





Many around the world are in awe of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ this weekend. It’s unfathomable that God would lay down His life for a wretched, putrid, filthy sinner like me.
One of my favorite quotes regarding Christ’s sacrifice is
He paid a debt He did not owe
because I owed a debt I could not pay.
There is something I’ve noticed in the Christian community. A lot of emphasis is given to the days leading up to and including Resurrection (or Easter) Sunday except for one day. Saturday.
On Thursday there are frequently Passover suppers or communion services commemorating and remembering Jesus’ last supper with His disciples.
Friday is, of course, referred to as “Good Friday” and some businesses close, kids are let out of school and special church services are held in the evenings.
Then on Saturday we take a break from “Holy week” and move to the Easter egg hunts, bunnies, chocolate eggs and more frivolous, counterfeit, even Pagan celebrations.
Bright and early on Sunday morning we’re back to celebrate the glorious resurrection of our Lord. The day that cements all Christianity. (See Mark 16:1 & 2)
It’s sad, but many are missing the point of that Saturday altogether.
Some have suggested that Saturday was a day of hopelessness. Jesus’ own friends we’re in hiding – denying they even knew Him, fearing for their own safety since they could easily be connected with this man that was executed just the day before. That Saturday is often seen as a very dark day.
But I see that day as a very powerful testimony from my Savior. Jesus was simply doing what He had always done – something He’d done since before He laid down His kingly crown and put on human flesh and something that scripture says will even continue in Heaven.
He rested.
His work – the hardest work ever done – was finished and He rested.
I challenge you this weekend, as you’re in the Scriptures reading the greatest story ever told, that you don’t skip over the powerful message of that hope filled Saturday (in your Bible it’s called “the Sabbath”).
Grab your dictionary and look up Saturday.
Sat·ur·day
/ˈsætərˌdeɪ, -di/ [sat-er-dey, -dee]
noun
the seventh day of the week, following Friday.
Then look up Sunday.
Sun·day
ˈsʌndeɪ, -di/ [suhn-dey, -dee]
–noun
1.the first day of the week, observed as the Sabbath by most Christian sects. (Note: just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s biblical…)
Then do a little Google search on translating the word Saturday to other languages besides English. In 105 different languages it translates to “Sabbath” which means “rest”. (Ever heard of a sabbatical?)
In Spanish it’s sábado
In Italian it’s sabato
Then ask yourself, “what day did Jesus Himself keep holy for worship?”
“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16).
Let’s make this interesting, shall we?
Look through your bible and find me just ONE text that changes God’s chosen day of worship from Saturday (the seventh day of the week) to Sunday (the first day of the week.) If you can find just one text that changes the day of worship that:
Just ONE text… Then you can have this:
Yes – I’m wagering my home. No, it’s not paid off, but a good chunk of it is. It’s a lovely home with 4 huge bedrooms, beautiful oak floors throughout, a big fire place, a giant yard in a very nice part of town.
How can I risk my home? Because I know that there isn’t ONE command in Scripture that changes God’s law regarding keeping the seventh day Sabbath holy to now keeping the first day, Sunday.
So what’s the big deal?
Well, it’s a life and death kind of thing.
If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).
For a complete study with questions and answers click on the “Sabbath Study” tab at the top of this page. And for even MORE information check out www.SabbathTruth.com.
Have a blessed Resurrection (Easter) Sunday. What a wonderful way to start a week!
First I must apologize for leaving most of you hanging for the last couple of days. I’ve been very distracted with a couple of things – my bathroom makeover and getting ready for our Resurrection (Easter) weekend activities.
I’m TIRED. Almost too tired to write this little post – but I have to tell you about the winner of my bitty giveaway last week.
Cindy won with randomly drawn comment number 13 which was a tweet! Please don’t ask me to explain Twitter… I do have a Twitter account and I do follow some tweeters but that’s as far as my understanding goes. I desperately need some teenaged person to explain the whole thing to me. Pretty much what I already get is, the little birdy is cute. Beyond that I’m lost.
Well – congratulations, Cindy! Your prize went postal a couple of days ago and pretty soon you should be enjoying your own little cuppa.
I’ll take a much needed break now and cease my work for the Sabbath. The bathroom remodel can wait until the sun sets in the western sky again. I’m making progress but it’s very slow. The dining room is done and I’ll share what I did there soon. By the end of this coming week I hope to be done in the guest bath. Really I do… I have a couple of days worth of company that would probably prefer there be a door on the bathroom if they need to “go”.
I wish you and your family a blessed weekend focused on the One who gave Himself for you.
Thank you so much for hangin’ around here every once and again to see what it is I’m rambling on about. I really do appreciate my readers. You are all so sweet!
I let Random.org do my drawing for me and comment number 5, Anne, is the WINNER!
Anne – get ahold of me or message me on Facebook your mailing addy and we’ll get this little box with a “mommy break” inside sent off to you. Have a cup of lemon ginger tea and a tea cookie or four on me.
I’m in a very generous and giving mood right now, (don’t tell my kids) and I’ve got another follower appreciation giveaway posting tomorrow so come back then.
Yes, you might be sensing a theme here…
The more I think about the more I’m fed up with my dining room and my guest bathroom. The “fed up” list is actually much longer – but this is where I’ll start. I don’t want to overwhelm you.
For a loooong time now, I’ve been putting up with this “un-settled” pier and beam house that is cracking at every seam. Drywall seam, that is. It’s time to learn some simple cosmetic repair (aka: cover-ups) to get me by until we can get under this house, jack it up and place some shims. That’s gonna be awhile…
Today I give you the “befores” in hopes that there will be some significant “afters” for later in the week.
The main thing plugging up the works is the extreme lack of money. That’s one of the side effects of your babies’ daddy being out of work since before Christmas… So I have to work on a super tight budget. But the first thing that will go is these nasty (cheap) drapes. We’d be much better off with some blinds that we could control the light and heat with in the afternoons. The sun comes streaming in here like, like… well, like a big ball of fire, illuminating every dust particle and cat hair in the air. It makes me want to wear a filtration mask all the time… The sun I can do something about. The dust and cat hair will have to wait.
The dream would be to completely repaint the room (I’m growing weary of the oxblood red I think it’s really called something else and is much darker in person.) After, of course, repairing the drywall in all the corners and above and below the windows. (And patching the holes left behind once I remove those drapes.)
Sadly, for now I think I’ll just do some light repair and touch up the paint with what I have.
If I can squeeze it out of my “rainy day money” I’d like to add some crown molding in here. That would take care of the 1/2 inch gap at the ceiling.
The guest bathroom is another story altogether. I’d also like to repaint in here, but again, I think I’ll probably have to wait and just do some patch repair and touch up.
See – there’s a little drywall work to do. It’s hard to tell in the photo, but it’s buckling outward.
I’m working on forgiveness and mercy, so I won’t go into a long story about how I feel about the previous owners decision to paint latex over oil based trim paint. (No, that’s not a shadow on the door trim…) Nor do I feel that we need to discuss their choice of olive green trim and cabinets with burnt orange walls. I’ve made it “work” for the last 6 years with the shower curtain, but now I’m ready to move on to more neutral colors.
Unfortunately, there’s not $75 worth of rainy-day paint (and primer) money to drop here. Who doesn’t love a decorating challenge!? (Unless that challenge is finances :0)
That light fixture above needs to go too. And the mirror from 1980. I’ll be haunting the Habitat Re-Store for awhile, it seems.
More of that yummy avocado green. Or is it more of a Spanish olive green? How about just “yuck” green. The tile isn’t bad… very workable there in a neutral sort of way.
All in good time… all in good time, my friends. Now the decorating wheels are turning… Hmmm… Maybe I should add one of those nifty PayPal buttons to the ol’ blog…
We’re in full-on sPrINg here and it’s beautiful! We’ve seen giant patches of bluebonnets coming up and I can barely contain my excitement and anticipation for the annual family war photo session.
Here’s a little of what’s going on in and out of our house right now…
The little chalkboard stake is another find from Canton last year. I think I need to add a pretty bow to it…
I give a little tute on how to make this wreath here.
Stay tuned… I’m going to give the cracked pot on the little table a makeover…
Remember these beautiful blue and green eggs from two years ago? I store them in an egg carton in my Easter bin. The classically shaped Easter basket is from the Pottery Barn Outlet.
The kids love to eat lunch outside now that it’s warm and sunny all day. This little deck chair is a discarded satellite dish that my Jacob repurposed.
I can’t have enough white pitchers and creamers. I’m in love with having one kind of flower, in basically one color palette, in each one.
A Spring table centerpiece for a Sabbath afternoon.
I purchased the little nest at Home Goods in a box of 3. I gave one to a friend and kept one for myself . That leaves one for you! Watch for a giveaway soon…
I changed out the berry garland on the skinny, little, worthless mantle for this floral one leftover from a wedding I did almost 9 years ago. (Same goes for the ribbon.) The little tin eggs are a Cracker Barrel find.
I decided to keep the battery operated candles out all year. At least for now. They did require a battery change since Christmas… they’ve been coming on for 5 hours each evening. What did we do before programmable candles?
This sweet cloche below was another Canton find at Laurie Anna’s Vintage Home booth. (And the pastry stands on the mantle above too…) The moss was an overpriced purchase from Pottery Barn and the nest and bird are from a sweet little shop in Fredericksburg, Texas called Hen Feathers. If you come visit me I’ll take you there.
The postcards I made using clipart from Hallmark card making software and some colored glitter. The paper mache (nesting) egg in the center was from Pottery Barn Outlet. The paper mache ducklings and “chocolate” eggs and bunny are other Fredericksburg finds. I’m telling you… I’m worth the visit :0)
The “Easter” basket (which gets a lot of use all year long) is another Fredericksburg find… I need to go visit there again… The birdhouse church is from Cracker Barrel. Keep your eye on their after holiday sales…
The flowers in the basket above and on the armoire below are more leftovers from that same long ago wedding. The blocks below are from Home Goods. You have to visit often since the merchandise changes frequently. It’s a hard life… but someone has to live it.
Leave me a link in the comments to pictures of your Spring décor. I’d love to see it!
I’m linking up to the parties below. WOW! There are some great ideas and inspirations… Take a bloggy walk and see what they’ve got.
at Common Ground
at No Minimalist Here