Life with Sally

Ely has for many years been one of my very favorite towns in the UK. What a gift it was that a sweet friend of mine invited me to go on a little 2 day explore together to have fun once again in the Magical Medieval town.

While every family has its own story and each puzzle of life is different, there are some practical ways we can make the life of faith tangible to our children and those are the focus of the second half of this chapter!

The world of teens is focused on their test scores as they graduate from high school. But what if God wants us to focus on a different kind of preparation before they leave our homes?

I have a family of tea cups that sit together on my shelf wherever I live. Stay tuned — you will be seeing my adventures with tea cup in hand. I have some adventures planned this very week. As mom of 4, I learned to see life as an adventure and to create a sense of joyful adventures along the way, even in mundane days.

In the weeks ahead, I will be hosting a podcast series from my book, 10 Gifts of Heart, a book Clay and I wrote to focus on the habits we wanted our children to have before they left our home and entered the world as adults. Today, I talk with my friend, Dr. Michael Ward, about his book, After Humanity , and we discuss the role virtue plays in the shaping of character. Be inspired.

We cannot pass on civility, beauty, intelligence, excellence of mind and heart, if we do not ourselves make these virtues a goal of our lives. Whatever we pursue and cultivate will determine what we are also able to pass on to all who we encounter.

On today's podcast, I talk about making your life whole in mind, body, character, and actions so that those who listen to you have a virtuous, good, right model to follow. Jesus said, "The student when fully trained will be like his teacher." And so, our children who look to us as teachers, call us to become our best selves.

We all get so caught up with making one more meal, getting one more chore done, but it is truly our personal relationships that will see us through hard times. We must make time to say, "I am so grateful to be with you today. How are you?"

While it is incredibly wonderful to set our standards high and live within these great ideals, we must hold ourselves to a standard of grace, not perfection.

There is a life and hope and energy in this celebrating. It brings all earthly struggles into perspective, a baby bringing life that would conquer all ills, calm all storms, wrest all evil powers, heal all wounds.

There are so many ways to feel guilty or less than, but when we seek Him and His priorities and free ourselves from the burdens we are not meant to carry, we will find strength and purpose for each day. I pray you have a wonderful New Year and a light soul.

For today's Tea Time Tuesday, I share all about our family's music, food, life, Christmas plans, inspiration. Let me know if you enjoy my ramblings. Hoping you have a wonderful week!

There was something so special about that first Shepherds' Meal that we couldn't wait to "do it again next year." And so we have. In the thirty-plus years since then, our family has enjoyed a Shepherds' Meal every Christmas Eve, no matter where we lived. Even the preparation has become a tradition—a family affair.

One of my biggest challenges in this very fraught and emotional storm was that as a young, naive believer, I didn't know some of the worst hurts in my life would come from others who called themselves Christians.

We can exist within the mundane moments of motherhood or marriage or work longer if we know that somehow it is meaningful to our over-arching life story, when we serve and patiently give of our energy to meet the needs of others.

Every single morning when we awaken, God's mercy sees our frailty and provides for a covering of grace through every moment we fall short of perfection. Every day, we can live in the freedom to know we are forgiven.

Learning to think clearly and Biblically, in order to be able to fight the formulas and ways of other men takes practice and investment of time---and it is the one way all children need to grow--to learn to think well, to learn to see the fallacies, false doctrine and rules that are man made and not in scripture--it requires thinking and being a steward of the word.

Tea is magical. Whatever you need, warmth, cooling down, cheer, calm, or peace — you can find it in a few moments where you take time to sit quietly and care for your soul.

Life will always hold difficulties beyond what we ever imagined; sadness, broken-heartedness, deep disappointments. Yet, our commitment to keeping a grid of joy will carry us through and allow us to get up, time after time, to live one more day worshipping Him right in the midst of our stories.

Education of morals, habits, character and faith determine the foundations upon which a life will be built. Strong foundations lend themselves to vast structures. Make a plan today about how you will build those foundations into your own life and that of your children!

I've found that the best way to cultivate a true, deep-rooted friendship is to commit to seeking them out, intentionally going out of our way to invite a new friend over for a cup of tea and a deep discussion.

Now is the time for us to kindle our hope, encourage one another and to stay fast as we live faithfully.

No matter how old your children become, you are the example for them. They will always be looking at you to see integrity, ideals, and how you interact with God. The longer you provide your children with wisdom based on truth, the more they will quickly consider your advice as they walk their own adult journey.

Accomplishing some great feat is no more important than living a quiet life if it is done in relationship with Jesus—who lived small, quiet, personal.