Sabbath.

What is Sabbath? Isn't it a weird thing to think about? One day, out of every week, when God commanded us to not do things.

To rest.

But what does that look like? For the Pharisees, that meant doing absolutely nothing. Jesus' disciples even got in trouble for picking heads of wheat as a snack! For Jews living in present-day Israel, it means not even pushing the button on the elevator (the elevator is programmed to stop at ever floor because of this). For some of my friends, Sabbath is simply taking a break from the routine, and doing fun things for a day.

But is that all? A set of rules (or not!) of how not to work?

Sabbath is based on this: God performed the work of creation for six days, so on the seventh day, He rested.

God - the all-powerful King of the universe - needed a break. If He needs to take a break sometimes, how much more so do we, weak, human beings we are!

But how on earth do we do that? In this fast-paced, plugged-in environment we live in, it can be hard to get away for an hour, let alone a whole day.

Here's what I propose: that, rather than a set of Don't's, Sabbath should be more about the heart. Take a day to do what you find fulfilling and restful, and find God in that. For example, you can probably guess by the title of this blog that I very much enjoy sewing. To make that my Sabbath, I would set aside some time to simply sew. As I sewed, I would dwell on the good things that God has done for me, and reflect on the questions that have been on my mind.

Sabbath is a heart attitude. It is a matter of finding God in the little, fun, joyful moments that fill your day. It's a matter of taking the time to spend time with God, and glorify Him.

Sexy Gospel (Or, This Is What I Teach My Youth Kids)

I just got back from helping lead an awesome youth retreat (so if this post seems rather scattered, it's because I haven't gotten much sleep haha). The topic was sex and relationships, and we had a really amazing time talking about what a healthy relationship looks like, why we have the natural urges and desires that we do, and what sorts of things we can be doing to prepare for a God-glorifying relationship and marriage in the future. It was an awesome retreat. I was so impressed by the kinds of questions the kids were asking - they were really deep! I also learned a lot myself. There was so much great stuff brought up, and I wanted to share some of the highlights that really stuck out to me.

• Purity is not just "avoiding sex". It is way more. True purity is seeking to live out your life - and your relationships - in a way that constantly glorifies God. This definitely includes avoiding sex before marriage, but it also affects many other aspects of a relationship.
• Sex is not the point of marriage. In Christian circles, it is easy to fall into the trap of just getting to the honeymoon, but if that's all there is, then why bother getting married at all? The point of marriage is to spend your whole life growing closer to one person, allowing yourself to be totally vulnerable with them, and learning to love them unconditionally - the way God loves each and every one of us.
• It is important to be aware that other people may give and recieve love and affection differently than you. Things that you might consider totally fine (hugging your friend, for example), they might consider to be too forward or uncomfortable. Communication and openness are key.

The retreat was a really awesome, and I loved getting to talk through some of this stuff with my youth girls. They had so many profound thoughts and questions, I'm pretty sure I learned more that they did!