You are a Mustard Seed.

As I sat down to study this morning a tugging at my heart led me to open my bible.  With boards looming over my head, and anxiety starting to take over I knew I needed to study – but I reluctantly opened God’s Word and started reading where I left off yesterday.

Mark 3 & 4.  I planned to read more but I got stopped in the middle.

I know I am not a world class writer, nor do I have insights that will blow your mind.  I am a mustard seed.

“What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32

It was at this point I was stuck. As I sat, nothing more than a tiny little dot in the scheme of the world – the Grand Tetons surrounding me I was reminded how small I truly am. (Trust me as I tried to hike up the mountain earlier in the morning I didn’t make it more than 10 minutes before I couldn’t breathe…I looked up and realized I didn’t make it even 1/4 of the mountain.  Yup, i’m minuscule).  

Yet, my Father loves me more than I could ever comprehend.

When I first started reading my bible (and I mean really reading it, not just skimming), I would get so confused by all the parables and I would think ‘what the heck is he talking about?’  I took the role of his own family in thinking – this man was out of his mind. (Mark 3:21)  And let me tell you, this is completely normal.  We are not all meant to have extravagant philosophical thoughts, to attend seminary school, and to preach.  But we all have our place in this world.  And wherever you are (and however crazy you think Jesus was), he’s waiting for you.  Arms wide open. 

Maybe you’re the seed that fell on the path or in the thorns… Before you’re able to truly understand what is ahead of you the birds come and eat your faith up.  (Mark 4:4).  Maybe that bird is a church that shunned you, a christian that did you wrong, or your own doubts and fears.

Maybe you’re the seed in the rocky place…  You’re stuck in the treacherous terrain (like how I felt trying to hike up the mountain).  You think you’ll never get out.  You feel as if you have came so far but when you look up you see how much farther you have to go and you give up. (Mark 4:5).

Maybe you’re the seed that fell in the good soil… You are deep in your journey with the Lord and you are able to grow in your faith with ease.  You have the Water of Life following through you and nothing can hold you back.  I commend you – this is where I hope to be.

But maybe you related to multiple places?  Your seed has fallen in different terrains.

Thats normal.  No matter where you are.  YOU ARE LOVED. 

YOU ARE HIS BELOVED.

But yet you are a mustard seed.  The smallest seed on earth.  The world has a funny way of making us feel that way.  Small. Inadequate. Worthless. Broken. Guilty. Unlovable. Like you’ll never make a difference.  You’re to small to survive in this world.

But the Lord said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Mark 4:9)

The Lord chooses the people who the world deems as incapable. Moses had a stutter, David was the smallest of the army, Daniel had no strength compared to the lions, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had no defense, Mary was a young unmarried woman, and so on and so forth.  I am one of these people.  You are one of these people.

But as Mark goes on to state – that in public Jesus spoke in parables. But “when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.”  You are a disciple.  And you are his beloved.

Draw near to him, his arms are open.  You are so much more than a dot on this world.  You are a mustard seed, and you will grow, stronger than you could have ever imagined.

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Pets or Part of the Family?

The bond between a pet and their human is something that cannot be put into words. And if you’re at all like me you’d do anything for them. . . No matter how much they bark, chew things up, stink, and so on and so forth.

As you may have figured out pets are the topic of this post. I had a couple requests for how I use my oils for my pets – so here it goes!

Yes –  oils are safe for our animals too! How great is that?!

(Disclaimer- Not all oils are safe, only therapeutic grade oils applied correctly.  I highly encourage you to do your own research before applying oils to yourself or your pets!  I chose young living for their high quality standards and morals I know I can trust! Find out more here.  The information I have stated here is not be evaluated by the FDA and in no way are meant to treat or diagnose.  All information is from my personal experience with our dogs, research for cats and other animals is not covered in this post). 

Back when Angel was alive she LOVED oils. Anytime I would turn on my diffuser she would sniff it; cuddling by it (and her human) was her favorite thing!  That’s when I decided to do some research on using my oils for my little girl!  

Safety when using oils with animals!

• Start by diffusing the oils around your pet to get them acquainted with them – then progress to using the oils on them!
• ALWAYS dilute the oil in a carrier oil when applying to your animal (coconut oil, olive oil, witch hazel, etc.)
• Avoid their nose, eyes, and genitals. Some oils are ‘hot’ oils and can burn.  Also, oils are never meant to go into eyes (humans or animals!)
• Use small amounts of oils.  For Phoebe (10 lbs) we only use 2 drops of any oil, and for Emmie (3 lbs) we only use 1.

How I use the oils on my own dogs!

Sleepy Puppy: The first way I used them was to help her sleep at night – as she started getting sick she couldn’t get comfortable to go to sleep so I made a blend that I call “Sleepy Puppy”  (Lavender, Peace and Calming, and a carrier oil).  I would rub this on the bottoms of her paws and the back of her neck!  She never slept better in her life!

Tummy Issues: Like I said she got very sick and declined quickly therefore we did whatever we could to manage.  At one point she had some stomach issues – for this I used Cedarwood, and Di-Gize or ParaGize.  These were great to support her digestive health.

Uh-Oh Rub: Angel had a lot of different issues as she got closer to going home to see Jesus, and her favorite oil was PanAway with Copaiba.  As this is a ‘heavy oil’ this one was HEAVILY diluted in a carrier oil.  After application she seemed to be a puppy again and was able to play! (This made her mommy’s heart happy)!

Itchy Ears: Phoebe always itches her ears!  We’ve found that rubbing Purification in her ear takes it away, not to mention they smell so much better!! (More to come below on the stinky!!!)

Calm it Down: Speaking of Phoebe, she gets overly excited, and doesn’t like change; therefore, she really doesn’t like when we leave. Sometimes she will make herself throw up (silly dog).  For this we diffuse Valor and Frankincense or Peace and Calming. We also rub tranquil on her.  She is just like Angel was, and loves it!

Stinky Stinky:  Uh-Oh they pooped in the house. . . This happens far to often at our house. Our littlest dog Emmie is stubborn and refuses to ring the bell to go outside. Therefore we find little tootsie rolls of surprise around the house. And may I put it frankly, they smell like crap (literally).  For this I made a spray out of Joy, Purification, and Water!  A couple squirts and the smell is gone.  Or if it is REALLY BAD… (Like Phoebe just jumped in the pool, then rolled in poop) Purification in the diffuser is the go to at this house, and spraying it on the dogs too!!  This oil does not just cover up the smell like an air freshener would, instead it eliminates the smell completely and naturally.

Slobber, slobber, slobber: Lets face it, animals are messy. They’re going to slobber, drag mud into the house, poop, and sometimes they will throw up.  For that you have to be prepared.  Thieves Cleaner will conquer it all!  And your handy Thieves spray will be a quick fix for all the gross things living inside of the mouths, or bottoms. . 

Trouble Training? To much barking? Sometimes we want our dog to learn a neat new trick, but they have other ideas. Or like our little crazy one, Phoebe, she LOVES to bark!  At anything, and EVERYTHING.  A few great oils for boosting the nervous systems and promoting mental focus are T-Away and Peace and Calming.

Outdoor Protection: Our pets aren’t the only critters outside, and sometimes they like to bring their little friends into the house with them…and that isn’t okay with me.  #nobugsinthehouse  For this I like to use Purification (yes, another use for that same oil!)  This blend has Citronella as one of it’s main oils!

Animal Scents!

Young Living also has a line of products designed specifically for animals!  It is called Animal Scents!  They have an ointment, shampoo, along with 6 different oils made especially for your beloved furry friends.  The oils are: Infect-Away, Mendwell, ParaGize, PuriClean, RepelAroma, and T-Away.  I think these are a must have for any pet owner!

For more information Young Living has a great blog post on safety when using oils for animals, you can find it here! 

These are just some of the ways I use oils for our dogs – I would love to talk more with you about it if you’re interested.  It has really changed the dynamic of our household.  And we, including our animals, are healthier than every before!  You and your fur-babies deserve optimal health as well!

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Questions? Email me at discoveringchristsessentials@gmail.com, add me on Facebook and Twitter, and Follow me on Instagram.

 

Join Young Living today!

 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  I am an independent distributor for Young Living.  #2717844

An Oily Day. . .

A lot of people have questions about how to use oils or are looking for ideas of how to incorporate them into their lives.  So I thought I would give you an example of how I use mine for a day!

Wake Up

• Start my diffuser!  I tend to use Lemon and Peppermint for an easy mix.  If I’m feeling super sleepy I throw in some Ener-Gee, or Awaken.
• Shot of Ningxia Red with 3 drops of Orange.  (I can’t do without this – so I have travel packs for when I am not at home!)
• Take a multigreen capsule with my morning meds!

Workout

• Rub ‘Breathe again’ on my chest and bottoms of feet before starting.
• Drink water with 2-3 drops of a citrus vitality oil in it (lemon, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lime, etc.)
• Rub Orthosport on the area I worked that day to help prevent fatigue later in the day!
• Since I’m new to working out and lifting weights sometimes I do a lift wrong and my body is unhappy with me… For this I rub on deep relief, cool azul, or panaway.
• Post Workout Drink – Water with 2 drops of Slique.

Personal Hygiene

• Copiaba Vanilla Shampoo and Conditioner – smells so good!
• Lemon Sandalwood Bar Soap
• Shutran Shave Cream – I have super sensitive skin and this is great for reducing razor burn!!
• Facial Spot Treatment with Purification and Tea Tree
• Homeade Lotion and Facial Cream (Coconut Oil, and multiple oils to support my skin)
• Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste and floss!
• Rub Orange on my teeth!

For the days i’m super moody…

• I use the Feelings Kit from Young Living and follow the protocol provided to help relax and release any negative feelings!
• But I use Valor DAILY.

Work/Daily Events

• Drink water with Citrus Vitality Oils… Staying hydrated is key to a healthy lifestyle!
• Ningxia Red Nitro when I’m needing a pick me up.  This could replace my coffee, except i’m somewhat of a coffee addict.
• Stress Away Roll-On for when I’m needing a stress vacation (I used this before EVERY nursing school test!)
• Tranquil Roll-On for when i’m super high strung.
• Thieves on the bottom of my feet.  I’m a nurse and work around immunosuppressed individuals so I can’t afford to get sick; therefore I use thieves

Bedtime

• Same facial routine as the morning…teeth brushing, etc.
• Rub orange on my teeth again!
• Take another multigreen capsule before bed!
• Diffuse the Holy Grail of Sleeping (Lavender, Cedarwood, & Frankincense)
  • I’m serious about this being the holy grail, the first time I diffused this I didn’t wake up to my alarm the next morning!!
• Rub Rutavala on the bottoms of my feet, and Valor on my right big toe #nomoresnoring

And then I start over the next day – I’m sure I forgot so many of the items I use and are dear to my heart.  YL has over 70 singles and 70 blends of therapeutic grade essential oils and 90% of your daily needs can be met with these.

I would love to meet with anyone to answer any questions you may have! (The coffee is on me 🙂 )

Don’t forget you can sign up by clicking now: IM EXCITED TO START MY JOURNEY!

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Questions? Email me at discoveringchristsessentials@gmail.com, add me on Facebook and Twitter, and Follow me on Instagram.

Join Young Living today!

* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  I am an independent distributor for Young Living.  #2717844

Gradu-What?

Yes, it’s true…
It is possible to graduate nursing school (even an accelerated program). It is possible to come out alive & with loved ones still by your side. You may even make some of the best friends you’d ever imagine during the process.

The past year was a whirlwind…

Anger, Despair, Happiness, Anxiety, Love, Fear, Confusion, and so many other emotions.

More information was crammed into my brain than I ever thought possible, and there were so many times that I wanted to quit.

But now standing on the other side looking back it is easy to see how grateful I am and how I wouldn’t change it one bit.

Did I come out with a 4.0? Nope, but I did graduate with High Distinction.
Did I survive? Yup.
Did we lose some classmates along the way? Sadly yes.
Did I have a social life? Sometimes.
Did I cry? Heck yes.
Did I want to quit? Many times.
Would I recommend it? Yes, if helping people is in your heart do it.

I remember having so much anxiety before starting the program.  So much doubt in my ability and if I was capable of passing.  I was so nervous the morning of my first class I missed half the lecture because I was running back and forth to the bathroom. And I was even worse the day of my first exam!  But guess what, it all turned out okay.

We started with the basics: basic assessments, blood pressures, auscultating heart and lung sounds, reflexes, etc.  And silly me was worried about hurting someone while taking their blood pressure, Oh goodness did I have so much to learn.. 🙂

The next 11 months went by so much faster than I ever could imagine.  Over 200 exams, even more quizzes and assignments, and 1000+ clinical hours were completed.  It was difficult, but we got through.  I couldn’t have done it without my family, friends, and classmates; especially the two I now call my best friends.   Having people who love you and support you keeps your mind at peace and pushes you forward when you need it the most.  And having people there who are going through it with you is incredibly important.  Not only do they understand but they are willing to vent for hours about how frustrating your professors are, because trust me they will drive you crazy.

Things I wish I knew going into Nursing School:

• It is possible. Don’t doubt yourself, you were accepted for a reason.
• Your classmates will become your family.
• Taking a blood pressure is one of the least of your worries.
• Choose your battles.  Some information you will never master, accept it & know what you excel at.
• Take breaks!  You don’t need to study 24/7 to pass your exams.
• Make yourself a priority.  Do things for your health & others that you purely enjoy.  For me this was exercise (this part was not enjoyed…but needed), reading my bible, reading a novel, spending time with loved ones, going to counseling, and sleeping. That brings me to my next point…
• SLEEP.  Don’t sacrifice your sleep cycle.  Staying up all night does not work.  You will do worse on the exams.
• Make peace.  Whether it is with yourself, a higher power, or others,  you need to make peace.  You will see and experience so many things that will make you look inward, and that is normal.
• Witnessing your first death is hard. I cried in the break room for nearly an hour.  It’s okay to be human, let it out.
• Ask for help.  You aren’t meant to know everything, you’re learning.
• Take time to talk with your patients, they may not be around when you come back the next day & they all have a story to tell.
• Break your studying up into small sessions and don’t try to cram.
• Most importantly, believe.  Believe in yourself, and you’re capabilities.  Believe you can and you’re halfway there.

Life List.

The aspirations and dreams of my life, in no particular order.

1. Become a Registered Nurse (2016)
2. Zip Line
3. Marry my best friend
4.  Lead a bible study
5. Run a half marathon
6. Visit every state in the United States
7. Climb a mountain
8. Complete a Tough Mudder (Spartan, Warrior Dash, etc.)
9. Throw a dart on a map and go wherever it lands
10. Go white water rafting (2016)
11. Go hunting
12. Travel to Europe
13. Go snorkeling
14. Water Ski
15. Live in another country
16. See the Eiffel Tower
17. Ride a mechanical bull
18. Hold a plank for 1 minute
19. Sing karaoke
20. See a musical
21. Go to Times Square
22. Road Trip
23. Yellow Stone National Park (2016)
24. Mount Rushmore (2016)
25. The Grand Canyon
26. Do the splits
27. Ride a segway
28. Be in a flash mob
29. Attend a themed dinner
30. Be a mentor
31. Adopt
32. Fly first class
33. Get my masters or doctorate degree
34. Own my own house
35. Go to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
36. Be an Aunt
37. Visit Machu Picchu
38. Go Zorbing
39. Give a homeless person a christmas present
40. Go on a cruise
41. Receive a dozen roses
42. Kiss under mistletoe
43. Thank a veteran for their service (2015)
44. Watch a meteor shower
45. Swim with dolphins (2008)
46. Add a lock to the lock bridge in Paris
47. Send a message in a bottle
48. Float in the dead sea
49. Be a maid of honor
50. Visit all 7 Continents (North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antartica)
51. Be in two states at once (2015)
52. Be a bridesmaid (2015)

I’m feeling twenty-two.

Actually, I don’t very feel different at all.

Physically I am the same, mentally I am still a work in progress, and spiritually I still need Jesus more every day.

I am so incredibly thankful for all God has done in my life thus far, and he shows me daily how much more he is continually doing.  I celebrated my birthday on Friday with my family and dearest friends. Homemade pizza & homemade ice cream filled my tummy, while my loved ones filled my heart.

I got a really cool new parallel bible, and can’t wait to cover the pages in awe; while uncovering my fathers love for me. See look at it, isn’t it marvelous.

My 21st year was nothing like I could have imagined. Instead of being a social butterfly and thriving in relationships… God called me to be alone, something completely out of my comfort zone. But by being ‘alone,’ I learned that I’m really not ever alone. I’ve actually kind of embraced being somewhat of a loner, and it is like pulling my teeth to get me to go anywhere.  Though I thrive by interacting with others, I deeply enjoy curling up in my little nook and being alone.

Although I am still learning to comprehend the fact that I am loved beyond the influence of emotion, in a perfect agape love, I know there will be grace along this journey. I’m no where near finished but some crazy things have happened along the way and I know more are to come.

Some of the craziest things yet:

• Born with 5 Spleens! Into a home where not only my parents love me, but they taught me that my heavenly father does even more.
• August 25, 1998-One of the best & worst days of my life.  My beautiful little sister, Bailey, was born.  She stole my spotlight, and I hated her for it…but as we grew up she became one of my dearest friends and has humility.

• April 1, 2003- My other, more spunky, sister was born.  Sydney has done nothing but add color to my life ever since and has brought a joy I couldn’t have imagined.

 

• The ‘Glory Days,’ nah. Although high school happened, it definitely wasn’t fully of glory…  I was awkward moments and partaking in the ‘this will change the course of my life’ decisions…when in all reality those decisions wouldn’t have changed the course of the life of a fly..  I spent my time putting my drama to use by performing. Oh, and I graduated.
• My Aunt and Uncle Moved to Nebraska, letting me some of the greatest people of all time on a regular basis.

• My amazing parents renewed their vows, and taught me that being married isn’t always easy. (Although I don’t plan on finding out for myself for awhile!)

• I traveled by myself for the first time to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti where God taught me more about life than I thought possible, and how much I’ve been spoiled in this life.

• College.. It went by super quick and now I am a B.A.  And I know a little bit more about Psychology than I did before, enough to have a degree in it.
• I got accepted to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and I’ll start nursing school a week from today. Bring it.
• I traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica and realized that I am meant to live in another country for at least part of my life, I have a lot to learn about prayer, and every life is worth the fight. (…more to come…)

There has been plenty of other crazy things, and I know I’m missing so many of them in this little list.  But I’m learning that forgetfulness is normal and growth is a never ending process.  Such is life, and this is just a small glimpse of mine.

05.04.2015