9 Comments

  1. i try not to do "work" on Sunday – by that I mean housework. but its still a busy day full of church and family obligations. i like your "rules" but i'm not sure i could adopt them. hmmm…

  2. I am intentional about not planning any activities other than church on Sundays. I don't have children to get ready for church though. I work full time Monday through Friday so my only real choices are Saturday or Sunday. Saturdays are the days I do laundry, grocery shop, etc.

    After reading your post, I think I need to be a little more intentional about my rest.

    Lori

  3. I remember reading, ages ago, something that Elizabeth Elliot wrote. She grew up in the era where Sabbath was no fun for kids. Her parents made Sabbath special. This stuck out to me that they had iced tea only on the Sabbath and it was something the whole family looked forward too.

    I also loved the ideas on Sabbath from the book "No Ordinary Home." (sorry I can't remember the author.)

    Happy Sabbath.

    Fondly,
    Glenda

  4. Sandy,

    As a single gal (not by choice, may I add!), it's easy for me to do Sabbath on Sundays. On the Sabbath, I do go to church and plan an afternoon nap and ensure no shopping on that day as well. That's how I distinguish Sabbath from any other day of the week.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts… insightful as usual!

    -donna

  5. I've tried to have a day of rest but it doesn't seem to ever pan out for the WHOLE day. It's mostly me…I have a hard time letting go what I see that needs to be done. I have been able to take a few hours here and there and that really seems to help. What do you do if the rest of the family has obligations? (driving kids, bday parties, etc?)

    I think you have a great idea going – would love to hear more!

  6. Mindy: I try hard to protect Saturdays. I say "no" a lot. But if we do have Saturday obligations, my husband doesn't mind driving kids (because he doesn't get to see them as much as I do and knows I do 90% of the driving during the week).

    We also will take the opportunity to go do something recreational with the remaining kids while one kid is at a party–go out to eat, or go to a park or something.

    A lot of times my husband will take all 3 kids and let me stay home alone. Which is such a luxury to me. He likes to work out at the Y, so he will often take them to do that…they can play, he works out and I stay home and chill…or go out alone and shop or browse a book store or something.

    Some Saturdays just don't work. This coming Saturday is a great example. We have a mother/daughter Christmas cookie exchange in the morning, a basketball game for my son (husband is coach) and then a Christmas party at night. I will most likely try to block out Sunday for "nothing-ness." While all those things are "fun" I get totally worn out running around, socializing all day.

    You may try to just implement a few "rules" that say "relax" or "sabbath" to you. Ease into it. Communicate it to your husband and kids. It may take some time. But eventually, I think you will be able to pull it off most weeks.

    🙂

    Good luck!!

    (boy, I used a lot of "")

  7. We do Sunday's. Part of the point of Sabbath is if you read the entire verse is you are supposed to do two things. You are supposed to Worship: Aka go to church, and you are supposed to rest. That is why we do it on Sunday. You also have to sacrifice those things that you would normally be doing on Sunday and find ways to do them at another time or day.

    I think it is less important what day you do them, but you need to be worshiping and resting on the same day, thus what the commandment and verse says.

    BTW that means we say no to birthday parties, no to shopping, we plan things on Saturday's before hand, we use the crock pot a lot so that we don't have to do huge dinners. However if you go Luke 14:5 you do realize that somethings do have to be done. If my kid starts barfing, I start laundry. I sometimes still have to water the garden, because it's an ongoing process if it doesn't rain. But we stick to family things and focus on just us. My parents did the same as did my Aunts and Uncles and we are so close now as grandchildren and it is wonderful!

  8. My husband is forcing me and our children.
    It’s an awful feeling for us. We get sick to our stomachs every Friday night anticipating for the next day.
    My husband reads at the kitchen table all day ignoring us. If anything is said it’s judgment and comments being made.
    I feel like he is beating the Sunday “church going” out of us. We are suppose to be one but now we are torn into two. No more family days or date nights.
    Any advice for my girls and I?
    They miss their dad and I miss my husband

    1. Hi Sasha,

      I’m sorry that your husband’s attempts at taking a Sabbath are causing you and your daughters to feel isolated and alone. I’m not sure I completely understand the situation and what your husband is forcing you to do. Is he forcing you to allow him to have a day of rest each week where he can be left alone to read? Is he also forcing you and the girls to rest one day a week?

      My advice would be to talk to your husband about your feelings and see if you can reach some sort of understanding about his expectations vs. your expectations. Obviously, Sabbath is a gift to us and shouldn’t be regulated by “forcing” anyone to do anything. If he’s not receptive to having a discussion about it, then perhaps you can your girls can find a way to make Sabbath what YOU need it to be. Maybe make every Saturday “Girl Day” and plan something that is fun for you and your daughters. You can have a “date night” with your girls and plan fun family outings that will give your husband the rest he craves while also giving you and your girls the fun family time you need.

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