: 18

If I walk with God, my pathway will shine more brightly each year, I will follow Him and He will lead me, show me his will, increase my understanding. My path of life will get brighter and brighter. And so it has--each year has brought more understanding, more wisdom, more humility, more grace to love others, more space in my heart to be patient and to cultivate faith.

" I pray that the eyes of your heart [x]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,  and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." Ephesians 1:18

Inside, where my hearts sees the reality of life, I can find hope in His calling, the eternal riches he has stored up for me, his saint, and the personal and real greatness He will show me as I walk with Him in faith, and choose to believe. 

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2: 10

Amazing to see that my personality, my strengths and weaknesses, my story were crafted by God and in Christ, with works that He wanted me to accomplish in my lifetime. I actually have a part in His story and He prepared these works for me to journey in, to discover on my path, to walk in. 

And so, by God's grace, I have walked into each year with an expectancy of the plans he had for me and ways of faith that He wanted me to discover. This deeply seated belief has led me to see HIs fingerprints all over my life. It has helped me to believe that finding His will was not all up to me alone as some kind of mysterious plan to follow, but that He would guide and grant ideas within the strengths and gifts of my own unique personality. 

And when hard times came, many times, I could trust that somehow, because He was on the path with me, that there would be significance and meaning, even in the dark, and lessons for me to learn. 

And so I see pathways with all sorts of possibilities.  

The next 10 weeks, I will be leading all of us through a podcast series based on my book, Own Your Life and the Bible study guide and planner. It is my hope that this series will remind all of us about the ways God desires each of us to find our place in His story, meaning through our every day and the way to live life in such a way that we can follow along His path of love, purpose and fruitfulness that will last for eternity. 

I will be discussing the vision of life as well as the details of life that happen every day. Join me and I hope it will be of great encouragement.

Own Your Life Bible Study Guide and Planner: Faith-building companion book to Own Your LIfe

By Sally Clarkson

Buy on Amazon

Own Your Life: Living with Deep Intention, Bold Faith, and Generous Love

By Sally Clarkson

Buy on Amazon

A Warming Recipe for Cold Winter Nights--Potpie Chicken Soup

This week, I have had the privilege of having Joel home while others are flitting around to other places. He will be leaving soon, so I have made time each day to have one on one time to pray with him and to hear what is on his mind. Joel is, oddly, one of those men who learned to cook over the years in our home. He likes to talk while we are cooking together.

What great conversations we have had, inspirations shared, dreams meted out. Again, I am reminded how important the family table is to building depth of relationships, a foundation of true thoughts and ideas. Even now, with all adult children, food is a catalyst for so many relationship builders.

Cooking is for sharing friendship. Eating together is for shaping souls and affirming love and belonging. 

Our family has lived either in Europe or the mountains of Colorado for most of our lives together, which means we have shared many a cold, dark winter evening. I actually think the cold nights when we all had to stay in because we could dread going outside was one of the ways we became glued to each other's hearts.

Consequently, when I ask what someone wants for dinner, often the answer will be soup and bread--because they associate it with communion of life, sweetness of belonging to one another. A warm, bubbly, herb laden soup fills my home with inviting fragrance and warmed bread with butter pleases most all appetites.

This chicken soup is the favorite (with White Christmas Soup running a close race), so I had to share it with you! Oh, and Sarahstrone is up there. (Thanks for all the letters about how much you love these soups--they gave me ideas of what to make this month as sometimes I go blank when I need to make one more meal! Sweet to read your letters about how much you love Lifegiving Table--warms my heart. Thanks for writing. Wish I could answer everyone.)

Hmmmm--guess we just love all of these delicious soups. Be sure you take the time to linger over the luscious warmth.

The Clarkson Kids’ Favorite Potpie Chicken Soup
 

2 cups diced red or russet potatoes
3 cups (12-ounce bag) frozen peas and carrots (If you can’t find this frozen mix, you can substitute 11⁄2 cups each frozen peas and fresh carrots. Or you can use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, but check the ingredients—my family won’t eat the kind with lima beans!)

4 cups water (You can add more later if needed.)
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1–2 teaspoons minced garlic or garlic paste
1 medium to large onion, chopped (We love lots of onion in almost everything.)
1 tablespoon dried thyme, parsley, and rosemary combined or to taste. (I like a lot, especially thyme. If you want to use fresh herbs, triple this amount.)
2–4 cups diced cooked chicken breast
2 tablespoons butter
11⁄2 teaspoons condensed chicken bouillon or base (This is a kind of concentrated paste that comes in jars or plastic containers. I buy mine at health food markets or Sam’s Club, but you can also find it in many grocery stores. If you use the dry powder, you’ll need to adjust the amount to taste. Try to avoid the kind with MSG.)

1⁄3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1⁄2 cup wine, optional (For this soup I usually use a white wine such as Riesling.)
1 teaspoon or more salt (I use sea salt of different varieties.) 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
Sour cream and chives or fresh herbs to garnish, optional

Boil the potatoes and frozen veggies in the water until cooked through, about 20–30 minutes. (I use a pressure cooker for
4–5 minutes and veggies and potatoes are done.) While veggies are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter in another pan; sauté garlic, onion, and herbs until onion is translucent. Add onion mixture and chicken to pot with the veggies and let soup simmer on low while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, melt 2 tablespoons butter in another pan. Stir
in chicken bouillon. Whisk in flour and stir mixture constantly over medium heat until all the lumps have disappeared. Add milk and cook until mixture is thickened, then add the wine (if using). Slowly add milk mixture to soup, stirring as it thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If desired, add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives or herbs. We like to serve this soup with croutons sprinkled on top and with toast and applesauce on the side.

This is a really simple recipe that can be adjusted many ways. For instance, you could use brown rice or noodles instead of potatoes, fresh veggies or a different mix of frozen ones, or even omit the milk mixture and just put the bouillon directly into the soup. I use whatever I have on hand and whatever sounds good at the time.

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

By Sally Clarkson

Serves 6–8, depending on size of serving.

Find all of these soup recipes and more in The Lifegiving Table. I hope you are enjoying comfortable evenings around the table this January! If you're looking for practical thoughts on table-time discipleship, plus more wonderful recipes, I think you'll enjoy my book, The Lifegiving Table.

My First Five Reads of 2018

I received this one as a Christmas gift from my husband. It became a joke amongst the family that he must believe I really needed help learning to 'think'! We all had a grand laugh about this, but I would actually agree! In fact, I actually asked for the book. I do want to think more and to think more deeply. I hope, as Christians, we all desire this. I started 'How to Think' this month and just finished last night. The author, Alan Jacobs says, 'How to Think' is a "contrarian treatise on why we're not as good at thinking as we assume, and how recovering this lost art can rescue our inner lives from the chaos of modern life."

It challenges us to contemplate whether surrounding ourselves in homogeneous communities only reinforces what we already believe.  I know its very easy for me to do this. Who doesn't like a friend or acquaintance to agree with your view especially if its stated in a compelling way? Since social belonging-- or the desire to belong in a particular group-- only makes us more reluctant to engage in critical thinking. After finishing, I am encouraged to consider how I might be willing to gently challenge another's view on an issue and how I might engage in conversations with others who aren't just like me. Jacobs does spend a fair bit of time drawing applications for public discourse-- like conversations about politics on Facebook and Twitter. Even if that is less interesting to you (it was for me!), it's worth reflecting on how those lessons may apply in our own contexts-- specifically in our homes with our children. 

This is another book I received as a gift this Christmas. One of our Christmas Eve traditions is that everyone in the family opens one present that night and the gift is always a book. I purchased books for the family this year and decided to go ahead and order one for myself too! This was my pick. I'm excited to delve into this trilogy of novels by Flora Thompson, published between 1939 and 1943. Lark Rise to Candleford has also become a British drama series, adapted by the BBC based on the semi-autobiographical novels about English country life. I've recently discovered that Thompson, like the protagonist, worked as a post-office clerk from the age of fourteen in Oxfordshire and then in post offices all over England. She writes about how the 'old ways' of living off the land are from a bygone era and many families are looking to more modern ways of existing. Does this sound familiar? I'm hoping this pick will fit int the category of a lighthearted fiction read.

To read more on Storyformed.com, click HERE.

Never, Never, Never give up your Ideals! Your Sacrifice Matters!

“The home is the fountain of civilization. The value and character and appetites of a people are greatly determined by the reading, training and cultivating of moral and spiritual appetites in the home.

Mothers, you are the divinely-appointed teachers and guides of your children; and any attempt to free yourselves of this duty is in direct opposition to the will of God. If you neglect them, the consequences are swift and sure. …, Spend most of your time with your children. Sleep near them, attend and dress and wash them; let them eat with their mother and father; be their companion and friend in all things and at all times.”

From Mother, Home and Heaven from Poetic, prose and literature Of all ages and all lands. Copyright 1878-1880

Every single person in our family is in transition of life for future plans. Clay and I are considering a move into missions, our kids are all up in the air about where they will live and have jobs in the years ahead. Yet, these times of not knowing where we will be living or what, exactly we will be doing, has caused me to really focus on our decisions, our intentionality about living well for His glory and about how best to leave a legacy.

More than ever, I believe with all my heart, that the role of a mother will indeed influence the history of the next generation. If mothers do not care to sacrifice time, energy, and effort to win their children's hearts for God, to give them a moral foundation, to help them cultivate a missional life for serving kingdom purposes, then these objectives will not be accomplished. 

Secular cultural values are aggressive in capturing both our imagination and that of our children with false priorities of what is important, what is of value. Unless we are intentional about passing on eternal values, honor for G0d, love for others, a servant heart, then our children will naturally fall into a self-centered, self-gratifying value system.

Your role as a mother who engages her children in truth and the foundations of righteousness is more important than ever before. Your life matters. Your work matters. Your sacrifice matters. And all of these commitments are a sacrifice of your own worship to serve Him.

Being with my wildly idealistic children, living through the noise of our exuberant home (drum set in the basement, electric piano and real piano upstairs,  almost always with someone blaring away, singing, listening to music on their newly created stations; rousing, lengthy, loud discussions at the dinner table; wrestling with the dog and watching movies and playing games and feasting with our whole family at home) has reminded me again, that all the trouble was well worth the effort. It all mattered. Really. 

Even through all the exhaustion, meals, dishes, late nights, attitudes, weariness--it is of utmost importance.

Januarys are usually a bit challenging, a time we can be tempted to give up our ideals. It is easy to think that we are not doing a great job being a mom, that someone else could influence our children better than we could, that they are not listening or growing. Often mamas are tempted to think their ideals do not matter.

The way I sustained my own vision which has brought me through all the years, and still in tact, was through years and years of defining and redefining ideals and seeking the Lord and then living through one day at a time, for a million days. Yet, I see life and beauty in the souls of my very individualistic children--the palpable life of the Lord--who is building them and growing them into healthy, vibrant adults. They are now the ones who tell me our training, love, time spent all mattered greatly in the shaping of their personhood and who they became. 

As I have been praying about all of this and pondering the work God wants me to do,   I can't wait to encourage all the precious moms who will read my blog, listen to my podcast, attend some of our leadership and international conferences,  because their lives matter--their love, correction, work, is all building a legacy from their lives that will live to glorify God throughout eternity! And that is what Whole Heart Ministries is all about--keeping the ideals alive!

The words in the quotation above were written over a hundred years ago are still very powerful today. This, in a culture where the imagination of the importance of mothers to the overall well-being of soul of the next generation has been lost. How affirming it is to see that truth of past generations still applies to us today.

Often, I find that in the absence of a clear enough vision for their children and homes, mothers replace conviction and vision with lots of activities and distractions for their children. This hyper-activity and rushing around to an endless list of expensive lessons and experiences and toys,  and the buying of the newest expensive curriculum and technological options make moms feel like they are accomplishing something. 

However, when the home-life of children is rich with excellent, classic literature and great stories, passionate Biblical devotions, rousing dinner-table discussions around sumptuous, tasty meals, lots of love and affection given and household chores attended to— a child will become committed to all that is good and excellent and develop a moral and compassionate soul for all the divinely important values.

Is it a messy process? Of course. No home is perfect or parent perfect and it is a journey of constant flux. 

From the beginning of time, God created the home to be a place sufficient to nurture genius, excellence, graciousness and grand civility. But the key factor is nothing that can be purchased or owned. The accomplishment of this grand life is found only in the soul of a mother, through the power of the Holy Spirit, personally mentoring her children.

It is a personal relationship with a real person whose soul is alive in which the deepest imprints of life are given. The secrets and deep emotions shared during the goodnight hours in which a the soul of a child is tender and open; the comfort of warm, home-made food shared in the early evening as ideas are shared and discussed and prayers and devotions given; the laughter, stories, advice given in the midst of washing dishes together or sharing of a meal; the heroic and riveting stories read aloud and shared together that establish common patterns of morality, values and dreams in the comfort of the blazing hearth, mugs of steaming hot chocolate and squishing against each other on a den couch are those heavenly things which are food to the soul and nourishment to the mind and conscience of a child fully awake to all that is important in life.

There is no computer, television, software or text book that can pass on such passion, love and motivation.

It is indeed the personal touch of a mother’s heart that creates grand civility, deep affection, care and commitment to the foundations of a family. When the invisible strings of a mother’s heart are tied to the heart of her children through loving sacrifice and nurture, the stability and foundations of a nation become secure and stable. 

A mother, living well in her God-ordained role, is of great beauty and inestimable value to the future history of any generation. Her impact is irreplaceable and necessary to the spiritual formation of children who will be the future adults of the next generation. Fun, comfort, humor, graciousness, spiritual passion, compassion for the lost, hospitality, chores, meals, training, life-giving words, hours and hours of listening and playing and praying and reading—all are parts of the mosaic which go into the process of soul development.

So, though the weariness of the busyness and celebration of Christmas is still upon our hearts and felt in our bodies, the Spirit and vision of His life in ours will keep us going--the refocusing on His great call, will fuel our commitments to keep going, to keep loving and to keep believing. Taking time with Him this morning has fueled my own soul with new excitement. May He grace you all with His encouragement--right where you are, in whatever season--to know that it really matters. Grace and peace and rest be yours in the days ahead!

Join me in the weeks ahead as I do a podcast about Owning Your Life that will hopefully encourage, inspire and undergird your commitment in your ideals. 

Starting the new podcast series on Monday, January 15. Pick up a copy and follow with me for the next 10 week series. Can't wait.

Own Your Life: Living with Deep Intention, Bold Faith, and Generous Love

By Sally Clarkson

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Discovering That Beauty Changes our Lives and the Whole World - and a New Podcast!

Episode #125 Discovering That Beauty Changes our Lives and the Whole World

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We're all chasing rest and beauty and delightful interludes, aren't we? But why? What do we crave at the root of that desire? Today, Sally and Kristen dive into the third and final podcast in the series that accompanies Kristen's new book, Finding Selah: the Simple Practice of Peace When you Need it Most. They share about the longing for beauty that we all have deep in our souls and discuss the only way it can ever be satisfied. They talk about real ways that we can practically grow in peace in our real lives, and the reason they are so passionate about sharing delight and visible joy with their children. Do you want to change the world? It begins with discovering beauty that changes your whole heart!

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:

-How to take action and allow a practice of peace to sink deep into our lives.

-God's heart for us to receive the gifts He gives us with joy.

-The fact that rest is often active and often requires that we yield or surrender. 

-Activities that are restful to each one of us and how you might implement them in your own life.

-The transformative effect of rest in our lives- and the way it equips us to pour out our hearts to others. 

-How we cultivate spaces that knit beauty and peace into the lives of our children, and all those we influence.

-Finding the root of all beauty in Jesus, and learning to trust Him and be satisfied in our relationship with Him as a pattern that shapes the rest of our lives.

-Why its so important to talk to give our children a home, a table, and an education that all speak life- that all give them a vision and a picture of heaven- that guide them to the heart of God.

-God's provision of his people when they had great fear and anxiety.

-The gifts of our "miracle babies" and the way God softened each of our hearts through the joy of motherhood.

LINKS:

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WANT TO TAKE HOME SOME BEAUTY FROM MAGNOLIA?

We'd love to give you an opportunity to win some of these amazing prizes from Magnolia to celebrate the launch of Kristen's book this Tuesday!  Share some of the ways you capture beauty and Selah Moments throughout your day by taking a picture and using the hashtag #findingselah so that we can see what you post! We will share our favorite photos and ideas and select the winners during the launch team Facebook live at 9Eastern/6Pacific on Tuesday, January 8th at fb.com/kristenkill

Commitments for This Year to Build a Sustainable Life!

No matter how hard we try, none of us is able to control all of the circumstances and moments of our lives. From time to time, when my four were much younger, and I had pushed them to their limits during the day without a nap, too much activity, beyond their bedtime, too much sugar, and sometimes with lots of over-stimulation, bedtime would be impossible. Out of utter fatigue, they would wail and cry, throw little fits and not give into sleep until their bodies finally capitulated to utter exhaustion. Their reaction was equal to the level of exhaustion and abuse their bodies had taken.

I realized that there was nothing to do except let them cry and fuss until they finally fell deep into sleep. They didn't need to be disciplined--they needed to be loved and rested. Only when they caught up on their rest and their metabolism went back to a normal blood sugar level over a couple of days, were they less agitated.

Mamas do the same thing, at times.

When living without enough sleep, and eating too much junk food, with work and taking care of others--who are often immature, irritating and draining, wrapping presents, cooking, life takes them to utter exhaustion, they are prone to fits expressed in different ways.

We cry, too--but in a more adult way.

By being grumpy, irrationally angry, irritated or tearful at the smallest circumstances, our bodies rebel at exhaustion and show us that we have abused them.

Our hearts will not have peace until our bodies have had rest.

Even though we had a wonderful family time through the holidays this year, I am still finding myself drained and tired from all the constant demands, and the continued load of work I had for ministry through all the weeks of celebrating. The many meals, messes, dishes, shopping always takes a toll on me.

From many years of Christmas, I realized that in order to go into the new year with peace and a good attitude, I needed to catch up on life and take time to stop to ponder my priorities, and give my body, heart and mind rest,  before I jump forward into a new year of more activity.

Today, I got up before everyone else because I always feel a desperate need for time by myself. (When everyone is home, there is no end to talking, discussing, opinions, energy and adrenaline spent.)

Lighting several spiced candles, turning on some favorite music and toting a big cup of tea latte, I settled into a comfy chair and just sat and allowed the stress to flow out of me. Sitting quietly for a half hour, I began to plan my next days so that I would have time to steal away a few minutes for myself regularly. It is different for me every season, so I always have to come up with a new sustainable plan of how to secure that important alone time for me. Getting some control of my life and planning for productivity means that others who draw from me will have more to draw from.

These are goals I wrote down for myself today. Each of us have differing priorities, so make your own list apply to you.

1. Emotional health is something I have to stay on top of as I live a very giving-out life and can become down or a little depressed if I don't figure out how to refuel. How am I going to refuel emotionally? What plans for friends, time with Clay, getting away by myself, will affirm the empty me and give me a sense of refreshment? I put some specific simple plans into place.
2. Spiritual Health  What do I need to do to gain control of my spiritual life? I need time to read scripture to give myself guidance for attitudes and for ways to trust God in the myriad details of my life. Is there anything I am fearful about? Am I harboring bad attitudes? Do I need to put anything to rest in my heart in order to move on without stress? What do I need to give to God in prayer? What devotion or spiritual book might I read in the next months that I most need right now to fill my soul? I know that I would never have made it through all the stresses and strains of my life is my spiritual time had not been a priority over all my years. God is my stability and gives me strength and wisdom to have the right attitudes. Without my spiritual perspective being guided by truth, my attitudes go awry.
3. Physical Health  Planning my physical health is a big issue for me. What can I do to control my diet this month? (For me, no sugar or breads, limiting carbs, eating mostly fruit and veggies and lots of water--only two cups of coffee or tea a day--that's cutting back for me!) When will I exercise? I carry so much adrenaline, so I have to exercise in order to relax. It is so snowy and cold here in the winter that I have to find alternatives to my normal long walks to get exercise. I have a few videos I use to get in at least a half hour of exercise a day, and several dance playlists from Joy that I sometimes use, too!
4. Educational goals. Reading restores my mental attitude. I plan what books I will be reading. I keep a journal to jot down what I am learning. I pick a book to read aloud to whoever is here. Readalouds are still a part of my family life, and stories give me happiness and soul-filling moments each day.
5. Putting together rhythms for my family after losing all control during the holidays is essential. Morning, breakfast routines, devotions, meals, chores, work, ministry, evening meals, and relaxing activities are a must for me to control and plan, as I always have lots of people in my home. If I don't plan it, I will lose control of my time and find myself irritated at the very people I want to serve.
6. Figuring out what is realistic in my ministry schedule, (podcasts, blogs, speaking engagements, expectations from publishers) and what I might just have to say "no" to. I cannot compromise my overall life and my own well-being just because others may want me to give more of myself.  But if I do not have my priorities in place, I will burn out from being available to every who wants something from me. I am finite and can only do so much if I am to keep going for many years to come. Boundaries is my word of the year for this area.

This year, I actually took the outline of the chapters from Own Your Life, again,  to give me some guidance and reminders about how to better own my time, my emotions, my commitments, etc. in the days ahead. This concept of taking charge of my life and purposes has taken hold in the past few years and so it still helps me each January to use these concepts to give me a plan for moving forward.

Take time to plan and refuel so that you can move forward with peace, a quiet heart and a restored soul. And now, off to sleep a very long sleep so I can begin to catch up! :)

Own Your Life: Living with Deep Intention, Bold Faith, and Generous Love

By Sally Clarkson

If you want something to give you ideas of how to move forward in the new year, you might enjoy reading Own Your Life again and jotting down ideas about how to move to purpose and peace. Or find another book that will help stimulate you to the kinds of priorities you need to refresh your own life.

I will be starting a new podcast series on Own Your Life in a week and a half, so find your copy or order your copy and plan on joining me by reading 2 chapters a week for a 9  week series about getting your life back in focus and making plans to leave a legacy through your life. I will have new material and ideas of how to continue building on the foundations you have laid. Hope you will be encouraged. Join me and tell your friends. :)

Happy Friday and weekend to you.