Frankincense GIVEAWAY! {Ended}

Giveaway has ENDED!

And the winner is......

Amy Adelseck!! 
Amy, contact me with your choice of either Frankincense or Sacred Frankincense!  Congratulations!!! 


So in this post, I mentioned that I'd be doing a giveaway soon!

And thanks to Young Living's November promotion, I have two free 5ml bottles of essential oils!

I have a bottle of Frankincense and
A bottle of Sacred Frankincense.

The winner of the giveaway will get to choose which Frankincense they'd like sent to them!!

Before we get into the giveaway details, let me tell you a little bit about Frankincense and how both of these Frankincense oils can benefit you and your family.

Frankincense
This Frankincense is the Boswellia carteri species and it is actually a resin obtained from the tree.  It has a sweet, warm, balsamic aroma that can be helpful in stimulating our minds and can help with focus.

It obviously has ancient origins as we remember it's what the wise men brought baby Jesus!

Young Living believes that they brought either this species of Frankincense, or the species that they extract their Sacred Frankincense from that was actually presented as the gift to Christ!



Sacred Frankincense

This oil is obtained from the Boswellia sacra tree and is distilled in Oman!  Its aroma is slightly softer and sweeter than that of the other Frankincense oil. 

**If you have sensitive skin, this oil is slightly milder on skin than the other. 

There are current studies that are showing that the Boswellia sacra species is more effective at cancerous tumor fighting than Boswellia carteri! 


So, how can Frankincense benefit you and your family?

 

Fight colds and flu
-Frankincense is super antibacterial, it can be taken in capsules a few times a day and rubbed on your feet to fight off whatever bacteria is causing you to feel unwell.
 

Clean cuts and scrapes
-wonderful for killing germs in wounds and promoting healing


Reduce wrinkles
-rub on your face to help fade wrinkles!
   *Some women (or men) make Frankincense a daily regimen for their face.  It can really improve the look and feel of the skin.


Banish skin warts, spots, stretch marks, and blemishes
!-apply to skin abnormalities daily to reduce spots and marks, and warts will usually just fall off after continuous application


Relieve itchy skin
-Apply to itchy patches of skin.
   I actually used this!  I have a patch of skin under my wedding ring that occasionally gets a rash.  It is itchy, red, and irritated.  I applied Frankincense for a couple days and it healed!


Oral care
-great for rinsing in the mouth to kill bacteria!

Enhance vision
-Ok, this is crazy.  You can apply Frankincense to the cheek and brow bones (NEVER put oils in your eye!) daily.  After a period of doing this for months, many people have eliminated the need for reading glasses!!!

-Also, you can rub a drop of oil in your hands, then cup them over your eye for 3 minutes and repeat that 2-3 times per day.  This can improve peripheral vision!
 Please note that I said "months."  This isn't an instant result!

Improve Concentration
-Rub on your temples to help you concentrate!

Brittle Nails
-Apply to your nails daily to help strengthen them!

Overall Health
-I have started adding a couple drops of Frankincense to my daily capsule for my health.  With all the things it can assist my body with, why wouldn't I???

***Please remember that this is ONLY recommended for use with Young Living Essential Oils!  It is NOT the same as oils from the health food store!


How not to use Frankincense
Anyone interested in essential oils will notice that there is a "spiritual side" that many use them for.  While I DO believe that these have the ability to assist in COUNTLESS areas of our lives, I do not believe that we should look to them for assistance in our spiritual lives.

Christ has overcome all for us.  And I think that if we are looking to something that He created for our ultimate fulfillment, instead of the Creator Himself, then we are looking in the WRONG place.  I don't use or recommend using essential oils for help in prayer, meditation, uplifting your soul, or any other like terms that you might see.  

That is a matter of the heart and bringing in anything else is opening up the door to "new age" spiritualism.

"His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence."  2Peter 1:3

We don't need to look to an oil for our spiritual well-being, we just need to look to HIM!

Ok.  Now that that's cleared up, let's talk about how you can get a FREE bottle of Young Living Frankincense or Sacred Frankincense!!

How to Enter:

You have four different ways to enter.

1. Share this blog post on Facebook (comment on the blog or on the FB post that you shared it)

2. Share this blog post on Twitter (comment on the blog to let me know you shared it)

3. Follow my blog! (enter your email in the box on the right sidebar that says "Stay up to date and Follow us!"

4. Comment below on the blog and tell me what you'd like my next essential oils post to be about!

Rules:


-ANYONE can enter!  Local, non-local, friends, family, or not-acquainted!


-You can enter by sharing the blog post on Facebook or Twitter once per day! (meaning you have a chance to enter via either of these methods at least 4 times!  Make sure to let me know via the blog or Facebook that you did!)

-You can only enter one time via the 3rd and 4th option.


-I will use a random selector to choose the winner on Saturday, November 16.


-I will announce the winner Saturday at the top of this post and will share it on Facebook

-I will ship the winner their choice of 5ml bottle Frankincense or Sacred Frankincense on Monday November 18 if the winner isn't local.


***Example***
Wednesday: Follow the blog, share it on Facebook AND Twitter, then comment on the blog with this, "I shared your post on Facebook and Twitter, and I'd like to see you post something about how to use PanAway!"  =4 separate entries!

Thursday: Share the post again on Facebook and Twitter and comment again either on the blog or on my Facebook shares with, "Shared your blog post on Facebook and Twitter again!" =2 MORE entries!  

You can do this every day!

So....go ahead!  ENTER!


Remember, I give you the details of how to get your own starter kit in this post.


***A few articles to check out:
Frankincense and breast cancer cells 
Frankincense: Cure for cancer?


Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional.  I simply make decisions on how to care for and improve the health of my own family.  None of the statements on my blog have been evaluated by the FDA and any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Is My Husband my Soul Mate?

A couple months ago, someone shared this article on Facebook.

The title immediately intrigued me.

I read it, and read it again.

Both times I was left with a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

The author basically says that God did not ordain for her to marry her husband.  They CHOSE to marry each other and that is why they are together.  It wasn't planned beforehand by The Father, but BECAUSE they said "yes" to each other, it is now God's will for them to remain together.

Not really able to put into words WHY I had this sour taste after reading it, I shared the article with my best friend to see what she thought.

We went back and forth discussing our thoughts on it, and ended the conversation with neither of us feeling very confidant either way!

In the meantime, I talked with Chris about it.

I confessed that I was definitely one of those teen girls that thought God's ultimate purpose for my life was to find my husband that He had created for me.  I focused FAR too much on what God's will for my life might be in regards to things such as my future husband, college, career, children and family.  I wanted His will, but it had nothing to do with what His will was for my SOUL and heart.

Being under the teaching and study of The Word, I've come to the realization that yes, God has specific plans for our lives, but His ultimate purpose is for our hearts.

He desires our:

*SALVATION
*SANCTIFICATION
*RELIANCE UPON ONLY HIM
*GLORIFICATION OF HIMSELF

Now, there may be thousands of different circumstances surrounding each of these.

How many situations cause us to increase in our sanctification?  In fact, my best friend (who I referred to earlier) after the first few months of marriage, described marriage as "sanctifying."

There are countless issues that we face that cause us to turn back to Christ, rely on Him, proclaim His name to others, lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ, and be an example of a Christ follower to our family, resulting in us bringing Glory to The Father.

So my point in saying this is that

God has an ultimate purpose for our lives, and I don't believe it's the smaller things of life, but the four items I listed above.

HOWEVER 
He also puts these other circumstances in our path in order to bring about our SALVATION, SANCTIFICATION, RELIANCE UPON HIM, and our GLORIFICATION OF HIM!

Are we so proud to think that we brought about our own salvation?  Are we solely responsible for our sanctification?  And do we alone posses the strength to rely on Him in everyday life in order to bring Him glory?

We are in desperate need of divine assistance daily!  We receive it FROM HIM.

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares The Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

See, I believe that Scripture continually reminds us of our "smallness" and HIS greatness!

SO.

I understand more about His will now and what His purpose is in our daily lives.  

We have to look at the "bigger picture" in order to understand it...not the tiny areas of life that I solely focused on as a teenager.  It's not that they aren't important, it's that they aren't of FIRST importance.

Now, let me ask this big question.

Is my husband my soul mate?

First of all, I don't like the term "soul mate."  I feel like it puts a tarot card emphasis on our love life....could just be me and the term, but I don't like to use it!

So I'll ask this instead.

Did God PLAN or WILL me to marry my husband?

I believe the answer is yes.

Just look at it from a logical standpoint for a second.

Do you believe that God PLACES people or situations in your path for His purposes?  Even if you don't see His sovereignty in the moment until you view it in hindsight, I think that if we are all looking at our life in view of His grace, we see His hand in every small and large aspect of it.

Even our sin!

"And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Does He not work ALL things together????  Yes.

Does He want us to sin?  No.

Does He choose to allow us to?  Yes.

Does He choose to teach us through our own sin?  Yes.

Does He even choose to BLESS us in spite of our own sin????                   Wow, Yes!

So if we believe that He ordains and allows all things in our lives, why would we NOT believe that He ordained the most important earthly relationship that He CREATED???

He created Eve FOR Adam.  He didn't make her and see if they'd be compatible with each other.  He didn't make her and hope that they'd hit it off with each other.  She was made to BE his helper and mate.

Sure, there wasn't much to choose from, but that's beside the point!

Why do we want to be the sovereign one?

Why do we want to say that it was OUR choice?

Why is it hard for us to look back, see His hand and thank Him for being wiser than we are?

Do we make choices?  Yes.

Do we have "free will" in our everyday decisions?  Yes.

But as R.C. Sproul says, 

"We have free will, but God's will is 'freer'!"

Do we REALLY think that our free will is so powerful that it can overcome what God has ordained?  What HIS will is?

"Our God is in the heavens, He does all that He pleases." Psalm 115:3

I think it's all in the perspective.

We could say that we chose to be in a dating relationship with someone, that we chose to stay in the relationship, that we chose to say "yes" when he proposed, that we chose to go through with it on our wedding day, and that we choose to stay married. 

But what happens when we start thinking in "what-if's"?

What if I didn't go out with him?  What if I said no?  What if I got cold feet and fled?  Could I have met someone else and had a God-glorifying relationship with that person that led to marriage?

Let me tell you something that helped me see this clearly.  My husband reminded me of this very simple statement.

THERE ARE NO WHAT-IF'S WITH GOD!!!

We can't think about what-if's!  Why?  Because there AREN'T any!

He is in control and it's not because of coincidence! 

So do I believe that God planned for Chris and I to marry each other?  Yes.

Did I know that when I met him?  Nope.

Remember?  Hindsight!  

He allows us to see His hand in hindsight.  When we look back and see how He orchestrates EVERYTHING!

I DREADED moving up here to the foothills.  I MOURNED moving away from my best friend. 

What IF we hadn't moved here?

Well, I would have never met my husband, had my kids, or would have been adopting Tobias.  

My brother would have never met his wife or be expecting their baby girl.

Does God think that way though?  Does He sit back and say,

"Man, I'm sure glad the Jacksons moved up there so that things could work out so nicely"?

That makes God seem pretty darn small, and us little humans seem mighty large in the grand scheme of things.

God moved us.  He orchestrated certain things to bring us here, bring me to my husband, my brother to his wife, and all of us to this specific time in our lives. 

Did I know it then?  No.  But He allows me to look back and see His hand guiding us.

And the times I fail?  The times I CHOOSE to go my own way?

I see Him use it to teach me, bring me back to Himself, and still work out His ultimate purpose for me to be sanctified and Him to be glorified.

Remember Joseph?  Remember what his brothers did to him?  What did he say to them?

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." Genesis 50:20

Let's not give ourselves too much credit here.  We are only instruments of The Lord's hand, trying to make wise decisions that glorify Him....all the while accomplishing HIS will.

Do I believe my husband is my soul mate?
Well...if you're asking if I believe God sovereignly ordained for us to meet when we did, marry each other and start a family in the way that we did...

Then yes.  Yes I do. 

What's in a Year?

So I really meant to write this post a couple weeks ago.

But it didn't happen.

I don't know why it's taken me a while to sit down and type it out...

I think it's because I want to make sure I'm not creating a "woe is me" type of blog.

We need and appreciate prayer for our son in Congo.  And we also need it for us.  But we aren't looking for sympathy or others to feel bad for us...there are MANY other adoptive families that are going through far worse situations that we are.

Anyway.

All that to say, October 15th marked one year of knowing who our son is.  

It's been one year since we've seen Tobi's face, given him a name, and known he was ours.

To be honest, it stung a little.

A year ago, we really thought we'd have Tobias home by now.

Chris and I stopped and looked at our kids at home...and saw how drastically they've changed...in one year.

In one year I've gone from being pregnant to laughing at a giggly little 7 month old.

We've gone from changing Noelle's diapers to helping her with her big girl panties.

We've gone from helping Joy write letters and numbers to watching her learn how to spell before our very eyes.

Before we had kids, it was hard to gauge what had changed in a twelve month period.  But now, our kids give us constant milestones to look back on and remember what has transpired.

Our kids are growing up.

Three of them are growing up right in front of us.

And one of them is growing up far far away.

Only The Lord knows how much we've missed.

HOWEVER, we see how much grace God has extended to us.

The reports that we've heard about Tobias and his character are so encouraging.  He is a sweet boy.  And he is being cared for by precious brothers and sisters in Christ.

Yes.  He needs to be home.

But we take great comfort in the fact that he has such wonderful examples to look up to until he can look up to us.

So along with this one year anniversary, we've also received some adoption related news.

As I wrote about in this post, Congo has ceased issuing the exit letters to adopted children.  That means kids that are already adopted won't be able to leave the country with their parents until this ban is lifted.  And although the ban is still in place, Congo is slowly allowing children that meet specific requirements exit.

This give us hope that by the time we are at the stage where we apply for that exit letter, maybe things will be back to running as they should be.

And remember the investigation I wrote about in this post and this post?

WELL, it looks like it's finally going to happen!

The Embassy is scheduled to start our investigation on November 18th!!!

This is great news.  It means progress.

Shortly after this, we are told Tobi will finally be moving to Kinshasa to start his Passport and Visa applications also.

AND in other news, we got word that they might know who Tobias's birth mother is.  When I wrote about how Tobias became an orphan in this post, we didn't know who his parents were.

But it looks like they've found her.

This is actually a good thing.  As long as she isn't trying to take him back (which I think is probably rare), it could actually expedite our investigation.

It means they get information about Tobi's abandonment from the source and don't have to do as much "investigating" is what I've been hearing from other adoptive parents.

So that's good news...unexpected news...kind of a shock to us, but it's good.

I pray that this will be an opening to learn more about him so that we will be able to tell him more of his beginnings as he gets older and is curious about it.

So continue to pray for this time.

*For the investigation and interview with Tobi's birth mother to go smoothly and swiftly.

*For Tobi's move to Kinshasa to be a peaceful one for him.

*For his passport and visa process to be expedited.

*For this ban on exit letters to be lifted so that we can finally get our son and bring him home as quickly as possible.

And a bunch of other stuff too, but I'll leave it at that :)

How to sooth occasional discomfort due to Tension or Sinus Pressure with Essential Oils!

original source of graphic

Tension. Sinus Pressure

They are something that I've dealt with since I was in 3rd grade.  It has caused occasional headaches.  I've never needed glasses, we haven't ever really figured out why I've gotten them.

They seem to really pick up when the weather changes though...especially in the fall!

When a gloomy, cloudy day comes, even though I'd like to enjoy the cold day with sweats, hot cocoa, and comfy socks...I've come to also expect a headache to come along with it!

So, I have taken Tylenol and Motrin since I was 9.  Then when they pretty much stopped working for me, I graduated to Excedrin for a LONG time.  And sometimes I would take a combination of these on a very regular basis. 

Ya know the disclaimer that you read on certain pain relievers?  

The ones about damaging your stomach lining? 

Yea, I never took them seriously either. 

However, this led to me having constant heartburn and severe stomach pain, needing an endoscopy, and being diagnosed with gastritis.  I was prescribed medication and told I couldn't have ANY Excedrin or Motrin for months until my stomach lining healed up.

When a headache would come on, I just didn't know there were many other options to help.  Aside from taking MORE medications like DayQuil or Sudafed if the headache was due to sinus pressure.

WELL!

Now that I've discovered these little bottles of miracles that I shared about here and here, I've found a new way to help my sinuses and tension!

No side effects.

No medications.

NO pills!!!

Here are my three secret weapons:

Peppermint

R.C.

 

PanAway

R.C. 

R.C. is a blend that has 3 different types of Eucalyptus oils (that's what you smell in Vick's...except this is NATURAL!), peppermint, cypress, myrtle, pine, marjoram, and lavender oils. 

These together make an excellent tool to support healthy lung and sinus function. 

The majority of my headaches are SINUS headaches, which is why I frequently reach for R.C.  Aside from supporting sinus health, it has other health benefits as well!

Peppermint 

Jean Valnet, MD studied Peppermint's supporting effects on the liver and respiratory system and it is actually a driver, meaning that when used on top of another essential oil, it drives the previous one deeper and quicker into the body. 

PanAway

This is a blend of 4 essential oils that aid in soothing sore muscles due to exercise or occasional tension.  It contains peppermint, clove, wintergreen (you'll recognize this scent from creams like IcyHot), and helichrysum essential oils.

It was actually created by Gary Young following a severe injury to the ligaments in his leg.

  

So.  

How to get some soothing relief?

If yours is related to sinus issues, start with the R.C.

Rub a drop or two of R.C. into the sinuses along your nose, forehead, and temples.  Always follow dilution instructions.

Let it sink in for a minute, then follow with the Peppermint. 

*If yours is not sinus related, you can skip the R.C. and just use the peppermint, OR start with PanAway!

If not using R.C., get a drop or two of PanAway and massage it into the temples, forehead, and neck.  This is ESPECIALLY effective for tension.

Allow that to sink in for a minute before following with the Peppermint Oil.

Definitely follow dilution on this also.  It's great mixed with coconut oil for a massage to sooth minor aches and pains.

NOW.

After you've used R.C. or PanAway and let it sink in for a minute or two, take a drop of Peppermint and massage into the sinuses (if a sinus headache), forehead, and temples as well.

Then take another drop or two and rub into the back of the neck.  

When dealing with occasional tension, you can rub some into the shoulders also.  

       

 *PLEASE be careful with the Peppermint.  It is VERY strong.  Make sure to avoid the eyes, and you may need to keep your eyes closed when applying to the nose...the aroma can cause irritation.  Make sure to follow dilution instructions.  I do NOT have sensitive skin and apply both of these oils directly to the skin with no carrier oil.  But try it with a drop of some coconut or olive oil until you know how your skin will react.

You will feel the effects of the oils fairly quickly.  You'll feel the cooling effect of the Peppermint within 10-20 minutes and it can last a while!  

**If you feel it is necessary, it's ok to repeat any steps after 30minutes - an hour.

****Update****  Since writing this post, I have tried another oil that I just LOVE for these issues!  

Deep Relief comes already diluted with a carrier oil in a roll-on!  It's fitted with a roller ball for super easy application!

It's one of my new favorites for just about ANY sort of daily minor aches and pains!

This is a great alternative if you can't afford to replace the Panawy that comes in your Starter Kit!

There you have it. 

Using these oils have helped me just about every time I've needed it!  If I wait too long, then it does take longer to provide me some assistance.  Follow these steps as SOON as you think you may need some tension or sinus support so that it doesn't turn into a head-splitter!

The Peppermint and PanAway essential oils are both included in the starter kit if you haven't gotten one yet.

If you're interested in getting oils for you and your family, I gave the info on this post.

If you're still a little leary about all this and wondering if it really works, or wondering if this is the best brand to use, STAY TUNED!  I'm going to be hosting a GIVEAWAY soon!!!

Also check out these posts:

**How to boost your immune system with Essential Oils

**The Basics

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional.  I simply make decisions on how to care for and improve the health of my own family.  None of the statements on my blog have been evaluated by the FDA and any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.