Sabbath Peace

Shabbat shalom. 

Sabbath peace.

Tonight I am going to explain one of my personal favorite gifts that God has given us. The Sabbath. So many people out there don't understand the meaning of Sabbath, the purpose of Sabbath, and the benefits of Sabbath. I remember a coworker asking me about it one time, and she was in awe to all that it means. So let's start back 30-some years ago. I've grown up in a Seventh-Day Adventist home. From birth I have been taught on the importance of observing the Sabbath.

But I'll be honest; when I was a child I did not always appreciate the Sabbath. For those of you who are unaware, Sabbath typically means from sundown Friday night until sundown Saturday night. And  in our household, it usually meant worship Friday night as a family, church on Sabbath morning, and a good home-cooked meal followed by a Sabbath afternoon hike, etc. We often had a worship Saturday evening to "close the Sabbath" and then after sundown we would resume normal weekend activities. And like most kids, weekends meant getting to stay up later, watch movies, eat pizza buns, etc. So we often were a little to eager to have Sabbath end so we could watch a certain TV show or movie. And we completely missed the point.

When I was in college, going through my "rebellious" years and searching for meaning, I spent a fair amount of time rejecting my prior upbringing. Sure, I still often went to church, but I would watch movies Friday night, hit the mall Sabbath afternoon, and other "worldly" activities. I had recently come to the realization that I was not going to hell if I didn't keep the Sabbath, so maybe it wasn't all that important. Again, I missed the point.

Once I started to become more serious in my striving to depend on God and to be more like Him, I started to see what I'm sure my parents had seen all along.

Sabbath is a gift.

From God.

To me.

It's not about what I can't do on the Sabbath, but what I can do. I can have tickle fights with my kids and play with them on the floor rather than rushing to finish the dishes or prepare for the next day. I can go to church Sabbath morning, close my eyes and sing with my whole heart to my Maker, give hugs to brothers and sisters in Christ whom I don't get to see or visit with on "normal" days. I can share a special meal with my extended family. I can take a nice slow walk to the park or in the mountains without having to worry about other things I should be doing. I can watch a sunset, listen to the birds chirping, and raise my face to the sunlight and say, "Thank you, Jesus, for Sabbath!"

That's what Sabbath now means to me.

Now, unfortunately, Sabbaths for me don't always mean taking a break from work. When you work at a hospital, people don't always get well and go home for the weekend. So instead I spend those days trying to remember (as I always should!) that God wants us to be His hands, His feet, His arms... He wants me to see my patients through His eyes, love them with His heart. So I do my best, however imperfectly, to take extra time in seeing others this way on Sabbath. And then I race home to spend as much time snuggling my precious family while we have these moments.

Sabbath. Lord knows I need it. That's why He gave it to me. And to you, too.

Happy Sabbath and good night! God bless! <3

His Unfolding Grace

Twice in the last 24 hours I have come across the following verse: "So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG)

Twice. Somebody is trying to tell me something. Don't give up on His grace.

The past few days I haven't written anything. Not that I haven't been thankful for anything, but to be honest I've felt like a failure as a mom. What kind of mother is sometimes happier at work than at home? Work is so much simpler than home life. It's easier to fake cheerfulness and energy with a patient than with my own children. And that makes me sad. My two little ones are learning to express themselves via screaming, in addition to the hitting, biting, whining, etc. I know this is not uncommon, but it is so very exhausting.

But, praise the Lord, He is not done with me yet. His Grace is sufficient for ME!

And even though it may feel "like things are falling apart on us, ... God is making new life..." IN ME! So why don't I choose to focus on His goodness? It takes, for me anyway, a conscious choice to see how many blessings He has showered upon me. Here are just a few more...

22. The velvety nose of a horse. Always one of my favorite things.

23. The fragrance of daphne carried in a warm spring breeze.

24. The wind in your hair when driving with the windows down on a beautiful day.

25. My mother's optimism. Wish I would have inherited more of it, but I am trying to train myself to let go of the negativity.

26. Laughing with my sister over incredibly silly inside jokes... POMEGRANATE!

27. Ahhhhh the luck o' the Irish! Sorry, another inside joke.

28. Did I mention He's not finished with me yet?

Now what I need is to think of these things and many more when those walls start to crumble. When I feel like I'm about to lose control, and like I'm failing in the battle for my attitude.

"Morning by morning, new mercies I see... Great is Thy faithfulness!"

Thank you, Jesus.

Quieting the Inner Pessimist

After a 10-hour workday, especially one on a beautiful spring Sabbath day, it would be easy to complain. And I have. And I still do. It's a struggle to battle the inner pessimist and search for the positives on a daily basis, but I'm determined to focus on the good. Sometimes it's an active choice to look for them, other times it's easier, and sometimes it changes literally moment by moment. I've had both today. 

19. The musical medley of frogs croaking on a warm evening. 

20. Jogging. Nothing like the wind in your hair, getting to the top of a hill and seeing the nice gentle slope ahead of you just as your favorite song comes on, empowering you to go that extra mile.

21. The quiet hum of the baby monitor, knowing that the little ones are sound asleep, for now anyway. 

And yes, I know the list is shorter tonight, but it's late, my head is throbbing, and 4:45 will come nice and early again tomorrow. Until then, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:20 KJV)

Worthy, Indeed

One of my favorite ways to express my feelings is through music. And this song never ceases to move me, the depth of the sacrifice of the Lamb. Hillsong's Worthy Is The Lamb:

Back to the routine

So we're back at home, settling into the "normal" life, although I haven't had to go back to work yet. That's tomorrow, and between being on vacation and the time change, 4:45 will come VERY early tomorrow morning. I'm putting off chores, since I just want to soak up every last moment of this break.

With Easter Sunday approaching, it's easy to remember the blessings are both great and small in our lives. So here are some of each:

12. A husband who not only picks up groceries so I don't have to go with the two crazy little ones, but also offers to give me a break from them so I can do something for me.

13. A job that allows me the flexibility and benefits to work as much (or little) as I do and still pay the bills.

14. My son's eyelashes. So long, like his daddy's. <3

15. The green leaf buds appearing on the oak trees.

16. Sunsets after a drizzly day.

17. The health of my babies. I am so blessed to have babes who haven't had any major health issues. I pray for many families I know who have had little ones with many health concerns, and so many times I take my little ones' physical and mental health for granted.

18. And yes, most importantly, for the deeper meaning behind Easter Sunday. For so many, this holiday is about bunnies and eggs and chocolate, etc. But I choose to remember the enormous sacrifice of my Savior, the anguish He experienced just to give ME a CHANCE to spend eternity with Him. He defeated sin in that moment and for that, I will be ETERNALLY grateful.

Have a blessed Sabbath and Easter Sunday, and remember who He is and the reason He came -- for YOU! <3

Another day in the life...

So today is one of those days of melancholy, not because anything negative has happened. On the contrary, it has been a wonderful day. But I think it's one of those days of reality hitting: vacation is almost over. A time of sadness and disappointment, and yet looking forward to my own bed, the normal kid routine, etc. But with that routine comes, yes, work.

I've never disliked work, and for that I am grateful, but of course, I would much rather stay on vacation. To be able to stroll on the beach, wake up and enjoy a cup of local coffee while smelling the beach air. But such is life, and I am well aware how blessed I am to have had this time.

So that being said, time to focus on just a few of the blessings of today.

7. Plumeria. I love the simplicity of their beauty, not to mention the intoxicating smell.

8. Having family that is willing to wrestle my little ones so their daddy and I can do something for ourselves.

9. The way my little guy leans all the way in front of my face when he's trying to tell me something.

10. Yogurtland. 'Nuf said.

11. Reading with my snugglebums before bed.

12. "God-rays." A new phrase I learned that describes the way the sunlight streams through a break in cloud cover.

And God sure does show Himself in ways such as these. When all around us seems grey and drizzly and foggy, a sudden stream of sunlight is enough to raise my face heavenward to the warmth of the Son. Thank you, Jesus, for my family, health, and life, and for the reminders of Your love to us each and every day.

Good night, and remember He has you engraved on the palms of His hands. <3

Inspiration for Thanks-Giving

I have felt inspired in reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp to begin a list of things I am thankful for, gifts God has given me in the everyday life. There are so many, I know, yet so many stresses and moments of overwhelming busyness that I neglect to notice them. So from this moment onward, I am going to chronicle my own list of gifts to reflect upon, so that in those moments of melancholy I can review and remember how many things I have to be thankful for. So here goes...

1. Holding hands with my son. Now only 22 months old, he will occasionally reach out to hold my hand, then lay his head back and smile.

2. The feel of sand sliding out from under your feet as a wave rushes back toward the ocean.

3. Hearing my daughter's singing. Whether it be a rousing rendition of Jesus Loves Me or She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain, or making up her own precious tunes, I will never tire of my 3 1/2 year old's voice as she sings to herself.

4. The big belly laughs that erupt from tickle wars with a toddler.

5. The smell of cornbread baking in the oven while the spicy scent of taco soup arises from the kitchen.

6. Relaxing in bed with my husband, even when we don't have to say a word, in the quiet moments after the kids fall asleep

And after that last note, I'm feeling like perhaps it's time to succumb to the heavy lids weighing down on my eyes. Good night, and God's blessings (and your awareness of them!) to all.