“Because the world is full of ugly things, we need the Sabbath to feed our soul with beauty.” —Tim Keller

“God saw all that He had made and it was very good.” —Genesis 1.31

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” —Teddy Roosevelt

“In this world, you will have trouble.” —Jesus, John 16.33

“Time and chance happen to us all.” —Ecclesiastes 9.11

“These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full.” —Jesus, John 15.11

Joy is a

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…” —Galatians 5.22

“The decision to set the mind on the higher things of life is an act of the will. That is why celebration is a Discipline. It is not something that falls on our heads. It is the result of a consciously chosen way of thinking and living.” —Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested [Sabbathed] from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested [Sabbathed] from all the work of creating that He had done.” —Genesis 1.31-2.3

“The Sabbath is an invitation to enter delight. The Sabbath when experienced as God intended, is the best day of our lives. Without question or thought, it is the best day of the week. It is the day we anticipate on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – and the day we remember on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Sabbath is the holy time where we feast, play, dance, have sex, sing, pray, laugh, tell stories, read, paint, walk, and watch creation in its fullness. Few people are willing to enter the Sabbath and sanctify it, to make it holy, because a full day of delight and joy is more than most people can bear in a lifetime, let alone a week.” —Dan Allender, Sabbath

“Observing the Sabbath gives us the opportunity to be as careful as we can to fill our lives with beauty and to share beauty with the world around us. When we observe a day especially set apart for beauty, all the rest of life is made more beautiful…In a larger sense, the whole practice of Sabbath keeping makes me feel more beautiful. As I spend the day reflecting on the character of God, I am overwhelmed by His love for me. As I feast upon His goodness in all its beautiful forms, I realize more profoundly that I am a special part of His creation and designed especially for His purposes in a uniquely beautiful way.” —Marva Dawn, Keeping the Sabbath Wholly

1. I have to

   Reveal Answer
   .

2. It will require me to put

   Reveal Answer
   around my day.

“We don’t know how to feast, because we don’t know how to fast.” —Marva Dawn

1. It will require me to
   Reveal Answer
   .

“Today I am going to pamper my soul.” —Rabbi Reb Zalman

“What could I do for a twenty-four-hour period of time that would bring me deep, gut-busting joy in God?”

Pleasure Stacking

Traditional Sabbath Activities

1. Feasting
2. Community
3. Gratitude
4. Play
5. Making Love to Your Spouse
6. Nature

“Rejoice in the Lord always.” —Paul, Philippians 4.4a

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words then you will find your Joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” —Isaiah 58.13-14