Saundra Dalton-Smith - Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity

1. PART I
   WHY REST?
2. PART II
   THE GIFTS OF REST
3. PART III
   THE PROMISES OF REST

Is rest elusive or obtainable? Over eight million people in the United States struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep each and every night. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 45 percent of Americans say that poor or insufficient sleep affected their daily activities at least once a week. This epidemic has led to poor job performance, depression, and overall dissatisfaction with quality of life and productivity. Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith offers hope and answers through proven solutions found in spiritual renewal.

For some, sleep deprivation is only a brief problem. But finding genuine rest is more than overcoming insomnia. Sacred Rest discusses, wrestles with, and answers the how question and more. Rest for the body, mind, and spirit may appear to be hard to find because hurry is outside of us and inside of us. Daily we are left to wonder, Is rest possible?

Sacred Rest is born from a place of personal experience. Dr. Dalton-Smith, an internal medicine physician, practices full-time and is also a wife and mother of two elementary-age boys. The author slipping off the edge of burnout, risks sharing her own story, becoming raw and real in the process. Its in this place of vulnerability and personal growth that she invites the reader to share her journey.

This essential book is divided into three parts: Why Rest? discussing the practical aspects of rest; The Gifts of Rest, discussing the spiritual aspects of rest; and The Promises of Rest, in which the author presents the reader a challenge to go deeper into rest. There are biblical solutions backed with thorough medical research and practical applications throughout.

Rest is obtainable, Dr. Dalton-Smith reminds us. Inertia is a healing place, where stillness leads to recovery of the bodys natural ability to heal itself. Sleeping and napping are the two most common types of passive rest. Sleep is not an option. Whether or not you choose to lay your body down, eventually your body will shut down. Sleep is required for health. It is not the foundation of rest, but the by-product of rest.

Are you weak, weary, or worn out? What are you waiting for? Sacred Rest is entirely available and obtainable. The choice is yours. Join the community and commit the next 30 days to seek and find Sacred Rest . I will see you there.

Dr. Sheryl Giesbrecht, author of Get Back Up: Trusting God When Life Knocks You Down , speaker, radio and television personality, global influencer. www.FromAshesToBeauty.com www.HSBN.tv

Welcome, Friend,

I want to take a few minutes before you begin to give you a quick peek at what you will find inside this book. Think of Sacred Rest as a lavish buffet, not a Happy Meal. It has been purposely written in short chapters to make it easy to fit into your busy schedule, but dont rush through it. Rushing has overwhelmed us with the things of life, and in the process, we miss opportunities to enjoy life. My desire in writing this book is to see you cherishing each bite of the good things daily placed before you.

Think of me as your Sunday schoolteaching girlfriend who just happens to be board certified in internal medicine. If we were chatting over coffee, one minute I might share with you a great article I read in a medical journal and the next Im raving over the sticky pastry we just devoured as we open our Bibles to study Ephesians together. Thats real life. Its messy and complicated yet filled with moments of goodness, togetherness, and truth. Ive found rest to be the compass directing me to all three and much more.

In part I, Why Rest?, I discuss the practical aspects of rest. Each chapter in this section will help you understand different types of rest through the use of stories, research, reflection, and application. In part II, The Gifts of Rest, I discuss the spiritual aspects of rest. These chapters have biblical insight on how rest, or the lack thereof, affects every area of your life. In part III, The Promises of Rest, I end our time together with a challenge to go deeper into rest and witness its effect in your life.

I dont know where you stand physically, emotionally, or spiritually today. If you are most in need of encouragement, before you dive into the practical application of rest, I welcome you to begin with part II. Yes, you heard me right. You get to choose. Sacred Rest isnt a generic four-step system to guarantee sweet sleep and even sweeter days. The process to recover your life, renew your energy, and regain your sanity is uniquely different for every person. Enjoy the journey as you unwrap what rest means for you.

Dr. Saundra