Behind the Darkness & Fear, Light is Rising & Podcast

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Many years ago, during a particularly challenging year, I was in need of solace and a personal touch in my life to help me see that God was still there. Living far from home in communist Poland, life sometimes felt desperate. Our work was thwarted from time to time, the language was challenging. Russian tanks had come into our midst, there was revolution and thousands of people gathering to fight against the repression that had been in tact from the Russian rule for too many years. News media was reporting devastating insinuations of danger and havoc that lay ahead.

One of our friends had asked my roommate and me if we wanted to have a spin on the lake in his sail boat. I had never been on a sail boat, but it sounded like a gift for getting away. Steam arose on the lake from the early morning chill of a freezing night. Our teeth chattered as we walked through the “close by” woods toward the place where the boat was moored. We gingerly climbed into the boat, hoping to find our footing as it gently swayed back and forth.

The sail was hoisted, a gentle breeze began to fill the sails to fullness. Suddenly, the boat shot forth in an effortless glide. At that moment, the sun peaked through the early morning darkness and sparkled on the water. It felt a little bit like we had slipped into heaven.

If you are like all of us at our house, you have had such deep concern for all that is happening in our country and world. So many issues, so many stresses, illness, economy issues, an abnormal life that separates us from loved ones and a bigger humane concern that has riveted all of us.

Fear is a natural response. What is happening? What will happen? Darkness hovers over so much of our normal life. People are filled with rage and many with despair.

As I have been praying lately, God has begun to shine a light into my heart. We often only see what is on the news and on the internet. Yet, our God is above all circumstances in the world, and his light is shining beyond what the news is reporting. I was reminded of so many verses as I was praying and I realized that even as the sun arose unexpectedly but gave such light to our early morning jaunt, so Christ, our light, is working behind the curtain in so many places, and his faithfulness and goodness and redemption will be evident to us when we see the whole story.

Here are some verses that have encouraged me.

Psalm 46:1–3

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

Even in the darkest of times when the world seems to be coming apart, God is sovereign over all.

Psalm 27:1

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

God is at work, He is strong, fighting for us, we are to keep our eyes on Him.

Matthew 8:25–27

“And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?’”

Even when we are tempted to fear, we can cry out to our God and He will answer and calm the storms of our lives. Yet, we must rest in the fact that He is sovereign over all powers and is working beyond what we can see during this time.

Luke 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Psalm 91:4–5

“.He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.”

“Some men trust in chariots, we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

May we all trust in Him and watch His light rising in our lives and praise Him for His beauty in the midst of our daily lives.

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Wait, wait, wait! He is Faithful, You'll See!

"Be strong, let your heart take courage, yes, wait on the Lord."

~Psalm 27: 14

Daily duties cry out so many mornings, as I slip down the stairs still sleepy and in need of my morning cuppa.  Still after all of these years, last night’s late night dishes accost me--coffee cups, plates with dried-on snacks, all sorts of evidence that we have been relaxing, eating, laughing, and messing things up--and now the mess must be dealt with yet again.

Then there are the issues of life still there to greet me--the worries, money issues, problems with children, pressures on family and marriage--all still there, piled on when Monday morning comes and has a new week of challenges to greet me. Seems in the midst of all the chores that daily need to be done, there are always those bigger ones also hovering over us.

When my children were little, there were so many issues to worry about--discipline, training, health, education, exhaustion, loneliness...

Waiting, waiting,working, fretting, wondering--what is going to be the end to all of this, of all these people in my home with various issues, strengths, weaknesses, hopes, dreams and legacies of difficulty and more work?

Waiting on the Lord for answers and for life to change and for help to come has been my most common challenge throughout life--waiting to get married, waiting to get pregnant, waiting to have the baby, waiting for them to sleep through the night, waiting for them to be out of diapers, waiting for them to become more mature and responsible, waiting for them to read, waiting for life to someday be easier, more manageable, waitng for me to be mature some day...

How do we manage to exist through all of the mundane, the fretting, the fears— with grace?

Learning to wait is a grace for a woman who fears God. Waiting with a gentle spirit is a miracle--a beauty, an acquired habit that comes with practice and experience. Choosing to take today in its stride--choosing to see the glory of the moment in the midst of frantic children, choosing to look for beauty and the fingerprints of God in the midst of the messes requires a heart decision--Psalm 27 says, "Let your heart take courage”--let it--make it, choose to let your heart fill up its boots to the power of God's abiding grace.  Choosing to believe that my prayers have not hit the roof of my home and gone no further, but that God indeed is present.

I love Psalm 103--He is mindful that I am but dust. He knows my limitations. He knows my flawed personality. Yet, He is a Father who has compassion on His children--on me. He does not require my perfection, He requires my heart, my eyes turned toward Him. He is the grace that will make this day possible, this moment livable.

"For evil doers will be cut off, but those who wait on the Lord will inherit the land." Psalm 37: 9

"Those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength, they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40: 31

One of the most important ways my children learn faith is to watch me wait, in grace, through all the trials of my life--but to wait--putting a flower in the vase, lighting a candle, surrounding our home with music, life, hope that says, "God will show up. He is with us. He hears us and will answer, and I am going to prepare the day by celebrating life looking to the time we will see and know His presence and faithfulness.

And yet, when I look back, I am amazed at how much I see how faithfully He has worked--to see the miracle of children grown, fine, loving, passionate about ideals--how did it all happen? To see the His hand that seemingly, seamlessly sowed my years together into a grace of a beautiful life of blessing, love and life--how did it all come about? One day at a time as He faithfully, lovingly brought all of my child-heart love and faith into a work of eternity.

Waiting with hope, in courage, patience, in love, and humbly is the grace of the life of a godly woman that ends in seeing the miraculous hand of God, and she bows before Him, as the child with the basket of fish, and says, "Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your miracle."

Don't Make A Balanced Life an Idol & podcast

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!

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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.

Books Referenced in this Podcast:

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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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One of My Favorites: A Wrinkle in Time with Joy Clarkson

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So happy to have my Joy home with me. Our conversations are salty, she is my kindred spirit and blesses the socks off of me all the time. We had so much fun speaking about one of my favorite books that, eventually, all people need to read…A Wrinkle in Time.

I read it when I was 10 years old, (you hear the story in my podcast) and it has left an impact for life. Consequently, I read it and discussed it with my children and it became one of their favorites. Enjoy!

A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet)

By Madeleine L'Engle

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What is Your Theology?

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Starting with the right foundations

If there was one legacy I wish I could leave to other women, it would be to help them think more Biblically. When a woman knows scripture--the whole counsel of scripture, not just verses here and there taken out of context-- gaining a Biblical understanding from Genesis to Revelation, then she has more confidence and ease in her walk with God. (It is also why I hope to give a good bit of my life in the next years to our leadership intensives, training conferences online, where women will learn a little of Biblical instruction, foundations, prayer, Bible study--to follow God in our lives as we serve and love Him. I love teaching women how to teach and live God in such a way in front of their children, that their children embrace a vibrant faith.  More on that later this month.)

God makes it clear throughout scripture that his priority for us is to know Him and love Him with our whole heart and mind.

"Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, let not a rich man boast of his riches, let not a mighty man boast of his might, but let him who boasts, boast of this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the God who exercises lovingkindness and righteousness on the earth for I delight in these things." Jeremiah 9: 23-24

And, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." Psalm 127

And so the starting point for any arena in our lives must be God--our worship of Him and knowledge of Him and obedience--a heart that wants to please God.

What is your theology? Theo is God, ology implies study of God. So what have you learned about who God is, his attributes, His stories, His heart, His commandments, His treatment of others while He was alive. His humble, gentle sacrifice for our well being.

What you believe about who God is, then, becomes the platform for your behavior, your values, the grid through which you see life. When you ponder God and cultivate a personal theology, it will influence what you pass on as a legacy to your children as your life messages of integrity.

What are your views of how a Christian should behave, speak, based on the word, not on an example in culture or on the web. Your behavior comes out of your worship and values of what Christ desires.

When your children encounter storms of life, they should have a well of truth, wisdom, insight of how to deal with the world, based not on the internet but on the convictions they have developed through the days of storing up wisdom over a lifetime.

So much more to say, but I pray that you will be encouraged by today’s podcast.

So, let me begin by  praying  for all who read this today. "Lord, I pray that each one who reads these blog articles will be led by you. I pray you will provide them with insight, skill, love, wisdom and the understanding of what it means to be filled with your Spirit and to walk by faith in this journey of motherhood. And bless them with strength, joy and a sense of affirmation in their great calling as parents. I come to you in the precious name of Jesus. Amen"



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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!

Nathan Clarkson: Best Books For Boys, #1 & podcast

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Nathan is my out of the box, adventurer, story-formed son who fell in love with hero tales. We have long talks about how much he was inspired by the books that captured his imagination and gave him scope to imagine himself as a hero in his own story. We had so much fun today talking about some of his favorite books and why they still live in his mind today.

In addition, Nathan announces his new podcast about faith, film, philosophy, books, stories, art, and more… called “The Overthinkers”.

Below, find the links to the books we talk about, my podcast with Nathan, and Nathan’s new podcast, where on the most recent episode, he talks about how homeschooling shaped his creativity.

Best books for boys #1:

1. Shiloh - A wonderful story about a boy and his dog that captures the magic of boyhood, empathy, friendship, and adventure.

2. Castaways of the Flying Dutchman Series - A whimsical adventure about a boy who gains immortality and is tasked by an angel to help the world, one small task at a time.

3. Eragon - A modern fantasy written with all the classic trappings of sword fights, dragons, and peasants becoming heroes.

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Shiloh (The Shiloh Quartet)

By Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds

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The Angel's Command (Castaways of the Flying Dutchman Series)

By Jacques, Brian

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Castaways of the Flying Dutchman (Castaways of the Flying Dutchman Series)

By Jacques, Brian

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Eragon: Inheritance, Book I (The Inheritance Cycle 1)

By Paolini, Christopher

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Consider the Lilies ... The World's Way Vs. the Word's Way

Consider, consider, think about, stop and look, Consider......the lilies of the field.

Jesus told us this! Stop, ponder, think about these. They neither toil or spin.

The world is noisy, busy, active, loud, relentless

The Bible says, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life."

The world says, power, money, things.

The Bible says, lay up your treasures in heaven.

The World says, beauty is on the outside.

The Bible says, "Man looks at the outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart.”

The World says to live for today, live for yourself, seek pleasure and fulfillment now.

The Word says, live for eternity, in this world you have tribulation, lay up treasures in heaven.

The  world says leadership is an issue of position and power.

The Bible says, "He who gains his life will lose it. He who loses his life in this world, shall gain it." The Bible promotes servant leadership, as modeled by Jesus washing feet.

The world says, children are not of the most important. They take your time, and are expensive and bothersome.

Jesus says, "Woe to the one who causes the least of these to stumble." He says of children, "Unless you become like a child, you will not inherit the kingdom of God." He says, "Children are a blessing from God. The fruit of the womb is a reward."

The world says Accomplish things, do something great you can be proud of--awards, degrees, position.

Jesus says, "I am humble and meek, learn from me."

The world's way of ministry is to the masses in large churches where people don’t have a chance to know one another, on television, radio, blogs and websites, mostly dynamic and impersonal, focused on and measured in numbers reached.

Jesus built deep relationships for three years with a dozen men and a few others in a community of friends.His ministry was small and personal, meeting needs, eating meals, living life with a focussed few, serving and dying for them.

Jesus did not leave the vicinity of his ministry to go into the world. He never traveled more than 50 miles from Galilee. He never wrote a book, spoke on television, wrote a blog, or lived prominently.

Yet, God took His message into the world so that more words and books have been written about Him than any other,  Countless ministries have reached millions and millions of  people with His redemptive message. Lives have been changed, centuries of history have rendered totally different because of the power of truth lived out and spoken from the quiet, gentle, humble life of Christ lived with integrity during His time on the earth.

Is the way He lived still relevant to this "connected", web-based, busy, technological, virtual, impersonal culture? Could Jesus still live through me, faithfully, quietly, personally, powerfully right where I am and have the impact of my life of integrity reach the far corners of the earth if I lived according to His ways, and not the worlds?

How should this apply to me and help me to determine my priorities and values as I seek to live for His glory? How do I live a humble, personal, heart centered, servant-oriented, children valuing, eternally focussed life, focused on listening to Him and closing out the voices of the world?

These are some ideas I’m pondering, today. How about you?

Read, Read, Read & Then Talk Talk Talk & podcast (Books that Redeem Life)

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All four of our children are published authors. It was never our goal to create authors of books. Yet, it was our goal to give our children the resources for brain food, feeding their imagination with what was good, true, beautiful. We trusted that if we had invested excellent ideas and truth in their brains, they would, out of the treasure-chest in their hearts, pursue a life that would flourish.

People have often asked me what I did to build Sarah into such an excellent writer. How did you give Nathan, your adhd child the ability to write a blog? To write a book? Why can Joel ghost write for you and no one knows the difference? How did Joy develop her skills as a speaker and writer, so that she is so articulate on her own blogs?

I was not a perfect mom and rarely in one year accomplished all my educational goals with my children. But almost every day, we had devotions and read-alouds--sometimes at night, sometimes in the morning, sometimes at tea times, but I kept baskets of books everywhere--in every room, in the bathrooms, in their bedrooms. And each year on birthdays and Christmas and other holidays, they all received books as gifts and I helped each of them build their own libraries.

"In the beginning was the Word (Jesus's name--the word) and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John 1

If God's name was "word" then words and foundations of words are so very important.

So, if you do one thing right, read, read, read to your children. It is what was the foundation of the minds of all of my children.

There is so much pressure today, (as always), to conform to cultural norms--and to try to keep up with the Joneses and all the blogs and articles that everyone else writes about what kind of curriculum to use, when to put pressure on your 5 year old to become academic.

But really, really, really--the key to giving your children mental muscle power and an advantage in any kind of education, is to read aloud to that child. All research complies with this, all teachers and writers say this, Clay and I say it emphatically in our own book. Read first--read daily---turn off media and put away work books and before you do anything else, read out loud to them--and read out loud to them until they are 30! Do not think that just because they can read at 6 that you should make them read to themselves and stop reading out loud. Read to them because you get to share in mentoring, discussing ideas, your vocabulary is bigger and you can explain things and they develop better skills in thinking and writing and communicating when you read out loud.

Sarah provides another peek into the benefits of reading:

“Consider that for every children’s classic written, there are countless versions of it to be found within the minds of the children who read it, and no two of them are the same. The imagination of each child is unique, creating a new image to fit the words he or she reads. Because of this, to read a story is to set in motion a swift growth of new images within the mind of a child. Every book read adds to that stock of inner imagery so that a child who is a great reader has a mind crammed with landscapes and people, trees and fairies, castles and mountains unique to his or her own thought.” 
― Sarah Clarkson, Caught Up in a Story: Fostering a Storyformed Life of Great Books & Imagination with Your Children

Go read a great story today, and enjoy as your brain and your children’s brains grow stronger just by enjoying the tale.

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Books Referenced in this Podcast:

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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!

Unprepared for Motherhood, Toddlers & Teens & Podcast Jane Biel

God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures. It is true whether we believe it or not. Our doubts do not destroy God’s love, nor does our faith create it. It originates in the very nature of God, who is love, and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son.
JERRY BRIDGES

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Motherhood came upon me by surprise when I was almost 32 years old. Then I had 3 children in less than 5 years and was hopelessly out of control of my time—and I didn’t know that was to be expected. I kept looking for books that would make it all easier, manageable, give me order and predictability in my life. But finally, God said, “What if the problem with your frustration is you? Children have had needs through all generations but when. mamas lived into the season of life with littles, they found more joy and peace.”

And so, I breathed. deep and began to learn how to find. peace amidst the messy parts and joy in the living of life together. Fast forward and I. had another little one when I was 42. But having lived through 3 children, I was prepared to live into this amazing gift God allowed. Today on my podcast, I explore the idea that most of us enter motherhood unprepared with my sweet friend, a mother of four, Jane Biel.

We named our younger daughter Joy, and she ended up living up to her name. To our family she is a total joy. Perhaps because I never thought I would have a child again, I did not mind the sleepless nights, her cries, or her baby needs quite as much as I did as a younger mom. I cherished and enjoyed her so much more because I knew what to expect and I had a sense that she might be my last baby and I wanted to enjoy her every day. Experience stretches us to give us joy in our limitations.

Joy moved from a crib to a real bed when she was about two and a half years old. Often, at the crack of dawn she would climb next to me in my bed, squeezing and snuggling tightly against my body. After settling in, she would fall back asleep for a while longer. 

Her feather-soft hair would tickle my cheek, and her warm pudgy body, soft to my skin, was a delight to me as I wrapped my arms around this tiny gift and held her tight. 

“Mama,” she said thoughtfully early one morning, “this is where I most belong, as close as I can get to you, because I can feel your love better when I am closer.” 

Then a smile crept across her little face as she breathed out a sigh and settled into a few more minutes of “love.” 

Because Joy was my beloved, prayed-for little girl, I loved having her next to me. I cherished the times I still had a little girl who wanted to be so near me, one who would trust me utterly. As her parent, I was so thankful she wanted to be near her mama. When she crawled into my bed and cuddled next to me, I was filled with happiness and appreciation of the gift she was to me. I loved it that she loved me! It didn’t matter what she had done the day before— 

if she had cried a lot

or broken a mug full of juice

or fought with her brother 

or disobeyed me 

She did not have to promise to be more mature, or confess her faults, or stay away because of having a bad day the day before. 

At any time, she could just snuggle up next to me, because as my daughter, she belonged there! I delighted having her near me. She was my own little girl. I loved her with my whole heart, and I loved knowing that she wanted to be close to me and that she depended on me for her security, protection, comfort, and love. 

My love for her had nothing to do with her performance. My love was committed, solid, and constant because she was my beloved one. 

This is a human picture of God’s parent love for us. The very nature of God is to love. He can do nothing else. His love defines Him, so His love for us is settled forever and cannot be changed. 

Of course, we will never come close to the perfection or holiness of God. We are selfish most every day! We often say things that are harsh, do petty things, and act in a stingy or angry way. Yet still He loves us and wants us to be close to Him! It is almost impossible to believe that He could love us even when we are not loving to Him. 

In the same way that I did not expect Joy to behave like an adult but accepted her limitations as a normal little toddler, so God is mindful of our own limitations and yet still loves us. 

God sees us as toddlers, so to speak. Understanding our fragility, our humanness, He responds to us as I responded to Joy. He is mature even when we are not. He is constant in His love toward us, His commitment, His care for our needs, and His compassion for our heart’s cry. As our heavenly Father, no matter what we do or how we fail Him, He is the constant one, the responsible one. He knows our frame—that we are weak, immature, and imperfect, but He doesn’t require us to perform before we come close. He just wants our heart to trust Him, and He wants us to depend on Him as our loving Father. 

When we come to Him as a child—innocent, dependent, trusting, and humble—He welcomes us into the place right next to His heart. 

Do you know that God loves you as you are—doesn’t expect you to be perfect, has patience, understands your struggles and still trusted you with the miracle of your precious ones. I pray today this truth washes over your heart.

Books Referenced in this Podcast:

FOR MORE

• 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!

Home: The Place of Grace & Welcome Podcast

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“I go to prepare a place for you,”

I wish I could invite all of you, my friends, into my home, for a warm meal, a friendship conversation where I could listen to what is on your heart, a place to restore your soul— and to spoil you just a little. Hospitality, the tender care, attention, love and attending to the needs of others is a way we use our place to give others welcome. After such a wearying 3 months, many are in need of our invitation. You are probably in need of it yourself. Our homes can give life where hearts can find comfort, welcome, belonging if we use our them to invite those who need care Into a place we have prepared as a haven for them.

Hospitality is the intentional caring for, preparing for, meeting the needs of others to show them care and attention so as to meet their deep and felt needs. Home is the place where we can offer this to neighbors, the lonely or needy, or people needing to have a friend. There is an ache in our hearts to have such a place where we find belonging and acceptance. The ache is there because God created us for such a place.

“Every day in each inch of space, each rhythm of time, each practice of love, we have the chance to join God in coming home, in living so that we make a home of this broken and beautiful world all over again. Love is enfleshed in the meals we make, the rooms we fill, the spaces in which we live and breathe and have our being.

All people need a place where their roots can grow deep and they always feel like they belong and have a loving refuge. And all people need a place that gives wings to their dreams, nurturing possibilities of who they might become.” 

The Lifegiving Home

I hope the podcast will. refresh you in ideas of how you can use place, big or small, as an outreach to those in need.

Books Referenced in this Podcast:

The Lifegiving Home Experience: A 12-Month Guided Journey

By Clarkson, Sally, Clarkson, Joel

The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming

By Clarkson, Sally, Clarkson, Sarah

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