Sally Clarkson's Blog, page 35

Children Long to be Part of a Great Story

We long to know our lives can make a real difference, that our being alive and making the right choices isn't just about duty, but about a heart-gripping reality that will make a purposeful impact in the lives of others—and to know that someone cares about our life sacrifices and investment of our time. We need to recognize these same needs in the hearts of our children.

Paul and Peter willingly and joyfully sacrificed their lives because they knew, they deeply understood, that they were a part of the movement of the Spirit of God to redeem the world for their creator. They were kingdom laborers. The passion in their hearts gave them the power to serve. Service without heart kills the soul.

And so, when we seek to disciple our children, it is cultivating in them a vision for their importance to Christ's work, a hope that they are needed to fulfill a kingdom cause with their unique personality and skills, and then giving them practice in serving others as they grow up in our homes, which are the center of our ministry.

It is about them watching us serve and being caught up in the beauty of our loving, giving to, serving, and inspiring others from the integrity and compassion of our own hearts and lives, that their hearts will be captured.

From #TheMomWalk book ❤️

Tea Time Tuesday: Peace in the Storms of Life

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

“Jesus was asleep at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they wakened him, shouting, ‘Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to drown?’

 Then he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Quiet down!” And the wind fell, and there was a great calm!“ Mark 4: 38-39

Seems many are deep in the storms of life. Chaos is rearing its head in many places.

I have been thinking about Jesus, sleeping, quiet, at peace in the storm resting on a cushion. Like a baby, warm, deep breath sleep, soundly at rest—restoring, trusting, fret-free existence in the calm of slumber.

How? Knowing that his beloved Father loves him and will care for Him. Knowing the Father knows all things and is the transcendent, creator, ruler, compassionate, trustworthy One.

In my storms, I am timid, fragile, fearful, doubting. 

He knew I would need Him, picturing for me the “peace that passes understanding” amidst the gales and torrential, unrelenting issues of life, so that two thousand years beyond I would have an image of what it means to rest in the storm.

In some of his last words, Jesus had us on his mind "that they may know that you have loved them, even as you have loved me." John 17:23

He who loved and cared for Jesus in his storm, loves me just as much.

He who was with Jesus, is with me.

He is still the calm in the midst of storms, the peace and rest in the torrents, the comfort and lover and One who is powerful above all and still says to the powers that threaten, "Be still."

So, today, I am seeking to be in that vortex of peace, beauty, rest, calm because He is here with me.

Today’s Tea Time Tuesday podcast is filled with fun—a full moon and a proposal, one of my favorite series of books, gorgeous music, food, and more.

God, give my friends peace in their storms, a sense of your companionship as you are with them, knowing that you see them and love them.

Bless you today, friends.

A Legacy of Love That Begins With Jesus

When we set in motion traditions formed by faith and values in action, a legacy of love that begins with Jesus is strengthened in our homes.

Later, when times become difficult for the growing child or when tensions rise at home, those memories remain and the lessons experienced through intentional discipling and from our example of living a sincere faith are there as a foundation.

Don’t ever believe your child isn’t noticing how you live and how you interact with them—as well as others. They see it all. They make note of our priorities and how we invest our time and resources.

And when they realize they are one of those top priorities, and you are choosing to pour into them with time, prayer, teaching, and connection, they get a glimpse of God’s love and care for them.

From Teatime Discipleship for Mothers and Daughters — preorder your copy today!

Teatime Discipleship for Mothers and Daughters: Pouring Faith, Love, and Beauty into Your Girl’s Heart By Clarkson, Sally Buy on Amazon

Tea Time Tuesday: Bearing Even More Fruit

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

Tea Time Tuesday:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”

I live in the mountains, 7200 feet above sea level. Basically, our house sits on a rocky mountain! So it is very challenging to have a garden here. We purchase wildflower mountain seeds and varieties of plants that grow in high altitudes. I learned this the hard way by killing a lot of plants and 3 apple trees. I also had to learn not to get the kind of flowers deer love to munch.

Finally, I purchased a rose bush that was friendly to high altitudes and over the years it grew and spread out. When I returned home from Oxford recently, my favorite old rose bush was worse for wear. Barely had a bloom, dead branches, dried up flowers. 

One morning while Lilian was visiting, she and I took some garden scissors and cut back all the dead branches. She loved being my helper.  

Now, literally within days, my roses are beginning to bloom, healthy, spreading out. 

So often, God prunes my branches of life. He takes away, he cuts my life back—and truly I have learned that I bear more fruit from these times of discipline than I could have understood when I was younger. He has the best for me in mind—that I may bear even more fruit.

Taking it to heart, I got out my planner and knew I needed to do some pruning of the many activities and people who wanted my time. I needed to simplify so that I could bloom anew. To stay vibrant, I needed a simpler life to cut off some dead, unproductive drainers of my life. I can see how much God has used pruning in my life to make me stronger, more content, and more ready to keep giving and producing.

Some fun topics on today’s podcast—one of my favorite summer salads, music to inspire, stories about a favorite author and 3 not to miss books. Happy Tuesday, my friends. What is God pruning in your life?

Home Should Be The Best Place To Be

What greater joy can there be than to create a holding place for all that is sacred in life: faith, love, God, beauty, relationships, purpose, creativity, fun, safety, shelter, feasting? Home should be the very best place to be.

Homemaking—not in the sense of housekeeping, but in the broader sense of cultivating the life of a home—has to be done on purpose. The essence of a home, you see, if not necessarily a structure. What makes a home is the life shared there, wherever that may be. Cultivating the life of home requires intentionality, planning, and design. There must be someone (or several someones) to craft the life, the beauty, the love, and the inspiration that overflows from that place.

One cannot build what was not been imagined. And one cannot bring a vision to life without a plan. Early in the life of our family, I realized I needed that in order to build a vibrant, rich, lifegiving home, I needed to clarify my vision and construct a plan for our own unique community called "Clarkson."

These became the essence of the Clarkson blueprint, my vision for what home is and should be:

Home is the haven of inspiration where the art of life is expressed and taught. Color is strewn in every corner; delectable food is tasted; art, books, and other sources of beauty are placed throughout its rooms and walls

Home is the place where the whispers of God's love are heard regularly. The touch of His hands is given intentionally throughout the day, and His words of encouragement and affirmation lay the foundation of loving relationships

Home is the place where stories of heroism, sacrifice, love, and redemption are heard, embraced, and celebrated. These shape the dreams of the souls who live there.

Home is a place of ministry. Redeeming words, thoughts, and actions are shared and taught, the wisdom and instruction of God is passed along, and God's love is offered to all.

If you liked this post, you’ll love reading The Lifegiving Home. Get your copy!

The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming By Clarkson, Sally, Clarkson, Sarah Buy on Amazon

Serving & Loving With an Eternal Purpose

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

Tea Time Tuesday

Oh, how I love my grands. When we are together, my whole heart is given to manifesting God’s reality through our love and friendship.

Every day of my life, I see the world through the same grid—how can I love those in front of me, make the reality of the beauty of Christ a reality? As a seasoned grandmother, I know that it comes with a cost, a life given to serve the kingdom of God.

Jesus didn't meet with his disciples once a week for Bible study and say, "I'll see you next week!" He gave his disciples his whole life. He lived with them, slept with them, traveled with them, lived out a life of godly maturity before their eyes.

Jesus didn't just talk about having a ministry from a broad, tall pulpit with a resounding microphone, while disappearing between sermons. He lived a deeply personal life with words and instruction as well as integrity and generous love demonstrated in each moment of every day. He served and bowed his knee to meet the needs and desires of those He loved. He taught compassion, then he demonstrated it by healing the sick, touching those with leprosy, drinking water with the prostitute, holding and caressing children, feeding the hungry.

Each of us longs to be a part of a great cause, an epoch story. We can exist within the mundane moments of motherhood, marriage, or work longer if we know and understand that somehow it is meaningful to our over-arching life story and heritage. It is a legacy of faith we are passing on, when we daily stoop to serve, patiently giving our energy to meet the needs of others.

But we long to know our lives can make a real difference, that being alive, and making right choices, isn't just about duty, but about a heart-gripping reality that will make a purposeful impact in the lives of others. We hope that ultimately mentoring will transform the life, heart, soul, and mind of the one in whom we are investing for a lifetime, to carry God’s light and love into the dust and chaos of the world where others long to know Him.

This is the point of my new book, Teatime Discipleship for Mothers and Daughters. Order your copy today.

So much more on my podcast, At Home with Sally!

Teatime Discipleship for Mothers and Daughters: Pouring Faith, Love, and Beauty into Your Girl’s Heart By Clarkson, Sally Buy on Amazon FOR MORE

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Tea Time Discipleship for Mothers & Daughters

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

Tea Time Tuesday: As a 30-year-old, I held my babe in my arms for the first time. I had almost never even held a baby before. Wonder filled my heart as I held this precious treasure in my arms and she looked up at me. I promise she was an angel baby and almost looked as though she smiled!

As I looked deep into her beautiful little face, it was as though the Lord whispered, “You are holding eternity in your arms. This is my gift to you. Will you teach her that I love her? Will you whisper the glories of the truths of the kingdom of God into her thoughts? Will you shape such a home filled with my presence that she will learn that I am her constant companion forever?

Somehow I knew that I was to be His agent of grace, treasuring this sacred trust.

And so it happened with each child, though I became more aware of His call on my life with each new babe.

I invested a lifetime of building heart-to-heart connections through words of grace, rhythms of shaping thoughts, convictions, and imagination of His goodness, beauty, and love. These happened in all the moments of the days and were underlined by the intentional special times when we would meet alone, share a cuppa of something soothing and warm, a treat, and speak of eternal virtues that inspired a lifetime of joy.

I wrote this book for you, my friends, to lay the groundwork for how discipleship happened in our home, for how our children embraced these messages, these truths for their own lives.

I hope this book will inspire ideas of how you can reach the heart of your own children with His messages, May you be blessed in your role as a mentor, a disciple of your own precious ones.

It is my sincere hope Teatime Discipleship for Mothers and Daughters will inspire and provide lots of enjoyable and unforgettable moments of growing close to your children as you guide them in forming faith for their lifetime.

Enjoy the podcast today and stories of others who have brought light and beauty in the world.

And order your copy of Teatime Discipleship for Mothers and Daughters today.

Teatime Discipleship for Mothers and Daughters: Pouring Faith, Love, and Beauty into Your Girl’s Heart By Clarkson, Sally Buy on Amazon

Essential Joy for Flourishing

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 once read an article that said science has shown that smiling increases the happy hormones in your body. If you just physically smile ten times in a row, your happy hormones kick in and replace the negative ones.

Even Solomon tells us that a joyful heart is medicine to the bones.

Learning to be responsible for your own sense of well-being, your sense of contentment, and the ability to thrive is one of the most foundational aspects of flourishing over a lifetime.

In my mid-mothering life when several of my children were teens, I realized I had become a bit weary and dry and grumpy—not the legacy I wanted to leave. Joy, joyfulness, or rejoice (be joyful) appears 430 times in scripture. Evidently, it is quite important from God’s point of view for us to cultivate it. When a person feels “good” about life and has a sense of centered purpose and well-being, they are much more likely to thrive in life.

One time, I was teary-eyed from pressures and messes in our house. My son said, “Mama, please just chill. When the house is messy, we will clean it and it will get messy again. No big deal—but when you are sad, we are sad. And when you are happy, we are on top of the world.

I have realized over the years that “guarding my heart because it is the place the wellsprings of my life” are coming from is essential to my maturity and success in living by ideals that require such a cost. It is essential to those in my home so that I model contentment and joy in my everyday life.

Planning for the year ahead, be sure to make specific plans for your own well-being and joy. Lighten up, plan joy, laugh, create some deeply pleasurable experiences because it is good for our health and it gives our children emotional health and strength as well.

Input is essential, considering all the output that goes on in your life.

*I regularly find time to meet a good friend for coffee once a week—the type who you laugh with, share all things, enjoy time together.

*I plan personal time to spend with Clay, and I make time to talk to my adult kids often.

*My morning tea, candles and music start me off well every day (and my 10:30 coffee, and 3 o’clock tea time), quiet time, and a good book to read. Regularly writing in a gratitude journal.

*Going hiking, walking in the mountains, or in Oxford with a close friend or Darcy, often.

*Rocking one of my squishy, warm grandchildren.

Little things: Dancing to music for exercise when snowing outside, lipstick, big earrings, always music everywhere all the time. Saturday morning walks on the old Victorian house streets with a bestie, sleeping in later than normal at least once a week, favorite girlie movie nights, eating out so I don’t have to cook. Sitting outside by our fireplace at night watching the sun go down, sharing it with a friend.

What makes you joyful?

Tea Time Tuesday: Does Hidden Faithfulness Matter?

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

Cinderella  Val Princep  around 1880

"He who is faithful in small things is faithful in much."

Though Cinderella worked faithfully and patiently, with no one to notice, there was yet a princess residing inside of her, and in time, she lived into her real heritage—becoming royalty for the rest of her life. I love fairytales. Even fairy tales often reflect the truth of life.

Often, as we raise our little ones, our lives are filled with myriad tasks of nursing and rocking our children to sleep with sweet lullabies. Then there are the dirty diapers to deal with, the cries of our precious ones in the middle of the night.

Toddlers resist and we gently train them over and over again. Siblings quarrel and we teach them the ways of love, forgiveness, patience, and kind words. Then there are the teen years when young adults strain to become independent and mamas have to choose to be long-suffering and pursue in love.

Year after weary year, we teach them about God's ways, His love. We subdue our homes again and again to make them a haven for life—filled with color, beauty, interest, and traditions, even as God created the Garden, gave His children instruction through the Law, provided them with a land, gave them food and protection against an army.

We labor day after day, month upon month, seeking Him to give more wisdom, and renewed strength when we feel too weary to keep going. But somehow, His spirit shapes us as we shape a generation for His glory. And we are able to take one more step of obedience and pour out His unconditional love and wisdom to children who are not always aware of our sacrifice until they are older.

Yet, the seeking to give wisdom, excellence, and holiness to our children builds our own souls, one day, one moment at a time. Our holiness matures and our hearts become flavored with His beauty, and graciousness through each act of our own obedience given in the quiet and seclusion of our own home.

Often, we think that no one sees us, no one notices. How could it matter if we are invisible?

But, God is watching. God is building an invisible heritage that will indeed outlast our lives.

God painted the picture of patience, waiting, and faithfulness through all of our years colorfully through the stories of so many in scripture:

Joseph had a dream of leading his brothers where they bowed down to him. But the training grounds of his becoming the head over all of Egypt was hard labor for a land owner, where he was accused wrongly of adultery. Then 10 more years being faithful in prison.

David was anointed to become the king of all Israel, but did not become king over both kingdoms for around 20 years of wandering in the wilderness, running away in battle after battle.

Abraham was called the Father of all Israel and promised countless generations would come from his own son, but had to wait until he was old before He became a Father of a son, who would make him the Father of the Nation Israel.

Paul was confronted by Christ on the road to Damascus, but he was secluded away for 15 years before he had a public ministry.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was called and then lived faithfully for many, many years, only to watch her son be crucified, but then resurrected.

When I was asked to speak in China, a number of years ago, because Mission of Motherhood had been translated into the two Chinese languages, I gladly accepted. Picturing speaking in a small underground church of some sort, I prepared messages to speak to a small group of faithful believers. However, the first place I was taken by my Chinese hosts was to an auditorium of 500, packed to the gills, at the University of Beijing.

As I looked around, I realized that all of my Chinese cohorts on stage had graduated from either Harvard or MIT. In fear, I pondered in my heart, “What am I doing here? Do they know I am just an ordinary person, a mom who has homeschooled, raised her children as best I could for His glory,  and cared for my children in my home for the past 26 years?”

God whispered into my heart. “I was building your message and integrity and conviction in the hidden places of your home while you raised your children. Your integrity was built in the hidden years. Now, you are qualified to speak on family, the importance of motherhood, and building character, because your messages were built before me when no one else saw, but I was there.”

“I planned China before you even became a mom.”

“China needs someone to tell them how to value families, children, the shaping of morality, the foundations of wisdom and greatness that must be built one day at a time. Who better to train them than a mother who has raised her family on faith, Biblical wisdom, and love? You are qualified because I have called you and you obeyed, by raising your children faithfully when it seemed no one was watching.”

My messages and life-conviction and wisdom was built in the hidden years.

And so, who you are, the choices of faith and faithfulness you make, when no one is looking, is a picture of your integrity.

The choices of faith and love in the midst of the whirlwind of life is shaping your story, moment by moment, day by day. Never despise the day of small things because it is the shaping of your life story that will be told for generations to come.

The value of the hidden years is priceless. Now, this moment, is the day of your potential glory, if you practice being faithful and worship Him through each tiny service of loving and raising your precious ones for the sake of His glory.

May God give you the grace to see His fingerprints in your life, the shadow of His presence in every minute of your eternal work in your home. For today is the day you are writing your story, that your children will read for many years to come.

Does hidden faithfulness matter?

Cinderella  Val Princep  around 1880

"He who is faithful in small things is faithful in much."

Though Cinderella, worked faithfully and patiently, with no one to notice, there was yet a princess residing inside of her, and in time, she lived into her real heritage--becoming royalty for the rest of her life.

I love fairytales. Even fairy tales often reflect the truth of of Life.

Often, as we raise our little ones, our lives are filled with myriad tasks of nursing and rocking our children to sleep with sweet lullabies. Then there are the dirty diapers to deal with, the cries of our precious ones in the middle of the night.

Toddlers resist and we gently train them over and over again. Siblings quarrel and we teach them the ways of love, forgiveness, patience, kind words. Then there are the teen years when young adults strain to become independent and mamas have to choose to be long-suffering and pursue in love.

Year after weary year, we teach them about God's ways, His love. We subdue our homes again and again to make them a haven for life--filled with color, beauty, interest, traditions, even as God created the Garden, gave His children instruction through the Law, provided them with a land, gaven them food and protection against an army.

We labor day after day, month upon month, seeking Him to give more wisdom, renewed strength when we feel to weary to keep going. But somehow, His spirit shapes us as we shape a generation for His glory. And we are able to take one more step of obedience and pour out His unconditional love and wisdom to children who are not always aware of our sacrifice, until they are older. Yet, the seeking to give wisdom, excellence and holiness to our children builds our own souls, one day, one moment at a time. Our holiness matures and our hearts become flavored with His beauty, graciousness through each act of our own obedience given in the quiet and seclusion of our own home.

Often, we think that no one sees us, no one notices. How could it matter if we are invisible?

But, God is watching. God is building an invisible heritage that will indeed outlast our lives.

God painted the picture of patience, waiting, faithfulness through all of our years colorfully through the stories of so many in scripture:

Joseph had a dream of leading his brothers where they bowed down to him. But the training grounds of his becoming the head over all of Egypt was hard labor for a land owner, where he was accused wrongly of adultery. Then 10 more years being faithful in prison.

David was anointed to become the king of all Israel, but did not become king over both kingdoms for around 20 years of wondering in the wilderness, running away in battle after battle.

Abraham was called the Father of all Israel and promised countless generations would come from his own son, but had to wait until he was old before He became a Father of a son, who would make him the Father of the Nation Israel.

Paul was confronted by Christ on the road to Damascus, but he was secluded away for 15 years before he had a public ministry.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was called and then lived faithfully for many, many years, only to watch her son be crucified, but then resurrected.

When I was asked to speak in China, a number of years ago, because Mission of Motherhood had been translated into the two Chinese languages, I gladly accepted. Picturing speaking in a small underground church of some sort, I prepared messages to speak to a small group of faithful believers. However, the first place I was taken by my Chinese hosts was to an auditorium of 500, packed to the gills, at the University of Beijing.

As I looked around, I realized that all of my Chinese cohorts on stage had graduated from either Harvard or MIT. In fear, I pondered in my heart, "What am I doing here? Do they know I am just an ordinary person, a mom who has homeschooled, raised her children as best I could for His glory,  and cared for my children in my home for the past 26 years."

God whispered into my heart. "I was building your message and integrity and conviction in the hidden places of your home while you raised your children. Your integrity was built in the hidden years. Now, you are qualified to speak on family, the importance of motherhood, building character, because your messages were built before me when no one else saw, but I was there."

"I planned China before you even became a mom."

"China needs someone to tell them how to value families, children, the shaping of morality, the foundations of wisdom and greatness that must be built one day at a time. Who better to train them than a mother who has raised her family on faith, Biblical wisdom and love. You are qualified because I have called you and you obeyed, by raising your children faithfully when it seemed no one was watching."

My messages and life-conviction and wisdom was built in the hidden years.

And so, who you are, the choices of faith and faithfulness you make,when no one is looking, is a picture of your integrity.

The choices of faith and love in the midst of the whirlwind of life, is shaping your story, moment by moment, day by day. Never despise the day of small things because it is the shaping of your life story that will be told for generations to come.

The value of the hidden years is priceless. Now, this moment, is the day of your potential glory, if you practice being faithful and worship Him through each tiny service of loving and raising your precious ones for the sake of His glory.

May God give you the grace to see His fingerprints in your life, the shadow of His presence in every minute of your eternal work in your home. For today is the day you are writing your story, that your children will read for many years to come.