The LORD's Day...

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

I firmly believe the Sabbath is Saturday and if I went to a church that kept the sabbath on Saturday-I would, too.  My church is a LORD's Day church....Sunday is the day of rest.  Therefore, I try to rest on Sunday.  Holy Hours are what I call my naps on this day.  I am resting(usually to the sound of NASCAR in the next room).

This week has been good.  I got to see a friend that moved to Tennessee while having coffee with two of my best friends.  Then running into another friend who is a joy to be around even though she said she was mad.  I honestly couldn't tell she was upset...that was a convicting lesson in it's self.

There was time spent helping a dear friend getting her house ready for her son's graduation home celebration.  All five of us with our children, together, working as one.  It was a God thing!  This brought to my mind all the Beverly Lewis and Wanda Brunstetter books I have read.  You know, the Amish or Mennonite books that tell lovely stories about how the women regularly come together to prepare a home for meeting days or some other celebration?  I do believe I even stated that "I feel churchy."  This is what women of God do...help one another. 

Schooling lessons were of course done and with success!   My son's reading is improving, even if he doesn't see it or feel like decoding all those words.  Math is going slowly.  Word problems...this is an area that needs working.  It isn't because he cannot to the math.  No, not at all.  The words.  My son has such a difficult time putting words with actual meanings.  This, too, needs work.  None of this is a surprise to my God and King.  He will do a mighty work in His son's brain....

Yesterday, my son did not want to do any work.  I teased him and said, "Son, don't you know the Beale's do not play...they work."  He just looked at me with a quizzical expression and said "Huh?"  Then I chuckled, because the verse at the beginning of this post popped into my head.  It is Exodus 20:9, "  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:".  Then I told him, that God and his parents would allow play time and rest...after the work was done.

Of course, my son is divinely obedient most of the time and yesterday was no exception. God and his parents DID allow play time, fun and rest...after his chores were done. He was able to play with his neighborhood friends all evening and came home starving and tired. There was no problem getting him to go to bed last night. He, too, learned a Biblical lesson about work and rest.                                              

Yes, yesterday was day of work for the Beale's here at the Beale Bungalow.  There was much to be done and each member of our family has their set of chores to complete in order for our lifestyle to function smoothly. 

The guys take care of the all the yard work.  I would love to mow, but allas, my carpel tunnel surgical scars just will not allow me.  I would end up with pain and tingling in my hands if I did this extremely important chore.  I usually take care of the gardens, composting and worm bins.  Those chores do not seem to irritate the ol' tunnel syndrome.

My chores are much nicer.  They are done inside...with air conditioning!  :)  Even though I am in the middle of dejunking my laundry room...the rest of the house still needs to be kept clean and in some resemblance of order.  So, housecleaning was done...with joy, I might add.  (I am beginning to like cleaning again...sigh...what a wonderful relief!)

It is such a blessing to enjoy ridding my home of unwanted dirt and grime.  I know that in a short while the dirt and grime will show up yet again, quite uninvited, but this is what God is having me do at present. Yesterday, I mopped with His words in my heart and singing His praise on my lips.  It was a great day.  I think the results looked pretty good, too.

My little bungalow also smelled delicious during all the cleaning and whatnot.  I used the first of my zucchini harvest to make some "Heavenly Zucchini Bread".  That is the name of one of my favorite recipes.  My guys would walk in and sniff the air and compliment me with the exaggerated mimicking of starvation, as if all the overacting would speed up the baking time.  Funny... they were!

It did taste yummy!!  And I must admit, after all the kimchi making and fermenting...the baking of the zucchini bread with it's sweet aroma was a refreshing and welcomed change.  Even though I love both of the aromas...my guys lilt in their voices was noticeable.  How can two or three words sound so differently.  It went from.."Ugh..Mom's making kimchi."  (with an expression that would make one think they have just smelled someone's forgotten dirty gym socks)  to "Oh man!  Mom's making zucchini bread and she put chocolate chips in mine!!!". (With the expression one would expect upon entering a world famous bakery.)  They are different aromas, but each is pleasing in their own way...well, at least I think so...

Today...Well, I will be keeping a day of rest Holy.  Church, paising and praying with friends and fellow believers.  Then..celebrating, which is good anytime and especially on the Lord's day!  This is made even better with families and friends that love the Lord and wish to recognize the accomplishments of a young man that God and his parents, are getting ready to launch out into the world to grow, mature and do what God Himself has planned for him to do.  :)   

Yes..."This is the day that the Lord hath made I will rejoice and be glad in it"- all the while "Remembering the Sabbath, keeping it Holy"  No work--It has been done.  Now, God is allowing us time to play and rest all in His Name and for His Glory.  Life is good!

Sharon