How Sabbath Has LookedI've been ruminating on this post for a while, and after a fairly wonderful sabbath, I feel it's the time to write. Last semester, Sam and I were up to our eyeballs in events, obligations, weddings, parties, you name it. We both breathed a huge sigh of relief when winter break rolled around and we had nothing on the calendar for months. I have absolutely loved the time at home - especially Saturdays, when I am productive. I make a solid breakfast, clean the house, do some meal prep, work out, and oftentimes see a friend. Saturday night is when our Sabbath begins, and although there is nothing more satisfying than a good meal and a movie to end a day of work, Saturday night has been just about the only part of my Sabbath that I enjoy. Sunday looms. I dread my day of rest. It's a combination of "I have the WHOLE day with NOTHING planned" and "Tomorrow I have to go back to work... for five whole days." (Don't get me wrong, I love my job, I just get more anxious about it when I'm not there doing it.) I've been wanting to, honestly, hate my Sabbaths less. I guess I've never thought twice about having a Sabbath. I think I began doing it sophmore year of college because the Bible said I should and I've never really skipped it, save a week here or there. It has gained meaning over the years, especially from a sermon I heard when we were visiting Boston. The Pastor preached that the Sabbath was for us to rest, recreate, and reflect. Those three words gave me the structure I longed for and helped me to realize what I was missing - reflection. Last Sunday was a Sabbath low for me. Sure enough, 2:00 rolled around like clockwork and I was bored, antsy, and beginning to have full-on Sunday evening blues. I completely impulsively threw on some hiking clothes and dragged Sam to a (sort of) nearby state park to go on a winter hike. I managed to salvage that Sunday, but as we were driving, my dear husband (after I pleaded with him to fix my problem) suggested that I come up with a plan for my Sabbaths, since planning is basically 100% of how I function. I had been thinking the same thing and was glad that planning Sabbaths ahead of time seemed to be allowed. I decided to plan my Sabbaths in two ways: first, a general manifesto of what I would like my Sabbath days to generally look like, and second, a concrete plan of a few things I would do, decided upon before Sunday. Sabbath Refocus - A Quote From Margaret FeinbergSabbath isn't about what is done or left undone, as much as breathing in the goodness of God. The more I inhaled, the more I desired another long breath. Sabbath ManifestoI find that Sabbath days can be best spent when I... ...begin & end with prayer ...spend time outside (preferrably in nature) ...do some yoga ...journal & reflect ...eat a few treats (but not foods that I am intolerant too, I've done it and regretted it) ...eat fruit and drink plenty of water ...create calm spaces with candles, incense, coffee, and music ...avoid "consumerism" - mindless purchasing & mindless online scrolling ...create something ...spend a bit of time with good people ...end my Sabbath with an hour or two left to prepare for the week ...in everything, create a space to hear and a space to breathe A Sabbath Well SpentI don't expect that every Sunday I will feel like I kicked-butt at having a Sabbath. Just like not every quiet time feels like I'm moving Spiritual mountains. The point is in the discipline more so than the outcome. God has given us the Sabbath and asked us to honor the Sabbath, so I desire to follow that regardless of my own comfort/success/happiness/perfection. That being said, here's how my Sabbath was well-spent today. Putting on some soft music and doing yoga & journaling with some incense burning. Baking a process-type bread (cinnamon raisin, gluten-free) that I had to wait to rise, bake & cool. Eating homemade leftover curry with Sam - in front of the window instead of in front of the TV. Enjoying the aforementioned cinnamon raisin bread with a collagen vanilla latte and a good book. Sam and I also played a few rounds of Catan, did some dishes, and will be heading to spend a few hours at a Superbowl party tonight. I planned a little outdoor hike in Eau Claire, but unfortunately it is too cold for that business. Tonight when we get home, I will make some meals/snacks for the week, journal to reflect on my weekend/week ahead, pack my lunch & work bag, and call my sister, my favorite Sunday night routine.
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So a lot of people asked me about my new years resolution or have been encouraging me in it, so I wanted to post a one-month update. If you missed the new years resolution post, you can read about it here.
Honestly, the first thing I tell people when they ask about it, is how much of a relief it is to not spend money. I know that probably sounds really backwards, but it takes a lot of the decision making out of life. I now drive past a Target or a coffee shop and instead of the inner-battle of "Do I stop?" I just never do. It's kind of easy, actually, to not shop. The hardest part is probably social activities. A friend invited me to go out for lunch, I invited her over to my house instead. No big deal. But when a friend invited Sam and I to an event that we had to buy tickets for, I didn't really know how to say no. We had talked in the past about going to this event and Sam and I haven't gotten to spend much time with her, so it felt like an okay place to spend. (She ended up getting sick, so none of us went.) I really am not sure what to do about this. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open! What I missed spending money on the most was coffee. I get really stir crazy in the winter and I wanted to go to a coffee shop about 42 times. Sam and I sometimes rearrange our furniture and make coffee to pretend we are going out to a coffee shop - he's the best sport. It was also tough when we had something MAJOR to celebrate, but we couldn't go out and get a drink or anything. Sam snagged some french fries from work and I make little cocktails at home and we made a picnic on our living room floor, so it turned out alright. So did I spend money? We spent money this month on fish liver oil (yum.), flowers for a birthday gift, toothpaste, dish soap, shampoo, and a gift card for a coworker who was leaving the school. All less than $80. Normally in a month, we spend about $200 on non-food/gas/bills related expenses. It was so liberating to have money left over at the end of the month! The one "cheat" was actually just today. I got craaaazy antsy and we decided to drive over to Willow River State Park and buy an annual state park pass (we can use that baby for 12 months since we got it so early this year!) which we would have bought sometime this year anyway. $28 - literally such a good deal, go get one! Tuesday mornings are my favorite because I love the beauty of a routine. Of everything being right and regular, I just find such joy in the simplicity of a morning routine.
On Tuesdays, I wake up at 7am and I get out of bed at 7:09. I put on my suit and the same grey hoodie and walk to the pool. I always get locker 508. The same lifeguard greets me every morning and usually 2 other swimmers are there with me. I always grab the shower on the end and hang my towel on the left. Every step of getting ready is predictable, like clockwork. In the caf, I get hard boiled eggs with hot sauce, oatmeal with yogurt and banana, and half of a grapefruit. I grab a bran muffin to go if they have them. I spend a bit of time in my room with Jesus, before saying goodbye to my roommate and walking to the bus, which takes me downtown for coffee at acoustic and time spent talking with God and Carey. My Tuesday routines are precious to me, I value the normalcy of these mornings, to me the word "normal" almost doesn't even apply to the rare beauty I find in such a routine. Sometimes I wonder if I would be willing to interrupt my routine if God had something better in store for me. |
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December 2022
I'm guessing I'll have it all figured out by the time I turn 30.
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