Honoring the Sabbath is one of the most beautiful gifts God gives us each week. He knows we need rest — real rest — or we’ll crash from burnout. Rest and work must go hand in hand.
Today on The Raw and the Cooked, I’m excited to share exactly how the Sabbath (or Shabbat in Hebrew, Shabbos in Yiddish) shapes our week, balances our family life, and reminds us to pause, delight, and trust in God’s good rhythm for us.
Why We Keep the Sabbath
One of my favorite quotes about Sabbath comes from John Mark Comer:
“You are not made to go, go, and go. You are not made to work 24/7. You are made to live in this rhythm that is embedded in creation itself. Rest refills your emotional, mental, spiritual, and even physical reservoirs. It refills you with creativity, with wisdom, with a sharp mind, with optimism, with clarity, with a sense of peace about you. Rest is life-giving. Why? Because God blessed the Sabbath day.”
Isn’t that profound? When we honor the Sabbath, we’re tapping into the same rhythm that brought the universe into being — six days of beautiful, fruitful work, and one day of holy rest and delight.
What Our Sabbath Looks Like (In Real Life)
We’re a family of five with three young kids — so our Sabbath is far from picture-perfect. But it’s beautiful in its own imperfect way, and each year we get better at protecting it.
When:
We keep Shabbat from Friday dinner to Saturday dinner (the traditional time is sundown to sundown, but with little kids, a 6–6:30 p.m. dinner works best for now). Someday I hope to stick more closely to the actual sundown, but for this season — this works.
Before Dinner:
I turn my phone to Do Not Disturb and toss it in the kitchen junk drawer — out of sight, out of mind. For me, unplugging is the best way to truly rest.
Friday Night:
We light candles to welcome the Shabbat bride — always with beautiful candlesticks from our wedding. We bless our three kids, break bread, and pour a glass of wine in a sterling silver kiddush cup that’s been in the family for years.
We ask the kids what they’re thankful for, what made them happy that week — it’s simple but so sweet.
Dinner is something hearty I usually prep in a slow cooker that morning — enough to cover Saturday night too, so I don’t have to cook again on Shabbat. Ideally it’s challah on the table… but sometimes it’s naan or even white bread if the challah disappeared midweek (real life!).
The kids get lemonade or juice instead of their usual milk — a tiny touch that makes the meal feel special.
Saturday: True Rest
Saturday mornings are slow: French toast if we have leftover challah, scrambled eggs, maybe a learner’s service at our synagogue if the baby’s nap allows.
I do my best to stay off my phone, off my computer, and out of stores — no errands, no shopping, no online browsing.
We get outside — family walks, a new playground, maybe meeting friends at the park, or fishing with my dad when he’s in town. If we’re home, there’s reading, napping, board games, and simple snacks. We pause to notice the work we’ve done all week and let God refill us.
Yes, It’s Imperfect
We don’t hit this perfect rhythm every week. There are soccer games, birthday parties, visitors, travel. But even then, we always have Friday night dinner with candles, challah (or something bread-ish!), and blessings.
To help protect our rest, I plan ahead — blocking off every other Sabbath on our family calendar, so we don’t get swept into weekend busyness. Sometimes I have to say no to visitors or rearrange plans, but it’s worth it.
I double-check our fridge so we don’t run out of staples — especially milk, since our kids go through gallons a week! And we skip chores as much as possible. No vacuuming, no bed-changing, no toilet scrubbing. Laundry is my weak spot — with three kids and cloth diapers, sometimes a load does sneak in. But I’m working on it!
Why It Matters
Genesis 2:2 says: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.”
God doesn’t need rest — but He modeled it for us. When we choose to rest, we step into His rhythm for human flourishing. It’s not about legalistic rules — it’s about delighting in the good work we’ve done, reconnecting with our family, and rejoicing in the One who made it all possible.
Start Small & Keep Growing
Our Sabbath practice has grown slowly over the years — candles at first, then challah and wine, then unplugging, then deeper rest. Baby steps.
My humble encouragement: pick one simple ritual to start — maybe lighting candles, maybe putting your phone away, maybe a walk after dinner. Find what fills your cup and feels doable in this season.
I promise, you’ll look back a year from now and see how much your rhythm has grown.
We love the Sabbath. It makes our week flow better, it reminds us who we are, and it keeps us from burning out. I hope you’ll try it too — in your own perfectly imperfect way.
Thanks for being here, friends. Wishing you a restful Sabbath — and I’ll see you next week.