"Soaking" in the Sabbath

Yesterday I had a glorious, soaking in the Sabbath, kind of day. It really made me stop and re-think what I do with most of my Sabbaths. After all, they are meant to be my day of rest, yet it was the first Sunday Sabbath I can recall [in a long time] where it actually felt like a real day of rest. This is what my day entailed:

Woke up at 9:30. Alec was the only one up, so I made myself a cup of coffee, grabbed a water bottle, a towel, my iPod, journal and Bible and headed out to the pool. For the next seven - yes, seven - hours, I was in the pool; either reading, worshiping, praying or listening. It was like a mini, impromptu sabbatical.

Anthony joined me when he finally woke up around 1pm ... talk about utilizing the Sabbath for rest! We used the next three hours to talk about God, His Word, what He was speaking, what we were thinking; and we listened to a message that I had been piece-meal listening to for that past three nights. The day truly was filled with the presence of Jesus and the wisdom of Holy Spirit.

Although our seasons won't allow for pool time year 'round, being outside in creation, while meeting with God in such a personal way, was such a beautiful and re-energizing way to go to church ... just me and Jesus!