Here's a Challenge for you!

Just coming off the Memorial Day holiday may be a good time to bring up this challenge! Hopefully, you are feeling renewed and refreshed after spending a day or two doing something different, enjoying your family and being away from the normal demands of the work-week. The Jewish rabbis' used to called this a time to be 're-souled'...but they were specifically referring to the Sabbath. I would like to challenge you to ponder the impact of 'remembering the Sabbath...to keep it holy' over the summer. Think of it as a time for you and your family to be 'resouled' every week! Not in a legalistic or 'holier-than-thou' frame of mind, but rather with the intent that you, as the woman of the house, would to healing and a time of rest to your family in a very intentional way. Announce to your family that one day a week (it doesn't have to be a Sunday), you are going to pull away from the demands and constant busyness to renew and refresh yourself and each other. It doesn't even have to last the whole day, but it does have to have some thought put into it. Here are a few things to consider:

Mark 2:27 says that “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath….” It is a day to be set aside to vacation with God!

Preparation is the key…

Plan ahead what you will eat ALL day on the Sabbath. Prepare what is needed ahead of time... you can have the food ready and handy when mealtime comes. Perhaps plan a picnic, a pizza night, cold cereal, or a roast in the oven. Plan to feed your family without last minute stress on your part.

Pick a ‘theme’ for the month that you will talk about on the Sabbath. Use this theme (friendships, faith, celebrations, trust, etc) as a topic around the dinner table, as a craft with your kids, or as a mission to take on (sponsor a child through World Vision)

Accessorize with Details. Plan ahead to have the house picked up enough so you can sit around and play games, talk, read, crochet or do crafts. Vacuum, it will make the whole place feel like company is coming and then realize that God will be present at your table!!

Use candles through out the day...or fresh flowers in the summer.

Sing with your family! Listen to tunes that unite you together

Tell each other how they have been a blessing in your life.

Ask how God was present in your week

Have a special treat or dessert to enjoy while you interact with one another.

Mainly, make the Sabbath a time to reflect, to relax, smile, revitalize your soul.

***Anticipating the Sabbath will also mean you will have to clear out grudges,
miscommunication, unsettled disagreements, etc. before you can celebrate a day of rest. That means every week, your relationships are aired out and restored***.

A wise woman ’designs’ the Sabbath; shapes the atmosphere; orders the environment; nourishes the souls and the bodies of her family; accessorizes appropriately and provides a peaceful home each week by Remembering the Sabbath...and keeping one day to renew. In doing so, you weekly are using the tools you need to build your home on a long term basis. Life is lived one day at a time...one week at a time. A wise woman recognizes that and lives each day to the fullest.

A wise woman builds her home, but with her own hands, the foolish woman tears hers down.”
Proverbs 14:1

My Sabbath is complete for this week...now I am off to work with renewed energy and focus. I am counting my blessings instead of my worries. Let me know if you will join me in this challenge and how it looks in your home!