The Lifegiving Home

Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming

By: Sally Clarkson, Sarah Clarkson

Narrated by: Donna Postel

Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's Summary

Does your home sometimes feel like just a place to eat, sleep, and change clothes on the way to the next activity? Do you long for "home" to mean more than a place where you stash your stuff? Wouldn't you love it to become a haven of warmth, rest, and joy...the one place where you and your family can't wait to be?

There is good news waiting for you in The Lifegiving Home. Every day of your family's life can be as special and important to you as it already is to God. In this unique book designed to help your family enjoy and celebrate every month of the year together, you'll discover the secrets of a life-giving home from a mother who created one and her daughter who was raised in it: popular authors Sally and Sarah Clarkson. Together, they offer a rich treasure of wise advice, spiritual principles, and practical suggestions.

You'll embark on a new path to creating special memories for your children; establishing home-building and God-centered traditions; and cultivating an environment in which your family will flourish.

©2016 Sally Clarkson and Sarah Clarkson (P)2016 Tantor

Not what I expected

Any additional comments?

I was looking forward to reading this book as it got so many rave reviews. 4 months later & I'm almost finished. It's been a slow process of forcing myself to get through this. The author is so dramatic & descriptive (excessively so) that you loose what point she's trying to make. The narrator of this book made it worse. These two combined just gave off an antagonizing perspective of what ideals we should live up to. I feel this book also doesn't take into consideration everyone different socioeconomic and diverse backgrounds.

More For Reference

What a great book!
Full of inspiration and encouragement for making life more meaningful. But I approached it as a book & I feel it should be used more as a reference, reading sections as they are applicable.
I am a mom of four smaller kids & realistically this is not the season for me to try implementing all the ideas in the book. But I was given ideas and visions for what I want to do with my family and there are some ideas that are feasible now.
Definitely read this with an open mind that each family & situation is different. I live in a way tinier apartment than the author so with a lot of her ideas I had to be open to what the actual end goal was and understand that personally I would have to go about it differently.
If you are in a season of life where you’re just trying to survive and feed your kids & get laundry done & even homeschool ~ you may want to shelf this book for a time where you don’t feel like you’re ‘drowning’.

Ugh... not do-able

It’s the same reason I don’t follow Chip and Joanna anymore. I have issues with feeling like a failure and jealous/envy. Longing to have these type dreams and have them BUT theres just not an option for every budget, dreamer, or family. Wish I wouldn’t even have started this book. Happy for the Clarksons experience and happy for Chip and Joanna... more blessings to them.

This book left me feeling completely inadequate

This book was fantastic until somewhere around the May chapter. Previous the May chapter, Sally’s and Sara’s word where life Giving. I felt inspired and related to their vision and heart towards God. But then, something switched in the writing. As i closed this book, it left me feeling inadequate. A failure. And completely overwhelming me with what I’m not achieving in my home. It’s left me feeling anger towards my apparently lazy non appreciative family. Sally’s words have brought to light that I have failed at creating a family culture that is beautiful and brings glory to God. I also feel like I have wasted time where I should have had laid down traditions. I also feel like she’s lying. There’s absolutely no way one can achieve all that she suggests or gives examples of what she does daily to worship God. The book began to morph in a list of bragging- like and printed Instagram profile.
It truly feels as if this book was a sledgehammer to my confidence. Where I was strong before With a foundation strong in my faith and family life, now feels like broken pieces and dust of that foundation. I know that this was not the intention of the writers , or maybe it was? A week ago I felt so convicted in my role as a wife and stay at home and homeschooling mother. Now the role feels insufficient.
I am utterly disappointed by what I had envisioned this book to be.

Pass

Love the author, can't stand the narrator. I would literally rather buy the kindle book and make the kindle read it in that robot voice.

Want to be blessed?

This book shook my soul. I don’t even know why I bought it really. I’ve never been one to invite anyone over, I like my solitude and don’t deal well with stress. My house is my protective bubble of peace.

I don’t have time to discuss how this book has me backpedaling my life as far as I can but I’ve already called my adult daughter and scheduled bi-monthly family meetings so we can reconnect and help one another with dreams, goals, and prayer support. I’m considering starting a “daily tea” just as something wonderful to look forward to in our homeschool workdays.

This book is completely full with dreamy ideas that will bring joy to your family and even if you are without family, she shows you how to draw friends in and create a family. I loved this book so much, I am making my purchase today for the printed version.

Excellent resource

This book is an excellent resource for families looking for deep inspiration and ideas in creating their family culture. Listening to this book inspired me to make homemade bread, play soft music, light a candle and hold my daughter a little closer while I whispered God’s love in her tiny ear. From blessing children, creating traditions and honoring God in every area of life, this sweet book is a comprehensive guide to creating an environment in which children can live and flourish under God’s grace and their parents’ love. It is a guide to joy, laughter and celebration in every season of life.

inspired and inspiring

I have been hesitant to get this book, or the other 2 in the series, because of some reviews that said some not flattering things. I have loved other books by Sally, and finally decided to jump into this one. I was not disappointed. Even if I never read the rest of the book, Sarah's words in chapter 2 are an epiphany of sorts, and the book as a whole has been worth every moment I spent listening to it, and then some.

Wonderful

A wonderful reminder and refocus for my own goals and desire for our family and home. Enjoyed very much!

Not What I Expected

Honestly, I have tried to force myself to finish this book, and at chapter 11, I am setting it aside. I find the suggested content to be biased to a higher socio-economic audience and more of a memoir promoting the authors. While there are small tidbits that can be taken away, most of the suggestions are kooky. The narrator is over dramatic, which doesn’t help. This is the first book I’ve read by the Clarksons, and it will be the last.

Wow! Challenging and wonderful

This book is both inspiring and daunting. It sets out a bold and far-reaching vision for what "home" and "family" can be, what God intends them to be. I am working my way through it slowly and absorbing the principles to work out how I can apply them to my particular family situation. What I have applied so far has reaped rewards in our family relationships, especially with my teenage son! Taken all at once it could be overwhelming, but chewed over in small chunks, it's incredibly life-giving.