Why I'm Still Keeping the Sabbath

You've heard why I first started keeping the Sabbath. It's been more than 11 years since then! I'm still keeping it. Here's why:

-The conviction still holds. Throughout the past decade plus, I have heard a zillion arguments for why believers don't need to honor the Sabbath. But none of these hold up under the examination of Scripture. As I continue to read and study YHWH's word, the significance of Sabbath comes up in many ways, and I still feel conviction to set apart this holy day. My faith has grown through this time of Sabbath keeping, and I'm more convicted of the importance of this than when I first started.

-I like it. I should be following the Bible's instructions whether I appreciate them or not, but I truly do enjoy and look forward to the Sabbath! It is a calming factor throughout the whole week. No matter how busy the season I find myself in is, I know I will have a break and time to rest each and every week, and I look forward to that. The time to rest and study the word is a joy, and I'm happy to be able to set aside work, chores, and other obligations on the Sabbath.

-It benefits me. I find myself overwhelmed with life far less often than I did before Sabbath keeping, even though I have more going on to balance. The mental, as well as physical, break refreshes me for the upcoming week, and I know myself to be far more productive 'working' six days a week instead of seven. My energy level is higher, I feel refreshed, inspired, and more alert mentally thanks to Sabbath keeping.

-It really is doable! Many people find this hard to believe but setting apart the Sabbath as a day of rest and not working is not too hard. It took time to learn how to rest and relax and not focus on the cares of the rest of the week, but once you know how, you know! Now that I'm used to keeping the Sabbath, it is completely natural to prepare for it and keep that day free of other commitments. My husband and I have both found jobs where we don't work on the Sabbath. Our families and friends have accepted this part of our lifestyle. I've found that the world does go on, even if I'm not participating in the same things that I used to on Saturdays.

-I can see how others who started keeping the Sabbath benefit. When I started keeping Sabbath I did so at the same time as my now-husband, my parents, and several other friends and families from our small congregation. They're still keeping Sabbath too and would tell you it is meaningful and valuable. I can see how their faith has grown through taking this tangible step of faith.

-To show others that it is possible. When I get together with people who don't keep the Sabbath, there's usually a clear theme: everyone is mind-numbingly busy and stressed to the point of tears. I hear this from friends, relatives, coworkers, and people in my community. I don't look down on anyone for not keeping the Sabbath - I didn't either for much of my life - but I do feel for those who are overwhelmed with no break in sight. I want to show others that even if you're juggling a million responsibilities and commitments, you can still partake in this incredible gift of rest and restoration from our God!

More on the Sabbath:
Sabbath in the New Testament
Tips for Resting on the Sabbath
Things I Love about the Sabbath

What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About My Hebrew Faith

Hey there, friends! I run into a lot of misunderstandings about my faith, so I wanted to clear up a few things. For those of you who don't share my faith here's what I would love for you to know.

What I wish my Christian friends knew about my Hebrew faith:

-I believe in the Messiah! Please, please hear this: I haven't walked away from the Savior. I cherish all the stories in the New Testament of the Messiah, same as you. I believe he healed the blind, and walked on water, and threw money changers out from the Temple. I call the Messiah Yahusha because that is a better representation of his name than Jesus. But if you're talking about the Messiah, born of a virgin, died for our sins, rose from the dead, then we are on the same page.

-We have a ton in common. While there are some differences in our faiths there is far more common ground between us. Far more. Like you, I read the Old and New Testaments, and want to live a life that honors the Savior.

-What Hebrew faith means exactly. You can learn more about how I define a Hebrew here, but the gist of it is someone who accepts Yahusha as Messiah, while also being obedient to the commandments given in the Old Testament and throughout Scripture. So that means that I keep the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, observe the Biblical set apart times instead of cultural holidays, and eat a Biblically clean diet. Those are the basics of a Hebrew lifestyle and I do my best to honor the Creator by living this way.

-I'm not Jewish. If I had a nickel for each time someone assumed I was Jewish I would be one rich lady. But with nothing against Jewish people, I am not pretending or aspiring to be Jewish. While our faiths have a few similarities, no Jewish person would ever consider my faith to be Jewish. And I do not participate in Judaism, a faith that does not accept Yahusha as Messiah. So please don't assume something about Judaism is true of my faith. For example, while I keep Shabbat I do not observe Jewish law that says you have to speak certain blessings, eat challah bread, and light candles in order to do so. The Hebrew faith is much more laid back than orthodox Judaism.

-I'm thrilled with the changes I've made. So often when I share about keeping the Sabbath people feel sorry for me to be "burdened" with it or tell me I am otherwise caught up in legalism, but that's not how I feel at all! I sincerely love the changes I have made and have found tremendous blessing in Sabbath observance, Biblically clean eating, and the Biblical feast days. So when I share with you about that, please know that I am not trying to give you something to do or tell you that your faith is inadequate: it's because I want you to experience the same joy and peace that I've found in these things.

-You are still a cherished friend to me. I am so grateful for you and I don't want our friendship to stop because my lifestyle is a little different than yours. Chances are, your faith is pretty similar to how I used to believe so I get where you're coming from. I want the best for you and I don't look down on you. If you've been hurt or felt slighted because I wouldn't do something on a Saturday or wouldn't try your salad with the bacon dressing, I want you to know that was not my intent. It's not because I don't like you or value you. I'm just trying to live out my convictions, and your support would mean so much!

-You are welcome to ask me questions. Really! If there's something you want to know about my beliefs or what I eat or why I made these changes or whatever else you can feel free to ask. I would love to have a heart-to-heart about faith, and it doesn't scare me if our beliefs don't 100% match.

-I don't have it all figured out. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Messiah, and that's my plan. I don't claim to be fully grown or that I've arrived at some perfect understanding of all things spiritual. I haven't. And that's okay! The Creator does not require us to have every last detail figured out, but he does expect us to grow. Growth means change and I'm willing to make adjustments in to my lifestyle and beliefs as I learn more. I hope you are too.

If you'd like to know more about my faith journey you can read about why I started keeping Shabbat, and why I stopped celebrating Christmas here.

If you have questions feel free to ask!