I started this year by presenting my am/pm routines as ideas for shaping or structuring each day’s start and finish.
This article will present my weekly routine. It’s not flashy or even always consistent, but it’s something to which I aim. Perhaps some element may be helpful as you seek to honor God and serve others throughout your week.
Monday – Thursday
These days begin and end with my am/pm routines. Between the morning and evening routines, I have relatively consistent work routines.
Friday – Saturday
Friday begins at 5:00 AM with my AM routine and then quickly moves to writing, ministry-related, or office-related work. Like Monday through Thursday, at the top of each hour, my cuckoo clock reminds me it’s time for 20 pushups. So, I stop whatever I’m doing and get a quick set of twenty pushups, and then I’m back to writing or other office work. This pattern is held throughout the day, with a brief break for lunch mixed in around 11:30 AM.
By 5:00 PM, I usually shut down the computer and enter our family’s weekly Sabbath observance. We don’t get too rigid here, which means avoiding legalistic tendencies. For instance, if there’s travel, a sports game, or other previous responsibility, we push this evening to Saturday or next week.
Why do we have Friday to Saturday Sabbath instead of Saturday to Sunday? Since Sunday can be a busy day for me, being in paid ministry and all, I aim to capture a night/morning per week that my family and I (especially while the kiddos are still in the house) are cultivating rest and remembering (rest from thinking I/we can do it all and remembering God is the Creator, Giver, and Sustainer of all things).
Thus, our observation of the Sabbath begins on Friday evening with our best dinner and dessert of the week, which ranges from chicken fried steak to pizza. We significantly limit or turn off phones and computers entirely and instead opt to play games, watch a movie, or do something simple together as a family. At the end of the meal (and while still sitting around the dinner table), I share a positive character quality I observed each of my daughters and wife exhibit or express that week. It’s my way of speaking words of life into them and verbally sharing that I notice them and their hearts. After the evening activity, we’ll have a family devotional that aligns with my evening routine.
Saturday begins with no alarm. We wake up when we wake up. It’s slow, easy, and enjoyable. After pouring our morning coffee, Jenn and I will ease onto the back porch and talk about life, family, ministry, the world around us, and more. There’s no agenda except to be together and connect. Our best breakfast meal of the week is Saturday morning, ranging from waffles and eggs to biscuits and gravy. During breakfast, I share one verse from our Proverbs journal with the family and make a basic application to life. It’s short and sweet. After breakfast, we usually go to the Greenbelt or State Park for a family walk/hike. After the hike, we have a basic lunch, read, play, exercise, work in the yard, and more until the afternoon. We aim to be together without distractions. My season with our children is limited, so I’m maximizing the memories in slow motion before they are launched into adulthood. I aim to develop godly instincts by slowing down, soaking in the moments, and simplifying our activities.
Sunday
Usually, this day begins at 6:00 AM and picks up with my AM routine. We have breakfast together, and I share a life application from one verse of the day’s proverb. Breakfast is short and sweet, and the morning quickly moves to leaving for the 9:00 AM church service. As a family, we attend the morning service and divide based on Sunday School classes (or work for me). Lunch at home follows church, and then I jump on my trampoline and call my twin brother. We usually talk for a good bit about life, family, work, and more. The family relaxes, prepares for school, and then heads to choir practice. Next, the evening routine starts again, except I set aside time for a phone call with my parents to catch up with them about the week.
How Might This Apply To You?
- Everyone and every family is different.
- First, you can find ways to build godly rhythms into your life without being rigid or discouraged when they’re not met. I don’t stress or feel bad if we miss a Friday-Saturday Sabbath, but I aim for it, look forward to it, and miss it when I don’t experience that sweet family time together.
- Second, you may not have any children, or your children may be out of the house. In either case, your expression of a weekly routine ought to be intentional and capture the essence of your family’s or your individual values.
- Start small. Life is Short.
- Build a weekly routine by making one special morning or evening and then stick to it for a month. You’ll be amazed at how creative and focused you may become. We don’t know when our death day will be; however, we can make the most of the time while we’re here.
- Remember the Seasons.
- The weekly routine I presented above will change as our family’s or life season changes. Therefore, remember that it’s dynamic, which implies flexibility and flexing. God will guide you. Just recognize, respect, and redeem the seasons of life—no regrets!
“So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12
— March 26, 2024