Tea Time Tuesday: Hospitality: Serving the Least of These Pleases Jesus

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“And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” - Matthew 25:40

Tea Time Tuesday: Tending to the hearts of the “least of these” is what pleases Jesus. We are His hands, voice, and touch to those He has trusted into our care. Don’t despise the day of small things—it will pass so fast! You, like me, will find yourself longing for the “good old days."

My adult children have become occupied with their own busy lives, it is harder to bring them all together. Yet, recently as yet another birthday approached, I asked one of my daughters, “Would you like for me to spoil you and take you out to breakfast for a girl’s time to celebrate your birthday?” Her answer surprised me.

“What I would really like is to have an old traditional Clarkson family breakfast with all of us who can make it, to eat cheesy eggs, your homemade cinnamon rolls, and be together, celebrate our friendship. That’s what I want the most.”

I look at all of the years of raising my children. The cherished table times and moments together are where we became best friends. This is the best gift we gave. It is the thread that tied our hearts together through the years.

This table that I set was thrown together out of a habit I have learned over years. Using the resources available to me, since I don’t have a car, I had to be creative. Bringing color and beauty to our lives was one of the goals. I use thrifting to create mealtime art!

Each home where I have lived overseas has its own unique flavor. I make home whichever country I am in, celebrating every day as a gift, making sure to focus on the personal—their heart. We have very crowded tables in our homes overseas—no large dining rooms, just small places in our kitchen. I ordered dishes from eBay (8 china dinner plates for $12, candlesticks from a market for $2, a flower vase for $4, and 8 wine glasses that held juice for our breakfast for $10).

Celebrating so many birthdays before, putting together a family birthday breakfast was easy because of the practice of hosting them hundreds of times.

Join me on my Tea Time Tuesday podcast today, where I have my son Joel on to talk about his brand new album, Midsummer. Follow Joel on Insta: @joel.i.clarkson

In Quietness is Your Strength

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Have you noticed that worry and fear and anxiety steal your energy, make you exhausted, and take over your emotions and thoughts?

God says through Isaiah 30:15, “In quietness and rest will be your strength.”

In other words, we sacrifice the peace of Christ when we choose to try to take control of our circumstances or figure out how our difficulties will all work out. We wrongly think at times we are in control. But in a broken world where we are subject to our own foolishness and sin as well as the chaos of the world and other sinful people, in quietness and rest in God is our strength.

When Jesus was going through the most stressful moments he had on earth, He said to his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

“Wait on the Lord and you will gain new strength.” Isaiah

Today, my friends, live in His peace. Rest in His strength. Peace be yours, the Lord is near.

Tea Time Tuesday: Bonnie Scotland

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When You are Scottish — the sound of the pipes can put a wee spring intae yer step or bring a wee tear tae yer eye.

Tea Time Tuesday in Bonnie Scotland

Sometimes there are places that wrap their vast beauty around your heart and hold you there with a sense that you are experiencing another world. From the first time I visited St. Andrews, I was charmed, inspired, and held such a sense of belonging. Maybe my life story has a history or legacy in the past that brought great joy or fulfillment to my ancestors who lived there. But every time I must leave there, tears uninvited spring to my eyes.

Kindness and friendliness ooze from the people I know there. The sing-song accent invites me into whoever I am talking to. Today on my Tea Time Tuesday podcast, I will take you on my trip to this small town and invite you to travel for just a bit into one of my favorite places.

Pilgrimages have been made to St. Andrews, the holding place of the bones of the apostle Andrew. People longing to experience a closer relationship with God, or those with heartfelt prayer requests would walk “The Way of St. Andrews Pilgrimage” for countless miles to experience the spiritual life of the cathedral there. It was destroyed during the Scottish Reformation but still holds a historical draw today. Lots of history you can read about this.

Some of my favorite authors of children’s books come from Scotland. You’ll have to listen to my podcast to hear about them.

Scotch Eggs are a favorite of some friends of mine, and there is a favorite dish that I cannot quite bring myself to taste.

Every time I visit, I sneak by myself into the ruins of the old cathedral that has heard so many prayers and shown such gentle and strong encouragement to so many through the ages. St. Andrews encourages us to leave a legacy of love, faith, laughter, dancing, and beauty. May you have a week filled with romance, love, laughter, dancing, and beauty this week! Do you have a favorite place that brings soul-deep joy to your heart?

Sacred Celebrations

There is something sacred about life celebrations. To underline and commemorate a life accomplishment or joy gives it weight, adds importance. Celebrations live in the hearts, minds, souls of the one celebrated for a lifetime and gives hope and courage when hard times come.

Last weekend, some of our family was able to travel up to bonnie Scotland to watch our son Joel receive his Doctoral Degree in theology. To wear the robes, to walk the stage, to be bopped, (a St Andrews tradition) to be honored by the wise and seasoned professors surrounding his studies, is an accomplishment worth lots of celebration.

Part of the joy was talking with his friends and professors, eating feasts of delicious food together, chatting and laughing about the “old times,” when interest in theology developed around our dinner table discussions, and just life. Reminiscing about all the moments of the journey and just being happy together was a highlight for this mama. I just love being with all and any of my children together.

I am so very proud of wonderful Joel. I can hardly believe he has his doctorate. I think any great task or accomplishment in life isn’t just about finishing it, but it is about the character that grows inside when a person has to be self-disciplined, self-motivated, diligent to work hard when no one is around to prompt such work. Learning to strain in the virtues of courage, endurance, confidence when the tough seasons come and whisper, “You will never finish this!”

And yet, to keep going with fortitude is part of the prize. What a joy it has been in retrospect to see how consistently Joel manifested these attributes through the years of study. In reality, like Jesus, he has grown in wisdom, stature, in favor with God and man. I am so honored to celebrate him and to know him as one of the best men I have ever known. Congratulations my wonderful Joel.

The Lifegiving Home Book Club Kicks Off Next Week!

Each day I receive letters from women all over the world who are over-burdened, overwhelmed, and exhausted. “Sally,” they write, “I would love to light candles at dinner and have relaxing tea times and invite people into our home but that just isn't practical for our family. I believe in the ideals you write about but I just can't figure out how to get there.”

One of the most surprising, yet deeply fulfilling ventures of my life was the gratification of turning my home into a place that breathes life, inspiration, love and faith. But I had to learn how to shape my home over years. 

This summer, as we welcome a new season with a slower pace, I wanted to come alongside you as we work through The Lifegiving Home book in my Life With Sally Membership. Not only will you be inspired by the ideals in the book, you will learn how to practically apply them to your daily life, no matter your life stage or home situation.

Through this book club, we will work through what it means to create a space that supports joyful, vibrant, productive living and supports growth of body, soul, and spirit. If we look at the lovely world God designed for us, we can see a pattern for what He always intended for us: a home environment filled with color and creativity and order, a welcoming provider of laughter and refuge, a space where memories are made and shared. 

My friends, remember this: building well is a long process. Creating a lifegiving home is a long process taken one step and one season at a time. This summer, are you ready to take a small step forward in creating the lifegiving home you and your family's heart has longed for?

When does the book club start?

The book club will officially kick off on Wednesday, June 21st with the first week's email sent straight to your inbox! It will be seven weeks long and wrap up August 2nd. 

Does the book club cost anything?

No, the book club is a free benefit for all Life With Sally members! If you aren't a member of Life With Sally, you can join by clicking here! 

Where is the discussion happening? I'm not on social media! 

The discussion for the book will be happening on the Life With Sally forum and you will get a link to the discussion thread in each weekly email. 

How does the book club work?

Every Wednesday, starting June 21st, you will receive an email that has two (or so) chapters to read from The Lifegiving Home covering topics like:

• Creating lifegiving rhythm and routines

• Discovering the heartbeat and vision of a Godly home

• How to show love to all who enter our home as servant leaders

• How to build a fun and faithful family culture

…and so much more! We will dive into those topics in the email and include special resources to help you break down the ideas, inspiration, and principles of the book into small, actionable steps that you can implement in your own home. These special resources can include anything from a guided workbook or journal to podcast episodes, Life With Sally content, recipes, or videos. You will also receive a link to that week's discussion thread on the Life With Sally forum where you can unpack all you've learned and swap stories, inspiration, or ideas with other like-minded moms. 

How to access the book club if you are a member of Life With Sally

• Every Wednesday morning, you will receive an email with the assigned reading, special resources, discussion questions, and a link to the book discussion happening on the Life With Sally forum!

• If you have not received the email (or lost in your inbox), you can log into your account at www.lifewithsally.com and just beneath the new content for June, you will see a button to access that week’s book club content!

How to access the book club if you are NOT a member of Life With Sally

• To receive access to the book club, you will first need to join the Life With Sally Membership by CLICKING HERE.

• Once you are a member, every Wednesday morning, you will receive an email with the assigned reading, special resources, discussion questions, and a link to the book discussion happening on the Life With Sally forum!

• If you have not received the email (or lost in your inbox), you can log into your account at www.lifewithsally.com and just beneath the new content for June, you will see a button to access that week’s book club content!

If you have any questions or need help, please reach out to LWSBookClub@gmail.com!

Tea Time Tuesday: A More Excellent Way

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“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

-Hebrews 12:1 NLT

Our culture is in great need of heroes, stories with sacrificial endings, and inspiring lives of those who strain after all that is good, beautiful, and true. I consider my work of faithfulness a success when, in hidden moments of life, I hear and see my children making hard choices—the choice to work hard to pay bills, the choice to be moral and cultivate integrity in a world that gives permission to compromise, the decision to stay faithful in places the world or others would say "give up."

We live in a mediocre culture. The voices of our culture in this contemporary world will almost always give you permission to compromise your ideals, give up on commitments, escape the hard work, go the easy route. “Oh, they will be just fine—don’t interfere too much.”

But, there are not many examples of people to whom you can point your children and say:

“Look at that person—they have worked hard, sacrificed their lives, accomplished something great in this world!”

We need to say to our children, "I believe God has designed you to give something great to your generation in your lifetime!”

I am convinced that if we women understood that we have a capacity to work a little harder, give more, and cultivate more intentionally, we would indeed be able to see greatness of soul, depth of faith arise out of our children’s lives. Nothing truly great is ever accomplished without great effort. We are, after all, charged with subduing a world that is in rebellion against God. By investing more time in our children, we are helping them mount up over inertia, laziness, bad habits, and self-centeredness, and giving them practice at developing good habits, skills, and abilities—all of which need to be intentionally nurtured, taught, modeled, and trained into them by their parents!

Hear more on my podcast today about His excellence through us. He is our source of strength.

Obedience: The Action of Authentic Faith

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“Mama, why do I have to obey you and Daddy? Who said you were the ones who were right?” (From one of my children who wanted to do something they knew we didn’t allow).

Obedience is the action of authentic faith; “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

I often said to them, “God loves us so much that He gives us principles of wisdom that teach us what is right and wrong, what will lead us to a happy and productive life. God protects us by making painful mistakes in our lives by giving us instruction. But parents are God’s representatives to teach you how to obey Him. If you learn to obey us, you will be able to obey God when you are an adult and you are alone with out a mama and daddy to tell you what is the wisest thing to do in life. Mama and Daddy are God’s representatives to help our precious children learn to love wisdom, how to be wise in life. You practice with us so that you will be ready to follow God’s leading when we are not there to help.”

Many years ago as a new believer, I did a big, broad study on obedience in the Bible. We cannot please God unless we cultivate a heart that wants to obey Him. Jesus says if we love Him, we will obey him. It is not about being religious, or works oriented, or “churchy.” It is about having a heart to ponder His words and stories, His ways that He dealt with people, His love and then do what we can to obey His heart lessons. We grow little by little as we strength our muscle to obey, even when it is a challenge. Without a heart to do what God tells us to do, we cannot please Him.

To obey means to act according what you have been asked or ordered to do by someone in authority, or to behave according to a rule, law, or instruction. Obedience is the action of authentic faith. Jesus said, “If you love me, obey me.”

More on my podcast today: At Home With Sally

This week, I pray you will be sensitive to listen to the Holy Spirit, to obey what God tells you to do, to be a picture of His goodness, His truth, His love because of your heart to obey Him in the real and now.

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

Tea Time Tuesday: Rest, Celebrate, and Be still

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“But indeed I would rather have nothing but tea.”

-Jane Austen

Take time for your favorite cuppa and relax a bit and enjoy Tea Time Tuesday. I have fun collecting tidbits. I also welcome more ideas of some of your favorite books, music, recipes, and stories about wonderful people. Enjoy!

As I was flipping through my photos, I came across this one. Almost a year ago, one of my favorite people in the world asked me over for a spot of tea. Cherished moments and deep friendship remind me all over again about blessed I am to have this friend. When someone invites you out of the chaos of life into a beautiful moment, it refreshes us unexpectedly.

Jane Austen shares my feeling about tea time—it is the taking time, not just the flavor of tea, that brings us peaceful moments. How many times do you think Jane Austen wrote tea time into her books? You will be surprised! It was fun for me to explore.

Today, I talk about a book for women as well as a book for children of various ages, especially middle school on up. Summer is a time to read just for fun.

This week, I not only listed a piece of music that everyone should know, but also a little bit about the composer.

A second recipe for fresh summer veggies.

And a look at why God considered that David, out of all the heroes of faith, beyond all the stories in the Old Testament, was a man after God’s heart. So much fun.

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

David: A Man After God's Own Heart

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Of all the heroes of faith in all the stories in the Bible, David was called by God, “A man after my own heart.”

Imagine if a parent said this about his child. Basically, it would be a parent saying, “That child does so much to reach my heart, that child gives me such pleasure.”

David wrote poetry about His love and adoration of God. Do you write songs/poetry about how much you love and trust Him? David sang his songs for God. He attempted to capture the integrity of God’s love and care for him. He wrote love poems to God,

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want of anything.” What trust! What a grateful heart.

How does David show he is a man after God’s own heart in the beloved praise of God as his shepherd—the one who protects, provides for, and restores his own? How can you show God that you are after his heart right in the midst of your story today?

Be encouraged by the podcast today on At Home with Sally.

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

Tea Time Tuesday: Cheers: Sit Down and Rest a Spell

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“I must drink lots of tea or I cannot work. Tea unleashes the potential which slumbers in the depth of my soul.” -Leo Tolstoy

Isn’t that a great quote? I cannot work without tea. It “unleashes my potential” happens to be true for me. And isn’t this a great spot? I have favorite benches all over the world. I sit in natural places, decked with beauty, I drink something wonderful and I center myself to a point of peace. Then I go back to life. Do you have such a place?

“Cheers, friends! Sit down and rest a spell!” my grandmother used to say when we came to her house. Always a welcome, always a cheery wish for us to take time for a visit, a time to chat, a time to be friends.

So, today, sit down and rest a spell. You will be so glad you did.

This week, I put aside many responsibilities and sat down with various of my people. Travel with Joy and me to London, and visit the places where we celebrated life together. We ate amazing food, walked thousands of steps, visited King’s College in London where she has a postdoc and teaches, and had an evening in the darkness looking out on the ships on the Thames, the city lights, the London Eye, and chatted about all that was on our heart.

I took time to visit with friends visiting from America. Ran into 3 different people who recognized me on the street—and gave a surprising response to one of them—(what in the world was I thinking?). Heard stories of valor, took time to go on long walks with one of my favorite people, to eat a hamburger out in the meadow.

This week, pondering Simon and Garfunkel, Robert Louis Stephenson’s book The Kidnappers, ate an Indian breakfast, pondered God’s never-ending presence in my life, and enjoying the beauty of spring. Won’t you join me?

I am always so tickled that so many of you like Tea Time Tuesday—what do you like about it and what do you want more of? I want it to be a “Take off your shoes and set a spell,” sort of time.