{MY MOM ♥ MATTERS!}Reading Sally Clarkson's books is like sitting down for a visit with her. I remember the few weeks I made available between my last day of work and my expected due date, to spend preparing my heart as best as I could to be a mother. I felt motherhood was going to be a
big responsibility and a new season to take seriously. In those few weeks I read through Sally Clarkson's book
The Mission of Motherhood, a precious gift from a friend and mentor.
I remember not wanting the book to end. But it was inevitable. It had to. I remember feeling sad, like my "visit" with Sally was over; the kind of feeling you get at the end of an enjoyable vacation when it's time to go back home.
Well, Sally Clarkson's
Mom Heart Conference this past weekend was similar to reading through one of her books. Walking into the Community Center at Mariners Church in Irvine felt like entering Sally's home for a visit. I was surprised to see white table-clothed round tables set up throughout the room, adorned with burning candles in clear glass holders, accompanied by sprinkled soft rose petals. I was expecting to sit myself down amidst rows of chairs. But the atmosphere that was created was definitely homey and inviting.
To add to the ambiance, a living room scene was set up on the stage, decorated with some of Sally's favorite things; tea, art, and books.
So creative!
It was
so cute - for the first workshop, Sally interviewed her oldest daughter, Sarah about her blog,
www.ThoroughlyAlive.com, and how she defined being "thoroughly alive."
Sarah shared her testimony of what she learned when she and her brother, Joel, went to England to study theology. I cannot retell the story like she told it. All I can say is that she went to learn all she could
about God, thinking it would draw her closer to Him, but she concluded,
"God isn't a thought to be known. He's a feast to be enjoyed, a song to be sung, a story to be told."
She defined being "thoroughly alive" as being, "hungry for the beautiful and good."
"It seems to me that we can never give up longing and wishing while we are thoroughly alive. There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good and we must hunger after them." - George Eliot
Through the course of the conference, we got to meet the rest of Sally's children, Joel, Nathan and Joy, and her husband, Clay. Each of the children, to me, were living testimonies to the fruits of purpose, love, discipline, grace, time, friendship, faith, patience, consistency, prayer, encouragement, and creativity that Sally planted into each one of their lives. They each played songs on the piano that they had written, and to hear each of their personalities come out through their compositions was beautiful.
"There really will be fruit if you plant well." - Sally Clarkson
One of the things that has really touched my heart about Sally, from reading what she's written in her books, and seeing her in person, are the friendships she has with each of her children. When she introduced each of them at different times throughout the conference, she would announce how each one was her best friend. And when she stood beside her husband on stage, they looked like such a team. She was such a picture of being her husband's support.
I'm sorry that I only have time to share a glimpse of what I experienced this weekend. There are so many more stories untold and notes that are not going to make it all on here. So I'll close with a list of personal convictions (some reiterated) and inspirations I gleaned from the conference:
Convictions♥ Don't neglect cultivating my relationship with Leala by sticking her in front of the T.V. too much or losing track of the time I spend on the computer.
♥ Make an effort to take Leala outside more.
♥ Encourage Leala to be a creator, not a consumer.
♥ Prioritize meeting with God in the morning so He can fill me with what I need for the day.
"You cannot pass on what you don't have yourself."
♥ Finish the books I start.
♥ Be discerning about whether a situation calls for grace or discipline. Choose to think the best about Leala.
♥ Be more disciplined and purposeful about how each day is spent. Be intentional and have a plan.
♥ Show my husband that he has value by having the house picked up and dinner ready by the time he gets home.
Inspiration
♥ Visit the library more.
"Children who learn to be readers learn how to think."
♥ Create a life for my family that is beautiful and memorable.
♥ Have bed time rituals with Leala.
♥ Write my own books for Leala.
♥ Be thoughtful about how I decorate and arrange our next home (planning to move across town at the end of April).
♥ Utilize local thrift stores for deals on things like children's books.
Comments (2)
Yolanda, I wish I could have been there. It sounds wonderful! Looks like you gained alot of good insight. I think it is awesome how her family is so close. Her fruit really shows :) So glad you got to go and be a part of the conference :)
Many blessings to you and your family, Chanin
what an amazing article! I will connect this tomorrow. I really appreciate you and your excellent way with words. No one from California told me they wrote about it, so I didn't know! Maybe more did--we will see tomorrow! Blessings to you, sweet one.