Sneaking Away in the Morning is a Habit (With a Reward!) for this Mama

This morning, when it was still dark, I crept out of bed so as not to awaken anyone in the house. I have always had a child's delight in being alone in the early morning, like I was playing hide and seek with the bodies asleep in my home. I made a big mug of coffee (with a dash of vanilla!) and drove away from my home at 5:45 as the sun was peeking out behind the clouds.

I was in need of time with Him, my true Friend, my Counselor, my Comforter, my Father. Sometimes with all the bodies and voices swirling about in my home, I lose Him. And so, I have learned to leave and invest in the morning hours with Him always, always waiting to talk to me. The Sunday morning breakfast feast will be ready at 9:30 as usual, but I will be different by the time I get back home.

Birds seemed to chirp more loudly than usual, the sun sparkled as the gentle waves of the lake danced slowly, and I was awash in peace and quiet, alone with Him.

I read Psalm 25 many times this morning--Lead me, teach me your paths, Instruct me in your way---the words became my prayers. Always big issues of life weigh too heavy on my shoulders. But very quickly in His bigness, my needs become small.

I will wait on you, oh Lord.

And then He reminded me--David waited and waited and waited for God and sang and danced while he waited. He did not take the throne from Saul. He did not murder Saul when God delivered Saul into David's hands, he just humbly waited on God to make His move--for years and years He waited, in peace, and writing and praising all  along. Is this what it means for David to be a man after God's heart---looking to Him, waiting on Him, rejoicing in Him, in the midst of battles going on all around in his life?

Saul, however, though big, handsome and strong, was not considered worthy to remain as king. He took matters into his own hands. He exerted his will, his way, his wisdom in being king. He did not wait on God, as he thought he knew better--and so God rejected him from being king.

Oh, please, Lord, do not reject me from being usable to you and your kingdom purposes. Help me to wait on you as David did.

God wants those who wait on Him, follow His lead, hear His voice. I have noticed in my own life that God is not in a hurry and rarely does things quickly, but in the process of His leading, He cares more about forming character, building holiness, stretching our trust, strengthening our muscles of faith--and through this process He builds in us a legacy of integrity.

And so, this morning, my soul is once again filled with joy, peace, worship and rest--I do not know the future, but I rest in the one who does. It all comes from a habit, a rhythm of making time to be with Him, to hear His voice, to follow His ways. Years and years and years of getting away--to Him.

May He guide you to His presence today.

And now the favorite of the verses I pondered today:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, For you are the God of my salvation.

For you I wait all the day. Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in justice and He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth.

Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way He should go. Indeed, none of those who wait for you will be ashamed.

I pray you will find some peaceful morning time of your own, this weekend.

I hope you will be encouraged by my new devotional book coming soon.

Mom Heart Moments: Daily Devotions for Lifegiving Motherhood

By Sally Clarkson

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Cultivating Friendship with Children & Podcast (Misty, Kristen and Sally)

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“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John 15:13-15

Unwinding in my cozy little library, I was so engrossed in my book that I didn’t even realize the sun was setting. But then I was jolted out of my reverie by the familiar sound of my cell ringtone.

“Hi, Mama!” chimed the familiar voice of one of my adult children. “I’ve been really busy, but I just needed to hear your voice, to know that you love me and are thinking about me. You know, there’s no substitute for your words of love. Helps me feel closer to God somehow.”

I get a call like that nearly every day—and I make a few calls of my own. My children and I are a tight-knit group, joined at the hip, fast and dedicated friends. They all live and work in very secular arenas and are taxed to their souls on a regular basis. All four travel all over the world for their jobs and schools, have their own groups of friends, and function as reasonably mature adults.

And yet, wherever they go, it is very difficult to meet adults who hold their values, beliefs, morals. Intentionality in our friendship costs time, thoughtfulness, heart investment. Yet, our friendship grows deeper and deeper through the years because they feel a need for a touchpoint with someone who "gets" them and loves them as they are. Next to Clay, my children are my best friends, and we remain their dearest companions. But we are also the tangible fingers and arms of God to keep them in the circle of his love.

Because of back surgery, Clay cannot travel much. But he regularly sends me to places my children live as a "live" picture of our love, cheerleading and devotion to helping them stay fast in their faith. A part of our calling of "home" is to give our children a stable sense of the good foundations of what we believe and then to help them have reason to keep faithful to those foundations after they leave the physical structure of our home. Home is the place we build vibrant, life-giving relationships that last a lifetime.

So it was with Jesus and His disciples. Sharing meals, walking together on dusty roads, having exuberant discussions about theology, sleeping under the stars, sharing hopes and fears, and enjoying some good laughs in between it all—this was the nature of Jesus’ friendships. He wove His love and grace into the lives of all who were close to Him. And as a result they were energized, driven, and excited to spend the rest of their lives telling the world about their closest and most trusted Friend.

When the relational aspect is removed from faith, Christianity becomes a list of rules to keep, a dry obedience to abstract facts. The heart is left feeling perpetually unsatisfied. Over time, doubts and insecurities creep into our faith, and we may begin to develop guilt for not being spiritual enough. We start to hope that no one notices our failure, and—the worst consequence—we may even try to hide our dissatisfaction from God.

This is not even remotely God’s will for our lives. It is a lie of the evil one whispering to us in our inadequacy. Satan wants us to live in condemnation for all the ways we are imperfect in loving. The insidious thing is that the deceptive narrative is self- perpetuating.

It not only makes us believe that God just wants our obedience and good works but also makes us feel like failures when we inevitably don’t live up to those standards, and this causes us to draw even further away from God.

When we observe the lives of those closest to Jesus in His earthly life—the disciples—it becomes immediately apparent that they were alive with faith and hope. Even as flawed human beings, they were filled with a power that can come only from being loved and accepted by their Savior.

This liberating love is still offered to us. God wants to be as close to us as Jesus was to His disciples and to inspire the same kindness and goodness in our hearts. If we as parents can learn to embrace our relationship with God, we will be empowered to create for our children and anyone else who crosses our doorsteps a true culture of love—a home environment where the life of God is breathed through all moments and love becomes the fuel for living with hope, purpose, and expectation.

Ultimately, God desires that we instill in the hearts of those around us the same love that has been made real in our lives. That is the crux of discipleship. Our disciples—whether they be our children, our friends, or anyone else in our care—must eventually be sent out into the world as Jesus sent out His disciples.

When they have grasped the vision of the Kingdom and the King who rules it, they, too, can be world redeemers. But they need to be prepared. Jesus knew He was sending out His disciples into a world where they would often be rejected and abused. He taught them how to handle painful encounters and asked the Father to keep them from the evil one while they were about His business. And over and over, He infused them with His love and taught them to love one another.

Our children, too, will go out into an antagonistic, difficult society. But the power that will hold them fast to the ideals they learned at home will be the bonds of love and the deep companionship we shared with them, the compassion and kindness and grace we gave to them during hard times, and the constant reassurance that they are precious to us and to God. Whatever we have spoken into the daily lives of our children is what they will hear when they are far away.

“How many parents there are … who are readier to provide playthings for their children than to share the delights of their children with those playthings; readier to set their children to knowledge-seeking, than to have a part in their children’s surprises and enjoyments of knowledge-attaining; readier to make good, as far as they can, all losses to their children, than to grieve with their children over those losses.  And what a loss of power to those parents as parents, is this lack of sympathy with their children as children."

Henry Clay Trumbull, Hints on Child Training (1890)

We hope you’ll enjoy the podcast today. Kristen Kill, Misty Krasawski, and I are discussing the ways we’ve built friendships with our children and why we believe it’s so important! Be sure to click to download these lovely printables for your fridge or wall.

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Dancing to God's Melody of Joy DWMHF 5 & Podcast

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Slouched down in my leather seat in a crowded railway car, I was being gently rocked to sleep by the rhythmic swaying back and forth of the old train clattering across the Polish countryside. Returning from a student conference in the mountains where I had been teaching and counseling with college students all weekend had left me a bit weary, lonely and  depleted. Working through translators for each message was a slow, tedious process.

As an American woman, I felt the cultural distance between me and these youth who had grown up under a supressive, Communist government. The religious freedom I had taken so for granted, made these students eager to know about God, about Jesus, about a kingdom in heaven where they would be free and blessed by the God who made them. Exhaustion tended to exagerate cultural differences and made me feel somewhat isolated as a 24 year old, struggling to understand even a portion of the things that were spoken to me. I remember riding along in the car wondering if I would ever not feel lonely.

Suddenly, the train took a small bend and in front of me were fields of thousands upon thousands of bright red poppies, gently swaying in the wind. Fields of poppies, obviously growing wild, spread over miles of the countryside. I was mesmerized by the beauty and found myself wondering how long it had taken for these beautiful flowers to be planted over the years so that there would be so many everywhere.

I began to imagine the invisible hand of God intentionally spreading seed generously over the many fields, so that in a country where there had been so much division, war and darkness for so many generations, that there would still be a picture of His beauty, creation and life to comfort those who would see it. That it would draw their thoughts and hearts, like it did mine, to thoughts of Him who was the artist of such beauty.

This has become to me a sort of picture of my place in the world. Jesus often talked about sowing seed in many of His parables. The people of His time were tied more closely to farming, sowing, reaping because their very lives depended on the well-being of the crops as their source of food.

Join me today in my podcast where I share the story of my being in Communist Poland as a young, single women wondering if I was even capable or adequate to being a missionary. God has taught me so much about cultivating joy every day since then, but it is a long journey of maturing a little at a time to learn to dance in His joy every day.

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• Join my friends and me in membership at Life with Sally, a place for me to share more teaching from the Bible and messages on education, motherhood, discipleship, and more!

Difficulties Abound Outside, Yet Within the Walls of Home All is Well

Arm in arm, my sweet one and I walked our familiar evening path, sharing hearts and finding solace in our companionship amidst the beauty of one more flurry of pinks and golds as the sun settled in for the night. We knew we were not alone. God walked with us and smiled at us through His clouds and presence in our friendship.

As we turned the corner of our last way home, the moon spoke to us once again of His companionship as we breathed in the comfort of friendship.

Upon returning home, we lingered in the moonlight on our front porch, rocking gently as we talked more of life. Eventually, five of us gathered on the porch in the twilight. Comfort, belonging, peace, security, and stability is what is felt in the walls of our home. We belong to each other. We know a comfort amongst our trials, our joys, our doubts and our anger. .

As I glance through the pathways of our story, there are many trials and obstacles along the way--car wrecks, cancer, deaths, births, illnesses, financial problems, church splits, relationships coming to an end, new ones beginning. Our world is a battlefield against small conflicts, difficult circumstances and big evils that abound. Yet, by His grace, we have come to know that we have a harbor in our storms, and our family's mutual love has wrapped us further in the bonds of rest that comes from being loyal, strong, devoted and present with one another through each day, each year, each conflict.

God designed us to be "home" makers, so our families might have foundations from which to live life.

At my age, in spite of fear that life storms would overwhelm, I have lived to see the fingerprints of God all over our days. His goodness has followed us through all of our seasons. Because He has been our hope in every storm, and we have cherished Him together, we have found that, as David said, "Surely His goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord, forever."

There will always be storms old and new. Yet, one of the joys of my mother heart has been to watch my children walking in faith through unanticipated trials, seeking God's goodness, living together in the harmony of family love. Adults making their own choices to trust God, to learn and grow, to strain towards His righteous ways.

All the devotions, all the cherishing of His word together, all the training is now reflected in their lives. I have watched my boys become strong, constant men, heroes in their generation-- in the eyes of God, as they  choose to live faithfully in soul, steadfast in commitments, and integrity of life, seeking to grow, learn, and act in noble ways, even when others in their lives have not chosen the same path.

My girls are straining towards spiritual strength and wisdom and learning to give, to serve, to love well, while cherishing moral excellence, amidst a world that is dark and compromising. The seeds of faith planted have taken root and grown.

The battles rage. Yet, we have lived long enough to understand that there is an invisible power living in our home that keeps us, holds us, and companions us we we walk these roads with Him.

Peace be yours today. The Lord is with us and with you. May He companion you in the midst of your days.

Restoration and Maintenance

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“Years of deferred maintenance can make sites vulnerable ... an emphasis on preventive maintenance, attention to changes in conditions, and constant care are the best defenses against disaster.” ~restoration expert regarding Notre Dame

Our team watched unbelievingly as the drama unfold earlier this spring, when the roof of Notre Dame surrendered to the flames. Then we closely followed all the discussion of what it would cost and the great time it would take to rebuild such a monumental structure, unable to avoid seeing some personal parallels. There seems to be a certain progression to a woman’s view of life as she ages. In our 20’s, it seems all things are possible. We wear rose-colored glasses, and have spent most of our early years noting mistakes other people have made and determining that we, of course, will be completely different! In our 30s, reality begins to set in as we realize how difficult life truly is, how imperfect we are (not to mention the imperfections of everyone around us!), and how tiring it is to do everything right, after all. The 40s often bring a settling in of resignation, as we look at our lives and think … is this it?

A crash will come if we do not exercise damage control along the way. We are organic beings, and have to feed life and health into our lives. A wise woman will monitor her health all along the way, not just when it is at emergency depletion levels.

It is wise to exercise self-care--it is foolish to ignore your needs. A wise woman takes care of her emotional, mental, spiritual and physical health.

As the restoration expert noted, emphasizing preventive maintenance, paying attention to changes in conditions, and constant care are necessary to our lives if we are to maintain our integrity—our ability to shelter and draw others into the beauty and worship of God.

We hope you’ll enjoy our podcast today, as Kristen and Misty join me again for a summer conversation about restoration and maintenance in our own lives. And also—these lovely printables …

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• Leave an iTunes Review These are so important as they help our podcast reach more women with messages of encouragement.

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• Share with others. My prayer is that this podcast brings encouragement to women and families, and I would be honored for you to tell others about it.

• Join my friends and me in membership at Life with Sally, a place for me to share more teaching from the Bible and messages on education, motherhood, discipleship, and more!

Dancing Through the Twists and Turns of Life (Dancing Chapter Four)

As a young woman, I told God I wanted to be his servant and to be used greatly in this world. It has been in living faithfully through count- less tests that God has fit me for ministry. Having struggled through the trials of life has made me much better suited to connect with a broad range of women. My heart is more compassionate because I have been humbled and tested through many roles of life—as a single woman, a married woman, a mother, a working woman, a woman tempted to depression, a woman with conflict from family, a woman with health issues and financial stresses. These tests exercised my spiritual muscles and increased my capacity to work And yes, now I am grateful for all the tests because they brought joy.

Of course, we each will face different tests in our lives. When I was younger, my best friend longed to get married, take care of children, and be domestic. It was what she most wanted. Yet she ended up being single and alone for her whole life. But because she responded to God's tests over many years by saying, as Mary did, "May it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38) and sought to live out her life faithfully, just as it was, she became one of the most loving, life-giving, mature people I know.

And yet I, who really had never longed to have children, got married and had four. I have probably learned more from the Lord about joy in the midst of trials by being a parent than in any other role. It is what I needed to become the woman he wanted me to be. And it's taken years to get there! God doesn't grow us in character and joy quickly. He has a long-term perspective for me. He sees the training process over a period of years and is always seeking to move me ahead in my character.

Often it seems we would rather have another life—any life—than our own. Somehow we think if we lived a different life, it would be easier for us to grow in faithfulness and spiritual character. Yet it is in accepting today with all of its issues, in accepting God's will and training grounds that we learn the secret of joy in his presence. It is in being faithful to our own set of tests that we become mature and fitted for the ministry he has called each of us to accomplish. If we aspire to be a general, so to speak, spiritually, then we must first pass the training and tests of life as a private!

Other friends have lived through the devastation of divorce, personal rejection, financial losses, illnesses. Whether it is dealing with a prodigal child, an unfaithful spouse, an angry parent, unjust accusations, the loss of a job, or any other kind of trial, we always have a choice to endure with strength or capitulate to the darkness of our souls.

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• Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

• Leave an iTunes Review These are so important as they help our podcast reach more women with messages of encouragement.

• Follow on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

• Share with others. My prayer is that this podcast brings encouragement to women and families, and I would be honored for you to tell others about it.

• Join my friends and me in membership at Life with Sally, a place for me to share more teaching from the Bible and messages on education, motherhood, discipleship, and more!

Let's Get Rid of the Idol of "Balance!"

I love the way this window decor looks. It’s calming, orderly, and balanced. It’s the way I wish my life were, more often! Seems I have never reached that magical point where my life is quiet, peaceful, slow, with all the details in my life organized. There are more balls in the air now than when our family was much younger!

I was thinking about this some time ago, as I was whizzing in the car to Kohl's (after all, I had a 30% coupon in my hot little hand) looking for jeans and a couple of things that Joy needed, all the while keeping in mind that she had a meeting I needed to drive her to in an hour.

I also needed to pick up some medication for the sinus infection I’d developed, along with an internal ear infection, and I had an appointment to pray with some friends that afternoon before I picked Joy up once again, so we could go back to Walmart for things she needed to buy.

Afterward I had scheduled a cooking class with Sarah and Joy, and then meeting friends who were flying in from out of town, then back home to finish packing and hopefully catch some sleep before leaving for the airport with Clay and Sarah at 7:30 in the morning.

I thought--my life is not in balance--but I can still walk with God, have joy, enjoy my minutes and the people who are in my life at each moment, and make it through one minute at a time.

My home is not in balance--I know when we are traveling or I am moving back to Colorado from Oxford, obviously my house will be messier than usual and need a good cleaning when I get settled back in. I understand that if I am going to be faithful to schooling and making meals and having quiet times, things will pile up and go by the way side--but I also know I have a plan for getting it all together, eventually.

I liked what a friend said to me, once: "The swinging hand on a clock is only in balance at one point while the fulcrum swings back and forth between the two sides."

And so my life goes--in perfect balance, rarely, once in a while--but always swinging between the two tensions.

My life wasn't in balance when I had 3 children under 5 and I had to nurse them and deal with ear infections and asthma.

My life wasn't in balance very often amidst the 17 moves--6 times internationally--it seemed often I was packing or unpacking, and I still am!

My life wasn't in balance when I had 3 teenagers and an elementary aged child who just wanted to play and read picture books,  while we were staying up late with our teens talking about all sorts of serious issues in life, and then getting up early with my wee, little fun one-with dark circles under my eyes.

And all the while these in my home wanted to eat, (which meant shopping, cooking and an endless stream of dishes) and wear relatively clean clothes, and messes abounded--always cleaning and messing--straightening and cluttering. No balance, but a lot of life and fun and discussions and work and corrections--a stream of life never ending, but flowing to yet another new challenge and season of life.

I think I would have been so much more content and joyful if I had just known at the beginning that life for me would not be balanced--but could always be meaningful--if I would just accept the limitations of each day, each season, each child, my marriage and my finances--none totally balanced or perfect--but all a blessing.

Jesus's life was not balanced, either--he always had people chasing after him and someone was always criticizing him amidst the feeding of 5 thousand, healing lepers and forgiving prostitutes, holding children and blessing them and saying scathing things to the Pharisees.

Paul's life was certainly not balanced or even-keeled--amidst prison, ship wrecks, beatings, and teachings. Peter was traveling, teaching, being persecuted. Yet the disciples had joy, full hearts, love, and time to reach out to and teach others.

If I can just see this day and all that my puzzle brings as God's will, I can be content and joyful in all the unbalanced moments of my days.

How to Flourish in Every-day Life

We are so glad to be bringing you today’s podcast, where we begin our Girls’ Summer series with Kristen and Misty joining me! We had such a wonderful discussion about how we’ve learned to last through our lives and what’s helped us over the years, and hope you’ll enjoy our discussion.

One evening at a Bible study, a sweet mama asked me, “Sally, how did you live through all the mundane boring days where one day melted into another? Did you ever just feel like you were overwhelmed with the mundane tasks of it all? I feel like a prisoner in my own home."

Sometimes I see that moms have lost their vision along the way to live lives of ideals. Sometimes they just get lost in the journey, feeling lonely, unappreciated, and unnoticed, and wonder if they are making a difference with their lives. Here are a few ideas for encouragement along the way of normal days …

1. Pay attention to your personality. Who are you in the core of your being? What do you love and what motivates you? What steals from you? What drives you crazy? Not the voices of who you think you should be but who you really are?

Many years ago, I realized that I needed to take my personality needs into account when considering what kind of life I would shape for my family so I could last better, longer. And so, I included in my life the things that meant a lot to me and offered life to my heart: music, experiences, adventure, interesting opportunities, personal relationships, creating community, etc.

I am limited. I run out of patience and need to do something outside of me that doesn’t require me to give more. So planning activities where I could take the kids and make them happy meant that there was pressure off of me. I personally love learning, love adventure, stimulation, am a sort of out of the box woman who is highly idealistic and takes risks and loves to really experience life. The more I cooperate with the personality God gave me, the more I flourish.

On hard days, if the kids and I were fussing too much and all felt like prickles, I would throw them in the car, give them some little snacks to munch on, put on a fun book on audio to listen to-exciting and adventurous or a wonderful sweet story—and just drive. I found places in my area that would get us all outside and be fun. Parks, hikes, bookstores, museums, frozen yoghurt places, an authentic English cafe, mountain national parks, interesting places where they could run or swim or engage their own little needs and personalities--even my little 5-star hotel where we could have a hot chocolate on a cold, snowy day. If we did not have enough money for five hot chocolates, I would get two mugs and make them share! Getting out on some impossible days helped all of us settle down.

I have not generally lived by the rules. Instead I question them. I am quite sure my mother hated to hear me say, one more time, Why? It is because of the very nature God gave me that I have by His grace built a ministry to others. To call them to live in freedom of God’s grace, to give permission to live beyond the box. Why do people insist on living by duty and so called "authorities”— voices that limit their own fun or interest? We have great freedom in the Lord to use our own brains and our own values to live into His will for our lives.

Sometimes our lives seem overwhelmingly mundane because we are choosing to live boring lives.

2. Get rest and refreshment If you are exhausted, take some time to sleep, give yourself a break from responsibility. Play and recreation can be so healthy for your well-being. And building it into your regular schedule is essential. Sleeping for 20 minutes in the afternoon actually lengthens your life, according to many researchers. It also frees your brain to solve problems to take a break from constant active stimulation. (And it does that for kids, too.)

Some of the refreshing things I have added over the years are: tea or coffee breaks every day, taking a French cooking class with my girls, going out to breakfast with my teen boys, playing tennis as a family, having Clay take the kids out on a Saturday so I could do something fun with a friend (or just stay home and watch a movie or take a bath or whatever!) and of course, eventually the Saturday morning outings and walks with my girls.

3. Don't do life alone Whether  you are an introvert or extravert, you were made for relationships. Seek people who have your values or who can build into your life. I meet with an older friend I met from mutual Austrian mission experiences as often as possible when we are both in town. We share so many values, tastes and life appetites in common. When I am particularly down, I call her and we get together just to talk. I also have regular lunches and breakfasts with a group of friends that have been meeting for 9 years now. We are different ages, different in personality and go to different churches, yet we encourage each other greatly.

If you do not have friends around you, read books by inspiring people. Go to a seminar, volunteer in a ministry, do something--give of yourself and invest in others.

Walking miles each day, especially in natural, beautiful places, writing, playing music all the time, using my intuition to plan new ideas, projects, writing, speaking, traveling--and then figuring out how to pay for it--and regarding my children's needs and commitments as well as Clay's when I make plans. Making the mundane parts of my life as interesting and easy as possible has helped me to endure with grace. Simplify your expectations--you will never be in control, you will never get it all done, there are always new challenges around the corner, so prepare yourself for these life occurrences.

4. Make it a goal to seek out wise women, those more mature than you, those whose lives you would like to emulate. 

"He who walks with the wise will be wise, a companion of fools suffers harm." This verse is not just for children--it is for you. Don't spend lots of time on vanity, empty websites, television, books, or people who bring you down. You know if you are compromising your life--turn away from harmful influences and repent (go the other way) and ask for God's help. Jeremiah tells us if we walk after emptiness, we shall become empty. What you allow yourself to think will take hold in your life. The values you cultivate will grow in your heart. Determine to walk on the road to excellence one step at a time. Invest in the ideals you want to pursue--don't allow your heart to become addicted to women who pull you down, give you excuses to compromise your life in any way, tell you its ok to move in immoral directions. Avoid consummate complainers, those who criticize many people, those who always blame others for their difficulties or have a habit of shaking their fist at God.

Instead seek out the holy, the lovely, the good. What you seek after will determine what you become--where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Seems to me that seeing results always took longer than I thought they should, but now when I look back I see how gently, strongly, intentionally, wisely God was directing and training and fulfilling his ways in my life.

5. Use your God-given imagination--it is part of the Holy Spirit to fill us with ideas, give us beauty, open doors, enlarge our boundaries. Part of being a mature believer is to use your mind, desires, convictions, dreams, enjoyment to create life in your own life.

Do it today--Own Your Circumstances, Own your design, Own your puzzle and make it an interesting, god-glorifying place to live or at least slowly move into that direction. Don't be a victim to your life's duties, find ways to make it personally fulfilling.

Off to work on bringing some color into my black and white duties of life right now. Praying blessing for each of you. Enjoy the podcast!

For lots and lots more ideas, read:

Books Referenced in this podcast:

Printables:

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A Simple Recipe for Summer Breakfast- Homemade Granola!

Happy 4th of July weekend, to our American friends!

In our fast paced, fast food culture, a healthy lifestyle for your family can feel quite difficult. With children and adults alike all running in various directions at various times in the summer, a quick, simple, healthy breakfast can provide the start everyone’s day needs with little work! This nutty granola is the perfect go-to for bustling breakfasts in your home.

This recipe is not only delicious, but it is simple, quick, and something that you can prepare in advance and keep handy for those busy, hectic mornings, and late night evenings, in your home. Granola is also a wonderful, cost effective breakfast option if you are having numerous guests in your house at one time. Simply display your yummy masterpiece in your favorite bowl, and leave out milk, yogurt, and fruit for your family, or guests, to cultivate their own ideal meal.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup honey (or maple syrup--use a little less)

1/3 cup hot water

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

just a tad dash sea salt

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup sliced almonds (sometimes I add whole almonds)

6 cups rolled oats

1 cup craisins (you could substitute raisins)

1/2 cup dried cherries (if you chop them, they do not feel as obtrusive!)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the oil, hot water, honey and vanilla. Add a sprinkle of sea salt. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, pecans, and walnuts. Pour the honey mixture into the oat mixture and stir until the oats and nuts are evenly coated. Spread out the granola onto 2 baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, and bake 10 more minutes, or until toasted. Allow granola to cool completely before stirring in the craisins and dried cherries. Your granola will harden as it cools. Break apart any large lumps, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy a relaxing, healthy morning in your home with this delicious recipe.

Words are Powerful to Bring Life or Death! Sally's Membership Bible Study # 2 & Podcast

Many of you know that lifegiving is a theme in my life. Often, I ask myself the question, is what I am doing, thinking, saying, planning, going to bring the life to myself and those I am with today or will it kill or destroy my soul or another’s heart or soul?

I arise early to go walking every morning. Yes, sometimes it takes a lot to get our of my comfy bed to face the cold or rain, but I wanted you to see a bit of my pathway. Springtime brings with it the greenest of green, life proliferating everywhere. This is a picture of how your words may influence others—you can create life that will grow into beauty in another’s soul, or you can create death.

Misty and I are back this week with another sneak peek into our membership site, Life with Sally! Every month, I record a new Bible study just for members. My desire is to leave a legacy of encouragement, trust and wisdom to those who long for it as I do. Consequently, I do a Bible study every month for my membership to encourage them from my own walk in scripture. We’ve been looking into the book of Proverbs recently, and today we are sharing the second half of a particular study on the power of words.

The words we speak reveal what we’ve been spending time pondering, and they have the power to shape the world around us. That means—the atmosphere in our own homes can be changed by what we say! Have you ever considered the ways Jesus spoke into the lives of the people around Him? He encouraged and uplifted, exhorted and corrected, all while expressing perfect love. But Jesus also gave us an astounding example by the times He did not speak. Scripture tells us that “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). How amazing that He held to His peace (because, of course, He IS peace!) in the midst of betrayal and unjust accusation!

Last week in our first sneak peek, we shared the printable outline and study guide from Sally’s teaching. This week we’re sharing another monthly feature: our wonderful team has created a lovely printable of this verse that we’re sharing with you today! Woohoo— click here to find and download it; we like to put these scripture reminders on our refrigerators or dining room walls so we can memorize them easily!

1 Peter 2:23 Printable

We hope you’ll enjoy today’s podcast, and consider some of the questions we’re asking ourselves:

Are you sowing a treasury of great words to those around you?

Will your children be able to recall your words of life as they look back on life in your home?

Words were important to Jesus. How does it feel to know that it is what comes out of your mouth that defiles you? Ask the Lord to grow you in maturity and self-control with your words.

Of course, this sneak peek is just a tiny bit of all the wonderful content available in membership! Book clubs, legacy talks, recipes, artist studies, the Bible studies, great composers … the goodness goes on and on! We’d love to have you join us. Find out more here: Life with Sally Membership