Thanks to all who entered the Big Giveaway!  It was so fun hearing all about what you wanted to be when you grew up.  Some of you were far more creative than I ever was!  And what a testimony of how God redirected some of us, transformed some of us, and used our desires and giftings for His glory.

I am so thankful for all of your support and encouragement in this first year since my book, Ask Me Anything, Lord was published. 

Here are the winners!

One first-prize winner of the $25 Amazon gift card is:  Kimberly!!!

Three runner-up prizes of an autographed copy of Ask Me Anything, Lord go to:

• Betsy Marmon
• Genia Allen
• CoreynEva

If you didn’t win, I have to at least give a quick, shameless plug: You can still buy a copy of Ask Me Anything, Lord here.  Don’t forget: Christmas is coming! I’m knee-deep into my own Christmas shopping list, so if you’re looking for a gift you can always buy a copy of the book for you and another to give to a friend!

You bless me so, dear friends and followers!

~heather~

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 25 Ways to Create Rest

My husband teases me about never watching TV or movies.  “You don’t watch; you just listen,” he says.

It’s true.  I like to listen to the dialogue while doing chores and working on projects.

I feel restless just sitting still without something for my hands to do.

I read the verses, how Scripture tells me to rest, and all this time I thought I just failed at this.

Could this be sin?  Am I a hopeless case of incessant busyness?  A certifiable Martha who can’t possibly be Mary at the feet of Jesus?

And, after all, I’m a mom with four young kids. Doing nothing sounds unreasonable and downright impossible.

So, when I think about Sabbath and rest, I feel guilty.

But I’m finding freedom here as I spend this month Sabbath-keeping:

In Priscilla Shirer’s book: Breathe: Making Room for Sabbath, I read this quote from Abraham Joshua Heschel, a rabbi and author:

“The words: ‘On the seventh day God finished His work’ (Genesis 2:2) seem to be a puzzle…We would surely expect the Bible to tell us that on the sixth day God finished His work.  Obviously, the ancient rabbis concluded, there was an act of creation on the seventh day.  Just as heaven and earth were created in six days, menulza (rest) was created on the Sabbath…..they believed that it took a special act of creation to bring it into being, that the universe would be incomplete without it.  ‘What was created on the seventh day?  Tranquility, serenity, peace and repose.“

God didn’t do nothing on the seventh day.  He created Rest, and the universe wasn’t complete until He did.

So, Sabbath isn’t about sitting still or napping or doing nothing.

It’s about creating peace and repose.  It’s about creating rest for your soul, whatever that looks like.

In her book Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God, Margaret Feinberg writes:

“rest isn’t a purely passive activity.  Rest invites us to participate in restorative activities….Sometimes what’s most restful and restorative to you might involve activity…Sometimes what feels like rest to you may feel like work to someone else (and vice versa)…

Some people experience rest and rejuvenation through physical exercise, others prefer a creative outlet like painting, sculpting or finding a project on Pinterest.  Still others experience rest through spending time at the rifle range, reading an entertaining book, working on a car, enjoying a comedy, or cooking a new recipe”  (p. 72).

So, the question I’ve been asking myself is: What kind of Sabbath am I creating?

Here are 25 practical ways to choose rest for your soul:

1. Put off the big chores like laundry, vacuuming and mopping until another day.
2. Spend time as a family playing board games or have a movie night with popcorn and hot chocolate.
3. Go for a picnic in the park with your kids.
4. Lie on the couch and read a book.
5. Take a nap.
6. Create something beautiful–knit, sew, paint.  Make sure it’s something you enjoy but never seem to have time for and not just another project you need to get done on the to-do list (like hem pants or something).
7. Bake something delicious.  Maybe use a favorite recipe or be daring and give a new recipe a try!
8. Light a candle or plug in your warmer and make sure your house smells amazing.
9. Play music to soothe the soul.  Maybe some worship music.  Maybe something classical so you don’t even have to think about the lyrics, just enjoy the beauty.
10. Dig deep in the dirt and enjoy your garden.
11. Sit on the porch with a glass of lemonade or iced tea or maybe a hot cup of tea or coffee and enjoy the breeze while the kids play outside.
12. Light a fire in the fireplace.
13. Use paper plates just for today so you don’t have to do a million dishes.
14. Keep dinner simple.  Order pizza, eat leftovers or maybe go for a Crock-Pot meal or breakfast for dinner (is that officially called ‘Brinner?”.
15. Or—-if you love to cook, make a big family dinner and enjoy the time together in the kitchen and around the table.
16. Spend extra time in God’s Word today.
17. Take a day off from social media and email, or perhaps at least stay offline from sun-up to sun-down.
18. Don’t answer the phone unless you have to/want to.
19. Take a walk.
20. Do a puzzle as a family.
21. Prepare for your day off in advance:  Make sure the laundry is done, the kids’ homework is done and their agendas for school are signed, so you aren’t tempted to dig deep into a project or chore.
22. Meet a friend for lunch.
23. Write a letter.  Like, an actual letter.  With pen and paper, not typed out via e-mail.
24. Journal.
25. Treat yourself.  If you exercise all week, keep away from caffeine, soda, sweets, and chocolate….or however you discipline yourself…enjoy a little treat today.  A cinnamon roll for breakfast perhaps?  Your favorite chocolate after lunch?

What kind of Sabbath are you creating?

To read more about this 12-month journey of pursuing the presence of Christ, you can follow the links below!  Won’t you join me this month as I ‘Practice Sabbath-Keeping’?

• Finding Room to Breathe: A 12-month pursuit of the presence of Christ
• January: Be Still and Know
• February: Pray Simply
• March: Unplug
• April: Enjoy Beauty
• May: Create Beauty
• June: Invest in Friendship
• July: Retreat and Refresh
• August: Learn to Say, “No”
• September: Learn When to Say, “Yes”
• October: Find the Sacred in the Ordinary
• November: Practice Sabbath-Keeping

Heather King is a wife, mom, Bible Study teacher, writer and worship leader.  Most importantly, she is a Christ follower with a desire to help others apply the Bible to everyday life with all its mess, noise, and busyness.  Her book, Ask Me Anything, Lord: Opening Our Hearts to God’s Questions, is available now!  To read more devotionals by Heather King, click here.

Copyright © 2014 Heather King