Steeping in the Word: 90 Day Challenge

Do you ever have a desire to just delve into the word of God and swim in the midst of it?  Or be so immersed in the Word that you wrap it around you like a cozy blanket that keeps you safe from the often bitter winds of the world?

I have a strong desire to just steep in the word of God for 90 days!  I love to read and learn.  You can often find me with my nose in a book.  But once in awhile I just get so tired of listening to all these other 'voices'  when I just want to be near God and hear what He is saying!

I also have to confess I am not good at setting long term goals and following through (meaning I am terrible at following the 1 year through the Bible plan). Though, I have done the 90 day challenge before and was able to finish it!  Granted, it took me something like 121 days.. but I am ok with that!  The point is to soak in the word of God and let it change you and mold you to be more like Jesus- not to just say you read the Bible in 90 days...

The Challenge:

    - Read through the Bible in 90 Days: starting on Tuesday, June 3, 2014.  Will you join me?

The Motive: 

    - To draw closer to the Lord and to know Him more.

 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
- Colossians 3:16

 

What if I'm too Busy?

    - Last year when I was in the middle of reading the Bible in 90 days, our family moved to another state and I gave birth to our youngest!   This year we are planning a couple of trips, one that includes traveling to Africa.  I personally love doing the challenge during these hectic times because the Word of God grounds me and gives me peace.  So I hope this encourages you to give it a go, no matter what stage of life you are in!

Need Accountability?

   - I started a Facebook group called 'Steeping in the Word' and would be happy to have you join the group if it will help motivate you to stay on schedule!  Let's encourage each other..

My Prayer:

  That God would bless this extended time in His Word and that we He would be glorified and exalted in our lives because of this.  I also am praying that this challenge would not be seen as a way to earn God's approval but that we would be motivated by His unconditional love for us.

So... are you in?  Comment here if you are participating!

What is.... Essential Rewards? + Free Printable!

Have you been looking for.. hoping for.. a way to get free oils from Young Living?  Well, look no further friends, you have just stumbled upon THE secret!   Ok, ok... so it's not really a secret...

It's called Essential Rewards.

What?
It's an autoship program:  a way to order essential oils from Young Living on a monthly basis, available to wholesale members only.

Why sign up for Essential Rewards instead of placing a regular order?

In two words?  FREE oils.

Here are some of the awesome benefits of being on Essential Rewards:

• discounted shipping price ($6.95 for ER order vs. $9.95 on a regular order)
• earn PV points, which you can redeem after 2 months for product with the same amount of PV or less
• monthly promotion- order 190PV and get 2 free oils (this month it is Deep Relief and Ravinstara)
• keep a constant 100 PV Essential Rewards order to qualify for all bonuses and commissions
• access to special Essential Reward kits

Earning points/product credit on your orders:

• 1-6 months on ER = 10% of your order
• 7-12 months on ER= 15% of your order
• 13+ months on ER= 20% of your order

Break it down:
If you order 100 PV in month 1 on Essential Rewards, you will earn 10 points on that order.
Then you order 100 PV in month 2 on Essential Rewards, you will earn 10 more points = 20 points total.
So in month 3, you can redeem your 20 points for a product that is 20 PV or less and all you will pay is shipping!  (Or save up your points and order Ningxia Red or a kit!)

Free Printable:
I like to make lists and plan out what I will buy, so I developed this simple and fun order form.  I plan to print mine out, write down what I want to order each month (including my wish list) and then check them off as they are ordered.  I hope this free printable  will be helpful for you, too!

If you are not a wholesale member, when you sign up here, you can also start your Essential Rewards right away!

Day #6: Cleaning Advice from an Older and Much Wiser Woman

In the spirit of Titus 2- where older women are encouraged to mentor younger women on how to love their husbands and children and take care of their homes- I have asked Debbie some questions about how she goes about her spring cleaning and cleaning in general.   I hope her wisdom will encourage you today and motivate you to keep on serving the Lord by caring for your home!

Author's note: Debbie is a wonderful, godly woman who is a mother of 7 children.  She has 2 still at home, and often will take in others who need a place to stay or she is off at the church heading up the children's programs.  God has blessed her with much energy and wisdom.  I am so thankful for the time that she was able to mentor me, before we moved.  Here is our conversation:

What is your favorite go-to cleaner?

I use many of the products sold by Don Aslett from the Clean Report – they are NOT all-natural but very effective and work well on my rust stains from hard water and other cleaning challenges that I have faced during the years.  I also use microfiber cloths that really make clean up easier (I buy those from Sam's Club).

How long does your spring cleaning actually take you? 

I usually set aside 2 weeks to do my entire house.  I used to be able to do it in a week but I must be slowing down.  :)

Is there a certain scripture passage/music that inspires you as your clean?

I listen to “peppy” music when I am cleaning to help keep me moving.  I am a morning person so I tackle it right away after I have had my quiet time!

How do you recommend that moms with little kids go about their spring cleaning?

Tackle a room at a time – even a drawer or a closet at a time and keep it clutter free and organized.  It takes time to plow through an entire house but is well worth it when you are finished and keep it up.

Any words of advice as far as involving children in the cleaning process?

The Village Church has an excellent appendix with their parenting class ,with specific jobs you can assign to children to train them. 

(This resource in found towards the back of the pdf.  It lists out age-appropriate chores from 9 months-10 years! It looks like a great resource to print out and put in your homemaking binder or hang on your fridge!)

When there seems to be 5,000,000 things you HAVE to do and cleaning is one of them, how do you prioritize and keep everything in perspective?

Start my day always with the Lord and ask Him to order my day and bring order to my day!

What is your favorite thing about spring cleaning?

My favorite thing about spring cleaning is to finish a room and then sit in there and enjoy the fruits of my labor!  I enter each room with three boxes:  one for trash, one to give away and one to place in another room.  This helps me really 'purge' a room and either find a new home for items or get rid of it all together.  Either way, I leave a room with a sense of accomplishment! 


The hardest part of spring cleaning is GETTING STARTED!

---

Thanks Debbie for your wisdom!  I loved hearing her perspective and encouragement, especially the reminder to seek the Lord first in ALL things (even cleaning!).

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."  Colossians 3:23-24

Day 2: From Grimy to Shiny!

Ok.. I have been SO excited to start this challenge to clean naturally for 30 days!!  Though now I'm a bit nervous to reveal to you how my sink normally looks!  But alas, today's challenge was to find a natural, homemade sink scouring powder. So here goes..I am going to be real with you.  Here is a before picture:



Please take special note of the rust stains on the bottom of the sink and the nastiness encircling the drains.  Perhaps I should have done a close up, but this will have to do! :)

Normally I would use:  This part is a bit embarrassing, too!  So I have already confessed that I am not a stellar housekeeper, so hopefully you won't be too shocked to find out that I normally just use dish soap to clean out my sink. (*gasp!*)

This month I am using: Kitchen Scouring Powder  -  I found this super simple recipe from the DIY Non-Toxic Cleaning Recipes ebook.

Ingredients:  I love, love, LOVE the fact that I had all these ingredients already!



I was able to pick my essential oil of choice- so I went with Young Living's Citrus Fresh essential oil.  It has a great crisp, clean scent which is perfect for spring cleaning a kitchen sink!  (The glass shaker was purchased at the Dollar Tree.)Here is my little helper measuring out the baking soda..



I added about 25 drops of essential oil because I really wanted to smell it when I was scouring!  We even made our own paper funnel to pour the mixture into the glass shaker. After we had put the lid on, we covered the holes with a towel and shook up the mixture to get the clumps of essential oil to dissolve.  This seemed to do the trick!

Getting Down to Business- Sink Scouring:

1. I took everything off of my sink and sadly did not have any sponges available- so I used a dish rag.


2. Making sure the sink was slightly wet, I shook out the powder all over the sink.  Then I used my dish rag, along with an (old :) ) toothbrush to get in the crevices, and scrubbed the sink.


3. There were still a couple of rust stains that had been there a long time, so I shook the powder on those spots and scrubbed with a toothbrush.  Waaaa-laaaaa!  They disappeared!!


4. Then I rinsed everything off and was SUPER impressed with how clean and smooth the sink felt.  Downside?  No shine. :(  I was really hoping for a shiny sink when I was done so I could ooh and ahh!  (Do you see the right side is not as shiny, below?)


5. What to do?! I just kept reading through the ebook!  Towards the back of the DIY recipes book, I found it!  Could it be this simple?!?  OLIVE OIL.   Yes... it takes 1 ingredient, a soft cloth and some elbow grease.  Are you as amazed as I am, that olive oil shined my sink?!  This is a new revelation to me!  It was SO pretty I wanted to put up some yellow tape and close the sink down for the day!

Time Estimate:  10 minutes to make scouring powder, 10 minutes to give the sink a good scrub and 5 minutes to buff out some shine.  = 25 minutes of spring cleaning today

$ Estimate:  $1  Since I had all the ingredients anyway and just had to purchase the glass shaker, it was a great deal!

Overall Rating for Kitchen Sink Scouring Powder:  4.5/5

Conclusion:

The only downside: my hands were a bit irritated from using the cleaner in the beginning (perhaps the salt and scrubbing action combined?)  

The upside: My sink has NEVER been quite this beautiful before!  I was so excited to get such great results from all natural, essential oil infused homemade cleaners!!

What do you use to scour your sink and get it to shine?  Let me know if you try this recipe-  I would love to hear it worked for you!   Happy cleaning!

 

 

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Please remember I am not a doctor or professional and the FDA has not approved these items for  the prevention or treatment purposes.  It’s important that you do your own research and consult your doctor with any health issues you might have.  This post contains affiliate links- thank you for supporting our family and ministry by using them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 Days of Spring Cleaning - Naturally!

Cleaning?  Naturally??  For 30 days?  Why not!  Who is with me?!


Only recently have I organized my Pinterest boards, in hopes that they would be useful to others.  As a result, I have noticed more people pinning from my boards and more specifically, following the Cleaning Naturally with Essential Oils board.  So, due to popular interest and my own lackluster cleaning routine, I thought April would be a great time to get myself into gear!  I am taking the challenge to use only natural cleaning products during my Spring Cleaning this month!

My goal? To share with you how I will switch out regular cleaning products (with chemicals) to a simpler, more natural way of cleaning our home. My hope is that this will be a positive change in caring for the overall health of my family.

Tools You Might Find Helpful for the 30 Day Challenge:

1. A desire to learn and possibly even ENJOY cleaning!  (I'm praying for this myself!:)


2. Non-Toxic Cleaning Recipes : this beautiful ebook is my go-to manual for the next 30 days.  Most of the recipes I try, will come from this treasure trove!  It's a great reference where you can find inexpensive, all natural cleaning recipes.  For a limited time, it is even 25% off! 


3. Essential Oils:  I love Young Living therapeutic grade oils because of the high quality and a little goes a long way!  I am so excited to start adding them to our cleaning routine and see what health benefits come from this.  You can visit my Young Living website to order, if you would like to purchase some for the next 30 days!

If you have a tight budget right now, feel free to follow along and Pin things for the future!

What to Look Forward to for the Month of April:

1. Advice from an older woman:  I hope to interview 1 or 2 older and much wiser women than myself to get their take on spring cleaning and how they use this time to bless their family by taking care of the home.


2. A guest post (or 2): One of my good friends uses essential oils AND Norwex.  She is planning to share her favorite cleaning products with you- I can't wait!


3. Reviews on homemade cleaning recipes- I will be honest with you and let you know if it worked or bombed!


4. Things I already do:  There are a few things I already do to clean more naturally, so I will share those as I go.


5. Tips and Tricks- I hope to share little tips and tricks with you that will make your spring cleaning a breeze!

Please come back and visit often throughout April and share your thoughts on spring cleaning naturally.  My hope is that these posts will bless you and your family and inspire you to take charge of your family's health in the realm of cleaning products.  Blessings!

Day #2:  From Grimy to Shiny- DIY Kitchen Scouring Powder Review

Day #6:  Cleaning Advice from an Older and Much Wiser Woman

Day #10:  A Few Ways To Start Your Spring Cleaning – Naturally

Day #13:  Day #13: Natural, Inexpensive, DIY Laundry Detergent and Giveaway!!

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Please remember I am not a doctor or professional and the FDA has not approved these items for  the prevention or treatment purposes.  It's important that you do your own research and consult your doctor with any health issues you might have.  This post contains affiliate links- thank you for supporting our family and ministry by using them!

The Essential Dozen Club: 12 Oils in 12 Months!

 

[caption id="attachment_59" align="aligncenter" width="260"] Youngliving.com[/caption]

Are you confused by all the information out there about essential oils?  Are you limited on time?  Are you wanting a healthier alternative with no side effects for your family’s health?

How in the world do you learn about oils when you’ve got a million other things to do?  How do you try them out when it may be out of your budget range to order the Premium Starter Kit?

Enter… the Essential Dozen Club!   I’m so excited to start this up and help others learn about essential oils and how they are so beneficial in everyday life! 

Who:  You!  The experienced oiler, the novice, the person who wonders even what an essential oil is!

What:  I will be choosing one Young Living Essential Oil each month.  (It will be an oil that is very useful for a variety of things, so that we can experiment with it and test it out)  Some months I will be including a roll-on applicator, a glass spray bottle or a 10% discount with your order FREE depending on which oil we are using! We will also share our findings collectively on a Facebook page, so other can learn from each other.

Why:  Many people are reluctant to buy essential oils if they have never used them before.  I really want people to be fully educated on what they are and how to use them, before they choose whether or not to implement them in their household.  Essential oils have been a huge blessing to my family and I want to help share that blessing with others!

How to Participate: 

-Leave a message on this post with your email address and I will forward you specific instructions.  (If you do not want your email address to be shown on the blog, please note that, and I will delete it before I approve the message- therefore keeping your information confidential.)

- You can choose which months you want to participate ahead of time.  There will be a deadline when I need to submit the order, so you’ll need to let me know before then. 

-Those who place an order each month will receive a bonus at the end of 6 months!

-If you already have the EveryDay Oils Starter Kit, you can participate freely since you will have the majority of the oils we will be exploring!

Look for the post revealing our 1^st Essential Dozen Oil for February ..... coming soon!  I can’t wait for you to join me on this exciting journey of exploring essential oils! :)

A Glimpse of Jesus

Do you ever wonder what Jesus would look like in your everyday life, today?  What would He say?  What would He do?  Where would He be hanging out?  And with whom?

I caught a glimpse of Him today and.... it took my breath away!

My husband and I were visiting one of our friends who was a refugee.  We were watching a television show from her native country, so it was in a language we did not know well.  Our friend explained that there was a celebration going on in the streets of this city and that the television camera was capturing the festivities and the people who were partaking.

Eventually the camera settled in on a crowd where there was a television reporter and he was speaking to the people.  One by one they were taking turns speaking into the microphone.  At first all we could see were people weeping and gesturing wildly with their hands.  Our friend translated for us:  one man was holding up his 5 year old daughter with a bald head - she had cancer.   A woman was dressed all in black, lamenting the death of 2 of her sons in terrorist bombings.   Another and another... and another came to the microphone voicing their pain, their loss, their poor health.

You didn't even have to understand what they were saying to understand the pain in their eyes and their hearts.

It was then that I caught a glimpse of Him.  This must have been what His daily life looked like- swarmed with crowds of hurting and broken people.  All clamoring to see Him and tell Him their hurts and to be healed.   But what kind of man would stand there and just listen.. I mean really listen?  What kind of man would have the patience to speak to each one individually?  What kind of man would have the power to heal - not just their broken bodies but their broken spirits?

Only one man would (and has done this!)...

Jesus.

He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  Yet... He knows how many hairs are on your head and mine.

He is the Alpha and the Omega.  Yet... He thought of you and I before the foundation of this world was laid.

He is the Good Shepherd and yet.. goes out and searches for that one lost sheep.

He is perfect and loving, strong and just, compassionate and forgiving.  I hope and pray that He comes back soon, because I can't wait to get more than just a glimpse of Him - like I did today!  Just that glimpse filled my heart to overflowing and took my breath away.   Doesn't that make you wonder what it will be like to see Him face to face and spend forever with Him?!

 

 

Battle Round: Menthol Cough Drops vs. Thieves Essential Oil

"And from the package comes............Mr. Menthol!!!!  The cough drop who has ingredients one cannot pronounce.  

Froooooooom the other side .........Mr. Thieves!!!  A spicy, strong and aaaaaaaaalll natural essential oil.  

Who will win this battle round?!  Let's watch and see...."

Okay, so I maybe have been watching (a couple too many) episodes of The Voice with my family.   OR.. a week and a half of fussing, sick children has driven this momma a bit loopy!

But either way, I want to let you know how my real life experiment worked out.  So there I was, my throat felt like it was on fire.  And I mean....ON FIRE!  I was sitting on the couch and it must have shown on my face... or by the gallon of cold water I was chugging.  My concerned hubby asked," Why don't you just take a cough drop?"

Me: I haaate how it tastes!  (said in my best, if not a bit whiney, voice :)

Concerned Hubby: "It will make your throat feel better."

Me: "oooooooookay."  *sigh*

So I toughed it out and took a menthol cough drop (Yuck!  Hate that flavor... anybody else?)  And I'll give props to my concerned hubby, the fire in my throat was somewhat quenched for 30 minutes or so.

As my throat reignited with what seemed like another fire- I had an epiphany!

Now might be a good time to try out my own 'Soothing Throat Spray' recipe from:

So within a couple of minutes I had gathered the materials and followed this super simple recipe:

Soothing Throat Spray

- 1 clean glass spray bottle

-8 drops Young Living Thieves essential oil

-water

I put the Thieves oil in the spray bottle first, then filled the rest of the bottle with water.  Put on the cap, give it a shake, and was ready to put out the fire in my throat!  I opened up my mouth, said, "Aaaaah" and sprayed a couple of well directed sprays to the back of my throat and waaaaaaaaalaaa!  Fire quenched!

This time, I had relief for one and half hours!  I sprayed it again after that and I had sweet relief for the rest of the night!

So who is the winner of this battle round??  I'd say we don't even need to vote on it! (Mr.) Thieves oil is the clear, all natural, and budget friendly winner!

 

 

Please remember that I am not trying to treat, diagnose, or prescribe anything.  I'm sharing because I am excited to tell you of my own experiences with Young Living essential oils and how they have worked for our family!

A Manly Post; Essential Oils Aren't Just for Women!

Guest Post: Please join me in welcoming my loving, talented, and supportive husband who wrote this guest blog post today! 

 My wife is a Young Living distributor; so naturally I have learned a few things about essential oils. I'm no missiOILogist, but when something aches, I have a few oils that I can recommend for someone to try. Over the last 6 months, I have seen my wife minister to refugee women using oils and prayer as a means to point them to Jesus. I have been amazed at the knowledge and care she brings to her ministry! As a good husband, I have advocated for her use of oils and supported her in her endeavors when it comes to purchasing new oils, writing blogs, and attending classes. However, I never planned to actually use the oils outside of our home or even in my ministry to men.

That is until last week..

We meet with a wonderful family each week. We all usually crawl around on the floor and play with my one year old son. We eat tasty Middle Eastern food, drink tea, and watch a lot of Arab T.V. But as our relationship has grown they have begun to share their struggles with us. So, when my friend told me that his back had been hurting for a number of years I offered to pray for him; but my wife also reminded me that she had essential oils.

So I reluctantly offered to use them...fully expecting him to refuse; after all, he is a guy and using oils is more for girls right?

[caption id="attachment_144" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Listen up, guys! Oils are for manly men, too![/caption]

Wrong!

 My friend was very excited to try them. So I applied Lavender and Peppermint oil to his back, and applied some heat afterwards. After placing the oils on his back, I prayed in the name of Jesus to heal his back. And to my joyful surprise, God healed his back.

He felt great afterwards!

Praise God!

So here's the point: God is powerful, my friend was healed, and men, oils aren't just for women!

Click here to visit our Young Living website to find out more or to order your own essential oils.

Disclaimer:  Please remember we are not doctors and are just sharing our own experiences with Young Living therapeutic grade essential oils. 

Hey Moms...You Can Reach Out and Make a Difference!

Moms-  do you ever feel like you are unable to 'do' ministry?  Do you feel like you can't possibly add another thing to your busy life which is filled with changing diapers, preparing meals, and cleaning up afterwards?

OR... maybe I should ask... Do you know God can use you to transform communities???  Do you know that you and your family can love your refugee or immigrant neighbor like Jesus and not be afraid of the unknowns of a different culture?  Do you know that it might even be easier to befriend foreign born families if you have young children?

Rewind ........



I felt like I was in a busy phase of life... I had just had a new baby and a 3 year old who loved running around singing "do-do-do-doooooooo.. Batman!"  I was cooking meals, attempting to keep up with the housework, opening our home to our church and our refugee friends a few times a month, supporting my husband in his work. making weekly ministry visits and trying to find ways to diligently teach our eldest son about Jesus' love.

Fast forward less than one year.............



Now I am living in a beautifully diverse neighborhood where daily I am blessed to interact with and love on my neighbors who have immigrated here from countries that are considered closed to the gospel.  I am still struggling to keep the apartment clean, support my husband, disciple our children and run after our little one as he tries to crawl away and get into something he shouldn't!  But God, in His grace, has allowed me to be a part of my neighbors' lives.

I am just so excited about how God is using me- an imperfect stay-at-home mom who has her hands full -  to try to live out the command to 'love your neighbors as yourself'!

I want to encourage all moms out there that YOU CAN participate in the great commission and not have to make a huge life change or pack up and move your family to another country!

I'm praying that God will give us all a passion and grant us courage and love to reach out to those of our neighbors who have never heard the gospel or met a 'real' Christian before.   Moms, let's open up our homes, our hearts, and our lives for the glory of God!  Let's not be content to live with our comfort in mind, but to truly follow Jesus and love the sojourner and the oppressed.  Let's lay aside the weight that easily entangles us and run this earthly race with endurance and purpose!

.....I can't wait to share with you some ideas on how to get started!

How Ocotea Oil Helped Save the Day

.............I might have to give up......

FEELING TERRIBLE

My sweet husband was laying in bed, looking quite pale and miserable.  His hands were shaky and his energy was super low.  He has bouts of hypoglycemia and has problems with low blood sugar.  Normally he would eat a bunch of things with sugar to try to get it under control.  But.... that's not an option during these 30 days of fasting... (well not the 1st option anyway!)

He looked at me and said,"I might have to just give up and eat. "

Have you prayed about it?

"Yes, I'm praying about it."

I prayed also, and we went about our routine for the afternoon.  Then I had a thought..

Do you want to try an essential oil?  I've heard Ocotea is good for blood sugar problems. (Ocotea oil is derived from a type of tree found in Ecuador related to the cinnamon species)

"Sure." he replied.





I went to my Higley Desk Reference and looked up 'hypoglycemia' and 'low blood sugar'.  The main recommendation was to use Thieves oil, but ... I was out!   So I prayed and then got the ocotea-  put a couple of drops in his hand, he rubbed it around 3 times in his palm (to activate the oil), and then applied it to the middle of his left foot.

Why the middle of his left foot???

Great question!  It's the vitaflex point for the pancreas.  (This information is also found in the Higley Reference book)   To be honest.. I don't really know much about the vitaflex points and why the point for the pancreas is on the left foot.. but we went with it!

GOD USED OILS TO SAVE THE DAY!

He still looked miserable........until...about 5-10 minutes later!  God made a way for the oil to work and my husband has been able to continue to fast.  Yay!  I get so excited when God uses the Young Living essential oils to bring healing to our family in different ways.  AND I was super excited that I didn't have to continue the fast by myself...  :)



Disclaimer:  I am not a professional or a doctor- just sharing what has worked with my family using Young Living therapeutic grade oils.  Please consult your doctor for medical advice.

The Anointing Beauty of Frankincense- Part 3

Ok.. so here it is!  After all that waiting... here is how we have been able to use Frankincense to love and minister to our friends who are refugees.



We have already learned that Frankincense is the anointing oil used in the Middle East.  So it was natural that we would choose to use Frankincense to anoint and pray for our friends who come from there.  They are Mandaen, which is a gnostic religion that follows John the Baptist as their messiah. We know very little of their religion, but our friends have shared some information with us. So we were able to add a couple of elements to our prayer service that seemed to mean a lot to them.  (They have a lot of health issues within their family.)

First, we went in search of myrtle.  Apparently this plant is used during important ceremonies to Mandaens.  So we went on an adventure in search of this plant and found it in the Ukranian Village.   (Later we realized that most florists seem to have myrtle :) )  After we got the myrtle we made crowns out of the branches and wrapped them in cloth.

[caption id="attachment_74" align="aligncenter" width="281"] we found it![/caption]

Next we prayed over the oil, that God would use it to bless this family and help minister to their needs.

-fyi...  we had NO idea what we were doing for a healing prayer service.  We prayed that God would help us and that the Spirit would guide us.

[caption id="attachment_75" align="aligncenter" width="300"] making crowns out of myrtle branches[/caption]

So..............  there we were in their clean and cozy apartment, our friends sitting in a semi circle in chairs and my husband leading the service.   He presented the crowns, individually, and they unwrapped their own crown and placed it on their head.  Some of them seemed excited about the crowns and others.. not so much.   Then he read some stories from the Bible, explaining and showing how Jesus is the only one who has the power to heal.  So he explained that we would only be praying in the name of Jesus.

They nodded and seemed eager to start the prayer service.
We asked if it was ok to 'lay on hands' while we prayed and they said yes. (This just means touching the person you are praying for, like on the shoulder or arm.)

I gave my husband the bottle of Frankincense and he proceeded to go around to each person.   He poured out the precious anointing oil (side note: My (sweet) husband was not versed on how to use the oils yet, so he was turning the bottle upside down and putting his finger directly on the white plastic cap.  Don't do this! It could contaminate the oil and is not good if you are sharing the oil with others. So I was squirming in my seat, but biting my tongue, as the prayer service was more important than proper use of the oil bottle. :) ) He anointed each person in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, while making a cross with the oil on their foreheads.

*Frankincense can enhance spiritual experiences according the reference book.  It also can help many different ailments, which is why it makes a great anointing oil. *

Then we each prayed for one person at a time.  We asked for God to heal them, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.  That Jesus would show up and do something miraculous and help them, so they would know His love for them.  (Lest you think it all went perfectly... I was in the background trying to keep our little boys happy, but I was able to participate in the praying!)  Our hearts cried out to God to heal our friends and I think they felt our genuine love for them.  And our friends' hearts cried out to God as they opened their hands in prayer and agreed, with passion,  in their heart language for God's healing.

After the prayer service, they hugged us profusely and thanked us many times.  This action of love for our neighbors touched their hearts.  Then they pulled out some of the items that are important in their religion and taught us about them.  So the prayer service and the Spirit moving did seem to open up something spiritual in them.

Can we report that God has healed them?  No, not to our knowledge.  But more importantly than that, is that God seems to be opening their hearts and their minds to His truths.  We have a wonderful friendship with this family and love them dearly.  God is always working, even if it's not always according to our plans!

Next time you pray for someone, try anointing them with Frankincense oil....... it's biblical!

 

Disclaimer- I am not trying to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.  Just sharing my own experiences using therapeutic grade essential oil with my family and friends.

Also, we are not showing faces in the pictures out of respect/privacy for our friends and fellow workers.  Thanks for understanding!

The Modern Beauty of Frankincense -Part 2

Hi!  Thanks for coming back to check out part 2 in my series on Frankincense essential oil!

Obligatory Disclaimer- I am not a doctor or professional- I am a mom who enjoys using essential oils for whatever my family and friends need.  Please use your own discernment when using essential oils.  And remember that I am only speaking about therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living.



So..... we have learned that Frankincense was widely used in biblical times, but how is it used today?

According to my 'Reference Guide for Essential Oils' by Higley:

Common primary uses:

• arthritis


• asthma


• brain injury


• coma


• concussion


• confusion


• coughs


• depression


• skin infection


• inflammation


• laryngitis


• Lou Gehrig's disease


• tumor


• ulcer


• warts


• wrinkles

Wow!  That's quite a list!  Even though frankincense is one of the more expensive oils, it seems well worth having in your arsenal of essential oils.

The scent is rich, deep, warm, balsamic, sweet, with incense-like overtones.  It is also said to increase spiritual awareness and meditation when it is diffused into the air.



Want to try it for yourself?  Visit my Young Living website and become a distributor by purchasing the Everday Oils kit (which includes frankincense)  and continue to receive the wholesale price for oils.  The only 'catch' is that you'll spend $50/year to keep the wholesale pricing.  No requirements to sell or purchase huge quantities of anything. (And you will be supporting our ministry with your  purchases!)  You can also sign up as a customer, but you will be charged the full retail price.

Please check back for Part 3 -  How we have used Frankincense in our Ministry to Refugees - coming soon!

The Ancient Beauty of Frankincense- Part 1

Did you know that Frankincense is found in the Bible?

I mean.. more than just when it was presented to Jesus when he was born??

In fact, it is mentioned 22 times directly and 59 times indirectly for a grand total of 81 times in the Bible!

So.. you ask.. how was it used in the Bible??  I'm glad you asked!

It was used as:

• holy anointing oil


• a cure-all


• used to enhance meditation and elevate spiritual consciousness


• used to anoint the newborn sons of kings and priests (which may be why it was brought to the baby Jesus)

Where in the Bible is it found?

• Exodus 30:34 - Moses, commanded by the Lord, is blending oils and spices to put in the tent of meeting


• Leviticus 2:1 - Israelites bringing a grain offering and pouring frankincense on it- brings a pleasing aroma for the Lord


• Numbers 16:46-50 - used to make atonement for people of Israel when they rebelled against Moses and Aaron


• Song of Solomon 3:6- used to portray an attractive fragrance

Check back for part 2 and 3 of my series on Frankincense! 

• Part 1 - How was it used in the Bible?  (you are reading this one :) )


• Part 2- Practical, everyday uses for Frankincense - coming soon


• Part 3 - How we have used Frankincense in our ministry to refugees - coming soon

* Information for this post was obtained from "Healing Oils of the Bible" written by David Stewart*

 

What's So Great About Essential Oils?

"Well....you can either just wait it out for a few months or go through a painful procedure to get them off"  said the nurse practictioner about my 4 year old son's molluscum bumps on his hand.   Painful procedure for my 4 year old?  I think not!  

 God had graciously given me an Everyday Oils kit through a friend and I was excited to see what these Young Living Oils could do.  After trying a couple of different oils, we found that Frankincense got rid of those bumps (with no pain!) within a week.   Yay for a more natural way to take care of our family's health!   We have other stories to share about how essential oils have helped our family, but maybe that will come later...



"And let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind on the earth.  And it was so."-Genesis 1:11

In this short sentence God in His infinite wisdom, created plants with all their healing properties and complexities.   And all of this happened even before Adam and Eve were formed!



Young Living therapuetic grade oils are made by distillation of the plant.  They are such a pure quality of oil, that the effects are quite amazing!  (unlike a store bought oil, which most likely is not in the most pure form)

God has been working in my life and He is leading me to help my neighbors and friends as I share these essential oils.  

My prayer is that it will ultimately lead to people praising God for how He can heal and take care of them, and that I will be a vessel through which Jesus shows His love for everyone.

Join me on this adventure and let's see what God will do!