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| Anna enjoying an “Amish” Sunday night. |
The Amish believe in keeping the Sabbath on Sundays — in fact, it is one of the central Amish beliefs and is based in the fourth of the ten commandments. When I first left the Amish, I had to get used to the fact that not everyone thought of Sunday as a holy day. I was especially mystified that other Christians did not think anything of “business as usual” on Sundays. I tried honoring the tradition of my Amish roots, but I found in a world that treated Sunday like any other day of the week, it was difficult. I was once being interviewed for a waitress job in which I stated that I want Sundays off for religious reasons. There ended that interview.
After many years of treating Sundays like any other day of the week, I am coming around to appreciating the wisdom in honoring one day a week as a day of rest. Unless we find a way to take a break from our toils, there is no way for us to rejuvenate and stay healthy, creative, and wise.
Opening our home as a bakery three days a week has been a challenge these past few weeks since Anna has become so famous. Two weeks ago, we thought carefully about which days we would stay open for the bakery before Christmas. We decided to honor the Amish tradition of no Sunday sales, and we also decided to take Monday off, so we would have some time to prepare for our own Christmas.
I slept twelve hours last night. I felt so much better. After four days of Christmas baking and many people coming to our door to buy their Christmas goodies, today was a huge sigh of relief. Several times over, Anna and I remarked how happy we are that we made the decision to take these two days off. I did some writing, gift wrapping, and other nothings about the house today. As we were making and eating dinner, we listened to Handel’s Messiah. This was Anna’s first time, and she seemed to enjoy it. I like to listen to the CD every year at this time.
I feel like I’ve had a day of rest. Now all I need to do to make it an Amish Sunday is to pop some popcorn. I think I will…
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| Mmmm. Now it tastes AND smells like an Amish Sunday night. |
How do you rejuvenate? Do you have a day (or time) of rest? Is it on Sunday or some other day? What do you like to do during your rest or time of rejuvenation?
I hope you all have a peaceful and joyful Christmas. May you enjoy the gifts of the season and celebrate the new life that was born in a humble stable more than 2,000 years ago.
I like to keep my Sunday a day of rest, even if it is not that much different from the rest of the week.
Sunday is my Sabbath…with church..two services A.M and P.M. ,then usually a nap in between :) Merry Christmas to you and yours…..blessings
hello
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
the lord bless you.
I consider Sunday to be the first day of the week instead of being the Sabbath (seventh), since our calendars have it that way. But, I still try to rest on Sundays. Merry Christmas to you and your family :)
I try to keep Sunday as a day of rest (relatively speaking…dinner doesn’t prepare itself y’know), not for religious reasons, but simply because it is a wise thing to do for health and sanity.
Like Danice, I regard Sunday as the first day of the week. Somehow it feels better to me to start the week on a peaceful note.
I am a Seventh-day Adventist. We keep the seventh-day Sabbath as the Bible teaches…Saturday. From Friday sunset until Saturday sunset. We do set it aside as a holy day and am really blessed by having a whole day devoted to God and family. We generally spend our time focusing on God. We attend Sabbath school and church on Sabbath morning, spend time with friends and family, enjoy nature, do out reach at times. It’s a wonderful day I look forward to where I can shut out all the usual business of life.
Oddly, I find that Monday is my day of rest. After a crazy weekend I send the kids off to school, and, since I’m in business for myself, usually spend an idle Monday morning making lists of all the things to do in the week ahead!
What is your religious day of rest?
Sunday
Saloma and Anna,
I hope you’re enjoying this wonderful season. It’s a great time to relax and spend time with family and friends. Of course, let us not forget the reason for the season.
I’ve been following Anna’s stories since she left the Amish. I often wonder what both of your perspectives are of the English’s fascination with the Amish, first Soloma, as a seasoned veteran and Anna, as one who very recently has converted. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
A very Merry Christmas to you & yours!
I try to have a day of rest whenever I need it, but mostly that is Sunday. It is a day for church, volunteer work at a Marine Science Center, and dinner out. The evening is usually spent quietly – reading, watching TV, or writing.
We all definitely need a time of rest – a whole day, if we can manage it. In this day & age of hurry, hurry, hurry, it is more important than ever, but less likely to be taken.
May the New Year treat you well, Saloma.
I have a day of rest, as stated in the 4th commandment. The 7th day, which is Saturday. I know the world makes it hard to keep a sabbath!
Our day of rest is Sunday, with church in the AM and PM; dinner and in the winter time, a nap! Sounds like one of your fellow bloggers who posted above ;-) and I do believe the Lord knew exactly what we needed! We have conducted business on Sunday’s but not if it interferes with our worship or family life.
From my perspective, creating the Sabbath was one of God’s best commandments. However, I also find it rather hard to keep the Sabbath in a culture that doesn’t take that commandment very seriously.
Rest. I have two young boys. I can’t say that I get much rest. But when I do make time for myself…well, hmmm. I enjoy browsing in the library, checking out Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, decorating and painting. To numb my senses I pop in a DVD from the library, my favorites being British murder mysteries and Doc Martin. Doc Martin is hilarious.
God commanded the Sabbath to res, Saturday! The Pope changed the day to Sunday for false worship of sun idiots.the calendar was changed to make it work out Sunday as Sabbath or seventh day. Lord have mercy on their souls.