Archive | April 2016

Sleep Time, Dream Time, Rest Time!

Apr6

Last week Friday, April 1st, I tried an experiment on myself and took notice that for every 3 minutes of sleep time, I actually dreamed for 1 minute.  Every time I opened my eye,s I documented the time.  Three times in a row, I dozed off to sleep and woke up exactly 3 minutes later.  During each of those 3 minutes of sleep time, I watched a 1 minute video in my dream and would wake up.

INCREDIBLE!  I am FASCINATED by time and numbers!  

Sleep Time (min.) Dream Time (min.)
3 1
30 10
45 15
60 20
180 60

Based upon that experiment, I got to pondering:  if we are actually “resting” during dream time, 3 hours of sleep time (180 minutes) would BE equal to 1 hour of rest time (60 minutes).  This would mean in order for us to achieve 8 hours of rest in a full day, we’d need 24 hours of sleep time.  Hmmm!

THINKING OUT LOUD:  And who is literally going to sleep for 24 hours?

Sleep Time (hours) Rest Time (hours)
3 1
6 2
12 4
18 6
24 8

However, it’s been noted via sleep studies and other testings that REM sleep makes up 25% of our sleep cycle.  In this cycle, our brain and bodies are rejuvenated and dreaming occurs.  So then, I got to pondering:  if we are sleeping for 3 hours, we’ve actually experienced 45 minutes of rest time, rejuvenation, dream time.    

Sleep Time (hours) Rest Time – Dream Time (hours)
3 :45
6 1.5
12 3
18 4.5
24 6

Based on this supposition, many of us (including myself) are not honoring our brain and bodies.  We are abusing ourselves by not giving to ourselves an acceptable allocation of honorable rest (not sleep) time.  Studies indicate that based on the age group of my household, we need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day cycle.  This means that our brains and bodies will receive 2 to 2 hrs. and 30 minutes of rest per day.  

If in fact there are 24-hours in a day cycle, a tithe of a day would BE 2.4 hours, also noted as 144 minutes, also noted as  2 hrs. and 24 minutes.  Can we devote a tenth of our time, 2 hrs. and 24 minutes, to rest by getting adequate sleep?  

I’m certainly going to start this manner of devotion and for this reason:  I need to honor my temple, not just my body as in flesh and bones.  But, my body as in my brain, my neurological system, my heart, my lungs, etc.  Doing this is critical and will make me equally emotionally, physically, and spiritually healthy.  

Sleep Time!  Dream Time!  Rest Time! 

©2016 Angela M. Smith    

My Success Status

Apr1

This morning was one of those few days, that comes and goes here and there, that I felt very lonely as a woman-lady.  While gathering myself together, out of the darkness of this world the voice of the thief attempted to persuade me that the reason I have challenges in achieving sum total success is because I’m unmarried.  I told the thief, “That is a lie from your daddy!  My success is not predicated upon my marital success, but rather my ‘doer of the command’ status according to Joshua 1:6-9.”

As I begin to meditate on those scriptures a few of my favorite united with my mind: BE and DO.  BE very courageous!  I have to live with a steady mind; committed to, faithfully to, and uncompromising to what God has established for me.  I have to DO this BE.  SELAH!

BE!  DO!  This command dictates ‘My Success Status.’  

Without forethought, I understand that I can forfeit my future and the inheritance of my children.  But with wisdom, I can preserve it.  While praying and thinking, these words saluted me and my intellect stood attention:  Pursue!  Overtake! Recover!  There was a surge of energy flowing through me as I begin to explore how they were applicable to me in my right now counterattack.

Pursue:  don’t pursue just anything, but rather pursue what is approved by ‘our Father, Who are in heaven.’  Pursuing is not a lazy task, you must BE tenacious.  

Overtake:  when you come up on that thing, that idea, that desire, which you’ve been given permission to pursue, overtake it.  Overtake, in this presented context means to ‘catch by pursuit.’  When you’ve done that, follow close and cleave to what you’ve caught.  Hold fast to it.  

Recover:  recover, as presented here, doesn’t mean you were weakened and need to be strengthened again.  It means that you’ve pursued, you’ve overtaken, now LIVE!  Be refreshed at the success of being a “doer of the command.”

Pursue!  Overtake! Recover!  This command dictates ‘My Success Status.’

To the many unmarried and the many singles, while flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone is desired and preferred, don’t BE deceived by the temptations of the thief.  Your marital status is not your success status.  You must BE persuaded to DO this:  Pursue, Overtake, and Recover!

© 2016 Angela M. Smith