Sally Clarkson's Blog, page 75

A Personal Retreat for Our Wonderful Friends! Celebrate Advent With Sarah Clarkson

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Christmas has come at just the right time this year. What better time than now to think of the beautiful story of Mary, Joseph, the Angels, and Jesus. The angels singing, the shepherds in amazement and the humble precious life come to the world to bring a great light. The story always brings me a thrill when I enter into its splendor and grace. And even putting up greenery, candles and fairly lights, making time for celebration, even in a humble way, and sending loved ones gifts, takes us in the direction of remembering that life is more than this moment. There was another moment in time when the birth of a baby changed everything.

“Mama, do you like being sad or happy the best? I like it when you are happy!”

My dearest friend and daughter has such a perfectly timed surprise for all of us. I can’t wait to share about it today with all of you. Sarah has joined me to tell you all about what is ahead that I know itwill encourage your heart. Here is a message from her:

“Don’t we all yearn for life to be centered and beautiful, with space for peace every day? To find that peace and hush is a bit of a battle, especially these days. But Advent, with its light and calm is just around the corner, and friends, I am so glad.

If ever there was a dark year when we need the hope and yearning and in-breaking light of the Advent season, it's this one.

I've deeply wanted to do something special for Advent this year, so (drumroll please), I've decided to host a little Advent Retreat. Friends, I am so excited and you are so warmly invited!⠀

Join me for a space of poetry, reflection, quiet prayer and deep wonder as we enter the Advent season in this wild and wondrous pandemic year.
I'll be reflecting on four Advent themes; yearning, annunciation, preparation, and joy. Through poetry, story, and originally-composed Advent blessings, I'll consider how we can enter the hush and holiness of this season, allowing it to transform and renew even our most ordinary of moments.
In addition to the actual event, all participants will receive a booklet with Scripture, prayers, quotes, and guided questions for further reflection, a resource to bring beauty and calm when you have a moment of quiet.
It's been a dark year, friends, but join me in setting aside time to welcome the light that is always breaking into our darkness!”

You can find everything about the retreat on the event page HERE. I will also be doing my annual daily Instagram reading of an Advent poem, starting with the first day of Advent, so I would love for you to join me for that as well. You can find me on Instagram @sarahwanders, and always at my website (where you can sign up for my newsletter) at sarahclarkson.com.

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The Story of a Rose: Becoming Light in a Dark Time, Longing Satisfied

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Every morning, I have a time reading my Bible, or a spiritual book while sipping my tea and trying to wake up my sleepy self. Next, sometime while still morning, I have the habit of taking a walk to try to get in some of my 10,000 steps. Lately, I have tried to focus on praying for myself, my family, my friends, the world issues that are going crazy.

A couple of days ago, as I rounded the corner, I noticed that everything was sort of dying all around me—dry leaves, squished by the walkers and the rain have made for a dirty mess here and there. It actually symbolized to me the state of the world lately—the dark times, Covid, political argument and division. The trees in our area are barren as all the beauitiul leaves have fallen to the ground.

But there in the middle of everything was a bright pink rose blooming its heart out. I was thinking that this dark time is when this little rose was made to bloom, to remind that the creator is still at work, giving beauty in the midst of ugliness, light in the midst of darkness. It was such a picture (as you can see in my photo.) I thought this was a picture of what we might be created to be—the ones who bring beauty of His life and love to a dark world of confusion, hate and division. We might bring light to darkness through wisdom, patience, trust in such a way that others will look beyond the present circumstances to Him. Let us become light in a dark time.

But I also shared with you today a quote I have been pondering from Ernest Hemingway. I hope you will enjoy it, as it seemed to touch a deep place in my own heart. If you ever feel different than those around you, a misfit of sorts in this world, I have felt the same. And I loved this:

Ernest Hemingway: The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically their virtues make them vulnerable: they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed.

Our idealism does make us vulnerable. May God give us grace to not be destroyed in the flow of darkness right now but help us to be light givers.

And then, I did speak of hunger today—spiritual hunger. The place deep inside where we long for more, want the holy, transcendent, infinite God for our God—not some ordinary, measurable doctrine about works. I was watching a particular episode in the Crown called Moon Dust and it hit this chord in me. Of course we all know the quote that C.S. Lewis said that hits on this very subject:

If we find in ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.

And finally we see it in the psalmist, that same hunger for more. This hunger will actually lead us to God himself.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42: 1a

So, you will have to listen to the podcast to see all of my thoughts. I hope you will be encouraged by my rose and by the podcast. God be with each of you precious ones this week.

God sends his love to you.

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One of the Family: A place to belong

Clarksons belong to one another. Differing in personality, quirky, loud, opinionated, much more, but we are one another’s tribe and we know we have a people we belong to. Through the years, as we were living day to day, I didn’t know how much we were building close bonds, but now, I see that through all the years of intentional living, we were becoming each other’s community. (And yes, Clay, Sarah, Thomas and my grandkids are missing but they couldn’t come because of Covid.)

I remember one of the first times I realized how much we all meant to one another.

A crisp fall evening, with blazing sunset of reds, pinks, corals shouting for attention out our back deck found us taking a moment to admire. As we were sitting in peace, the front door opened and my 26 year old, Joel, strode in with weary face and exhausted body.

"I just decided to come home after working all last night and today, because I need "us" to give me some rest and peace.”

Dinner still a half-hour away, I quickly cut some savory cheese and mounted some crisp whole grain crackers on a plate and poured a bubbly drink in a glass and gave him my offering, "Just a little something to hold you over till dinner is ready."

The furrowed brow softened and he said, "This is why I came home--I knew you all would fill me back up and I wanted peace and quiet for at least one night."

One of the best powers of home is the life that comes from within that gives comfort, a "place to belong" and a place that soothes the soul, inspires the mind, and gives a moral compass through all the twists and turns of life.

I asked my boys last year why they both idealized the thought of coming home. Both said, "It was the hot meals we shared every night. The welcome of our dining table. The cups of tea and books read and all that went into making our home place the best place to be, the one place that always said, no matter what, you are welcome!"

Often when we think of having company over, we think of cleaning our home, cooking great meals, decorating, putting forth our best.

Yet, when I pondered Jesus, I realized, he prepared a garden for his children when they were first created--one of beauty, color, endless choices for food, a palette of delight to enjoy in all that His artist hand could create.

Before he would give his last heart-felt words to his disciples, he had chosen a home with an upper room, he had sent a servant to prepare it and to prepare food, so that his words given would fall in the atmosphere and beauty of a prepared place. And I have to think that the God who prepared a garden of such beauty at the beginning, had also put thought into preparing the place of the last supper with the eye of comfort, beauty, hospitality.

He, the one who is still going to prepare a place for us in eternity--that there will be many mansions where we will dwell with Him.

Home is one of the things that many in our world have not valued, and so there is no prepared place.

It is in giving rhythms of home, meals, tea times, convalescent food (soups, crackers, ginger-ale), birthday fare; favorite Sunday night snack dinners; Saturday night pizza and movie nights; Shepherd's meal on Christmas Eve; candle light evenings with soft music.

The giving of hospitality to our beloved children is an art that will truly reach their souls and give them a reason to believe in the God of love and holiness. When body needs and emotional needs and minds are filled with nobility and inspiration, then souls are predisposed to want to follow the God who is revered in all of these rituals.

It is not the indoctrination of theology forced down daily that crafts a soul that believes, it is the serving and loving and giving and celebration of God’s art and love, creation and truth, that surrounds the messages where souls are reached.

A truth, without love and grace, is a truth that is rejected,

because Jesus' words without Jesus becoming the servant king who washed feet and fed thousands and took children into His arms,

would not be God incarnated.

Modeling Christ to Our Children During Times of Conflict : Leah Boden

Praise the Lord!
Blessed is a person who fears the Lord,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.
His descendants will be mighty on the earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.Psalm 112: 2

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Isn’t this what all of us want? To have descendants who will be mighty on the earth and children who will be blessed. But what is the condition? That we fear God and that we are upright.

As I look back through the years, I realize that my children were always watching and listening. Every trial I encountered found them taking notes of how I was handling it. Every relationship difficulty, they wanted to know, “Is Mama going to choose to love like she makes us? Or is it just words but she doesn’t think she has to do what the Bible tells us?”

As we travel through this challenging season, it is so very important that we companion our children through it with our eyes on the Lord—fearing Him, reverencing Him, answering to Him, knowing His heart so that we seek to please Him. This is not an abstract fearing—but one in which we act out our worship by obeying Him, seeking to do what scripture tells us to do.

When a parent has heart for wisdom and truth, it will show in the moments, the layers of every day life. When we are shopping, when we are washing dishes, when we are cleaning up an unexpected mess, when when when.

Today, I had the privilege of having a chat with my sweet friend, Leah Boden. Not too long ago she was at my house sharing a “cuppa.” So in honor of that time, you see my photo. But today, we had to be quarantined. I loved this podcast and I know you will be encouraged as I was. You can find Leah on Instagram at @leahvboden for her personal page, and @modernmissmason for her professional page.

Blessings of grace during this interesting time, sweet friends.

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Be Ye Gentle With Thyself & Podcast

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As I cuddled and wiggled into my soft, warm, squishy duvet even a bit more this early morning, I was mentally taking a look at my heart-feelings and they were very slow and tired and a little fretful. As I lay there feeling like I needed to make some big decisions that had come into my life, as I pondered unanswered questions about the future, about my children’s health, lives and future, and the state of our crazy world and country, all of a sudden, as though a whisper, the message came, “Be gentle with yourself today.”

My life is in some ways so very quiet here in lockdown in Oxford, but still I am trying to make Clay feel happy amidst all of the sequestering inside, days on end,, and reaching out to my children. But, we can go nowhere, no cafe or restaurant or store, or anyplace. And in the midst of it, I am in need of making some long term and short term decisions for our family.

But God whispered, “Be gentle to yourself today. Don’t make this day the one where you get everything done, figure life out, take care of everyone else in the world. Just be still, just rest, just breathe in peace.” Truly, it was the message that came to my heart.

And, so, I eased into my morning, gentle, soft music, my favorite china mug filled with hot, steaming tea, a candle in a chrystal jar, and a view to my living and green garden. Ahhh, peace.

For many years, I lived as a Martha, rushing around, busying myself, planning more than I could possibly accomplish and then getting grumpy with the kids when life didn’t go as planned, and I could see how fruitless and wasted this attitude was, but something pushed me, perhaps from guilt, to work harder, push more, get more done.

Little by little, I learned that I cannot control life, I am not in charge of the universe, children and computers and people do not just easily and naturally conform to “Sally’s” expectations and demands. And I wasted a lot of energy and emotion being a bit anxious and demanding.

I know now that life will blast my expectations, children will get ear infections at the wrong time, I don’t always get my way, even from a God who loves me, and storms are going to come again.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do is sleep, or rest. Many years ago, Elijah became my ponder to help me grow in the direction of valuing planned slowing down, gentleness and rest.

Elijah had just accomplished the biggest feat of his life—he had disproved the existence and power of Jezebell’s God, he had called down God’s power from heaven, he had defeated all of her prophets, he had amazed all of the people in this kingdom realm.

Yet, at the end of it, Jezebel threatened his demise, to take his life and suddenly, after all of these victories, Elijah crumbled. We read:

While he, (Elijah) himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat."
”And he looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.…”

I Kings 19: 5-8

Elijah is one of the most faithful and one of the most valiant heroes of faith in the Old Testament. He was faithful in a pagan land. Faithful when lonely. Faithful in a battle against godless leaders screaming at him of his worthlessness. He was faithful in spiritual battle. And then, as a mere human being at his limits, adrenalin on the ground, he suddenly felt overwhelmed with the desire to give up. He had had enough.

Perhaps this week of voting did you in, or the last 9 months!

Have you felt like that?

I’ve had enough of this marriage,

This child,

This church,

This friendship,

these friends,

this job,

This ministry,

This…fill in the blank.

Even the most spiritual people become exhausted, drained, and often feel like the only way forward is to give up—to give up an ideal, a relationship, a ministry, a commitment. All of us have been dragged around the block a few times in the past few months and we are understandably drained, depleted and a little weary.

As I cuddled and wiggled into my warm blankets even a bit more this early morning, I was mentally taking a look at my heart pulse and it was very slow and tired. As I lay there feeling like I needed to make some big decisions that had come into my life, as I pondered unanswered questions about the future, about my children’s health, lives and future, and the state of our crazy world and country, all of a sudden, as though a whisper, the message came, “Be gentle with yourself today.”

My life is in some ways so very quiet here in lockdown, but still I am trying to make Clay feel happy, and reaching out to my children. But, we can go nowhere, no cafe or restaurant or store, or anyplace. And in the midst of it, I am in need of making some long term and short term decisions for our family.

But God whispered, be gentle to yourself today. Don’t make this day the one where you get everything done, figure life out, take care of everyone else in the world. Just be still, just rest, just breathe in peace.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do is sleep, or rest.

I noticed that after Elijah poured out his doubts and discouragement to God, God did not say, “Elijah, you need to trust me more. You need to get up and do more. You are disappointing me.”

Instead we read,

* “An angel touched him. The power of touch and affection is real.

I remember one time when because of really draining and difficult circumstances, I felt hopelessly depressed. A friend shared my grief and struggle and said, “I don’t know what to do to help you. But I can at least provide you with a coupon to get a massage.” I dragged myself to the massage clinic. The lights were lowered, soft music played and for an hour, every sore muscle, every tender place that was tight, was massaged and felt the therapy of a skilled person, and oddly, when I got home, I thought, “I’m not as depressed.” Nothing had changed, but somehow just a little deep touch and peaceful quiet had deeply ministered to me so that I could go on one more day.

*The angel said, “Arise, Eat!”

As we are physical beings, we expend energy and strength, every waking moment. God made food for our pleasure and he gave us an appetite to want food, and He made it the way we would stay alive. As the primary cook in my home, I am used to having to figure out what everyone wants to eat, every day, all the time. It must be shopped for, cooked and then of course cleaned up after.

Imagine my deep gratefulness when I rolled over one early morning because I heard some noise at my door. There, the most beautiful tray was pushing through towards my bed. A single dark red rose, (my favorite), shown above a tiny chrystal vase, a soft flame swayed about giving out vanilla scent from a small votive candle. Scrambled eggs bedecked with cheese, freshly cooked bacon chunks, a dollop of sour cream with avocado slices lining the side of the plate. A separate place held a pile of raspberries, salted almonds, and a buttered piece of homemade toast literally dripping with goodness. Hot tea steamed from my favorite cup. Sarah and Joy were walking side by side seeking to keep the tray from tipping over.

“Mama, you serve us every day. We hoped this would cheer you up and let you know we appreciate you.”

The food tasted the better because someone else had prepared it just for me. I have to admit, however, that there have been many times when no one was there to cook for me. These times, in honor of the angel serving Elijah, have spoken personal permission to my conscience, and I have been known to take myself out to a lovely French Brunch or an extravagant meal eaten all by myself in times I just needed some spoiling. Because I have not had lots of family around us most of our lives, I considered that in their absence, and the absence of their care, maybe one of the wisest things I could do was to spoil myself in order to keep going.

Then, he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Ahhh, sleep. Don’t ever underestimate the power of sleep.

I am not a great sleeper. I get very tired, but I am an early riser from the demands of my parenting-professional life and made a habit of making myself get out of bed to “get to work.” Sometimes I have felt that if I am working in some way, that I felt guilty.

Yet, the past few years, I have made time to sleep in at least one or two days a week, (Clay used to let me do this when the littles were littles, just to help me stay alive.)

So, touch, eating, sleeping.

A couple of more ways I have treated myself in gentleness are:

*Accept your limitations with no shame. No one is perfect, God understands and knows this, and if you choose to understand this, you will be at peace more often in your life.

*Be careful how you talk to yourself—in other words, monitor the voices in your head to be sure they are the loving voice of God, because yourself is listening to yourself.

*Let God being gentle with you. Picture Him as ready to talk, ready to help, to give, to love you. He is for you. He is not happy about your hurry, He wants you to sit with Him in peace and joy.

Most important is to understand that this admonition is from God Himself:

I am reminded by Him, “In quietness and trust is your strength.” Isaiah 30: 15

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Isaiah 30:15 PDF

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A Difficult Pathway? Consider It All Joy!

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” ~ James 1:2, 3

I am not naturally a very noble or valiant person. And so when I read this verse over the years, I would flinch and go through it quickly, because I didn’t relish trials. Our lives have been full of them and I have, at times, learned to dread another day in case it might have some new trial in it! Can you relate?

 Having four children, an international ministry, constant book deadlines, many moves, and all the difficulties in relationships, criticism for my ideals, finances, health issues, loneliness, marriage, the different phases of my children’s lives, ministry and an overload of responsibilities …  just keeping up with all the work that never ends was so very much harder than I ever realized life would be.

 Though in my early 20′s I had become serious about the Lord and truly committed to going anywhere and doing anything for His kingdom, I no more had an idea of what that would mean than a little girl who dresses up as a princess and pretends to know what it would mean to become a queen and rule a country. Yet, I can look back now, after many years of trials, and see that God had great plans for my life. The only pathway to these plans of His was through many trials. I had committed myself to becoming a warrior for His kingdom in this life, not realizing that in order for someone to become a general to lead others into battle, he must first begin with basic training.

 Basic training is that hard, disciplined, demanding season of training that seeks to build strength and self-control in the life of a would-be soldier. It is for the purpose of drawing soldiers forward, stretching their capacity to be stronger, more capable, and to live up to their own ability and potential. After passing successfully through basic training, a soldier must prove worthy in real battles to earn the right to humbly and wisely lead others into victory in bigger arenas.

 And so, because God delights in us entering into the fray of this world to bring light, mercy and truth; because He wants us to learn to stand strongly and boldly for His purposes, He sends us trials and training to prepare us for the platform He would have us stand on. His trials have been the training grounds to give me integrity in my messages so that I really could encourage other women. Only God was there in the dark moments of my life, to see if my heart would respond in faith, to do the hard work, to love when no one else knew I was making the right choices but God.

I don’t want to minimize struggles, yet I have seen that following God one choice, one day at a time, living by His wisdom in scripture as best I could, has caused my life over the long haul to be led by His favor and grace and seeing His work in my life and my children’s. Life is hard in this broken world, it is confusing, but walking it with Him, leaving it in His hands, has given me eyes to see His love and purposes and blessing ultimately.

I know your life is so very hard if you have lived very long at all, but I pray you will have heart insight to see that following Him and that as He stretches you into a stronger life, an enduring life, you will indeed be blessed with His peace and with hope, and with heart-felt blessing.

 Are you facing trials today?May God grant you the grace to make your story one of worship, redemption and hope.And may you know His constant love along your journey's way.

A Prayer of Grace For The Day: Election 2020

I was sitting in my Anglican Church here in Oxford (above) last Sunday, peering at the cross and receiving much comfort just being quiet in a place of prayer where generations of believers have gone before me. The beauty and color and quiet and music was indeed a needed balm to my soul. How blessed I am to know Jesus, my God. As many of you may know, those who listen to my podcasts, my precious friend, Shelly Miller, passed away on Sunday. I was, of course, so very sad to lose her presence, as she is a person who brings light, love, peace, gentleness, a depth of friendship in all of her ways. And of course, she loved the Lord so much.

When our friends or loved ones leave this world, there is a hole in our hearts for the space they filled. Clay and I have lost a couple of friends this past couple of months and of course it does cause us to ponder our own lives. Are we living in such a way that He would be pleased? Are we living fully to pass on a legacy of His light, His love, His truth with all of our hearts every day? We have passed to evaluate our lives in light of eternity, in contrast to the imposing demands of every day life that steal our vision at times.

And so my own thoughts have been heavy with spiritual pondering.

Then, there is this auspicious week where the voting takes place and at this moment, I have no idea what will happen. Yet, when I come into God’s presence, when I am still and “know that He is God,” somehow He takes me beyond the illusion that this world and what we “think” is happening is of utmost importance. I seek His His point of view, His ultimate will and know there are always bigger issues at stake. I want to live in awareness of Him and His eternal and providentially directed ways and not be defined by the human attempts all around me to super impose meaning and value of life where in reality God’s purposes are greater and more important.

This is a moment in history amidst a grander long term spiritual battle in the heavenliness over the world and over centuries. Still, unless people seek God and His ways, they will in their own fallen nature create destruction, death, devastation, disharmony, seeking meaning through power, money, status. And so we must free ourselves from these things to freely live our days for Him. As His word tells us, we will know people, He will know us by our fruit.

Nathan sent a prayer to me that he thought would encourage me. Indeed it did. I have added a few words in bold italics to make it my own. But I hope it will also encourage you.

“Lord, we give You permission to form our consciences according to the Gospel so that we may vote and, more importantly, act for the Kingdom of God. You told us to seek first your kingdom, first, your kingdom ways as in the beatitudes, to show your kingdom love—as a servant laying down our lives, as you did.

As we wrestle with the complexity of political life, let us never forget the dignity of every person made in Your image, that you created all human beings, and you served and gave your life that all of these might know and receive your love - the unborn, the poor, the vulnerable, all children, the broken hearted, the refugee, those affected by war and those suffering from the failings of the political systems of this world.

Lord, we pray for our political opponents, and - that we may love them as You love them. We remember that you told us to love our enemies and to forgive them and to serve them, to turn the other cheek. Help us to have the grace to turn our cheeks away from pride, hate and critical attitudes toward you—your gentleness and humility.

Help us remember that political power can never replace the mission of the Church to preach the Gospel to all nations. Help us to act in such a way that would not bring shame to you or your Spirit living through us.

Give us the courage to always be detached from our political loyalties and be first a faithful follower of Jesus, the true King. 

For this election, O God, please bless us with the best rulers possible, in this fallen world, at all levels of government. Create a revival of love for you amongst our leaders and let them remember that you are above all rulers and powers—that they should seek to please and obey you.

Lord, we need you, now, every moment, every day. We are flawed and self-centered in our ways, but you are humble, generous, loving, just and all that we need. We love you—increase our love every day.

Prayer by Annie Deddens (added words, Sally Clarkson)

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My Bubble Buddy: Sometimes a Girl Just Has to Have Fun

Friendships with women of great hearts, engaged minds, and vibrant souls give us energy to fuel our lives. The design for sweet and close friendship is imprinted on our hearts by the fingers of God. We’re the girls. We’re strong. We laugh. We do things together. We make light in the darkness. Godly friendships are not just a luxury but a necessity to be able to sustain a healthy spiritual life.

Girl’s Club Book (Joy, Sarah & Sally Clarkson)

Covid has produced the craziest of circumstances for many of us. In the UK, for a while, we were allowed to have a “Bubble” family, one who was allowed to come to your house and you to theirs. Jacqui is my Bubble Buddy, (even though now it has changed again!)

Most Mondays, I get excited and anticipate a fun day because I know my sweet friend, Jacqui, will drive from London to spend time with me, just because we are friends. We made a plan and even in spite of covid, figure out when and where it is legal for us to meet. Coffee at some cafe is always in the picture, usually a walk near my home, (we are allowed to be outside!), but always fun, food, laughter and heart-felt comfort for the stresses we can share with one another about life.

I know that so many are lonely to the core during this time, because I get so many letters about this. We continue to be out of control of life, the illness keeps surging and our schedules keep changing. I know that loneliness can be a factor for many of us because most activities have been cancelled, we can’t have anyone in our homes, and life is challenging. I know that Clay and I would be quite lonely now, (when our children are not visiting) because we miss public church, gatherings, shared meals in our home with friends and just normal life. But, we have several friends who are faithful to reach out. to call, to come by and spend time with us outdoors!

In our book, Girls’ Club, where Joy, Sarah and I tell the story of how we all became best friends, Joy talks about the importance of “hitting the ball back.”

In a game, if you hit the ball to someone, it is only a game if the person hits the ball back. In friendship, there is a need for people to be mutually responsive, equally “game” to jump in and do what it takes to cultivate a friendship. Jacqui became that to me.

As I look back, it is unlikely that Jacqui and I would become friends, as we literally lived in different countries, had little in common, but as I hit the ball and invited my Facebook friends to come see me in Oxford, Jacqui came, and so the story begins. When I was quarantined, groceries showed up at my door, goodies of all sorts and of course flowers. It was like Christmas. And I see that God already knew I would need a kindred spirit to share life with and so He provided Jacqui—but she was available to be the gift I needed.

Today, we share all sorts of fun with you. How to initiate and respond in friendship, all about taking time in nature and so much more. I hope many of you will ponder reaching out to someone, or maybe you will hit the ball back to someone who has initiated to you. Or maybe you can serve a ball yourself. :)

You might be inspired with many ideas of how to find new friends or how to shape your own into best friends by reading Girls’ Club.

Girls' Club: Cultivating Lasting Friendship in a Lonely World

By Clarkson, Sally, Clarkson, Joy, Clarkson, Sarah


























By Clarkson, Sally, Clarkson, Joy























































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Firm Foundations Hold us Through The Storms of Life

Christ Church College, founded by Henry the Viii in 1546.

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."

Matthew 7:24-27

As I walk around the center of Oxford, I am surrounded by buildings that have been stable and solid for hundreds of years. Beautiful Christchurch College is one of my favorites. This building and so many others around Oxford have stayed the course of many generations of students who have gone on to positions of influence and leadership, soldiers trained here for World Wars, many who were shaped in the context of this University of training and inspiration. Each building that has held through all the seasons, the storms, the years, was built intentionally to last, to stand strong. They have become a picture to me of the wisdom of building a strong foundation, in and through the legacy of my own family, that we might weather storms, endure hardship and leave a lasting legacy of truth and light, as Jesus taught about.

He didn’t say, “if” the storms come but when they come. And so we would be wise to build ahead of time. During this storm of political unrest, financial unrest, job loss, isolation, we are living on the foundation we have built before we got to this juncture in history.

A great estate is built one brick at a time. And yet, strong foundations will hold firm through hundreds of years. I was taught early as a believer when in colloege, from almost my first day as a Christian, I have made it a daily priority to meet with God, to seek His truth, to practice praying and study Scripture one day at a time, to lay a brick of my own spiritual foundation one brick at a time.. This habit and these times have built a deep legacy of truth in my heart and soul from which I draw strength for my life. A daily, regular quiet time when I read the Bible, seek His wisdom, and pray to Him for my needs each day has been the means through which I am able to stay faithful as a mom.

Without this constant coming to Him, my life would be built on a foundation that would be swept out from under me in times of crisis. I have seen this so many times in my life. Jesus put this in picture-book terms when He told the story of the kinds of houses men build. He said:

A life built apart from the Word of God is a life doomed to crumble and fall. But if we, as moms, walk this journey with God's Word as our source of wisdom and life; if we listen to and apply the words of Jesus, we will indeed have a house (family) that stands through trials and difficulties. We will have a spiritual legacy that will last through eternity." ~ from The Mom Walk, below.

In the midst of cultural upheaval, political uncertainty, and the regular ups and downs of daily life, it becomes more and more important every day to pay attention to the foundations of our souls--to build well, to build strongly and with intention and skill. Taking time to dig and build ensures the strength to persevere through wind and rain that surely is on its way, if not here already. And teaching our children to do the same is one of the best investments of time we can make as moms.

Build one day at a time, today, lay one brick, and another tomorrow. Prepare to lay a firm foundation fo weather the storms ahead.

How strong are your foundations? How prepared are you for the storms that will come your way? It’s never too late to ask God to hold you fast and to help you stand strong.

Living Through Anxiety with Grace & Hope

Do not be anxious about anything…Phil 4:6

If you could see the inside of me, my emotions, fears, struggles, selfish ways, thoughts, it would be quite different from seeing me from the outside. We spend so much time trying to make ourselves presentable in whatever ways we deem we want to present. But the real person is the one on the inside.

I know the verse well, “Do not be anxious.” But so often, I am. Often we hide our true selves from others believing that maybe they would judge us for being so weak or petty or selfish. But, the truth is, all of us are a casserole of emotions and thoughts. Christ desires that we learn how to come to Him, to abide in Him, to rest in Him so that we do not have to carry such burdens. Yet, as human beings, we find we are weak, vulnerable, weary. As humans, we suffer the finiteness of our humanity on a daily basis. What to do?

Many of you, like me, have bigger issues than the normal woman. When we have children who are “different” or out of the box or who come with some kind of “diagnosis,” we long for the comfort of others who understand. Some have very difficult marriages, (perhaps a husband with a very difficult issue that will never go away), difficult children or prodigals, pasts that we are ashamed to share. Many of us have scars, voices that accuse us of our imperfections—that those around us would not understand.

But we need people who understand, acknowledge the reality of our troubles and struggles and can come alongside and help. Pretending they do not exist only causes us to stuff the dark emotions further down which causes more trouble in the long run.

Often, when I would try to share about my struggles discovering how to best parent Nathan and my other clinically OCD kids, my friends would deny it thinking I would feel better if they assured me it wasn’t obvious or a real problem. But what I needed was for someone to say, “Yes, I see it. It must be hard. Let me bear this burden with you. How can I help?” I needed compassion not placating.

Day to day with challenging lives can cause us to feel despair and lonely and drained without a way to go forward. But this is the truth, anxiety, fear, insecurity, anger in a fallen world filled with hate, difficulty and injustice causes us to feel these feelings. God wants to walk with us through them, not to ignore them.

Anxiety has become a common experience for us in the age of COVID. What do we do with the anxiety we face, and with our suffering more generally? How should we approach anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses with love and grace? What does God do through these things to draw us closer to himself and to teach us with unflinching patience? These are important questions for us, and the answers we find in Scripture are both insightful and encouraging. 

I was so thankful to be able to have a conversation with my online friend, Pierce Taylor Hibbs, about this very subject, but particularly anxiety. In this episode, today I talk about some of these issues with him, author of Struck Down but Not Destroyed: Living Faithfully with Anxiety, about ways to move through these issues. We share stories of God's faithfulness and presence, our own growth in compassion, and our responses to God in times of great anxiety and suffering.

Understand that we are not coming up with a “One size fits all, the ten ways to be sure you overcome anxiety and every other emotional distress.” The reality is that sometimes our issues stay as companions with us for life. There is no easy fix. Yet, as I allow God to walk through my own issues, I find comfort, compassion, humility, strength, hope to keep going forward. The message throughout is clear:

God's power is made perfect in our weakness, and he shapes us, lovingly and faithfully, to look more and more like Jesus Christ.

This is our desire: If you struggle with anxiety or know someone who does, we hope you hear that you are seen, accepted, loved, and shepherded by the God who uses everything for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28). 

You can find Pierce at his website: Website: Piercetaylorhibbs.com

Finding Hope in Hard Things: A Positive Take on Suffering

By Hibbs, Pierce Taylor
























Struck Down but Not Destroyed: Living Faithfully with Anxiety

By Hibbs, Pierce Taylor























































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