0:07

Hi Everyone welcome to At Home

0:09

with Sally! I'm Sally Clarkson and

0:11

I have the biggest privilege in

0:13

the world to be was so

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many friends from all over the

0:17

world who join me every week

0:19

to listen to my stories, inspiration,

0:21

biblical encouragement and I just so

0:23

glad that you're here today! Thanks

0:25

so much for joining. Me: Hello!

0:37

My friends is Sally Clerks and

0:39

here happy. Memorial Day to day

0:42

is Memorial Day here in Colorado

0:44

and I am on the way

0:46

to some friends house for. Somebody

0:49

is grilling out during the grill. Salmon?

0:51

yeah I'm it'll be so much fun.

0:53

It's when he plays in my favorite

0:55

things and so I just thought I

0:58

would do a quick i hate to

1:00

ever minutes. But sometimes I feel like

1:02

maybe I shouldn't keep up with the

1:04

things that I'm doing. The The Twenty

1:06

perfume you is God's attributes. Maybe

1:08

I should go to some more interesting

1:11

things for little while. but anyway I

1:13

am here. I am excited that you're

1:15

here with me and I will just

1:17

tell you a little tiny bit about

1:20

my week. I just did the silliest

1:22

thing in the world. I think that

1:24

probably my children think I'm a little

1:26

bit crazy hit with I sometimes in

1:28

the afternoons as a kind of a

1:31

break for clay me because be worth

1:33

work a lot. We do lot we

1:35

go places and stuff but some time

1:37

around teatime. Three Thirty or for I

1:40

pop for some of my cookie dough

1:42

balls into the oven and each of

1:44

us gets an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie

1:46

because that's his favorite. And and then

1:48

we have a cup of tea together

1:50

and we just have Phone is kind

1:52

of one of our rhythms. We have

1:54

reestablished rhythms now that all of our

1:56

kids are gone. Other they

1:58

they come and go. In.sort

2:00

of the things I do So Sarah

2:02

happened. To call me because she's been on

2:05

a long trip to Ireland. Sarah is my

2:07

eldest daughter who just turned forty. And

2:09

I was so happy to talk

2:11

with her and we just chatted

2:13

and titan share secrets and in

2:15

talked about heart things and so

2:18

I put. The. First set

2:20

of cookies I just put I just to to

2:22

the time for him and for me because we

2:24

don't need a million and so I had a

2:26

pop to summon. The oven and one

2:28

sister find that I ruined off. I

2:30

went in there and they were black

2:33

solid black because as for I had

2:35

put them in I had broiled. Something.

2:38

And. She had called. Right as

2:40

I was going to turn it off. Life without and

2:42

brill scene of the oven. says. It's so then

2:45

I took says out. I got to

2:47

morph out of the freezer. And

2:49

got a whole different pam. I saw this

2:52

panel be cold and I saw that the

2:54

oven and have a chance. To settle

2:56

down work this time. When

2:59

I went back to get amount

3:01

they because of haven't quite gotten

3:03

word korea as as they were

3:05

black on the bottom and regular

3:08

on the top myself oh my

3:10

gosh I cannot believe I did

3:12

as twice and so then I

3:14

put into more cities and hopefully

3:16

they are edible but I know

3:19

that I talked to Sarah for

3:21

three cookies worth of baking says

3:23

this is. It before

3:25

our said we're talking on her computer and out

3:27

of batteries and that was it. Said

3:30

anyway a d Ever have days

3:32

like that or weeks or years

3:34

later. Maybe when you just can't believe

3:36

yourself, but that's something that I just

3:38

did well I hadn't a lot of

3:40

and the past. Couple of weeks I think

3:43

I told all of these out. On

3:45

had some what the some local

3:47

women over and this pertains to

3:50

when I'm gonna talk about but

3:52

I had little women over an.

3:55

It was so much fun. There's a

3:57

lot of moms of littles, a lot

3:59

of moms of middle, a lot of

4:01

mom says as teens and then beyond.

4:03

but. A they all would they really wanted to

4:06

do was talk to me about what they think

4:08

I should podcast about or of what I should

4:10

write a new book. About or what I

4:12

says answers. And so I

4:14

thought. I wonder if my audience.

4:17

Of feels the same way. For

4:20

instance, I'm gonna talk about one thing they but they left.

4:22

Me: So many different comments and so

4:24

many different things. And they've inspired

4:26

me to think about doing.

4:30

So many. Conferences or says

4:32

may be traveling at. Some point to

4:34

so little bit and I haven't

4:36

an idea. not an issue with

4:38

you yet as it's a cute

4:40

idea that is. There are people

4:42

in churches are places across the

4:44

United States. Who

4:47

thinks they could gather several hundred people? For.

4:49

An evening. For.

4:52

Some kind of a thing or in own and

4:54

event to me to talk I could share. I

4:56

might even be able to bring somebody with me.

5:00

Like one of my kids or whatever. I

5:02

don't know. I'm not promising anything but tell

5:04

me if be seeing and when I see

5:06

tell me I need more than three people

5:09

and I will our put a place to

5:11

leave comments tomorrow. That's one thing and then

5:13

the other thing is. I

5:16

have tossed about many. Hours.

5:19

in the past week if I said is. A

5:22

Earn. Some. Kind

5:24

of a youtube channel. And I'm

5:26

were actually meeting with some people to see

5:28

if it would be feasible. But my goodness

5:30

my friends you know that I mama seventy

5:33

one and I think. I

5:35

don't know if I want to attack

5:37

such a brand new same road, have

5:39

to look nice all the time, at

5:41

least fairly nice and edit in a

5:43

whole new way and put two things

5:46

together in anyway. So I started thinking

5:48

about what would be fun. I love

5:50

my membership. I have to tell you.

5:53

Please if you aren't of hard my membership and

5:55

you think it might be of. Interest you

5:57

doing my membership differences pay.

6:00

There for projects are other things

6:02

that. This is that I

6:04

was thinking any needed. Let me know If

6:06

you think this would be fun. You

6:08

know that a curator of Museums a

6:10

cure, A tour. I'm picks

6:12

and she. That. The

6:15

different arm advance that will happen

6:17

at the museum said painting so

6:19

have the furniture or that whatever

6:21

and make sure a date they

6:23

get to plan and decide. What?

6:26

They will have in the museum

6:28

and I was thinking. What

6:31

if I had something and and the

6:33

reason why would if. My membership is

6:35

because. I would have to pay for

6:37

professional filming if I could. And.

6:40

And for some professional accounts and stuff

6:42

that would make it better. but I

6:45

thought what if I did a cure

6:47

it into life giving home. Clay.

6:49

And I have so many

6:51

different. Ways. That we've

6:54

collected saved. Put

6:56

things about we have. A

6:59

old collectible birds. We have

7:01

interesting stories about different things

7:03

and I saw it. Wouldn't

7:05

it be fun? To. Have

7:08

besides we have other awaiting Wonder

7:10

series. It has so many books

7:12

every single time and a unit

7:14

study we have at Cooking was

7:17

Your Children and Just Cooking in

7:19

general we have of artists and

7:21

musicians, the histories of them, the

7:23

the stories of them. we have.

7:27

All. The different thought that

7:29

I've done over years Edamame

7:31

Hard Conferences says we have

7:33

fifteen years of different topics

7:35

and Bible encouragement. We have

7:37

videos anyway. There's a lot

7:39

on there, but I thought,

7:41

what about something fun. And.

7:44

You need to tell me. Do you think it would be fun? For.

7:46

Me to cure Eight am some series,

7:48

some things in my kitchen, series, some

7:51

things in my living room to rates

7:53

holidays to rates By cure it I

7:55

mean I would gather stories I would

7:58

be able to. So you see, Am

8:01

I will just be able to talk

8:03

about fun things because I think that

8:05

was all the serious difficult things going

8:07

on in this chaotic world. For.

8:10

Me to be able to. Talk.

8:12

About some of the tradition, some

8:14

of the ways an answer some

8:16

of these questions. I had questions

8:18

about the teen years, about. Women

8:22

who are. Quite. Lonely after

8:24

all of their children leave? What are they

8:26

supposed to do with their lives? I have

8:28

women asking me how do you control your

8:30

you're an adult oriented. children or

8:32

whatever After interesting question. And

8:35

things about you say you're living

8:38

your children, but what is that

8:40

actually look like for someone who

8:42

didn't come from a loving family.

8:45

And. So they were multitudinous

8:47

and they were great, insightful,

8:49

Questions. And a So.

8:52

I. Thought that maybe I would

8:55

start doing some of those

8:57

subjects and questions. And

8:59

may be reading some more stories people

9:01

told me. That day and

9:03

loved it when I read similar stories

9:06

from my books and interest about them.

9:08

So anyway, I'm planning and singing and

9:10

praying about what is ahead. And

9:13

I'm excited about it. But.

9:16

Also trying to live at least

9:18

a sustainable life. Clay. I

9:21

I don't know every marriage is different,

9:23

I should like that marriage to everyone

9:25

was been to talk about marriage, oh

9:27

my, oh my. But

9:29

we're both intuitive off the chart and

9:32

our problem isn't if we get together

9:34

over our t time and Cookie will

9:36

come up with him. Were projects to

9:38

day or two more bucks to write

9:40

and ah we're trying to temper each

9:42

other. We're trying to say no, you

9:44

may not do that as dead as

9:46

against the law anymore to have a

9:48

new project we already have enough A

9:50

so we're into it is in liked

9:52

to plan and and imagine things that

9:55

we will never be able to all

9:57

get done. So I'm thinking about that

9:59

right now. But because

10:01

I one of the questions

10:03

that I had. Was

10:05

that people said oh

10:08

how. In world do you

10:10

really cultivate are my children as

10:12

many of you know them. Sarah.

10:15

Joe, Nathan enjoy are all.

10:17

Writers and communicators and they discuss

10:19

things and they all did just

10:21

fine in their academics and people

10:24

said alice you do that in

10:26

I've often talked about. The.

10:28

Table Disciple Septic A bit like

10:30

giving table really and so I

10:33

thought I. Would resist a little

10:35

portion. Of that today and give you

10:37

some ideas, because after all, I'm getting.

10:39

Ready to go eat at someone's house? And

10:41

of this is all about talking and

10:44

eating. But ah anyway

10:46

I thought I would throw out

10:48

set on. July Fourth:

10:51

On. Family Day and

10:53

on Labor Day. My.

10:55

I would make my. Mother's Baked Beans just in case

10:58

you ever want to make these. First of

11:00

all, I would city some

11:02

onions. I would stop some onions

11:04

up and saute them until they

11:06

were translucent. And

11:08

then the second thing I would

11:10

do is I would get says

11:12

the regular old baked beans. Weasley

11:15

get vegetarian. There

11:17

was a time when I would crumble up

11:19

bacon in the big things that then some

11:22

of my children got real idealistic and said

11:24

no more red meat for us. So sometimes

11:26

I will christmas turkey bacon and put it

11:28

and it's not quite as good. But anyway,

11:30

then. I. Put in a depending

11:32

on how big of a grew by making

11:35

it for. A

11:37

squirt a little bit of

11:39

liquid smoke. Liquid. Smoke

11:41

gives it a barbecue tastes. I use

11:43

liquid smoke. In my grilled. Chicken

11:45

and I'm I use it

11:47

in and a grilled. Be

11:50

of some kind often I put it my

11:53

hamburger meat. If we are have hamburgers now

11:55

we have turkey burgers I put it in

11:57

there so anyway I do as several different

11:59

and. Dances Of.

12:03

Liquid. Smoke. It's in a bottle and

12:05

it's a it's liquid that you can

12:07

get. The grocery store and

12:09

then. I

12:11

put out about a couple

12:14

of tablespoons for a small

12:16

batch. A couple of

12:18

tablespoons of brown sugar and

12:20

then I put. Probably.

12:23

Like a third to half a cup. Of

12:26

ketchup. And then I stare it all up.

12:28

put it all together. a sprinkle a little

12:30

bit of the turkey bacon bits because it's

12:32

kind of. And have that currency bacon or

12:34

just to bacon if you like bacon. And

12:37

then I just heated up and everybody always

12:39

thinks it's amazing and it's for silly. So

12:41

simple. So anyway, that's my recipe for the

12:44

day. and I just got another. Message.

12:47

Okay so this

12:49

after. In the Life Giving table

12:51

is a little bit of a story, but

12:53

it's answering actually one of the questions that

12:55

one of the women wrote to me this

12:57

week. How in the

13:00

world do you help your children

13:02

become articulate? You talk a

13:04

lot and then he has allies

13:06

doing table in. Thousands of times

13:09

we. Focused. in

13:11

our table on discussing things. And that's what

13:13

I'm gonna reach about. And then I'm going to get

13:15

ready and go have my grilled salmon. William

13:18

Temple since the most

13:21

influential of all educational

13:23

sectors. Is the conversation

13:25

in a child's home? This

13:28

by William Temple. The most influential

13:30

of all educational factors is the

13:32

conversation in a child. So it's

13:35

true. It's is how my children

13:37

were able to become riders of

13:39

books. A tell. My children were

13:42

able to go to Oxford and

13:44

Cambridge and I'm in Saint Andrews

13:46

and Nathan to the New York

13:48

Film Academy. They had great conversations.

13:51

In their home. Let

13:54

me read Jesus. They were talking with

13:56

each other about all these things that

13:58

had taken place. Well. We were

14:00

talking and discussing. Jesus himself

14:02

approached and began traveling. With.

14:05

Him. So that's. In. Link

14:07

to it is Luke Twenty Four,

14:09

Fourteen or fifteen but the disciples

14:11

talked all the time with Jesus

14:14

and they they ask questions and

14:16

they give answers in a is

14:18

a learned about theology. So.

14:20

Jesus gave it as a model

14:22

and that Table disciple subprincipal. This

14:24

is a chapter five and tabletop.

14:26

the gift of dinnertime conversation in

14:28

the book The Life Giving Table.

14:31

Table. Disciples at principal shaping

14:33

the mind and heart through repeated.

14:36

Discussions about truth, beauty, and

14:38

righteousness and engaging in these

14:40

ideas regularly seeps. Conviction.

14:43

That last a lifetime. So

14:46

my friends. Ah, I remember

14:48

the first time. I. Tried to

14:50

have a a t time with my

14:53

children. Was when they were

14:55

really little I think it they were

14:57

probably something like six, four and two

14:59

sisters and a reason to deny you

15:02

could ease into it and ie. learn

15:04

how does one the way they will

15:06

discuss things much more deeply when they're

15:09

teenagers and in don't wanna go to

15:11

bed some than they do when they're

15:13

two year olds. But I can remember

15:15

that I think that Sarah was having

15:18

such a lovely little time and drinking,

15:20

sipping her T and. Clay

15:22

was getting ready to start some

15:24

kind of a fun discuss and

15:26

he would read a wonderful bird

15:29

fight James Herriot books are to

15:31

them during our loyalty time on

15:33

Sunday afternoon for we would have.

15:35

That's when we started practicing the

15:37

talking and I think that nascent

15:39

spilled his little his t was

15:41

mace mainly milk with a little

15:43

brown dissonance. He spilled it on

15:45

Jos leg and that's all she

15:47

wrote than in a We had

15:49

two boys crying and. The

15:52

in all these different things happening and

15:54

oh so then we just kept at

15:57

it, kept at it and his little

15:59

things seen. You. Can

16:01

be a picnic on the floor. Can

16:03

be a picnic outside. That is just

16:05

that taught time. With your children.

16:09

Here's what. I think it was a

16:11

night like any other wishes to

16:13

say it was another evening. as

16:15

browsing discusses soup spoon

16:17

suspended. In midair quizzical browse the

16:20

something of a printed out article on

16:22

the table. The article in question had

16:24

been the source of that evenings discussion.

16:27

I can't recall the exact topic of

16:29

the debate about it. Likely had something

16:31

to do was a current event, a

16:34

book and important ideas or theological point,

16:36

or some aspect of music or art.

16:38

Or closer. And everybody

16:41

absolutely everyone had

16:43

opinions about it.

16:46

Once alerting exercise that clay nice

16:48

Dallas and encourage demurred dinnertime discussions

16:51

grew to be the pulsing heartbeat

16:53

of the cards and home and

16:55

table is seem Dinner had two

16:57

purposes to eat and to discuss.

17:01

In the beginning I host to these. Conversations.

17:04

When our children were very young I

17:06

would ask each of them to tell

17:08

daddy play the most interesting thing they

17:10

had learned that day share where they

17:13

gonna feel trip or talk about what

17:15

they had done with their friends. Their.

17:17

Simple but enthusiastic sentences would tumble over

17:20

each other as they shared the new

17:22

facts they had picked up. Or the

17:24

adventure say, dad or the little boy

17:26

who fell flat on his knee and

17:28

skinned it. In those days, the dinner

17:30

table was a place to practice manners

17:33

and especially the arts of listening and

17:35

acting. Asking and try not

17:37

to interrupt. The

17:39

goal was to honor the extroverts. Were.

17:41

Some listening air. And give the

17:44

introverts was. Space enough. For.

17:46

Their words to be heard. As

17:48

they grew older, sometimes Clay would bring

17:50

a book or article are summarized part

17:53

of it and then asked their opinion.

17:55

We made family policy that no idea

17:57

was considered and worthy of. Our discussions.

18:00

Emmett. No one, regardless of age

18:02

or background would be chastised or

18:04

ridicule for sharing an opinion. We

18:06

sought to validate the thinking process

18:09

in order to strengthen the mental

18:11

muscle. Of thinking and

18:13

engaging in ideas. These days

18:15

when everyone is home. We

18:18

still enjoy for the ease of conversation

18:20

and Syrian that became so precious us

18:22

along with a lively discussion that feels

18:25

so familiar I hold on my for

18:27

my horses or whatever fitness seen as

18:29

a when all my kids come home

18:31

because they're the discussions. Get loud and

18:33

their long and there. Forever and I. I

18:36

think okay list as be quiet. For

18:38

two minutes? But really? We have a

18:40

lot of fun and I guess I have to admit. I.

18:43

Love sharing my children with

18:45

their ideas and their thoughts

18:47

and their theology and in

18:49

their values and lives. The

18:51

stories they have now because

18:53

of what talking and sharing

18:55

and debating became such a

18:57

natural part of our relationship

18:59

that is really so encouraging

19:01

and it's really so entertaining

19:03

to be with one another.

19:05

I miss been in the

19:07

presence of my children talking

19:09

with him. that's why. I.

19:11

Talked with syrup three. Batches of

19:13

cookies worse today. Is

19:16

is no wonder that Joy grew up Been

19:19

a debater. Breathing and the

19:21

oxygen of our table talk each

19:23

evening prepared her brain to express

19:25

her mind and her opinions. Now

19:29

I want to tell you why

19:31

says out because Joy I'm because

19:33

we travelled some Us and we

19:35

always spoke at conferences in the

19:37

springtime. Joy was never able to

19:40

be in the speech and debate

19:42

team here in Colorado, but I

19:44

told her I said joy your

19:46

last year If you want to

19:48

be in the speech and debate

19:50

team then I will cancel any

19:52

of the speaking engagements that are

19:54

during the time. Of the

19:56

debate tournaments and let you be in

19:59

speech and debate. this year. And

20:01

so she did, she started out, you know, you start

20:04

out at the very bottom, which is that she

20:06

was about 1,200 in her rankings.

20:09

And within two and a half

20:11

months she ended up as number

20:13

three in one competition and

20:15

number eight in another one because

20:17

she'd been speaking her whole life

20:19

with her older siblings. And

20:22

she ended up getting a debate scholarship

20:25

in college. But

20:27

it all became because of our

20:29

meals. I believe that fostering

20:31

mealtime discussion has been vital to

20:33

the spiritual, social, and emotional growth

20:35

of all the individuals at our

20:37

table. I hear tales that

20:39

there are families who sit quietly at dinner not speaking

20:43

a word. And I must admit

20:45

that at moments I wish we could practice

20:47

this more often, especially when there are just

20:49

boys at home. I

20:52

am quite convinced that the glory of man,

20:54

at least the Clarkson man, is

20:56

to win a discussion. And yet

21:00

I believe that our lively dinner time

21:03

discussions are one of the things that

21:05

most positively shaped my and my children's

21:07

lives. Establishing the dinner table

21:09

as a place of discussion fosters

21:12

an environment where truth is

21:14

sought through dialogue, graciousness is

21:17

taught and upheld, and

21:19

convictions are formed. Thought

21:22

and will are two of the

21:24

greatest gifts God has given through His image

21:26

in our hearts. In

21:29

His great wisdom and love, God designed us not

21:32

to be automatons

21:35

who respond with thoughtless obedience, but

21:37

He designed us to be thinking, to worship Him

21:40

with our mind, to be thinking

21:42

willing participants in His will. Though

21:45

it is hard to fathom, God has made a

21:47

place for us at His table. He made a

21:49

place for His disciples, and

21:51

He invites us there to pray, to ask,

21:54

to wrestle, because He values our

21:56

responses to Him. He

21:58

wants us to relate to Him. Out of

22:00

lab and conviction. True disciple shit

22:02

must reflect the fact that God

22:05

values are voice or thought or

22:07

will our engagement in creativity and

22:09

thinking about how we will present

22:11

his messages to our world through

22:13

the skills that we have. Dinner

22:16

time discussions reflect in an act as value

22:18

making, a place where everyone can be heard.

22:21

Be exposed to truth. Have.

22:23

The space to develop convictions. To

22:25

the context of community In the context

22:27

of community. Through dinnertime.

22:30

Discussions convictions can be

22:32

formed. Confidence. Can. Be gained

22:34

conversation, practice, and consideration.

22:38

Can. Be taught, Okay,

22:40

so let me say I have a

22:42

little bit. A timeless God is all.

22:45

About the heart forging convictions.

22:47

This is a gift of

22:49

some fifty one six which

22:51

addresses God by saying you

22:53

desire truce. In the innermost

22:55

been. What dishonest mean

22:58

is that God desires for his love

23:00

interests to have so form does that.

23:02

They are tucked away in the deepest.

23:04

Truest parts of ourselves. Really,

23:07

following God can never just be a matter

23:09

of. Memorizing a list of rules and

23:11

doing our best of follows him. But

23:15

miss rather be a deep seated

23:17

part of our identity. Knowledge of

23:19

God is of no ultimate good

23:21

unless it sinks into our heart

23:24

and changes the way we view

23:26

and interface with the world. When

23:29

to cycling our children, we can

23:31

easily become obsessed with teaching the

23:34

right things. indoctrination, Telling them

23:36

there's only one answer. and teaching

23:38

is definitely important my friends with

23:40

a true differences made when trees

23:43

becomes a part of the disciples

23:45

lies their conviction because they have

23:47

participated in it indoctrination is from

23:49

the outside in convictions or from

23:52

the inside out from the heart

23:54

outward we were saw reach a

23:56

point where our knowledge of god

23:59

goes from into intellectual ascent to

24:01

holding a truth in our innermost being

24:03

because it's a value, it's a

24:05

treasure to us. That's

24:07

when knowledge becomes a conviction. But

24:11

what does all this have to do with

24:13

dinnertime discussions? Convictions

24:16

aren't memorized, they are digested. A

24:18

sense of an individual voice is

24:21

essential to developing conviction because it

24:23

is through articulating what we

24:25

personally believe that we are able to

24:27

own and live by

24:29

our convictions. Dinnertime

24:32

discussions were the time when

24:34

I hoped to encourage this process in

24:36

my children, to encourage them to

24:39

use their voices to develop their own

24:42

convictions. By asking their

24:44

opinions about various topics, I

24:46

sought to show them that their voices mattered,

24:48

that they had the ability to think well,

24:51

and that their convictions would shape the way

24:53

that they lived. As

24:55

a man thinks, so is he. Just

24:57

as God said to Isaiah, come now,

25:00

let us reason together. Isaiah

25:02

1, 18. And

25:04

I wanted to prepare a table

25:06

for my children to exercise their

25:08

conviction capabilities. Because

25:10

we always welcomed and encouraged their opinions,

25:13

our children thought discussing was as

25:15

natural as breathing in oxygen. We

25:18

did not seek to indoctrinate them through

25:21

force, but rather ask questions

25:23

and told them, what do you think

25:25

about this? And read them parts of scripture. And

25:28

we listened to their thoughts and opinions. As

25:30

outlandish as they sometimes were, each

25:33

one was encouraged to make his or

25:35

her observations about news, life

25:37

events, and we did our best to respond

25:39

thoughtfully to their reflections. And

25:42

we did interchange with the Bible all the

25:44

time. Studies

25:46

of discussion foster the deepening of convictions.

25:48

A perfect example of this is the

25:50

Inklings, the group of writers, artists, and

25:52

academics who met weekly in the 1930s

25:55

and 40s to discuss ideas

25:57

and projects, perhaps the best-known members of

25:59

the book. this weekly discussion group

26:01

and reading group were C.S. Lewis,

26:03

J.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams.

26:06

Each week they would bring new writing or

26:08

an idea that they had encountered and discuss

26:11

it over a plate of hot, crispy fish

26:13

and chips. The creative

26:15

output of that group is almost

26:17

mind-boggling, and many people

26:19

believe the foundation for that prolific

26:21

output was the friendships they

26:24

developed and the many years they

26:26

met as friends when they were

26:28

sharpening each other's thinking, critiqued

26:31

each other's ideas, and made

26:33

each other better. All right,

26:35

my friends, well, I'm going to stop there. There's

26:38

much more to that chapter. And

26:40

again, the book I was reading from was a life-giving table.

26:42

But I think that I might

26:44

curate, that's our word of the day, lots

26:47

of other stories if I'm talking about

26:50

some issues that answer the questions that people wanted

26:52

me to answer. So

26:54

I know that probably if you are

26:57

a normal person, you are so grateful

26:59

for the school year to come to an end and

27:03

for you to be able to relax and do some really

27:05

fun things this summer. And I just want

27:07

you to know that I have many

27:10

friends in my life who

27:12

are bearing heavy burdens, and that includes many of

27:14

you who write me. And I

27:16

just want you to know I do pray

27:18

for you, and your life does matter

27:20

so much and you aren't alone. God

27:24

wants to companion you. Reach out

27:26

to your friends. Reach across

27:28

the aisle, so to speak, and

27:30

embrace people who need a friend

27:32

to talk with and to bear

27:34

burdens with. Dear

27:37

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for these

27:39

precious, wonderful friends who are

27:41

in this arena, who care deeply about you,

27:44

about ideas, about their children,

27:47

about education, about home. Lord,

27:49

bless each precious person wherever they

27:51

are right now. If they

27:54

need to regroup their schedule, their lives

27:56

in order to have more sustainable time,

27:58

just to live. and have peace

28:00

and to walk and to

28:02

have some time for quiet times.

28:05

Give them ideas of how they

28:07

might sharpen their schedule, make it more

28:10

resilient for themselves. But

28:12

Lord, whatever my friends are going through, burdens

28:15

that they bear, mysteries that

28:17

they don't know how to solve in their lives, children

28:19

who are driving them crazy, or perhaps a

28:22

difficult marriage, Lord, we

28:24

are all in the process of growing.

28:27

Help my precious friends not to

28:30

deeply engage in guilt or

28:33

in self-condemnation. We are none of

28:35

us perfect, and yet all

28:38

of us are walking the pathway towards

28:40

you. The path of the righteous is

28:42

like the light of dawn, which shines

28:44

brighter and brighter until the full day.

28:46

It's a process of maturity. Be

28:49

with my precious friends, Lord, and help them not

28:51

to self-condemn, but

28:54

to live abundantly in your grace

28:56

and in your unconditional love. I

28:59

thank you that you reminded us in John

29:02

17 that the love

29:04

wherewith God loved you, his son,

29:07

Jesus, from the beginning of the

29:09

world is the love with where he loves us. Bless

29:12

my friends to know that. And Lord,

29:14

help me to just daily to

29:16

trust you more and to learn how to please your

29:18

heart more because you are so dear

29:21

to me and to all of us who

29:23

are here together. Thank you. In

29:25

Jesus' name, amen. All right, my friends, I

29:27

hope by the time you hear this, you will have had a

29:30

great Memorial Day weekend with

29:33

either friends or family or maybe

29:35

some time alone to read or

29:37

to inspire yourself. Have

29:40

a great week. Bye-bye. I

29:46

hope you've enjoyed our time together today and that

29:48

you'll join me next week. Be

29:50

sure to look for more inspiration

29:52

on my blog at

29:54

sallyclarkson.com. Thanks for

29:56

joining me. Bye-bye.