ALIVE! My Morphed Newsletter

SENSE ABOUT SCENTS has morphed. As an Independent Representative of the Young Living Essential Oils company, many received a monthly newsletter via email, SENSE ABOUT SCENTS. Since discovering the wonderful ONEGroup miessence® line of organic skincare and cosmetics, and launching my FOOTSTEPS IN EDEN reflexology business I've seen what I believe are some awesome reasons for morphing that newsletter into this wonderful blog.

Since late October I have been working to bring blog readers helpful information on a variety of health and wellness topics. I've also included links to fun, informative, and educational spots on the web offering products and services I believe my readers will love and enjoy.

When I am forced to categorize this blog, it's under health and wellness, but my readers also find posts and links relating to greening our world, family, spiritual matters, shopping, and more.

In the last couple of weeks I've learned to offer an opportunity for readers to become subscribers. (I'm learning this blogging stuff slow but sure -- smiley face here) I'll be emailing my newsletter list today to introduce them to this expanded version of the newsletter. What an exciting new step for ALIVE!

Abundance Essential Oil

Abundance™, one of my favorite essential oil blends, is said to "resonate at the frequency of attraction." Now I'm not exactly sure of the technical explanation for that one, but as its name might indicate, the use of this oil has been known to have a magnetic influence drawing blessings to the user.

There is a living energy captured when plant materials are distilled at optimal low temperatures and pressures for all the hours it takes to bring every tiny valuable constituent of the flower, leaf, bark, or root into the final product. Young Living works patiently to assure their oils are of the finest quality produced at these most exacting standards.

The aromatics of essential oils do have some incredible influences over the mind, body and spirit. It's interesting that Young Living's Abundance™ Essential Oil Blend contains to single oils, frankincense and myrrh, oils that have been highly cherished for centuries for their spiritual, emotional, and physical healing powers -- So cherished, in fact, they were rarely obtained by anyone who did have an abundance of resources to purchase them.

If you receive and read the Young Living e-news last week, you read of a distributor who placed drops of Abundance™ on every piece of business material she distributed or mailed. In just a few months time she was amazed at the abundant increase in her Young Living business.

On oil-testimonials.com, there is a report of rubbing Abundance™ on the stomach of someone with a 6 pound tumor. Although the patient was receiving chemo, the doctors were absolutely amazed at how quickly the tumor shrunk to just 2 pounds in size and was operable. Frankincense and another ingredient, Clove, are known for their anti-tumoral properties. You may read the whole story HERE.

Centuries ago, the oils like those in Abundance™ were available only to those with abundant resources. You will find them very easy to obtain for you and your family today by visiting my Young Living site.

Sweet Smelling Favor for Your Health

A certain brand of room fresheners you plug into your wall may cause home fires. An email with this message came across my screen this morning with an origination date of Sunday, March 23, 2008. All indications were that I was in the 2nd generation of readers after the originator of this WARNING!

This sent me on a quick search of the internet. Would you believe that the same message has been circulating verbatim for four (4) years now?!?! Yep! Four big years. What did I learn? There had been a concern that a "lot" of them may cause fires, and were recalled by the manufacturer before any did. A child stuck a copper penny in one once. The penny and the electricity didn't quite mix well. The current arced the penny and a fire was started.

And then there was the information that I already know. The ingredients in these air fresheners may be rather noxious and toxic to your health as you breathe the fumes into your lungs.

Allow me to offer you what I believe to be the better choice. Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils from Young Living are the purest of oils available. Inhaling the aromas of their marvelous scents create many incredible benefits for physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. They may be diffused in beautiful diffusers as shown above. Only the pure oils with no other additives are being dispersed into your air (and therefore your nostrils, brain, lungs, etc.

So do your health & wellness a sweet smelling favor. Visit Diffuser World by clicking on the Photo above.

One more thing: Using the coupon code A32SAVE5 (case sensitive) will award you a 5% savings on your purchase.

BEHOLD THE EMPTY TOMB

HALLELUJAH!!! HE IS RISEN!!!

After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move.

The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.

"Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, 'He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message."

The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples. Then Jesus met them, stopping them in their tracks. "Good morning!" he said. They fell to their knees, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said, "You're holding on to me for dear life! Don't be frightened like that. Go tell my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, and that I'll meet them there."
Matthew 28:1-10 THE MESSAGE

Jesus' Paid the Ultimate Price for His Bride

Mohar: the price a prospective groom paid to her family to secure the betrothal. To secure The Church as His Bride, Jesus the Christ paid an enormous mohar. The price was the ultimate in shame, pain, and a most brutal and agonizing death. We commemorate His ultimate sacrifice/payment today. How does your heart respond?

SHAME: Spit on; dressed up as a silly looking king (purple robe & crown of painful thorns) and mocked; beaten; hit in the face; made to carry His own cross . . . His reaction:

Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side [a] of God's throne! So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won't get discouraged and give up. Hebrews 12:1-3 CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION

PAIN: Emotional and physical -- endured in silence, while we complain loudly of headaches, stomaches, and the like.

He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he'd never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn't true.
Isaiah 53:7-9 THE MESSAGE

DEATH: Have you ever wondered what Jesus' thoughts were as He hung their on the cross, dying a death He could have forgone? Is the Holy Spirit whispering to your heart even a tiny realization of just how much He loves you and me -- the whole of His Church, His Bride here on this earth? No Bride's family could ever expect a greater price.

Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
And God's plan will deeply prosper through him.

Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will make many "righteous ones,"
as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly—
the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep.
Isaiah 53:10-12 THE MESSAGE

These thoughts have been prompted by a study of ATTNEDING THE BRIDE OF CHRIST by Martha Lawley, copyright 2005, Lifeway Publishing.

Foot Washing -- A Humble Service

Thursday evening of Holy Week -- Jesus served His disciples by washing their feet. That's not considered a very pleasant task. They walked dusty roads on their sandaled feet. The dust that hopped into their shoes, mixed with sweat on their feet from the warm climate would have made for some caked on mud. It's a good bet they may have sported blisters and callouses besides -- perhaps cracked skin. Yet Jesus possessed the humility for the task in spite of His status as God Incarnate.

In a Bible study session recently someone commented about our individual willingness to wash feet if that is the task God has prepared for us to do.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10

My thoughts at that moment were, "God did plan for me to wash feet. Well not wash them exactly, but certainly to rub and massage them. As He has led me to the place where reflexology is a way of serving others, I'm also able to bring a touch of His love to their lives. Placing it in this Jesus' Light, brings a whole new dimension of understanding to the Thursday events of that first Holy Week. I'm humbled to offer myself for the task of this good thing He had planned for me long ago.

Jesus Anointed with Costly Spikenard

All 4 of the Gospel writers in the New Testament record an account of Jesus being anointed with costly pure nard or Spikenard.

Quiz:

1) Was He anointed on His head or His feet?

2) How many times during His ministry was He anointed?
a. 3
b. 6
c. 1
d. everyday

3) Who anointed Him with the precious oil?
a. Mary of Bethany
b. Mary Magdalene
c. An anonymous woman
d. All of the above

4) Where did the anointing(s) occur?
a. Simon the Leper's home
b. Lazarus' home
c. Simon the Pharisee's home
d. At the Last Supper


It is easy to assume these are all the same story. Closer reading will show they are actually 3 different occurences in Jesus’ life and in 3 different locations.
One was at the beginning of His ministry, one was 6 days before His burial, and yet another one was 2 days before His burial.

The time of Luke’s story is the early days of Jesus’ ministry at Simon the Pharisee's home most likely by Mary Magdalene. Our focus today is on the other two occasions.

Matthew & Mark write of the same occasion. This was 2 days before Passover at the home of Simon the Leper by an unidentified woman who anointed Jesus' head. John's story takes place 6 days before the Passover when Mary of Bethany anointed the feet of Jesus while he was at the home of her brother Lazarus.

Just to be sure, the Bible does not recount Jesus being anointed everyday or at the Last Supper.

The one litra of spikenard each used is worth about $2200 in today’s currency. (A 5ml bottle of pure therapeutic grade essential oil of spikenard retails for about $45.) The $2200 is equivalent to a year's wages for a common laborer around 30 A.D.

Some myrrh (also very costly) may have been mixed in with the spikenard as a fixative substance. The application of both spikenard and myrrh in the last week of Jesus life has some interesting implications. Both of these oils are known for their ability to heal wounds and scar tissue. When Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus’ 6 days before His death, Judas objects to such a valuable commodity being used to anoint Jesus’ feet when it could have been sold for a substantial amount and distributed to the poor. Jesus’ response to Judas was to say, “Leave her along. She bought it for the day of my burial.”

Myrrh was a customary burial oil, but spikenard was not. Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities . . . and with his stripes we are healed.” Jesus knew he was to receive a brutal flogging from the Roman soldiers in less than a week, just prior to His death. He knew His body would be covered with deep cuts and bruises in addition to the penetrating wounds of the cross. He also knew a miracle was to take place during his burial. Except for the scars on His feet, hands, and side, His injuries would all be healed without a trace.

While Jesus’ healing and resurrection was an act of God, and not the result of any oils applied just before or after his death, it is interesting that the oils Jesus received, twice in the last week of his life, are precisely the ointments that would have been chosen to treat such wounds to effect healing with little or no scar tissue. Spikenard's emotional effect in aromatherapy use has been known to be very powerful for anxiety. Jesus’ comment to Judas was as if He was affirming the appropriateness of these essential oils from which His body could well benefit during His ordeal – before, during, and after the cross—as well as in the tomb, during His burial, when His healing took place.

The oils and plants mentioned in Scripture were commonly known in that era along with their benefits for health & wellness. It is always amazing to me how much more significant their mention becomes when we have insight into information that was such common knowledge to them, but has become so foreign especially to our Western way of thinkng.

You will find the accounts of Jesus' anointings in Matthew 26:6-7, Mark 14:3, Luke 7:36-38, John 12:1-3.



CREDITS
Stewart, David, Ph.D., HEALING OILS OF THE BIBLE, copyright 2003, CARE Publications, Marble Hill, MO

Higley, Connie and Alan, REFERENCE GUIDE FOR ESSENTIAL OILS, copyright 1998-2004, Abundant Health, Spanish Fork, UT

Photo Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences

How Will You Celebrate the Green Today?

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Celebrate the kind of St. Patrick's Day that would please the saint himself, and bring glory to the God he served. Some of our traditions associated with this holiday are simply fun and even a bit silly, and I believe that is OK! Others that are not so uplifting and certainly not of a nature that honor Jesus Christ and His Gospel -- the Gospel shared freely by St. Patrick don't get such a big thumbs up here. He shared it not only with those closest to him, but also with the very people that imprisoned and mistreated him for many years.

Green means growth: perhaps celebrate by growing in your own relationship with Jesus Christ today, by helping someone else grow in theirs. Better yet share the Gospel with someone who doesn't yet know . . . they will be on a brand new green sprout in the Kingdom of God. St. Patrick would be honored for the glory you bring to the Living God.

For insight into St. Patrick's life and his ministry visit Proverbs 31 Ministries Devotions. It is the devotion for the day today, March 17, 2008. If you come up on this after the date, their materials are archived on the site.

See How THE King Comes!!!

"The next day the huge crowd that had arrived for the Feast heard that Jesus was entering Jerusalem. They broke off palm branches and went out to meet him. And they cheered:

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in God's name!

Yes! The King of Israel!
Jesus got a young donkey and rode it, just as the Scripture has it:

No fear, Daughter Zion:
See how your king comes, riding a donkey's colt.

The disciples didn't notice the fulfillment of many Scriptures at the time, but after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that what was written about him matched what was done to him.

The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, was there giving eyewitness accounts. It was because they had spread the word of this latest God-sign that the crowd swelled to a welcoming parade. The Pharisees took one look and threw up their hands: "It's out of control. The world's in a stampede after him." John 12:12-19 THE MESSAGE

Watch for insights into this most Holy Week in the life of the Believer -- The week of special remembrance of Jesus death and subsequent resurrection -- His suffering and His Glory -- All for each of us -- freely given that we may be ALIVE! eternally with Him. We'll be traveling from Hosanna to Hallelujah!!!

Making Saving Fun

Poking around today looking for like minded individuals, I came across this blog "Fun 2 Save $$" about making saving fun.

The first post that popped up is entitled "Children and Advertising- What to Do?" That caught my attention as I remember well my children's pleas for the latest and greatest. As a graphic artist my husband's profession calls for the creation of advertising print pieces -- packaging, print advertising, billboards and the like. We were so aware of the gimmicks and tricks utilized by many companies to lure the consumer. We used many of the same tactics mentioned here to educate our children of these ploys. These are great suggestions. It was also a great learning tool for our children that whenever we were approached at the mall by market researchers, we were automatically disqualified because of my husband's work in the advertising field. They knew we knew all the tricks!

There are other posts on the blog, too, that speak of "snowflaking" and the "latte factor." Discover what these ideas may mean for your family's finances. I believe that while this seems to be a fairly new blogging endeavor it will be one worth following.

Horton Hears a Who -- Horton Gets a Clue

WOW!!! That's the only word that came to my mind as I read through this incredible article -- plus an overwhelming sense of the Holy Spirit all over this one. "WHO" would have ever thought that Dr. Seuss in 1954 would be speaking prophetically to us today in 2008 -- over 50 years later.

What I recognized immediately as a friendly children's flick appearing on the big screen all over America this weekend, has just become a "must see" moment in time.

This is just more confirmation to me that it has been God speaking to me about using my reflexology skills and gifting in a pro-life center in my community. The contacts were made weeks ago. I now have a copy of a textbook on the subject of maternity and reflexology. When I learned of the book in early January, I had no idea it would take me over 2 months to actually obtain a copy -- especially in our instant gratification society. I'm also trusting the right doors will open for me to participate in a very specific maternity and reflexology advanced training this fall. All of that before I ever read this article this morning.

Praying you will take the time to read the whole article at the link above. Copies of the book may be ordered from The Elijah List or through Amazon at the link to the right on this page. What steps will you take to get involved in the cure for this epidemic, bringing God's light for these precious unheard "Little Whos?"

Creation Care - A Christ Follower's Responsibilty

These flowers are the picture of beauty you will find on this great new blog link I've just added to the "Healthy and Nurturing" links here on "Alive!" GREEN FOR CHRIST Blogger, Fran McCollum, is a sister in Christ who is intentionally sharing the many discoveries she is making about caring for God's creation in a responsible manner & sustaining and improving the world God has entrusted to man's dominion. Fran has not only learned about, but she has implemented as well, the ideas and lifestyle of which she writes.

You'll find many opportunities to share your thoughts and ideas. There is even a place to share how steps you've taken in becoming "green" have made a difference in your life. Everyone will learn from each other's stories, and the editor's choice for first place will receive a $20 LifeWay gift certificate.

Visit GREEN FOR CHRIST via the link above.

We Love Our Salt Lamp!!!

Our salt lamp glows all day next to our bed. It's so refreshing to walk by it, especially knowing that the air has been renewed; a most peaceful night's sleep awaits. (We do turn it off at night as the brightness of the light does create some interference with our sleep.)

Have just begun to use another one of these terrific lamps next to my computer. I look forward to an awesome testimony here, too.

Solay has so many different natural and eco-friendly products available, I'll know I'll be spending quite some time in discovery. More reports to come from my first hand learning.