Sabbath Preparation

When I first started "trying" to keep the Sabbath, I actually found it very hard to STOP doing work on the Sabbath.  It wasn't natural for me to rest!  I had to train myself, and part of that meant making sure that I had completed any jobs that would bother me if they were not done the day before.  Also, I needed to make sure I was prepared with enough food so that I didn't need to cook or prepare meals on the Sabbath, as to me, that is work. 

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I have found that keeping a checklist greatly reduces my stress, and helps to making sure I have done all the work that I wanted to complete. 

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If you're finding it hard to keep track, or finding yourself stressed out on preparation day, I highly recommend using checklists.  Feel free to download the sheets I have created, for your personal home use.  Either print them as needed, or laminate to reuse with a whiteboard marker. 

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Another tip that has helped me a lot is to not leave everything until Friday!  Spreading the workload over the week helps a lot, leaving only the things that cannot be done any other day to Friday. 

 

Remember - your house does not have to be sparkling clean on the Sabbath - that is not commanded.  You are just commanded to rest.  So just do what you can to make sure you can rest as much as possible, because Sabbath rest is a blessing.  If we are stressing ourselves out about getting everything 'just right' we may just find ourselves completely exhausted and resenting the burden that we have put on ourselves to get everything perfectly clean and organised.  

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Let the Sabbath be the blessing it is intended to be; don't let the preparation itself become a burden. 

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I hope this helps you in your Sabbath Preparation!