At Home With Sally

Take time to regroup today--Go eat some chocolate, and don't feel guilty as you are eating it (that would certainly be a waste of good chocolate!) Listen to some beautiful music, watch a heart-warming movie, take a nap, eat off of paper plates to save cleanup! The rest of December is still coming and you will be the better for it. I'll be praying for you!

The Value of Learning to Wait--practicing patience takes time and courage but it produces the deepest most heart gratifying fulfillment.  1. I talk a legacy of beauty and how it passes to the future generations. What we practice grows deep into the lives of the next generation. 2. Looking at the biblical subject of waiting and how it is a process that builds the things we invest in into the story we leave.  3. Learning to stand back and get the long view of life, and working with the end in mind and believing by faith that you are building something that will matter.  4. Cultivating a Community of Great Souls--Life with Sally membership is a way to have discipleship and spiritual mentoring online as well as leadership training.

Traveling to Scotland after being in Oxford with Sarah and Thomas all week has been such a refreshing week. Learning the stories of those who have lived brave lives in these places has been inspiring.    Join Joel and Joy with me today as we tell of the history of St. Andrews, talk about the great food in the cafes here, and share the fun of our time together here.   Be sure to look for Joy's blog, Joyclarkson.com and weekly podcast, Speaking with Joy.    Enjoy the Wexford Carol as Joel arranged it and find the music at Amazon (Midwinter Carols by Joel Clarkson) and other places where music is sold.

Discipleship is always an issue of relationship. It is not about curriculum, church attendance, rules, indoctrination, but always about reaching the heart.

The ways you learn to respect the learning process of your children, to admire their ability to think, to engage them in great ideas and thoughts will give them a chance to digest great convictions that will shape their faith for a lifetime.

The table is central to the everyday moments of our lives, even when we are busy, or find ourselves stretched in the midst of seasons that require much from us. Feasting goes on! It is also the anchor to much of our milestones and family celebrations. In this episode, Sally and Kristen discuss Chapters 7 and 8 of the Life Giving Table and offer their own tips for how to create for simple feasts when life is overwhelming or we are short on time. They also share how each of their families create traditions with food and fellowship to mark life's special moments.  What we Talk about: -Living Well in the midst of daily choas and real life -How we can train ourselves to see God's gentle hand of provision in our lives -How to live sustainably in pressured seasons -How to bear weariness that comes from what God is calling you to do -The ways we each add beauty to our homes to encourage our hearts (and those of our families) -How to stop waiting for the ideal and learn to enjoy the moment. -Our favorite staples, reci

This little podcast is just me sharing some thoughts that have been passing through my brain. Hope you are encouraged. 

What does it mean to be transformed, changed, and reshaped as an antidote to being conformed to the world? In this episode, Sally ponders these ideas as she discusses chapters four and five of the Life-giving Table and teaches us about how family culture has the distinct and grace-giving power to both change and protect us. She inspires listeners to instill a sense of "this is who we are" and "this is what we believe" into the hearts of her children as they gather at the table, and gives tools to not only create a vision to define our own family culture, but to practically cultivate a legacy. I hope that you are encouraged by today's podcast. Let us know what you think below.  WHAT WE TALK ABOUT: Discipleship Principle: Practicing the Rhythms of life regularly with your loved ones creates a secure feeling of belonging- of being welcomed and able to share convictions and faith in a community where one belongs. -That your family culture needs to be a stronger pull than the culture of the world--you have to defi

Nathan and Sally wrote a book called Different: The Story of an Out of the Box Kid and the Mom Who Loved Him. In this episode, they discuss the long term pathway of walking through all the stages of life with a child who will always deal with his or her issues and how to live this life with grace, patience and sustainability.  You will find encouragement and sympathy for your own life and inspiration about how to live this puzzle of life with contentment and Peace. 

Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art. Ralph Waldo Emerson   Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35   Table-Discipleship Principle: Creating an environment of beauty, comfort, and acceptance cultivates hearts that are open to your messages.    Creating a life-giving table begins with a vision for cultivating beauty and a hosting place for others. In this episode, Sally and Kristen dive in to chapter 4 of the book, The Life Giving Table, to share stories and encouragement that will help you develop your own vision and sustain it through a commitment to your original ideals for years to come. What we talk about: -Sally’s special story of her first apartment as a newlywed -How we create beauty -The way our tables become a are a part of our history and family story -The table as a place to extend life and a hosting place to share Christ -The promise we have that Jesus wants us to never feel a

Music is one of the defining cultures of the Clarkson family.  A handful of talented musicians have permeated all the seasons of our family history,  as we listened together, sang along in the car, filled our walls with the melodies that tied the strings of our hearts together. Our friend, Andrew Peterson, is one such singer songwriter and close to all of our hearts. I am so happy to have him as a guest on my podcast today.   The Petersons are kindred spirits and fellow "creatives" in so many areas. They love to feast, talk, read, sing, and create a rich life with a warm welcome to all who would join their community.  I am happy to introduce some of you to Andrew's story, his music and his books, though I am sure many of you have followed him for years as we have. I know this podcast will encourage you.  Clay is a long time supporter of all things Andrew and we have both loved attending Hutchmoot, a gathering of artists, musicians and creatives for many years. Every year we draw closer to the friends we have

 How can our table make Christ real to those who share life with us? How can it inspire them to serve him their whole lives? In this episode, Sally and Kristen begin a series on discipleship and invite you to discover how feasting invites you in to celebrate the delights, creativity, and personality of God. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT: -The example of the Life of Christ- feasting, caring for those he came in contact with, feeding them, preparing a place for them, touching them, and desiring intimate connection with them. -How feasting fills spiritual, physical and emotional needs. -The meaning of sanctuary and why is it important to create one for your family. -What qualities of the table aid in reaching the personal harvest fields of our lives. -Coming to the table is not just about the physical act of eating, but about sharing life as God designed and gave it to us.  -Approaching the table with an intentional purpose and expectation with shape how we cultivate it. -What we can do to protect and set boundaries for ou

I am so excited to share this Mini-Podcast with you. Dr. Michael Ward and I sat down quickly together and recorded this conversation after a quick breakfast the morning I left for Nashville.  I know you will enjoy hearing his lovely accent and his insight about stories, an inspirational poem and C.S. Lewis about table time.  

A special treat for me today was the opportunity of having Ellie Holcomb as my guest on my podcast. We spoke of music, life stories, our table and planting a flag. You will love her story about how her new album came about and the story of her family holding fast together during some trials will touch your heart. 

I am so excited to share this mini-podcast today with you. My sweet friend, Heather MacFadyen, has four little boys, and she knows the reality of trying to help them move toward maturity. She also knows what it feels like to fail and fall short of your own expectations when your own children act in an immature way.  Heather is the host of a wonderful podcast called The God Centered Mom. You can read more about her here and find her podcasts HERE  Hope you are encouraged by our time together.

As Christians and mothers, we can feel overwhelmed with the daily battles. From piles of laundry, bad attitudes in our children, sibling arguing, hormonal teenagers, loneliness and isolation, all of the meals to be prepared, and wanting to do it all with excellence, we can often feel defeated before we even begin.  When we look to God’s Word and in particular Ephesians 6, we can better understand that we are truly in a battle by observing Paul’s inspiring metaphor.  In this episode, we, Sally and Kristen look at each piece of armor, and share how we can be prepared along with preparing and training our children, too.  We can grow from feeling defeated and on the defense, to becoming more than conquerors and prepared for battle through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT: -What a soldier needs before he enters into battle -What it means to stand your ground -How we can know what is true -Why  Jesus says, “If you continue in my Word” is a condition of knowing the truth? -What it means to gua