A New Year's Tradition: Decluttering Your Soul! A New Start

As usual, I love the celebration of life and the traditions and the fun and the beauty of special times spent with my children, husband and friends that Christmas brings. But, there is something deeply satisfying to me about getting it all put away and getting back to normal. With 8 of us around our small house, some on couches and floors, we had fun—but a sort of chaos.

Closing this season is also a little bit of a relief to me, as I know the wonderful freedom to start a new year, as Anne says, “With no mistakes in it” gives me a tingling excitement. But this year, as we in the UK are threatened with new lockdowns and more limitations, I face this new year with a little bit of trepidation. Who could ever have thought 2020 was going to be so out of control. And it looks like 2021 might follow suit.

Every year as close as possible to New Year’s, I try to get away for a bit to do something I’ve come to call decluttering my soul. This year, I will have to try to find a place in my home where I will be alone at least for some of the time. Many have listened to my “Declutterung your soul” podcast. Today’s blog is the foundation for verses, Gods voice and truths that are the basis of my planning. Be sure to read it or print it out to use.

Getting Rid of Soul Clutter

Even as we might sort out a closet, throw away out dated and used clothing, papers, books, toys, unnecessary items, so we need to sort our our feelings, thoughts, spirit, body, life. We need to clean out and throw out unneeded items in order to start out with a clean slate. I think sometimes in the demands of life, we carry burdens inside that we are not even aware of. These burdens keep us from living in the freedom, peace and love God intended us to experience every day. But it takes time and intentionality to off-lift burdens, to wash my heart clean and to move forward with the grace and energy God wants me to experience every day. Here I’m sharing my thoughts from years past about what that looks like, as I will follow the same pattern again, and hope you will join me for this most important of tasks as we enter a new season!

We can all see how too much clutter and too many piles causes us to feel overwhelmed with life. Consequently, slowly, I have learned to declutter as often as I can—throwing away unnecessary stuff. Clay is really the master at this. He helps me get rid of things, organize things, and put away things. Yesterday, he decluttered our pantry—threw away chip bags that held little but took up space, cleared out empty water bottles and bad, junky Christmas candy that would never eaten, baskets that had fallen off of their nails, groceries that had never been put in their place. Now, if someone came into my pantry, they would mistakenly think that I am an organized person. (Thank goodness for Clay!) It made me feel good just to open the door and to see that all is manageable again.

I have come to realize my brain and heart can be the same way---cluttered with worries, responsibilities, duties, children’s future, finances, time constraints, expectations, disappointments, critical attitudes, resentment. All these added together can tend to create soul piles and mind clutter. If I don’t take the time to sort the piles, my spirit becomes a mess and my heart becomes overwhelmed and weary.

This year, I have stored up some very distinct sadnesses, confusion, disappointment, anger that needs to be dealt with—Covid and all its cancellations. months inside, activities and church cancelled. isolation, political distress and conflict on all sides of social media, the protests and deaths of so many, storms, deaths of friends, and so much more.

It is what awakened me at 4:00 a.m. this morning: soul clutter and worry. And this is another reason I like January. Not because of the clutter waking me, but because the new month in the new year gives me an opportunity to make a new plan, to simplify the mind messes and to start off a whole new year well. In the same way that throwing away stuff and clearing out closets brings me relief—even more—soul and mind cleaning and decluttering brings me rest.

So, as I begin a new year, I resolve to deal with my soul-clutter, so that I may have strength to face each day in peace. I come to the place where I know I will find the help that I need. I come to my Father and ask Him to help me, His child, and ask Him show me how to make get rid of the junk that is unnecessary, to help me clean out and organize my soul.

To begin with, God speaks to me gently.

*Release

Release is the first phase for me. I seek to release, to identify, to unearth all of the pressures, fears and burdens I am carrying.

It was in writing my book, Dancing with My Father, that I learned so much about finding joy and peace. In Him, with Him, by Him all the moments of my busy day. His voice leads me to what I long for--but I must get rid of all that causes me to fret, worry, criticize, control. There is a way....

“In quietness and rest shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15 You need to come to me and give me all those things that are weighing on your heart. Resolve to seek rest and peace.

“Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29

Only God can give us what we need. Only He is the source of rest and peace.

I listed all my issues this morning in my journal (and there seem to be multitudes of clutter piles in my soul--worries, attitudes, bitterness, weariness, fear, sin and a few more!) These are issues that will suck me dry and my energy dry if I do not notice them in order to clean out my soul.

The Lord prompted, "List all of your issues, give them over to Me. Don’t hold on to them. I am capable of taking them from you and being responsible so that you will not be weary or carry what you are not capable of carrying.”

*Choose Rest, Believe in His ability to Hold You

"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. “ Psalm 37:7

Focus on resting in me—sit in my lap, and rest in my arms. Let me carry you. I love you. Wait for my timing. Don’t force things or beg me to hurry up. I am in control.

“Be still (cease striving) and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

“Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother;Like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Psalm 131:2

Give me your attention and get control of your spirit. Be quiet. Be still. Recognize my sovereignty and transcendence. Remember what Jesus said, “Our Father who art in heaven, holy is your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus modeled his understanding that my will is what you need to rest in. I am in heaven and I see all things—the future, the past, your children, your relationships, --all your clutter. Give them to me. Quiet your soul and rest in my strength and power.

*Trust

Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one little child like this receives me.” Matthew 18:3-5

Come to Me as a child—even as your children, in their innocence and sweetness of heart, know that you will care for them and meet their needs because you are a loving parent who cares for them, so I am your Father who will take care of you. Leave the burdens to your Father and take your rightful place as a child. Humble yourself and trust Me. Enjoy Me. Delight in the beautiful moments of this day. Notice the little miracles. Live as an unfettered child. Accept your little and big children and receive them as a gift from Me, and You will indeed receive me into your midst.

“ ... a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” I Peter 3:4

*Simplify

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about so many things. But really one is needed and Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10 41-42

Don’t worry and fret and stew and stir up unnecessary dust. Choose simplicity—just one thing I require—that you give it all to Me and love Me. I will take over. Even as I gave and provided a Sabbath in which all of My children should have rest from their work, so I want you to live in my Sabbath rest for your soul. Rest from your striving and labor. Take time for naps, for pleasure, for joy. This day you have to receive as a gift--I can't promise what tomorrow will hold. But today you can love, give peace, speak kind and wise words, dance in your soul with My secret pleasure that comes from knowing that I love you. Simplify your life, don’t make choices that will complicate or add unnecessary pressure or cause you to sin or grumble. “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life,” as Paul said.

So, as I yielded my lists into God’s hands and de-cluttered my troubled soul, I left feeling that even as my house has been coming to order after we cleaned and straightened it yesterday, so now my soul is moving in the direction of order.

How should I declutter my soul?

1. Check your heart for any guilt or unconfessed sin. I have found that letting God erase my weight of real or false guilt, helps me to admit with God that I need Him, His grace and His forgiveness.

2. Are there any hurts, burdens, fears, worries from the past year that you are carrying on your own shoulders? Write them down, give them over into God’s hands and ask for practical wisdom about how to handle it. Pray from your heart about how you need help.

3. Are you carrying any bitterness, worries, cynicism that is stealing from you? When we do not give forgiveness or accept the limitations of a circumstance or person, we are the ones who suffer the most. Be humble, give up bitterness, revenge, a gossiping heart and mouth.

4. What are some dreams or ways you need to see God help you? Ask Him to provide for you—what is on your heart. God delights in answering prayer.

5. Are you cherishing the world or worldly things too much? Is ti keeping you from being close to Him, from developing righteous values? What do you need to change to move toward a closer walk with God? books? conference? daily time?

   What does it mean to “Seek first God’s kingdom for you this year? Only in His priorities will we find centeredness and blessing. List what your eternal/kingdom goals are and how to get there.

6. Be yourself. Make plans that suit your loves, your personality, your limitations. Your story will be different than that of anyone else. Don’t carry the burden of comparison to others or a phantom that makes you think you should be a certain way. Be free, live in grace.

So many planners and so many ways to feel guilty or less than, but when we seek Him and His priorities and free ourselves from the burdens we are not meant to carry, we will find strength and purpose for each day.

May you know God’s deep love for you, His sovereignty even over unsure places and times. I pray you have a wonderful New Year and a light soul. Happy 2021!

Sometimes I Get Lost: Finding My Way Back, Decluttering My Soul 1 & Podcast

“Not all those who wander are lost.”

Tolkien

I have walked to “the Parks” countless times. But today, I was praying, deep in thought and passed the road I was supposed to turn on. I was deep in the neighborhood streets where all the homes look the same for blocks and blocks. I also had my earphones in my ears and literally was just not paying attention. Coming to a dead-end street that ended in tennis courts, I suddenly realized I had not been paying attention and was lost. I had to walk a little bit out of my way, walk down a wrong street, turn around, but finally found a back entrance I had never seen to the many acres of pathways where I often walk. You see, I had walked these roads to one of the back entrances to the park but I knew the way, not the names of the streets.

This was not the only time I have been lost. It is fairly common to a walking life in a new international city. One has to learn the ropes, the way to what eventually become familiar places. When I first moved to Oxford a few years ago, I ended up late one night in a very dark part of town where my cell phone did not work. The streets unfamiliar to me seemed to go in circles. But, I didn’t panic. I was used to getting lost in international cities on occasion from the first time I moved overseas. Patience and taking my time always led me back home to a familiar place. Tolkien seemed to get it right, all who wander are not lost necessarily, but on their way to finding their destination eventually.

Many people I have talked to right now feel like they are wandering through life, feeling a bit lost in their journey. We are all trying to make plans that will be cancelled, trying to make sense of life while being home all the time. Some are faring better than others.

Life has taught me that even when I feel lost, I am not lost to God. He sees me, loves me, has an ultimate purpose and will lead me as I hold His hand and walk with Him.

In Psalm 139: 7-12, David, who was beloved by God, but had to walk through so many years of running away from Saul, wrote:

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take up the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.

Even in the darkest of places, where we cannot see at all what is ahead or behind and we feel lost, we see that darkness is not dark to Him.

Each year, people are quite taken with planning and goal setting in an new year. I love to make goals. But I heave realized that the most important and foundational planning for me is for spiritual direction. If I “right” my heart before God, He will give me peace that passes understanding, He will grant me wisdom, He will give me his gentle companionship, He will be with me every step of the way.

Today, I am providing a podcast that I hope will help and encourage you right where you are. Tomorrow, I will have a blog that speaks directly to the importance of decluttering our souls—taking away the doubts, the guilt, the fears, the stress and making a plan of how to stay close to our precious, loving Father, whatever befalls us during this new year, 2021.

May God grant us all grace and peace.

How Can A Mother Find Favor With God? Happy Christmas!

The Annunciation, by Henry Ossawa Tanner

"Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you." Luke 1:28

Oh, how I wish these words expressed how God felt about me! Would God see me as the kind of woman He would choose now to mother Jesus, the most high God? By what means did she find favor, in the hidden moments of her life?

Mary lived in a tiny, obscure village amidst a humdrum life. Wheat was ground, bread was pounded out on wooden tables, crumbs were swept from the floor, children lovingly tended, with mother and father presiding over the home, the Shema was listened to every day over shared family meals, the Sabbath was kept. She lived in invisibility, in the moments of an ordinary, obscure life, as far as anyone knew. And yet, in the living of her life quietly and faithfully, God noticed her. He saw her, and she found favor and pleased His heart.

God always sees, even when no one else is noticing.

Imagine being greeted by an angel in the midst of a normal day, when no one else knew: "Hail, favored one!”

And then the angel said, "Mary, do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God."

Really? She did not have a college degree or a ministry position or title and had never published a book or even spoken in the synagogue--and yet, in the midst of her quiet life, she found favor with God.

There are clues as to why... Being the mother of Jesus would require a tenacious, steady, engaged faith. As his mother, her life would be  in danger. Jesus would be  pursued by a crazy king, and at every point, people would cast doubt on her irregular, fantastical story.

 Satan would have wanted to prevent Jesus becoming Savior, and Mary would be his protector--a shelter from danger, a nurturer of his soul, a provider of truth, a teacher and trainer, a strength in storms--all of this she would be asked to be for God, the baby, entrusted into her hands, as his mother; a divinely appointed role.

She would have to move, put up with peer pressure, believe in the miraculous, and live for ahwile amidst the despised Egyptians. Her life would be filled with stress, pressure, rejection, fear, loneliness, and questions.

And yet, God had called her favored, He had seen her heart, noticed her response to circumstances throughout her life, and tested her willingness to obey, and she had been found faithful, and so she was favored.

Her response, ready on her lips, had been practiced in her heart.

"“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

God looked for one who would serve Him, willingly, readily, at the moment of His impossible request, one who would respond in utter submission.

I am your bondslave--a commitment he had seen in her prayers, through out her life as she engaged her heart in scripture, He had seen her practice of worship by choosing, through all the years of her training, her response of believing and her heart consecration to serve Him, to obey throughout the seemingly unnoticed moments of her life.

Is that my response to this life He has given to me--be it done according to your will for I am your bond-servant? Even if it means sacrifice of the plans I hold dear? Even if it means being misunderstood? Rejected? Chased? Inconvenienced? Even if it requires me to have courage against fears that will assail my life?

We are left  another clue. Elizabeth, her older cousin, who had also lived above reproach and obeyed God, upon seeing Mary, responded,

"And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

Mary believed God.

She had a ready heart to believe Him, trust Him with all that it would require of her, to await the miraculous, to live through long years of waiting and quiet and mundanity, as she awaited to see this little baby become the expected Messiah, the fulfillment of His role as Savior.

She believed there would be a fulfillment.

 She had practiced believing in Him her whole life and this, I think, was in part what would qualify her to be the mother of the son of God. She was ready, willing to immediately respond to Him in belief--even to the impossible--even in the obscure place of dust, dishes, and duty.

And so God shined His light on my soul this early morning as I pondered Mary in His presence--am I ready to believe, to obey wherever He takes me, to await the fulfillment of His word and to choose to believe in His future fulfillment of faithfulness in my own life and in my own prayers--even if the ultimate fulfillment will take years and years, as it took Mary?

Today as I sit in the sparkle of our Christmas home, I hope that He will find me, in the integrity of my heart,  obeying, responding, and bowing my knee to His will as a bondservant whose heart is ready to follow, obey, accept limitations of a world at battle for righteousness, and yet ready, in His strength, to believe.

May He prepare your heart today to worship in the quietness of your life, right where you are. May He bless you with His peace and grace. May you be filled with all the fullness of God.

Merry, Merry Christmas!

I Need Friendship, Inspiration and Community. Do You? Christmas Giveaway! & Podcast

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“I need a place to refresh and refuel. Maybe a weekend at a hotel. Chocolate. Clean sheets. Women with my ideals. A nice meal. A friend!”

As I look back through the years, I realize that what I needed as a young mama and wife is what I still need—friends and community. In this very strange time of unusual isolation and separation from our normal commitments, activities and communities, we have all felt hollow in our hearts. A longing for someone to understand, someone to celebrate life with.

Fast forward through the years, and we created conferences, retreats, leadership weekends for women to lead small groups, blog posts, podcasts and wrote over 25 books and devotional workbooks to help. Finally, a three years ago, we started a membership that is a community that holds all of the things we have been writing and speaking about over all the years.

As an older mother now of four grown children and two grandchildren, I'm investing my time here to give back to moms like you the wisdom and truth I've learned in my long mom walk with God. I'm here, with friends, to give you help and hope. We have gathered discipleship messages, Bible studies, videos of our favorite recipes, book reviews, Awaking Wonder unit studies, art, classical musician studies, printables and so much more. It would take months to access all of the resources available there. We receive letters from precious ones all over the world who have loved this community.

Clay and I wanted talked and prayed about how we might at least be a blessing in providing a little more opportunity for this for others like us. Several years ago, we developed a community around a monthly membership where we could encourage women who shared our ideals, not even dreaming that some day we would be unable to host any more conferences where women could gather together as we had done for 25 years.

Soooooo, we are giving away 30 one year scholarships to our membership to celebrate the spirit of Christmas giving, Life With Sally. Our desire is to make this available to those of you who have had an especially challenging year or those who cannot afford to pay for the membership, or in some way have had an unusual hardship that would make this gift a blessing to you. Perhaps you are:

*A single mother

*A Military wife of a deployed husband

*Have lost a family member this year or had severe illness of some kind in your family

*Have lost income or job and have financial difficulty as a result

*Other challenging difficulties

If you want to be considered as a recipient of the scholarship, please an email to:

scholarship@wholeheart.org

Wo remember: You will be entered in the scholarship provision by emailing us at scholarship@wholeheart.org.. We will take entries until midnight on Christmas Eve, mountain time. Then we will process the entries, use a random means of choosing 30 people from the entries to receive a scholarship membership for 12 months. We will have the final winners picked by Monday, December 28 and contact you if you have received a scholarship. If you know of a friend who is in need of a boost or would benefit from this giveaway, be sure to tell her to enter.

I hope you have a wonderful season of advent, and a warm and cherished time with your loved ones on Christmas Day. I know many of you will be alone or in different circumstances this year. I pray you will find God’s grace, love and compassion wherever this special day finds you. I wish you love.

For those of you desiring to have encouragement and and fellowship within our community of women, and are able to pay for a subscription, consider joining with us in our monthly membership. We would so enjoy having you in our community. LifewithSally.com

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!

It's a Martha Season, Yet I am Choosing a Mary Day

I have not yet wrapped all of the packages.

As a matter of fact, I have not bought presents for everyone that I meant to buy, and still have a list of projects and purchases and preparations longer than I would like.

There has always been this desire inside to make Christmas so special. I think to myself, "I want to be sure the kids feel loved. I haven't gotten everything done that I meant to do."

Of course, this year things are much different than they normally are, as we are used to gathering all together in our Colorado home. As much before in 2020, this isn’t going to happen for us this year, and Nathan and Keelia won’t be able to join us here in Oxford, either. We are learning to adjust day by day to all the disappointed expectations, to look for the positives when things don’t go as we like.

So I am planning with open hands for whoever is able to be together here--as always, I want to sit and listen to all their stories and hold all the moments of new memories we will make.

But, I am choosing today to stop the frenzy. Somehow trying to center and give focussed love and a listening ear to my loved ones seems more important than getting all the externals right. Most of mine are faring well-ish, but we are all lost not knowing what is ahead, just like you. So listening to their frustration and feelings is even more important than figuring out how to get a host of gifts when stores are closing down or are not open to begin with.

I want to sit for a while and love my Jesus., because that is the only place I will find peace and rest in this whirling, long season. To remember how grateful I am to know Him and to understand His presence, God with us, God with me, Immanuel, every day and especially today.

I will look into Clay’s eyes and see what I might do to lighten his load.

My four children are all filled with heart needs. I hope I can find a way today to express how much love them and care for all the pressures and stresses and insecurities and issues that are on their hearts. I will make time to call those far away, and pray I will find a way to give the present of my presence to the ones who are right here with me.

In short, I am dedicating this day to what I think will matter, above the things that are crying and vying for my attention.

Please let me be faithful to all that matters, and not a slave to the things that will create more stress.

I give this day to you, Jesus.

It's All About Your Heart & Podcast

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“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”I Sam 16: 7

Last weekend, our family was gathering outside, of course. I had poured a pot of tea, bought Christmas buns and gathered us together outside near our little bench. Folding chairs from inside our home gave everyone in our family a place to sit.

My darling little almost three year old granddaughter saw me coming with the tray and she ran toward me.

“I want to sit with you, Queenie. I want to sit in your lap.”

And she immediately crawled into the familiar space she belonged from so many times before and settled into my arms and began to chatter to me of all that was on her little heart.

I did not want her to be perfect or to work for my love. I wanted her to do exactly what she did—to want to be with me, to prefer me, to trust me. And so it is with God.

He wants our heart filled with love and desire and trust. So it was, I believe with Mary. Why was she favored? Because in the secret place of her life, I believe she loved God and it pleased Him.

"Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you." Luke 1:28

Throughout the ages, artists have tried to illustrate the mysterious moment when the angel of God came to Mary and announced God's favor with her. But I think even more than seeing what the scene looked like, I would love to know this: what kind of woman, living in the unseen moments of her everyday life, would find favor with God?

Oh, how I wish the words the angel said expressed how God felt about me!  Would God see me as the kind of woman He would choose now to mother the most high God? By what means did she find favor, in the hidden moments of her life?

Mary lived in a tiny, obscure village amidst a humdrum life. Wheat was ground, bread was pounded out on wooden tables, crumbs were swept from the floor, children lovingly tended, mother and father presided over the home, the Shema was listened to every day over shared family meals, the Sabbath was kept. Mary lived in invisibility in the moments of an ordinary, obscure life, as far as anyone around her knew. And yet, in the quiet, faithful living of her life,  God noticed her. God saw her, and she found favor and pleased His heart.

God always sees even when no one else is noticing.

Imagine being greeted by an angel, in the midst of a normal day, when no one else knew,--"Hail favored one."

What would he find you doing? Believing? Saying? Studying?

And then, "Mary, do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God."

Really? She did not have a college degree or a ministry position or title and had never published a book or even spoken in the synagogue--and yet, in the midst of her quiet life, she had found favor with God. 

We don't know every detail of Mary's life, and the Bible doesn't tell us exactly why He chose her. But there are clues. Being the mother of Jesus would require a tenacious, steady, engaged faith. As his mother, her own life would be in danger. Jesus would be pursued by a crazy king, and at every point, people would cast doubt on her irregular, fantastical story.

Like Mary, God is looking for our heart-love for Him, not our perfection. In the midst of invisibility and times when no one sees or knows what is going on in our lives, the stresses from challenging children, the loneliness of a struggling marriage, the cleaning up of one more mess amidst the crumbs of our life. Yet, God wants to companion us through these places and show us His love.

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!

A Merry Little Christmas With Joy! (My daughter!)

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A Window View to My World of Christmas in my delightful home in Oxford. A tiny tree was the first Christmas gift to grace our home, followed by a star, candles. But the amazing thing is that my landlord adorned our flower boxes with brand new plants to reflect the purple royalty of Christ the king. How fun!

Most of us are entering into the Christmas season. We are trying to figure out how to take care of the needs of our loved ones, keep feeding the masses throughout the month, maintain our responsibilities and stay sane and above water.. Yet, there is a part of me, through the years, that has learned to “give in to the Christmas Season.” I don’t mean the commercialism or being too busy and over committed. But learning to enjoy the gifts given, however simple, the simple celebrations of home, the lights and the mystery of imagination that can be so much a part of the joy of life.

As a sparkly-eyed little girl idealist and dreamer, I remember Christmas as a time of lights, twinkles, smells, color and delight. Christmas touches on parts of our lives that point to the ways God wants us to find delight and joy throughout eternity. Most nights in December, I would sit under our tree and look at the lighted loveliness and dream about life, and what I might someday become. Romantic thoughts of every kind floated through my head. Lilian is just old enough to dive into this world all on her own. She spends hours looking at the lights, the ornaments, and like I did, dreaming of all the stories we have read to her.

There is another delight that I still enjoy so much. One of the gifts my mother gave to me through this sacred season was a love for hospitality--sharing this life, love, friendship, beauty with those in community. Even yesterday, we took folding chairs, a couple of small tables a large tray filled with mugs, cinnamon buns and had a party outside our front door on the road by the bench. We weren’t allowed inside but we did have so much fun outside.

Sometimes the imagination for us to ponder that Jesus is preparing a feast for us, that He cast the stars into place where the angels sang, to understand His glory comes from experiencing this kind of sparkle, beauty, light, celebration in our real lives.

God as a light to brighten our lives becomes real when a child sits under a sparkling Christmas tree and hears, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 4:6

“Taste and see that the Lord is good,” is much more easily imagined in a home where hot cinnamon rolls are consumed with great joy together as they emerge from the warm oven.

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - (Luke 2:14) is more easily believed in a home where the sparkles of beauty show the possibilities of a heavenly sky and the generosity of love gently given through a warm touch or sweet words are given when peaceful relationships are shared.

The hospitality of God, His desire to give food to the hungry thousands who had come to see Him, to provide manna for his traveling millions across the desert, the banquet at the end of the world can be imagined when hospitality is a grace of every day life.

Today, Joy and I wanted to share some of our own Merry Christmas ideas with you. We talk of our favorite albums and ways we are seeking to be faithful at cultivating the joy we need to move in the direction of.

Hope you enjoy this podcast and bear with our giggles. It was good for us to laugh.

May God bring some laughter your way this season. We send our love and prayers for encouragement in your life.

This Christmas, I pray you’ll find ways to spread Christmas cheer first to your own home—and then maybe invite someone in to enjoy it with you!

Peace be with you today.

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!

Every Mama Gets Weary In December! Especially this one.

Dear Sally, HELP!!!!!!!! Love, A Mom

Dear Sweet Friend,

I have felt a need for help so very often, myself, so I offer you my best advice. First of all, breathe in peace as much as possible! Always plan to take a little time for yourself until you can get perspective. Even if it is being surrounded by littles or bigs. Put on music that pleases your own sensibilities. (I am so grateful for my Spotify) I have had to learn that no one else in the world will be responsible for my over-all well being. Everyone just thinks mamas are endless in their capacities to keep going. I have a husband and children who need me, and as I have said before, they are going to want to continue eating every day and to wear relatively clean clothes, with the expectation that I will be the one to make both those things possible! However, there are times I run out of soul-fuel and have to stop it all to refuel my tank. Then there are friends, ministry, responsibilities…….!

I am responsible for my rest, my quiet time, my healthy eating and at least some exercise, filling my cup so it will not be empty when others take from me, and I am also the manager of my chill time. Laughing and lightening up really brings health to the bones. “A joyful heart is good medicine” has been proved by medical research! And we all know that is not our first response when we get out of bed in the mornings and realize it is still Covid season and we are still restricted.

There are many tasks calling my name around the house, but I have become the queen of turning my head away and trying to stick to my most important priorities. I have found there will be just as many things screaming for my attention tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.

But today, I know that my body and mind need a little rest, and my emotions become frayed and I become grumpy if I don't create a little break. No one else is going to tell me when I have reached my limit. But if I do not monitor myself, my children and husband and I will come to regret it when I blow up!

Though still learning, I am always simplifying and evaluating things in my life to determine if they are worth the effort necessary. I do think making things beautiful and special during the holidays is worth the effort, as it builds the taste and values and work ethic and ministry skills of my children--but all in its season, and only so much.

Not everything we have always done before has to be done this year. Fast food with candles lit is just fine. But it may not be worth it to answer one more phone call or one more email--as this will certainly steal from my children and husband who need me today.

Each of us has a different puzzle and personality, and we must accept our limitations within our own story and be comfortable being ourselves. There is great freedom in deciding to enjoy who I am, as I am not going to essentially change any time soon! I see so many moms seeking to live up to other's expectations and ideals and then burning out in the process. I have high work times,  and then times when I just can't get anything done--and somehow the world does not crash when I take time to just live and enjoy, and avoid the "I have to do everything or I will be a failure" syndrome.

It is why I have my cup of tea every day--a way of saying, "I will take time for a moment of pleasure and peace, because it centers me, and I have decided I will last a lot longer in this very long distance race of life, if I build anchors of serendipity into my schedule."

If you and I don't eventually make peace with our own life circumstances, then we are in danger of cultivating a heart of bitterness, inadequacy, guilt or whining, or having some sort of breakdown. But if we become the conductors of our own life symphonies and live within our own melodies of life, we will last longer and more gracefully with the God of peace, who leads us.

Spend time in God's word and let Him love you and love Him back. He came for you--He came to comfort. Let His comfort be yours. You cannot find peace without the Prince of Peace.

Take time to regroup today--Go eat some chocolate, and don't feel guilty as you are eating it--that is a waste of good chocolate! Listen to some beautiful music, watch a heart-warming movie, take a nap, eat on paper plates! The rest of December is still coming and you will be the better for it! I'll be praying for you!

Love, Sally

Advent: Living in His Light With Malcolm Guite

"And the people who were walking in darkness have seen a great light."

I love the concept of advent. I always celebrated “Christmas” when I was growing up. But I had no concept of “Advent.” It has rounded out my understanding of the longing, waiting of the coming of our God to help us, to redeem us. Advent has reshaped my inner feelings with an outer celebration and acknowledgement of what happened when Christ entered the world as a little baby, the lamb of God. It prepares me every year to remember that we are not alone, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, God with us. Just the picture of a tiny infant, being celebrated by angels, a young mother and father caught up in the miracle of a new birth warms my heart to the depths. So much to celebrate in this timeless story. But during the busy month ahead, to take time to prepare our hearts for His coming is a life long habit of worship that will strengthen us the whole year. 

Play Episode on iTunes & Stitcher

Today on my podcast, I am reintroducing you to my friend, Malcolm Guite, a scholar in Cambridge, a Poet and very winsome and informative teacher. You will love hearing about why and how we celebrate Christ throughout the church year. This podcast has been a favorite in the past couple of years, and now it has become a tradition to play it again, to bring all of us from the dark world, this year a Covid-filled year, into the light of Christ’s reality.

Advent mirrors the quiet but soulful longing that grows deep inside where no one sees. We cry for the touch of our creator amidst the whirlwind of trying to make it through one more busy day. Painting a smile on our face, we stuff down the cries that remain silent to those around us, where we want someone to notice, to care, to save us. My dear friend, Holly Pakiam, shared some of there thoughts about advent, mingled with my own.

Christmas has become a secularized time in which many do not know that our Jesus came because he saw a world that was helpless to save themselves, that they are filled with the disbarring, soul-killing sin that darkens their hearts.

The trouble with the generalized ‘holiday season’ isn’t that it is a part of some calculated ‘war on Christmas’; it’s that it leaves us with no lexicon for longing. It gives us snow and songs, elves and sales, cookies and cards…but no vocabulary for grief, for sorrow, for the deep ache in our hearts.

 This is why we have come to appreciate Advent. Advent isn’t a spiritual, alternative name for ‘Christmas’; it is its own season, a season of preparation for Christmas. Advent is when the anticipated joy of Christ’s first arrival puts us touch with our anticipated joy at His return.

 Advent is a joy that helps us hope.

Advent is when we give voice to the ache and pain and longing in our hearts. Advent is also when we confess our own participation in the brokenness of the world. Advent, then, is not only about longing for Christ to come again and put everything back together; it’s about repenting and receiving grace so that we get to be put back together now.

But there’s one more piece. Advent is not only about longing for Christ to put the world back together, not only about repenting and letting Christ put us back together; it is also a chance to participate in bringing wholeness to others.

 As we enter the Advent season, could we as the people of God, be a part of the answer to the longing in people’s hearts?

Making time to invite your neighbors into your home for a warm drink or serving in the local Rescue Mission. Or maybe its through taking a moment to ‘see’ a colleague who’s going through a difficult time. It may seem difficult to carve out time to give to the things you desire in this season. We’ve had to cut out some of our regularly scheduled things to carve out space to focus on this season.

All around the world, we light the first purple candle in the Advent wreath as a symbol of Hope. Whether we sense God or feel a great void or doubt about his presence, we believe He is the hope of the world. The longing we have in our hearts for this world to be set right will come to pass. There are brief glimpses of Joy that remind us of this hope. Until then…we wait.

You can find all things Malcolm Guite on his blog. He is a musician, a writer, a teacher and a friend to many all over the world. I know you will love his writing and his books. Thanks, Malcolm, for being such a blessing to so many.

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!

Join us in a fun Event! Sensing God in Advent with Joel Clarkson

Play Episode on iTunes & Stitcher

Sometimes I feel just like a little girl who is sitting under the Christmas tree, excited in her little rushing heart about the presents she anticipates. But the anticipation for me is the arrival of one of my children. I get so excited when they are about to come home. So it was on Friday. Joel was driving with a friend over 8 hours through slushy snow and ice, and stopped in traffic. Yet, when the doorbell rang late in the afternoon, just after sun down, I had my gift right there, waiting at the door.

Funny how somewhere along the way, my children ceased to be so much my children and now are my dearest, trusted friend. They are the ones I want to talk to, ask advice from, celebrate life with. Joel has always been a special partner in life. His “always willing to help and give” heart, melt this mama.

As a composer, writer, photographer, musician, artist, I was surprised when Joel told me he wanted to publisher a book. Show me one of your chapters, I said, a little distracted. But when I read his words, the worlds he described set my heart on fire with delight and engagement I the beauty of his words. Nav Press saw life and possibility in his words and are suggested that they would be willing to do an event for us to share some of his book, some of our home advent traditions, music, food and our family.

I hope many of you will be able to join us next Tuesday, December 15th, for a live event. It will be night here but day time for you. All you have to do is register. There will be giveaways and lots of fun and it is free. And for those of you wanting the recipe for my Shepherd’s Meal Soup, you will receive a copy of the recipe and hear all about it.

Below is his book and ways you can be involved with us in the evening as well as helping get the book into the world. At a time when we are all exhausted and drained, many find themselves longing for a more personal, live walk with God. This book will fill your heart and inspire you as you see God though all the moments of your life.

About SENSING GOD

Sensing God is a discovery of Jesus in all of the sensory points embedded into each of us. It shows how the holiest acts in our daily lives are often the simplest: reveling in the beauty of nature; listening to our favorite music; eating a nourishing meal with family. These are potentially heartbeats of a living faith, and when we learn to recognize and respond to God's goodness in them, it draws us into redemptive participation with Him, the source of all beauty.

Joel Clarkson shares personal stories and paints vivid imagery so that we, too, can taste and see (and hear and touch and smell) that the Lord is good. In our exploration, we meet Jesus, who invites us to enjoy his presence and proclaim his visible, tangible, and touchable gospel. We physically experience the glory of our Creator and at the same time, we make that encounter a testimony to a broken world that is desperate for restoration. We are encouraged to get the good dirt of God's holy world under our nails.

Together, we will come into contact with the God who reaches out to us with His eternal truth through the goodness of beauty. Will you join the journey? Come and learn how to truly worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Preorder your copy today!

Sensing God: Experiencing the Divine in Nature, Food, Music, and Beauty

By Clarkson, Joel

Buy on Amazon

Join Joel’s webinar, SENSING GOD in ADVENT

Free to register! Live event, Tuesday, December 15th, 2020, 2pm Central

To signup for the webinar, click here.

Joel would be so honored if you would Join the Launch Team!

To signup, click here.

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!