Final thoughts on the Sabbath…as I've finished up the book Sabbath Keeping by Lynne Baab. I respond partially to questions she asks at the end of each chapter, to encourage reflection throughout her book.
Some activities which would keep my Sabbath restful could include reading to my kids, reading alone, watching NASCAR with my son/kids, playing outdoors, going to the park with kids…journaling, drawing, sewing, baking…these are all relaxing for me and they encourage gratitude in my heart when I have time to indulge in them. Or in this case, when I make time! These activities often allow my thoughts time to rest on God and His greatness, His mercy, His grace in my life...even as I watch my children laugh and play, I am blessed by their health, by their joy, by my love for them.
In order to prepare for our Sabbath, and to keep it restful for me, I need to have laundry caught up (mostly, at least)…I need to have meal prep started for the Sabbath Day so that there’s minimal kitchen work…and I need to mentally prepare for it by silencing those “to-do” lists that run nonstop inside my head. By starting at sundown, my mind has time to "shift" from the busyness of daily life, to a day of rest. Then, when our Sabbath ends, at sundown the next day, I can have an hour or so that evening to begin preparing for our usual routines to begin again; look over school plans, start a load of laundry...and so on.
I am mulling over possibilities for easy menus; that is, meals I can make on the Sabbath, and also meals that essentially “make themselves” (crockpot and so on)…or, plan out leftovers to have, freezer meals on hand, whatever will work for my family. I enjoy kitchen time, but at a leisurely pace--not--the “everyone-is-home-from-church-and-starving pace. J I need to write and print a list for Sabbath meals, so that I can more easily plan ahead and shop ahead when possible.
I also appreciate the suggestion of lighting a Sabbath candle; will have to think over this. I keep a candle on the table, and we light it for dinner, so I’m not sure how effective it would be for a “separate” candle to be lit on Sabbath--but, perhaps simply leaving a candle lit all afternoon? I love having a tablecloth on our table, too, but we use the table for school daily, so the cloth is inconvenient. Today, I put the cloth on after school (this is Friday) and I plan to keep it on through our weekend, removing it for Monday morning. This signifies a break from school for the weekend, and gives our table a more distinctive appearance for Sabbath.
Lynne Baab asks the question, in her book “Have you ever looked for animal footprints in the woods and tried to follow them?” She goes on to explain that it takes concentration to do it, and uses this illustration to further explain our need for Sabbath. She says “Our lives will be immeasurably richer if we notice God’s footprints in our lives, his fingerprints all over the events of our days. All this noticing takes time.”
I loved that illustration! I used to blog a “thankful Thursday” every week. It became ingrained in me to be looking for things big and small to be grateful for; to find graces in my every day and in special times; to watch for God’s mercy every Thursday. I miss the discipline of my thankful posts and perhaps will return to that at some point. But the habit of gratitude, hasn’t left me; it is weaker sometimes, yet still there. I believe an attitude of thankfulness is important as we go about our daily lives; remembering *not* to take for granted all that we’ve been given, our way of life, our families, and of course, God’s provision in our lives. Sabbath offers a day to reflect on these very things, if we choose to keep the day holy and set apart.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Friday, March 6, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Sabbath, part 2
In considering the Sabbath, and ways for our family to observe it, I have to think over our daily activities. I spend many “moments” checking email, or looking something up online (often school-related)…connecting with the outside world on Facebook. :) I spend other moments doing laundry, which of course, never ends. Picking up toys, de-cluttering tabletops, preparing food. There are bits of reading time tucked here and there throughout the day, both to myself, and, to my youngest girls. Supervising schoolwork throughout our days, as necessary.
Obviously, my Sabbath would include a break from laundry and school! Realistically, I could not entirely break from meal preparations. And that is OK with me; I actually do enjoy cooking. If I plan properly, we can eat simple meals (even sandwiches), or I can use the crockpot and so on.
Reading is a healthy activity for all of us. Often, during the week, pressure to “do” overcomes my ability to “be”. I would like to spend more time reading with my children; especially my son, who doesn’t read well yet on his own, and my little girls. (My oldest is a bookworm!). Perhaps, a Sabbath rest from the “to-do” list would offer time to relax and read or play with my kids. Without the distraction of “all that I should be doing” on my mind.
I must look seriously at computer time. It, too, is a relaxing activity for me. I particularly enjoy blogging when time permits. Yet, some days, I fear my children see my laptop open too often. True, it is often legitimate “work” I’m doing; not just idle net-surfing…but I think it would be good for me (and for them) to have a day in which I do not use my laptop. A day in which my children see me give up something, in order to benefit from the sacrifice. And not only for personal benefit, but to rest my mind from “checking” email, or “checking” an amazon order, or “researching” next week’s lessons…or reserving library books online…or updating a FB status…just rest.
Here’s honesty: my children see my laptop open more than they see my Bible open. In addition to fasting from the computer on the Sabbath, I’d like my mornings to begin with reading God’s word. I often start my day with a cup of tea, and my laptop…I may be nursing or feeding my youngest, or I may be directing some schoolwork. I think it would be better for me AND my kids, if I focus on opening the Bible with my cup of tea. Even if I squeeze in only a few verses, before the inevitable interruptions. My actions are not consistent with my words, when I tell my children that God matters most. I have thought about asking the children what they believe matters most to Mom. But I cringe at the possible answers. And I know it may be difficult to make these changes…but we live only once. I have one chance to train my precious children, to set an example for them. Just ONE. It needs to count.
The season of Lent may be a perfect time to restore a sense of discipline to my heart, my life, my mornings. It is also the perfect time to restore consistency of our evening Family Worship Time. It is tough to have a productive Scripture reading with a 1-yr-old and a 3-yr-old; both are wearing down, are cranky, etc. How do we keep them quiet so we can have meaningful discussion with our older two? This, sadly, has kept us from consistency. Yet what matters is not always content, but that we *do have* family worship time. The children love to sing songs, to hear short Bible readings, to talk and pray together. It’s OK if there’s noise or distraction…if it doesn’t always go as planned…if the discussion is short. Our children need to *see* what matters most, as much as they *hear* what matters most.
Obviously, my Sabbath would include a break from laundry and school! Realistically, I could not entirely break from meal preparations. And that is OK with me; I actually do enjoy cooking. If I plan properly, we can eat simple meals (even sandwiches), or I can use the crockpot and so on.
Reading is a healthy activity for all of us. Often, during the week, pressure to “do” overcomes my ability to “be”. I would like to spend more time reading with my children; especially my son, who doesn’t read well yet on his own, and my little girls. (My oldest is a bookworm!). Perhaps, a Sabbath rest from the “to-do” list would offer time to relax and read or play with my kids. Without the distraction of “all that I should be doing” on my mind.
I must look seriously at computer time. It, too, is a relaxing activity for me. I particularly enjoy blogging when time permits. Yet, some days, I fear my children see my laptop open too often. True, it is often legitimate “work” I’m doing; not just idle net-surfing…but I think it would be good for me (and for them) to have a day in which I do not use my laptop. A day in which my children see me give up something, in order to benefit from the sacrifice. And not only for personal benefit, but to rest my mind from “checking” email, or “checking” an amazon order, or “researching” next week’s lessons…or reserving library books online…or updating a FB status…just rest.
Here’s honesty: my children see my laptop open more than they see my Bible open. In addition to fasting from the computer on the Sabbath, I’d like my mornings to begin with reading God’s word. I often start my day with a cup of tea, and my laptop…I may be nursing or feeding my youngest, or I may be directing some schoolwork. I think it would be better for me AND my kids, if I focus on opening the Bible with my cup of tea. Even if I squeeze in only a few verses, before the inevitable interruptions. My actions are not consistent with my words, when I tell my children that God matters most. I have thought about asking the children what they believe matters most to Mom. But I cringe at the possible answers. And I know it may be difficult to make these changes…but we live only once. I have one chance to train my precious children, to set an example for them. Just ONE. It needs to count.
The season of Lent may be a perfect time to restore a sense of discipline to my heart, my life, my mornings. It is also the perfect time to restore consistency of our evening Family Worship Time. It is tough to have a productive Scripture reading with a 1-yr-old and a 3-yr-old; both are wearing down, are cranky, etc. How do we keep them quiet so we can have meaningful discussion with our older two? This, sadly, has kept us from consistency. Yet what matters is not always content, but that we *do have* family worship time. The children love to sing songs, to hear short Bible readings, to talk and pray together. It’s OK if there’s noise or distraction…if it doesn’t always go as planned…if the discussion is short. Our children need to *see* what matters most, as much as they *hear* what matters most.
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Sabbath
I am reading a book entitled Sabbath Keeping; Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest by Lynne Baab. It is a relatively short book, but interestingly written. I hope to find inspiration for observing Sabbath in our lives and home. Sure, we already have “Sundays”…but sometimes, Sundays offer harried mornings as we get ourselves and 4 kids ready for church. We have responsibilities to do at church, and then we rush home with hungry children. I’ve made some strides towards observance, in that, we are generally eating at home now, around our own table. We try to keep the day restful and free of errand-running. Sunday evenings have become a sort of “date night” for my husband and I, as we put children to bed and relax with a favorite hour-long crime drama on TV. Sometimes, we order take-out, just for us. Other times, we pop popcorn to munch on. Yet, we do not enter the week as recharged as I wish…I often find myself doing laundry Sunday afternoons, for instance. My husband’s work schedule requires that he work one Sunday a month as well, and his weekly schedule varies every week. So we must be creative when finding a Sabbath Day (and by that, I mean, a day or rest) whenever it may be.
As a child, I looked forward to church every week, but did not enjoy Sunday afternoon naps. The house was “too” quiet. Sunday night church did not generally include children’s classes, and so I often wished I could simply stay home. Simply put, I never cared much for Sundays. Sometimes, my Dad went into work…it seemed he worked 7 days a week, and so I wondered what the point of observing the Ten Commandments was, when we could pick and choose which ones to keep! As a young wife, I hated Sundays because I quickly grew tired of the routine we feel into; we did not choose a church together, initially, but rather attended the church my husband grew up in. This caused great strain over time, because we needed to break free and cut apron strings, so to speak. Eventually we did, and Sundays became a day I looked forward to! Sometimes, the day was dull, but it was generally restful, at least. I wish that I had worked more fervently at creating a Sabbath in our home BEFORE we added 4 children to the mix!
When visiting the rural community my Grandma lived in, I always loved attending her small, country church. Many of its members were family, which was fun…and we were given fruity cereal in Dixie cups, for snack time in Sunday School. I didn’t enjoy listening to the sermon, but Grandma often had gum in her purse and that helped for awhile. After church, we would run and play in the church yard, and many times, there would be a covered dish lunch to enjoy. Those farm ladies sure knew how to cook! Those lunches carried special memories over the years, affecting my senses, as I grew. The many wonderful tastes, the smells of food in that multi-purpose room, the sounds of ladies working together in the kitchen, of laughing, the murmur of voices mingled together in various conversations. The sight of long tables set side by side, and filled with church members and family members, all gathering to share a meal. Even today, I appreciate the tiny congregation we worship with, partly because, we have a monthly meal together. An old-fashioned covered-dish lunch! It is that nostalgic feeling I wish to preserve, not only on that 3rd Sunday for the shared meal, but also for each Sunday, when our family gathers around our own table in our home.
The obstacles to creating a Sabbath will be simply “choosing” a time for our family, and deciding “what” Sabbath means to us. What will we do--or not do? How will I prepare for a day of rest, while managing all my other responsibilities in the home? How will I rest when those responsibilities continue, even on our Sabbath? Yet, even as I mull these questions, I recognize the need for rest in the rhythm of our life. We do not live a harried life, rushing here and there, to and from activities. We eat as a family regularly, although there are hectic periods at my husband’s employment, which do not allow the relaxed evenings we both prefer. Still, we need (I need) a day of rest. I need a day not to do laundry, and to do minimal kitchen work. We need a day to recharge, a day to set aside for our family, our children. Time to read or play, that we, as parents, are not pulled elsewhere. Difficult though, because in one sense, it is those very things that we may need a rest from! As a home schooling Mom, I am with my children all day every day. But, on the Sabbath, I’d like that presence to be different. To be lighter, to enjoy my kids rather than barking orders, or managing time, overseeing studies, etc. I read this book to develop my own ideas, but also to draw inspiration from the author’s ideas and experiences, as we work to create a Sabbath Day to keep in our home.
I hope to create stronger family bonds through observing a Sabbath, and I hope to teach my children this concept of weekly rest, as they grow. I hope to build in a weekly time of simply enjoying one another, free from the constraints of time, deadlines, work, and so on, that the weekly routine holds.
As a child, I looked forward to church every week, but did not enjoy Sunday afternoon naps. The house was “too” quiet. Sunday night church did not generally include children’s classes, and so I often wished I could simply stay home. Simply put, I never cared much for Sundays. Sometimes, my Dad went into work…it seemed he worked 7 days a week, and so I wondered what the point of observing the Ten Commandments was, when we could pick and choose which ones to keep! As a young wife, I hated Sundays because I quickly grew tired of the routine we feel into; we did not choose a church together, initially, but rather attended the church my husband grew up in. This caused great strain over time, because we needed to break free and cut apron strings, so to speak. Eventually we did, and Sundays became a day I looked forward to! Sometimes, the day was dull, but it was generally restful, at least. I wish that I had worked more fervently at creating a Sabbath in our home BEFORE we added 4 children to the mix!
When visiting the rural community my Grandma lived in, I always loved attending her small, country church. Many of its members were family, which was fun…and we were given fruity cereal in Dixie cups, for snack time in Sunday School. I didn’t enjoy listening to the sermon, but Grandma often had gum in her purse and that helped for awhile. After church, we would run and play in the church yard, and many times, there would be a covered dish lunch to enjoy. Those farm ladies sure knew how to cook! Those lunches carried special memories over the years, affecting my senses, as I grew. The many wonderful tastes, the smells of food in that multi-purpose room, the sounds of ladies working together in the kitchen, of laughing, the murmur of voices mingled together in various conversations. The sight of long tables set side by side, and filled with church members and family members, all gathering to share a meal. Even today, I appreciate the tiny congregation we worship with, partly because, we have a monthly meal together. An old-fashioned covered-dish lunch! It is that nostalgic feeling I wish to preserve, not only on that 3rd Sunday for the shared meal, but also for each Sunday, when our family gathers around our own table in our home.
The obstacles to creating a Sabbath will be simply “choosing” a time for our family, and deciding “what” Sabbath means to us. What will we do--or not do? How will I prepare for a day of rest, while managing all my other responsibilities in the home? How will I rest when those responsibilities continue, even on our Sabbath? Yet, even as I mull these questions, I recognize the need for rest in the rhythm of our life. We do not live a harried life, rushing here and there, to and from activities. We eat as a family regularly, although there are hectic periods at my husband’s employment, which do not allow the relaxed evenings we both prefer. Still, we need (I need) a day of rest. I need a day not to do laundry, and to do minimal kitchen work. We need a day to recharge, a day to set aside for our family, our children. Time to read or play, that we, as parents, are not pulled elsewhere. Difficult though, because in one sense, it is those very things that we may need a rest from! As a home schooling Mom, I am with my children all day every day. But, on the Sabbath, I’d like that presence to be different. To be lighter, to enjoy my kids rather than barking orders, or managing time, overseeing studies, etc. I read this book to develop my own ideas, but also to draw inspiration from the author’s ideas and experiences, as we work to create a Sabbath Day to keep in our home.
I hope to create stronger family bonds through observing a Sabbath, and I hope to teach my children this concept of weekly rest, as they grow. I hope to build in a weekly time of simply enjoying one another, free from the constraints of time, deadlines, work, and so on, that the weekly routine holds.
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