I have rarely met people who found deep satisfaction by pursuing and obtaining worldly measures of success. In fact, they are often somewhat disappointed. When we do what God has designed us to do, we find what we were looking for: an intimate and loving relationship that satisfies our longing, consistent thoughts that guide us into wisdom and peace, and a healthy life that brings us strength through all of our days.
Read more about this in Well Lived.
From the moment our children arrive in our homes, we are teaching them how to see the world, what to consider important, what to seek, what to love. Mothers have the opportunity to form home and family life in such a way that God’s reality comes alive to our children each day.
The meals, conversations, and prayers we foster become the training and our homes, our presence, and the world are the training ground. As these tiny human beings find themselves swimming in the love, affection, and tenderness of their mothers, they will flourish and grow.
When they are talked to, engaged with, invited to explore and ponder, they cultivate a lasting love for learning and grow intellectually and spiritually. The whole world becomes their laboratory where they learn and develop, all because there was a person conducting the order and pattern of their purposeful days.
Read more about this in Well Lived.
The grand historical stories pictured by the gorgeous architecture of Oxford was never lost on me. I would imagine CS Lewis strolling with Tolkien, talking about the books they were writing, or Henry VIII pondering re-establishing Christ Church. Every time I stepped outside my door, I would pass by idealistic students from all over the world who wanted to make their mark and had come to study at Oxford.
One of the realizations that struck me was that I had a much larger capacity to learn, to ponder great ideas, to be touched by the heroes who had lived their lives well.
How do you challenge yourself to grow intellectually? To deepen your heart, mind, and soul?
Read more about this in my new book, Well Lived — out now.
It is then that our lives begin to make sense. Our satisfaction and fulfillment flow from love given and obedience demonstrated in big and small areas. Our unfettered commitment will shine through the blessings of our life and leave a lasting legacy, a story worth telling.
The gifts of a well-lived life take the stage when we are finally willing and wanting to please Him with our whole heart.
Well Lived is finally out! Make sure to grab your copy today.
Giveaway!
Hooray! I have reached launch week for Well Lived and you, my friends, have supported me all the way through. I am so grateful for you.
And of course you know that I will be celebrating the birth of Well Lived into the world with a cuppa and a happy heart.
In Well Lived, I talk about planning and gathering rhythms and resources that give yourself a breather, provide filling up, give pleasure so that you can make it in the long run.
When Sarah was a teen, we would steal away to my bedroom every Sunday afternoon with tea in hand, and a Victoria magazine to read aloud together. We oohed and ahhed at the gorgeous photographs, read the articles about authors, women entrepreneurs, and recipes. Of course these stolen moments built an even closer friendship and we had our pause in the week and enjoyed it so very much. But to this day, I have enjoyed reading it so much. A little later, I discovered the lovely magazine Tea Time Magazine.
To help celebrate launch week, my friends, both editors of these magazines, agreed to give away a subscription for each of their magazines. We want a couple of you to have the pleasure of refreshment through these beautiful resources.
I will be on my way to Philadelphia today and look forward to seeing many of you at the Wellness Collective. But I would love to give away a subscription to each of these magazines.
To enter (via Instagram only), leave a comment with the hashtag #WellLivedBook and tag a friend, as many as you want, and you will be entered.
Meanwhile, I would be so delighted if you purchase Well Lived as I am hoping it is of great encouragement and delight to all of you. I have even been told several times that it is like a Sally Victoria Magazine to read. How flattered was I to hear that.
I also hope you will join me for an Instagram live tomorrow, October 8th at 2pm Mountain / 4pm Eastern with my dear friend Sarah Mackenzie. And then later that day for my launch party — sign up at WellLivedBook.com if you haven't already!
Happy Week, friends.
Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.
What a dramatic and challenging week we have witnessed on our world stage. I pondered if it would be trivial to share about my book launch of Well Lived on such a day. Yet, as I prayed, the Lord seemed to encourage me, “Today is the day when a good legacy is made.”
It is when we are tempted with doubts that choosing to live by faith is most precious. When we choose to practice hope through the trying, dark times of life it what our children, husband, friends most need to see. When we are tempted to hold a grudge, show anger, criticize one who has hurt us but instead we choose to give love that our legacy of faithfulness is being born through the real days of our lives.
The Holy Spirit nudges us with wisdom, grace, strength to leave His light through this day, this time to leave a legacy of a life Well Lived. Today in the midst of the chaos and storms, our legacy is being written on the hearts of those around us.
It has taken me a lifetime to learn the truth about what it means to suffer in this world and yet live to see the grace of God. I want to come alongside others so they will not feel as lost or alone as I often have. I want you to know, my friends, that you are seen and loved in the place you find yourself right now.
Sometimes living courageously is our only option to show forth God’s reality as life often leaves us depleted, exhausted, and weary. But my friend, It is my hope that you will find the strength today to rise above your circumstances and choose to live a legacy of faith, hope and love. I hope that I an companion you in your journey in my latest book Well Lived, I will come alongside you as you continue to be life-givers and light bearers to a broken, hurting world. Because ultimately, that is the most profound and enduring legacy we can leave.
Praying for you, asking God to show you His companionship, His love, His grace in your day today. God bless you today, friend.
Before I became a wife or parent, I assumed I would be able to be mature, healthy, loving, and successful in these relationships all the time. Conflict in my own heart and life, and the stress of living with so many needs and so many constant demands, showed me my selfishness — or at least my exhaustion and emptiness.
I longed for mercy, but especially gentleness. I meant to be patient, giving, loving, but I had my limits. It was through my different children, and the demands of everyday life, that I learned the need for gentleness — again.
At what point does a woman find the ability to be gentle, to show mercy, understanding, compassion? When she understands that her heart is immature, prone to making bad choices, limited in patience, and just beginning to comprehend what love requires. She acknowledges that she herself is fragile; she learns how to extend the grace she wishes to receive to others she loves, because they, too, are fragile and want gentleness and mercy.
Read more about this in Well Lived.
Have I told you that I have the cutest grandchildren in the world? When I raised my own children, at the top of my focus was reaching their hearts with the love of God, wisdom of scripture, and an encouragement for them finding their own part in His story.
Naturally, when it came to my grandchildren, I wanted to have the same imprint. When I lived in Oxford, I would regularly adventure with Sarah and the littles around town to castles, parks, or the canal. It was as though I experienced deja vu — I saw that the talking and giggling and playing we did together reached their hearts, just as it did my own children when they were growing up.
What are some of the ways you have tried to make your imprint on the little ones in your life?
Preorder your copy of Well Lived today!
Being loved specifically and intentionally adds to our physical well-being, our spiritual equilibrium, our emotional health, and our mental strength. It is not something we can healthily survive without.
Mothers have a unique opportunity to give this kind of life-giving love to their children, to be a safe person they will always come back to with confidence that they will be loved well and intentionally.
As we evaluate how to love our children well, we ask ourselves, "Do they believe and feel I have their best interest in mind, or do they think I have my own agenda for them? Do they understand that even though they struggle, I am here to help them succeed? Is their heart open to my instruction, or is there a wedge and resistance that I need to figure out and address?
Know that today, I am praying for all of you sweet mamas as you continue to grow and love intentionally. It is not always easy, but every little choice you make to love well matters.
Read more about this in Awaking Wonder.
Click here to play today’s new podcast episode.
BYOT: BRING YOUR OWN TEACUP
Yesterday, on my way to friends from Wild + Free to have a fun breakfast together, I came into the lobby with my trusty tea cup in hand, as per usual, because I was in the middle of a hot morning cup, when my friends all giggled.
“You travel with your own china cup for drinking your tea?”
“Of course, doesn’t everyone?”
A habit begun many years ago with a heavy traveling life — just a few rhythms of grace in my life make it a little bit more pleasant, even when traveling. Predictable, comforting, and after all, who wants to have tea or coffee out of a styrofoam cup when you can have it out of a china cup? I buy them at second hand stores and then don’t mind if it gets chipped or broken — just a fun assortment. I place a cup, brown sugar packets, a spoon and tea bags in a tin of tea and it protects my cup from breaking.
Today, I am in Kentucky with one of my dearest in all the world friends, Gwennie, as many of you know her in my books. (And a story of delight about us many years ago in London in my new book, Well Lived!)
We are hanging around in our comfy clothes, chatting and chatting over many cups of caffeine, watching a great movie, eating grand meals and being friends. She is showing me new exercises with bands. We are eating fresh peach pie, and eating fresh raspberry pie! Laughing, crying, ordering a coat online just like hers! Twins again. I’m sipping from a beautiful mug of my friend that says, “Season of Mellow Fruitfulness,” which describes me.
What else do friends do?
So my Tea Time Tuesday podcast is a little short today to make as much time with my sweet friend as possible, but just wanted to be sure to say hi.
I had such fun and deep soul happiness to see so many kindred spirits at Wild + Free. Love you all so much. It filled my cup to the brim to be with you. And looking so forward to the other conferences coming up: Wellness Collective and Hutchmoot — and meeting more of you precious ones. Meanwhile, happy week!
