Sally Clarkson's Blog, page 82

Queen Elizabeth & I Wish You A Wonder-filled Week & Podcast

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As long as I can remember, I have been celebrating Sunday afternoon tea time. Often, when I lived in Oxford, (oh how I miss it), I would go with a friend or child to a favorite place where burials and royalty had walked in the vaults of the ancient church. Warm scones, fresh out of the oven, were as big as a fist, and always accompanied by clotted cream and raspberry or blackberry jam. The tea was so strong it could shake up the drowsiness of an exhausted soldier—but just to my taste.

Why have I kept rigorously faithful to such rhythms in my personal life? Because I know that the more I take care to keep rhythms, to celebrate beauty, to keep meeting with loved ones, I will probably be more likely to hold fast to my faith during hard times. Intensionally filling my cup, regularly at the same rate at which my energy and emotions are depleted helps me to be able to keep giving to others.

Tea time this afternoon brought to mind one of my favorite live heroes—Queen Elizabeth.

I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

2. Let us not take ourselves too seriously. None of us has a monopoly on wisdom.

3. When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat, instead they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.

4. It has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the hard progress of humankind.

 5. To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in this treasure house, the Bible?

6.The upward course of a nation’s history is due in the long run to the sounds of the heart of its average men and women.

Take a little tea today, reflect on these wonderful words of wisdom and commit to living a life of wonder and wisdom.

Books Referenced in this Podcast:


























 FOR MORE

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Leave an iTunes Review These are so important as they help our podcast reach more women with messages of encouragement.

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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!

Play Episode #444

We Must Live By Faith

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. ~Hebrews 11:1

The measure of a great woman is not her strength, but her reliance on God. We know this now, in a time when so little can be known or predicted or counted upon in the natural scheme of things, more than ever.

Today I read this in my quiet time:

Lord, you have always given bread for the coming day; And though I am poor, today I believe.

Lord you have always given strength for the coming day; and though I am weak, today I believe.

Lord you have always given peace for the coming day, and though of anxious heart, today I believe.

Lord you have always kept me safe in trials, and now, tried as I am, today I believe.

Lord, You have always marked the road for the coming day; and though it may be hidden, today I believe.

Lord, You have always lightened this darkness of mine; and though night is here, today I believe.

Lord, You have always spoken when time was ripe; and though you be silent now, today I believe.

To remind ourselves of what God has done in the past is one of the greatest ways to build our faith and demonstrate to those around us a way to live in peace. As God commanded the Israelites to celebrate festivals and erect monuments to remind themselves of what He had done for them in the past, so we can keep our own lists and celebrations so that we always remember He has been faithful, and He will always be faithful.

How can you remind yourself of the faithfulness of God, today?

There's Not Just One Right Way, or One Right Decision & Podcast

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Stripes or spots? quiet or loud? Intellectual or artistic? orderly or inspirational? driven or gentle? Humorous or serious?

The more we can accept ourselves, our personality, our story, our strengths and weakness, our flaws and our passions, the more contentment we will nurture in our lives. And when we are content, we are able to accept and affirm others for their uniqueness and for their individual responses to life. The more we like who God made us, the more secure our children will be.

"Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed." Romans 12: 1

Today was filled with minor errors and even moments where I was beyond my capabilities in what some might require of me. Expectations from my publicists, my publishers, my social media assistants, my administrator, my life—on my computer, on social media, on my launch, on some issues at home, on my car that had a tire issue. But, today is still a day when I can breathe in peace, accept my limitations and trust God.

Not all people will home educate, not all people work, not all children are easy, not all marriages are the same. But all have value and can be redeemed and have value in God’s capable hands. To live within our limitations with contentment is to find peace.

Early one morning, my chatterbox little boy ran into the room, jumped on the couch next to me, snuggled and said with a sparkle, "Come on, admit it, mama! You must love me the best because I am the most fun of all your kids."

Followed by, "Nuh huh! She loves me best because I help her the most and you just get into trouble!"

And so the conversation escalated. My answer, "I love you the Nathanest! I love you the Joy-est!" You each have a place in my heart that only you can fit.

Personality--what a strange animal!

Perhaps you prefer one type of personality, and some personalities are surely easier to deal with. But the reality is, all personalities are holy to the Lord.

God gave me two introverts and two extroverts and a variety of different issues in between to shepherd. He expanded my soul and stretched me by challenging me to look at them from His eyes.

We live in a world that values conformity. We want to use our force, our power, our authority to make people, and our children, fit into the box. Be good. Be tame. Be moral. Don't bring attention to yourself. Don't contend or question the norm.

I remember a time when Nathan had brought some boys home from a class he was taking. A mile high pile of chocolate chip cookies, just out of the oven, was the enticement for them to stay around in my kitchen and jabber. One of the boys always called me, "Dude, mama." From him, it was a compliment. I had attained approval.

As they were talking, they said, "We thought Nathan was so weird when he first came into our class. He walked up to the teacher and introduced himself and said he was looking forward to being in the class. We all thought, 'Everyone knows you don't speak to a teacher in front of everyone else."

He then went on to say, "All of us learned by third grade to fit in, don't do anything that would call attention to yourself or you would be bullied by the whole group, all of your peers gang up against anyone who is different---everyone is supposed to fit in. So when Nathan comes and doesn't care what people think and makes friends with everyone, even the teachers, it blew our grid of norm.Truly, for a while, everyone thought he was a weirdo."

Quietness but fire underneath fits the description of one child, while steady Freddy, slow but dependable; funny, in your face charming, another. All have pushed my buttons through the years, but they have humbled me, too, in a good way. I now know for sure that I cannot control my children--they are free agents with a will and desires and dreams, all unique to the call on their lives and the personalities God gave them.

But, no matter the personality, I am called to shepherd them to love God, to teach and train them to have the character underneath that they will need to complete the tasks God gives them to do in their life time.

Most important, though, as a mom, I am called to control but to release them into His hands, as they are, to live out their uniqueness in a world that needs them to sparkle as God made them.

Books Referenced in this Podcast:





































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More Resources:


Life with Sally Membership

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Leave an iTunes Review These are so important as they help our podcast reach more women with messages of encouragement.

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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!

Play Episode

Let Me Help You Homeschool! & Join My Launchteam For Awaking Wonder Today!

Darcy and I are so very excited to release Awaking Wonder to the world.

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Now is a perfect time to Homeschool and I want to help you! I haven’t been this excited or passionate in many years, and I am a passionate person. As we look at the times we are living in, the future of children’s lives is more important than ever. Now is a time to shape their world view, to give them strong and healthy emotional support, to inspire them to hold fast to hope, to think of themselves as light bearers in a dark world. And when parents are passionate about the overall shaping of their children, the world will always have hope. Our God has chosen us to be world shapers, right in our home.

Over 36 years ago, when I was living in Vienna, Austria, God placed a vision of what was possible in the mentoring, discipleship and instruction of precious children, the ones who would carry messages into their generation. And as I had fallen in love with discipleship and mentoring and saw first hand how God used normal people like me to shape a whole country of faith through our mission work in Communist Easter Europe, I saw how He had designed parenting to be a strategic place for the shaping of children, in home disciples.

I dreamed of educating my children in a different way—by bringing them home, away from traditional classrooms to my home. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew that I wanted my children to have something different—freedom to explore their world, stories to fill their imagination, dress up clothes to pretend and act out any hero tale or winsome narrative, time to be innocent, to become more of who they were made to be without arbitrary comparison to others.

Now, as all of my adult children have forayed out into their worlds and are brimming over with life, purposeful vocations, full and healthy hearts, robust intellects, I am more excited to share our journey than ever.

As we look to the times, and feel the fear and anxiety, we can almost see the darkness, it is a perfect time to be able to give our children lives filled with light, beauty, hope, virtue, love in the multifaceted atmosphere of our homes. We can protect their innocence while capturing their imagination to become strong and good, to serve others.

This is truly a time to awaken our children’s wonder to the love of learning and the fulfillment of living into a meaningful, beautiful life. All parents are teachers, but we are at our best when we take up the mantle of mentorship and become a guide for our children, to lead them into what is good, beautiful and true.

I am happy to help in any way, to provide ideas, to share resources, to encourage you to take the risk of living in a different way in order to bring our children’s imaginations to life.

Never has there been a time when there are more resources available, books, movies, experts, classes that we can bring into our homes to provide excellent, true, wonder-filled sources of every kind to stretch the minds and understanding of our children.

I pray that Awaking Wonder will encourage you and help direct you to understand what really matters in the overall shaping and development of children. I pray our story will lead you to the deeply fulfilling life I have had as a mother, teacher, writer, leader. What a gift I have received that I didn’t know would be so deeply satisfying—and to feel a part of kingdom work in a world that needs hope.

Today, my launch team opens. Will you consider being a part of it and helping me to reach people all over the world with this message? I would be so honored.

And I hope the articles, podcasts, stories I provide in the days ahead will communion in this journey.

Here is the link where you might join. Awaking Wonder Launch Team

Printable:


Awaking Wonder Quote Bookmark

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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!

Play Episode #442

Staying Alive with Hope Over the Long Haul

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Every year, as long as I can remember, our family puts aside a day to eat a feast of a breakfast, to drive up the hour long mountain road, singing as we go, and to celebrate us, “The Clarksons.” Many of you have read about this in my book, the Lifegiving Home.

Last week, amidst multiple deadlines, demands and responsibilities for all of us, we scheduled a day to remember who we are, what God had done to show His faithfulness and to re-cement the bonds of faith and love we cherish together.

Always, always, always, taking the time to do this fills my heart with renewed gratefulness. We always see more of the fingerprints of God than we have taken time to notice. In the sharing of our gratefulness together, I am reminded that God will be faithful in the future, because he is my loving, Heavenly Father who cares deeply for us, his own children. But if we do not take time to remember, to notice, we can become dark of soul and discouraged of heart.

Hiking our trails and taking countless pictures, we giggle, tell stories, act out ridiculous antics as we hike. Then I am reminded again that family is sacred. It is the microcosm of place and love where the reality of God’s love and truth is celebrated.

And, especially this year, I am reminded of the heritage our family mutually values and cherishes of the impact of our having decided to home educate our children. I have copied a couple of ideas down for you that will provide the smaller peek at some of the ideas behind my new book, Awaking Wonder.

For years, we lived free, read the best books, discussed life, had adventures, did our chores together, celebrated prayer and devotions hundreds and hundreds of times and lived an organic life subject to the beauty of endless days together. Here are some of my thoughts.

What is Wonder?

Wonder is the engine that drives curiosity and shapes a robust intellect. 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. 

How does wonder impact learning?

To give a child the gift of time to imagine, to dream, to create, to engage, and to wonder is to allow time and space for his heart to be touched by the surrounding beauty, for his mind to have room to grow strong with a feast for imagination, and for his emotions to bathe in the tranquility of a peaceful life in an unhurried rhythm. Then we offer a feast of theology, math, story, literature, virtue, faith, science, nature, art, music, and culture, upon which to apply their wondering and wonderful minds. It is to give them beauty and strength of imagination and the strong pleasure of learning and acquiring knowledge over a lifetime. Wonder is the catalyst in shaping a powerful, engaged intellect. 

You will be hearing a lot about my new book, Awaking Wonder, in the weeks ahead. Not just because it is launching soon. But mainly because I believe this is a very ripe time for parents to understand hat they are the primary teachers of their children; that their children’s foundation of faith must be laid intentionally, that in order for their children to face this world with faith and confidence, their children’s hearts and souls must be filled with stories, images, words about the love, beauty, goodness, faithfulness and holiness of our God. Souls must be intentionally shaped.

It would mean the world to me if those of you who listen to my podcasts would purchase your copy of Awaking Wonder now. I would be so honored if you would do that. And my hope is that we will renew the vision and excitement of parents all over the world for building a robust, godly generation of strong believers right in the walls of their own home.

Books Referenced in this Podcast:





















































FOR MORE

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.

Leave an iTunes Review These are so important as they help our podcast reach more women with messages of encouragement.

Follow on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

Share with others. My prayer is that this podcast brings encouragement to women and families, and I would be honored for you to tell others about it.

Join my friends and me in membership at Life with Sally, a place for me to share more teaching from the Bible and messages on education, motherhood, discipleship, and more!

Play Episode #441

Best books for boys with Nathan Clarkson, #2

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Tonight I am sitting inside my home, watching the storms of summer blow and throw clouds of water over my flowers. The trees are bending from the gale force wind, but inside we are safe, dry and warm. It is a sort of paradigm of what is going on in my own life and probably yours.

We live in a stormy time, gale force winds of disharmony and heartbreak, clouds of a broken world pouring out its fury. Yet, inside, especially for those of us who are dwelling in God’s arms, we find safety and peace. We do not underestimate the storms, but we have a sure foundation in Him who carries us.

Before Nathan left, I snuck him away for an early breakfast and heart to heart all by ourselves. It is always a gift to have alone time with my boys. We spoke of the unshakeable foundations that keep us all fast when we are away from one another. Besides morning times and family prayer, stories were those powers of force that shaped my children’s faith, hope and love.

Today, Nathan and I share a few of those stories and books with you that laid the roadways upon which he traveled in his mind his whole life. They are worthy stories and have stayed with him his whole life. I hope you love what we share with you today. Happy Monday, my friends.

And look for the winners to be announced today. Sending love, Sally

P.S. - In addition, for all the moms of girls out there, Nathan and Joy recorded an episode on Nathan’s podcast today, The Overthinkers, on the best fictional female characters. Link is below!

Books Referenced in this Podcast:






























































































































































































































































Play Episode #440




Nathan and Joy Clarkson "Best Fictional Female characters"

More Resources: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!

Happy (Almost) 4th of July! From My Mountain Top to You!

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We live in a little town, near the Rocky Mountains for a backdrop. It is always breathtakingly beautiful when we get to hike. Monument, the town in our county, has always hosted the most amazing parade of veterans, kids on decorated bikes and trikes and every assortment of groups, clubs, and floats imaginable. It is lots of fun, and thousands upon thousands come from all around. Then in the evening, thousands gather around a tiny lake town, Palmer Lake, and ooh and ahh at the fireworks that mirror in the lake. We all sit on blankets and gather together with our community. This year, of course, the parade has been canceled to the coronavirus regulations, and a virtual photo/video “parade” is being hosted instead … not quite the same!

We will have to find a new way to celebrate, as I am so glad my children have come to visit this summer. When I was a little girl, every year, my mama would slow cook brisket in homemade barbeque/grilling sauce and we would all just about die to taste some. While the beef was soaking in the pungent sauce, she would make twice baked potatoes. (bake potatoes, scoop out the center and then mash the potatoes with milk, salt and pepper, sour cream to taste. The potatoes skins would be stuffed with the mashed mixture and cheese would be sprinkled across the top to melt in the oven (the twice baked part!) and then corn on the cob, watermelon, and other dishes accompanied this feast. I think I will make it again this year.

Summer fruit is one of my favorite things. I will probably repeat a favorite. I call it Three-berry Shortcake. We mash up a small amount of fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, with a little sugar thrown in for good measure, and just a tiny bit of hot water. Then we sprinkle whole blueberries into the mix, and toss them together, so the whole berries make it beautiful but he mashed berries give it a sort of berry sauce. You can use a simple shortcake recipe or grab your favorite angel food or other plain cake from the store, and pile the mixed berries high on top! Add a dollop of your favorite whipped cream, and you have a fresh, oh so tasty, and healthy desert! And it is red, white and blue.

Make your own fun at home this 4th of July! You can always create your own red, white, and blue dessert, or perhaps try a fun craft idea. Here are a few fun and simple ideas for 4th of July slime, ribbon wands, sand art, and more: https://www.personalcreations.com/blog/fourth-of-july-kids-crafts

Today, to end the celebration of 10 Million downloads, and in light of the celebration of food, I am giving away 4 copies of the Lifegiving Table.

Happy 4th!

To celebrate, I am giving away 4 of each of these to you who leave a comment in my places. Happy Weekend!

The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith through Feasting, One Meal at a Time

By Clarkson, Sally
























The Lifegiving Table Experience: A Guided Journey of Feasting through Scripture

By Clarkson, 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!

Play Episode #439

"POC Children's Literature: Beginning Conversations" & Giveaway

Every once In a while, God brings an angel gift into your life that encourages you endlessly for years upon end. Ginger Pattee is one of those gifts. She started coming to our mom conferences over 20 years ago and because we kept seeing one another, we became friends. Ginger is a mama to 5 grown kids and home educated them all. Ginger has been a very important leader in our ministry for many years. She has led a Book Study group for many years with women from her area. But, she leads a prison ministry in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area for incarcerated mamas using our books as a way to disciple and mentor these precious ones. And she is a contributor on my membership: Life With Sally.

The real impact she has had in my life, though, is that she is a faithful and faith-filled women. She just keeps walking with God through thick and thin, she keeps being encouraging, she keeps loving. She is a model and inspiration to me personally.

The photo above was a few years ago when Ginger was a part of a weekend of leaders meeting at my home for discipleship training. We share a love for great literature, a love for Jesus and a love for mentoring. But even more, we are both grandmothers, have seen our children grow into adulthood, have encountered the ups and downs of them through these young adult years and so we have one another’s friendship to understand and share the joys and burdens of all the stages.

I asked Ginger to share with us on my podcast some of her favorite books that are about people of color. We have in common some of our mutually loved books. I know you will enjoy listening today. It is really two friends letting you into our conversation.

And, again, to celebrate this week of over 10 million downloads, I am giving away 2 of our favorite books. So, leave a comment in my places and you will be entered into the drawing.

Enter to receive a copy of each of these wonderful books. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and What is Given From the Heart (oh how this touches me every time I read it.)

[(Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry)] [By (author) Mildred D. Taylor] published on (November, 2001)

By Mildred D. Taylor

More books you will love but not on the giveaway.

Amos Fortune, Free Man (Newbery Library, Puffin)

By Yates, Elizabeth
























What Is Given from the Heart

By McKissack, Patricia C.
























Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt (Reading Rainbow Books)

By Deborah Hopkinson
























Corduroy

By Freeman, Don























































Play Episode

We All Need Some Sparkle in Our Day: Earrings & Membership Giveaway & Podcast

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“Queen of Earrings, that is what I think of you!”

Somewhere while running hard over the past years, I decided that I loved to add “sparkle” to my every day life. I embraced color, dimension, taste, adventure as a part of who God made me to be. Since I live off and on in Oxford and have a walking life, I decided to cut my very straight hair short because I was always walking in the rain and it was the only way to keep my hair manageable. And then I adopted a habit of always wearing fun earrings as a little bit of a “girly” touch that gave me much pleasure.

As a celebration of my over 10 Million Downloads on my podcast, At Home with Sally, as you know, I wanted to give away fun gifts to you every day. I thought we might be in need of something fun. My dear friend and assistant, Misty Krasawski, offered to give away one of these pairs of lovely earrings to a follower of my sites. She and her husband, Rob, work in a mission in Africa and they buy these lovely pieces from women there and sell them in the States so that they can help support those artists in Africa. And one person will win one of the pairs of earrings.

I also thought it might be fun to give away 3, 3 month memberships to Life with Sally, my monthly subscription where I have been developing a community and place for inspiration for other like minded women.

(Those of you who join this membership are supporting our ministry, Whole Heart Ministries. Through your monthly subscription, you are helping us create more resources, to pay our assistants and staff and to help us reach our world with the messages of inspiring parents to mentor their children and to build a godly legacy. Below, you can read of some of the subjects of our offerings in this place. We have literally hundreds of articles, posts, videos, audio production and downloadable posters from the last couple of years. I hope you will be inspired. )

I have been so encouraged the past couple of days by the common events in our home and the conversations I have had with the 20 somethings and 30 somethings whose life and faith is on fire. I hope you feel the hope I have found in them. As long as the young adults of this generation are alive with hope, beauty, love and purpose, there is hope for the future. And as long as we build these things into our children, the next generation will also have hope and goodness surrounding them.

Just leave a comment in my social media places, therealsallyclarkson on facebook and sally.clarkson on insta.

So fun to give away these fun gifts because I do feel so honored by your support of my podcasts and I love this community. I just wanted to give back.

I leave you with this quote:

for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”

― George Eliot, Middlemarch

Happy Midweek.

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!

Play Episode

Death by 100 cuts, Giveaway: Celebrating over 10 Million Downloads

10 Million Downloads on Life With Sally Celebration: A Care Package for you!My Favorite thing Giveaway: Yorkshire Gold Tea, a heart candle, chocolate salted Almonds, a journal. Hope you win!

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,

and I will give you rest.

Matt. 11:28

Sitting slumped on our front porch rocking chairs, I felt as though a thousand pounds was resting on my shoulders. I could glance within and see that inside I was sort of crumbling. Not the momentary, flash in the moment sort of crumble. But the deep-down, shadows beginning to cover my heart and a responsive physical heaviness that matched my heart.

Joy sat next to me, touching my arm as I spoke, pursing her lips, looking at me with tenderness and compassion.

“I feel like it is not just one major blow that is at the core of my sadness. But it is like a hundred small hits have weekend my resolve to be joyful and I am bleeding bit by bit in all the myriad hits. A slow but sure death.

Joy then told me of a contemporary song, "Death by 1000 Cuts.” I found out it was an old form of Chinese torture, where prisoners of war would not be killed all at once but by 1000 cuts, little by little bleeding to death. That was how I felt—many different ways I was experiencing the stress and challenges of life all at once, a slow but sure death of my heart.

Maybe some of you feel that way, too. We all determined to be grateful through the pandemic, thankful we had enough food, a bed to sleep in, food to eat. And then we found out that many had lost their jobs, their homes, many sick.

Lately, my message box has been filled with even more sad stories—a woman wrote to me from a parking lot, saying her husband had left her the night before with her 4 little ones and she didn’t know anyone else in he world to contact. Another whose husband announced he didn’t believe in God anymore. Another who said her husband was acting out anger on her children. Another whose marriage was over.

But still there is Jesus, and still His love is moving.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,

and I will give you rest.

Matt. 11:28

I want all of you to know several truths.
1. We are all human beings with deep needs for love, affection, hope, encouragement, purpose. The exhaustion of having many of our support systems taken a way, the inability to “self soothe” as babies do, the draining days, one after another, have left most everyone I know depleted. You do not have to feel guilty for feeling discouraged or grumpy. This deep depletion is real.

2. Don’t carry extra baggage or unnecessary guilt for being imperfect. We are all going to blow it in life, again and again. Perfection was never expected or possible in this broken world. Jesus wanted us to live fully into His peace and unconditional love every moment, every difficulty.

3. Taking care of yourself, determine to focus on those things that will give you more strength and health, (sleep, recreation and exercise, beauty—a bouquet of flowers, beautiful music, a happy, (not sad!) novel or movie—something hopeful; a quiet time to breathe in the love and truth of God’s word, all of these are essential to making it long term.

I have had the privilege of hosting several Bible studies with precious young moms in my home. I love each and every one of them, and they are my dear friends.  They give so much and are so very sincere in wanting to do the best they can to love and serve their families. Different stories, different puzzles. Some must work. Some must live alone while their husbands travel. Others are single and alone. Others just wonderfully trying to live with these little ones who want to eat and wear reasonably clean clothes every day and want mama one more time.  Often there are children with difficult issues. And of course, many of these families struggle with financial problems. All of these sweet ones are so very precious and their stories matter for eternity.

Over time I have polled my sweet moms, "How many of you  have a grandmother or someone in your life who helps you take care of your children, who gives you a break, who is personally taking responsibility to help nurture and disciple your children? How many of you have someone who comes along beside you to help and pray for you?

I was shocked--almost no one--only a very small few out of over a hundred that are in my various groups. This should not be. Where have all the mother's, grandmother's gone? Do they not understand that their grandchildren are also their responsibility--to disciple, a stewardship of their own spiritual lives and influence? That God will hold them accountable for helping raise a godly generation by supporting their own children's call as a family?

I spent most of my  years of mothering without support systems, help, prayer or babysitting. Often, I can remember sleeping from exhaustion when I fell into bed, and yet, I would awaken in the wee hours of the morning with brudens of fear, worry, questions about all that I was carrying in my heart and in my life.

I would pour out my heart to God, and one more day, He would take me through. He was my advocate when I had no other. His Spirit kept me going and filled in the cracks that I was not able to. He gave strength and somehow, in spite of all of our own flaws and vulnerable places and immature lives, God saw. He saw me on my knees. He saw my heart that was fearful but wanted to trust. He saw in secret and beyond my expectations, and in spite of my limitations as a mom and wife, He worked.

He still sees and carries me one day at a time. He is my strength, and salvation. But His design was for me and for all of us to have His hands through a community of believers who would help, love, give encouraging words.

I have been up this morning early and prayed for you--you sweet precious ones who feel as though your life is invisible. You are seen. He hears the plees of your weary heart. He longs to sustain you and support you. He who sees in secret will reward openly. I pray you will know peace, rest, beauty in the midst of this very important journey.

I think that all children--the young ones and the adult ones, like me,  need an advocate--someone who cares for them personally and who will help them and look out for them. I believe that a mother is supposed to be that--a cheerleader who whispers from behind, "I am on your team. I love you. I will help you. You will make it. I am proud of you."

I am sorry for all of you who are not blessed to have an actual mother who understands that important role in your life.  I understand your journey as it was often my own.

But I do want you to know, you have an advocate in Him. His will today is for you to find His joy and blessing and to enjoy life. He is doing an invisible work that is beyond what you could accomplish yourself. He is faithful. He will reward every decision of faith that you make in the darkness when no one else sees, He sees. It is your integrity, your spiritual service of worship, to believe even in the invisible, weary moments of your life. He is with you and has a heart for all children--even you.  He is the one who cast the flowers upon the field for his child to enjoy.. He is the one who is willing make all things in your life beautiful in His time.

And I am praying you will know His gentle, generous love for you today. Have a lovely weekend.Wishing I could give each of you a bouquet of flowers!

to all of you sweet, wonderful, sacrificial mamas who give so much to your children. 

For all of you who give over and over again, and overcome the weariness.

To the ones who may not be honored today, but will have rewards in heaven.

For you who are the servant leaders that Jesus understands.

Your lives are not invisible--but so very precious to the one who chose you to be the mother of those sweet ones in your home. I wish you rest, peace and love today! (and a maid and someone to wash your dishes!) You are my heroes!

May your hearts be blessed and filled with an understanding that your love is the best kind of love. May you have a long nap, and a peaceful heart, and an inner sense that you are so very precious.

Today, I thought you might enjoy a care package for yourself. So if you want to enter to win, do the same as yesterday—leave a comment on fb or instagram and you will be entered to win a care package to keep you going.

Sending all of my love,

Sally

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