Building a Legacy of a Lifetime

My life is all about legacy.

Every day of your life, you have the potential of leaving a godly model to follow, a kingdom message to believe, an integrity that is holy and a purpose that is eternal. God has allowed you the opportunity to touch eternity with your life by giving these gifts to those children he has entrusted into your hands. Live into your legacy and you will change your world forever. 

Sally Clarkson

When i became a believer, I was immediately challenged to ponder how I might bring the light of Christ to my world in my lifetime. I was instructed about investing in people by serving them, showing them the love of God by my words and actions, and inspiring them with the messages of Jesus. Discipleship is what it was called. And so for years, I reached out to others to do just what I had been taught--to pass on a vision and passion to fulfill the eternal purposes for which we had been created.

And then I had children...

Light dawned in my heart that my children would be the most important disciples I would ever have. I understood that I would answer to God for building a legacy of faith into their lives. I knew I would be responsible for reaching their hearts with the love of God; teaching His truths and moral excellence, giving them the ability to think profoundly, encouraging them to become educated in order to use their skills and calling for God, and to pass on the purposes of God which alone would fulfill their longings and desires to live meaningful lives.

The experience of building my children into godly adults met deep needs in my heart to connect to what really mattered. Then Clay and I decided to host conferences to pass on this knowledge to other moms who longed to have meaning in their motherhood and to understand how to fulfill their profoundly important role as mentors of their children--to pass on a godly heritage.

Then came 16 books, over 60 national mom's conferences for thousands of women, 11 years of thousands of blog posts, hundreds of speaking engagements all over the world and a podcast plus webcasts that reached over 2 million women in downloads.

And with all of this, our own ministry legacy kept growing. How could we combine all that we learned by raising our own children, now adults, into an even more effective ministry? 

Our membership site, Life with Sally, has become the new arena where we see the Holy Spirit taking us beyond all that we have been able to build before to create and cultivate a movement of mothers who will, together, bring righteousness and truth to reach all over the world through the legacy of their children.

Today, I am so very excited to be able to share some new news about our site. Ten of us have been working hard to make it more beautiful, better organized, and to provide even more areas of inspiration for you to enjoy. Hundreds of women have already been enjoying the rich material we have provided in the first few months. We will be adding new video content, parenting training, educational input and instruction, a forum where women can meet and share, some videos from Clay and me as we travel to historical places in England while we live and minister there, a new arts and visual arts expert, a quoteables and notables section, and so much more. 

 We will be launching a new phase of Life with Sally on February 12th.

On the updated site you will find beautifully curated video and audio of me teaching on all of the areas I am passionate about along with outlines and printables to help you practically put the truths and ideas into practice.  You will find audio and video from our inspirers discussing music, art, and literature. There will be book lists, helpful resources, recipes, traditions,  and more! This material will only be available to those who have joined our membership. I will also be hosting live webcasts through membership where we can connect, and I can share more with you.

--Click the arrows to see slides of the newly designed Life With Sally landing page--

And coming soon is also a MEMBER FORUM where you can connect with other moms, ask questions, discuss the teaching sessions, and more!

--Click the arrows to see slides of the newly designed Life With Sally membership home page--

Many of you have asked about upcoming conferences, and my hope is that my Life with Sally membership site will be like an ongoing conference for you each month where you can be encouraged and inspired with Biblical truth, practical helps, and make connections within our community! Many of you helped us lay the foundation in the past six months, and now we're building a bigger website to be a bigger ministry in this new season of our lives. I know we all dislike price increases, and our bigger building will need a small increase so we can keep it growing, but we'll try to make the transition easy.

The price of an annual subscription will increase to $149.00/year on February 12, but you can join Life with Sally for the next 10 days at a special promotional rate of $129.00/year. If you're already an annual subscriber, you don't need to do anything. Your subscription will continue at your current rate, and won't change as long as you renew annually. If you'd like to become an annual subscriber, for just the next 10 days you can join at the promotional rate of $129.00/year (as of Monday, February 12 that rate will increase to $149.00/year). Your promotional rate will remain the same as long as you renew annually. Our new monthly rate (as of today, February 1) is now $15.00/month. If you are currently a monthly subscriber, upgrade in the next 10 days to an annual account to save $50.00/year off the new monthly rate. If you remain on the monthly plan, your rate will increase to $15.00 on the first renewal after February 12. This $129.00/year promotional rate will not be offered again. Act now, and tell your friends.

Which leads me to another special offer. If you share about Life with Sally on your social media, and comment on this post that you shared to let us know, you will be eligible to win a free ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION! We'll be giving away two (2) one-year annual subscriptions. Just share a comment below about how you shared about Life with Sally.

We so appreciate you, the friends who help us keep this ministry going to reach women all over the world. Your lives are what inspire us to keep going forward in this new adventure of ministry. Thanks so very much for the encouraging comments and notes on all the places we share our messages. Your words have meant so very much. God bless all of you with His grace and love.

What Will Your Children Remember, (no condemnation Part 2) - Own Your Life Chapter 3 & Podcast!

What Will Your Children Remember?

In spite of all my mistakes, weaknesses, failures, because of God's grace, my children still love me and prefer me as their trusted friend. As adults, they do not remember only my failures or difficulty in keeping on top of all the chores and responsibilities, but they remember the love.

On Monday, I began a post that spoke of the need to live with freedom and grace within our limitations I mentioned 2 principles. Just remember, God is such a gentle Father. He knows when his child is weary or sad or confused or fearful and He has promised to meet our needs in such a generous way. Breathe out your stress and worries and let Him carry them for you. Today, I share the rest of 5 principles of how to live without condemnation and how to live forward into the perfected person that God sees.

3. "He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat." I Kings 19:5

Elijah was so very weary from spiritual battle that he despaired of his life--wished he hadn't been born. The truth is, spiritual battle is often so very taxing and difficult that it does wear us out, as it did Jesus when he sweat blood on the cross.

But God knew Elijah was extremely exhausted, battle worn, weary. So the first thing God did when Elijah poured out his heart to Him was to put him to sleep. He slept a long time--took time to physically rest. Next, and I love this, an angel touched him--physical touch, a hug, an embrace, a hand massage, a real massage, is a personal healer. I love it that God's angel touched him and brought him comfort. Then, he still didn't give him a lecture--instead, the angel fed him.

Sometimes mamas have been going for so long without a break, they start breaking down. A wise woman will learn her limitations and learn to say "no" so that she does not live in a constant state of exhaustion. And don't feel guilty for saying no. You can only hold so many ideals at once, so be sure to hold on the ones that matter.

And do what you are best at doing--don't compare your life to someone else. And you may have to say no to some ministry at church for a season. Be reasonable--Jesus would never ask you to do everything--that is something you are putting on yourself--I know! I was in ministry and want to be available to everyone--but I just can't meet all needs and have peace in my home. You might just need to start out your new beginning with sleep, a touch of gentle love and eating well--perhaps exercising--and then take time to ponder and plan..

We are not just minds and hearts--we are bodies with physical needs and limitations. If we over-exert, we will crash and burn. When others are taking from us 24/7, we must wisely learn that taking care of ourselves is essential to our emotional and spiritual and physical well being. This season, if you are tired, be sure to take a break--get some rest, seek some physical comfort and restoration, eat well. You deserve to be cared for--even if you have to plan for it yourself. I know I kept waiting for someone to give me permission--didn't happen. Finally, I took responsibility for my own happiness so that I could be happier and stronger for my kids on this long term journey.

I make beauty to remind me that I am worth something-I light candles, get some flowers at Sam's or Costco's--the kind that last 2 weeks, and I play music all the time.

4. "He who walks with the wise, grows wise, but  a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs

You might need some inspiration, some help, some counsel, some perspective. Find someone older, more experienced, wiser to meet with and ask them to help you come up with a plan. Sometimes this is easier said than done. But I have found that when I give up my pride and take the courage to pour out my heart to wise people or more mature people, I usually find compassion and often find help. This is not always true--be discerning about who you entrust yourself to as there is a lot of foolish advice around.

My mentors for many years, were books. I was always finding books that were written by women or men older and more insightful in life. People will die for lack of instruction. I would seek to read, educate myself, find wisdom, find models of wisdom, integrity and I was a learner. I determined to learn and to get better every year.

This means being teachable and changing when we need to. We were also built for community. That is why every book I have written, I have designed to be able to be used in a small group, because godly friends are essential to my long term growth. Find wise people, books, conferences, a church, the word of God and gain wisdom. Just decide to get better every day, every year--grow, progress--don't expect instant maturity on your part or your children's.

5."But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits." God's wisdom and leading lead us to peace, mercy and good fruit. Each of us must evaluate--what is stealing my peace? What is sucking my energy? How can I change it? This is a long distance run, not a spring--wisdom from above will teach you to pace yourself--and not to say yes just to please others. You are quite free to be yourself, live your own story, live within your own limitations.

What notions are misleading you? Boys are given testosterone from God for a reason--they are supposed to grow up and be strong! Work with them, accept their noise, invest in their hearts, don't try to control them--lead and inspire and train them little by little. (The 24 Family ways is a great tool for beginning to lay foundations for all the family together.)

What is not producing good fruit--your schedule? Your lack of rhythms and consistency with your children? Your lack of training with your children? Then put your finger on what is bothering you and make a practical step forward. How are you going to eliminate the stressors you have control over? How can you eliminate some of the drainers? What is one way you will become stronger and  more disciplined in the next month. Be very honest about what you must cut or quit doing or is your flaw and be vigilant about pursuing the wisdom that provides peace and good fruit.

Do first things, first. I always did devotions with the kids, first, every day. And then I read to them next. Because worshipping God has stayed with them as the oxygen we breathed every day and reading has taught all of them to think. So if I didn't get anything else done--thy would worship God and engage in ideas--this has made all of them intellectually strong.

Say no! Limit yourself. Don't accept responsibilities out of guilt. Don't join activities because of voices.  And also, write down what fills you, inspires your heart, gives you a break, helps to keep you going a little bit longer--that is wisdom--creating a life that is more pleasant for yourself, more doable. Don't copy someone else's life, and don't compare your children to others. Be yourselves and live your own happy story. God wants you to breathe and have freedom.

Well, I could go on for another 5. But, these are just a few of the things I have learned to do when I find myself walking a dark, discouraging path. Remember, there is always hope when you live in the love of God. This task of raising healthy, godly kids is not beyond reach. You just need to own your commitments, your wisdom, your choices and practice growing stronger. It doesn't happen all at once. And remember,

"The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn which shines brighter and brighter until the fulll day." Proverbs--every day, a little more light, a little more progress, and eventually, full brightness.

I am praying for all of you--but even more, God is praying for you and loves you. Don't give into discouragement or inadequate feelings. With God all things are possible. He is so glad you are trying and that you care.  You are precious to Him and He is training your character to grow strong as you are training your children.

I am off to bed now, but I know you are going to be ok, because He will work in your life if you leave your burdens in His hands and He who began a good work will complete it--in His time, little by little, but fully complete it. God's peace to you today!

Be sure to listen to this. You will be encouraged.

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

By Sally Clarkson

Buy on Amazon

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

By Sally Clarkson

Buy on Amazon

Living Without Condemnation Part 1 - Own Your Life Chapter 3 & a Podcast

There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8: 1

Sally,

I am so thankful for your blog and podcast, and your books have been such a blessing in my life. I consider you my mentor though you do not know me personally. I’m sure this is the wrong “forum” to ask a question, and if you do not respond I understand. But I dare to ask anyway.

What do you do when your life doesn’t come close to how you believe it should look?

I read your words and I’m thankful for the vision you cast. But for some time the vision I have for my home seems so far from my reality and I have no idea how to reconcile the two, even in my mind. Discouragement and frustration have started to seep in.

As a mama of three little boys, a homeschool mother, and a pastor’s wife, I don’t believe there is enough of me to go around and I’m starting to feel like I can’t even cover the basics, much less enjoy the riches of this season. I’m sure this is just part of the journey and a part of life that every wife and mother must face, but I don’t want to end up taking the wrong path because I gave up hope for the best.

I feel guilty for more and more things – what I cook (or don’t cook), allowing my children too  watch TV too much or play the Wii too long, not teaching them well or enough or the right things, not keeping up with just the daily things that make a house run, letting down those that I love most. Is there a way to hit the reset button and just start over once you’ve allowed habits to form in yourself and your children that you don’t like? I believe God’s grace is enough. And I value wisdom from those I know have walked this path and stayed on course."

Signed,

Discouraged

There are so many issues to address in this letter. Raising children without in house support systems is often messy, demanding and overwhelming. I learned that that was in some ways normal life for a mama. So one part of life is accepting that it will always be demanding, it is a long distance race and that the process of growing up doesn't always look neat. 

Countless times, I felt like I was not accomplishing anything productive. This is such a hard job, to love, educate and help shape our children's faith. It is especially challenging in a culture that offers so much differing advice that brings voices into our heads, which then that produces guilt and inadequacy. This same culture is isolationist and  provides few support systems or Biblical direction.

However, unless we learn to think rightly about ourselves, we will listen to the voices of condemnation and pay attention to the pointing fingers that say we are not enough and it will indeed influence how we live. 

So many moms feel this way, but feelings do not necessarily determine reality! Not one of us will ever be perfect and we will all have voices that condemn us for different reasons. I have failed, I have a terrible past, I was abused, I am angry, I am lazy, I don't feel love in my heart for those in my home, and on and on. 

The starting point for all of us, first of all, is to learn the habit of living in the reality of God's view of us, His very generous and gracious love for us at every moment and to avoid thoughts of condemnation, mess and all. I hope you will be encouraged by the podcast today, but I also am writing some truths that have helped me get back up when I have been going in a downward direction. 

Five principles have helped me when I am overwhelmed.

1. Remember. God is with you to help you succeed.

"If God is for you, who can be against you." God is for you--for you. He wants you to succeed. He wants to work in your home. We are not adequate to complete the task of shaping our children's hearts, minds and souls by ourselves. When God's Spirit is working in our midst, He will take our fish and loaves, all that we have to give to Him, within our own limitations and together with Him, our labor becomes enough. I lived into this principle, asked God to make up for my shortcomings every day, and by faith lived as though what He promised was true. He is for you, mamas, if your heart is to serve Him. He has compassion on you, knows your weariness, and is your champion.

2. "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 There are always do-overs in God's economy. All of us mess up, (He is mindful that we are but dust! Psalm 103) Peter blew it royally when he denied Christ at his hour of need, but before he even sinned, Jesus knew what was going to happen, and told Peter he had prayed for him. Jesus had compassion before Peter had even committed the act of denying Christ.

I wonder why we have the illusion that we are supposed to be perfect. Mamas, don't be so hard on yourself and live within your limitations. You will not ever be perfect or do it totally right--not now, not next week, not even when you are 60! (Maybe when I am 70, I will be perfect1) And to live in guilt because you have blown it or yelled at your kids or made mistakes is a big drainer. Depression is often the result of disappointed expectations. And often we disappoint our ideals.

But this is the fallen world, and we will never be able to control ourselves, our circumstances, our children or the world the live in. We live in grace and move toward maturity little by little. And so do your children. I promise, little by little they will grow up.

And your children will never be perfect, either. Love them as they are. Believe in them, touch them. Let little boys be boys, as you train them little by little to be heroes and leaders--civilization comes from a mama who treats them with respect, and gives them a heart to be dignified.

Let little ones be innocent and enter into their stages of life with joy.

Living in the grace and knowledge that God forgives, knows our limitations, is not surprised or disappointed, but wanting to give us hope is so very crucial. Don't listen to the accusers voice. Of course you have fallen short--you are a mom and you are human.

I will continue this post in Part 2. Stay tuned and meanwhile, listen to the podcast! 

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

By Sally Clarkson

Buy on Amazon

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

By Sally Clarkson

Buy on Amazon

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. 

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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.