Sally Clarkson's Blog, page 6

Calling Every Moment Of Your Life Holy

I like to picture what the feasts in the Bible must have been like. In the time when Jesus lived, meals were not nice, orderly things. I imagine dusty garments, loud arguments, pungent spices, and stinky feet. Jesus' ministry not only allowed for these meals; it took place in the context of them.

Not all holy moments are somber and serious. If Jesus discipled His apostles in the midst of food, drink, laughter, and mundane moments, I believe we should too. Instead of viewing them as spiritual "downtime," we should see them as the times when God is most likely to work.

Our laughter can glorify God as much as our thoughtful meditation. Serving pizza to a houseful of teenagers can strike spiritual gold.

To separate the spiritual from the ordinary is to say that Jesus is not King over those everyday moments in life. When we give our whole lives to Him—food, drink, work, play, body, spirit, and family—we glorify God by living into the beauty He meant for us.

Read more about this in Mom Heart Moments.

Mom Heart Moments: Daily Devotions for Lifegiving Motherhood By Clarkson, Sally Buy on Amazon

Valuing The Mess Of Life

Rhythms of time made sacred by family devotions in the morning and long conversations in the evening, planted seeds of faith and a love for theology.

Creating a daily life as a feast and delight in knowing, growing, and learning to serve by practice in serving shaped character.

Music lilting in the shadows, and the laughter over my children’s antics gave a sense of the blessedness of love, of God’s life made tangible in the food and touch and air of our home.

We must value this “mess” of life and exhibit joy within for children to feel it is indeed a joyful place to dwell.

Read more about this in Awaking Wonder.

Awaking Wonder: Opening Your Child's Heart to the Beauty of Learning By Sally Clarkson Buy on Amazon

Tea Time Tuesday: The Lifegiving Shalom of God

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

Tea Time Tuesday

“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” -John 11:27

The world news is dismal, chaos seems to pervade our lives from every side. The world is a place of violence, hopelessness. But we do not have to live in this false reality. Jesus promised something quite different.

Perhaps you are like me. No matter what season of life, I am in need of peace—to settle my heart, to quell my fears, to calm my thought patterns. It seems at all times and stages of life, I have a pile on my shoulders: tasks, responsibilities to accomplish, conflict in life and with others (including family), stressful times, lonely times, managing family, friends, ministry, deadlines. Always something that bubbles up.

Just before Jesus crucifixion, He told His disciples that He would leave them peace in the midst of this chaotic world—a peace beyond what the world promised or could provide. Then, He made very clear they were not to allow their heart (thoughts, feelings, innermost being) to be afraid or troubled. This would indicate that there would certainly be things that could trouble them or cause fear—but that they had agency, capacity to turn away from being troubled or afraid, a choice to enter into His abiding presence of peace, in all circumstances.

Several times, after his resurrection, when He was present with them, He repeated again and again—peace I leave with you (John 20:19, 21, 26). It was something He wanted his beloved friends to experience. Peace is the fruit of the spirit. It has changed me again to study and ponder the real depths of Shalom—peace in Hebrew. God wants us to enjoy the fullness of life, quietness, a rest, a sense of flourishing every day because of His reality.

I am a walker. I walk miles each week always, if possible, in nature. I hand over the issues of my life into the hands of the Holy Spirit—putting needs and desires in the file drawer of heaven.

Seeking to cultivate and abide in this peace has given me a new sense of companionship with Him. Join me today on my podcast as I reflect on this fruit of the spirit.

History Will Be Different Because Of You

To many, my decision to stay at home, buried in the rich soil of housework, homeschooling, character training, disciplining, and the myriad responsibilities of making a home, was a fruitless sacrifice, a waste of intelligence and abilities.

Fruitless? Only by the world's standards. By God's it is a worthy sacrifice that will yield a harvest of righteousness.

History will be different because of you and the small sacrifices you make today, tomorrow, and the next day — moral character will be stronger, biblical family values preserved, and God's name honored.

Future generations will follow the Lord and build on biblical foundations because of the choices and sacrifices you have made.

Make no mistake, your investment will last for all of eternity.

Read more about this in Seasons of a Mother’s Heart.

Seasons of a Mother’s Heart: Heart-to-Heart Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms By Clarkson, Sally Buy on Amazon

Recognizing The Fingerprints Of The Artist

Wonder is the vehicle that nurtures spiritual formation by engaging in the miraculous, the sacred, the intricacy of our world around us. We ponder the personality, inspiration, breadth of the One who crafted all of the sublime natural art we behold. We respond in awe and worship.

A child fashioned by a wonder-filled life will cultivate inner strength, an inner confidence in his own ability to think, evaluate, know. But those who influence children must fight to make time for the imagination to have space to work, to have time to engage. Recognizing the elegant and complex design of human beings, we understand that each has capacity to think, to create, to acquire mental muscle, to love, to have agency to act in life.

Read more about this in Awaking Wonder.

Awaking Wonder: Opening Your Child's Heart to the Beauty of Learning By Sally Clarkson Buy on Amazon

Tea Time Tuesday: A Day in London, Just Being A Girl

Tea Time Tuesday

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

My friends,

Though I an on a little vacation in London with some of my family, I thought I would share a couple of stories of my week here so you can join In my fun. I will not be sharing my normal podcast this week but will tell you a little bit about our adventures. Here I am in London with Joy where we spent a whole day “just being girls.” You will have to listen to find out some of what we did.

Wishing you a wonderful week and maybe a time to take a little vacation right where you are. Praying blessing and blessing for you.

A Heart Of Joy From Which Others Can Draw

Many years ago, I stood at a crossroad that would determine what kind of a Christian I would be from that point forward: victorious, lighthearted, and free—or downcast, weighed down, and wounded.

I realized that I didn't want to cross the finish line of life gasping for spiritual breath, clenching my teeth as I wearily crossed into the presence of God.

Although I didn't want to be a Pollyanna, pretending away sadness, pain, and difficulty and denying the real grieving that comes with loss and disappointment, I did want to find the good in all things, to experience the reality of God's joy anew right in the middle of my trials and stresses.

Read more about this in Dancing With My Heavenly Father.

Dancing with My Heavenly Father: Choosing Joy in a Less-Than-Perfect World By Clarkson, Sally Buy on Amazon

Bringing Beauty & Flowers

I didn't want my Colorado porch and deck to be without color, beauty, and life while I was visiting Oxford this month, but I knew real flowers wouldn't make it without constant care. So I found these bright red silk flowers to dress up the space with. Aren't they gorgeous?

What's your go-to kind of flower for bringing beauty to your home?

What Defines You As A Family?

Because we shared so many endless hours swimming in the same ideas, reading the same books, discussing the same messages where every opinion and engagement was valued, in the process of eating together day after day and making it a time of shared heart and soul community, the strength of our mutual values and commitments became a part of what defined us as a family.

Read more about this in Awaking Wonder.

Awaking Wonder: Opening Your Child's Heart to the Beauty of Learning By Sally Clarkson Buy on Amazon

Tea Time Tuesday: Joy In The Thick Of It

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.

“This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” -Psalm 118:24

Today, biblical joy is my topic. Joy is an abiding sense of well being in all circumstances with a heartfelt trust in God’s presence and goodness in every situation, despite the difficulties that life brings. Joy is not a feeling but a sense of resting in the Holy Spirit’s presence in all moments of life, a commitment of giving our circumstances into the hands of God.

It is a very happy day when I am able to see my dear friend, Jacqui. Our sense of humor is the same (we should never sit next to one another in church or a formal gathering so we don’t break out in giggles.) She is loving, sympathetic, passionate about faith and life, a kindred spirit. We planned a trip together to a lovely small Welsh town known for books and cafes. She volunteered to drive in a car she had recently purchased. What a dream this trip promised to be. On the way back to Oxford, on winding, small country roads, a big pothole jumped out of nowhere and we slammed down into it. We couldn’t tell if the car was damaged, but it rattled a bit and got louder and louder.

By the time we got back, we knew something was damaged. Jacqui remembered she had an emergency road service app she had never used. Long story short, we had a lovely breakfast together as we waited for the mechanic to show up. After a couple of hours, the service man came. He found the problem which would require a big fix before she could drive it again.

It meant she would have to be towed back to London 56 miles. But the kind man offered for her to ride in the tow truck with him so she didn’t have to buy a train ticket. The whole 3 hour dilema, Jacqui never whined or complained or verbalized concern about how she would pay for the damage. She just trusted God and remained cheerful. This is the picture of joy, the subject this week of my podcast.

Joy is not the absence of difficulty  or feelings of concern, but resting in the presence of God in the midst of it.
Join me on my podcast today as we discuss what it means to live in joy through God’s spirit. Find Jacqui at Substack, The Beagle for Beauty.