Tea Time Tuesday: Morning Delighting in Life

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

Proverbs 17:22

I wish you could have joined me early this morning. It was rather delightful.

The sun was not quite up and so I lit the candles on my dining nook table in my kitchen, poured myself a strong cup of tea (with sugar—I haven't died yet). I have put a small couch in my dining nook because it has windows that face my outside smallish garden. I sat quietly in the candlelight, music wafting softly in the background, and sipped my golden tea. Just then a small bird came hopping up to my window and sang a bird song. I took delight into my heart. I think it was an angel or God.

That is what I hope you will have today while we have tea together.

Joel and I attended church Saturday night because we planned a very fun, only pleasure Sunday. Cold, cold, cold weather means we always wear hats, but we did have lots of fun.

On today’s podcast:

• Bagpipes bellowing. 

• A sunset walk on the canal. 

• A Sunday morning very frosted cinnamon roll.

• Sunday roast is on the menu today. Also, pomegranate seeds, and kiwi fruit.

• An indoor winter picnic story remembered. 

• 5 Ways to Brighten Your Day, to refresh you.

Today, we join Pooh Bear for a few moments as Pooh's purpose is to bring delight into the world. Milne, his creator, crafted stories after World War I specifically to bring joy to the world.

What are the most delightful, joy-filled books you know? Share them, please.

This week, I am on a quest for delight—for myself and my people. We all need some moments to put away darkness and to invest in beauty, fun, celebration. Determine that this will be a week when you bring joy, beauty, delight to yourself and your beloveds.

My Work is Never Finished

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

Once, I was feeling a bit unseen, underappreciated, and had a ridiculous notion—I wonder how many meals I had served over my 41 1/2 years of marriage. I only considered a small portion of all the countless meals we served to other families, Bible studies, special dinners, but also family meals, and came up with over 200,000 meals in my home! That’s a lot of dirty dishes to conquer.

I never knew how long motherhood would be or what it would cost me or if I could complete it well. And I am not a naturally unselfish person—and was never trained for what I ended up doing. If someone said, “I want you to work a job that will require 24/7 for over 40 years, you will be underpaid, underappreciated, you will educate 4 children, have endless messes, hard work, sometimes loved and admired, sometimes the recipient of unjust criticism and anger—and it will be the most important work ever done in history…” I would not have known what they were talking about.

I had no idea what motherhood would cost me in time, heart, actual physical work, creativity, love, instruction and so much more. And yet, I am old enough, seasoned through the many years to be able to say it is the most profound work I have ever undertaken—to shape real human beings in faith, virtue and purpose in life over days, months, years and decades.

I am grateful for the example of Jesus, who shows us over and over again as we read of the way He interacted with His disciples that these little things... these unending, sometimes tiresome tasks moms face day after day... they can become holy actions as we offer them to Him. Every time we serve our children, we invest in them, building bridges from our hearts to theirs, helping their souls understand the love and grace of God.

As I look to the hearts of my own children, even as adults, I realize my love and service to them must come before any of my great words, my teaching and training. My time—staying up late at night for conversations, watching movies and discussing them, my attention, my "soft-tickling," laying in bed with my sweet ones, listening to their hearts when I would rather be in bed—even when I am tired or have other "important" things on my mind—is what builds our relationship and prepares them to listen to what I have to say. Only then, once the wells of their need are filled with the grace of being loved, will my words to them about God's grace finally make sense.

Teatimes Waiting to Happen

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

Tea Time Tuesday:

“A teatime mentor is always on the hunt for more tea cups, and dealing of the friends and people where she will celebrate life over tea!”

Please don’t tell Clay—he thinks I have quite enough tea cups! I just couldn’t help it. I innocently passed by a charity shop (second-hand shop) and this little tea set called out my name (6 dessert plates, 6 cups and saucers, a cake serving plate, a creamer and sugar cup, all in great shape!). To top it off, it was 30% discounted and I got the whole set for $25. What a deal. I already imagined friends sitting together, bubbling over with ideas, thoughts, friendship abounding. Yes, teatime discipleship is what I have come to call it! Why don’t you come for a visit and hot cuppa if you are ever in my neighborhood?

After I arrived home in Oxford, I was looking forward to some warmer weather and a walking life. But my phone said, “Oxford Drizzle” (is that a thing?) and so the winds blew, my umbrella blew upside down 3 times, but I made it to my market and bought fresh blueberries, salad, goat cheese, walnuts and scurried home—wet as a rat when I arrived. Oxford drizzle!

Today on my podcast, I talk of the “jacket story,” my favorite quick winter lunch sandwich, a new book I am loving as a resource, my favorite new acoustic music channel on Spotify, and sweet, fun memories of my week here.

Many women have written me along the way to ask, “What if I have blown it? What if I am too late to reach the hearts of my children? My family? My husband? My friends? Is there any going back or making up for the ways I have blown it?”

And another question I get is, “What if I have done everything in my power to be a good mom, to train, to educate, to reach the heart of my child, and they rebel and reject all that I have taught them?”

One small podcast isn’t enough space to answer in depth these crucial questions, but at this stage of my life, I have learned that God’s word always provides truth, comfort, hope and perspective. This is a marathon of a life for most of us, but with every step, I come to see the loving, gracious compassion and sympathy of God at work. Most issues take longer than I want them to take—God rarely seems in a hurry. Yet, He companions us each step.

Sip your tea or coffee with me today and rest in His generous love. Praying for you all.

Gentleness Opens Hearts

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

“Always to be gentle toward everyone.” Titus 3:2

Perhaps before I became a wife, or parent, I assumed, I would be able to be mature, healthy, loving, and successful at these relationships. Conflict in my own heart and life, the stress of living with so many needs and so many constant demands showed me my selfishness.

I longed for mercy, but especially for gentleness. I wanted to be understood--that I had a heart to be good at  these relationships but sometimes I just couldn't—my own selfishness got in the way. I meant to be patient, giving, loving, but I had my limits. As an idealist and “feeler” heart, I wanted compassion and sympathy, but especially a gentle response—not anger and condemnation.

And so did my children and husband—and all were different, all pushed my buttons in different ways. It was through my different children, the demands of everyday life, that I learned the need for gentleness, that I craved another chance—again. 

Where does a woman find the ability to be gentle, to show mercy, understanding, compassion?

When she understands that her heart is selfish, prone to making bad choices, limited in patience, and just beginning to understand what love requires. She understands that she herself is fragile; she will extend the grace she wishes to receive to others she loves, because they, too, are fragile and want gentleness and mercy.

If a woman understands that others, like her, are going to make mistakes, have accidents, show the dark heart of sin, she will not condemn them harshly for being so.

Instead, from a heart that knows she does not deserve the grace and love of Jesus, but receives it nonetheless, she will extend her patience, mercy and gentleness to others to show them the real heart of Jesus.

She will still teach, train, correct as Jesus did, knowing that gentleness and compassion come from a humbled heart.

Showing gentleness and mercy comes from a heart that recognizes the need for gentleness and mercy for herself.

In a study about gentleness recently, I found no less than 8 Biblical writers that place gentleness at the core of their call to righteousness. Today's podcast is about these leaders and what they wrote. God grant us gentleness.

Tea Time Tuesday: Love in Action

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

Warm Ginger Cake with vanilla caramel frosting and Ice Cream!

"Make space for relationships by setting apart time with a loved one."

Finances were always interesting in our family. There was always more need for money. Things came up like braces, a "kid's" car so they didn't always have mine, special occasions, lessons, and so much more. So, I started making my own hidden treasure box. Whenever I would get a check from someone for Christmas or my birthday--or other little ways, I would cash the check and put it in my own treasure box, so that it didn't go into the general checking account and when I needed some money for a splurge--there it was. This habit has served me well.

Recently, when Nathan and Keelia were visiting in Oxford, I snuck some money out of my treasure box and took them to a lovely private hotel. It used to be a parsonage right in the middle of Oxford. It has many interesting stories. But it is near where I live, they have a wonderful dining area with oil paintings of interesting people all around the walls and it is quiet and charming. We do not get the expensive high tea, but a cup of tea or coffee, a cake or specialty sweet, and just for that hour we feel special, share what is on our hearts and enjoy the quiet and beauty. You see in the photo, I ordered a classic ginger cake. It was wonderful. 

Lots of fun on Tea Time Tuesday today, but I am at the airport and have run out of time.

Do you find travel easy and fun or challenging and draining?

Everything has a cost, doesnt’t it? Hope your week is a good one. I love all of your comments and notes. Makes my day. Thanks so much.

Graceful Endurance: Remaining Under the Weight

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

Today finds me airborne over the ocean toward England. I will once more be walking the cobblestone streets of Oxford instead of hiking the trails of Colorado. What a wonderful holiday season I have had. Nathan and Keelia have been home with Clay and me. The rhythms of life have gone soul deep—Keelia, my daughter-in-law has made us her own special egg sandwiches for us each morning, followed by strong steaming coffee, with hours of rousing discussions about every subject in the world. Daily calls to the rest of our sweet ones have added flavor to the moments of our days.

Through so many years, the days were repetitive, me, with all of my heart, teaching truths, reading and discussing great ideas, thousands of meals and dirty dishes to be dealt with, attitudes to be corrected, a little math and science thrown in along the way. Days were exhausting and sometimes I wondered if all of my effort and energy were making even an iota of an impact or if my work mattered.

Yet, Clay and I would speak of biblical endurance—which in the original language means to “remain under the weight.” It was the grace of endurance, to remain under, that caused us, eventually to see the beautiful work God was doing in all of our lives. One day, one step at a time, and a legacy emerged of love, faith, fully flourishing adult children—all by grace.

As I look back, I am sometimes amazed at the ways God has led, lessons learned, souls were shaped, faith grew. It all started when I made a quiet commitment to Him. I was by myself in a very small hotel room, reading my Bible on a getaway. It was as though the Lord whispered, “Will you be mine? Serve me? Follow me anywhere?” I wanted to be His, I wanted to serve Him with all my heart. I said, “Yes, if you will help me.”

And as I look back, many seasons were challenging, amidst lots of joy mingled with love. But I see that He blessed me, stretched me, helped me, deepened me through walking with Him day by day. Now the story continues in a different continent, but He is still leading.

Friends, your love, serving, faith matters so much today.

Awaking Wonder: Inspiration for a New Season

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

“A Mentor: A Trusted Guide or Counselor who maximizes the human potential of those who are the subject of influence and encouragement.” - Awaking Wonder

Several years ago, when I first launched my book, Awaking Wonder, I hired a videographer to record 12 sessions, accompanying each chapter of my book. I wanted the messages to embody the wisdom I had learned from 38 years of being a mama and from learning how to maximize the potential of my own children.

The older I get, the more I love the capacity God gave to women. My deep desire is to help draw out, inspire, encourage, teach people in my wake that God has given them great potential and possibility of accessing amazing potential in their lifetimes. We are called to reach out to others, to show them the light of Christ, to embody wisdom, love, integrity and faith in our worlds so that they might see the reality of God in and through us.

As I was praying about what I could do this month to come alongside the wonderful friends in my community, to give them some refreshment, some inspiration, I wanted to make these videos available again, for free. Normally they live in my membership, LIfe With Sally. But for 10 days, you can access them, watch them over and over, use them as you wish as a gift from me, all of our ministry team to you.

I hope they will encourage you and fill you up with lots of new ideas. Whether you are single, married, working outside your home, or a stay-at-home mom, you are called by the heart of Jesus to give of yourself to others. So, though much of this is geared to education at home, much of it is just basic material about how to mentor and teach others.

Click here to fill out the form to get all 12 conference videos sent to your email.

Tens of thousands enjoyed these videos the last time we released them. Let me know what you think! I hope you are encouraged. I share them with lots of love and hope that you enjoy hearing from my own story of life with all the Clarksons over the years.

Be sure to get a copy of Awaking Wonder if you do not have one.

Awaking Wonder: Opening Your Child's Heart to the Beauty of Learning

By Clarkson, Sally

Creating Beauty Mirrors the Reality of God in Our World

When we take the time to order our place in a beautiful expression of our own making, to reflect design and color on a table, or through feasting, or giving deliciousness to life, we are mirroring the reality of God in our world. One of the marks of a godly woman is that she takes responsibility for her soul's need for joy and delight and to craft such places where she might find rest and be inspired. To express such beauty is an expression of worship.

Another way of looking at it is that a woman is a conductor, who leads the orchestra of her surroundings in the songs and music of her life. God is a God of creativity and dimension, and so He is pleased when we we co-create beauty in our own realm, through the power of His Spirit.

It was a profound realization when I understood that I could become an artist with my very life in many faceted dimensions of my own world.

-From The Lifegiving Home by Sally Clarkson

Tea Time Tuesday: Keep Up Your Courage, Friends

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

I have had to take some deep breaths and several long cups of coffee (Tea Time Tuesday includes coffee!) to center myself, to get perspective and to ready my heart to face what is here now and what stress surely lies ahead.

Tea Time Tuesdays and tea time in general is a recognition that it takes time to center oneself, to gather courage to face life with faith, to find the love deep in our hearts to be able to keep loving the unlovable one who is taxing us during each season. To keep our thoughts and feelings in perspective by centering ourselves and having time to put them in the file drawer of heaven takes intentionality and time. Tea times will get us through the years of constant storms. Take time so that you may take courage for your life this week.

Have you noticed? All people are a little quirky and you are, too.

All families are crazy and challenging in their own ways. Don’t think it is just you or your family that is hard, or your child who feels impossible and gives pushback from time to time. Or your husband is uniquely difficult. You are in good company. All of us in a fallen world deal with these things from time to time—and there is no magical formula you could have followed to keep your children from ever arguing or questioning you. It is all a normal part of life.

In. your lifetime, no matter how hard you try, what goodness you have invested in others in your lifetime, you will be criticized, challenged, hurt—by the very ones you have served.

After almost 60 years of subduing the life God has given me, I have walked through my fair share of adventures, joys, relationship heartbreak and disasters of all sorts. One of the worst things the enemy can do is to truly convince us that our situation is unique, that we are completely alone, and that we will never be able to make it out to see the silver lining. While it's easy to believe that we are unique in these times of darkness and difficulty, scripture is filled with stories of disaster and destruction.e

Today, I review the disastrous storm in which Paul found himself and other passengers who were scared. He teaches us about how to rally others to courage and faith.

Food includes: Chile Con Queso, Sticky Toffee Pudding

Singer-songwriters I love.

A Book to inspire

My life the past weeks and more. Join me and tell your friends.

We read about Paul’s storm in Acts 27:10:

"Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also."

Paul was in the midst of a disastrous situation, and he made sure to warn his crew about the storm that he believed would cause absolute destruction. This would be a very different story if Paul left things off right there with warnings, worry, and hopelessness. However, an angel spoke to Paul and he went on to tell his crew in verse 25:

"Keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me."

Paul's words of hope and faith restored the crew and gave them courage.

Jesus himself encountered many disastrous situations. However, even in the midst of raging seas, He spoke peace and calm over the chaos. How would you react if a crazy, angry, hateful crowd came up to you and attempted to throw you off a cliff? When that happened to Jesus, He simply passed through those people and went to the next town. Even when the devil plotted hate and harm against Him, Jesus never allowed anything to stand in the way of His purpose.

Because of the coming of Jesus, He took away any power the enemy could have to hurt us. However, we still have to choose faith, choose courage, and choose to keep walking through the disasters until we find joy. Perhaps you are in the midst of a battle right now, a war that is raging in your heart and soul. I challenge you to walk with courage and faith through this season, no matter how disastrous the voyage may appear to be. Just like the apostle Paul, your words of hope and faith will give you the strength and courage to keep going.F

The Lifegiving Home Plan: 2023

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

I love the feel of January, though, because there's sense of something new and refreshing. The feel of a new beginning and fresh goals.

So many have written me about helping them to set up goals for to cultivate a “Lifegiving Home” I thought I would give you some planning sheets to help along the way. I have included some rituals to strengthen or include into your own rhythms. Everything from devotional routines and meal time routines to cleaning routines to the reading-hour routine. We probably all do these in some capacity. But what can you do to strengthen them? What can you do to make them unique to your family? Special particularly for them?

There is no one right way to live life in a home. No one size of routine or rules or order fits all. Homes with young children will be quite different from a single-adult home. Elderly adults will order their lives by different life rituals than will single adults, young marrieds, or university students. But the more carefully we plan our days, the better our homes will provide us with freedom and enjoyment as well as purpose and accomplishment.

Familiar rhythms and routines give structure that provides leadership and personal care to all who live there. When children and guests know what to expect, they also know how to ask for their personal needs to be met and understand what part they play in the life of the home. -Sally Clarkson

Hope this helps you enter 2023 with grace. I have included 4 pages of goals on Insta and for download on SallyClarkson.com

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