Discovering That Beauty Changes our Lives and the Whole World - and a New Podcast!

Episode #125 Discovering That Beauty Changes our Lives and the Whole World

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We're all chasing rest and beauty and delightful interludes, aren't we? But why? What do we crave at the root of that desire? Today, Sally and Kristen dive into the third and final podcast in the series that accompanies Kristen's new book, Finding Selah: the Simple Practice of Peace When you Need it Most. They share about the longing for beauty that we all have deep in our souls and discuss the only way it can ever be satisfied. They talk about real ways that we can practically grow in peace in our real lives, and the reason they are so passionate about sharing delight and visible joy with their children. Do you want to change the world? It begins with discovering beauty that changes your whole heart!

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:

-How to take action and allow a practice of peace to sink deep into our lives.

-God's heart for us to receive the gifts He gives us with joy.

-The fact that rest is often active and often requires that we yield or surrender. 

-Activities that are restful to each one of us and how you might implement them in your own life.

-The transformative effect of rest in our lives- and the way it equips us to pour out our hearts to others. 

-How we cultivate spaces that knit beauty and peace into the lives of our children, and all those we influence.

-Finding the root of all beauty in Jesus, and learning to trust Him and be satisfied in our relationship with Him as a pattern that shapes the rest of our lives.

-Why its so important to talk to give our children a home, a table, and an education that all speak life- that all give them a vision and a picture of heaven- that guide them to the heart of God.

-God's provision of his people when they had great fear and anxiety.

-The gifts of our "miracle babies" and the way God softened each of our hearts through the joy of motherhood.

LINKS:

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WANT TO TAKE HOME SOME BEAUTY FROM MAGNOLIA?

We'd love to give you an opportunity to win some of these amazing prizes from Magnolia to celebrate the launch of Kristen's book this Tuesday!  Share some of the ways you capture beauty and Selah Moments throughout your day by taking a picture and using the hashtag #findingselah so that we can see what you post! We will share our favorite photos and ideas and select the winners during the launch team Facebook live at 9Eastern/6Pacific on Tuesday, January 8th at fb.com/kristenkill

Finding Real Rest After Christmas And A New Podcast!

Episode #123 Finding Real Rest After Christmas

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I just finished our fried chicken Christmas feast with the kids, and sighed with relief knowing that I had almost finished my seasonal marathon one more time. The days after Christmas are filled with cleaning up, putting up, putting away--and still people want to eat and have our attention and wear relatively clean clothes or at least underwear. Our lives as women and as mamas are indeed stretching. 

What a perfect time to ponder what it looks like to find rest, to engage in peace of heart and mind, to invest in our own well being. I hope that our podcast will be encouraging to you. And I have a series planned for January and February that will help inspire you to reset your life focus or at least bring it into clearer vision so that you can feel excited about the spring months ahead--as sometimes these are the times that s-t-r-e-t-c-h out and can tax us to our toes. 

I hope our thoughts will give you cheer this holiday week and that you will take a deep breath in your lives. Grace to you today and you ease back into your holiday week for one more yearly event-New Year's!!!!! 

Sally

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Today, Sally and Kristen begin a three part series on peace and rest of heart that accompanies Kristen's new book, Finding Selah: The Simple Practice of Peace When You Need It Most. Our adrenaline may be low after the holidays, the blues of winter setting in, or perhaps our circumstances in life or the posture of our hearts match the bitter cold outside. The good news is that God desires to meet us wherever we are and bring rest and peace to our souls. He long to walk with us, to fill us up with Himself and with beauty that whispers Heaven to us. We hope you can gather a few friends together, read the book along with us and be encouraged that Hope and Rest are here, even in the most hectic of days.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:

-What are we holding onto in our lives that makes us crave rest so desperately?

-How to take time to identify the areas that are draining and overwhelming you.

-How becoming aware of areas where our life feels dissonant or unsettled is a way that God can speak to us and help us to turn to him.

- Understanding the word Selah as a pause that gives us time to reset,restore, prepare, and listen to the song God is singing over our lives. There is a re-orientation of our lives to God's heart when we rest and take time to bring our burdens to him.

-Withdrawing vs. drawing close to God and others

-What happens when we live in denial or attempt to avoid quiet time with Jesus?

-The truth that God offers us a soft embrace.

-The promise that is conveyed in the verse: “Be still and know that I am God.”

-How we can looking to the Psalms to help us form words for emotions that feel too big for us or that we feel numb to express.

How do we endure in difficult circumstances we have no control over?

The gift of steady and mundane mercies with our children. The way we are refined by the gifts of those rhythms.

Mothers as metronomes in their homes-setting the tempo.

LINKS:

-Psalm 136

-Mozart studies in the Cultivating Life With Sally Community Website

A free gift and a special offer just for Podcast Listeners!

Download the Custom Art Print by Calligrapher Rachel Jacobson, and receive ALL the book pre-order bonus items using the code below! 

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How to get the bonus items:

After you Pre-order Finding Selah from your favorite retailer, Simply fill out the form HERE at KristenKill.com to receive a Finding Selah Playlist, and digital copies of the Make My Life a Psalm Prayer Journal and The Flourishing Heart Planner: Selah Winter- a resource that will transform the way you engage your heart, soul, mind, and strength as you worship God this winter season! 

 Enter the code below in the special Offer line of the form to receive all the Bonus items!

Enter the Code: ATHOMEWITHSALLY 

If you encounter any technical difficulties, please email team@kristenkill.com and we will be happy to help you!

The Possibilities of Simple Feasting (And a New Podcast!)

Episode #112: The Possibilities of Simple Feasting

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"Mama, What's for dinner? I'm hungry!"

Oh, not again. Can it already be time to eat, again!

Sometimes when we hear more ideals from others, instead of feeling inspired, we feel a failure. All of us who serve others in our home become weary from time to time amidst all the work. Life has little and big ones who become ill, small and big crisis, holidays, too many activities. And yet still we need to eat!

Bringing influence through the shared moments of our table is not about having fancy or elaborate meals, but about conducting the beauty that extends the grace of God within overwhelming times. Practicing endurance and sustainability through different seasons gives me the capacity to better deal with future stress, which indeed will always come.

The more I practice taking steps of endurance, the more capable I am at handling my whole life. 

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, birthdays, loving through seasons of life. 

Here the story of how one who was doubting her faith was encouraged at table to find encouragement to keep going forward.

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, recipes and tricks for feasting simply or when we have little time.

-Our family traditions and celebration rituals

-Birthdays in the life of the Clarkson & Kill Family

-How to create a blessing celebration in your own family

-Purposing to verbalize blessing and affirmation

-The way God blesses us through words of affirmation, and how we can do the same with those at our table

-The power and necessity of creating a home of belonging

links:

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness." -Author unknown

Mark 6:31 "Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat."  

Table-Discipleship Principle: A wise discipler must make space for rest and beauty in the midst of life.

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

-J. R. R. Tolkien

Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you; And be gracious to you;The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace." 

Table-Discipleship Principle: Love and affirmation given generously provide the foundation for opening a heart to influence

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Practicing Everyday Discipleship & A New Podcast

Podcast Episode #110 Practicing Everyday Discipleship

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"Why do you think you and your siblings all love the Lord as adults?"

Sarah looked thoughtfully and then answered, "I think it was the French toast, buttered pecans and maple syrup!"

This has become a famous saying to our family because it reflected a bit of what is true. For our children to learn to love God, they must see our love for God in the ways we sing around the house or enjoy a cool drink on the porch enjoying the summer flowers, or at "Kiss me goodnight, please," bedtime moments.

God intended that we as adults enjoy our days and have the ability to be satisfied in the days of our lives as we weave into them pleasure and fulfillment we were intended to experience as we walk hand in hand with our God. If we see passing on faith as just a duty, our lives will overflow with duty and pressure and we will become discouraged and weary in our own lives. We were not made for God so that we could be slaves of works, but He wants to enjoy and be close to us as a parent would their beloved children. We must perceive the proper vision of His love and commitment to us if we are to pass on a faith that will engage our children.

But the real influence comes all the moments of the ways we live our lives in front of our children. It is not just  about passing on doctrine, but as much about relationship, love, beauty as it is the concepts we teach them.

Discipleship is woven into every moment of family life, when we rise up, when we sit down, whenever we are alone with our children, or gathered together as an entire family.  In this episode, Sally and Kristen discuss their intentional focus on relationships, understanding the personalities and stages of children, how to engage in effective Sabbath traditions,  Telling stories of how discipleship becomes a dependable rhythm in our homes everyday through conversation, fun, training and reading, traditions is a part of their own home experience. 

They'll unpack ideas about how the table can become the place where our children experience belonging, preparation for how to enter the world with a competing culture and value system, and how we can create  a safe place to consistently discuss convictions, ideas and even doubts with them.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:

- That we must have anchors in our lives that give us time to stop, breathe, enjoy, rest and check in with the Lord no matter what.

-How we bring delight into our Sundays

-How to prepare our children for weekly worship, as well as for engaging with a church community

-The way Jesus prepared a meal for his disciples in order to share hard truths with them

-That we must make a choice to model  wither a faith of resigned endurance or delighted enthusiasm

-That Jesus was and is the very best celebration

-How to prepare our own hearts when to bear with our children's doubts.

-Common topics for teens: truth of faith, hypocrisy, and individual conviction

-The reality that questions and sorrows will always be present

-God didn't make us to use us--He is complete--He did not want little slaves, He wanted sons and daughters to love, communicate with, for friendship, and he gave them a beautiful world.

-That God desires us to taste and see that He is good!

LINKS:

"All true friendliness begins with fire and food and drink and the recognition of rain or frost. . . . Each human soul has in a sense to enact for itself the gigantic humility of the Incarnation. Every man must descend into the flesh to meet mankind." G. K. Chesterton

Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” 

Chapter 6 Table-Discipleship Principle: 

We must be intentional to guide, discuss, and celebrate the dependable rhythms of life.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 "So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!"

Chapter 7 Discipleship principle:

Discipleship happens at every moment along the way, morning, noon night and in between.

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Buy on Amazon

Heartfelt Mentoring to Transform Your Table

Episode #105: Heartfelt Mentoring to Transform Your Table

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Thank you so much for the notes, emails and messages from all of you who have written me to tell me how much my new book is encouraging you and changing the way you think about your table. Kristen and I are so excited to begin our book study with you today about the discipleship principles in the book and to share some of the table conversation starters. We are learning so much ourselves as we prepare this 7-8 part series covering 14 chapters of the Lifegiving Table. I pray you will be inspired by what we share. Get your copy of the book and underline and copy the quotations in the book and join us as we discuss the mentoring principles that will shape your children as they learn to love God. (On sale right now!)

The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith through Feasting, One Meal at a Time

$10.99

By Sally Clarkson

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 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 our tables.

-Why the table is just like a beautiful piece of music: carefully arranged, thoughtfully directed, and passionately played.

LINKS:

"The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine." Isaiah 25:6, NASB

"When Jesus wanted to explain to his followers the meaning of his death, he didn't give them a theory, he gave them a meal"- N.T. Wright

"If the home is a body, the table is the heart, the beating center, the sustainer of life and health." Shauna Niequist

"For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." Psalm 107:9

"For Jesus the home is not what defines the table; the table is what defines the home." Leonard Sweet, From Tablet to Table 

I have a couple of more wonderful giveaways for you this week. Today, if you leave a comment on Amazon or Barnes and Noble about my book, if you share a photo of you holding the book on FB or instagram or if you share a photo of the book, leave a comment below and you will be entered to win this lovely assortment for fall--lovely napkins, a fall runner and these darling chargers. So much fun. 

And happy week. 

A fall runner, fall napkins, a pumpkin and fall chargers--hope you win. 

Buy yours today and join Kristen and me in our 7 week series on Discipleship principles to win the hearts of those who join you at your table. 

The Lifegiving Table: Nurturing Faith through Feasting, One Meal at a Time

$10.99

Celebrating the Table With Kristen, Sarah and Joy

Episode #102B Celebrating the Table with Kristen, Sarah and Joy

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So many people have told me they loved hearing from my sweet girls, Sarah and Joy, about our lives, table, anything! So today, I have a podcast for you that we recorded just before they both went back to Oxford and Scotland. I hope you will enjoy it.

And, Woooohooooooo! This is my launch week for The LIfegiving Table. I hope it will inspire you to make memories, mentor in inspiring ways and be invigorated in building an even closer family bond. Please help me launch this book well and tell all of your friends about it so that you can all have it to join Kristen and me for a new discipleship series from the book on how to better reach the hearts of your children. buy HERE. (I love love love the new hardback version--it is so beautiful.)

Our celebration of the Life-Giving Table begins this week! In this episode, Sally is joined by Kristen Kill and they both share why the table is important to them, and why this book is really about something far greater than merely dinnertime. Then Sally is joined by her daughters, Sarah and Joy as they share memories, insight and encouragement about the Clarkson family table, traditions and the heart of why it all matters most. Join the first day of celebrations with us as we celebrate the launch of this new book and stay tuned all week for wonderful giveaways and surprises right here! 

We don't want you to miss the LIve Book Launch Party tomorrow night, OCtober 3rd at 9ESt,hosted on sally's facebook page!

Gather with your Momheart group or just on your own for encouragement, giveaways and a chance to win a weekend in Colorado gathered around Sally's table. Click here to find the Sally (and the big party!) on Facebook:

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