At Home With Sally

God cares so much for you and all of the burdens you carry and wants you to know He has compassion and sympathy for you. Just know that your perseverance in faith and being faithful pleases His heart and He understands how you feel. Do not feel guilty about feeling bad for difficult things--that is a proper response. But choosing to take joy and seek to light candles in the darkness so to speak will help you make it through. And the hope that every day of your faithfulness matters will keep you going forward. 

When our hearts are surrounded with fear and discouragement in the storms of life, let us look to the face of Jesus, our king, our savior and our Lord. He is with us. He will not abandon us. He will carry us through. Today is the best time, to believe, to hold fast, to worship by faith and to rest in His strength.

This is what I have had in my heart to shape--a home that breathes life and truth and love into all who would enter-- To make sure my home, for my family and friends, is indeed the last homely house and that all that has been excellent and worthwhile over the ages is celebrated in its walls-- because everyone needs a place to belong and a home where welcome is always fresh with all who cross the doorway.

This week my Sarah launches her solo book, Book Girl. I know many of you will love this book. We made a really fun and funny podcast for you last week--we have so much fun talking together about all aspects of life, past stories and memories and of course books. Be sure to get your copy to be lifted up in spirit at the beginning of this new school year. Fall is a great time to read. 

Sarah's book, Book Girl, is filled with wonderful, personal stories. I am even one fo the people she writes about. I know you will be inspired by this book.

I know you will love the podcast today, and even more, I know you will be challenged and blessed to your toes as you read this book. I pray you are inspired today as you listen to our time together to renew your commitment to take care of your own soul by taking intentional time to invest in it. 

Resting in Him, choosing peace and putting off responsibilities and recreating is sometimes such grand medicine for my soul, that after choosing to rest and to invest in fun and love and ease of life, my strength is renewed and all issues are able to be faced with grace. I know busyness is coming, but I will face it with courage later if I rest today.

Your loving touch, patient service, and sacrifice of time today is not in vain. It is a sacrifice of worship to the One who laid down His own life in moments of time, that we could imagine what God was really like by viewing the incarnate, servant King--the Providing Father.

Each of us must choose His ways, submit to His will, so that we can truly become stronger in understanding that His love for us requires that He will train us for growth. God does not want us to just be shallow and happy--getting our own way at every juncture. He wants us to learn the depth of His wisdom and to learn the way of contentment and peace.

As women, faith exhibited in and through our lives is what will make the reality of God seem real as we live our lives in front of others. Think of how faith was worked out through out the Bible. 

Over many years of mothering, I've learned that reminding my children of the things they do well and encouraging them to bless someone else can do more to turn a negative attitude, a really bad day, or a hopeless cause completely around than the longest, most eloquent lecture I could have mustered.

We will always be pressed by our relationships. My prayer is that they press us all closer to the heart of God, Who loves to extend His grace to us, and teaches us through His example to do the same.

As mothers, I believe, we are called to take this lesson of grace to heart. Like Jesus, we are to draw our own children to a life apart from the rest of the crowd. Each of us is designed by God to whisper his words to the hearts of our children so they will feel the call of God in their own lives to become fishers of men.

I hope you will in some degree enjoy our conversation today about the seasons of challenge in our own lives and know that you are not alone. God does see you and He indeed loves you.

"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.” Matthew 7:25

God will hold us all accountable for the wonderful opportunities we have to minister to others, the freedom we have to choose how to give his love and light to others. The level of materialism in America, combined with the avail- ability of Scripture and the freedom to invest our lives for him, provides us with a heavy weight of stewardship for our own spiritual heritage.

This week, plan to include creativity in your own routines. Paint, cook, garden, build, compose, act out a scene, gather wildflowers, or do something that satisfies our own soul need to be involved in making your own work of art with your loved ones.

A moment to pause, to take in some lovely music, to ask the Lord for new strength, allows me to rise from my chair with the intention of subduing my home with joy rather than frustration. After all, dishes mean there was food to eat. Laundry piles mean we all had clothes to wear. Tracks on the floor mean we have many friends who came to celebrate life with us.

Such great potential lays dormant in our souls, but such a vast harvest is available if we engage in the wisdom and with submission and obedience  the First Gardener. There is such capacity for life--in Him and in His ways. Live into the potential of your call to civilize and cultivate. When women become intentional about eternal issues, the whole world will be influenced by her grace and life.

Who in your life needs some encouragement toward love and good deeds—maybe in private?