This Sabbath revolved a bit around my daughter's 3rd birthday party.
We spent a good part of Friday getting the birthday preparations done
and then the party started just after sundown on Saturday. Because
most things were ready beforehand, it didn't take long to finish the
decorating before family started arriving. But I do admit that I
started before sundown. It was very hard for me to be patient. I was
in party mode! It turned out great and my daughter had a wonderful
time! My family got some rest and did some Bible study Friday night and
Saturday morning. Then my parents drove in Saturday afternoon. It
was our first time to have family in during Sabbath. I appreciate the
advice many of you have given me about how to handle Sabbath when it
involves family and friends. We found that they are respectful of our
decision to observe Sabbath when we don't try to force them to talk
about it or participate in it. My husband and I felt good about this
experience. My girls really enjoyed spending the weekend with grandma and grandpa!
We were flexible with our usual Sabbath routine and just enjoyed
visiting with them before the party. I liked not being in the kitchen
cooking Saturday night. We had more time to be together because I had
prepared the dinner for that night the day before. I'm finding that
it is not always easy to fit preparations into a regular daily
routine, but it is always worth it later! Thank you for your comments this past week about your church
experience on Sabbath. It sounds like preparation is the true key to
keeping it restful (and also keeping activities simple and to a
minimum). My husband and I still have such a long way to go to master
the art of preparation! Any and all suggestions or stories about how
you prepare beforehand for Sabbath (for regular Sabbath, special
occasions, church service, etc.) would be wonderful! My parents just left this morning, so I'm short on time to write. I
hope this coming week brings many blessings to you and your families! Until next week,
Lisa G.
We spent a good part of Friday getting the birthday preparations done
and then the party started just after sundown on Saturday. Because
most things were ready beforehand, it didn't take long to finish the
decorating before family started arriving. But I do admit that I
started before sundown. It was very hard for me to be patient. I was
in party mode! It turned out great and my daughter had a wonderful
time! My family got some rest and did some Bible study Friday night and
Saturday morning. Then my parents drove in Saturday afternoon. It
was our first time to have family in during Sabbath. I appreciate the
advice many of you have given me about how to handle Sabbath when it
involves family and friends. We found that they are respectful of our
decision to observe Sabbath when we don't try to force them to talk
about it or participate in it. My husband and I felt good about this
experience. My girls really enjoyed spending the weekend with grandma and grandpa!
We were flexible with our usual Sabbath routine and just enjoyed
visiting with them before the party. I liked not being in the kitchen
cooking Saturday night. We had more time to be together because I had
prepared the dinner for that night the day before. I'm finding that
it is not always easy to fit preparations into a regular daily
routine, but it is always worth it later! Thank you for your comments this past week about your church
experience on Sabbath. It sounds like preparation is the true key to
keeping it restful (and also keeping activities simple and to a
minimum). My husband and I still have such a long way to go to master
the art of preparation! Any and all suggestions or stories about how
you prepare beforehand for Sabbath (for regular Sabbath, special
occasions, church service, etc.) would be wonderful! My parents just left this morning, so I'm short on time to write. I
hope this coming week brings many blessings to you and your families! Until next week,
Lisa G.
