Preparing for The Lord's Day

Sunday, The Lord's Day, is the busiest and most challenging day in our week. It also has the potential to be the most edifying. Waking up Sunday morning with no thought or preparation is a recipe for disaster and is sure to give a crushing blow to the spiritual strength I was hoping to gain that day. The more little ones we add to our life, the more needful serious efforts and preparation become. I had planned this post for over a month now, and ironically, yesterday the Four Moms (with 37 kids now) did a post on Getting Out the Door on Sunday Morning. They share some wonderful ideas, and a wonderful sense of humor, particularly The Deputy Headmistress. If you need a good laugh, definitely take the time to read her post.

But I'll share some of my tips and ideas for making the most of a Sunday by preparing for the day on Saturday.

• Everyone has baths/showers on Saturday, and not on Sunday morning. We have one bathroom, so we even ask overnight guests to comply with this rule, though an exception can be made as long as they are showered and out by 7:30 am.
  
• Clothes are all laid out Saturday night. Mine too. I try to buy things that won't need ironing, but every now and then a collar needs a touch up, so that is done the night before as well. Clothes, underclothes, socks, shoes... everything is laid out in a certain place. (Preacher Man prefers to take care of his own clothes, so that is all up to him.) I have a friend who has her little girls sleep in their slips, and their dresses are pulled on the next morning. Smart lady, she is!
• Diaper bag is packed Saturday night. Since we do cloth diapers, I make sure we have plenty washed and ready - I try not to do laundry on Sunday. I also recommend carrying wipes of some kind no matter what the age of your children. I can't tell you how many Sundays we've all sat down on the pew when I notice someone has a very dirty face! Oops!
  
• Bible class prep is taken care of on Saturday. Sometimes this is a bigger deal than others. I imagine it will be a bigger deal as the kids get older. Memory verses are practiced throughout the week, but there is extra polishing on Saturday.
• Salad for Sunday's lunch is prepped and ready to go in the fridge.
  
• One end of the dining room table is designated as the place to gather items to take to the meeting place. Bibles and class materials, diaper bag, glasses, etc...
  
• Something new I am starting: I'm baking healthy muffins and preparing a breakfast meat (bacon or sausage) on Saturdays now. I will still scramble some eggs Sunday morning, but otherwise, a filling breakfast is ready to go. (We need lots and lots of protein, the littles and I, so our situation requires this. You may do better sticking with cereal, bagels, or some other easier breakfast.)

Sunday Morning:

• Get up early. Even earlier than you would think. I have a much more peaceful Sunday if I can have some time to sip my coffee and have some peace before the craziness begins.
• Turn on some music - hymns would be best. Start setting your mind on things "above".
  
• If you have an infant, I suggest getting dressed in all of your under-things, jewelry on and hair fixed, and then walking around in a (modest) bathrobe until the last possible second. Throw on your clothes right before you walk out the door and hope for the best. I try to dress the baby at the last possible second too. I never did figure out if it was better to dress myself or the baby last. It's a bit of a toss-up. Either way, when you have a spitting up, diaper blowing out baby, plan for back up clothes!
• We've drastically simplified our Sundays by having "Spaghetti Sundays" for lunch each week. I cover it more in the post I linked, but it really has made life easier for us, so I highly recommend it!
• Plan to arrive VERY early. This way, if you are unavoidably delayed, which seems to happen more often than not, you still have a generous window of time to take care of the necessary delay. For us, we plan to arrive 20 minutes early! Might sound like a lot, but it is rare that we actually arrive 20 minutes early! I grew up with the saying, "To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be LATE!" Anyway, the Bible class teachers will be so very grateful if your family arrives early or on time. And if you are teaching, then it is VERY important to be early!
  
• I already said that I do not do laundry on Sundays. While we do not hold strictly to the "no work on Sundays" rule as many in earlier generations, I think there was great wisdom in having a day of rest. By all means, wash your dishes from lunch, but you will have more peace in your heart if you take a day off from doing chores. Have a nap. Read your Bible. Take a walk outdoors. But do rest.
• Then enjoy your time of worship and of fellowship. Edify and be edified in return. Learn and grow in God's word.
  

What suggestions do you have for making Sundays run smoother?