Getting a household ready for the weekly Sabbath can be tricky, but with some practice and these handy hacks, your crew too can be ready to rest for God’s glory.

1. Start preparing early! We no longer have to wait until the day before to start preparing our meals. Incorporate pieces of your Sabbath dishes into your weekly menu and then leverage your freezer to stash away your prepared foods.
2. Always make a double batch. If I make pancakes, waffles, or biscuits for Saturday brunch (or a weeknight dinner 😉 ), I always make a double batch–one for now and one for my freezer. Then on the Lord’s day, I simply reheat and serve my little frozen treasures. Another way to leverage a double batch is to boil a double batch of pasta and then prepare it two different ways (ex: Lo Mein stir fry and Spaghetti Pie).
3. Make a short, priority list for Saturday. When we first started “remembering the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” (Exodus 20:8) I would try to clean my entire house, cook two meals, bathe my kiddos, and run errands. Sometimes I failed and I felt frustrated all Sunday staring at my unfinished work; Sometimes I succeeded on Saturday only to end up yawning my way through worship (so counterintuitive!). Don’t make these same silly mistakes! Make a short list of objectives for Saturday (I would start with the things that will drive you craziest if they are not completed). Put the items in priority order and then tackle them accordingly. If/When you start feeling tuckered, stop working and go prepare for worship.

So go forth, work six days, & then REST, my weary friend 🙂

What are your thoughts/reactions? Share your feedback in the comments section below!