A Mother's Heart and Hands

As I look back to the memories of my childhood, a strong image that comes to my mind is that of my mother's loving hands. I thought they were the most beautiful in the world. In many ways, I still feel that way. Because I had been a premature baby, I was often sick with a variety of respiratory illnesses, including chronic asthma and occasional bouts with pneumonia. My memories of these illnesses, however, are mostly pleasant, because my mother would gently stroke my brow as she talked softly or told me stories and gave me her full attention. I remember feeling very loved from such focused attention.
 

At other times, when I fidgeted in church services, I remember my mother's hands massaging my own, pulling and squeezing each of my fingers as she quietly played finger games with me. As a young child, sitting next to her in a big overstuffed chair, I would watch her hands as she read to me from an oversized children's book. Her fingers would point to the enticing, heart-delighting pictures and turn the pages of the large volumes as we leisurely sat together and talked and read.

And during the period when I was having a recurring nightmare—one I still remember!—I especially remember the comfort of my mother's hands when she came to my bedside. She would take my hand in hers as she knelt to pray with me, soothing away my fears and comforting me as she entreated God to take all of my bad thoughts away.

Now, many, many years removed from my mother, these memories of my mother's hands are still strong in my heart. Those hands were old and wrinkled and aching with arthritis by the time she passed on, yet still, as an adult, I often wish she were with me to stroke my brow in the midst of illness and exhaustion, to massage away the frustration and boredom of tedious days, to open windows to the world while reading to me in a big old chair, and to take my hand in prayer and cast away all the fears of my life.

The touch of a mother's hand and the power of a mother's love indeed has carried me through many moments of my life.

The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity

By Sally Clarkson

As I look to the needs of children of today, I am convinced they need the same things from their mothers that I needed—and received—from mine. They need not only the gentle touch of a mother's hands, but her focus and her attention on a daily basis. They need a champion and a cheerleader, someone who has the time and energy to give encouragement along life's way and comfort in dark times. They need a directive voice to show them how to live.

These needs are not frivolous demands. They're part of the way God designed children. And meeting those needs is not an option or a sideline for mothers, but part of his design as well. Perhaps because I was fortunate enough to have a mother who met my own needs so beautifully, God has put on my heart a desire to encourage other mothers by showing them the significant role they play in the life of their precious children—and by assuring them that their deep desire to devote time and energy to their families is a vital part of God's call on their life.

~excerpt from The Mission of Motherhood, available on Amazon, here.

Our First Five Reads Of 2018- KIDS EDITION!

Two weeks ago, my Storyformed podcast partner, Holly Packiam, shared on the blog her first five books of 2018. It generated such a lively response and many questions, so I thought that I would share with the same list--with a twist! Here's the first five reads of 2018 in the Showmaker household--the kids edition!

The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff- My older two boys began reading this over the fall semester with our local homeschool community, and we have been finishing up the last few chapters during the first weeks of 2018. It is a wonderful retelling of Homer's Odyssey and I have been pleasantly surprised at how engaged they have been in this ancient epic. The tales of Odysseus' journey home from the Trojan War and his encounters with creatures such as the Cyclops, the Sirens, and others are told in a way that is both engaging and appropriate for younger ears. If you can find a used copy, the edition illustrated by Alan Lee is particularly beautiful (caution: that edition does contain some nudity consistent with classic artwork portraying ancient Greek goddesses). 

The Last Archer: A Green Ember Story by S.D. Smith- We are huge fans of The Green Ember series, and this latest installment was just as beloved as the rest of the series. Set in the same time period as The Green Ember (book one in the series), this novella tells the story of Jo Shanks, an archer in the same battalion as Picket Longtreader and his journey from Halfwind Citadel to Cloud Mountain. It is a thrilling story, revealing the perspective of a minor character from The Green Ember during a crucial moment in the epic adventure. My boys really loved the action and character in this book, and I was enriched by the depth that it brought to the rest of the series. 

To find our other picks, click HERE to view the entire list at storyformed.com. 

The Gift of Planting Joy in Hearts & A new Podcast

Every time someone leaves, we take the traditional "at the door" photo. When my kids leave, the tears do flow, but we had a wonderful time and made lots of memories. But I just had to have them share a bit on a podcast before they left. Hope you enjoy our ponderings together. 

A joyful heart is good medicine.

Proverbs 17:22

Today, I sent my sweet Joy and Joel off to Scotland, back to their studies. A few tears have been shed as we spend our days between hours of work, going on long walks in the sunset hours in the wake of snow covered Pike's Peak. We drink gallons of tea and coffee in our candlelit living room talking about all that is on our hearts, which is a lot! :) We watch favorite shows together. We take long walks several times a week, have meals in and out and ooh and ahh over them together. We sit up late scrunched on the couch shoulders touching and enjoy one another's company. Yes, I will miss my dear, inner heart friends. 

One thing that I have realized, though, is that they want their mama to be happy and cared for. They worry about me at times when they leave. But, I want them to feel deep in their hearts the stability that a mama can provide in friendship so I seek to find the joy in my life. That means I practice celebrating the beauty and engaging in cultivating a thankful heart. Then I can tell them that is what I am doing because they want to know their mama is happy and healthy. One of the best gifts you give to your children is to cultivate a joyful heart--all kids want their mamas to be ok. But joy doesn't always come naturally--it must be cultivated.

Joy is a seed that must be intentionally planted in the soil of life and all the circumstances life brings. It must be watered with faith and fertilized with obedience at every choice in life and protected at every juncture. The weeds of selfishness and cynicism must be plucked at first growth. The storms of bitterness must not be allowed to damage the fragile crop that is growing.  Joy is a gift of the Spirit that must be celebrated, practiced  by the caring of it, cultivating it and the choosing of it every day, every moment, so that is may  grow into a lovely heart that gives forth fruit of His love and joy in every small and large interchange in life.

I began to pursue joy--Biblical joy--as a goal of my life several years ago. Seeing so much sadness, brokenness and grief and discouragement, I realized that all believers could be overcome by the wearying of living in a fallen world. I did not want to go into heaven gasping, tense, weak of heart--making it, but just barely.

Seemed to me that if joy was a fruit of His spirit in my life, I wanted to understand more how to live in that place in my heart, regardless of what was whirling about me in the storms of life outside my soul's walls. Jesus said that in this world we would have tribulation--He didn't cover it up or pretend or sugar coat it--This is the broken place, the place where ideals are compromised by those in high places, and those close at hand. 

Yet, the miraculous truth is that normal people like me, can live a supernatural life and have eternal results in this world and bring His light to bear in very strategic, poignant ways. He is here with me, with you. He is all powerful to conquer kingdoms of darkness and to bring down thresholds. He lives to love, redeem, restore, give hope and grace. But we must seek Him and love Him and cultivate our heart as our life's treasure every and every day. 

But how? First, by hearing His voice and understanding His counsel and teaching. There is no substitute for investing in reading and studying the word. He has left us His heart by giving us His word and His life, by allowing us to have the Bible. Jesus is the perfect representation of God--we must ponder Him, His life and words, love Him, emulate Him.

No busy, good works and good intentions can ever "make" you holy, if you are not regularly in the presence of the Holy one. 

No gift you give to your children or loved ones can make up for what they long for--a loving, joy-filled, grace-filled relationship with someone who is devoted every day to their best and has the time to invest love, a listening ear, and grace giving words.

I have had to learn this slowly, over many years. And when it comes to this busy season of feeling the pressure to give the "perfect" gifts to our beloved ones, friends and family, I can feel stressed and pushed and a need to live up to expectations surrounding me in this materialistic culture. But, long after this year's gifts have been forgotten, if we give to our loved ones, a joyful heart, we will give them a gift that will be with them their whole lives. They will come to us again and again for the "Life" they need to feel, hear and be comforted by!

A joyful heart is one that seeks to encourage them every day--a heart that intentionally gives words of life and encouragement to those who so need to hear words of love.

 Words like: 

 "I appreciate you; you are a gift of God's love to me; you are faithful, funny, fun, creative, or whatever is the key need of the person God has strategically placed in your life."

A heart that says, "I receive you into my life as a gift from God." 

"I believe in you and know God is going to use you in a special way."

"I have made so many mistakes in my life, but God has forgiven me and given me grace. He has already forgiven you and wants you to know His love."

A joyful heart is one that plans surprises--

lighting candles, putting on beautiful music often and serving a cup of tea, hot chocolate or coffee--even in the midst of a busy day-- with a little treat--and says, "Let's make a memory together right now--you are special to me." 

Bringing a single rose to a friend or leaving a love note on a pillow or on an email-- to a weary husband; a struggling friend; one you appreciate; a far off child--

making time to play a game, giggle at stories, laying in bed with a toddler or teen even when we are tempted to be weary, we still make the habit of stretching ourselves--to extend ourselves as purveyors of His joy and grace and He shows up and gives us the strength.

A joyful heart says, where can I leave a spirit of Christ's fragrance today--where can I dance the dance of life in the midst of darkness? And then practicing the dance steps as He gives them every day.

May God grant you a season where joy is planted in hearts, cultivated with the presence of God overflowing and giving a memory to your loved ones that they have been in the presence of God, because they have spent time with you.

I hope you enjoy the beautiful music at the end of our podcast today that Joel mentioned in the podcast. It is Joel's arrangement of For the Beauty of the Earth! I just love this album and put it on so often to encourage my spirit. Information about where you can find it is below. Thanks for sharing, Joel!

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You can find Joel's album, Hymn's for the Lifegiving Home wherever music is sold. (Itunes, Amazon, etc.) 

Hymns for the Lifegiving Home

Joel Clarkson

Buy on Amazon

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. 

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

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.