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One of my goals this year was to read at least one book a month and so far I’m off to a great start! I started reading three new books in January: The Zookeeper’s Wife, a fascinating read; Parenting, which I’ll review on here next month; and finally the topic of today’s review, The Lifegiving Home. I don’t usually work my way through several books at once but I found that I really enjoyed the variety.
I was really excited to read The Lifegiving Home because it’s written by Sally Clarkson, an author I’d heard great things about but never had a chance to read. It is co-authored by her daughter Sarah.
Here’s an excerpt from the back of the book:
In our deepest hearts, we want home to be a place where our spirits are filled. A lifegiving haven of warmth, rest, and joy that will encourage everyone who enters it; a welcoming respite in an isolated culture.
Join beloved authors Sally and Sarah Clarkson to discover the path to a lifegiving home – from a mother who’s known for creating one and her daughter who was raised in it. This is their story: a story about a home where a real family learned to flourish, grow, and belong. Together they offer a treasury of wise advice and spiritual principles to help you create a place for all that is beautiful, good, holy, and foundational to life.
The Lifegiving Home will lead you on a new path to creating special memories for your children; establishing God-centered traditions; and cultivating an environment your family will cherish their whole lives long.
I enjoyed the organization of The Lifegiving Home. Part one – comprised of the first four chapters – is an overview of sorts. In these chapters Sally and Sarah talk about the concept of home and why our homes are so important.
Part two is divided into twelve chapters; one chapter for each month of the year. In these chapters the authors get more specific and practical, sharing traditions and memories from their home and creative ideas for ours.
If I could sum up The Lifegiving Home in one word it would be inspiring. Sally and Sarah have a vision for making our homes places of “belonging and becoming” and their beautifully written words sparked that desire in me as I read.
Seriously, the Clarkson home sounds so welcoming and cozy – I almost want to fly off to visit their place myself!
I loved Sally and Sarah’s emphasis that it is through our acts of love and service that our children will see Jesus.
It is not the indoctrination of theology forced down daily that crafts a soul who believes; it is the serving and loving and giving that surround the messages where souls are reached.
You may also be interested in: A Life That Says Welcome
The Lifegiving Home is the kind of book you want to read as you dream and plan for how to enrich your family’s life and make your home a better place. It may not however be the best book to read if you are feeling particularly overwhelmed at the moment. In that case another of Sally Clarkson’s books, Desperate, may be a better fit. 😉
As a mom with very little kids, I felt that much of what is offered in The Lifegiving Home are things for me to aspire to and to work towards. I was inspired by the book but I realize that I cannot implement everything that it suggests in this current stage of life. But having a goal in mind to work towards – that’s important – and that’s what I feel I got from this book.
In summary, if you want a book that will give you a vision of what your home could be, with lots of practical ways to serve and love your family, The Lifegiving Home is for you.
The practice of hospitality, you see, is not just for strangers …. Service begins with serving those who are closest to us, making home the very best place to be.
