The Music of God: Dancing with my Heavenly Father 10 and Podcast

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I have always been a romanticist. Perhaps most women are. I love the stories of the prince coming on his white horse to rescue his fair princess. The two fall deeply in love, get married, rule over their kingdom together, and live happily ever after. As a young girl, my heart filled with anticipation and excitement as I dreamed about my own prince coming for me someday.

In all of these stories, the princess engages her heart to her prince, and she follows him in utter devotion. These longings and dreams are so universal throughout history and through every culture that it must be a pattern for what we were created to experience in the beginning, before the fall of man. In other words these stories are a remnant of what God originally created life to be. I think each woman was made to be loved deeply and to feel connected to another with whom she can partner in life and make a mark. We were made for love and to have meaning in our lives.

In a fallen world, where sin, death, and darkness have marred and hidden so many truths that God originally created us to know, we must look for the original patterns and follow diligently after them. I believe the reason so many are captivated by epic stories is because we were made to be a part of great adventure, divine beauty, and magnificent love. In contemporary life, fans are captivated by movies like The Lord of the Rings; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Star Wars; and many more in which good and evil battle for the soul and well-being of a kingdom or people. These stories satisfy a deep place in our hearts, as the protagonists or heroes fight with all their might against evil and great odds and ultimately conquer. The ends of these stories give hope and a pattern of heroism for those of us who long to be part of a grand adventure, who long to live courageously.

Yet these are merely shadows of the biggest and truest epic narrative. The story begins with a great king, our Creator, who made us for his pleasure, giving us a beautiful kingdom in which to live, love, and enjoy life. But a wicked enemy, Satan, comes along, jealously wanting to undermine the loyalty of the King's own children. He deceives them with lies about their King and captures their allegiance. He takes them to his kingdom of darkness to serve him. Yet the righteous King, being noble and perfect in his love, does everything in his power to win back and redeem his lost children—to retrieve them from a kingdom of darkness and bring them home to the kingdom of light, for which they were created. Doing so costs the King the life of his Son, but no sacrifice is too great to bring his children back into his realm.

And so the greatest Prince, Jesus, gave himself so that we might live again with the King. But this noble Prince had power even over death, from a brutal death to celebrate life and be with his beloved children for all eternity.

If we really believed and understood that this is the true story of our lives, then we would look with hope, courage, and deep devotion for the day when all of us will be rescued from this realm of darkness and be restored into his presence. We would also understand that our part in the battle is strategic. Each of as has the ability to bring light, love, beauty, and his presence into every place we go. The interesting thing is that this kingdom of light, though invisible and mysterious and somewhat hidden in this world, already exists today in the spiritual realm. And our King, who is ultimately going to redeem us, is alive and active in our lives and in this world today.

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Choose Your Friends Carefully, For You Will Be Like Them.

"Tell me what company thou keepst, and I'll tell thee what thou art."

- Miguel de Cervantes (1547 - 1616) Spanish novelist.

There is a smile on my face and a happiness shining in my soul. I will be celebrating life with a true jewel of a friend this morning on her flowered porch, and I already know that china tea cups, fruit, candles, and love will be waiting for me. Even last night I was already excited.

Finding a true friend is a treasure--whenever I am with her, my love for God grows, my personal heart is affirmed, hope shines its light on my dreams, and my emotional cup is filled.

Many years ago, I remember an author discussing how important it is to be around those who walk with God. And so, I made this commitment and wrote it in a life journal:  "Invest time with friends who build you up in all the areas of your ideals as often as possible. Cultivate them, affirm them, love them, invest in them. Spend as little time with critical people, those who gossip, those who doubt and are always negative and drain your soul. You can only have so many drainers in your life at once."

And so, I have sought out friends who are loyal and walk with God. I don't get to see them often enough, but I do make anchors in my schedule for them because I need them. I invite them to my home, they invite me to theirs. It is a lifeline that has kept me holding on to ideals.

I also know that I must own responsibility for the refreshment and restoration for my own soul, as it is constantly being depleted on a regular basis--I am only happy and able to cope when I put back what has been taken away. Fun, beauty, pleasure is a wise investment for those whose life demands a lot.

And so, I am dressed up, made up, feel like a little girl going to a tea party--and that is really exactly what I am doing. I am going for a visit to my treasured friend. I will think about all the responsibilities later, as I know they will still be there. But this strategic meeting will keep me for faithful in the long run.

If you would like to be encouraged and inspired and helped in remembering to seek out new friends who can really sustain you, I think you would really like reading my daughter’s and my book, Girl’s Club. Fill your heart today. :)

Girls' Club: Cultivating Lasting Friendship in a Lonely World

By Sally Clarkson, Joy Clarkson, Sarah Clarkson

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Gospel Moments for Every Day Motherhood & Podcast

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Motherhood is hard. In a world of five-step lists and silver-bullet solutions to become perfect parents, mothers are burdened with mixed messages about who they are and what choices they should make. If you feel pulled between high-fives and hard words, with culture’s solutions only raising more questions, you’re not alone.

But there is hope!!!!

Today, I talked with Emily and Laura from Risen Motherhood about the ups and downs of motherhood and how to bring the love and grace of God into each moment. This is what they have to say?

You might think that Scripture doesn’t have much to say about the food you make for breakfast, how you view your postpartum body, or what school choice you make for your children, but a deeper look reveals that the Bible provides the framework for finding answers to your specific questions about modern motherhood.

Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler help you understand and apply the gospel to common issues moms face so you can connect your Sunday morning faith to the Monday morning tantrum.

Discover how closely the gospel connects with today’s motherhood. Join Emily and Laura as they walk through the redemptive story and reveal how the gospel applies to your everyday life, bringing hope, freedom, and joy in every area of motherhood.

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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!

Become What You Behold & Podcast

Ruth Chou Simons

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Become What You Behold

I so enjoy having friends who inspire me and who have messages that fill my heart. Ruth Chou Simons is such a friend. Her art, her words and her friendship always help to fill some of the dry places of my spiritual heart. We recently recorded a podcast together of some of the issues we have both experienced in this long journey of life as a woman, a spouse, a working writer and a mother. I hope you will be encouraged by our time together. I also am excited to share her new book with you because it is so beautiful and so encouraging.

You are in the process of becoming. Every day is an opportunity to be shaped and formed by what moves your heart…drives your thoughts…captures your gaze. Is it any wonder that where you direct your eyes and your heart matter in your day-to-day?.

Ruth shared: We become what we behold when we set our hearts and minds on Christ and His redemption story here in the details of our daily lives. Not just on Sunday, not just on holidays, not just when extraordinarily hard or wonderful things happen…but today.

Bestselling author and artist Ruth Chou Simons invites you on a new journey to Beholding and Becoming. With more than 850 pieces of intricate, original artwork, Ruth encourages you to elevate your gaze to the One who created all things.

Today is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His love and His faithfulness in the midst of your mundane. No circumstance is too ordinary or too forgotten for Him to meet you there in worship. His transforming grace turns your “everyday ordinary” into a holy place of becoming.

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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!

Exchanging Duty for Delight: Dancing with my Heavenly Father 9 and Podcast

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"I feel like God is so disappointed in me," my friend whispered between sobs. "No matter how hard I try or how much I give, it never feels like it's enough, and I don't know what to do."

At thirty-two years old, she found herself empty and worn out. After serving for many years as a counselor to troubled teens, she married a pastor of college students and opened her home to hundreds of youth who were looking for answers to life's questions. Then, in five years she had three boys and little sleep. The guilt and inadequacy that had been bubbling in her heart for many years was finally boiling to the surface.

She'd grown up in a wealthy home, where the expectations for her and her two brothers had been very high. She lived under constant threat of disappointing her demanding parents and longed for their approval. When she was seventeen, after many years of fighting ,her parents got a divorce. The foundation of love in her life was further shaken. The devastation she had experienced prepared her to respond to Christ's love when she first heard the message at a youth rally.

Even though she became a solid, faithful Christian, she still carried the baggage from her youth. She believed that God, like her father, was demanding and expected perfection from her. She held on to the lingering suspicion that she was in some way responsible for her parents' divorce, since she often overheard them arguing about her siblings and her. So she entered adulthood with an intense drive to please everyone— her husband, her children, her parents, and anyone she met.

"There are so many needs in the world, and I find myself feeling responsible for all of them! No matter how often I read the Bible or have quiet times, God seems far away, and I know it's my fault. I don't know if I'll ever be adequate enough or understand him," she said. Then she laid her head on her arms and cried quietly.

I didn't mean to be distracted from her sorrow, but next to her was her three-month-old, squishy, rosy-cheeked little baby boy smiling and grinning at me every time I glanced down at him. It was almost impossible to ignore him—and he engagingly called for a response as he grinned and did a jig with his little feet hanging off the end of his car seat.

"Kathryn," I said as I gently touched her arm. "Look at your darling, irresistible little boy." He unwittingly drew a sheepish grin from her tear- stained face. "How do you feel about him?"

"He's a bundle of fun and joy for all of us," she answered. "He brings so much pleasure to my life every day."

"Why do you love him and stay up with him and nurse him and change his diapers? Is it because he has been useful to you or worked for you or accomplished great things?"

"I would do anything for him just because he's my precious little boy and I adore him."

"That's exactly how the Lord feels about you. He has given you the gift of this child to show you how much he adores you. You are his, and he deeply loves you and will always care for you. It's not because you deserve it or have accomplished any great thing. It's simply because he is your heavenly Father." She nodded slightly.

"Think about what David wrote in Psalm 103:13," I continued. just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has com- passion on those who fear Him.' He doesn't love you for your service. He responds to you because you are his child and he delights in your smiles. He is all loving, and he can't notl ove you—it's part of his nature."

How often I have felt as my friend did, weighed down by my emotional baggage, an inadequate view of God, and guilt from my own failures. I have met so many women who live out of fear and inadequacy. They trans- fer their feelings about themselves to God and then feel distant from him.

Julian of Norwich, a saint from church history, said, "This is the cause why we be not all in ease of heart and soul: that we seek here rest [and joy] in those things that are so little, wherein is no rest, and know not our God that is All-mighty, All-wise, All-good. For He is the Very Rest."'

No matter how hard we try, how many achievements we make, or how many ideals we keep, we will never be able to do enough to earn God's love. Such attempts lead us down a dead-end road paved with feelings of life-depleting guilt and condemnation. Only the grace and love that God gives freely through his merciful nature can provide us with that which we long for: peace and joy.

Psalm 103:13-14 says, "Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust."

According to this verse, is God aware of our fragility and limitations? Does he expect more from us than we can give?

What kind of compassion do you think a good father would have for his children?

In what ways have you tried to earn God's acceptance?

Make sure to get your copy of Dancing, here!

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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!

Learning to Linger in the Simple, Everyday Miracle Moments

This summer, I am teaching myself to linger. It is not natural for me, one who is and has been in a hurry for so long. But I have learned that if I am too much in a hurry, I can miss the miracles to be found in everyday moments.

I am more aware than ever now that every day with my children is a gift. They are vibrant, strong, idealistic, godly, loving, fun, and wonderful. They still make messes and even sin once in a while, but oh, what life and beauty permeates my home with their presence! We live spread about the world now, but when we are able to share moments and days together, I am blessed.

Learning to Linger

I learned this lesson many years ago, on the occasion of a birthday.

For Joy's fifth birthday, I planned a party I thought I would please her. I spent so much time cleaning the house so the moms of the kids I invited would see an orderly house, I wasn’t able to really focus on my precious birthday child. I was Martha-ing about, setting out cake, tying up balloons, preparing favors, making finger sandwiches, and planning what I thought she would like--all the while looking at the day through the grid of my adult eyes.

The children came and in just two hours, they had fought over the toys, spilled red punch on one little girl's favorite dress, threw a toy across the room hitting another little girl in the head. It was a memory of messes, crying, friction, and stress, and Joy was unhappy the whole time.

When all the guests finally left, I heard the pound, pound, pound of feet running across our deck. I walked out the kitchen door and glanced into the afternoon shadows playing tag with the fading sun over our mountain, and there was sweet Joy. Dressed in her old, slightly stained and torn ballet costume, she was running, giggling across the deck with a bubble wand. I stopped and sat on our picnic bench and just gazed at her as the sun went down. For an hour she played and ran and delighted in the beauty of her own bubble parade. I took it in, cherishing the picture in my mind, chastising myself for missing the glory of her beauty and youth in the busyness of my expectations of the party I had thought would make her happy.

Beauty in Everyday Moments

"Oh, Mommy!" she exclaimed, "This is my favorite time of my whole day! I am having sooooooooo much fun. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful present."

She climbed into my lap with a milk mustache sprinkled with cupcake crumbles and sticky bubble-juice on her hair, and snuggled up with a happy sigh. And so, I melted into her little body, breathing in the atmosphere of her pure-hearted, innocent love. I finally slowed down enough to cherish the moment and took the time to take a soul photograph whose imprint will be there forever.

And so this summer, as they all visit and then return to their own places, I will live in every moment, celebrate all the sweet fellowship that is right in front of me, no matter how many dishes they use, or how much noise they make. All of it will be precious and priceless, and I will redeem the moments for memories to visit when they are all gone once again.

Surviving Dark Nights of the Soul & Podcast

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"Darkness was slowly permeating my bedroom, chasing out the last few rays of daylight, as evening fell. As the sun slipped behind the horizon, I felt that the light left me as well. I felt a oneness with the gathering darkness, as though it was an expression of my own dark thoughts and feelings. For a long time, I lay there quietly, staring up at the ceiling, which was rapidly disappearing from my sight. I could easily turn over to turn on my bedside lamp, but I didn't want to. After an emotionally draining, tension filled day at home, I felt I deserved this moment of darkness. But I also didn't want to be found. I just wanted to be left alone."

~from Seasons of A Mother's Heart, A Light in the Darkness

So many times in life, the sweeping feelings of fear or desperation or despair, increased by being alone or lonely,  have blown over my heart and soul. Often, worry would strangle my heart, making it difficult to breathe the reality of His freedom and grace. Too many children, too many bills, difficult relationships, an insurmountable work load, unanswered questions and unanswered prayer, often felt like too much for me to bear or carry.

Feeling as though my "labor was in vain," or that God had forgotten me, I had to push through the darkness to sit still and picture Him as I read about Him--that He was faithful, righteous altogether, that He loved me, that he answered prayer, that I was not invisible.

And then, in spite of my feelings, I would timidly offer Him my love gift. "I believe you even though I can't see you right now. I want to thank you that darkness is not dark to you, but that you are with me, working, loving me and taking care of my problems and worries, even though I can imagine how. I love you, God. I have faith in your faithfulness."

As I look back now, I can see that God usually had bigger purposes than just meeting the demands of my immediate prayers. He was building character, forming hearts, leading in a new direction, protecting me from my own temporal idols of quick fix, which would leave me more empty if I were given them.

As a matter of fact, when I see where I am now, and where my children are now, I often think He was doing far more than I even asked him. But even as a toddler doesn't understand the discipline, love and protection of a wise parent, so in my limitations and ignorance, I was tempted to think He was not there. He was not taking care of me.

I was reading in my quiet time today, "Those who hopefully wait for me shall not be put to shame." He promises that when we wait on Him, praise Him, rest in Him, believe in Him, that we will not be embarrassed or put to shame for our faith.

Malachi 3: 13-14 tells us of the wickedness of choosing to believe that God is not active. "Your words have been arrogant against Me, " says the Lord. "Yet you say, what have we spoken against you?"

"(This) is what you have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of Hosts?"

God considers us arrogant  when we shake our fists in his face. He is at work.

Finally, Hebrews 3: 12, "Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you and evil and unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God."

God equates evil with an unbelieving heart.

When these tests come upon us, it is our one moment when we can look at our circumstances, feel our feelings of despair, and then choose to say, "I don't understand, but I believe and I will wait, and I will rest, as an act of my will, because you are the Lord of Hosts and you are my Father."

How precious to a parent, when a child looks into reaches for his hand and looks up into his father's or mother's eyes and says, "I love you. I trust you because you are faithful. I will submit to you, because I believe in you."

And so, when we look into the eyes of our father, not with arrogance, but with humility and trust, we must bring a smile to His face and be pleasing to His Father heart.

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Books Referenced in this Podcast:

Finding Selah: The Simple Practice of Peace When You Need It Most

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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.

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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!

Be Wild And Free: Ainsley Arment & Podcast

I loved speaking at Wild and Free in Stratford on Avon with my sweet friend, Ainsley.

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Several years ago, I was in Virginia Beach and contacted Ainsley Arment, founder of Wild and Free Community and said, “Mutual friends have said we should meet.”

Dining at a local restaurant, we talked and talked and talked and closed down the restaurant and so started a friendship that has been a gift over the past few years. I have loved speaking at several of the Wild and Free conferences, including the one above in Stratford on Avon this past spring. I love being with Ainsley. I love her heart, her humility, her gentleness, her vision and powerful influence and her love for her people and so much more. She is launching a book soon with amazing giveaways. I wanted to tell you about it and also we have a podcast together. We had a few sound glitches but I hope you can enjoy it and be encouraged by our conversation. Enjoy! Here is her story!

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Five years ago, my friend Ainsley Arment started a community of mothers who want to give their children a quality education, but also a childhood full of wonder, freedom, and curiosity.

This community, called Wild + Free, began on Instagram but has spread into real-life gatherings all over the world. I’ve spoken at several of her conferences, and she’s just written a book called The Call of the Wild + Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education.

It provides practical insight and encouragement for families considering homeschooling, as well as those who have been in the trenches for years.

It's available on September 3rd but if you order by September 2nd at midnight, you can get over $150 in pre-order perks on her website.

To learn more, buy the book, and claim your pre-order perks, visit bewildandfree.org/book

There are so many pre-order perks if you order soon, before the book comes out on September 3. Order today and be blessed.

Pre-Order Perks

If you order the book by September 2nd at midnight, you can get $150 worth of Wild + Free resources.

Simply pre-order the book from any bookseller and upload your receipt. After we validate your purchase, we'll send you these digital resources:

• Pioneer magazine by various contributors

• Whole Families book by Jodi Mockabee

• Learning to Love Science by Greta Eskridge

• How to Host a Handcraft Fair by Jen Naraki

• Wild + Free Day Sheet planner in PDF

• Our Daily Rhythm by Hannah Mayo

• Handcrafts 1.0 book by various contributors

• Print Collection 2 by various contributors

• Fathers in Homeschooling by Jessica Telian

• Song MP3s by musical friends of Wild + Free

• Finding Your Tribe by Brit Chambers

• Homeschooling Simplified by Jillian Ragsdale

• Honeybee Nature Study by Kristin Rogers

• Homeschooling Through Hard Times MP3

• Poetry Night by Rachel Kovac

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• 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!

Resting In God's Love: The Secret of a Peaceful Life

"Let the children come to me." Matthew 19:14

“If you love me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15

There is something in our flesh that wants to try to earn God's love. We love to check off mental lists of what we have done for Him to be good little Christians. We measure ourselves by others who do not look as "Christian" or do as much as we do. We feel guilty when we misbehave and do something that makes us feel "bad" or sinful.

The truth is, because we could never be holy or perfect on our own, He had to save us. We could never attain to His high standards. And so, "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.

What About The Need to Live an Excellent Life?

But, you say, someone claiming to walk in holiness must exhibit an excellent life. Yes, I agree. Yet holiness—being willing to be set aside for God's purposes, to make Him known, to proclaim His kingdom and kingdom ways—is not a set of behaviors we put on from the outside, but ways of being which spill over into our behavior from a loving heart. It happens when our heart is so grateful to God for His gentle, humble mercy on all of us who are so likely to be selfish and sinful, His redeeming grace that wipes our faults and sins away as though we have never sinned, His affirmation of our worth because He has adopted us, that we can't want anything but to please Him.

It is significant to me that it was Peter, the wonderful, outspoken, imperfect, passionate lover of God who so publicly failed, who admonishes us to do as Jesus said: "Be holy as I am holy" (1 Peter 1:6.) Peter was not in any way telling us to perform holy deeds, but from our hearts to be His, to love His ways, to serve Him wholeheartedly.

When one understands that it is God who created this beautiful place for us to live; the stars, the vast and powerful oceans, the thousands of flowers that bloom in the spring, the vibrant reds, oranges, yellows of dying leaves in the fall, then worship is a natural response.

Of the woman weeping and washing His feet with her tears, Jesus said, "She who is forgiven much, loves much." Why do we stay moral and pure in marriage? Because we know it pleases Him. He calls marriage sacred because it is a picture of our bridegroom Jesus loving and serving and committing Himself to preparing us for the wedding feast. Out of a desire to honor this sacred picture, we love and serve and give of ourselves generously in our marriages, so that our lives can reflect to others the beauty of committed, gracious love.

Holiness in the Home

We serve our children and give up our own time to sacrifice for them, not out of works or duty, but because Jesus Himself gave His love and blessing to children, even after the harsh-hearted response His disciples had given the children who came to surround Him. We understand that God said children are a blessing and the fruit of the womb is a reward, and so we cherish them and serve them as Jesus served His disciples, because we deeply revere Him, love Him, and want to honor Him.

A holy life will reflect the character of Christ because it springs out of the heart whose life flows out from knowing Him. And so excellence, sacrifice, hard work, loyalty, love, joy, peace, patience, and so on, will be the virtues that grow in and through our holy lives. Holiness will come from being connected to Him, the Vine, the Source of all goodness. Loving Him will produce service to Him from a grateful heart, and the process of holiness will overtake our character as we seek to know and love Him.

Holiness spills out of an overflow of a heart in love with God.

Real Marriage 2: The Need for Hedges as Well as Light in Our Relationships & Podcast

God’s Word is a hedge of protection for our marriage relationship. We can beautify the inner circle of our marriage but we must avoid the dangerous things outside His hedge of protection that would threaten or cause danger to this sacred relationship. Hope you enjoy the podcast.

Bumping along a rough country road, our view from the upper level of a double-decker bus was breathtaking in the late afternoon sun. Passing the ruins of empty convents and monasteries left as ghosts of a by-gone era brought a sense of mystery. But quite amazing to us was something we had never before seen--rows and rows of hedges, sometimes for miles without a break in the walls of greenery.

The 6 foot thick, 12 feet high walls of bushes cultivated over years, kept everything on the outside from getting in, while protecting everything within its borders. Cattle were kept inside, safe from wandering or the harm of attacking animals. Hedges guarded the borders of land, one family's home boundaries separated from another-a literal hedge of protection.

When we pulled into an ancient town, we peered out our window before disembarking and saw the most gorgeous flowering garden in view beside the bus. When we were down on the ground, the tall hedge blocked our view of the garden and we could no longer see what was inside.

Just as we began to pass by,  a small, white-headed woman opened the front gate of the garden and came out into the road. I walked up and told her how lovely her garden appeared from our second-story view on the bus.

"Oh, come in for a first-hand look! I love to share its beauty."

Dozens of rose bushes in full bloom aglow with yellow, coral, reds of all shades, and pink filled every corner of the garden. Tiny delicate blossoms of honeysuckle, full sunflowers towering, a rainbow of mums clustered together filled the air with perfume as the autumn breeze swept gently over the plants.

"What is your secret to this splendid garden?"

"Honestly, I think the most profound but often invisible strength of my garden is the thick hedges that define the boundary. They protect all that is beautiful inside these walls from pests and predators that would destroy it.  Wind and storms do not sweep away the plants or diminish the leaves and growth, deer do not munch on the bulbs or eat the flowers down to the stubs, natural storms and threats at every point are kept at bay because of the protection of my hedges. Hedges protect the beauty and growth, and give me a safe place where my plants can grow over time."

Marriage needs to be protected, It needs to be hedged about by God's word and design, so there is accountability to living and choosing the right commitments and attitudes when temptations to compromise come. 

Recently, I was thinking about how this image so clearly portrays how important hedges are to a strong marriage. The hedges of protection for my marriage have been holding my bond with Clay for many years. This hedge is a wall of safety that has kept me from going outside its walls into the danger of the world, into the predators that would destroy marriage--adultery, a promise that perhaps happiness awaits outside the walls of marriage, there is a more perfect man--lover--somewhere else, vain imagination that promises happiness anywhere else, but provides only long-term scars.

But my marriage hedge was built around our sacred relationship by vows made before God. The borders of our hedge, created by scripture itself, kept us both within the boundaries of our marriage relationship, even when we would be tempted to discontent or a feeling of despair. Vows, scripture, and idea of God's desire for marriage, and strong intentions built the borders of our protective hedge.

"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Sincerely, if naively, I had made these vows and intended to keep them forever.

My vows became a hedge that protected me from the danger of leaving the walls of safety that held our commitment together.

I made a vow before friends, family and most importantly, before God--and I knew from scripture that God holds us to our vows.

I wanted my integrity to match my words.

"If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." Numbers 30:2

I also knew that God said, "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." Matthew 19: 6

To build anything great and strong requires time. But a hedge of strength, protecting, guarding the beauty inside is a safe-guard from destroying the sacred trust. Marriage is one of the most profound ways God designed for us so that we could slowly learn and develop in our own lives, the very character of Christ, learning to serve, love, and give ourselves as He did for us.

We hope you’ll enjoy this podcast today, as Kristen and Misty are again joining me to talk about marriage!

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