What fun we’re having as we prepare to launch the new book, Girls’ Club! Today I had the joy of recording a discussion with Greta Eskridge, a delightful mom who loves to encourage others. I hope you’ll love our conversation. You can find more from Greta here:

Website and blog : www.gretaeskridge.com

Instagram: @maandpamodern

What a joy to have Kristen Kill joining me once again, as I continue this series all about the Clarkson ladies’ newest book, Girls’ Club! Kristen is a long-time friend to our family, and we’ve shared many a cup of tea and deep conversations all over the country. She’s settling into a new spot in the Pacific Northwest with her darling family after spending many years in New York City, and can be found on Instagram and Facebook as Kristen Kill. You can also find her book all about finding rest in the midst of a busy life here: Finding Selah.

Everyone wishes for a true friend. Seldom do we consider that we must first be one.

Our publisher Tyndale Momentum has generously provided the opportunity for one of you to win this amazing gift so that you can have a holiday in Oxford, and enjoy high tea with us at a lovely and celebrated old hotel in the historical center of town. We will have our own girls club time together, and will have a heart-to-heart conversation with you to encourage you. We will also provide insider’s input on how best to enjoy Oxford, and all the best places to visit. Enjoy the dreaming spires and ancient streets of this beautiful university town, and walk the same paths as people like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

God gives us choices to obey Him, to tender our hearts to His ways. Our service of worship is, because we love Him, to seek to obey Him day after day. Our faithfulness will be a testimony of our love and faith in Him through out eternity.

Sometimes the seeds that He requires us to sow, do not obviously promise anything--yet, we are asked to believe in the potential--the latent miracles inside of these small life-seeds.

This book is our story as well as a gathering of convictions that each of us holds about the importance of cultivating female friendships that not only provide emotional affirmation and acceptance but also inspire, educate, train, and stretch us to live into our God-given potential.

Today in my podcast, I sat down with Nathan Clarkson and talked about why good stories were so important to him as a boy and how they helped him find a vision for growing into a good man. 

All of us have limitations. If we spend all of the energy, love and serving that we are capable of giving, we must refuel or there will be consequences. Just as a car cannot fun without gasoline, so we cannot get very far on fumes.

One of the most consistent messages we spoke to our children’s heart was, “God has created you with a place in His kingdom story. He gave you a personality, skills, desires so that you can use the uniqueness of who you are to serve Him and bring His light to bear through you.”

Hope you enjoy the podcast—as we wanted our friends to know our adventures and challenges this week with Lily. Joel Clarkson helped me find a song we hope you will enjoy. Have the most wonderful Christmas with your loved ones.

Today, on my podcast, I am sharing a recording with all of you that I made especially for my membership. Many people have asked me, “What kind of podcasts and recordings do you have in your membership? This is a Bible study that I do each month. I hope you enjoy it—and I pray you will live into the light who came to light your darkness.

I am podcasting today with my sweet friend, Shelly Miller, who also lives in the UK, in London. She loves to encourage women to take time to rest. You can find her at Shellymillerwriter.com.

Messages of truth, hope, love, faith so that we can know and serve God more is at the heartbeat of all that we do at Whole Heart. Clay and I always want to We love sharing the messages God has put on our hearts with you!

Creating traditions over the year with your family will cultivate a family culture unique to your own heritage. Each of us has agency to decide what is a priority to our own family with consideration of our unique values, personalities and preferences. Yet, when a celebration is practiced year after year, together, pathways of security are roughed out in hearts and minds to remember these practices as moments that speak of love, home and intimacy shared to build life-long community.

There are times in life when we all long for the world to be a place of rest, only beauty, good news and hope. Have you ever wished that just for a small, brief time, life could be happy, without burden, without guilt, without struggle? Just happy and easy and free to enjoy? I have. As a dreamer, romantic, idealist, I sometimes wish life could be as lovely as I can imagine it to be in my heart.

Take time to regroup today--Go eat some chocolate, and don't feel guilty as you are eating it (that would certainly be a waste of good chocolate!) Listen to some beautiful music, watch a heart-warming movie, take a nap, eat off of paper plates to save cleanup! The rest of December is still coming and you will be the better for it. I'll be praying for you!

I hope you will enjoy my podcast today as I share about tea time discipleship with you and I know you will love the chapter. It could change your relationships as it has mine—such a treasure, such a simple secret. Enjoy!

As you prepare to cultivate a people, a place and a community within your family and at table, remember, it is the daily celebrating of life together, that will prepare for you a heritage and deep friendships that will satisfy the deepest places of your soul the rest of your life. It is a gift to inherit and one of the greatest works of your life.

True discipleship must reflect the fact that God values our voice, thought, and will. Dinnertime discussions reflect and enact this value, making a place where everyone can be heard, be exposed to truth, and have the space to develop convictions in the context of community. Through dinnertime discussions, convictions can be formed, confidence can be gained, conversation can be practiced, and consideration can be taught.

I am so excited to share this Mini-Podcast with you.  We sat down quickly together and recorded this conversation after a quick breakfast the morning I left for Nashville.  I know you will enjoy hearing his lovely accent and his insight about stories, an inspirational poem and thoughts from C.S. Lewis about table time.  

The story of the Clarkson family has been written at tables. Not with pen and paper, but with words and people, food and fellowship, talk and time. Whatever kind of table it might be—breakfast, lunch, dinner; picnic or deck; plain or fancy; small, tall, wood, metal, or rock; bare or cloth-covered; even the ground—it becomes our family table when we sit down together to eat and drink and be and belong. The delightful fruits of God’s creation we share together fill and fuel us as God’s life- breathed and image-bearing creatures, and our shared story grows from the table’s Spirit-infused life coming alive in us.

What does it mean to be transformed, changed, and reshaped as an antidote to being conformed to the world? In this episode, Sally ponders these ideas as she discusses chapters four and five of the Life-giving Table and teaches us about how family culture has the distinct and grace-giving power to both change and protect us. She inspires listeners to instill a sense of "this is who we are" and "this is what we believe" into the hearts of her children as they gather at the table, and gives tools to not only create a vision to define our own family culture, but to practically cultivate a legacy.

The more you cultivate happiness for yourself, the more happy you will be--and the happier your children will be! Practice being thankful every day--take time to look at the antics, and into the eyes  of your children and thank God for them.