As written in a recent post (which is an introduction to this post, so if you haven’t read it yet, please click here and read it first) our bodies need a weekly day of rest.  There is no way that we who love and respect God, who seek to do His will on earth, can do so with the strength, vigor, and blessings we need without observing a righteous weekly Sabbath.

        There are many things to be done before Sabbath.  The day before has traditionally been known as “the day of preparation”.  Below are several tips for getting things done on this day of preparation.  

Food Preparation

        Make all food and drinks for Sabbath the day before.  Some great examples of Sabbath foods are:

Tuna Salad – Made, covered, and refrigerated.

Peanut Butter and 100% Fruit Spread

Vegetable Trays and Dip – Made, covered, and refrigerated.  If you have small children, cut some vegetables into 1/4 inch size pieces during preparation time, too.

Fruit Trays – Made, covered, and refrigerated. If you have small children, cut some vegetables into 1/4 inch size pieces during preparation time, too.Cottage Cheese

Chips and Salsa

Cheese – Cut into serving size pieces.  If you have small children, cut some vegetables into 1/4 inch size pieces during preparation time, too.

Drinks – Purchase single serving 100% juice boxes and or milk cartons and bottles of water, if you’d like.  This makes things easier!  If not, prepare your families drinks (iced tea, lemonade, etc.) during preparation time and refrigerate them.

Muffins, Matzoh, Bread, or Biscuits.  These can be made and stored well on the preparation day in proper containers for Sabbath.

Assorted Crackers

Homemade Vanilla Pudding – Make and refrigerate for Sabbath

Boiled Eggs – Made and refrigerated.

         Think about what you’d like to prepare for Sabbath earlier in the week and be sure to include the necessary items on your weekly grocery list, this will prevent any preparation day ‘what shall I prepare for Sabbath’ dilemma.

        Consider disposable paper plates, napkins, cups, and eating utensils, that way there’s no pile of dishes stacking up on Sabbath.

Clothing Preparation

        See that every member of your family has their nicest, best clothes, including all underclothes, clean, dry, and ironed before Sabbath.  Hang the entire outfit in each of their closets.

        Regardless of your family size, creating a checklist to be printed and checked-off each week, with each person’s name and each piece of clothing needed on it, is an excellent way to keep from forgetting anything.

House Cleaning Preparation

        It is much easier to enjoy a peaceful, delightful Sabbath rest when one’s entire home is very well-cleaned.  Follow the More Time in a Day time management system (click here to read this, if you’d like) and do any extra cleaning and sprucing-up that needs done and gives the home a very special Sabbath touch on the day of preparation.

On a bit of a Different Note… For Women Who are New to, Whose Husband’s do not Keep, or Whose Husbands have no Interest in, Keeping Sabbath

Speaking to Your Husband about Observing Sabbath - If keeping the weekly Sabbath is new to you and your family, ask your husband to look into keeping it.  If you have discussed it before, discuss it again if it’s comfortable for both of you to do so.  If he is happy or willing to start keeping Sabbath, let him lead the family in the details of observance and you do your part by preparing as only the woman of your home can.

        If your husband isn’t interested or doesn’t want to keep Sabbath, it is very important to remember, your husband has just as much right as any other American to freedom of religion.  Don’t deny him this in his own home and marriage.  If, after speaking about your desire to observe Sabbath, he doesn’t want to, don’t make a big deal out of it, but ask if he minds if you and the children do.  Most often, many husbands don’t mind this (if he does, drop it and pray in earnest about it, and fast about it if at all medically possible).  Then observe Sabbath with your children and don’t even mention his choice not to observe it to him or anyone else; don’t bother yourself about what he does or doesn’t do on Sabbath – keep focused on your own observance with the children.

        If you are tempted to think that because you observe and he doesn’t that you are more holy than he, or find yourself feeling self-righteous, remember humility.  Don’t let one speck of self-righteousness into your observance or you’ll surely have it become destructive and unholy.  More fully live the teachings of Fascinating Womanhood and you, like so many other women around the world, may find that your example, and that because you are the Fascinating Woman that you are, can far more easily cause your husband to want to observe Sabbath (and so many other things!), than nagging, being upset over, contentious about, or undignified about the subject.  Let your example be your best “advertisement” for observing it.

        Today’s FW~A (Near) Daily Encouragement is a success story from the 2007 edition of Fascinating Womanhood concerning freedom of religion that can be very inspiring, encouraging, and helpful in understanding the approach to this subject as written of above.  Click here, if you’d like, to read this.

In Conclusion

        It is essential to those of us who love and respect God to keep His commands, for our own good, the good of others, and to do God’s will on earth.  We need to rest after six days of diligent work, He says so.  Why not consider giving Sabbath a try this week?