You Don't Have To Be Perfect

As I walk honestly before God, with my children watching, they will learn how to have a real relationship with him as well. As they see me apologize to them and pray in front of them to ask for God's forgiveness in my own life, my children will learn that God is a God of grace who forgives me and guides me. My worshiping him in gratitude for a beautiful sunset or a rainbow gives them a pattern for their own spontaneous worship.

As my children see me in the deep waters of life, being tested to my core and still holding on to my Lord and choosing to believe the best, this observation will prepare them for their own trials, which will surely come. They will know that he will guide and forgive them as they lead an imperfect but devoted life before a loving Father who has always met their mother's needs.

Read more about this in The Mission of Motherhood.

Loving Words: The Pathway to Your Children's Hearts

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What could be better than a teatime with my sweet daughter, Joy, that she planned as a surprise to treat me. Talking together is our favorite hobby together. Pathways, loving words were a theme we shared. Paths, made of infinite steps, determine our destination.

"You remind me of superman! Brave, strong always wanting to help others."

"You are exactly the child I would have picked if I had a choice of all the children in the world."

"Yes, I think you will be a wonderful writer. You are a crafter of ideas."

"I love spending time with you. You delight my heart."

Words have so much power in our lives.

Not long ago, one of my sweet children surprised me with an email that brought thankful tears to my eyes:

"Dear Mama,

"God is doing amazing things in my life, opening doors I never imagined possible. But when I was thinking about my dreams coming true, I thought of you. Throughout the years, you told me you believed in my impossible dreams. You listened, affirmed, encouraged, supported. I don't know if I would be where I am today, if you had not constantly invested in my life through your words of love. Thank you, mama, for being my forever cheerleader."

I believed that words invested forward into what my children could become to shape their sense of self. I prayed God would give me eyes to see hidden gifts, the potential of what lay within their hearts, to invest.

Words give hope, communicate ideas, inspire movements to fight for freedom, sharpen our minds to know how to think well, inspire heroism, give leadership to those longing for direction. These words are alive and shape life.

Jesus was the Word, the message sent from God’s heart of love. Calling him that shows such the significance of words to God.

God is a message maker, a lover who wants us to know His words of love. He is a Father who wants to give us words of wisdom so that we should understand how to live life well; the great teacher who would fill our minds with truth that we could live free from the world’s false messages through our whole lives. God is a communicator, longs for our fellowship.

Your children long for your sweet words today. What can you tell your children that will fill their souls today?



We Are Passing On A Life

If, as Jesus says, the student will become like his teacher, then to become a good teacher, we must examine our own lives. What have I stored inside my heart, mind, and soul? Does my character reflect the integrity I hope my child will imitate? Am I exhibiting the attitudes that I want my child to exhibit? Do I love those around me unconditionally so that my child can understand the love of God?

The heart of a mentor is to act in relationship for the benefit, development, and well-being of his student. A worthy mentor seeks to maximize the human potential of the one being influenced. Taking seriously the stewardship of their trust as we guide them should be an underlying motivation of our heart as we commit to influencing them.

Read more about this in Awaking Wonder.

Mothers Are The Formers Of Eternal Souls

Over and over in Scripture, we are reminded that these children of ours are made in the image of God, and their souls will last for eternity. As a mother, you are the first shaper of a soul that will last forever. Mothers were designed by God to be the champions for their children’s souls. God did not entrust children to the church, to neighbors, to groups, or to schools, but to parents.

Our love, our will to give life and celebration, to portray grace and goodness—these will be the factors that shape our children into adults who will love God and His kingdom, and who will change the world.

May God encourage you to be a finisher of your mom walk, a faithful soul in your long journey of motherhood with Him. May your heart be strong in love and faith toward your children, always seeking to see God’s hand and work in their lives. May your heart be strengthened to endure, in marriage and parenting, through storms and troubles. May you determine to walk your path of motherhood, the one God has placed you on, with His eternal purpose, assurance, trust, and heart.

Read more about this in Your Mom Walk With God.

I'd Rather Be a Risk Taker

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“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” -C.S. LEWIS

Tea Time Tuesday: Thoughts from my past, from Austria.

“Oh, Lord! Please provide! I really need you to provide!” I found myself desperately uttering this prayer in my mind before my eyes had even opened. It was one of those times in life when I couldn’t see past tomorrow. I had four grown children with adult worries, a dear overworked husband, and a diminishing bank account. At that moment, my prayer was for the needs of one of my children’s university tuition. Over and over again I had seen God work, but at that point, after a year that felt like a boxing match, I found the eyes of my heart couldn’t see around the bend in the road.

I believe all come to the moment where we can’t see around the next corner. In fact, in my life, there have been too many such times to count. It is at those crossroads that our claim to “have faith” begins to mean something for the real, practical, present world we live in.

When I was a young believer, I pictured faith as something like the enthusiastic hand-raising worshippers I saw at youth conferences. As I grew, I saw that faith more often looks like the quiet trust and sincere outpouring of a heart before God. It is most visible at moments of crisis, death, hurt, need, new beginnings.

It comes at the moment when we are faced with a choice to fully trust God or the world, to give in to despair, or trust in God to take us beyond what we can imagine and see.

I'd rather be a risk taker, live by faith, believe that He is here present than to let fear of what might happen (or fear of failure, or fear of what people might think) squeeze the life and childlikeness of my believing and hoping out of me, to cause me to do nothing at all.

I do not want to be the one who hid what I had in the ground and find a frown on His face because I was afraid to do anything. I can always ask for forgiveness if I am wrong, admit that I am falible, but how few years I have on this earth to say, “I believe though I cannot see. I trust though I don't understand. I am your girl. I will bring your light into dark places. I know you are with me. I know that though I am weak, you are always with me, you will redeem.” I would rather be a risk taker…

More on today’s podcast: recipes, composers, books, and history.

Strong Bodies, Strong Minds

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"Queenie, just look," my 6 year old granddaughter exclaimed as she climbed a gigantic old log. "There are 3 kinds of lichen on this log." And then she jumped off to explore a field of flowers.

Oxford is, for me, a haven of many ideals. In the past couple of weeks, I have walked miles and miles with my sweet, young grands (ages 6, 4, 2 1/2 and a 4 month old baby and her mama — my daughter, Sarah), fished in ponds with pretend willow poles, stomped in muddy puddles, celebrated outdoor picnics, forged our way through rain and wind and watched their precious minds and bodies growing in front of my eyes.

As a pioneer in the home education movement, everything Clay and I did was an ideal that had not been tested. We proposed and applied the philosophy of reading the best books, fiction and non-fiction in every possible subject. Our focus on regular great discussions and discourse practiced at our dinner table every evening for years developed mental muscle and great vocabulary and a rigorous capacity to write and communicate well as well as develop convictions, a broad foundation of thinking skills. Add to that an organic focus on the beauty, love and reality of Christ morning, noon, and night in natural and consistent conversation, and our philosophy of life was born.

But another one of the areas we focussed on over years was an outdoor life. Walking and hiking miles at a time together, daily outdoor play acting out the stories we read, the science and nature we studied and collected, the glory of design and creation in sunsets and puppy dogs was building a strong body. Strong bodies support strong minds.

Today I talked with a wonderful friend, Ginny Zurich, who has a wealth of research, knowledge and understanding of an outdoor life. She is a treasure, a delight and an inspiration. Join us as we discuss many areas of this flourishing view of life. So much and more you can find in her amazing book: Until the Streetlights Come On: How a Return to Play Brightens Our Present and Prepares Kids for an Uncertain Future.

Creating Spaces of Meaning & Beauty

In times of exhaustion, grief, or trial, holding onto a sense of order and loveliness is essential. Though many trials of life cannot be easily fixed with a pat answer, the difficulty of walking through them is often eased if it can be experienced in a lovely environment.

Beauty has anchored my own soul so many times through so many years. If I had spent my life waiting for the "right moment" to be idealistic, I would never have enjoyed the delight of idealistic seeds sown during trials.

In fact, I developed most of my ideals in faith — creating beauty when I didn't know if it would make a difference, lighting one more candle in hope of a more hopeful day, cooking one more meal in anticipation of God's provision. These offerings are intentional acts of faith. And most often it is in those moments of weariness that I'm most likely to see God's gentle hand at work.

Lighting a candle or assembling a vase of fragrant flowers will do it. Creating a little vignette on a corner table — a framed photo, a carefully arranged stack of books, a bird figurine — will help. Setting a place at the table with beautiful dishes or an interesting centerpiece will do it. Any of these small acts — or hundreds more — can soothe a soul overwhelmed with life.

It is not about perfection; it is about creating a vestige of peace when our lives are fraught. Beauty reminds me that there is a pattern and shape to events of my life. So when life is too much for you, light a candle, put on music, pour yourself a cup of tea, and take a deep breath.

Read more about this in The Lifegiving Table.

My Happy Place

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Tea Time Tuesday: Here I am back in my beloved Oxford. Cobblestones, cafes, flat whites, almond croissants, walking in the sudden rain that erupts without warning, life with scarfs, boots and ready for an adventure. Beautiful old cottages, fields of daffodils, walks in the parks. Hours of chatting and telling deep feelings about life with my lovelies about everything. A happy place for me.

It has been quite a while since I have just vacationed — gone someplace just for fun, leaving work behind, enjoying people, places, life. I am doing that this next couple of weeks and it is glorious. So needed.

And the best thing is being with people who I belong to.

Where are your happy places? What gives you rest? restoration? And where is your place?

Today's Tea Time Tuesday podcast has books, a fantastic easy salad dressing, music, and lots of heart felt thoughts.

Giving your words as gifts to those around you has been my ponder. A smattering of thoughts today. I have had lots of sweet words given to me this week and it is like sunshine filling back up my heart. Have you been given enought words of late?

“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in the right circumstances.” -Proverbs 25:11

I've been pondering why intentional words are so important and give so much life to people. Many I know are a bit empty, weary — but words of life have worked magic in them.

Several friends have commented, "I just long for a good word. Someone who sees me, likes me," was the heartfelt longing for my friend's heart. Don't we all need a good word, often? Today's way speaks of speaking intentionally, hopefully, lovingly to give grace to our hearers. We all need this life-giving grace.

And understanding more and more, when our beloveds are down or discouraged, they do not usually need our advise, or correction, but most often our compassionate words, words of comfort, words of grace.

Friends,I believe in the person you are becoming. I know God has you in the palm of His hands and cares deeply for you.

Faith By Feasting Through all the Seasons

Last night was an evening that is reminiscent of Clarkson life for decades.

Adult children gathered, grands all around, running, playing. Everyone came to the table with different needs, a variety of weariness from jobs, children, life! All came ready to feast, fill their bodies with deliciousness, to soothe their souls with love, friendship, belonging. Even in Oxford, we gather in a cloud of memories, sweet familiar fellowship.. Immediately we all feel happy, at ease.

“I am so hungry. Please can we eat soon.” They each snuck spoonfuls of my French casserole. Herbed brown rice seasoned with my secrets, slowly baked chicken breast awash with olive oil, wine, herbs d’province, extra thyme, a dollop of sour cream. This was nested between green beans & sea-salt, oil with avocados. Candlelight & music set the stage for a theological conversation that brought deep joy to my mama heart.

We have been meeting this way for thousands of meals, delighting in one another. We gather in the reality of Christ’s unconditional love shared together. We belong to one another, warts and all. We listen to conversations. Hearing the love of Christ defended this evening between each bite, talking of God’s manifest love in the midst of a dark world, peaking into souls of each one as they shared their heartfelt convictions made a very tiring, exhausting day worthwhile.

Now we can say, “They were listening. It mattered. They were transformed by the life-giving messages they heard repeated that they now own.”

Clay and I have often said that we think our children’s faith was cultivated more through meals shared, over conversations, stories related at table than any other factor. Our Lifegiving Table was a sacred place. Who doesn’t want something delicious, rich to fill their tummies, to give dimension to friendship, fellowship?

Such a work of life takes a long time, lots of love, patience. Seeing the Holy Spirit light a fire in each one is worth the work, time, planing, cooking, even cleaning dishes it has cost us.

My heart was warmed, my emotions kindled. These are my beloved people, we belong together no matter where we live and work in this wide world.

The Lifegiving Table book.

Called To Be A Homemaker

I see motherhood as akin to being a home decorator. My job in my family involved setting the tone: celebrating by bringing color, music, and beauty into every aspect of our home; gathering great, hopeful stories through books; cultivating wonderful memories with friends through parties and bible studies, meals, and traditions; lighting candles in the darkness and playing music to lift our souls.

The task of building our homes into places of beauty and life that will feed the hearts, souls, and minds of our children is the most comprehensive task to which God has called us as mothers. We are called quite literally to be "home makers" — to plan and shape a home environment that provides our families with both a safe resting place and a launching pad for everything they do in the world.

The ultimate key to providing a nurturing environment in the home is you, mamas. The physical surroundings can make a big difference. In the end, though, what our children and husband need most 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 home for them.

Read more about this in Mom Heart Moments.