Lifegiving Planning With Your Family

Do you enjoy planning? As a creative girl, I don’t always appreciate the idea of planners and I certainly don’t schedule every moment of my day (or month or year or or or!!!!) Yet spending time pondering and praying over dreams and visions for the future does capture my attention and help me hone my focus for the important things. We even taught our children to make plans for their days, early on …

As our family grew—with Sarah born in 1984, Joel in 1986, Nathan in 1989, and Joy in 1995—we increasingly made numbering our children’s days a priority of our parenting. We still tried to have our weekly planning breakfasts, but overseas ministry, numerous moves, and then living out in the country forced us to be more creative about planning. Whenever and however it happened, though, we tried to plan weekly for the spiritual influence and training of our children’s lives. It was a priority in the patterns and practices of our parenting and family life. We also took time out around September or January each year, sometimes as a weekend getaway, to plan for the year ahead—for us and our children.

Our children would take part in the planning too. When they reached an age where they were able make a list of some kind (I allowed a lot of latitude in list making), we would involve them in setting their own goals. We never wanted our children to become passively dependent on us to number their days for them. Rather, we wanted to model for them how to begin thinking about their own lives and how to follow our example in setting goals for themselves. We deliberately avoided making it an onerous duty and enforcing list completion by certain times; instead, we modeled goal making as a positive and fun thing to do.

Each child approached planning differently. We didn’t insist on one right way but simply enjoyed seeing each of them get involved and excited about planning their lives in ways that made sense to them and reflected their own personality preferences. Whatever they did, and however they did it, we would delight in their goals and affirm their efforts. We focused on the children’s work, not just the product of their work. Sally and I were still mostly the ones who were numbering our children’s days, but we were also teaching them the first steps in acquiring the habits and skills they would use as young adults to develop a “heart of wisdom” through following the guidance of Moses’ prayer.

We considered planning for each child’s spiritual life and char- acter development—practices and qualities of their relationship and life with God—to be distinct from planning for their schooling and activities. We would help them develop their own personal goals for Bible reading, Scripture memorization, and prayer, and plan times to do them. We could create charts of varying sizes, colors, and complexity, depending on their age, to help them keep track of their consistency and progress. We used a variety of methods to help them be faithful with chores and meeting other character-development goals.

When they reached their teens, although we would engage in planning and spiritual life discussions with them, we began to trust them to make their own plans for their days and for growing in wisdom with God. For our family, we saw the process of planning with our children as a relational, dynamic, and organic process, not as just a task or procedure to be accomplished.

Numbering our children’s days was the first lifegiving practice we initiated in our home. It brought the life of God into our midst in very practical and practicable ways for our children. As they began to think about their own goals and how they could follow God and grow in wisdom to please Him, they began to think in terms that brought the reality of God who is “our dwelling place in all generations” (Psalm 90:1) into their own place of dwelling and their own generation. We were training them to think of God not just as an impersonal source of truth to be known or maker of rules to be followed, but also as the living God in whom they would find real life and develop a real relationship.

Tea Time Tuesday: Ely: A Magical, Magnificent Town

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“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea” – Henry James

Ely has for many years been one of my very favorite towns in the UK. What a gift it was that a sweet friend of mine invited me to go on a little 2 day explore together to have fun once again in the Magical Medieval town.

It holds so many sites to enjoy and see. I was slowly savoring a wonderful breakfast of a homemade Croque Monsier (listen the podcast and you will find the recipe), when I realized that Miss Tea Cup was missing. I searched throughout the rooms of Peacocks, the most wonderful tea room, and finally found my little darling. As I gently picked her up, she said, “Do you ever feel like you are different from everyone else? Does it ever bother you to not fit in?” And so, we had a little talk about how important it is to live into our individuality and to celebrate our sense of self. And, of course, I told her she was beautiful as she was, to me. Can you find her in the photo?

Today’s Music: Jon Foreman of Switchfoot singing a favorite song that speaks of God’s being our shepherd called, The House of God Forever (a favorite quote from Piranese about this idea: The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.”)

My membership this month, (Lifewithsally.com) is exploring the metaphor of God as a Shepherd—sheep and shepherd over 500 times mentioned in the Bible—I was inspired and share it with you.

Did you know that Ely Cathedral is one of the medieval wonders of the world? Imagined by a humble nun in the 600”s and has inspired and comforted countless thousands and thousands of people because of the work of her life. Enjoy the story.

For 12 years, one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Goudge, lived in Ely and even wrote a book taking place there. (The Dean’s Watch, and so fun to imagine her as a child running around this charming town. (I started with Pilgrims Inn—love it) You will love her books.

Kindness was a theme of my life this week, my friend exercised kindness to me and it touched my heart. I share about this.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Interviewing Joy about her new book, Aggressively Happy was a delight. Get your copy today.

And I loved loved drinking lots of tea, eating lots of treats and escaping my place for a couple of days. (Not to mention exploring one of the biggest Antique/Second Hand Stores I have ever seen—and even picked up a treasure for me and 2 birthday gifts I could not resist.

An ending thought from a rabbi: To see the good in others and let them see themselves in the mirror of our kind regard for them is to help someone grow into the best they can be.” Rabbi Jonathan Sachs

Bless and bless and bless you my friends.

Cultivating An Authentic Life of Faith: 10 Gifts of Heart, Chapter 1 (#2)

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“I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

3 John 1:4

What a difficult challenge this verse presents to us as parents. There is no formula, no guarantee that our precious ones will not be drawn into culture by the many voices that speak online every day. While every family has its own story and each puzzle of life is different, there are some practical ways we can make the life of faith tangible to our children and those are the focus of the second half of this chapter!

One of the sweetest gifts of my life is to watch my grown children walk with God. I have asked them why, despite the foibles or failures of our family, despite struggle and imperfect days (and imperfect parents), they caught the faith we were trying so hard to teach them. I find in their answers that it was the spiritual rhythms of our lives, the relational connections between us all, the atmosphere of love and grace, and the way of making God present every day in our home that shaped them most.

“I loved God because of crisp bacon and French toast and real maple syrup,” said Sarah one day. Another child said, it was breakfasts, avocado toast, or scrambled eggs mama style and the welcome into the day, the tastes and smells and love. We ate and celebrated and enjoyed the goodness of God’s world. And as we did we talked about God, we prayed for what we needed, we admitted our struggles, we watched Him work. Faith wasn’t just a subject on the side; it was our whole life.”

Our children have had their own struggles, as Clay and I have, with challenges, doubts, questions in the area of faith through the years. We have learned to live through many rough seasons and each of our children has had to follow a unique journey to find the answers to their personal questions. Yet, as we held fast to the word of God, pondered the attributes of God, the ways of Jesus’ stories daily, we found guidance and wisdom for the ways forward one day at a time.

Whatever becomes a habit of life, a way of thinking, a wisdom that is stored in our hearts is more likely to shape our days throughout adulthood. We seek to live out both the life of Christ through the ways we live and in relationship to one another in organic ways that show His reality and we hold fast together to the wisdom from the word of God as we live through all the seasons of life.

Beautiful Inspiration for Building a Beautiful Home!

Years ago, Sarah and I (along with Joel!) escaped for a few weeks to work together on one of my favorite books, The Lifegiving Home. I hope you will be encouraged by these words:

Leaves of crimson, gold, and brown drifted down upon the roof of our car as we slowly meandered on the winding road, gazing out at the mysterious woods on either side of us and the flowing stream that seemed to follow our course. The sweet, melancholy notes of a Celtic CD streamed through the car as each of us lost ourselves for the moment in our own dream worlds.

In that season of my life, as the mother of three teenagers and a bubbly little seven-year-old girl, I rarely had a quiet moment. This drive provided a soothing moment, a badly needed opportunity just to breathe. The soft music lured me to a secret escape inside, while the pathways leading through shad- owy woods captured my imagination, providing a momentary break from mundane reality. And how I needed that! My heart was desperate for some new inspiration and rest from my draining and demanding days. Would I find it on this trip?

All six of us Clarksons had piled into our van to get away to Asheville, North Carolina, for a weekend of family adventure and escape. Now we were approaching the Biltmore, the famous home that George Washington Vanderbilt II planned and constructed more than one hundred years earlier.

We rounded a bend, and a stand of tall, shimmering ash trees opened up to a breathtaking view. The grand tree-lined entrance in front of us led to a four-story French château–styled structure. Designed as the dream project of Mr. Vanderbilt’s life, Biltmore stood with castle-like grandeur against a dramatic backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. …

As I toured Biltmore, my imagination and vision were once again piqued by the idea of intentionally making my home a holding place for all that is beau- tiful, good, holy, and foundational to life—a place where those I love always feel like they belong, a place of freedom and grace that launches them into the persons they were made to be, a place of becoming. In the midst of demand- ing, constantly pressured lives, we all need refresher courses from time to time about what we are building and why we must be intentional about doing it.

My mom used to put it this way: “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.”

Creating such a place does not require building a mansion as Vanderbilt did. We are all capable of creating a lasting legacy in the form of a home that gives life to others who come under its roof.

A home that serves all who enter.
A home that reflects our own tastes and the values we treasure.
A home that meets the needs of family and visitors alike, that fosters beauty and creativity.
A home where the atmosphere, traditions, and celebrations give life to the hearts, minds, and souls of those inside its walls.
A home that provides a lifegiving legacy that will last for generations to come.
I believe God has designed us to do just that.

Tea Time Tuesday: What To Do When You Are Lost

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The cup of tea on arrival at a country house is a thing which, as a rule, I particularly enjoy. I like
the crackling logs, the shaded lights, the scent of buttered toast, the general atmosphere of​ ​leisured coziness.

P.G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters
​Books: Right Ho Jeeves

My travel paraphernalia:

Tea Tin (Yorkshire Gold!) Miss Tea Cup begs to go on trips. She cuddles up inside my tin and wonders just where we will land. And then she is my friend and comforts me wherever I end up. We bring natural sugar, a small spoon, a travel candle, tea bags, chocolate, and my pashmina for many purposes—warmth, comfort, beauty, a table cloth, and to wrap me in the winter. Such a merry tin of goodies. We have such great memories, my Miss Tea Cup and me.

Meal of the Week: Greek or Mediterranean in General​—in specific, an easy meal.

Awaking Wonder Unit Study in my membership: I absolutely love the subject of our Awaking Wonder Unit this month—it is about stars, galaxies and beyond. You will love it.

Traveling to London to see the specialists at the Eye Hospital. Should I get this surgery? Moorfields Eye Hospital--pin hole operation--private--out of pocket expense—pondering


Music: Wonderful Songs to Explore by: Andrew Peterson--
Holy is the Lord--(on you tubeIs He worthy)

Interview with Singer/Songwriter Andrew Peterson and Queen of Hospitality, Jamie Peterson

The Mystique of Trains And what they teach you!

Getting Lost in Life and What to do!

“Dearest Kitty, it is utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness. I hear the approaching thunder that one day will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions and yet . . . when I look up at the sky I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too will end, that peace and tranquility will return once more. In the meantime I must hold onto my ideals, perhaps the day will come when I’ll be able to realise them. Yours, Anne Frank”

Scripture of the Week:

3 The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.Keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, Isaiah 26:3-4

And so my friends, my week was full, I learned so much and I am grateful.

Thanks for your wonderful notes and comments—you keep me going in this fun Tuesday endeavor.

Praying for you.




A Heart for Faith: 10 Gifts of Heart, Chapter 1

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This week, I’m beginning a new series based on my book, 10 Gifts of Heart. I pray it will be a blessing and encouragement to you.

The world of teens is focused on their test scores as they graduate from high school. But what if God wants us to focus on a different kind of preparation before they leave our homes? What if their character, foundations of faith, their habits of life, work ethic, social skills, vision for life, foundations of family values, and more are the most important preparation that will send them into life with foundations that will hold them through all the days of this hard, secular world? I only wish I had understood even more what my children would need. We wrote the book 10 Gifts of Heart as a sort of guide to what your children need before they leave your home to go into the world.

The ways we shape their values every day in the way we speak to one another; times we spend together pondering daily passages from the word of God; daily chores carried out together; meal times where hearts and ideas are shared, these are the ways values will be shaped, lives will be formed, ready to foray into the world. What values, relationship patterns, faith are you building through your home today?

It was a sunny Texas day, and my children were laughing and fussing, squirming in their breakfast chairs. We didn’t tell the kids everything, of course, but we wanted them to be part of this life of faith, trusting God whether in plenty or in need. When we came to prayer at the end of our devotions, we told them simply that we needed to see God provide financially for our family. Would they pray that too?

Their little faces grew very solemn (although this did not in the least stop their squirming). They squeezed their eyes shut and held their hands tightly together where they sat at the table and each of them prayed in their high voices that God would give us what we needed.

Clay went straight to his office after breakfast, and the kids and I finished the dishes and gathered in the living room to start our day. But before we could begin, Clay was back with news of an amazing discovery. On picking up the morning mail, he found in a national news magazine the story of a particular class action lawsuit settlement regarding a failed investment he had written off long before we were married. Because we’d been overseas and moved multiple times, Clay never received a notice about the lawsuit. But the article said that there was still one week left to file a claim before the lawsuit was closed. He did, and the amount we received would adequately meet our need for funds for months to come.

When we told the kids, their eyes were wide with wonder at the fact that God had answered their prayers. “Mom,” said Sarah, “God really heard us, and it worked. Isn’t that amazing?”

Some Downsides of Technology--Missed Opportunities

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Eating, drinking, using our meal times, tea times and in between times of eating became for Clay and me a means of guiding and passing on the messages of our hearts to our children. Discipleship, mentoring, loving, influencing, cultivating excellence of soul, stimulating to excellent thinking--these are some of the intentional goals that filled my soul, (and still do with my adult children), when I make time to share a meal or have a cup of tea with my children. We observe God pursuing His beloved children from the Garden of Eden to the last supper with His beloved disciples, His heart straining to teach, encourage, inspire and train His beloved chosen ones.

Every year for many years, Sarah and I spent a weekend in Asheville after our yearly mom’s conferences to pamper ourselves. The Biltmore was a place we occasionally toured over the years as a place of inspiration to us as we envisioned the Lifegiving Home. It represented a slower time of life, when people went on walks, rocked on chairs looking over stunning views, sat together at meals. I asked Sarah to join me for breakfast early one morning to share one of the "discipleship meals” I scheduled with my children on a regular basis. We shared a small breakfast and coffee and had a wonderful, heart-connecting conversation.

As we then meandered through the old estate, we noticed fresh flowers artistically shaped into masterpieces that bedecked each table. Evidence of skill and cultivation of beauty, art pieces, and wonderful landscape design confronted us at every juncture. We began to slowly walk by the river, seeking to appreciate a few more stolen moments of a beautiful day. Of course we could never possess the opulence of the grand estate, but it gave us ideas for our own lives.

The colors of late summer flowers fairly sang to us as we walked.

However, at every point of our trek, we were surprised to notice so many people glued to their ipads, cell phones, and computers. On our stroll, people did not look at our eyes as we passed, greeting us as used to be the habit of most people. Instead, they hurried, talking into their little machines, missing the glory of the day.

Coming into one of the splendid lobbies to sit for a minute, we saw a mother all but dragging her little boy by his collar. "I just want you to be quiet so I can have my own time with my friends," she shrieked, scowling each step of the way. "Here, look at this and entertain yourself and don't bother me." She handed him a game device and he sat there glued for the next half hour, not even looking up. Sarah looked at me in surprise, her eyes sad.

More people, more apparatuses!

The flowers, clouds, and wild fowl swimming on the river, were screaming of God, but no one was listening.

The blind and deaf people hastily rushed their busy ways, scrambling after vanity, hoping for some life-validation through a screen, not even hearing the whisper of God's reality through the colors telling of His glory, never noticing a single face to offer a smile or even a nod of recognition at another on the trail.

It was discouraging to see the robotic parade of people who were totally disconnected from the present reality of the beauty all around and potential relationships to be shared with real live and present people. We began to count, and twenty people passed us that day with technology in hand taking their attention, in one of the finest, most beautiful displays of landscape and architecture in the United States, but totally unaware and preoccupied as they went.

After we walked through the music room, we walked and were surprised at one more treasure which awaited us.

Lilting, soul-soothing melodies washed over us as we stepped into the light of the lobby. The beauty of the melody was breath-taking. As we rounded the corner, there sat our elfish source of melody--a be-hatted, older but real-life man, playing on real piano keys and bringing delight to a gathering crowd.

At the end of his playing, a small, spontaneous crowd had gathered round and gave him applause.

"Tell us about your life," we asked, as we lingered to talk with him after his concert.

"I have been playing piano my whole life,” he said. “I am a professor at a college, and I love passing on this beauty to as many people who will devote themselves to bringing real music into the worlds of others to bless them. I just passed by this great piano, and wanted to validate its capacity to encourage others here in this wonderful place."

A real man, with a real skill, playing real songs to real people and breathing life, beauty and inspiration into our souls before we left to face the rest of our day. What a gift!

Today, determine to live real life with the people directly around you. Look for the beauty God has sent, and create some of your own!

Adventure or One More Cup of Tea: Introducing The Adventures of Miss TeaCup

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Adventures of Miss Tea Cup

“Would you like an adventure now, or would like to have your tea first?”

― J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan


Many of you know that I am almost never without tea or a tea cupo-o-really. For years, I pack a tin (can in America) that holds 1 or 2 tea cups, some dark sugar, a spoon and tea. I have traveled a lot over the years and I always wanted to take a little bit of hospitality and civility with me. So, when I would meet privately with people in my hotel room for counseling or have some moments with my children or Clay, I would lay a pashmina scarf on the coffee table in the room, light a small travel candle, put on music from my traveling speaker, make tea and serve in real cups--and voila, you have created a space for personal friendship and conversation. I was thinking about how much fun tea time Tuesday is for me so that I can share a variety of things I am reading, thinking, doing and I decided to add a component--The Adventures of Miss Tea Cup. I have a family of tea cups that sit together on my shelf wherever I live and I choose a couple of them when I travel to put into my tea can. So, stay tuned, you will be seeing my adventures with tea cup in hand. I have some adventures planned this very week---as. mom of 4 lively wee ones, I learned to see life as an adventure and to create a sense of joyful adventures along the way, even in mundane days.

Here in Oxford, Covid is still raging. As a matter of fact, several of my friends or their children have it right now. And so we hold our Monday night Bible study on Zoom tonight. (Sorry, I can't open it up for all over the world because there would be too many people.) So if you live in trajectory of Oxford you are invited, and or you can join us on zoom.

Every week, my life is filled with great conversations with my near and far away kids--so my heart and mind are always filled with great ideas and thoughts.

Today on my podcast, I share:

*Narrating a Good story of Your Life to Yourself--and Narrating a Beautiful Life to your Children--laying foundations for their repeated thoughts

*One of my Favorite Movies: Finding Neverland Read a Biography about JM Barrier--Kennsington Park--Frolicing

Healthy Life--can't do everything, so choose what is right for your life, your preferences, your personality. I am not an expert but after reading, studying and living for many years, these are *10 foods I keep on hand to add to a healthy life--try to eat them every day and then splurge on weekends of on special occasions.

1. Walnuts

2. Avocado

3. Blueberries

4. Pomegranite juice or seeds

5. Salmon--a couple of times a week

6. Olive Oil

7. Greens (by the handfuls)

8. Kraut--several spoonfuls

9. plain yoghurt with live cultures

10. fresh fruits and veggies in season--berries, carrots, broccoli, squash, oranges or tangerines, (salad with all of these on it)

10 glasses of water a day--tea x2 a day and coffee x 1 or 2 (I have a secret conviction that they are both healthy for you--they are fermented and plants--so there you go.

Why We Must Read to Keep our Faith and Hope Alive--foundations of thoughts that feed your spiritual and emotional health

My Secret Favorite Playlist on Spotify--

2 Books I am reading & A Couple of Readings for You

Convenant and Conversations: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

The Sound of Life's Unspeakable Beauty--Martin Schleske. photosynthysis

Help, I'm Drowning by Sally Clarkson--Don't Burn Out

Passing On A Heart for Virtue: 10 Gifts to Give Your Children Before They Leave Home

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"You cannot have holiness without sacrifice, righteousness without obedience, leadership without a servant heart, love without humility.

Sally Clarkson

In a performance-based society where we often measure ourselves by “test scores, degrees, power, money,” we are so busy trying to cover all that our children need to accomplish in life, that often, inadvertently we don’t invest enough time on cultivating virtue, faith, character, the issues of the heart and spirit.

Clay and I made specific goals for our children that had to do with heart, soul and spirit training beyond what we thought our children knew academically. We knew that unless they had internalized the vision of what it meant to be like Christ in their every day worlds, faith would just be something to know cognitively but without a foundation of the ways of thinking and walking in their adult lives.

Often, as believers, we live between two extremes, soul-killing legalism and rules and ensnaring tolerance and open-mindedness, under the auspices of grace. But only Biblical wisdom and truth can really prepare our children to emerge into their worlds prepared to encounter the secularism and temptations presented at every turn in a secular culture, as well as offer the insight for making mature decisions. .

Discernment is the ability to judge well between truth and vanity is reflected in the life of a mature believer. Discernment between good and evil and the willingness to obey whatever God requires is an evidence of one walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and following God's word. However, many do not even know what the word of God says anymore, so they follow online wisdom.

God's word provides the wisdom, boundaries, and insight for each day of our lives. Boundaries and fences and hedges are established for the protection of a land or home, the definition of its realm and the measuring of it's place. When you remove fences and borders, all sorts of havoc reigns. Boundaries provide definition, stability and security. Our culture calls out daily for the compromise and moving of boundaries in our lives. Without a depth of training in the Word, so many are caught up in the seemingly alluring messages—either to legalism and judgment or to compromise and compliance with less than Biblical ideals.

As I have said many times, “in the absence of Biblical conviction, people go the way of culture.”

In the weeks ahead, I will be hosting a podcast series from my book, 10 Gifts of Heart, a book Clay and I wrote to focus on the wisdom habits and principles we wanted our children to have before they left our home and entered into the world as young adults. Be sure to get your copy and follow along with me.

Today, I talk with my friend, Dr. Michael Ward, about his book, After Humanity, his newest book about C.S. Lewis, where we discuss the role virtue plays in the shaping of character. Be inspired.

(You can order his book through https://www.wordonfire.org/humanity/ and by ordering at this venue, you will receive a free copy of The Abolition of Man, only through this publisher.)


Cultivating A Beautiful Life

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Where there is tea, there is hope!

Sir Author Wing Pinero

Yes, indeed—hope! Today after a cold foray out in the winter weather to get some groceries, Joel greeted me with a cup of tea when I returned. Today, share a cup of tea with someone. Today’s theme is sort of about beauty and cultivating it through your life.

Some time ago, after a couple of trips and some wearying legs on an airplane, I had the privilege of attending a tea that one of my friends was holding in her home. The tables for 30 people around her living area in a modest home had been set with care. Flowers, candles, centerpieces with small art pieces placed here and there. 

Today’s Tea Time Tuesday is filled to the brim with music, books, a recipe, thoughts from my week and a surprise interview with my lovely daughter-in-law, Keelia Clarkson, about soul refreshment. I had the opportunity to attend a tea that one of my friends was holding in her home. The fare was simple but elegant--fresh fruit--grapes, tangerines, strawberries served on unmatched crystal dishes from the charity shop, with 3 kinds of cheese and multi-grain crackers. A scone and jam course. Finger sandwiches--cucumber, egg salad, ham and onion, cream cheese and finally chocolates. 

Classical music wafted through the air as all the women present talked quietly--it was as if the atmosphere drew out an elegance and pleasure from all of us because we were tasting of beauty.

Between each course, our hostess showed us different Pre-Raphaelite prints from England, beautiful prints of feminine women, knights, heroes and saints who were depicted by artists in the early 1900's who wanted to bring back the elegance and beauty into art. Alfred Lord Tennyson's life was told in between the prints as the foundation of many of the pictures being painted to reflect his poetry--in memoriam, being one of the best. The love story of his life, his struggle to prove himself, and his faithful love throughout his lifetime.

Our souls were elevated to higher thoughts. Our femininity was cultivated and refined and we were called upon to become more intellectually adept as we pondered how a movement of idealists had in influence on their culture because of their commitment to exalt marriage, and Biblical design of men and women reflecting excellence and beauty in character.

Listening to inspiration, desiring to become more ideal. And all because a woman, who is herself always learning and studying, wanted to pass on civility and beauty to her friends. I know it was a great amount of work, but her labor exalted our souls.

And so it is, we cannot pass on civility, beauty, intelligence, excellence of mind and heart, if we do not ourselves make these virtues a goal of our lives. Whatever we pursue and cultivate will determine what we are also able to pass on to all who we encounter. As stewards of our souls, we must seek to cultivate a garden of beauty--it must be a regular habit, a discipline, to expose ourselves to great minds, the best musicians, fine artists, great theologians, wonderful biographies--so that our souls will indeed reflect a museum of His great character and nobility--that of our great king.

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