To build a godly legacy with children takes a lifetime of sacrifice. To establish a strong marriage requires years of growing more selfless, giving deeply of love, compassion, forgiveness, and growing in maturity. I truly believe that God will cause all things to work together for good for those—especially mothers—who are called according to his purpose. Through the eventual faithfulness of his disciples, who also had once betrayed him, Jesus was able to reach the whole world. As we wait patiently for the fruit of our faith and service in the lives of our family to be revealed, we will see Go ..read more

How often do we forget the exuberant nature of God? Why do we walk around with dour faces at church as though our displeasure will somehow please God more than being His hopeful, cheerful, grateful children? And let's not delude ourselves: This grim attitude will teach our children to regard faith with a resigned endurance instead of a delighted enthusiasm. When we model to our children that pleasure, delight, laughter, and food are not God's afterthoughts, but His generous gifts to us all, we do them a great favor. The psalmist said it so beautifully: "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh ..read more

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode. “Ideals and the desire for beauty are simply the echoes of God's design in our hearts. He was the one who designed the world to be a masterpiece of wonder and life. The yearning for peace, health, and comfort is natural to our souls and comes from the depths of our hearts where we can still feel and imagine what God created life to be before the fall.” (from The Mom Walk) We each have an inner longing for delight, recreation, joy, love, romance. We were made for it—just watch an innocent child playing, loving, honestly delighting in the wonders ..read more

Most of life is lived in the waiting, in the meantime. For 43 years, Clay and I have held fast to marriage. We lived through mundane rhythms of life day and night, through all the phases of childhood where relationships were forged, where the Clarkson story took root, where ministry was birthed. In the meantime, between big life events, is where the treasures were found. We all wait to see what is ahead. Will it be calm? Will it be violent? I have waited to fall in love, waited to get married, waited to get pregnant, waited to get pregnant again. Waited for 19 houses to sell when moving, wait ..read more

Children who have such a "shepherd" in their homes to oversee, provide for, direct, and protect the life of the home will benefit profoundly. By embracing our call to home-making, we are ensuring that these life centers are thriving and well. The strong and secure future we help to build for our children is laid by the hundreds of small deeds we do every day as we serve faithfully in our homes. Yet the great value of our service will be felt for generations to come and throughout eternity. The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity By Clarkson, Sally Buy on Amazon ..read more

Children come to believe more easily in the constant strong and present commitment of God in every circumstance, no matter what, when they have a family who is there for them, parents they can come to with any trial or trouble on their heart. The unity of the family table, the commitment to change plans in order to celebrate special days with one another, the decision to speak blessing — all these create a rhythm in which our children get a sense of God's commitment to them because they have tasted of our own active, constant, committed love in our home and at our table. Read more about this ..read more

So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. John 13: 14 I love remembering the last supper, Jesus is my ponder for how to live my life. He made food, feeding crowds, washing feet, lifting prostitutes off the dusty ground, holding squirmy babies close, giving His life, as a servant king. I realized His life was my example of how to serve my children, friends, neighbors. Servant leadership starts with a choice to serve Christ by giving my time & energy to my children, husband, friends, neighbors, not when I feel like it but when they need ..read more

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 prepa ..read more

Click here to play today’s new podcast episode. 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 del ..read more

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 s ..read more