What to wear, what to wear:
How is your wardrobe looking? Are the wedding and bridesmaid dresses you've been looking at the type that put others at ease? We've been told a lie. It is that "It's YOUR day." That is not true. A wedding is God's symbol. How you plan it will, either bring glory to God or, bring attention to yourself or your maids. (The guys are always well covered!) I am pretty passionate about modesty in this day and age. You can read a previous post I have called "Confessions of a Closet Conservative". Now, before you get your back up, it is just an old post!
By now, though, hopefully, you have done some soul searching and it is the Lord that knows your heart. I certainly don't. I can't tell you what to wear, that is something you need to work out with the Lord and your parents even. Then, it will be your husband's responsibility. Now, that may shock you, but, as a guy, he can really help you to dress in a nice way that doesn't draw attention to parts of you that are only for him. That is, as long as he isn't a King Ahasuerus who wanted to flaunt his wife.
How you dress and how you carry yourself will speak volumes as to your faithfulness to him.
Sweet Spirt:
If you want to be honest and check your motives behind your dress, consider this: Is the main attention of your appearance your sweet, cheerful countenance? I'm not saying that you should dress "blah" because that is simply not necessary. I'm saying that there is a gleam and light to share that radiates from your face!
Prov. 15:13
"A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance,
But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."
1 Tim. 2:9-11 "in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works."
Prov.11:22
"As a ring of gold in a swine's snout,
So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion."
Physical Care:
Exercise is really important and a great habit to be formed while you are young. Many young people and newly weds, though, don't have extra money for a gym membership or space for equipment at home. Here in Washington, the weather makes it difficult to get outside! But, don't give up. Our society has made it too complicated. There are simple ways to get a work-out without any expensive/ bulky accessories. It's not complicated. And- bonus!! Mopping the floor and scrubbing the tub is calling on a lot of muscles too. You just need something DOABLE.
https://www.fitwatch.com/blog/10-ways-you-can-exercise-at-home-without-any-equipment
I'll admit to you right now that nobody in my house wants to use my homemade deodorant. I know. Sad. But, if you want to try some, this is really inexpensive and it works for me.
Homemade All Natural Deodorant:
Makes enough for one average-sized deodorant roll-up container.
1 heaping T. beeswax pellets
2 1/2 - 3 T. coconut oil ( probably go with the 3 T.)
1/8 C. arrowroot powder
1/8 C. baking soda (aluminum free)
2 drops castor oil
2 drops vitamin E
24 drops of therapeutic grade essential oil of your choice (recommendations below)
The selections are endless. You could choose just single oils (lavender, lemon, melaleuca, sandalwood, frankincense, etc.) or Young Living has a number of blends that are perfect for a good deodorant (Thieves, Purification, Citrus Fresh, Three Wise Men, Joy, Harmony, Sensation etc.).
If you want to get creative, you could try to blend a few complementary oils together yourself. Here are a few examples:
English Garden:
9 drops lavender
9 drops ylang ylang drops
2 geranium
Morning Breeze
15 drops Rosemary
6 drops peppermint
4 drops lavender
Other good oils choices: Frankincense, Lime, Lemongrass, Citrus Fresh, Rosemary, Valor, Bergamot, Geranium
Perhaps Esther used something like this recipe to refresh her face after a brisk promenade about the beautiful gardens of the Persian palace.
Hydrating beauty mist:
1/2 cup distilled or reverse osmosis water
1/2 teaspoon vegetable glycerine
8 drops ylang ylang
2 drops chamomile
1 drop myrrh
1 drop frankincense
1 drop jasmine (optional)
Teachable:
I will give you a couple hints as to modest dress. If you often have to tug it UP or DOWN, consider wearing something else outside of the house. Later, as a new mom, your kiddo is going to start pulling on your clothes too. You will also be bending down to reach stuff a lot and picking things up off the floor. Please, don't let everything hang out or hike up.
You want to have an attitude of putting others at ease. You can loose friends over dressing immodestly. After all, not all of your friends are married to men that control their eyes. I'm sorry, but this is true- I have witnessed it. I also found out, much to my surprise, that you can loose friends over being too Modest! I can't understand it, but for some women who are either feeling convicted about their own motives behind their wardrobe choices, or their feeling that they have to be always alluring in order to keep their own man, your dressing from head to toe could make someone mad at you. Now, we are not here to please others, but only to please God. Seek Him in this and see if you can't find a way to dress modestly without going way overboard. That attitude speaks of selflessness and will keep ministry opportunities wide open to you so that you can be a servant of the Lord.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Friday, February 19, 2016
Esther and the Dragon (or Part 4)
I'm guessing that Hegai knew just about everything there was to know about the women he was in charge of. I have this picture in my mind of his massive spread sheet scroll of papyrus with drop down menus showing him which ladies could go to the king and when. I wouldn't have wanted to hang with some of those women long term, but maybe they were just given an extra serving of poppy seeds on their salad at certain times of the month. Fortunately, you can just track certain things for YOURSELF.
Sweet Spirit:
You should take notes of your mental state and cycle throughout the next few months, if you don't already, and look into getting a tranquilizer if it is real bad. JUST KIDDING! Seriously though, you may see a pattern and be able to lean on God even more for right responses when you aren't at your best. Remember that He is pleased with a gentle, quiet spirit and that you are to do good to your man "all the days of his life". (and you don't want your family to be TOO happy to have this guy take you off their hands.)
Each and every day, listen to what you are saying and the TONE you are using. Probably, you are still on your best behavior around your intended. So, listen carefully to see when, and if, you tend to snap or vent a lot around those you've been around for years. I am talking about your irritating, immature brother, a parent that you clash with, or your college roommate. Maybe you just hide for a few days. You can't do that with a family.
Guard your mouth.
Prov.21:23
"Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles."
Ps.141:3
"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips."
You don't want to damage your relationship with your beloved in the first and hardest years of marriage, so correct yourself now, with God's help, and check in and be honest with your mentor.
Guard your heart.
Sometimes we allow things to fester in our hearts. This allows a root of bitterness to begin its hold on you. I had a dear friend ask me once, when I was fussing to her about something, "Are you bitter?" She stopped me in my tracks and caught my attention. It was the best thing for me and I had to be honest. I was headed down the wrong road. Bitterness is like taking poison and hoping the other person gets sick. And, if you hold bitterness towards ANYONE, it will affect your marriage!
Or maybe worry keeps you awake at nights or clouds your decisions.Try to take your thoughts captive and use those tendencies as a call towards prayer over the person or situation.
Phil. 4:6-8
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
Physical Care:
Women can be different almost every week it seems. Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde only worse! Study up on the different hormones. They are useful things! They are needful and part of God's amazing design.
My husband once picked up a set of mugs. Each had a picture on it. A dragon, a bear, a tiger, and an elephant. I was mad because we didn't need any more mugs! Who buys themselves a mug? Well, he waited a couple weeks, made coffee, and then handed me the tiger mug with a wink. Um. Now I get the hint when he hands me the dragon etc. It's funny to me, now, that he pays attention to which week I'm in.
Many factors come into play where your hormones are concerned-even environmental things. They are easily thrown out of kilter, but knowledge and education can help bring things back into balance (as can getting some "boy germs" eventually- trying to keep things light here.) Diet and exercise play an important role too. It's possible that you may need a professional to measure your levels, but know that not every doctor is up on women's issues. Look around for the right one.
Pay attention to your cycle but do not blame it for your sin. If you suffer at times because of it, learn to lighten your schedule if you can, but trust also, that God knows about it too.
An example in Scripture of a woman using her cycle for deceit:
Gen. 31:34-35
"Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me."
People have found help through natural means, whether herbs or EOs. Vitex or chaste tree herbal extract has been known to alleviate PMS or ease the second half of the monthly cycle. It addresses both progesterone and estrogen which many prescriptions fail miserably to do. You do need to be diligent, however, in its use.
Progessence Plus serum, Dragon Time, Endoflex, and Lady Sclereol are YL blends designed specifically for women. Lavender is a great single. Applications vary.
Here is a blend you may find relief with:15 drops peppermint,10 drops orange, 5 drops lavender,1 oz. sweet almond oil.
Mix together in an amber glass bottle and massage small amount on abdomen, head, and low back. I have also heard ylang ylang with peppermint layered over the top works. The key is to use just a little but apply often.
You do not want to depend completely on over-the-counter drugs for PMS because they have diminishing effects and are hard on your liver.
Teachable:
As you continue to grow in the Lord and grow in your relationship with your future husband, you may not be able to see how you are changing. But, rest assured, if you are in the Word and actively asking Him for wisdom, you will be steadily becoming a godly woman that brings honor to God and your family. I remember a few ladies at church commenting to me after I had been married a few months that they had seen a real transformation in me. Well, I had gotten serious about the Lord and had been faithfully in the Word and memorizing scripture! I had no idea that other people would notice a change.
Keep working on memorizing Prov. 31:10-31
Prov. 31:25-26
"Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness."
Just for fun:
My Fair Lady: "Why can't a woman be more like a man"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Doz5w2W-jAY
I recommend buying the book "Taming the Inner Dragon Within" by Dr Deardeuff. You can get it for $9 from Life Science Publishers. In fact, I can order it for you. Its a great reference book for anything related to female hormones and how to support them naturally with oils and supplements.
Backache fighting blend:
8 drops cinnamon oil
6 drops roman chamomile oil
4 drops ginger oil
1 T. Almond oil sweet
Mix and massage into back
http://ylsearch.com/ Is a great place to hunt around for ways to support your health needs naturally. Let me know if you are thinking about accessing YL oils at wholesale.
Sweet Spirit:
You should take notes of your mental state and cycle throughout the next few months, if you don't already, and look into getting a tranquilizer if it is real bad. JUST KIDDING! Seriously though, you may see a pattern and be able to lean on God even more for right responses when you aren't at your best. Remember that He is pleased with a gentle, quiet spirit and that you are to do good to your man "all the days of his life". (and you don't want your family to be TOO happy to have this guy take you off their hands.)
Each and every day, listen to what you are saying and the TONE you are using. Probably, you are still on your best behavior around your intended. So, listen carefully to see when, and if, you tend to snap or vent a lot around those you've been around for years. I am talking about your irritating, immature brother, a parent that you clash with, or your college roommate. Maybe you just hide for a few days. You can't do that with a family.
Guard your mouth.
Prov.21:23
"Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles."
Ps.141:3
"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips."
You don't want to damage your relationship with your beloved in the first and hardest years of marriage, so correct yourself now, with God's help, and check in and be honest with your mentor.
Guard your heart.
Sometimes we allow things to fester in our hearts. This allows a root of bitterness to begin its hold on you. I had a dear friend ask me once, when I was fussing to her about something, "Are you bitter?" She stopped me in my tracks and caught my attention. It was the best thing for me and I had to be honest. I was headed down the wrong road. Bitterness is like taking poison and hoping the other person gets sick. And, if you hold bitterness towards ANYONE, it will affect your marriage!
Or maybe worry keeps you awake at nights or clouds your decisions.Try to take your thoughts captive and use those tendencies as a call towards prayer over the person or situation.
Phil. 4:6-8
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
Physical Care:
Women can be different almost every week it seems. Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde only worse! Study up on the different hormones. They are useful things! They are needful and part of God's amazing design.
My husband once picked up a set of mugs. Each had a picture on it. A dragon, a bear, a tiger, and an elephant. I was mad because we didn't need any more mugs! Who buys themselves a mug? Well, he waited a couple weeks, made coffee, and then handed me the tiger mug with a wink. Um. Now I get the hint when he hands me the dragon etc. It's funny to me, now, that he pays attention to which week I'm in.
Pay attention to your cycle but do not blame it for your sin. If you suffer at times because of it, learn to lighten your schedule if you can, but trust also, that God knows about it too.
An example in Scripture of a woman using her cycle for deceit:
Gen. 31:34-35
"Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me."
People have found help through natural means, whether herbs or EOs. Vitex or chaste tree herbal extract has been known to alleviate PMS or ease the second half of the monthly cycle. It addresses both progesterone and estrogen which many prescriptions fail miserably to do. You do need to be diligent, however, in its use.
Progessence Plus serum, Dragon Time, Endoflex, and Lady Sclereol are YL blends designed specifically for women. Lavender is a great single. Applications vary.
Here is a blend you may find relief with:15 drops peppermint,10 drops orange, 5 drops lavender,1 oz. sweet almond oil.
Mix together in an amber glass bottle and massage small amount on abdomen, head, and low back. I have also heard ylang ylang with peppermint layered over the top works. The key is to use just a little but apply often.
You do not want to depend completely on over-the-counter drugs for PMS because they have diminishing effects and are hard on your liver.
Teachable:
As you continue to grow in the Lord and grow in your relationship with your future husband, you may not be able to see how you are changing. But, rest assured, if you are in the Word and actively asking Him for wisdom, you will be steadily becoming a godly woman that brings honor to God and your family. I remember a few ladies at church commenting to me after I had been married a few months that they had seen a real transformation in me. Well, I had gotten serious about the Lord and had been faithfully in the Word and memorizing scripture! I had no idea that other people would notice a change.
Keep working on memorizing Prov. 31:10-31
Prov. 31:25-26
"Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness."
Just for fun:
My Fair Lady: "Why can't a woman be more like a man"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Doz5w2W-jAY
I recommend buying the book "Taming the Inner Dragon Within" by Dr Deardeuff. You can get it for $9 from Life Science Publishers. In fact, I can order it for you. Its a great reference book for anything related to female hormones and how to support them naturally with oils and supplements.
Backache fighting blend:
8 drops cinnamon oil
6 drops roman chamomile oil
4 drops ginger oil
1 T. Almond oil sweet
Mix and massage into back
http://ylsearch.com/ Is a great place to hunt around for ways to support your health needs naturally. Let me know if you are thinking about accessing YL oils at wholesale.
Friday, January 29, 2016
The Esther Project Part 3
The Esther Project Part 3
The skin improvement recipe from the last post is expensive due to the helichrysum. You can either double the lavender or consider going in on a bottle with a friend or something. But first:
Sweet Spirit:
1 Pet. 3:3-6
"Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror."
Physical Care:
Hair spritz:
15 drops rosemary
10 drops lavender
7-10 drops Cedarwood
2 oz. purified water
3 drops vegetable glycerin
After towel drying hair spritz on scalp. Massage in. This is a very versatile recipe. These particular oils encourage hair growth, but you can remove these EOs and instead use 10 drops of Jasmine. Lovely. Ylang Ylang has been used to ward off grey hair. (I know you don't think that will ever happen to you;)
Rosemary conditioner:
5 drops rosemary
1 T. Jojoba oil
Blend well, massage into hair. Wrap in towel and leave for up to an hour. Unwrap and style w/out rinsing. (I tried that, but found that I did have to wash and rinse it. It still left my hair feeling great.) Encourages hair growth. I would only do it once a week.
My face lotion recipe is absolutely glorious and the frankincense in it is in a young living Kit that I recommend. You can also use Elemi which is sometimes called "poor man's frankincense".
Step 1: warm about 1/2 cup coconut oil in a small glass jar. Add 1 or 2 pumps of another carrier oil. ( options: rosehip seed oil, sweet almond, olive oil.)
Step 2: 20 drops of young living frankincense essential oil and 10 drops of YL myrrh essential oil.
Step 3: mix well. It will resolidify. Morning and evening take about 1/4 teaspoon in your hand. It will melt and easily spread around your clean face. As your body gets used to it, it will feel less greasy and more RIGHT! I love this stuff.
Teachable:
Read Titus 2
Keep memorizing Prov. 31:10-31
Summary of the first three posts:
Drink plenty of water
Research some doable ways to detox your physical self
Consider what in your heart needs to be cleansed
Try some natural means of improving your outward appearance
Find a Godly older woman
Thursday, January 21, 2016
The Esther Project Part 2
My husband and I have had many opportunities to give premarital counseling. It usually takes about 6 weeks or six sessions, during which, I occasionally interject relevant or (oh dear) irrelevant comments about the various subjects at hand, not having a curriculum to work off of like my husband does. I'm hoping this series can be something I can direct gals to.
In the first post, I basically gave you orders to take a hot bath.
Part 2 is hot on it's the heals because this may take some long term focus, and, since Esther was really in a very tough situation, we will look to other parts of scripture for guidance, as well. We aren't after her life, just her beauty secrets!
Do you have either visible or invisible scars?
Sweet Spirit:
What are the things that have injured your spirit? Did you have a troubled childhood or experience any abuse? Has it effected how you respond to others? Are there things in your past that you need to forgive? These things may take serious time to work through, so pray about where to begin...and begin. Each day is a new beginning.
Lam. 3:22-23
"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness."
The Lord has a unique ministry for you because of these things. I'm not suggesting that they can be completely erased, but that they can be used by God. You can go deeper into His grace and mercy than other women can at your age!
This attitude keeps our hearts focused on God which will, in turn, allow you to do good to your man "all the days of your life".
Prov.31:11-12
"The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life."
Beyond spending time in God's Word, the most helpful thing to do, I believe, is to seek a Godly older woman as a mentor. When I was a newly wed, I sought out 3 Godly women that I knew would speak the truth to me in love. This was a game changer in my spiritual development! I believe a mentor is crucial whether you have deep things to work through or not. You can imagine the trauma that Esther endured (losing her parents and later being whisked off to a harem) and know that God had her there for a reason-"for such a time as this."
Esther 4:14b-16
"'Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?'
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day."
There are some wonderful essential oils that people have used during this kind of process. Our sense of smell is very important. When we smell something, it hits our ole factory nerves in our noses and shoots right to the brain. A person can have positive or negative feelings about something because of a smell. Lavender, usually considered the "Swiss army knife" of essential oils because of its many uses, can take you back to grandmas house and fill you with all kinds of warm fuzzies. If, however, you hated that place, then you probably won't benefit from it. On the other hand, many smells are not actually the real essence of the plant God made, but only a synthetic, so don't give up with out trying a whiff of the real stuff.
Some examples of blends that YL carries are: Forgiveness, Release, and Trauma Life. These were designed to minister to people's emotions and mental state. As I mentioned, these are blends, so make sure you read what all oils are in it first. There may be something there that turns you off. Some singles could be frankincense, ylang ylang, lavender, and lemon. Sometimes a person may smell an EO and hate it, but then grow to like it over time. We all have different body chemistry. Something I like, you may think smells like cat urine, or when your body chemistry changes, it may smell different to you. I use to not like the smell of Cedarwood, but I was having so much trouble falling asleep, I kept trying it, and now I love it.
Physical Care:
On the surface level
This is a wonderful blend of oils that you can use on any skin trouble, whether it is just a temporary issue or something that has bothered you for years. Esther did this sort of thing for a year, so don't expect overnight success.
10 drops helichrysum
6 drops lavender
8 drops lemongrass
4 drops patchouli
5 drops myrrh
1 ounce V-6 Mixing oil. (This is a carrier oil blend the YL carries)
Olive oil or coconut oil (fractionated) would work as well. Jojoba is a wonderful carrier oil that is used for carrying the EOs in deeper. It's molecules are pin shaped and soak in quickly. On the other hand, a lot of massage therapists go for sweet almond oil. It's molecules are oval shaped and therefore stay on the skin longer. These four carrier oils are a must at my house.
MIX IN THE ORDER GIVEN (VERY important!!!), rolling the bottle between your palms after adding each oil. Apply topically at least 3-4 times a day.
Teachable:
Begin memorizing Prov. 31:10-31
In this passage of scripture, there is SO much scope for growing in the Lord! I did not discover its value until shortly after we were married, but, oh how much I needed it, and how much I could have blessed my husband if I had come more prepared!
I hope and pray that your hurts are only skin deep, but if they are deeper, God is there too. He is, after all, EVERYWHERE.
There is enough trouble in this life with just our own sin nature and selfish desires, and you can be sure that getting married will bring your sin right out there for you to discover just how much of it there is! You can look at it as an opportunity to be more refined and sanctified!
So, for this post, just tag it onto the first one as soon as you can. You want to give yourself as much time as possible to heal wounds.
A relaxing bath combo:
5 drops Lavender
3 drops cedarwood wood
2 drops vetiver
2 cups Epsom salts.
Mix the EOs into the Epsom salt then add to bath
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
THE ESTHER PROJECT PART 1
I'm really excited about this! I've been running this idea around in my head for 18 months and it's finally coming out on paper.
I have to post recipes compliantly because I am not a doctor, therefore some recipe titles may be vague, but just know that there is MUCH MUCH more to the benefits than the title suggests. You can always give me a call to clarify. I'm going to try to stick to recipes and encourage you to research for yourself.
THE ESTHER PROJECT!!!
What is it?
Originally I was thinking about how Esther, in the Bible, was prepared to meet the king and how the preparations went on for months! So, my idea was to present some beautification ideas to brides-to-be. However, I will try to make it applicable to other women, since our bodies are God's temple and we should try to take care of it.
This will be a series of maybe 6-8 blog posts with suggestions to prepare a bride spiritually, physically and emotionally for marriage.
As the series comes to a close, I may have a post for those that are very close to marriage that I will send individually to those qualified for such information.
Sweet Spirt:
When Esther was brought under the custody of Hegai, the custodian of the women in the palace, she immediately found favor and was provided EXTRA beauty preparations. She must have had a sweet personality because everybody seemed to like her, as you can read in chapter 2. Her character was something people wanted around.
Physical care:
Esther 2:12b
"...for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women."
Myrrh is an essential oil that blends and works very well with other essential oils. It is in the same botanical family as frankincense. It offers all kinds of support to our bodies, only one of which is the skin. The "perfumes and preparations" will have been from plants and minerals, of course. There weren't too many drugs stores back then, so there will be many essential oil suggestions, as well as carrier oil information, provided in the following posts. Many of the oil suggestions here were even used in Biblical times. Some, like Jasmine, are actually absolutes or an essence rather than an essential oil. It's all about the extraction process. I use only Young Living brand because of their careful processes that we refer to as their "Seed to Seal" guarantee and the longevity of the company. Remember that your skin is your largest organ, and whatever you put on it gets into your body because of its pores. So, think carefully before applying anything synthetic or cheap to your skin. What goes ON, goes IN.
Teachable:
Esther 2:15
"Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her."
Esther was not only depending on her looks and vibrant health to impress the king, but also used her head and listened to advise available to her in the palace. She was also spiritually in tune, as shown later in the book, when she fasts and seeks the Lord before making an appeal to her husband.
So, of course, spending time on your physical appearance only, is not the end all of life. In fact, if careful attention is not paid to your spiritual and mental development then all you will be is a pretty shell- empty inside. Prov. 31:30 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."
Let's get started!
Week 1-3
Drinking your fluids:
Anytime is a good time to check your fluid intake, and I'm not talking about soda! Try to be in the habit of about 8 glasses of water a day. If you had a workout, then drink even more. I love to add a drop or two of lemon or tangerine YL essential oil. We have used lime as well and even peppermint. However, peppermint is very strong, so just one drop spread across 24-32 oz of water will do.
Thanks to our strange American diet, you may want to do a few detox things. Drinking plenty of water will be a huge help!
detox bath recipe: 4 cups of each: epsom salt, baking soda & peroxide. Soak for a minimum 30 minutes, best for one hour. If you want to add essential oils, add a few drops to the epsom salt first, so the oil will mix better with the water. Lavender, Peace & Calming, Elemi are just a few wonderful choices to add. Elemi is related to frankincense but a lot less expensive. 5-10 drops of EO should be sufficient.
Remineralizing is important, in addition to the above ingredients, add 1-2 cups Himalayan or Celtic sea salt to bath. This bath can be repeated often with no negative side effects or interference with meds.
Add these ingredients to a "hot to tolerance" tub bath or foot bath (reduce ingredients for this by half), and ad the hydrogen peroxide last of all.
Afterward, towel off and rub down with Young Living's OrthoEase, olive oil or coconut oil. You will want to pick up a good quality olive oil and coconut oil. Ideally, you want virgin olive oil or the "first oil". Coconut oil is an incredible germ fighter and great option as a carrier oil. I get my Epsom salt in bulk through Amazon and look for baking soda that is free of aluminum.
Put these items on your wish list for coming weeks/months: you may want to budget yourself to @$50 a month. I can also show you how to get YL oils wholesale.
Carrier oils from http://www.heatherloraine.com/
Myrrh
Patchouli
Jasmine
Frankincense
Lavender
For an excellent source with more information about many of the oils I'll be covering, simply contact me. I hope you enjoy this little series.
I have to post recipes compliantly because I am not a doctor, therefore some recipe titles may be vague, but just know that there is MUCH MUCH more to the benefits than the title suggests. You can always give me a call to clarify. I'm going to try to stick to recipes and encourage you to research for yourself.
THE ESTHER PROJECT!!!
What is it?
Originally I was thinking about how Esther, in the Bible, was prepared to meet the king and how the preparations went on for months! So, my idea was to present some beautification ideas to brides-to-be. However, I will try to make it applicable to other women, since our bodies are God's temple and we should try to take care of it.
This will be a series of maybe 6-8 blog posts with suggestions to prepare a bride spiritually, physically and emotionally for marriage.
As the series comes to a close, I may have a post for those that are very close to marriage that I will send individually to those qualified for such information.
Sweet Spirt:
When Esther was brought under the custody of Hegai, the custodian of the women in the palace, she immediately found favor and was provided EXTRA beauty preparations. She must have had a sweet personality because everybody seemed to like her, as you can read in chapter 2. Her character was something people wanted around.
Physical care:
Esther 2:12b
"...for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women."
Myrrh is an essential oil that blends and works very well with other essential oils. It is in the same botanical family as frankincense. It offers all kinds of support to our bodies, only one of which is the skin. The "perfumes and preparations" will have been from plants and minerals, of course. There weren't too many drugs stores back then, so there will be many essential oil suggestions, as well as carrier oil information, provided in the following posts. Many of the oil suggestions here were even used in Biblical times. Some, like Jasmine, are actually absolutes or an essence rather than an essential oil. It's all about the extraction process. I use only Young Living brand because of their careful processes that we refer to as their "Seed to Seal" guarantee and the longevity of the company. Remember that your skin is your largest organ, and whatever you put on it gets into your body because of its pores. So, think carefully before applying anything synthetic or cheap to your skin. What goes ON, goes IN.
Teachable:
Esther 2:15
"Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her."
Esther was not only depending on her looks and vibrant health to impress the king, but also used her head and listened to advise available to her in the palace. She was also spiritually in tune, as shown later in the book, when she fasts and seeks the Lord before making an appeal to her husband.
So, of course, spending time on your physical appearance only, is not the end all of life. In fact, if careful attention is not paid to your spiritual and mental development then all you will be is a pretty shell- empty inside. Prov. 31:30 "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."
Let's get started!
Week 1-3
Drinking your fluids:
Anytime is a good time to check your fluid intake, and I'm not talking about soda! Try to be in the habit of about 8 glasses of water a day. If you had a workout, then drink even more. I love to add a drop or two of lemon or tangerine YL essential oil. We have used lime as well and even peppermint. However, peppermint is very strong, so just one drop spread across 24-32 oz of water will do.
Thanks to our strange American diet, you may want to do a few detox things. Drinking plenty of water will be a huge help!
detox bath recipe: 4 cups of each: epsom salt, baking soda & peroxide. Soak for a minimum 30 minutes, best for one hour. If you want to add essential oils, add a few drops to the epsom salt first, so the oil will mix better with the water. Lavender, Peace & Calming, Elemi are just a few wonderful choices to add. Elemi is related to frankincense but a lot less expensive. 5-10 drops of EO should be sufficient.
Remineralizing is important, in addition to the above ingredients, add 1-2 cups Himalayan or Celtic sea salt to bath. This bath can be repeated often with no negative side effects or interference with meds.
Add these ingredients to a "hot to tolerance" tub bath or foot bath (reduce ingredients for this by half), and ad the hydrogen peroxide last of all.
Afterward, towel off and rub down with Young Living's OrthoEase, olive oil or coconut oil. You will want to pick up a good quality olive oil and coconut oil. Ideally, you want virgin olive oil or the "first oil". Coconut oil is an incredible germ fighter and great option as a carrier oil. I get my Epsom salt in bulk through Amazon and look for baking soda that is free of aluminum.
Put these items on your wish list for coming weeks/months: you may want to budget yourself to @$50 a month. I can also show you how to get YL oils wholesale.
Carrier oils from http://www.heatherloraine.com/
Myrrh
Patchouli
Jasmine
Frankincense
Lavender
For an excellent source with more information about many of the oils I'll be covering, simply contact me. I hope you enjoy this little series.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Dear Friends and family,
It's funny, and sometimes not-so-funny how, as the kids get older, the years become less predictable. From the outside, things have looked rather mundane, I'm afraid, but change is in the air. We have had to field questions like: "Are you ever going to let your kids leave home?", and "What is Sarah going to DO with her degree?" I assure you, we were never raising a baseball team, we were and are raising arrows.
This year began like many others, but just a few weeks in, we had a scare with David's dad which resulted in major surgery. Next thing we knew, it was March already. Praise the Lord, Grandpa has made a lot of progress in recovery.
David and Andrew were able to go to their favorite pastors conference where Andrew met more pastor's and was presented a couple opportunities that he had to pray for direction over. Each one just didn't seem like "the thing" and by May he was back to hoping for an opening to study on the seminary campus in Wisconsin. He was offered a job there in June covering room, board and tuition. By August, he sold or gave away almost everything- even his teddy bear (which I got back)! It has always been his desire to not go into debt with school because his goal is church planting which is not a money maker. So, this was a huge answer to prayer. He expects to graduate with his Master's of Divinity by December 2017.
Sarah has had some crazy opportunities as well, but this year ended up looking like the previous one, after all. She teaches a writing class at at friends house and does some nanny work for my brother's family. Other things include: teaching William and Sam, meal planning for our crew, driving kids places and writing. I am treasuring this year.
Margaret is working on a Bachelor's in music and has a piano studio of about nine students humming along that is helping with the college expenses. It is called "Raincloud Piano Studio" and she is part of the Gig Harbor piano teachers guild. She really enjoys teaching and one of her students received first place in her division in the last Music Olympics. She often plays the piano for church choir, has one more year of piano competitions, and plays for a local homeschool choir.
Rebekah is 17 and learning to drive. She graduates from our home school at the end of this school year and has written and self-published two books. She writes whenever she can, and sometimes when she shouldn't. She also loves to play the piano and flute. Sarah and Margaret like to take her with them places as she is the social butterfly and that makes it easier on them in those settings. This year was especially fun for her because a couple of her writing friends came to visit and stay with us. One was a sweet family from Kansas and another from Eastern Washington. In fact, much of August we had company staying with us. Old friends and new friends fellowshipping with us. We made some wonderful memories without leaving our property.
Maxwell has begun his 10 th grade year of home education. He is very interested in computer programming and will possibly start College Plus next fall. He is 6'2" and has matured a lot over the last several years. He has had the opportunity to work for my dad and brother the last six months or so to save for college. He is thinking about driving. Remember, we do the "think method" for driving :) at least for a good while. Then we do LOTS of practice. He is playing the piano beautifully, as well, but he is not into performing. He enjoys singing bass in our church choir and in the home school choir.
David Clayton is in the 8th grade and 13 years old. He and Max love playing football in our field with their younger brothers, cousins, uncles, dad, friends from church, and anyone else remotely interested. I heard him ask Rebekah the other day if she wanted to play. Grandma Olson saves the paper for him when it has anything in it about college football, while the Seahawks go over to the other neighbor grandkids. That works out pretty well! Then, since we still do not have a television (yippee!), we watch the Huskey games over at grandpa and grandma Eddy's house. David is a details person. He CAN'T vacuum the living room without moving the furniture or organize the back porch without removing everything and getting every nook and cranny! This is AWESOME!... unless the company is already in the driveway. It really keeps us on our toes getting to know each of our children's gifts and helping them to develop them, as well as, strengthening their weaknesses. We need God's wisdom everyday.
Tabitha is 12 and becoming a young lady quickly. She has an interesting sense of humor- different even from Margaret's. If you haven't experienced it, then you can't understand what I mean ;). Her schooling is still sometimes a struggle but we have changed her diet quite a bit which is helping her sleep better and think more clearly. She manages her own diet and is not interested in going back to how she used to feel. Her Angora rabbit, Gandalf, is like a puppy or baby...or something. But he certainly isn't like a rabbit! She has really blossomed through having a pet to care for.
Marta is 10 and in the 5th grade. She is teetering between kid and young lady, but mostly still kiddo. She is trying to learn the harp from Sarah but the lessons aren't too regular. I hope that changes soon! Marta is our present poultry person. She is taking care of the chickens and ducks, faithfully donning Andrew's old work coat and my rubber boots each morning, through rain, sleet or snow. The birds hear her voice and obey.
William is 8 and doing very well in school. His mind is whirling constantly, though, and he'd be finished with school by now if he concentrated! Did you know there is a pattern to square roots? Sarah is having a blast teaching him. He and Sam play great together. Usually. And the boys are put out if they don't have the cousins over every day. We have coined our property "Cousin County".
Samuel, at six years old, is still a pretty easy going guy, but he needed a few sentences to help him not be pushed around too much by William. He is allowed to say kindly, "I am not available to play if you are going to boss me." Otherwise, it can be pretty frustrating being the youngest in a household of 11-12 people. And he wants a pet penguin.
David is still loving his work at MCC. There is always more to do, but our church family is so gracious towards us and they encourage us to build into our family and not just the church body. I have been able to organize some retreats with some other ladies recently and we have a new associate pastor this year. We are so thankful for their family! The church seems to be enjoying the combination of our different strengths etc.
You can see, there have been some changes. There have also been plans made and cancelled that weren't mentioned here. There are plans in the works that may or may not come to anything.The letter is positive. I do make it that way on purpose. Not everything has been easy, simple or as predictable as it looks. But this year, as in every other year, God has been in control and, next year, however it goes, He will be in control still.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer.29:11
Merry Christmas to you all. Remember, we are here and we love you. Please, contact us for prayer anytime and may you find Jesus to be your ALL this coming year.
David and Carol Eddy
Andrew, Sarah, Margaret, Rebekah, Maxwell, David, Tabitha, Marta, William and Samuel
Websites and blogs in our family:
http://manchesterministries.org/site/ ( the church)
http://thehopeofthegospel.blogspot.com ( Carol's blog)
http://morethanascent.younglivingworld.com/ (Carol's essential oils website)
http://1ajeddy.blogspot.com (Andrew's blog)
https://awellcultivatedmind.wordpress.com ( Sarah's blog)
http://preparingfortheultimatecareer.blogspot.com (Sarah and Margaret's blog)
http://4rmeddy.blogspot.com (Rebekah's blog)
https://sites.google.com/site/raincloudpianostudio/ (Margaret's studio)
It's funny, and sometimes not-so-funny how, as the kids get older, the years become less predictable. From the outside, things have looked rather mundane, I'm afraid, but change is in the air. We have had to field questions like: "Are you ever going to let your kids leave home?", and "What is Sarah going to DO with her degree?" I assure you, we were never raising a baseball team, we were and are raising arrows.
This year began like many others, but just a few weeks in, we had a scare with David's dad which resulted in major surgery. Next thing we knew, it was March already. Praise the Lord, Grandpa has made a lot of progress in recovery.
David and Andrew were able to go to their favorite pastors conference where Andrew met more pastor's and was presented a couple opportunities that he had to pray for direction over. Each one just didn't seem like "the thing" and by May he was back to hoping for an opening to study on the seminary campus in Wisconsin. He was offered a job there in June covering room, board and tuition. By August, he sold or gave away almost everything- even his teddy bear (which I got back)! It has always been his desire to not go into debt with school because his goal is church planting which is not a money maker. So, this was a huge answer to prayer. He expects to graduate with his Master's of Divinity by December 2017.
Sarah has had some crazy opportunities as well, but this year ended up looking like the previous one, after all. She teaches a writing class at at friends house and does some nanny work for my brother's family. Other things include: teaching William and Sam, meal planning for our crew, driving kids places and writing. I am treasuring this year.
Margaret is working on a Bachelor's in music and has a piano studio of about nine students humming along that is helping with the college expenses. It is called "Raincloud Piano Studio" and she is part of the Gig Harbor piano teachers guild. She really enjoys teaching and one of her students received first place in her division in the last Music Olympics. She often plays the piano for church choir, has one more year of piano competitions, and plays for a local homeschool choir.
Rebekah is 17 and learning to drive. She graduates from our home school at the end of this school year and has written and self-published two books. She writes whenever she can, and sometimes when she shouldn't. She also loves to play the piano and flute. Sarah and Margaret like to take her with them places as she is the social butterfly and that makes it easier on them in those settings. This year was especially fun for her because a couple of her writing friends came to visit and stay with us. One was a sweet family from Kansas and another from Eastern Washington. In fact, much of August we had company staying with us. Old friends and new friends fellowshipping with us. We made some wonderful memories without leaving our property.
Maxwell has begun his 10 th grade year of home education. He is very interested in computer programming and will possibly start College Plus next fall. He is 6'2" and has matured a lot over the last several years. He has had the opportunity to work for my dad and brother the last six months or so to save for college. He is thinking about driving. Remember, we do the "think method" for driving :) at least for a good while. Then we do LOTS of practice. He is playing the piano beautifully, as well, but he is not into performing. He enjoys singing bass in our church choir and in the home school choir.
David Clayton is in the 8th grade and 13 years old. He and Max love playing football in our field with their younger brothers, cousins, uncles, dad, friends from church, and anyone else remotely interested. I heard him ask Rebekah the other day if she wanted to play. Grandma Olson saves the paper for him when it has anything in it about college football, while the Seahawks go over to the other neighbor grandkids. That works out pretty well! Then, since we still do not have a television (yippee!), we watch the Huskey games over at grandpa and grandma Eddy's house. David is a details person. He CAN'T vacuum the living room without moving the furniture or organize the back porch without removing everything and getting every nook and cranny! This is AWESOME!... unless the company is already in the driveway. It really keeps us on our toes getting to know each of our children's gifts and helping them to develop them, as well as, strengthening their weaknesses. We need God's wisdom everyday.
Tabitha is 12 and becoming a young lady quickly. She has an interesting sense of humor- different even from Margaret's. If you haven't experienced it, then you can't understand what I mean ;). Her schooling is still sometimes a struggle but we have changed her diet quite a bit which is helping her sleep better and think more clearly. She manages her own diet and is not interested in going back to how she used to feel. Her Angora rabbit, Gandalf, is like a puppy or baby...or something. But he certainly isn't like a rabbit! She has really blossomed through having a pet to care for.
Marta is 10 and in the 5th grade. She is teetering between kid and young lady, but mostly still kiddo. She is trying to learn the harp from Sarah but the lessons aren't too regular. I hope that changes soon! Marta is our present poultry person. She is taking care of the chickens and ducks, faithfully donning Andrew's old work coat and my rubber boots each morning, through rain, sleet or snow. The birds hear her voice and obey.
William is 8 and doing very well in school. His mind is whirling constantly, though, and he'd be finished with school by now if he concentrated! Did you know there is a pattern to square roots? Sarah is having a blast teaching him. He and Sam play great together. Usually. And the boys are put out if they don't have the cousins over every day. We have coined our property "Cousin County".
Samuel, at six years old, is still a pretty easy going guy, but he needed a few sentences to help him not be pushed around too much by William. He is allowed to say kindly, "I am not available to play if you are going to boss me." Otherwise, it can be pretty frustrating being the youngest in a household of 11-12 people. And he wants a pet penguin.
David is still loving his work at MCC. There is always more to do, but our church family is so gracious towards us and they encourage us to build into our family and not just the church body. I have been able to organize some retreats with some other ladies recently and we have a new associate pastor this year. We are so thankful for their family! The church seems to be enjoying the combination of our different strengths etc.
You can see, there have been some changes. There have also been plans made and cancelled that weren't mentioned here. There are plans in the works that may or may not come to anything.The letter is positive. I do make it that way on purpose. Not everything has been easy, simple or as predictable as it looks. But this year, as in every other year, God has been in control and, next year, however it goes, He will be in control still.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jer.29:11
Merry Christmas to you all. Remember, we are here and we love you. Please, contact us for prayer anytime and may you find Jesus to be your ALL this coming year.
David and Carol Eddy
Andrew, Sarah, Margaret, Rebekah, Maxwell, David, Tabitha, Marta, William and Samuel
Websites and blogs in our family:
http://manchesterministries.org/site/ ( the church)
http://thehopeofthegospel.blogspot.com ( Carol's blog)
http://morethanascent.younglivingworld.com/ (Carol's essential oils website)
http://1ajeddy.blogspot.com (Andrew's blog)
https://awellcultivatedmind.wordpress.com ( Sarah's blog)
http://preparingfortheultimatecareer.blogspot.com (Sarah and Margaret's blog)
http://4rmeddy.blogspot.com (Rebekah's blog)
https://sites.google.com/site/raincloudpianostudio/ (Margaret's studio)
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Dad
There are many memories that come to mind growing up with Dad. Road trips, camping, Algebra 1, home improvement projects. When we moved to the farm, Mark and I were old enough to do many things related to the remodel. Grunt work, like scraping bricks and siding.
I'll never forget the time dad came home with some discount paint that we were to use to paint the entire upstairs floor of the original house. He handed me a paint brush and a can of paint. It was pink, mind you. He thought it was beige, but I digress.
Anyway, I think I remember him telling me not to paint myself into a corner. Then he left to go work somewhere else on the property. I did paint myself into a corner, at which time I realized what that exactly meant. I must have been about 8 years old.
Once I finally worked my way back out of my bedroom with paint can in one hand, brush in the other and pink feet, I victoriously yelled out the upstairs landing window, "Mooooom! Daaaaad! I'm done!"
Then CRASH, BANG, BANG, THUNK... All the way down the stairs! I had dropped the paint can and it splashed paint all down the beautiful original woodwork of the stair case of this now 100 year old farm house!
Dad and mom heard and didn't need to be told what had happened. At the same time, I realized that I had just lived the last moments of my life. Surely, I was dead.
I don't remember how I got down the stairs. There was no anger or punishment. They were too busy cleaning up paint as fast as they could on this hot, summer day. The most important thing to me about this memory, that I treasure to this day, is how both my parents handled what must have been a very frustrating situation. I was mortified and humiliated. They didn't make that worse.
Now, years later, as we raise our children in the very same house, I travel up those same stairs many times each day. I often think of that day that my parents didn't kill me. The day that I did pretty much everything wrong, and they cleaned up after it. Will I serve my own children as well? I pray that I will.
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