Snoozing and Jesus

Hello, Friends!

A few years ago, my friend Debbie and I started a Friday morning Bible study. It began as a way to encourage and give back to the mentors who had joined us in a ministry for women, The Push Ahead. Since that time, it has evolved into a community Bible study, and God has put together some of the most interesting groups. We have grown in our love of the Lord and one another and it has been such a BLESSING.

Debbie is the hostess with the mostest, and I’m not even kidding. She prepares a feast each week and her home is beautifully decorated and spic and span clean. Hospitality is definitely one of her gifts and she joyfully shares it with us.

It is my honor to lead the discussions. And it is so true that the teacher learns the most.

This fall, we are diving into the first 5 chapters of a lovely book, The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryon Smith. I heard a radio interview with him a while ago and purchased the book and promptly never opened it until this summer. I’m thankful for God’s timing because when I finally got around to reading it, the book blessed me big time!

In the text, we are facing some of our false narratives about God, replacing them with the true narratives of Jesus and then practicing them through soul training exercises.

The first week part of our homework was …..SLEEP!

Mr. Smith taught us…

• The number 1 enemy of Christian formation is exhaustion.
• Studies show that the average person needs 8 hours of sleep to maintain health.
• Most Americans are sleeping less than 7 hours a night.
• We were made to spend a large part of our lives doing nothing.
• A Poll by the National Sleep Foundation discovered that 49% of American adults have sleep related problems.
• Of those people, 1 in 6 suffers from chronic insomnia.
• Some physicians report that the most frequent prescriptions they write are for sleep problems.

This is a BIG DEAL because the consequences of inadequate rest include damage to our physical health, loss of energy, decreased productivity, hurting others. More people are killed by drowsy drivers than drunk drivers.

Did you know that? I sure didn’t. But I know I’ve driven drowsy.

And think of the damage we do to our friends and family and coworkers with our grouchy, sleep-deprived selves.

I know when I don’t get enough sleep, I tend to REACT to issues rather than RESPOND. And my reaction isn’t always correct or God-honoring, so being told sleep isn’t selfish, but essential is GREAT NEWS!

The internet is full of tips for sleeping so I won’t repeat those, but I will share what helps me get a good night’s sleep…..my Young Living Essential Oils. I used to be kind of embarrassed to mention my oils because I didn’t want to come across as woowoo, but now I just share them mainly with abandon.

Why wouldn’t everyone want to use God created therapeutic grade essential oils to support their health and wellness instead of a pharmaceutical?

I think they would if they only knew, so I’ll share what I’m learning!

Sleep issues were what brought me to essential oils in the first place. When I started rolling on the lavender before bed and sleeping noticeably better, Brad began using it, too. And we have never looked back.

In addition to adding our oily friends, I also changed my night time prayer routine. I used to turn off the light and then start going over my day in my head, soul searching for my sins and praying for people. This would lead to the hamster wheel of worry starting up and I just COULD NOT shut it down.

These days, I try to be more intentional throughout the day with the soul-searching and repentance and the praying for others. Now most nights before I fall asleep, I sing a song in my heart that our boys learned when they were young, and that I love….Here are the words:

I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all of my burdens down at your feet. And anytime that I don’t know what to do. I will cast all my cares upon you.

And I go to sleep.

Oils that Support Sleep for a Hardworking Farmer and His Wife

These are the oils that go in the diffuser by our bed every night……

Lavendar, the Queen of Oils…..

Cedarwood….. One of My Earthy-Favorites

 

Vetiver…..Very Chillaxin and a new one for our nighttime diffuser. See Rutavala below….

 

Rutavala……This one stinks so good and was a Young Living promo a few months ago or I might never have tried it. We hated the smell of it at first but others raved about how it supported sleep, so we started rolling it on the bottoms of our feet and then pulling the sheets up ASAP to mask the odor.  The benefits were worth any momentary “P-U,” and now we love it, and our bottle is EMPTY. (Cue the sad emojis.)

This one is out of stock, but my fingers are crossed that it won’t be for long.

 

 

Or try these:

Young Living has other oils that promote feelings of calm, so if the ones I mentioned don’t do it for you, don’t give up. You might want to mix some things up in your sleep arsenal if you are a hardcore insomniac and could consider trying one or all of the following:

Peace and Calming….A Favorite of Everyone and not just for sleeping!

 

 

Cypress….So Many Uses, including sleep support

Sleepessence….We have never tried this one, but if I had insomnia, I sure would! It has great oils that support sleep and melatonin.

Warning: If you are like me, there won’t be nearly as many late night reading sessions once you start diffusing these blessings. Even if I really want to finish a chapter in a good book, many nights I just can’t keep my eyes open long enough to do so!

It makes me sad to think so many are suffering sleeplessness and medicating themselves with prescription drugs when they could at least try using these pure therapeutic grade essential oils created by their Heavenly Father. I contacted our local CVS, and was told they have sleep products from over 20 different companies. Huh? I guess sleep is a BIG PROBLEM.

Who knows? Maybe Young Living Essential Oils would do the trick in YOUR body.

If you are ready to take the plunge click Blessing Droppers.

Questions? Ask away.

These words by James Bryon Smith on sleep were very thought-provoking…..

Sleep is a perfect example of the combination of discipline and grace. You cannot make yourself sleep. You cannot force your body to sleep. Sleep is an act of surrender. It is a declaration of trust. It is admitting that we are not God (who never sleeps), and that is good news. We cannot make ourselves sleep, but we can create the conditions necessary for sleep.

My body and spirit NEED sleep.

And so do yours.

I’m delighted to learn that slowing down, resting, even taking naps can be a way to honor Jesus and advance my spiritual formation. The Lord continually surprises me with HIS good ideas.

What are your favorite sleep tips? Tell us in the comments!