I Take Joy

Cultivating Civility

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.
C. S. Lewis

Carefully applying my make up, smoothing my hair to its most adult style and dressing up in something a bit more sophisticated than my regular jeans marked an adult day out with a beloved friend. Time away from my work-a-day world of children, dishes, teaching, writing and then doing it all over again, is rare. I am one who sometimes likes the predicatable on such days--depending on those places I know will bring pleasure and comfort. Meeting my friend in a favorite cafe promised to provide a spot for catching up and sharing dreams and ideas. Now the reason I am telling you this is that I was looking for a day off--a day without conflict, a day of rest before the "busy-ness" starts again!

High-backed, overstuffed chairs provided privacy from the other customers and just the settling in we needed for our morning together. A steamy pot of tea, warm apple-caramel coffee cake all went down easily. Times like this help me to find my center. A busy and passed-too-fast summer had left me a bit fragmented and out of breath. I was storing up this pleasure and goodness and relaxation against the very busy next few months of a new school year, which is upon me!

After an hour and a half of conversation, we were ready to proceed on to our next pleasure--a stop at a lovely gift shop, filled to the brim with china tea cups and pots, delectable bits of jams and jellies and tea; a beautiful array of cook books and biographies and children's books, feminine clothing and an array of other girl-pleasing artifacts. We hoped to exchange some ideas with the owner about books and art and other future projects.

Just walking in was a pleasant sensate experience, because of all the pretty and adult things scattered around the shop. As we chatted with the store owner about our day and some of the books and one of my new projects, she engaged with us in lively conversation. I looked at my watch and realized that I needed to be home to take Joy to a choir practice and so I tried to savor my few minutes as an adult with my friend. We left the shop and I drove home. Much to my pleasure, the traffic was much less than usual and I found myself home with a half-hour to spare. I chose not to glance in the kitchen to see what messes were there, but instead, made myself a cup of hot tea. I knew the messes would be there to tame when we all got back home later. I walked over the backpack and a small pack of books on my stairs to my bedroom. They could be cleaned up before dinner. I walked in, lit my candles, turned on my cd with the soothing piano melodies rising and flowing from my Pride and Prejudice cd (very beautiful, by the way!). Joy, who had been in her room reading, heard me and gently knocked on my door.

"Come in, sweetness!" I responded. "Here, have a few sips of tea with me before we have to leave."

She sat down, and began to bubble all over me with thoughts and ideas and incidences that had happened in her morning. I intentionally took a deep breath and observed with thanksgiving at my child who has so much become my delightful friend. We had fifteen minutes together in peace and pleasure.

"Mom, I am so glad you take time for civility--it makes me feel special, and most of all, it really makes me feel like you like listening to me and just celebrating life together." (Has she been around Sarah lately?)

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I taught my monthly mom's group and we were discussing chapter 8 in Mission of Motherhood. Our topic was becoming the gardner of your children's souls. Even as you would not expect a garden to emerge from throwing a handful of seeds into the wind into your back yard, so we cannot expect our children to have excellence in their own personal lives by just hoping it happens. Though education is important, it is mostly the way we invest in the other moments of life when our children's souls, manners, habits, skills will determine who they really become. When we become the gardner of their souls, we plant beauty, memories, confidence, winsomeness. (Mission of Motherhood--available at www.wholeheart.org)
First, we must take time to be civilized. I know that my soul dries out if I don't plan in time that fills my own emotional cup. Getting away from my home (where all the chores cry out my name!), to a lovely place where I can think or read or share time with a friend is something I try to plan into my schedule. It doesn't happen as often as I like, but I need it so that I can get back to my center and fill the cups of all those who are in my life to take from my own heart--children, husband, friends, and ministry. I will have nothing to give if I don't take care of myself first. So each year as I plan my children's needs and schedules and activities, I take time to get alone and evaluate, "How am I doing--physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally? How can I simplify my responsibilities so that I can make it with grace through the next months.

Next, though, I make sure to plan in civilizing times with my family--traditions like family dinners or deserts that we will share with our friends, special Sunday afternoon tea times--the first Apple Pie time with a story book. (Giving my children the responsibility of decorating the dining table, writing little notes of encoruagement to their guests who will come, lighting the candles, making the meal.) We plan a time for making cookies or bread or flower baskets to share with those we know who are in need of encouragement or love. (We found cute pumpkin baskets--Joy sold a few to raise money for a dog she hopes to purchase and then we chose two for special family friends who need to know they are appreciated.

Plan civility into the moments of your life this fall. Make time for you to have your own experience, however small, that will remind you that you are royalty--as a child of the king. And then, make time for your family, to have peace and beauty and manners and elegance in your home, however small. It will produce a soul that values taking the time to celebrate the importance and intimacy of friendship and fellowship. Happy weekend!

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If you enjoy this blog, be sure to look at my other blog where I have other articles! The link is here:

Taking Joy--the choice that makes all the difference

“How do we make the commitment to give the area of motherhood over to God as a sacrifice of worship to him? We yield our personal rights into his hands. We give up our time and expectations to him-and also our fears and worries about how we will manage. We trust him to take care of us and our family. We let him redirect our thinking and expectations and adjust our dreams. And we wait in faith to see the fruit of our hard labor in the lives of our children, knowing that he will be faithful to honor our commitment to him.”
The Mission of Motherhood, p. 54

Buzzing around the main floor of my house, I lit the candles in each room, picked up the last few minutes of mess--a stranded book and magazine, two pairs of shoes, a mug and tea cup, and made put out some lemonade and ice water, and paper cups, napkins and desert plates. Just as I was finishing, the door bell began to ring and I could hear chatter and laughter bubbling over at the front door. This marked the beginning of my mom's Bible study, which meets monthly at my house. Over the next half hour, my dining table filled with goodies to share and my home filled up as around 35 women came and began to catch up with friends or meet newcomers. I so enjoy my times with kindred spirits like these moms. Old and young, different cultures and backgrounds and family make up create a real pool of comments and ideas shared.
This evening, I had decided to have each of the moms introduce themselves and use three adjectives to describe how they were feeling. Now, the interesting thing was that they all looked perky and upbeat and combed and groomed. Nothing belied that any of these women were troubled. Yet, as we went around the room, probably the most common adjectives used were terms like, "exhausted, weary, overwhelmed, tired, inadequate." With the responsibility of children--feeding, clothing and caring for their physical needs as well as training and disciplining them, inspiring them and teaching them comes an endless pathway of work. Though I didn't take lightly any of the feelings that these precious moms were experiencing, I did see a funny sort of comfort that they all felt in the fact that they weren't alone in their feelings!

This particular evening stimulated more thoughts that I have been having of late about the whole concept of joy. Seems most of the people I know understand from their own life circumstances that, "in this world you have tribulation," as Jesus said the night before he was crucified. I found out that a more contemporary meaning to the word, "tribulation" is great stress. No matter what country you live in, there is great stress--the tension that comes from living in a fallen world: war, corrupt governments, famines and natural disasters, etc. Yet day to day issues also drain us, making enough money to provide for basic needs; trying to build a legacy of righteousness, or to love in a marriage where the two partners have a sinful---selfish nature, or to take care of a gaggle of children and attempt to educate them in a culture that diminishes the meaning of family or children, or to try to live for righteousness in a communist culture where there is no value for God, etc.

All mothers called by God in whatever culture, have such significance in determining what will happen the next generation by what they choose to do with their lives and by how they invest their lives in their children and other people. Moms are the strategic warriors in this battle for the souls. If an officer quits his post in the battle because of weariness, then those left under his charge will flounder. If the officers model strength, good attitudes, courage, leadership, then the soldiers will more likely perform heroically. We all benefit from moms--(soldiers) who are strong and committed in their positions. When another woman chooses to live with a thankful heart before God and does her work with joy and accepts the limitations of her life with faith and courage, it causes me to draw upon the inner strength that is available to me in my own heart, and then shows my children to bear up under their own loads in life. A chain effect falls into place.

Jesus's anecdote to having stress in this world was, "Take courage! (which requires a heart choice.) I have overcome the world." Our courage, our hope, our lack of fear comes from understanding that the consequences of this world and the choices we make will have significance in the next world. I have had a saying with my children that is about this issue of stepping up to the bat. "Buck up, bucco!" It is a line we heard in a movie and seems to apply to so many of our situations in life. It basically means, "You can do this. You have the resources within. You need to gird your mind and heart and determine to make it!"

Gwen is my dear, cherished friend from my days as a single missionary in Poland. We committed to becoming Jonathon and David friends when we were single women living in a Communist country. Gwen always wanted to get married as she is the picture of a supportive, loyal friend who creates an incredible artistic and lovley home environment.She spent 28 years as a missionary working in Eastern Europe serving, loving and making so many feel the love of God as she served them through her apartment. During her time there, her two brothers, her father and all the relatives close to her, except for her mother, died.  Now, after living in Vienna, Warsaw, and Krakow, and traveling the world and meeting with all sorts of interesting people on a daily basis, she has moved back home. Gwen lives in a small coal mining town in Kentucky in the 60 year old home in which she grew up. She is daily caring for her mom who has Alzheimer's, and has been doing so for the past 4 years. When her sweet mom, who is 92 this fall, passes to be with the Lord, Gwen will have no more relatives alive from her immediate family.

Recently, I planned a speaking engagement around a visit with Gwen on my birthday, because I knew she would spoil me. (Best friends do that for each other.) She drove with me from her house on a swelteringly hot day the 2 hours to Louisville and stood on her feet all day working at my book table. We packed up from the small conference and finally had lunch at a tiny cafe at 2:45 in the afternoon, before traveling home in time to put her mom to bed and to relieve the worker who was staying with her.

I asked her as we were lingering over our last bit of lunch, "How are you really doing?" Her almost immediate answer was, "My heart is joyful." Immediately the verse, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones," came to my mind. "What do you mean?" I queried.

"I feel like all of us have so many choices to look at life from the perspective of a glass of water half-empty or a glass of water half-full. I have made a concerted effort over the years to look at my life in light of all that God has provided me and have willed myself to find joy in each day, thankfulness in every situation. It is better for me to find joy every day and to cultivate contentment so that I can have the strength and courage I need to face every day. If I allow myself to wallow in my dark thoughts, I just go downhill."

Being in Gwen's home, is such a picture of living joy. Though her home is tiny and in a community that has seen better days, Gwen has brought light and redemption. She has painted and restored one old, outdated room at a time, making it a place of beauty. Planting flowers and trees and restoring her yard to becoming a place of beauty has become a long term goal. Studying cook books and learning to fix gourmet meals for all who come into her home has kept her creative juices going. There is no one in her home to encourage her, to tell her that the table setting was pretty or the food delicious. Her mom, like mine, is in the blank stare phase of life, so is unable to appreciate the beauty that Gwen has created. But she is a wonderfully sweet, gentle mom who has always loved Gwennie as a child. So Gwen lives with this memory and keeps it alive as she serves her mother each day.

I always know that when I visit her, Gwen will have a verse or insight to share from the quiet times she has faithfully been having for the past 40 years. She will give me a new idea to ponder a challenging book to read--(one of several birthday presents she bestowed--Simply Christian by N.T. Wright).

When I am with Gwen, she gives me courage. If she can resist the feelings of loneliness, the questions about her long and short term future--with no assurances about what is ahead, and live graciously to serve the needs of her mother and friends, I know that I can make those choices, too, because she has modeled it for me. When she chooses to lovingly clean up her mom's various sorts of messes, thanking God for one more day with her, even though her mom doesn't always know who Gwen is, I have more strength to come home to clean up my children's messes and be grateful that I can enjoy the companionship of my children. I know that Gwennie has faced all sorts of "demons" over the years-whys? that will never be answered, lonely nights and weeks, disappointments, rejections, but it is the choices that she has made in each of these situations that has made her one of the most life-giving, encouraging people I know. It is why I am committed to visiting her and sending my children to visit her as often as possible, because I love to expose all of us to her spirit.

I prayed and pondered for quite a while before I named my personal blog, "I take joy!" Having lived through so many years and seasons of life as a mom and wife, I am very familiar with these feelings of being somewhat overwhelmed. As a matter of fact, I can tend, at times, toward sad and dark thoughts and feelings. However, I have slowly learned over the years, that as I have acquired the ability to maneuver and guide my life toward the Lord, in the midst of these feelings, I have discovered some "secrets" that I want to focus on until I die. Satan would just love for me to become overwhelmed with the darkness and sadness of life. But learning to "walk in the light, as He is in the light," has become a way of making choices that have determined a more lasting and productive outcome for both me and my sweet family.

I decided some years ago, that one of the greatest gifts I could give to my children would be the gift of a happy mother. When I am happy and singing through the day and loving them and giving words of life, I am building strength and courage and faith into them--not because our lives have been easy, but because my children know the heavy loads of work, the lack of support systems we have had, the passive and sometimes hostile rejection from many close to us and the constant work of our home and ministry---and yet, hopefully still see the choices I have made to be joyful--it is not a feeling, but an obedience out of gratefulness and love to the Lord. And interestingly, usually, my feelings will eventually follow the choices I make. When I practice thankfulness and contentment and praise, my heart follows my will. Interestinly, I see my oldest children have already been in very difficult situations which require faithfulness and a choice of faith and joy, yet I see that they are making these choices and I am so proud of their character as I see it being forged in their own challenges of life.

I do not always succeed at this way of living. I had a momentary meltdown even this weekend. Yet, I have cherished the idea of dancing with joy as a goal of my life. I want to create light in a dark world, because the "light of life" lives in me. It is a commitment I have made, a flag planted in the ground, to finish well--to finish in the light, to finish practicing the true dance of life with my Partner who I will soon see face to face. In His graciousness and patience and longsuffering and creativity and beauty, I have found the resources I need. So again, today, as I start another school year, I am determined to Take Joy, to live in it, nurture it, dwell in it, because the hearts of all who look to me will be better fed when I dwell in that place.

Joy and the results of Anne of Green Gables You Tube

Today, August 22, we received a comment on our blog from Sullivan Ent. Basically they thanked all of the girls for auditioning and wished them good luck.  Perhaps the results of the Youtube competition did not turn out as they expected, as there was no mention made of the Youtube voting. We wish them well in regards to their new movie and know it will be delightful!

However, as I was thinking about how to communicate this information to so many kindred spirits who took time to vote, I want to tell you that Joy had a blast doing the video and then receiving so many wonderful comments. Thanks to each of you who took time to vote. I can't believe just how many kindred spirits there are out there and how thoughtful so many of you were to vote. Joy received around almost 9000 views over the past few weeks so many wonderful comments and ratings because of you taking the time. You are truly wonderful and a blessing to us!

I do want to say, however, that our family has been blessed by literally hundreds of hours of very excellent, high quality entertainment by some of the productions of Sullivan Entertainment. We feel that Anne of Green Gables is practically one of our personal friends. I would also like to thank Sullivan entertainment for taking the time and money to produce such wonderful videos with great morality and good family values in a time when so few people have produced such quality entertainment. The Road to Avonlea is a 7 year series that we first saw many years ago. We have all 7 seasons and almost have them memorized. I would highly encourage any of you who are seeking great productions to try these out. You can find out more information about them by going to Sullivanmovies.com. (or look for more information below) Joy and Clay and I wish the best to Sullivan entertainment and hope that the new movies turns out great! Thanks so much for all of your support!

I want to thank each of you for becoming a part of this adventure. By God's grace and sense of fun, people all over the world have let Joy hear from her by your vote on Youtube. We know that many of you are not members of Youtube and have not been able to vote. Most of all, it has been a fun adventure and a real affirming time to our sweet fourth child, who has usually had to wait in line for attention! Thanks for all the ways you have made her feel loved. There are lots of talented girls who participated and we hope they all felt encouraged.

THE STORY: Joy is a born performer, and has felt for some time that God might want her to someday be a light for him as an actress or performer. For the past two years, while she has performed, sung, and acted in many lead and support roles, we have prayed with her that God would open doors of opportunity like this one for her to explore her gifts on a larger stage.

Many have sent letters to ask what performances Joy has been in. She has been on stage literally since she was 4 days old--as she performed with me in the promise for 2 years. She has been in musicals, dramas, and even a historical movie. She was a soloist in Wonderland, which played to an audience over the holidays of 50,000. She loves her youth performing arts choir and is this fall involved in a production of Little Women.

For those who missed this audition and want to see it, you can go to: This is the link for the Sullivan YouTube screentest group:
http://www.youtube.com/group/screentest
Go to “Videos” and look for “Anne Audition video by Joy Clarkson” (She is in the 6th page of videos!)
ABOUT THE MOVIE: The Anne of Green Gables Prequel promises to be a wonderful family movie, produced by Kevin Sullivan, of Sullivan Entertainment, the same company that has given the world the award-winning Anne of Green Gables mini-series, and seven years of family-affirming TV in the Road to Avonlea series. You can visit their website at www.sullivanmovies.com. There is a link on the home page to information about the new movie and the audition process.

Thank you so much for joining the Joy Brigade. So many of you all over the world responded to us and to other blogs adn announcements who supported her. What a fun blessing it was to all of our family to see where all the blogs go! You are indeed our kindred spirits.I so appreciate your support and encouragement.

LESSONS JOY LEARNED FROM THE OPPORTUNITY!

We are thankful for all the ways our children have opportunities to grow and learn in life. I asked Joy what she thought she learned out of it. This is what she said:

1.It is always more work than you think to produce a video or article or to act in a play. However, every project in which I work, I get more experience and become more confident. (Joy is my cool-headed constant child!)

2. No matter how diligent you work, you are not always going to get responses from directors, or agencies or publishers, (like with your first books, Mom!) But if you believe it is a skill or gift God has given, you still need to keep trying and trying.

3. If I am ever in charge of a production company, I will try to make sure I communicate to anyone who participates in my program, because I sure would have liked to have at least received an email from the company. It taught me what I would do differently. But if they are like my mom and dad, they receive more emails and correspondence than they can answer, and another thing mom and dad said was to try to give people the benefit of the doubt!

4. Mom and Dad have always said that if you want to become a leader in an area, you need to understand that a person who puts herself in front of others always becomes a target of someone--and that is just a part of public life. I used to see that for my mom and dad, but now I saw it for myself. But I received so many positive encouragements, that the few negative comments didn't bother me, but just got me more used to the process. I would rather perform or write or work hard in front of other people and get some negative comments than to never have the opportunity to work.

If you want to see more of Joy's story, you can go to this link.More... THE BACKGROUND STORY: Joy literally came out of the womb performing on stage. At four days old, she was wrapped in a cloth that was slung around my neck as I played the role of a crowd person and an older Mary at the cross, in a large-cast amphitheater production. By the time she was 12 months, she was “in character” every night, holding her little hands up to Jesus as He passed by her singing a song. As our ministry grew and expanded, she has loved being on the speaking “stage” with me and greeting the moms at our large hotel conferences. Over the years, she has performed in children's musicals, plays, reciting poetry, giving speeches and singing solos.For the past two years, Joy has prayed regularly that someday God would open the doors for her to have a bigger role in movies or on stage. "Mom, there are such bad themes and immoral people in movies and television series. I hope some day, our family will be able to bring light to these places and tell them about family and beauty and good stories. Will you pray with me that God would provide an opportunity?"

So we have prayed. I didn't really think much would come from little Colorado Springs as the movie industry here is not exactly big-time. She has been so persistent and faithful, but we were thinking more about God opening some door when she was 18 or older. However, when a friend sent an announcement to us about Kevin Sullivan holding an “open casting” call for a 10-12 year-old girl to play the part of a young Anne of Green Gables, it looked a lot like a door. Prospective Annes were invited to post a 2-minute video audition on the Sullivan group page on YouTube, where viewers would vote on their favorites.

Joy went straight to work, staying a couple of hours in her room on Saturday morning writing her monologue to capture the spunk of Anne and get in lots of different expressions of Anne's life! Then she began to work on her costume (from period clothes she had as a junior docent at Rock Ledge Ranch!), and began to practice morning, noon and night. Finally, by Sunday afternoon, she had convinced us that she was serious about this and that we needed to film her audition and post it to YouTube.Clay and I talked to her about it on Saturday and reflected that we thought just to have written her script and prepared everything was a great experience. As we talked and prayed with her, she said, "Nothing may come of this, and I understand that, but shouldn't I be faithful to do my best if God provided this opportunity after praying for years that he would?!" She had a point! So, on Sunday afternoon, Clay faithfully filmed her monologue--probably about 40 times! (You can't imagine how many times helicopters, planes, a zooming motorcycle, several loud cars driving by, dogs barking, our neighbors wind chimes, and a spider climbing up Clay's arm provided constant interruptions and humorous memories as we tried to get just one good take!)

We appreciate your support for this wholehearted child!

Dare to Dream! And nurture dreamers in your own home!

Dare to Dream and Nurture other Dreamers

Ten years old marked a time of dramatic change in my life. Living in the same town, going to the same church, swimming in the summers at the same pool and going to the same school had provided a kind of sweet stability for my young life. I had a sense that we knew a lot of people and that my mom and dad, and all of us were well-liked. We had a "place" in our community that gave rhythm to life. But, in the Spring time of that year, my father, who was an executive with IBM, was asked to move to Houston. This was my first experience of moving and having to start life and reputation and friendships all over again. Yet, for me, Houston provided another dramatic change. It was the beginning of an onslaught of pneumonia-- which would attack my body four times in the next year. I had been born about two months premature and respiratory problems and asthma had followed me most of my life, but this pneumonia thing, with hospitalizations and oxygen tents, was all new. I am sure, looking back, that it must have been a time in my parents lives, that was quite stressful. After just four months in Houston, they requested a transfer to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the air would be drier and they thought I would be healthier.

The funny thing is, though, I remember it with pleasure. Perhaps since everyone thought I was going to die, I got more attention. I received presents and cards. Yet, one of my favorite memories, as I might have mentioned before, was lying in my four poster bed, looking out the bay window at a forest of trees and reading, reading, reading. It was the first time I discovered, "The Childhood of Famous Americans." I read book after book of people who, in some way, became a hero. There were men and women who disciplined themselves to become great athletes, doctors and nurses, war heroes,--it didn't really matter what their story entailed, but each one brought to my heart a sense of accomplishment--of people who lived a purposeful life and made an impact on their world. These stories excited me and brought me great pleasure--I wanted to do make something of myself. I began, then, to dream about what I could accomplish. I didn't want to just let life drive me through the routines, I wanted to mount up in my life and contribute something big, somehow, someway.

The next time I remember feeling this burning excitement in my heart, was when I was in college. I had committed my life to Christ and was in a leadership group and was being personally discipled by a sweet young woman named Hope. She would meet with me and talk about scripture and pray with me. She would often say, "Sally, I wonder what great things God has in store for you. You have such a gift of communication and encouragement and such a grasp on scripture. I know God is going to use you to change the world. Dream big!" Perhaps these words were what led me to choosing a path where I would be privileged to be a part of a ministry through which the Lord would use me in the lives of others. I am not sure, but I know that when she said these life-giving words, it stirred in my heart and made me want to live up to her expectations. It excited me to be a part of God's miraculous work. I look back now on passages like the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, and I, too, wanted to be one of those who sought and knew God and loved Him in such a way that my life would make a difference in this world.

I felt like this again, yesterday, when I heard one of our pastors speak. His message was about not settling for life, but becoming an overcomer. There was this little familiar flurry of excitement stirring in my heart. It melded with some of what I have been thinking about lately. I believe that all of us were made by God to do a work in this world that would bring Him great glory and that would point to His light and beauty. We were created in His image, in His spiritual likeness, but with our own personality, skills, messages and drives. Each of us has the opportunity to live out a great story--one in which His power, His love, His light can touch everything we do. But only if we are dreamers--dreamers for His glory. To live by faith, means to live as though the Holy Spirit is truly living through me--If the Holy Spirit looked at my marriage, my children, my friends, my skills, what would He be planning for my life? How would He be living it differently than I am living? What would He be planning according to His power and resources? How would He be bringing glory to His Father through the ways He would have me step out in faith, the ways I would be generous extending His love, the ways I expressed compassion and redemption to a lost world, as He would?

As I see the huge needs in our culture for Christianity to come alive--a need for teachers who love children and want to inspire them to have a great moral character and to learn how to read (as our test scores as a nation have gone down every year for almost 20 years.) When I hear of all the latch key children, I want to find a way to train more mothers to stay at home in order to fill the emotional, spiritual and moral cups of their children. When I see the immorality, violence, emptiness and lies in media and in movies, I long to see passionate, artistic, insightful and skillful Christians rise up to reclaim the arts for the Lord. And on and on. Christ has a passion for bringing God glory in every arena of life and He seeks to raise up those who would boldly redeem back areas of darkness in His power and in His name. Yet, he has designed that there would be specific trainers of the next generation that would be able to train up godly, inspired leaders---mothers!

How Did Dreaming express itself through my life?
I remember in the movie, The Chariots of Fire, when the olympic gold medalist Eric Liddel was talking to his sister about his running, He said, "When I run, I feel His pleasure--God made me to run!" I feel that same thing about speaking. When I stand up to speak to a crowd of 10 or a crowd of 5000, I feel His pleasure--I feel that there is a blessing and power that I was created to walk in. I understood what Eric meant! I remember that when I was a young woman, I dreamed about speaking and writing--I was driven toward it. When we nurture the Spirit of God in our lives, we will find pleasure and passion in those areas that God has created us to do. Of course, it may take hard work and most of our lives is about faithfulness and growing, but each of us was designed by God to accomplish His work through our lives. One of my friends was having coffee with me in Vienna once and she said, "You know, Sally, lots of people want to write books, but very few get to really be published. Do you really think you will ever get a book published? Is that realistic?" Of course her words troubled me for a while, but as I prayed, I gave my skills to the Lord and told HIm that I would be faithful in all areas of my life, but that I would also try to be faithful to practice writing and speaking--to use it to encourage my friends in letters, that I would speak to children, adults, whoever and wherever He took me, for His glory. And if He wanted me to get published, fine, but meanwhile, I pledged to be as faithful as I knew how. Many of those years, I was speaking to my children in our own home, passionately sharing from what He had given to me in my quiet time. This is where I found my joy--sharing passionately with those I loved the most! It was from this small arena, that God caused my ministry to blossom.

So often, when I talk to women, they live as though they have no hope. They have lost all vision of their purpose as moms--they have quit dreaming with their children. When we are limited in our hearts to the tasks of life, to the responsibilities and bills and duties we have, we can become very discouraged. But when we realize that the Holy Spirit, Himself, dwells in us and wants to bring glory through our lives and create supernatural life and love right where we are, it gives us a whole different way to live. When I realized that I was a trainer of children who could learn to dream and take on the task of bringing God's kingdom to bear on this world, I always looked for ways to expand their faith, to listen to their talents and delights, to speak of how God might use them in this world. I told them they had only a few years to bring about miracles of love in His name, to banish sadness and darkness and to bring about light and His life through all that they did. It gave us an excitement about every day, every lesson God was teaching, every story that we heard. The way it played out in my children's lives was different for each one. Sarah was an incredible reader from the time she was very small. I would read volumes of books to her, and enter her into every reading program, contest and give her lots of opportunity to write. She would fill dozens of journals with her writing. I encouraged her as a message maker who would bring light to many minds. I truly believe that she will become one of the most important writers of our times. Her insight and creativity and wisdom for one her age has been blessed by God. She has had to work hard, but I believe her many years of input is beginning to pay off.

Joel, had the same input in soul, with the reading and devotionals, but I noticed that he sang in perfect tune from the time he was 15 months and could do perfect harmony by the time he was three--it came natural to him. Consequently, we gave him music lessons, exposed him to lots of different music, took him to concerts, and gave him all the software and instruments we could afford when he wanted to try to produce a small album. Nathan, our very extroverted child, loved people, activity and performance. Clay took him to Christian magician conferences to stretch his own skills as a stage illusionist. We provided his band this year with a place to practice. We are helping him to get training in discipleship as he follows all of these areas in hopes of having a ministry to his generation. Joy literally came out of the womb loving a stage. She has grown up at our conferences and never flinched when she stood up in front of hundreds of people--in plays, musicals, conferences or anywhere else. When Joy performs, I feel God's gift and pleasure in a marked way! This is why, the Anne of Green Gables was our way of supporting her in her own dreams. We will see what happens, but we hold all loosely and trust Him to open and close doors as all is in His hands.

I see so many moms, whether in Classical school, homeschool, public school and private school, become bogged down with the work load and curricular demands. But I meet few, who have invested much time in Kingdom dreams with and for their children. David became king of the slingshot--was that according to His mother's hopes and dreams? He also came to court because of his great music. Gideon was a grape stomper. Esther was a pretty orphan. Peter was a working class man. Paul was an academic. But the thing they all have in common, is that they used who and what they were for God's glory--to make a difference in the world for His kingdom.

Proverbs tells us the from the heart flow the springs of life. Jesus wanted us to live from the wells of life springing up in and through our hearts from His Spirit. If we are to take the world by God's force and light, we must learn to be dreamers, empowered and inspired by God, to bring His light to the darkness. We do this by cultivating the dreams and passions of our children's hearts. Often, dreams are costly--we went 5 years without a regular salary to start Whole Heart Ministries, but we believed there needed to be a ministry specifically focussed on giving the kinds of specific messages that God had place on our hearts to give to families in this generation. Bills and difficult tasks all had to be attended to, but prayer and scripture would always light the fire of our dreams. Faith in "things hoped for but not seen" was what energized each project. We rented our first hotel by faith when we believed moms needed refreshment, we sent out some emails, and the rest is history!

One of the reasons I wrote The Mom Walk was because I felt so many women were trying so hard to get the training of their children and the living of their lives right by following the right formula or doing the right things. I found that someone's box did not ever exactly fit our family or our lives. I saw much more over the years, that God intended me to walk by faith, to learn to listen to Him as he spoke to me through scripture and gave me ideas of how to obey Him and honor Him through my times of prayer.  I found that on my journey with Him, throughout motherhood, that learning to walk in freedom and peace with Him, and living by His design freed me up to watch Him work, to live by grace instead of someone else's expectations of me.  (My secretary had a great suggestion--if there are any of you who would like to do a book study on this book this fall, if you order 10 books, you will  receive a free set of cd's from our mom's conference of The Mom Walk. You will have to call for this special offer, though give us a couple of days, since our servers have been down! 800-311-2146)

Your and your children and husband may all have unique purposes through a story for God's kingdom. You may not always understand it in the midst of God preparing your heart and character for the work He has for you to do, but He uses those whose eyes are turned toward eternity, toward Him, toward His glory and work. A good question to ask is, "Am I living by what I can hope to accomplish by my hard work only?" or "Am I living in the realm of possibility of what God can accomplish, beyond my own skills and effort, because I am trusting Him to be accomplishing through me what He is able to do, even beyond my efforts, but according to His abilities?" Am I speaking life-giving encouragement to my children in the midst of their ideas and dreams, or do I throw water on them by asking them to be "realistic". There is so much to be said about the work side of dreams, the bills to be paid, but today is a day to focus on the dreaming part of our lives. My vision for raising my children must be bigger than grades, SAT's, getting a job. It must be a call to bow my knee before God and ask, what is your work for me? For my child? For our family? How can I bring you pleasure? How can I live in your power? May our sweet Father fuel our hearts with what is on His heart and use us and our children as He dreamed when He made us!

Grace upon Grace

I am on hold to the passport office trying to find out why Nathan's passport hasn't arrived yet. We ordered it eight weeks ago. Last week, we traveled up to the Denver passport office to get one on the spot. They told us that Nathan's passport would surely get here in time as they checked the status and told us that it was coming from South Carolina. Now, the Tuesday mail has come and it is not here. The passport office in Aurora doesn't print its number because they have too many people who call there. I found another number that took Joel and me 40 minutes to find. Now I have been on hold with them for 15 minutes.

I wonder if people idealize what it takes to be in missions or to make a journey? I know before I left to go overseas the first time, I envisioned very spiritual people who talked in scripture phrases and trusted God daily to see miracles. Instead, I found very normal people who struggled with the administrative details and governmental requirements to live in a foreign country, the difficulties of a new language, missing familiar things like M&M's, chocolate chip cookies and English. They, like me, felt had to live through the stress of getting passports, visas, and all the other effort it takes to pas governmental regulations.

The difference was, that they had felt somehow responsible to see that everyone had an opportunity to hear the gospel message. When they read in Matthew that Jesus had compassion on the crowds and admonished His disciples to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into the harvest, they felt that they must be an answer to the needs.

I know that many others I know, have a heart for the great things of the kingdom of God. However, their work is not so noticeable---or honored, but just as precious to the Lord. Some taking care of a sweet mother who has alzheimer's; holding and rocking a sick child who cries through out the night of an ear-infection or stomach ache; as a young single man or woaman, keeping faithful to keep to a pure moral standard and putting up with the lonliness of being a part of such a small minority of those who hold Biblical ideals, or a homeschooling mom patiently serving always in the home children without a break while daily hoping for progress in each of her children's education; or a single mom wondering how she will meet all her children's needs and daily depending on God to fill in the cracks. All are so very precious to God---all seen by Him--each minute act of faith, love and perservence.

As I have been thinking of what it requires each of us to make it through the maze of life graciously and with joyful energy that can only be explained by the Lord's presence, the kind of joy that allowed Paul to sing in prison, I have been so grateful for the unexplainable peace that comes in the moment I need to know I am not alone; the life that bubbles up in my heart as I seek, one more morning to find God as I open my Bible and lay my soul before Him. Though it is overused and could sound trite, the grace of God is that which carries me---mysterious, untouchable, foundational.

I was reminded of a song Clay, my husband, wrote many years ago. Be blessed as you read it. Blessings to all of you who are praying for us on our journey the next three weeks. You can see our pictures and reports online as we go, at whworld.blogspot.com. It will be a couple of days until we can send anything back, but we would love to have you follow us as we go!
Peace!
Grace Upon Grace
All my selfish vanity and pride
I laid beneath the cross where Jesus bled
It was for those very sins that He was crucified
But for His grace should I have died instead
When at last my will to His conceded
Jesus took me in that I might see
All I never had was never needed
To know that He has love enough for me

Now every day I know my Savior leads me
Safely through the battlefield of sin
Helping me to keep my eyes on Calvary
Knowing someday soon He'll come again

But in my fleshly weakness I can falter
When Satan puts the world before my eyes '
Til at the feet of God before the altar
I fall in shame and then I realize

He gives me grace upon grace
All of His fulness is mine
And someday I will share
All of His glory divine
Unworthy servant am I
That He should embrace
All of my sin and my guilt
With His grace upon grace

Blessed are the poor in spirit, Jesus said
Blessed are the merciful and meek
Blest be those who mourn they will be comforted
Blessed is the God by grace we seek

Not a day goes by without His mercy
All creation sheltered by His hand
Members one another of His family
Love so great I'll never understand

Why He gives me grace upon grace
All of His fulness is mine
And someday I will share
All of His glory divine
Unworthy servant am I
That He should embrace
All of my sin and my guilt
With His grace upon grace

copyright 2007 Clay Clarkson

Grace undeserved

Love a man, even in his sin, for that love is a likeness of the divine love and is the summit of love on earth.
Fyodor Dostoevsky

Life in the contemporary is standing against my ability to be mature all the time. Everything is a rush and hurry and then a wait and see. Yesterday, I found myself sinning far too easily. After three attempts to confirm some seats on a plane going overseas, I finally got the auto response to go almost to the point of confirming seats, after thirty minutes of frustration. I did not find it humorous that a very soothing, recorded voice was placed precisely at one point of choosing an arbitrary host of numbers, to comfort me---though I know a machine cannot really feel emotion. "I'm sorry! I didn't understand you. It must be my fault."(Can a machine be faulted for making mistakes and can it feel sorry Does it really care for my frustration???)

Finally, a real and very surly woman answered my phone call. I gave her all the right numbers for our ticket and then told her I wanted to be sure to secure seats on our overseas flight, as the seat numbers were deleted from the confirmation I had received on the Internet.

"You cannot secure seats until the morning of the flight. It is company policy that once we book our flight more than 45%, we cannot give out anymore seats. And, by the way, I am the supervisor, and there is no one higher than me that you can talk to!" (Obviously, she had had a difficult day and didn't even want to have to address the fact that there was no one higher up that I could talk to---and we had only just begun our conversation. Could there have been a hard phone call before she ever got to me?)

"I have never heard of an overseas flight where I couldn't get my seat assignment. I am traveling with three of my children and would like to sit close together," I said in my most authoritative voice.

"If your children are over 10, they can obviously sit anywhere on the plane by themselves, and I can't guarantee that they won't all be in different rows. You will just have to wait until you get to the gate. Obviously you haven't traveled very much. It is always done this way."

I raised to my full-bodied stature at this point, even though she couldn't see my shock or my rising at such a statement. After all, I had been traveling overseas for over thirty years and had never come across this particular problem or such a definitively closed airline operator.

In a very irrational and immature moment, I asked the woman, "If I call back, is there a good chance I won't have to talk to you again?!" Well, I had been on the phone a long time and she wasn't very nice to me and I did have a hard day and........

Immediately, when I had hung up the phone, remorse set in. The accusatory finger in my mind said, "Well, that was real mature! Bet you made that lady feel real good. I can't believe you are a serious, committed Christian, and you actually talked to someone like that! The Lord is so disappointed in you. Probably He is eventually going to quit using you in influencing others, because you just keep blowing it!"

I must admit, when my own life is stressful, and I have had a hard day, I want sympathy, kindness, forgiveness, grace. I want someone to understand that I am doing my best and to tell me it is ok. It is what I want from God. It is what I want from my husband. It is what I want from my children.

My heart became open to the Spirit's prompting. Just happened, my morning reading came across this verse: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Now this much I already knew and agreed with.

But the context of the verse was further explained, "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jew or Greek or the church of God. Even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many in order that they may be saved." I Cor. 10: 31-32

So, I glorify God, not by knowing all the right theological answers, or by keeping a perfect house, or having quiet times every day, but by glorifying God by seeking the good of everyone else--even a stressed out operator.

My sweet children have taught me this. They see through false piety. They know what it means to be fair. They comment on other adults in our lives who speak loudly about piety but whose lives scream loudly of hypocrisy. But, they are also very willing to forgive.

Joy placed her arm around me and sat sweetly in my lap. At almost 12, it is too rare of an occurrence, but oh so cherished. "Mom, we'll get some seats. Don't you worry. It always works out." A kiss on my cheek and then she was gone. Suddenly I saw God' s glory in an unsuspecting angel in my own home, who chose to give me grace, and then I felt He, the one from whom patience and love was given their meaning had gently restored me to himself.