Ally's World

Cancer. AIDS. Car accident. Stroke. Aneurism. Drunk driving incident. Murder. Suicide. These are all common forms of death. But heart attacks, or scientifically referred to as myocardial infarctions, are the leading cause of death worldwide for both men and women. In the entire world, more people die from a heart attack than anything else! Without a doubt, you know someone that has had a heart attack or you yourself have suffered from one. Yes, death is inevitable. However, I believe that our bodies are temples of the living God, meaning that we should take the utmost care of them and be good stewards of what He has given us. 2 Corinthians 6:16 states that “we are temples of the living god.” Therefore, today I want to share how we can guard our hearts, both physically and spiritually, in order to live this life abundantly!

Heart attacks stem from a variety of causes. Family history, obesity, stress, age, smoking, and diabetes all could lead to this dreaded attack. Because you can’t help your family history or age, I want to focus on the triggers that we can, and absolutely should, fix. Let’s begin with obesity. If you are overweight or obese, you are assuredly at risk for a heart attack. In my opinion, it’s simply not worth the risk, especially since you have control over your weight. Like I have said in previous posts, you should exercise for thirty minutes three different times per week. This is a non-negociable requirement to be heart healthy! Also, staying away from fatty or fried foods, as well as saturated fats, it vital for a healthy heart. Along with obesity, stress commonly causes deadly heart attacks. Therefore, cast all your cares on the Lord and trust completely in Him, and He will take care of you! I wrote about stress a while ago, and if you are interested in this topic, I would love for you to read that post!

All this to say that heart attacks are deadly, and we should take them very seriously. But they can often be prevented! So, whatever age you are, start taking precautions NOW to prevent irreversible pain in the future.Don’t think that you are exempt from getting a heart attack, because it could happen to anyone. Stop the pain before it happens.

Not only can we have physical pain in our hearts, emotionally and spiritually our hearts often ache. Most of the time, this pain stems from relationship issues because relationships often reach the very depths of the heart. Break ups. Divorce. Confusion. Separation. Mistakes. Penetrating words. Cheating. Whatever the cause, our hearts often suffer from heartache that comes from relationships. Love is certainly a risk and takes definite trust in the other person, so how can you prevent seemingly unavoidable heartache?

This is a question, especially as a young, single woman who has been hurt in the past and has seen the girls closet to me have their hearts broken, I have asked myself recently. The Lord showed me an incredible passage of Scripture that I hope will speak to your spirit as well. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:6-7. When we submit our requests to the Lord, His peace will guard your heart. Not only does this apply to young men and women who are not yet married, but it applies to everyone. The Lord graciously invites us to surrender our hearts to Him, and He will take care of us.

I like to think of it in this manner. When we surrender whatever is on our hearts to Him- whether that be a relationship, family, work, etc.- His peace, which is incomprehensible, will protect us like a shield. I visualize myself in a bubble of the Lord’s delicate care and provision where nothing can touch me as long as I keep surrendering to Him. We should give our hearts completely to the Lord and allow Him to disperse our hearts wherever He decides will give Him the most glory.

The bottom line is that our hearts will ache and be broken without the Lord holding them together. We need Him. Just as we should take physical heart attacks seriously, we must realize that Satan will attack our hearts and our spirits when we do not surrender them completely to the Life-Giver, who holds the very strings of our hearts in place. So today, I challenge you to physically examine yourself. Do you eat healthfully and exercise? Do you excessively stress? Now is the time to take action. Spiritually, what parts of your heart do you still have control over? What have you not surrendered? Why will you not give it to the One who holds every piece of you in place?

I want to leave you with this verse to think about: Psalm 95:7-8 “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Listen and obey to what the Lord has for you!

Since birth, I have had a tiny hole on the inside wall of my heart (on the interventricular septum to be exact!). It has never had any major effect on me, except that I had to be careful when I was at the dentist because an infection could get into my heart through this tiny little hole. For a long time, my heartbeat sounded different as well, which is interesting. But it’s been closing since we found it, and it may not even be there any more!

Last Friday, I went to the hospital for an echocardiogram, which is basically a sonogram of the heart, to see if the hole is still there. During the cardiac ECHO, as it is referred to in the medical realms, the nurse showed me my heart and explained what all was going on. This quickly sent my mind spinning back to the world of physiology, which I thoroughly studied last semester. I immediately remembered why the heart intrigued me the most during my study of physiology, and I want to share that with you today.

It is remarkable to fathom what happens in one single heartbeat, and the heart beats between 50-80 beats per minute. Four chambers exist in the heart. Two atria sit on top, and two ventricles rest on the bottom. A septum vertically separates the atria and ventricles to split the heart into two sides- right and left. The right side of the heart (which is anatomically on the left side of the body ironically enough) creates a pulmonary circuit, which carries deoxygenated blood to the lungs to become oxygenated once again. Functioning simultaneously, the left side (which is on the right side of the heart) takes the oxygenated blood from the pulmonary circuit and distributes it to all the organs of the body in what is called the systemic circuit.

During one heartbeat, blood rushes from the body into the atria, then into the ventricles to be sent to the body. As the blood moves from the atria to the ventricles, the first heart sound is made, which is called “lupp.” As the blood leaves the ventricles, the second heart sound is made, which is called “dubb.” These two sounds create what is heard in a heartbeat! Obviously much more than this one action occurs, but that would encompass an entire chapter in a physiology textbook!

Although physically the heart seems overwhelmingly complicated, much more exists to the heart than just the physical side. For our bodies, the heart is the life-giver. When it stops, we stop. When it races, we are exhilarated. It produces our pace of life and sends a vital component of our bodies to every organ. However, the heart possesses much more depth than the physical qualities we have covered. Spiritually, the heart is the life-giver as well. Proverbs 4:23 states that the heart is the wellspring of life. Along with this verse, Proverbs 14:30 claims that “A heart at peace gives life to the body.” Therefore, our hearts are just as important spiritually as physically.

The human heart exists as a peculiar part of the body, a part where body and soul dance together and respond with vibrancy and emotion to the diverse conditions of life. It embodies the deepest and most intimate ideas of a person and dictates how an individual will interact with his or her surrounding environment. And God wants it. He deeply and jealously longs for every string of our hearts. Romans 10:9 boldly states, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” What we believe in the deepest parts of our hearts determines the fate of our souls for eternity.

Once you believe, He still desires for us to give our hearts to Him. Ultimately, God is the Life-Giver. Acts 17:27 declares that “in him we live and move and have our being.” So, if our heart brings life to us physically and spiritually, shouldn’t we trust fully in the Lord? If He is the ultimate Life-Giver, what joy and vivacity would radiate our lives if He touched the inward workings of our hearts. So today, search your heart. Are there crevices and hidden corners that you have not surrendered to the Lord? Have you never given your heart to the Lord? Now is the time, and there is not a second to waste. Allow the Life-Giver to bring life to your heart today!

Hello everyone! Happy summer! For the next few weeks, I will be working as a counselor at Sky Ranch. Sky Ranch is a Christian camp for kids ages 8-16, and I’ll be there until July 3! I might have time to blog while I’m there, but no guarentees! So, in the meantime, I will be earnestly seeking what the Lord is saying to me. I will be brainstorming ideas for future posts, and I’m excited to get back to my weekly posts after camp! Please please comment if you have any questions or ideas for the blog. I’d truly love to hear your input.

I’ll leave you with this verse for the next few weeks: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39. Let’s give our ALL to Christ this summer!

Today I want to share with you my thoughts on accountability. This is a topic very dear to my heart because of how much the Lord has changed my life because of it. Although it seems that accountability seems to be strictly spiritual, we physically need support and encouragement as well. So, please take heart to this message! I promise that it will have significant effects to your well being if you do!

Diet and exercise can seem ominous and untouchable sometimes, especially if you are planning on tackling these two tasks by yourself. In fact, it’s almost impossible to maintain a healthy lifestyle that reaches optimal wellness on your own. We simply need each other. We need to fight our battles together in order to conquer the rampages of laziness and obesity that is trampling our world. No need to expound more on this topic. Simply look for someone to hold you accountable and grab an accountability partner in order to succeed in diet and exercise! All the principles I have written about before will be greatly enhanced when someone is encouraging you and helping you! If you have any advice or stories, do share.

Now onto the good stuff! In high school, I had the privilege of being in an accountability group for two years. It consisted of six girls, and we were led by a wonderful lady. Each week we would go to her house and share our lives together. We told of our struggles and triumphs and prayed for one another. We read Scripture and deeply challenged one another to boldly live out our faith.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work,” says Ecclesiastes 4:9. This verse proves why we need each other. We enhance and enrich each other’s lives. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching,” states Hebrews 10:24. This concept is a Biblical command!

In Ephesians 6, Paul describes the armor of God. The helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, sword of salvation, feet fitted in readiness, belt of truth, and backplate of…oh that’s right! A backplate is not mentioned in Ephesians 6. Therefore, Christian brother and sisterhood provides the backplate we need in order to be fully protected from the devil’s scheme. We must rely on each other so that the devil does not establish a foothold in our lives. Accountability provides the backplate in our set of armor!

All this to say, share your lives with each other. Be transparent and vulnerable. Be bold in prayer and in challenging one another. If you do not have accountability in your life, pray that the Lord will provide that for you. And He will because He is faithful. Therefore, if you do not have someone to share with, pray that the Lord will provide that opportunity for you. If you are in an accountability group, use it to its full potential, challenging and encouraging one another. Lastly, lead someone else and hold them accountable! Investing in people is eternal and well worth it!

Please share your thoughts! I know that the Lord is typing through my fingers because it’s finals time, and I have been hibernating in my study room for five straight days! Also, I typed the first part of this post a few days ago, but it did not save. So, clearly, this post is what the Lord has to say! Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear your ideas!

Without a doubt, we need physical activity in our lives to maintain optimal vitality and health. In fact, in order to be healthy-not to be in shape, only to be healthy- we need to do some sort of physical activity for at least thirty minutes three to five times per week. Studies show that exercise helps defeat heart disease and diabetes. We were created to be active!

So here is my recommendation for exercise that I know you have just been dying to hear: you need to intentionally work out at least three times per week! Allow me to define work out for you. It’s not that hard I promise! Running, walking, swimming, climbing stairs, intense gardening, dancing, aerobics, a work out class, biking, any form of sports, etc. constitutes working out. The opportunities truly are endless! It’s radiant outside right now. Not too hot, not too cold, sun shining bright, so go ahead and get to exercising! If anyone has any inspiring words for exercise, please comment! I know it sounds silly to put so much emphasis on exercise, but for just a small task, it has ENORMOUS health benefits!

Another aspect of exercise is training. We train our bodies to be able to accomplish certain physical tasks. For example, I have danced for fifteen years of my life, and at the end of high school, I was able to dance spectacularly because I had trained my body in that manner. Another example is training for a marathon. Some of my good friends just ran the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Now, that is something that you cannot just wake up and do! It takes months and months of diligent preparation and faithful practicing. I could not just pick up a baseball bat and play for the OU baseball team, but I would need to train my body to act in that way. Or, I could not just appear at the Olympics and compete. No, it takes a lifetime of training.

Right now I am reading through the Thessalonians and Timothys in the New Testament with my two best friends from home. The other day I found this verse, and it literally blew me away: 1 Timothy 4:7-8 “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Take a moment to re-read this passage and pray that the Holy Spirit will truly speak to you right in this moment. For me, this verse is so profound because I have found bodily exercise to be of great value. It relieves my stress, keeps me looking fit, allows me to bond with my friends, and is pleasurable to me. If I am reaping such rewards from exercise, HOW MUCH MORE will I gain from exercising godliness. If I allot time every day to work out, I need to set aside even more time for the Lord. It says so clearly that godliness is of value in every way. Therefore, we need to live in such a way that declares this statement.

In the book Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, he redefines godliness in a truly touching way by saying that UNgodliness is “living one’s everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God’s will, or of God’s glory, or of one’s dependence on God.” We are called to train ourselves to constantly abide in the Lord, on His will, on His unmistakable glory, and on just how much we need Him. How, then, can we obtain this goal?

Just as you cannot run a marathon after only training to run one mile, you cannot become godly by reading the Bible one time! How can we get to the point of ONLY having the Lord on our minds? Of having no other thoughts but to do the will of the Lord? Of continually praising Him for His glory? Little by little. It may seem overwhelming to think of yourself matching this standard, but that’s the beauty of God’s grace! He WANTS and deeply desires for you to be godly.

Little by little. It starts now. It starts by reading your Bible every single day, always thirsting for more. It starts by sectioning off a time in your day to pray and praise Him. It starts by serving your friends and the people all around you. Just as exercising makes us physically stronger, investing more time in the Lord makes us spiritually stronger. And as you spend more time with the Lord, His fire will consume your heart to make you crave Him more and more, just as we do exercise when it has become part of life.

Bodily training is of some value. In fact, it will assuredly improve your health! But godliness is of a value that does not even begin to compare to exercise. So, I urge you, my brothers and sisters, train yourself for godliness. I know exercise is the craze right now, especially in a college town like Norman! Every one I know works out! What if everyone worked out spiritually? Would not a spiritual revolution develop? It starts with you. I would love to hear how you personally feel that we can do this!

Once again, thank you for reading my blog! I simply adore writing, and I still can’t believe that people actually read what I’m writing. I know that God has such a profound purpose in this, and I love being part of this journey! If you would like to know anything about a particular health topic, I’d love to write a post about something of your interest!

Water. The liquid we drink with our meals and throughout the day. What falls from the sky during a raging thunderstorm. What flows through the world’s winding rivers. What washes onto shore from the sea. What we wash our bodies with. Water is a universal constant that assists in sustaining our world. Without it, we thirst. We live in famine. We would be without so much beauty that nature offers through water.

Surprise, surprise: our bodies absolutely need water to function! In fact, we need eight glasses of water per day. I know that’s a figure you hear often, but it is entirely true. So this wellness lesson is simple: DRINK MORE WATER! When you sweat, dehydration sets in. In fact, by the time you are thirsty, you are ALREADY dehydrated. So, it would be a brilliant idea to drink water frequently and regularly throughout the day. This health truth can be applied easily! Now get to drinking that H2O!

Similarly, our souls need and thirst for living water. In John 4, Jesus reassures the woman at the well that He will fulfill and sustain her: “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Just as we need the liquid water for our bodies to survive, we desperately NEED Jesus Christ. If you are not a Christian, you need Him to save your soul and bless you with eternal life. If you are a Christian, you need Him just as much! Although we already have the promise of life, we need Him to sustain us through every second of every day.

Psalm 143:6 says, “I spread out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land.” I beg you, do not become spiritually dehydrated. Imagine a day without drinking a glass of water. You would probably be dry-mouthed, fatigued, and unable to live properly. In the same way, a day without the Lord is not worth living! DRINK HIM UP TODAY! Praise Him for His purity and ability to satisfy and sustain us.

Water exists everywhere on our planet, and I believe God had many purposes for this design. Not only does the whole condensation-precipitation-evaporation cycle allow life to continue, but I know that God placed water all around us as a reminder to rely on Him. It’s almost as if the water quietly whispers for us to spend intimate, quality time with the One who made us! So, when you gaze upon a rushing river, still lake, gleaming ocean, or just your bottle of water, be reminded that the Lord invites us to drink Him in. All day, every day. So, DRINK UP!!

Most of all, water is refreshing. So, physically and spiritually, be refreshed today. Take a moment to sip on a bottle of water and read a psalm and just allow the Lord’s providing hands to engulf you.

To add onto what I wrote about hunger last time, tonight I want to talk about filling ourselves with purity. Certainly, we must eat, physically and spiritually, when we are hungry. However, some foods will not sustain us or give us the strength or passion to live life abundantly. The power to live life to the fullest is in your hands. May this post be a nugget of wisdom that inspires you to indulge in the Lord’s unchanging Word.

Last summer, my mom, best friend, and I fasted for twenty-one days to pray for the upcoming school year by doing the “Daniel Diet.” This fast is taken from the book of Daniel, and we only ate fruits, veggies, and whole grains. No sugar, no dairy, and only water. Through this time span, God revealed so much to me. But one of the things I learned is that even though I was eating less, I was more full because everything I put in my mouth was in its purest form. And after several days, almonds and baked potatoes tasted like rich pound cake because of how pure each substance was that I put in my mouth. Several truths can be applied to our lives out of this example.

Physically, our bodies function most efficiently when we eat the most natural and healthful choices. We have all experienced that we are fulfilled and energized for a longer period of time when we eat a salad, grilled chicken sandwich, or apple than when we splurge with the hamburger, milkshake, and fries. What we put into our bodies directly determines how we will feel, what we will be capable of performing, and what our reactions will be. Not only does our food selection dictate our momentary decisions, it also ensures us good health for the future or brings us bad health. Clearly, we must be careful what foods we put into our bodies. I urge you, choose wisely what you eat! I always try to pick the healthy choice, although sometimes I fail miserably, especially at Don Juan’s. If you are deciding between an apple or cookie, pick the apple! It has more fiber, which will keep you more full for a longer period of time and possesses monumentally more nutrients.

On a more spiritual level, what we put into our minds and hearts determines how we live our lives. We have two options: be filled with the Spirit. Or be filled with the flesh. Logically thinking, why would we even want to be filled with our fleshly, sinful selves? Psalm 81:10 is a very special verse to me because I relate it to my Spanish-speaking quite often. However, it definitely applies in this case: “I AM the Lord your God. Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.” What an incredible promise that when we place ourselves in a receptive position, we will be filled with the Lord.

What we consume will consume us. This could be a scary thought and one that assuredly causes me to question what I consume. If we spend all our time studying, school will be the fire in our lives. If we always spend time with those around us, our friends will consume our thoughts. If we spend countless hours getting ready and working out and making ourselves look perfect, we will be consumed with ourselves. Even a combination of these things suffocates the space that God desires in our hearts. Phil. 4:8 declares a life-changing statement: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” These are the categories of things that we should consume! I challenge you to filter your thoughts and actions through this test- I am CERTAIN that you will see changes in your countenance and overall attitude about life. This is a challenge I am issuing for myself as well.

Finally, I want to encourage you to get to know the Lord more intimately as you allow Him to fill you with all His fullness. Rom. 15:13 says, “May the God of hope FILL you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may OVERFLOW with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” God’s Word is sweet to the taste and overwhelmingly pleasing to the soul. Drink deeply of it today. Just like we must choose appropriate food choices for our health, we must choose what goes into our minds for our spiritual health. Select quality friends abounding in wisdom, activities that are directly glorifying to the Lord, and a passion for life that is fueled by being entirely consumed with the Lord-full of purity and love.

Therefore, be FILLED. Stop settling for substances and situations that are subpar. And when you do, watch and see your life transform. Comment please and tell me your thoughts because we must feed off of each other to grow to our full potential. Thank you for reading!

Imagine with me for a minute. It’s about noon, you haven’t eaten since breakfast, you’ve had a long morning full of work. What is that sensation you feel? That’s right. You’re hungry. Or, you’ve just enjoyed a nice afternoon work out, it’s getting close to dinner, and the grumble explodes in your stomach. You wake up in the morning, and the only thing you can think about is a full, delicious breakfast. That’s right, hunger strikes again.

Now, how do we handle hunger? That’s right. We eat! We LISTEN to our bodies and refuel our bodies for whatever the day entails. Aside from how incredible it is that our bodies literally communicate with us when they need something (take a moment and praise God for that!), when hunger rules our stomachs, it means that the body literally NEEDS caloric intake in order to keep functioning at an optimal pace. Of course, we should not overeat or eat foods that do not promote optimal health, but it is necessary that we give our body what it needs when it needs it- such as after a long day around meal time!

In the same way, our spirits long and hunger for the Lord, His presence, His word, and fellowship with His children. Can you imagine if you did not listen to your tummy rumbling when it is empty? Then, why do we ignore our hearts when they are hungry for God’s Word? I urge you, FEED YOUR HUNGRY SOUL! What happens when our bodies lack food for an extended period of time? We grow weary and famished and are unable to continue with the rigorous pace we live. Similarly, when we suspend our intake of the Lord and His Word, our souls grow weary and faint and depleted.

In my Personal Health class right now, we are learning about eating disorders. We watched a video of these women who weigh less than 100 pounds, refuse to eat, and are literally wasting away. Let’s commit to not be spiritually anorexic. In order to fulfill this commitment, several things must occur to be spiritually full! Firstly, reading the Word. Nothing is more filling and sustaining to our souls than a delicious chunk of Scripture. Secondly, we satisfy our spiritual hunger when we surround ourselves with Christians and FEED OFF of each other. God uses people to speak, so let’s speak to and receive instruction from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Take a moment to read Psalm 63 right now. This states that our souls and our bodies long for Christ and hunger for Him, and He faithfully satisfies us as with the richest of foods. Hunger is something that is satisfied for a time, yet our bodies and souls need to be filled several times per day. We need to LISTEN to our spirits and fill them when they are empty.

So I leave you with this message, a simple yet life-changing truth: EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY! Physically and spiritually!

As I write, I literally have none of these words planned out before I write, and it’s miraculous how the Lord takes control of my fingers on the keyboard! Please leave me your thoughts or questions, physically or spiritually. I have many, many more inspired ideas to come soon, so keep reading!

Hello friends! Tonight I am writing a topic that is very dear to my heart because I have lived it and constantly rely on it each and every day. This entry can directly affect you spiritually and physically, and if you heed this advice, your wellness in life will undoubtedly rise!

Isn’t the sleep cycle a peculiar thing? Isn’t it fascinating how our bodies require sleep? Don’t you wonder why we get sleepy at night and we wake up in the morning? Our bodies divinely operate on a mechanism called circadian rhythm. This rhythm releases certain hormones at appropriate times, resulting in a response in the body. In our bodies, we have a hormone that causes drowsiness, called melatonin. Due to our circadian rhythm, our bodies release melatonin in higher amounts during the night hours. For example, babies highest melatonin levels are between the hours of midnight and 8 AM.

Not only is this circadian rhythm important, but our response to its signal is as well. Our bodies function best on eight hours of sleep per night, especially when these hours are on a regular sleep schedule. As a college student, eight hours of sleep per night is unrealistic to be honest! However, I recognize the importance of listening to my body and getting as much sleep as possible. Not only will our minds be drowsy, but our body systems decrease their efficacy when sleep is lacking. Therefore, I encourage you to sleep often and regularly! Try to get AT LEAST six hours of sleep per night and on a schedule if possible! For example, I go to bed between midnight and 1 AM most nights and wake up to my precious sister’s phone call at 7:30 every morning to start my day! Be creative and realize that your body’s health is at stake!

On a more spiritual note, rest is a topic often mentioned in the Bible and one that is essential to our faith. Ps. 62:5 states, “Find rest, o my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.” Our peace and rest can come ONLY from the Lord. Matthew 11:28 declares, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” What an incredible promise this is. What would it look like if we lived this out? What would it look like if we embraced Christ’s rest each day? Traffic would no longer be stressful. Tests would no longer seem ominous. Deaths would no longer cause dissention in our souls. Relational issues would be overcome with the peace that passes all understanding. The future would no longer be fear-filled. Our lives would radically transform.

Go ahead and check out Hebrews 4. The author of Hebrews describes the Sabbath-rest for God’s people. Although now is not the time to get into the Sabbath and such (although feel free to comment!), some important principles can be taken from this passage. Entering Christ’s rest means entering into His salvation and into union with Him. This unfathomable rest comes with salvation. All we have to do is execute it, putting ourselves aside and embracing Christ’s powerful rest. Verse 11 says, “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.” Praise the Lord for His salvation and eternal rest!

As I’m writing this, I typed in the word “rest” on Biblegateway.com, and the Lord is revealing something very unique to me as I am typing. This search came up with 496 references to the word “rest.” However, more verses had the word “restore” in them than “rest.” This brings up the most key point of resting in Christ. Restoration in our lives, with each other, and in Christ can only happen through deeply resting and abiding in Him. The Lord undoubtedly desires to restore our souls completely to Him. This is imperative to understand: spiritual growth will not happen unless we are physically rested. The two are inevitably intertwined. Therefore, if your body’s physical health does not motivate you to sleep, your relationship with Jesus Christ should. So many opportunities are before us, if we only seek Him and faithfully obey. However, we must be in the right state, physically and spiritually, in order for this to happen. Sleep is sometimes the most spiritual act you can do!

This concept is so special to me because I wore myself out in high school. I did too many activities and did not get enough sleep. The ONLY way for me to get through the day was for me to rest in the Lord constantly. If I did not rely on Him or rest in Him throughout the whole day, I would be way too exhausted at the end of the day. Therefore, I exort you to not let rest only be a nighttime activity! But we can find rest all day, every day! Feel free to comment and tell me your thoughts and ideas!

In that case, I encourage you to take a few moments to rest and abide in Christ. To rest in His favor. His glory. His plan. His perfect peace. His redemption. His sovereignty. His provision. His purposes. His promises. His truth. His salvation. His Word. His people. His kingdom. His patience. Just take a deep breath and rest in His everlasting arms.

In my personal health class, I have a test tomorrow over alcohol’s effects on our bodies. (So instead of studying I’m blogging!) I would like to share these with you today in order to inform you, if you did not already know, how dangerous alcohol can be and correlate this to how we are called to be drunk in the Spirit of Christ. This post will require your creative thinking, because we do not often relate being drunk to Jesus! However, I hope you see this topic in a new way today, one that will deeply enhance your relationship with Jesus Christ.

To begin, several factors contribute to alcohol’s effect on our bodies: strength of the beverage, number of drinks consumed, the speed of consumption, carbonation, gender, weight, and the presence of food. Having one drink will cause relaxation and euphoria. Having two drinks might evoke emotional instability and impairment of fine motor skills. Having three or four drinks will cause unsteadiness in standing or walking. Any more than this will create slurred speech and eventually unconsciousness. Obviously, driving is unsafe after even one drink! Drinking often will increase alcohol tolerance, meaning that you will need more of it to achieve the desired effect. Eventually, you will become dependent on alcohol, which means that if it is removed suddenly from your grasp, your body will cease to function. If you have any stories or any more effects, please comment!

Obviously, all these effects of alcohol are dangerous and eventually life-threatening. These are just a few of the many results of alcohol consumption. I will not bore you with alcohol’s effects because we know what they are. We see them constantly, hear about them, experience them, and are changed by them. In light of these things, exhibit caution when you drink! Nothing in the Bible forbids alcohol consumption, if it is legal. We are called to refrain from drunkenness and not cause any of our brothers or sisters in Christ to stumble.

Because a hole exists in our hearts, we choose to fill it with something at all times to avoid the nagging emptiness we experience otherwise. Often, alcohol is used to fill this hole in our hearts. Therefore, I challenge you, just as Ephesians 5:18 says, do not get drunk on wine because that leads to debauchery. But instead be filled with the spirit. This is the direct correlation I see between alcohol and spirituality. Alcohol temporarily fills the spot in our hearts where Jesus Christ should alone abide.

So, instead of getting drunk from alcohol, let’s be INTOXICATED with the Spirit. Let’s think about it for a second. If someone is drunk from alcohol, everyone can tell. That person’s actions are significantly altered. Their mind functions differently as the alcohol takes its effect. One becomes out of control of his or her actions. In the same sense, let’s be drunk from the Spirit. I want to be so filled with Jesus by drinking Him and absorbing Him in massive quantities. I want everyone to know that I am filled with the Spirit. What if each of us committed to filling ourselves completely with Jesus, in lieu of alcohol, selfishness, jealously, greed, stress, etc? How would this be possible? Comment away, tell me what you think! Only by collaborating as the body of Christ will we ever reach those who are not saved.

Earlier in Ephesians 3:18, Paul encourages us to be filled with all the fullness of Christ. In Romans 15:13, Paul persuades us to be overflowed with the hope of the Holy Spirit. Being intoxicated begins with spending intentional, personal time with Jesus Christ. Just as individuals don’t get drunk off of nothing, Christians cannot be intoxicated off Jesus with no effort. I want to encourage you, and myself, to be FILLED with ALL the fullness of Christ. Spend more time with Jesus this week, today, right now.

I will leave you with this verse: “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” Ps. 80:3. By spending time with the Lord, we will be restored and His face will shine upon us. Let’s be a shining reflection of Christ for all those around us to see.

I know that alcohol is a touchy subject, and I am still developing a godly woman’s perspective on it. In light of everything else said, please take drinking seriously. Not only can it harm you physically, it truly says so much about who you are and about what you stand for. I hope that you consider what these words say and what the Word of God says on this subject!