Peace on Earth December Challenge: Week 3

REST

Oh how I love my rest! I really and truly do. I use to be a really good morning person. I could go to bed really late and still be able to get up at any time, and go with a smile on my face.

Not any more. It just doesnt' happen. My body needs some rest. I will say that in the past I would lay awake and worry about EVERYTHING! I would wake up with headaches, just because I was so stressed out about things. This is something that Derreck has helped me with over the years. He has lead me to learn to put my trust in the Lord on many topics. Some are still a work in progress, but most are fully in God's hands!

The scriptures Derreck would always remind me of are found in Matthew 6:25-34.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?


27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:


29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.


30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?


32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.


33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.


34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God WILL provide for us IF we see the kingdom of God and His righteousness first! I know this now! Sometimes the devil does sneak back in and tries to get me to worry, and it is hard to push him away, but I know all I have to do is seek God, and He will take care of me!

These days I have another reason why I am not getting enough rest. First, let me say, that I promised God that I would spend time with Him at 6:00 each morning and Derreck is helping me hold true to me word. Second, I do like to go to bed with Derreck, since he is gone for half a month, when he is home, I like to spend as much time with him as possible. So sometimes we do end up staying up really late. And after awhile of not getting much sleep I am crabby. Forth, I am a very LIGHT sleeper. If Derreck moves, I am usually awake. But the main reason I get awakened many times during the night are...

Yep...Those two boogers. This picture was taken almost a year ago, so Nimrod has grown (a lot).They take turns at night keeping guard. Once you get use to one growling and barking the other takes over. Thor is a Great Dane and Nimrod is a Chocolate Lab. If you haven't been around these two types of dogs when they are barking, well they are LOUD. Especially when they are by the bedroom window. It's horrible especially at night.

However for the past 3 or 4 nights, I have put them in the shop. It is completely dark in there, and they have no choice but to lay down and go to sleep! So that means that for the past 3-4 nights I have got 6+ continuous hours of sleep! And let me tell you it is SO nice. I wake up relaxed, and energized. I don't fell like I am dragging by the middle of the day. I haven't taken any naps! Plus I have done all kinds of things during the day.

This weeks challenge is to: Pull out your calendar and SCHEDULE a night where you will go to bed very very early. Take your Bible with you to bed and read in bed for at least 5 minutes. Read in Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Jeremiah 23:5, and Isaiah 53. These are prophecies that were fulfilled by the birth and life of Jesus. Get extra blankets for a warm nights rest, pray God gives you deep rest and that no one wakes you. Then turn out the lights and sleep.

I plan to do this tonight and get my week started of right! Also something that I am going to work on is not staying up every night with Derreck. It defeats the purpose of me spending time with him if I am a grouch during the day because I am so tired. So I will be going to sleep at around 10ish to get the rest I need to be a joyful wife and woman of God!