Hello friends, and welcome back to ASW Homestead. Fall always feels like a season of fullness—jars lining the pantry shelves, the garden giving its last push, and projects that seem to multiply overnight. From preserving food to fixing fences to preparing for winter, there’s always something calling for attention.
This year, that fullness looks a little different for me personally, too. In addition to the homestead, I’ve stepped into a new role as an elementary teacher at our local Christian school. It has been such a gift, but also a transition—lesson plans and grading now sit alongside canning jars and chores on my list of responsibilities. Some days, it feels like there simply isn’t enough time or energy to do it all.
And yet, God calls us to Sabbath—not when the pantry is perfect or the classroom is quiet, but right in the middle of the mess and the busyness. Sabbath is His invitation to step back, to loosen our grip on productivity, and to remember that the harvest—whether in the garden, the classroom, or our hearts—comes from Him alone.
On the homestead, Sabbath rest doesn’t always mean sitting still all day. Sometimes it looks like lighting a candle at dinner, leaving the projects for tomorrow, or taking a walk to pray and thank God for His provision. In this busy season of teaching and tending, I’m learning that rest is not wasted time—it’s holy obedience.
It’s easy to justify overwork when the needs are tangible: hungry animals, wilting plants, or unpreserved produce. But even in busy seasons, our hearts need margin. Sabbath reminds us that:
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…” – Exodus 20:9-10
Sabbath doesn’t have to be a day of complete stillness (especially with animals involved), but it should look different from every other day. Here are some ways we practice Sabbath on our homestead:
Even creation teaches us this truth. Farmers practice crop rotation and allow fields to lie fallow so the soil can replenish. Without rest, even the richest soil becomes depleted.
Faith lesson: You are soil, too. You’re where seeds are planted, where growth happens. But you can’t be fruitful forever without space to breathe.
“The land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord.” – Leviticus 25:2
In a world that glorifies hustle, rest is radical. When we stop striving, we declare with our actions:
Even on the homestead, where there is always more to do, rest is a form of resistance against burnout and idolatry of productivity.
It may feel counterintuitive, but rest makes us better stewards. When we rest we:
Just like soil, we become more fruitful when we’ve had time to replenish.
The Sabbath and the soil both remind us of something we easily forget: we weren’t created to run without stopping. Whether it’s in the classroom or on the homestead, our days will always be full of needs to meet and work to be done. But God’s design includes rhythms of work and rest, productivity and renewal, pouring out and being filled again.
In this season of teaching by day and homesteading by night, I’m learning that Sabbath isn’t about everything being finished—it’s about trusting the One who holds it all together. Rest gives us space to breathe, to listen, and to be reminded that our worth doesn’t come from our output but from being His.
So this week, I encourage you to carve out even a small moment of Sabbath. Sit with your family around the table, let the to-do list wait, or step outside to watch the sunset without rushing to the next task. In the letting go, you’ll discover a peace and strength that only God can provide—because true rest always points us back to Him.
Around here, we’re learning as we go—one season, one project, and one lesson at a time. I’m glad you’re along for the journey.
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