The BIG Dipper

No, this blog post is not about stars. Or constellations. It's also not at all about tobacco-usage of any kind.

This blog post is actually about my obsession with dipping my foods. I'm not really sure when I discovered this idiosyncrasy, but I definitely accept it as the truth. You see, I love to dip my foods. I don't just put ketchup on my hamburger. No, I have to dip the burger into ketchup a cup/puddle as well. But it's not just my burgers that get dipped. Anything I can possibly get away with dipping into something...I dip. Here are a few of my very favorite things to dip.

1. Arby's Sauce
This is probably the sauce that began my obsession with dipping. I love this stuff and of course, my roast beef sandwiches (and maybe a curly fry or potato cake) are no good without lots of it. (If the mean Arby's lady will give me more than 1 packet...Mom knows what I'm talking about.)

2. Frito Lay Bean Dip
I'm typically not a huge fan of Frito's Corn Chips, but somehow they are magically transformed by this incredibly unhealthy, amazingly delicious stuff.

3. Chuy's Jalepeno Ranch DipAgain, I'm just gonna be up-front and honest with you. I cannot stand ranch anything in any form. I gag at just the smell of jalapenos. So, why in the world am I so hopelessly addicted to this tiny little bowl of goodness??? Just please do me one favor...do not ever tell me what goes in this stuff. As they say, ignorance is bliss, my friend.

4. My Husband's Green Salsa and Famous Cheese Dip
Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of either of these insanely delicious dips, but get a load of this delicious dip. ;) But seriously, is there anything in the world that I would not slam dunk into his incredible green salsa or his cheese dip? Chips, breakfast tacos, regular tacos, quesadillas, my fingers.I mean really, the list could go on.

5. Cookies and MilkWhat would life be like without this little taste of heaven on Earth? Of course, oreos might be my favorite to dip into a really cold glass of milk, but no chocolate chip cookie is free from dunkage. I think I feel a craving comin' on.

Like I said before, these are really just a few of my favorite dipping components. I mean, dipping really does make food more fun!

What do you dip?

"Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

It's past noon and I still have not brushed my teeth or put on "real" clothes.

I've pretty much been on Facebook and have been reading various blogs all morning long.

Other than take a shower and straighten my hair (which is actually a HUGE undertaking), I haven't really done anything else very productive.

I have also spent time with JESUS. I'm so thankful that He chose to spend time with me.

Call me lazy, if you will. And I'm sure a few of you may even be groaning and rolling your eyes at my lack of activity today. I gotta be honest, it wasn't that long ago that I would be miserable with myself for taking such a lazy approach to a free day.

But in just the last year or so (more honestly, the last few months), I've really had to train myself to not just take a Sabbath day, but to also enjoy it as well. This is such a tough lesson to be learned when you've grown up in a fast-paced, too-busy-for-life, fill-every-waking-moment-with-something type of lifestyle we generally lead here in America.

Was it just me or when you were younger, did you also have school 5 days a week, with a part-time job or maybe athletics in the evenings and then mounds of homework on the weekends? And then did it also get worse for you once you entered the "real world" filled with "real life" and absolutely never have any moment of real rest, except maybe when you took a 3-hour nap on Sunday afternoons, just to wake back up to clean the house or go grocery shopping or do the budget?

Have you ever really thought about why "Keeping the Sabbath" is such a big deal in the 10 Commandments? I mean, just go to Exodus 20 and take a look at what the LORD says about it. Not only is it the 4th most important of all the commands, but it seems like there's more explanation for it than any of the others.

"Oh, that's Old Testament Law," you say? Let's flip on over to the book of Hebrews and try to figure out why there's almost an entire chapter (4) dedicated to this very same topic. The author of the book of Hebrews even seems to say that if you don't abide by this command, then you are being disobedient and are in danger of not entering into His rest.

I'm sure some of you might have heard before that "GOD's laws are a description of reality." Meaning, He knows, from an infinite mind and a loving heart, that if you do not take time to rest, then you shall surely burn out, mentally snap and go bonkers. So, He made this one of His top and most important laws (even more important than not murdering someone!) because He loves you and knows what's best for you. And at least 1 day of rest is best.

What exactly does He mean by "rest"? Whatever is restful to you. Reading people's blogs and going for a run is restful to me. Gardening and cooking is restful to my husband. Do you enjoy sleeping in and playing games with family? Or do you enjoy going on a hike by yourself? Some people find endless hours of shopping restful for them. I do not.

The Bible doesn't really seem to say what your rest should specifically look like for you, but it does say to make time for rest. And I think we're in danger of something pretty awful if we choose to neglect this (or any other) commandment.

Today is the day I have set aside as my Sabbath. So, what am I going to do with it? I'm going to continue to read people's blogs, then I'm going to pack up and head out to the lake to enjoy the company of some dear friends.

What will your Sabbath look like?