Yahoo is down right now. I can’t check e-mail.

As the Cal semester starts up again, I find myself busy as ever. With the girls coming back, we’re picking up meeting again which is soooo wonderful! =). At the same time, I find my schedule filling up rapidly. I find myself starting to feel overwhelmed already! With some last minute things to finish up for apps, financial aid, this Berkeley Extension class, and everything else, I’m left with very little free time.

So, I was watching 7th Heaven a few weeks back, and Lucy Camden gave this sermon on keeping the Sabbath. Amazing that an Aaron Spelling show convicted me so much. But, anyway. I’ve been thinking about how God modeled rest for us. I know that I don’t really know how to take time out to rest. Like, I can spend an evening vegging in front of the TV, but it doesn’t leave me feeling refreshed. So, I’ve decided to make it a point to keep the Sabbath, and I would like this day to be on Sunday. One of the difficulties is that ministries and such at CI tend to have meetings on Sunday afternoon. But, the idea of keeping the Sabbath is carried through both the Old and New Testament. God emphasizes that need for rest time and time again. Sundays seem to be best because I’ve spent the morning in church, focused on God, His work, and His people.

At Debbie’s baptism, Dennis Tuma gave the benediction and prayed for the congregation. Before he dismissed us, he told all of us to go and spend time at rest today. Even with all the things that needed to be done. There would always be more that needs to be done. I remember him encouraging us to (1) spend time with God’s people: have lunch, have dinner, have coffee, (2) spend time in God’s Word: reading, journaling, meditating, and (3) spend time physically resting: napping, watching TV, reading a fun book. Y’know, learning to rest is a discipline. Especially in the culture that we live in, it takes an active effort to keep the Sabbath. “Keep the Sabbath.” “Keep” is an action verb. We can’t just passively think that we will be able to have a day of rest. This also means that I have to be more disciplined during the rest of the week.

The end of last year was such an obvious sign of how much I lacked rest. I was unfocused and exhausted in my ministries. I tried to plough through everything on my own strength which was sapped before I started. I really pray that being intentional about taking the Sabbath will provide rest during the journey so that I would remain focused and grounded in Christ.

So, those are my thoughts for today.

Possibly in the next installment: Pretty Boys. Ha!