Spiritual Wellness Benefits Health After All

There are many ways to keep your body healthy. Just because you eat healthy food and exercise, that does not necessarily mean you are 'healthy'. There are other factors that play a role in your all around physical being such as Social Wellness, Intellectual Wellness, Environmental Wellness, Occupational Wellness, Emotional Wellness, and lastly, Spiritual Wellness. Although all forms of fitness and wellness are important, spiritual wellness really stuck out for me. Why? Because Spiritual Wellness is the unifying power that brings together all dimensions of wellness.


Spiritually well people have claimed to have a sense of meaning and direction in life. Life is a joy to them, as it should be. But how can someone be spiritually well?
Studies show that people who attend church and regularly participate in religious organizations are proven to enjoy better health, have a lower incidence of chronic disease, handle stress more effectively, and live longer.

Next, prayer, otherwise known as a sincere and humble communication with God, has shown increase of Spiritual Wellness in numerous lifes.
Appoximately 200 studies have been conducted on prayer and the affect it has on spiritual wellness and health. As long as prayers are offered with love, empathy, sincerity, and compassion, postive health is an ongoing outcome. Some studies have even shown faster healing time and fewer complications in patients that didn't even know that they were being prayed for, compared with patients who were not prayed for.

• Hospitalized people who never attended church have an average stay of three times longer than people who attended regularly.
• Elderly people who never or rarely attended church had a stroke rate double that of people who attended regularly.
• In Israel, religious people had a 40% lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Also, scientific studies have shown that people who are more religious show less cases of depression than those who are not. And those who do become depressed, recover faster than those who are not religious.

Lastly, my previous entry about Lincoln. Who can argue that prayers really work? This child will always amaze me, but in addition to his strength, the strength and power in prayer blows me away.

Matthew 6:7 "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again."

John 15:7 But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!

Matthew 26:41 "Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!"

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Most of this information, I have retrieved from my professor during our Health Lecture. I was very impressed that christianity was mentioned in our spiritual wellness chapter.

God listens, so speak up!

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50874

http://www.prayerguide.org.uk/bible.htm

Miracles Still Happen

The creation of the universe including plants, animals, and humans (Gen 1-2), Daniel saved in the Lions den (Dan 6:16-23), the healing of two blind men (Matt 9:27-31), Water turned to Wine (John 2:1-11), Jesus walks on water (Mark 6:48), the list of miracles goes on and on. A question I have heard lately is "why did miracles happen back then but they don't happen now?"
As I pondered this question from many different people, I simply replied "because you're looking in the wrong places".


Lincoln Hammett has been battling Leukemia since he was 3 months old. Last year, on March 13, he was not eating and was extremely fussy. When the Hammetts took his temperature (expecting an ear infection or the common cold) they found blood in his stool. They first expected a blockage in his intestine due to the lump they felt on the left side of his stomach.
Next, the doctor took x-rays of his chest and did blood work. The doctor informed the Hammetts that the x-rays looked normal, but he was concerned with the blood work. Lincoln's white blood cell count had elevated to over 290,000 (normal never goes over 11,000). March 14, 2009 Lincoln was diagnosed with Infantile Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia-MLLR.

About 2 months ago, the doctors told the Hammetts that there was only one other option they could try to save Lincoln's life and that was to try a 24 hour infusion of Chemo for 5 days straight. They also told the Hammetts that if this did not work, Lincoln would only have a few weeks left. Luckily, the Chemo started working even though it was taking a lot of energy from Lincoln's body. Then, one of Lincoln's older sisters fell down the stairs while carrying him and he broke his femur. This was not an easy step for Lincoln.

Thankfully, on February 4, 2010, they found no cancer cells in the spinal fluid. This was great news. And on February 20, his cancer count had gone from 100% to 10%.

In the snap of a finger, February 24 came around and Lincoln was undergoing a very difficult time. He spiked a fever so the Hammetts first reaction was to rush him to the ER. His blood pressure was 62/9. Within hours, Lincoln was in Intensive Care and the doctors asked the Hammetts to leave the room because things could get ugly. Later that day, the doctors had told them that maybe it would be best to unplug everything and just hold him. Being the fighter that he is, his parents believed in him and continued to love and support him. Mr. Hammett was supposed to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force that same week but due to his priority to Lincoln, he announced that he would not be there for the ceremony. But because of Lincoln's progress, the ceremony was held at the hospital in Lincoln's honor.

Currently, Lincoln is out of ICU and back on the Oncology floor. His CO2 level is now back to normal and his heart rate has been steady.

Everytime I hear of Lincoln Hammett's progress and the strength and faith his family has in him, I believe he is a miracle. Lincoln is in serious pain but he keeps a smile and shows the world he is ready to play. He has more strength than any child I have ever known and I believe that is the works of God, the love and comfort of his parents, and the prayers of those who believe in him.
Prayers work. If you would like to know more about Lincoln, visit:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lincoln/journal/1
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/an-air-force-fighter-at-age-1-579158.html?imw=Y


Please keep praying. Thank you!
God bless!