Sabbath + Banana Nut Bread
I have learned to love slow weekends—no agenda or plan, just making it up as you go. There was a time in my life when I forced myself to keep my weekends packed to the brim with activities because I didn’t like sitting still or being alone. The biggest lesson I took out of my twenties was the gift of rest and honoring the Sabbath.
Allowing myself to sleep in until my body decided to get up, doing things I loved for myself, and overall going slow became a priority. I remember early on, I couldn’t sit still at home, so I would just browse antique malls or go thrifting. Sometimes, I’d drive around historic neighborhoods with a Starbucks in hand or set up in parks to journal and paint.
I truly cannot express how much this simple act changed my life. It made me wonder how we got to the point as a society where work and tasks became our silent idols. God Himself took a day of rest after creating the universe and asked the same of us. In Mark 2:27, the Word clearly says, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” God knew we needed this day to rest, to worship with Him, and to reset for the week ahead.
Am I great at keeping it every weekend? Unfortunately, no. In fact, if I go more than two weeks without taking that Sabbath, I start to see a huge difference in my mood, emotions, and overall energy levels. It’s like I am running on fumes, even if I get good sleep. So I try my best to make it a habit to have one day a week where I am at full rest. Though it’s a commandment from the Lord, it takes intentionality on our part. We have to choose it.
Now my Sabbath day looks a little more like staying in PJs all day, journaling, cooking and baking, and overall doing absolutely nothing. It’s my favorite day of the week, and I come into my next week feeling refreshed and able to take on my tasks much more easily.
It’s in these quiet moments that God really speaks to me. I dream with Him and work through my struggles. Not to say I don’t do that throughout the week, but this is special, intentional time. It was in those quiet moments that I dreamed up Be Still & Get Creative and all it could be—along with the other ideas the Lord has for me to create.
This time of year is particularly busy for me—planning our winter women’s retreat, my sister’s baby shower, my birthday, and the completion and launch of the book. I worked late nights into the early mornings trying to balance everything, but I made sure my weekends were only that of rest and enjoyment. I thank God for sustaining me through the week with what I call "10-minute miracles"—somehow making things fall into place as if deadlines didn’t exist (when they very much do!).
If you are someone who is always on the go, always working, or staying busy—I challenge you to take a day this upcoming week and wipe your calendar. Rest your mind, body, and soul. Sleep in, watch a movie, make some great food, spend time with the Lord, and give thanks for all He’s done in your life. Do this for the next four weeks and see how your life changes.
Kelsey Kimbrough
Get Creative Ministries
Recipe Below
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Recipe Below 〰️
For my Sabbath this week I decided to make use of some browning bananas and whip up a Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread in my Bread Machine and it came out sooooo good and I wanted to share the recipe for you! I love my bread machine because it does it all for me from mixing to baking and I have never had anything come out burned or dry.
Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread (Bread Maker Recipe)
Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
I used 3, but since I have a smaller bread machine, 2 would have been better!
⅓ cup melted butter
¼ cup milk
½ cup brown sugar
I substituted this with 1/2 cup of white sugar + 1 tsp honey since I was out of brown sugar!
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
½ cup chocolate chips
(Optional) I added in some of my favorite unflavored protein powder to the batch to add a little kick!
Instructions:
Add all wet ingredients (bananas, melted butter, milk, egg, vanilla, and honey) to the bread maker pan.
Add dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon) on top of the wet ingredients.
Sprinkle the nuts and chocolate chips over the dry ingredients.
Select the “Quick Bread” or “Cake” setting on your bread maker. If your machine doesn’t have this, use the basic setting and check for doneness.
Once finished, remove from the pan and let cool before slicing.
I used the cake setting on my bread machine and needed to bake an additional 20 minutes to get it to perfect consistency!
If you don’t have a bread machine or prefer to use a standard oven, here are the instructions for that below!
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk, eggs, honey, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Add the mashed bananas and mix until smooth.
Stir in the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Gently stir in the flour until just combined—do not overmix.
Add the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips, mixing them into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
