Sally Clarkson's Blog, page 88

A Grace-Filled Heart--Key to a Nurturing Home

"The ultimate key to providing a nurturing environment in my home is me.

The physical surroundings can make a big difference. The lessons provided can be interesting. The curriculum I choose can challenge. 

In the end, though, what my children and husband need most from me is not a perfect home

or perfect training

or a perfectly spiritual role model

or a wife without faults--

but a mother and wife who is committed to doing whatever it takes to love them and make a living home for them and to fully live the life of Christ in the borders of this home in such a way, that they understand, feel, taste His reality."

~Sally Clarkson, The Mission of Motherhood

"In the twilight of our lives, we will be judged on how we have loved."

St. John of the Cross

It is truly a phantom to think that any woman can do it all! I have found in my own life, that if I am attending to the needs of my children, Clay, home, close friends and family, I really have to economize and prioritize my time as my life pretty much demands every moment of me. More and more with each passing day, I sense how important my role as a mother and godly woman is and I get such joy out of it, as I daily see the results of my many years of striving toward the goal of being a woman after God's own heart and serving those around me for His glory.

Now, don't get me wrong, this does not mean that I always feel loving towards these strange people who inhabit my home!

But because of my love for the Lord, which is more dear to me each year, I keep putting one step in front of the other and see, with the eyes of my heart and mind, the power of my work to fill souls with great thoughts and causes and love for God's kingdom. Mostly, though, I see more clearly how much I am a living picture of God's reality every day, by exhibiting the fruit of the spirit, by giving cups of cold, refreshing water; by serving and giving of myself and my wisdom and teaching, and by always taking the initiative to speak life and joy and wisdom on a regular basis.

We once had a friend who seemed very pious. Our family would often feel guilty when we ate dinner at her house, because she made us feel that we should all be more serious. We all felt like w had been let out of jail when we left her home!

She accomplished so much and had a pristine house, but we felt drained just being there. Her attempts to be spiritual and "work" for God, I am convinced, was out of a heart that was striving to figure out how to really know God and serve Him sincerely. Yet, the result of all her denying of self, speaking piously, and working, working, working, left most of the people in her life feeling guilty and distant from her.

Since she had apparently not experienced the grace and peace of God, she could only give out of a soul of performance,  which brings about death to relationships. Life must be infused with the grace and freedom of God. Eventually, this mom became depressed and gave up, wondering where God had gone, since she felt she had worked all her life for Him. Of course, He hadn’t gone anywhere; honestly, He did not ever require that she exhaust herself with a myriad of tasks; He wanted her to know His love and share it in the everyday moments of her life instead.

I do not wish in any way to discourage anyone who works hard for God. Yet, sometimes, we get lost trying to figure out how to really rest in God while holding up ideals. Giving our life into His hands and not taking all responsibility onto our shoulders is a good start.

As I have been pondering this situation, I have realized when I am in the presence of someone who really walks with God, there is evidence of life and joy and goodness and well-being and grace and faith. God tells us when we abide in Him--rest in Him, stay in Him, walk with Him—we will bear much fruit. The fruit is a natural result of His spirit working through us, not of us trying to push out works of righteousness on our own.

When one is washed with the unconditional love and grace and mercy of God, the result is peace, humility, and thankfulness of heart. The women I know who really exhibit the life of the Lord aren't above discouragement or humanity, but there is a palpable sense of walking with God and having made a decision to please Him and trust Him through the ups and downs of life. There is a security I feel in being with them, because I know their sails have been set toward the King and His Kingdom and I can trust in their integrity to continue journeying in the right direction with Him at the helm. Isn’t this just what we want for our children?

Growing in grace, peace, and maturity as we walk with the Lord is the key to crafting a nurturing home, especially in uncertain days. Let’s start there!

The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity

By Clarkson, Sally

Choosing to be Steadfast, Strong, Faithful--Worth Pondering. & Podcast

In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. Psalm 62:7

 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

If we truly believe in Him and His promises then every day is a time for us to seek how to be faithful, at peace, strong, immovable.

Every day when I go outside and begin driving toward town, the mountains are there, stable, immovable, solid. God compares. Himself to a mountain or rock. I have been pondering this these last days and know that as I strain to be more like Him, I, too can be stable, strong, a. refuge. for others, dependable, steadfast.

This is a time to lean into our ability to be strong. We have the capacity. but we must exercise. our wills, for the sake of. our love for Christ, to wait for Him to direct our lives, not demanding to know and understand everything yet.

This is a time for us to act in light of our hope, that He is preparing for us a place where all of life will be redeemed. A time to show others—our families, children, friends, that our hope is sure—not false. It is a time we can write the days of our sequestering as ones of growth, strength, love, beauty because He is “God with us,” and He is a rock, immovable, our refuge.

May you find the will to live into your God given capacity in your own life to be strong, to persevere with faith and eyes upon Him.

So very grateful that He has been immovable in my life. So secure to stand on Him--for my life, for my children, my marriage. Blessings and rest to each of you precious ones today. May you deeply know His strength and steadfastness today.

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A Heart For Manners: Teaching Children to Value Others & Podcast

Tea In Oxford! A Time to be civilized and enjoy life and goodies!

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Honor: To grant someone high respect, to esteem greatly

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;Honor: To Give. worth, value, respect to another. Romans 12: 10

Over the years of our lives, our family hosted hundreds, if not thousands of people. Yet, to make sure each one felt welcomed and cared for meant that we had to prepare our children’s hearts, (and our own), to know what to expect, how to treat each who came through the door. It’s one thing to want to tell people about Christ. Yet, it is quite another to know how to reach out, start a conversation, put people at ease. Manners are the vehicles through which we act out honoring others, to grant them the respect they deserve as a fellow human being. Manners give the confidence to know how to act towards someone.

We spoke to our children of cultivating a life that says “welcome.” To welcome means to grant a sense of pleasure for someone’s presence.

Starting out by giving our children an image of “a life that says welcome” was the foundation for all. manners they learned. We taught them that we honor others made in God’s image because that meant they had great worth to God . To extend hospitality and courtesy to others was a way for us to extend the heart of Christ to others. “A heart prepared to say, ’Welcome’" greets each weary traveler as they drag heavy suitcases awkwardly up our little entry steps, and find a bottle of water, a card, a chocolate, a fresh towel, a candle lit to bring fragrance to the room.. Candles flicker, music softly wafts through the air and chocolate almonds, tiny wrapped gouda cheeses all say, "you are a valued person and we want you to find rest and peace as you enter our home."

The past few years, giggles, tears, antics and life-stories amuse the walls of our home, as countless friends (and strangers) have filed into this Clarkson homestead.  Bible studies, dinners for students visiting at a local ministry, a leadership intensive, sweet friends coming for a "cuppa" and a few minutes shared rocking on the front porch, sweet children home for limited days, and a friendship talk. all mark the occasions of a visit.

Always there is endless eating; and hearts wanting to be loved and encouraged. Sanctuary has been on my mind the past few months as I have sought to understand the importance of having a heart and a home where all can expect to come for life, beauty and peace--and to feel the touch of Him in a tangible way through our words, hands, and embraces.

Godly women shape their homes into sanctuaries where the love of God, the comfort of Jesus, the celebration of joy sings through the very oxygen of the cracks and corners of her home and brings just what each one needs as they enter there.

"We view the ministry of hospitality in our home as God's tool for us to train our children in graciousness. When someone comes to our home, our children know that we expect them to be gracious and quick to serve. That means welcoming adult guests properly, asking if there is something they can get for them, taking their coat, or whatever is appropriate to the visit. (Hospitality drills are a helpful way to train them in this area).

Our children know that being well-mannered and gracious is more than just a cultural formality...it is the way we show respect to another person, affirm their value as a person made in God's image, and strengthen our testimony to them not only as a Christian family but also as a homeschooling family. 

It is the practical expression of treating others the way you want to be treated, regarding others as more important than yourself, and looking out for the interests of others. Even when we go to someone else's house, we will still practice hospitality. We rehearse with the kids before they leave the car how to be gracious guests who are polite, respectful, and helpful." -Educating the Wholehearted Child

Even though my children are now adults, they still help me every time we welcome anyone into our home. One will be bustling around, setting up for tea time, and before I know it, another child has already cleaned up the entire kitchen. The dishes will be washed, the counters tidied, and each guest is sure to have been welcomed and served. (No, this didn’t happen the first time I tried to pass on this value, but over. time, repetition, practice, correction and then doing it all over again as an expectation for life shaped their own personal narratives about who they were, what they did, how they behaved. Eventually it became as natural as breathing.)

This desire to serve, help, and host does not appear out of thin air. In order for your family to be a team that works together as a unit when you have guests over, your children must know what is expected of them. We have put this into an acronym for you to remember. TMI

-Training: Train in grace behavior (manners). Value and pursue priority relationships. Train your children how to pray for those they will be called to serve.

-Modeling: Adults-set the example. Be gracious and kind to family members. Show grace and love to strangers.

-Instruction: About our relationship with God. About the power of the Holy Spirit--lived out through real people to real people.

Proverbs 22:6 states:

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

It is absolutely crucial that we train our children in the ways of graciousness. This also means that you must have patience and grace with your children as they learn how to serve others.

Start practicing by assigning your children different ways they can help the next time you have friends or family over for dinner. If you remember TMI, your little ones will flourish into adults who are loving, gracious, polite, and respectful.

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Destroying Dragons: No More Living By Guilt & podcast

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.  He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

II Corinthians 3:5-6

Anyone. who knows. me. knows. that I am a woman of ideals. But where is the balance between ideals and reality? Seems Paul. agrees. with us. In Romans: 7:23-24, we. see him struggling with the inconsistencies between what he. wishes he could do to be more godly and perfect and the reality: “but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

I love how real the Bible is, in that it faces our problems in life straight on. Scripture never pretends that we could ever be perfect. Yet, daily, it seems, most women I know accuse themselves of the guilt of shortcomings—anger, depression, criticism, complaining, harshness.

If we want to be healthy emotionally and glorify God as thanks for HIs generous and complete provision of grace when we accepted His life in exchange for our own, we must move towards the direction of living with ourselves by grace, total unconditional love and acceptance by Him who cheers us on.

The dark shadows played upon the window of my bedroom, as the sun set over the mountains. The darkness seemed to match my mood. I remember this day clearly because I felt trapped and wondered if I would truly make it through the rest of the years of my children being at home. One more move, teens in the house and a little girl who wanted to play with her beany babies, and a hormonal middle-aged mama who was worn to the bone, made for catastrophe.

There were many such days through the journey of motherhood and the fingers pointed at my heart accused me of the inadequacies and failures in my life.

Today, I am writing all the sweet mamas who are in this place and feel alone—as though they are alone in their feelings of guilt.

A sweet mama wrote me a facebook message recently and said she often felt guilty when she read my posts. I totally understand! We all have regrets and can feel like, "I wish I had known more!" But, most of us were not trained to be good mamas and had very few good models to follow, so often we muddle the best we can.

The reason I write this blog is to hopefully give some encouragement that I longed for when I was mothering my now adult children. I have learned a lot over the last 59 years and if any of what I share can be of help, please let it encourage you--we can all move forward from where we are--with great hope, because of Him. So, I give you a part of my heart and how I have kept from staying in the mire of guilt and disappointment with myself over the years.

Do you ever hate reading articles where the writer always seems positive and Pollyannish? (Why? Because it doesn’t seem to match the reality of your own life and experience and it feels saccharine and unreal?)

Do you feel guilty for yelling and becoming angry at your children too often?

Are you regularly immature in front of your children? In marriage, do you become easily frustrated and can’t resist fighting with your spouse that you know you should love?

Do you ever wonder if there is any turning back? If you have been such a failure that it will be impossible to redeem your situation or child or marriage?

Does sadness fill your soul because of a prodigal or rebellious, angry child and you think it was all your fault?

DON’T STAY THERE! MOVE ON!

Perhaps this sounds pretty absurd—and heartless. Yet, I have seen that my  dwelling in self-pity and living in condemnation is an endless downward spiral. God does not want me to have a dark soul—only Satan does. (He accuses the brethren before the Father day and night!)

Everyone you know sins and falls short on a regular basis. (All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!)

All of these needed Him and what He died to give—redemption and restoration.

Heroes are those people who feel the same stress, fear, anxiety that everyone else feels in a terrible situation. But they do something about it—they act in a forward direction and do something to save the day.

So, you can be a hero—you are still writing your story—Yet you have to choose to live in forgiveness. Your story cannot have a good ending unless you decide to celebrate life right where you are and give your guilt, inadequacy, condemnation and then live in the freedom that He wants you to have.

All of us are broken and unworthy. We might express our weakness and sin in different ways, but we are all pretty petty, selfish and dark in our inner hearts. No matter how diligently we try to be perfect and especially to fool people into thinking we have our act together more than others, God knows. (And if anyone pretends to be righteous, they are fooling themselves and God—“

If we say we have no sin, we are liars and his word is not in us.” I john 1:10

IIn the same way we would not expect a toddler to live a life without making messes, crying, throwing a few fits, so God is not surprised at our incredible potential for messing up. In comparison to His holiness and perfection, we are mere toddlers—if that. “He is mindful that we are but dust.” Psalm 103

Guilt squeezes the spirit of life out of our souls! Guilt is destructive—and if he says you are not guilty, then for you to refuse His forgiveness and patience and grace is in Biblical terms—sin! To not live in His grace is sin.

(Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12)

There was some point in which I knew I could not live in a constant state of guilt or self-condemnation. The more I read scripture, the more I understood that Jesus did not intend for me to live in that place, and moreover, it is a place of destruction.

A mama who lives in condemnation, guilt and a state of inadequacy is negative, depressed, harsh and down so often that it also becomes a drag on her children.

Somewhere along the way, I decided to put the load of guilt of all the ways I had failed into the file drawers of heaven and I marked forgiven over them. And now, often, when voices accuse me of once more blowing it, I just pray and re-give my state of guilt to Jesus and seek to stay alive in the freedom that He has provided.

These are some of the verses that helped me:

He separates our sin in our lives as far as the east is from the west.Psalm 103

There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, for the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1

It was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

All of these verses and so many more, spoke to me of the heart Jesus had for us to know His love, His forgiveness and adoption of us into His royal family.

That is why His salvation, His love, His forgiveness, His indwelling, His commitment to refine us and to build us into the image of Jesus is such a priceless treasure—because He saves us from our dreary life of mistakes!

Easter is my favorite season of the year—because I am forgiven, I am adopted, I am new in Christ. And as a toddler, I seek Him all the time and expect Him to help me and to accept me into His arms. That is what I did for my immature toddlers. Could the God of the universe do any less.

But what to do with all the failures and ways I defrauded my children? That heavy burden of grief and sadness for all the ways I have failed?

“If we confess our sins, he is able to forgive us our sins.”

He is able. He is able.

Do not accept the heavy burden of guilt—choose to live in your new freedom. Choose to put away the voices, the rule-keepers. Faith is a choice of your will.

Believe that He is a redeemer—He can draw back those stray sheep—He loves them and especially wants to love and help you because you are a mama after His heart. He will redeem—buy back—all of those mistakes. Redemption is what HE does—he delights in doing what He was made to do. So don’t waste your time worrying—leave your failings and regrets in His loving hands.

After all, I think mamas are his favorites because like Him, they are laying down their lives for their sweet sheep.

May you live in the resurrection power today and each day till you see Him face to face.

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The Long Term Value of Waiting Patiently & Podcast

Rembrandt: The Slaying of Isaac & God’s rescue

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

I love Rembrandt and this is such a beautiful image to me to always remind me that God has bigger purposes in my life than I can even imagine. It came to mind this weekend as I listened to al song about Abraham this weekend. All of us are in a waiting game right now just like Abraham was for most of his life.
I am not good at waiting, never have been. Yet, in scripture we are told to wait approximately 141 times, depending on the version you use. As a young woman, I waited impatiently to graduate from high school so I could break out and go away to college. Then to graduate from college. Then to get married. Then to get pregnant (multiple waits), then to have a baby sleep through the night, then to have all of my children out of diapers. Still I am waiting impatiently.

When will this virus be over? Will we be ok financially? Will we get to do our conferences? Will people come because there will be such financial crisis? And and on and on.

In a culture that has fast food, speed of lightening responses on computer, instant gratification, the value of patience has become lost. Yet, patience is a virtue that will cause us to grow spiritually like no other. Patience with gentleness grants peace to those around us. Trusting and waiting in having our prayers answered tests whether we really believe in Him and trust that He is good. It forces us to look to God, to humble ourselves before Him, to acknowledge our dependence on him. Yet, how often we hurry the process of His answers and diminish our own ability to grow.

Abraham did not wait on God long enough and his hasty actions to "help" God answer his promise resulted in Hagar, his wife's maid, having Ishmael. The line of Ishmael lived in conflict with the Jewish people through all of history.

When we take things into our own hands, we create havoc of every sort.

We read in Isaiah, "Yet those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength, " Is. 40: 31

God has wisdom and He has plan. His ways are to build spiritual muscle slowly because His focus in on building character and the likeness of Christ in our lives. Holiness does not come from a quick fix.

The raging battle against righteousness is also an issue of why we must learn to be patient. Satan prowls the earth to see whom he may devour. The earth is in rebellion to God. If we are to resist evil and overcome it with good, we must learn the secret value of waiting patiently in the midst of life storms. Darkness is but for the night, but joy comes in the morning, we read in the psalms.

And so, all of life in a fallen world will require us to be patient, to rule over our impatient spirits, to rule our spirit. We do not walk by emotions, or desires, but we learn to walk in obedience to the path God has given. Then, His reward will be sure and generous.

Many times, as a mom, I felt that my mother-labor was in vain. The constancy of correcting, teaching, serving children who pushed against me, questioned me, seemed unconcerned. Yet, now, after all of these years, I am so grateful that God helped me to live for the ideals He had given me one day at a time. The heart satisfaction of seeing my children walk with God, pursue His kingdom purposes, is deep and peaceful. Yet, it was a long walk of faith, faithfulness and waiting.

And so, as adults, we see the value of training and teaching our children to put off self-gratification. Gently helping them to choose patience, to will to be strong, to wait on God, is to prepare them to understand how to live their lives for God and not for themselves. Marriage requires patience. Work requires patience. All relationships require patience. And yet exercising patience builds strong internal spiritual muscle over time.

When seeds are planted, patience is required to see them grow and bloom to full fruition. Yet the fruit brings great reward.

"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." 

Proverbs 16: 32

Ruling over ones spirit is such an amazing concept. To take charge, to subdue, to control one's spirit is the foundation for all sorts of spiritual prowess. When you help your child to learn to control his spirit and to rule over his emotions, you are giving him a gift that will serve him the rest of his life. Since I had never been trained, I had to learn it along with my little ones, yet now, it has served me better than I could have imagined.

Patience is wrought in our children little by little. Not by lecturing them only, but by guiding them in attitudes, in habits, to practice patience in order to become strong inside. Yet, patience brings great strength and great reward to those who submit to the wait. And the humility of not always getting ones own way immediately builds spiritual prowess like no other. When a child learns to wait on his mama and on circumstances, he is practicing learning to wait on God--and that is just the person God uses--the one who looks to God and waits expectantly on Him.

Just remember today, the Lord is with you and loves you and He will show you His ways as you patiently wait for Him.

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He Takes Up His Cross, and Calls Us to do the Same

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

Matthew 10:38

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Slipping through cold, dark streets, threatened by the ominous shadows, my friend and I searched in the darkness for an apartment number we had memorized when we crossed the border from free Austria into communist regions where Christianity was forbidden.

Finally, we found the right building and climbed dark stairs, walking one step at a time from the tiny flashlight that shown on our feet, and found the door we had been seeking.

"Knock softly three times and they will know they can trust you” was our assignment.

Just as we finished knocking, the door slowly opened.

"He has risen," a small, thin woman said to us as she barely opened the door, just wide enough for us to see her dark eyes.

"He has risen, indeed," we answered as instructed.

A smile, lit from within herself, filled our space and she embraced us warmly and said, "Welcome."

As we tiptoed into the room, we could barely move.

Women filled every inch of space of the tiny, old and life-worn apartment. Five women were squished stuffed on an old couch, with at least 25 others sitting on the floor, stools, the stairs. And all of the sweet ones in the room also smiled and waved silently and bowed their heads in respect towards us.

Cloaked in an worn, plaid blanket was a sort of wobbly throne, made prominent for me so that all could see me when I taught. Their shining. eyes, filled with hope and the joy of being together. pressed a memory in my heart with the fingerprints of God. I knew that some of these had been imprisoned for their faith, others were without husbands, brothers who were serving life sentences for being found with a Bible.

This was an evening I would never forget.

As we opened the Bible and shared the messages we had prepared, the women sat spellbound for 3 straight hours, tears coming down their faces. I whispered of the unchanging love of God, they whispered their stories to me and my friend, so that no one in the other apartments would hear or know we had gathered in Christ’s name. They were so happy to share in the fellowship of love and mutual suffering. Never have I witnessed an audience more starved for God’s words, or thankful for the feast of faith we served them.

Many shared stories of husbands in prison for their faith, or because they taught children the Bible on Sundays and how they had been roughly treated and taken away in the dark of night. And yet, the humble reception and gratitude with which they welcomed us will always stay in my heart, as though some how we were special..

As a young missionary living behind the iron curtain, I was often taken aback by the difficulties of living in a country where Christianity was against the law. And yet, these women and their daughters considered it a privilege to suffer for their faith.

As we come to this Good Friday and the time when we particularly ponder Jesus' death and resurrection, it is a time to remember we are called to a life of sacrifice, to take up our crosses, to follow Him, to die to self--to overcome obstacles, to purpose to be steadfast in the life we have been given, to learn not to complain, to glorify God and to bring His life to our circumstances as an act of faith.

The Christian life is an exchanged life.

We no longer live for ourselves, but for the glory of Jesus, who bought us with a price, that we might live for Him every moment, every day.

I am "the mama," the one who helps right the wrongs, listens to hearts, prays, laughs, gives all of myself, even on a "stormy day" or "stormy season," because it is part of my learned role--to care for those in my charge as Jesus did--even in the midst of the unexpected storms of life like the one we all find ourselves in currently.

This Good Friday, I pray you will know His grace, His love, His help as you join Him by laying your life down. Have a beautiful holy weekend, and a Happy Easter!

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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!

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Books, Books, Books & "I'm Sorry" Live Videos With SallyI

I love interacting with my community. I love hearing your stories. I pray for you. I thought maybe all of you who missed my insta live and fb live might want to see the videos I recorded. Here they are! Hope you enjoy! Share with friends as you wish. :)

I'm So Sorry For Your Disappointment: Tell Me Your Story

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Last month, as I swayed back and forth from an early morning train ride away from my Joel and Joy, I got tears in my eyes and had a lump in my throat. There was something about the leaving, the hole in my heart that comes when I leave all of my loved ones or when they fly away from me.

The above photo was what I saw out my window. The mood of the rainy day matched my emotions.

I am happy that their lives are full, but sometimes I just want someone to share in the moment, sympathize with my sorrows, tell me. “I understand.”

And then it dawned on me as. I was thinking about this. I would love to share in your disappointments. Tell me (in a comment, on Facebook, on Instagram messages) about what disappointment you have had this month. What was cancelled, how are your children disappointed, how have you born the loneliness.

Tomorrow afternoon, I will be have my cup of tea, light my candle and let’s share in the struggles of one another. At that time, I will do a Facebook live tomorrow, (Wednesday afternoon, Mountain time) and an Instagram live to share your stories and to pray for you. I think it might help everyone if they know how others have born loss and to know that we can all pray for one another.

Join me: 3:00 Mountain, for a cup of tea (or your preferred drink) a little bit of music and a time to share hearts. But help me if you will, share your stories with me and I will share them with one another. Let’s sympathize, bear one another’s burdens and be friends.

Sally Clarkson on Facebook




Sally Clarkson on Instagram

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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!

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Love Is Expressed in the Tangible Ways We Serve & Sarah Clarkson Podcast

Just look at those little adorable socks! Wish I could just squish her in my arms right now.

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Every morning at the crack of dawn, Lily would pad into my room, Binky and blanket in hand, ready to pull me out of bed to join me downstairs for our expected morning cup of tea. At times, I would beat her by a few minutes and get up a bit earlier and have the tea waiting for her. Often, I would dress her for the day, but always, we would have music, candles lit above her. By the time I left, she even wanted a flower on her table just like mine.

I didn’t know I would, just days later, be sequestered away in America in my home, without any ability to visit, to bring her here. What I would give to hold her, to sing a song in her ear as we dance around the room. But I do hope that the few ways I was able to create life and memories with her while I was there, will be memories deep in her heart of a grandmother who cherished her very friendship and companionship.

All of the little and big ways you are giving of yourself during this time are gifts of worship of loving God, by being His hands, His words, His time, His love to those around you. Sarah wrote a poem about love given in her own life to her sweet ones, as a sacrifice of her love to them. I know it will touch you as it did me. And of course, we recorded a podcast together I hope you will enjoy.

Remember, your love has a life of its own and is permeating to the deepest heart of all who receive it every day.

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Love is… to listen. To waken to the baby’s restless hunger and hear, not just the dull thud of my weary heart, but the sharp pierce of birdsong in the blue light, notes of quickened life piercing the shadow.⠀
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Love is… to touch with willed gentleness. The fussy baby who will not calm, the toddler who will not leave my side.⠀
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Love is… to order. Our rooms by beauty and our time by cadence. It is to take the unbounded days of this strange, isolated season and tether them to mealtimes and read-aloud hours, to liturgies of prayer and feasting evenings. ⠀
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Love is… to make. A cake for an afternoon tea. A bit of music. A haphazard painting besmirched by toddler brushstrokes. ⠀
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Love is… to bide with faith and patience. To suffer small people who move more slowly than I do. To endure the days whose isolation and monotony threaten to make me wild. To bear with courage the rumours of death and fear whispering round the edges of my thought.⠀
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Love is… to rejoice. Truly. In the burgeoning spring in its swelling loveliness. In the gift of people to love. In the hours we spend together, in the coming home of my brave and weary husband whose work as a priest has only increased since these days of isolation began.⠀
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Love is… to revel. In the fact that we know how to enjoy being home, in the books and music, the crafts and conversation we have gathered over the years. ⠀
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Love is… to pray. To ache and offer it up as blessing for those who suffer far more than we do. To plead grace for those giving their lives for the saving of others. To grieve and offer it up as fellowship for the sick and dying. To yearn and fear, and offer it up as hope for the beloved ones dwelling so far away. ⠀
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Love is… to hope. With grit in the face of the news. With defiance in the face of despair. With an aching joy that knows death has already been defeated and we will one day see the coming of unending life…

Sarah Clarkson

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You can find Sarah, her readings, her words and beauty @ sarahwanders on Instagram

You can subscribe to her newsletter and find more beauty @ sarahclarkson.com

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Sarah's Simple Salad Recipe

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Harvesting Character by Planting Seeds of Integrity & Podcast

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Vienna, Austria is one of my most cherished and beloved places in all the world. Living there for years during my twenties taught me to love tea and coffee times, to engage in history even more, to become international in my heart and to understand how hungry people are to know the love of God and His purposes for their lives.

One of my favorite places to walk was the Volksgarten, (the people’s garden). Created and opened for the public in 1821 for the common people to have a lovely place to walk, it has become known for the proliferation of some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Once when walking there, I happened upon a gardener. He proudly spoke to my friend and me about what it cost to cultivate such roses. One of the overall lessons I learned from him was that the garden had to be cultivated over many years, always cut back to the nub when growing season was over, protected and fertilized and watered the right amount each season. The cultivation of this treasure of plants has not come about by accident but by careful planning and care over many years, through many differing gardeners who cared that the legacy keep producing gorgeous flowers.

The Legacy of a Godly character: Integrity, Righteousness, Truth, Faithfulness

So it is with godly character and integrity. Reaping a harvest of character comes from planting seeds of integrity over a lifetime. What you sow you will reap. But the amazing result is that you will have fruit for your labor and be satisfied and gratified to see how God has worked with you as you walk in obedience. 

Recently, I read this quote from Billy Graham, who has been in my mind since his memorial. 

The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith. BILLY GRAHAM

C.S. Lewis is famous for his essay “Men Without Chests” (from The Abolition of Man). In it, he describes a generation of people without virtue or character because of the rise of relativism and loss of objective truth. In the style of the ancients, he describes the head as the place of knowledge, the heart as the place of passion, and the chest as the place of virtue and character.

Only when a person has a well-developed character can they properly put to use knowledge and passion. Without the strength of character developed in the chest, knowledge can become cruel and passion destructive. With character, knowledge becomes wisdom and passion becomes love.

It seems that there are many people without chests in our world. With the constant influx of information provided by the internet, and no effective ways to determine the objectivity or truthfulness of that information, people can develop keen opinions, but not be required either to validate those opinions or to act on them. In the same way, it is easy for us to voice emotional and idealistic claims without doing the hard work of validating our opinions objectively and putting them into actual practice in our lives. Opinion becomes a substitute for character.

If we are truly to be full-bodied people who act on the biblical ideals that we hold to be objectively true, then we must practice integrity and grow the muscle of character; we must become men and women with chests.

The essence of character is found in the habitual heart choices of an individual over a long period of time. Character is the constant work of a lifetime and the product of a heart engaged in wisdom, choosing the right thing over and over again. It is like practicing a sport. If you’ve ever taught a child to catch or throw a ball, you know the moment in which it “clicks.”

Suddenly, the catcher goes from awkward fumbles to being able to catch the ball almost every time; snagging the ball out of the air becomes an automatic response. Character is the product of good choices made over and over again, so that when the curveballs of life come your way, you can automatically respond in wisdom because that is what you have practiced.

What we practice shapes who we become, and the voices we listen to shape what we will practice. If we are to live lives of character, we must invest in wisdom. One of my mentors once gave me a great quote: “God forgives, but wisdom does not.” The heart of wisdom is properly understanding the impact and meaning of our personal choices. The book of Proverbs very clearly delineates good and bad decisions, a practice which is not popular in our day.

The purpose of Proverbs is not to create strict rules to live by, but to help the reader live a life of wisdom which brings peace. I do not tell my children “don’t go over the speed limit” because I like to impose difficult rules upon them, but because if they do go over the speed limit they will more likely have to pay a ticket or get in a wreck. Wisdom creates healthy hedges around our behavior of what we will and won’t do.

We obey God's commands in order to build our lives on foundations that will stand and not fail us in the storms of life. We live with virtue so that others can look to us as beacons that will show them the love and redemption of God. Our virtue should help in our outreach and draw others to us, not send them away.

When God called us to be lights in a lost generation, His desire was that, through the virtue of our purity of life and behavior, we would become guides to those who long to move from darkness into light.

Becoming the best you can be requires that you own your integrity and live the most virtuous life possible.

Because we reflect the character of God, Christians should be the most trustworthy, hardworking, truth-telling, dependable, moral, patient, and grace-filled people. This is our heritage from God.

Our integrity comes before our influence. 

Integrity comes from years of practicing living with godly character. Integrity is a lifelong fruit of determining to live faithfully. Christ is the model for what it looks like to have perfect integrity. But integrity brings the reward of living well into your life and watching God faithfully produce eternal fruit through the pages of your story.

Character is the constant work of a lifetime. and a product of a heart engaged in wisdom, and choosing the righteous option of obedience over and over again. 

I have received many messages, well wishes, encouragement and prayers over the last few weeks.  I am having plenty of opportunities to practice this principle of character training in my own life right now, as are you. 

As many of you know, a couple of years ago, just about this time, I had an accident where I fell against the sharp corner edge of an old table and had 12 weeks of traveling to London to meet with an eye specialist. I endured much pain, eyedrops sometimes every hour of the day and night. Clay did all the housework, traveled with me by train to London, helped me to endure.

As I look back, I never questioned God or His goodness or even entertained the idea that He had designed this. We read in Scripture that God cannot be tempted by evil. I know vaguely it could have been part of spiritual warfare, but because God had stretched me over many years of calamity, car accidents, illnesses of children, church splits, you name it, I had learned to be a warrior in this battle of life.

Being obedient to God and stretching our character towards holiness prepares us for the story God wants ut so live. There may be other areas in my life where I should surely doubt God or question life—that is a part of our limited human make up.  My vision is still very impaired. The end result is that my eye is permanently damaged, and I am quite visually impaired now, even when I write. Yet, I am just grateful for the one good eye and I have learned more and more to relinquish my rights to God and to seek to follow Him through whatever my life brings. A part of character is to be able to say to God, “Not my will, but yours be done. Use me for your purposes and your glory.   I know that the One who is walking with me through this is faithful.

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Proverbs 4:23 PDF

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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!

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