Sabbath Planning Worksheet This is just a guide. Don’t feel obligated to use it exactly, or at all. Sabbath as we are teaching it is not legalistic. We aren’t keeping track of what you are doing. The focus should be not to do ordinary work on the Sabbath. The events you plan should be based on things you enjoy doing. Remember, Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”. The Sabbath is not a law to obey, but a gift to enjoy.

Components in Planning a Sabbath Rest Physical Rest • Food - Prepare special foods that you and your family enjoy. We usually make the first night’s meal the special one. For us that is Friday night. It may be another night for you. Try to fix meals that are nutritious, have all the food groups, are multi-colored, and have different tastes and textures. • Exercise - This may seem tiring to you, but we need a chance to get outdoors, to breathe deeply, and to use our bodies in ways that we don’t get to do all week long. This may include things like going on a bike ride, walking the dogs, working in the yard. Don’t overdo it, but don’t just sit on the couch all Sabbath either. You will feel more rested at the end of the Sabbath, if you do some exercise. • Rest times - Yes, you actually need to schedule times to rest! Sleep in an extra hour, take a nap after lunch, and plan to fall asleep while watching something on TV. Emotional Recovery • Technology - We don’t realize how much technology can drain us. We are on 24/7, if we keep our phones on all the time. Plan to turn off your phone. Don’t just watch TV non-stop. Plan your TV watching. Too much TV leaves us feeling depressed and tired. • Friends and Family - Spending time talking with friends and family about things going on can really help us decompress emotionally. I do realize family can be an emotional drain on you. If you don’t like to spend time with your family, maybe you need to make some relationships right. Plan who you will spend time with. Spend time with people you really enjoy being with, but don’t normally get a chance to hang with. Invite them for a meal, or just to hang out. Spiritual Reminders • Worship - God created us. Connecting with him is a major way to realign an out of balance life. Hanging with the Creator naturally makes us more creative. Worship of God reminds of us what matters most. It gives us the chance to slow down, listen to God, confess sin, and make changes that we need to make. Plan a private and a corporate time to worship on the Sabbath. • Word - This doesn’t have to be a long effort. God’s Word is like spiritual food for our spirits. Incorporate a reading into a meal, have a quiet time with God, read a book, attend a bible study.

Times to Consider I divide my Sabbath into the first evening, the morning to follow and the afternoon to follow. I actually make a grid of the 3 major time sections on top, and the 3 major components on the left side of my grid (We’ve provided a Planning Grid for your convenience). This helps me think through all the different things I want to do on my Sabbath.

Steps for Preparation This sounds like a lot of work for a day of rest. But here is the secret—a Sabbath is not just a day off. In order to rest, we do have to prepare intentionally. From the planning you have done, you will see that there are some specific things you need to do to prepare for your Sabbath. Make a list and try to get them done prior. This will help you to fully enjoy your Sabbath rest.

Sabbath Planning Grid

DATE EVENING MORNING AFTERNOON

PHYSICAL REST FOOD

EXERCISE

REST

EMOTIONAL RECOVERY TECHNOLOGY

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

SPIRITUAL REMINDERS

WORSHIP

WORD