Attitude

Good Days Bad Days

Liz James · July 7, 2020 ·

Facebook is so kind… it always asks “What’s on your mind?” whenever I venture in. (As if they care😶. Believe me, they don’t condone my view of the current narrative😉)
These three things have been consuming quite a bit of my time these days… what about you? What’s something that’s consuming quite a bit of your time (good or bad) these days?
xoxo~ liz
#theapplicationofknowledgeispower
#gardenofeatin’
#thetruthisntalwayseasytofind
#discernmentisagiftnottobewasted
#GroundedinTruth
#farmgirlwisdom
#ThanksYL

C.S. Lewis convo

Liz James · May 30, 2020 ·

As a guest writer on Liz’s good medicine blog, I, Stephanie Gregory wanted to share what I learned from one of my favorite thinkers. It is in the format of a conversation, which obviously is not exactly how it went down.

Stephanie : I love reading the work of CS Lewis. I’m listening to one of his books on audio with my 5 year old daughter now, and his writings always inspire me and cause me to reflect. So, I was curious… what fear gripped his world when he was alive? How did he recommend they handle it? After reading his essay, I replaced “coronavirus” with “the Atomic bomb” in his article to reveal his wise advice.

C.S. Lewis : “How are we to live in (a coronavirus) age?’ I am tempted to reply: ‘why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, and age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.’ In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation.”

Stephanie : Truly, this virus is an “unknown”, but there is really nothing new under the sun. All ages have experienced dangers. Did we think ourselves too brilliant to not die or suffer?

C.S. Lewis : “Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before (this coronavirus) was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways.”
“The first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together.”

Stephanie : OK -remain calm and don’t panic. Pull out “Stress Away” essential oil blend and inhale deeply.🌳 It will help calm the brain and slow down our racing thoughts.

C.S. Lewis : “If we are all going to be destroyed by (this coronavirus), let that (virus) when it comes find us doing sensible and human things-praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts-not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about (this coronavirus). They may break our bodies(a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

Stephanie : Use this time to grow! We are going through this whether we like it or not. How we respond to it is up to us. Peppermint essential oil will help clarify what this looks like for you!
Take time to be quiet and rest. Here is our chance to reevaluate our priorities and take time to think. Take deep breaths and quietly ponder what matters most to us. I’m thinking frankincense here.
Get to know the people that live in our homes or neighborhoods. Social distancing does not have to mean social isolation. Sharing a meal together or just hanging out is an important way to support one another, especially when going through a new hardship. Incorporate lemon 🍋 essential oil in diffusers, roll-ons, or drinks to lighten moods.

CS Lewis suggests that some may panic and kill themselves, while others may decide to live it up and enjoy life while they can. We can do better if we are intentional. If CS Lewis had the knowledge that we have about the power of essential oils, I believe he would have recommended Valor, “Courage” in a bottle.

CS Lewis : “We must resolutely train ourselves to feel that the survival of Man on this Earth, much more of our own nation or culture or class, is not worth having unless it can be had by honourable and merciful means.
The sacrifice is not so great as it seems. Nothing is more likely to destroy a species or a nation than a determination to survive at all costs. Those who care for something else more than civilization are the only people by whom civilization is at all likely to be preserved. Those who want Heaven most have served Earth best. Those who love Man less than God do most for Man.”

Stephanie :
Let us do more than just survive! Let us look beyond ourselves and make a difference in our world for eternity!

Schooling at Home

Liz James · May 29, 2020 ·

I, Stephanie Gregory, am a mom of four wonderful people ranging in ages 5 years old to 28 years old! I am PASSIONATE about the subject of children and their well-being and as a former home-school teacher strengthening their emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical health is the priority.

We are all in a boat which we did NOT choose. Are you Excited? Frustrated? Scared? It really doesn’t matter….. The only thing that matters is:

Are you going to lead your family through these unchartered waters or.. sit back and watch the ship go down? 🆘

I am going to be so bold as to predict that you ❤️love your children too much to sit back and watch the ship go down. But how? It will take patience and grit.

To successfully navigate these unknown waters, the following skills must be applied with INTENTION and 😀A POSITIVE ATTITUDE:

1. Have a Command Center – Depending on your kids’ skills/age, it may be in one central place or an individual space for their workspace. Either way, you/they need to be able to put their hands on their work easily and consistently. Organize the priorities! “A place for everything & everything in its place.”😉

2.“All Hands on Deck” the family meeting 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦- Communicate with a positive attitude. Have your diffuser going with Young Living’s Citrus Fresh, Clarity,or Lemon and Peppermint to keep brains thinking clearly. This is where you set the ground rules, schedules, tasks, consequences, and ⏰time blocks. This is also where you problem-solve. You can receive feedback about what works and what does not work. However, only allow problems to be discussed if accompanied by a suggested solution.💡

3. Establish Respect – This means MANNERS. Yes, Miss Manners is alive and well on this happy ship. If you have let things slide in the past, time to start a new program or someone will have to walk the plank. Being around one another 24/7 requires patience, slowing down and listening👂 to how we communicate. If you fail to do this, your happy ship 🚣‍♀️starts taking on water.

4.“Be the Captain of your own Boat.” A negative attitude trickles down.
*Be the number one encourager in your home!
*Honor each child’s learning style.
*Be flexible

5. Home Economics just got on the books! 📕This long forgotten art is back in town! Here is your chance to instruct on the “how-to’s” of cooking, swabbing the deck, maintenance, pet/child care, and healthy self-care. Using Thieves Household Cleaner assures your family is safe from toxins! Never has it been more obvious than now how taking care of our bodies and minds impacts our lives, as well as the lives of others. No matter how much education you have or how much money you make, if you are not healthy…..your boat sinks!

6.Make It FUN!!! 🎤Sing – Laugh – Be Silly! Making memories last a lifetime! Your kids may tell you to quit, but secretly they want permission to be silly too. Hug and kiss and tickle! Sailing with your family is fun!

7.Take Breaks Often. Getting outside is part of the curriculum. 🌞 Vitamin D is essential to our well-being. The outdoor time is as necessary as the seat work.

8.Incentivize – We all have areas of weakness. Recognize your child’s struggles and help them strengthen 💪those areas by offering incentives for their effort in these areas. It will be different for each child or adult.

9. God gave your children to you specifically! No one cares more about them than you do. Great teachers are great facilitators. This is your chance to be a great facilitator! Help your children learn for themselves. Equip them with the tools and skills required to find the answers. It is a life skill everyone needs. Look at our situation now. We are all having to learn new ways. Teach them while they are young how to learn, and they will be able to adapt easily to situations they encounter.

10.Focus – There are two types of focus that I would like to present. Diffusing certain essential oils helps with both! One is the ability to stay on task. This takes training. Staying focused takes intention, consistency, incentives, and grit. The second focus is our attitude. This is a place where we, as parents, can model a positive attitude toward every situation. Bad and good things happen to everyone. It is part of humanity. Having a positive attitude equips us to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

11.Patience with yourself and others is imperative. Squalls happen. We all make mistakes. Oil up, put your oars back in the water, and do better next time. Lead by example by NOT getting discouraged with failure.

12.Carefully select who and what you let in YOUR head and theirs. What are you and your children listening to in the way of conversation, music, and screen? Is it encouraging and helpful? If not☠️, just say “No”. Again, go back to #4 if this is questionable.

13.Establish a bedtime routine. 💤 Sleep is so important for overall health. Turn off devices, as well as Wifi before bed. Baths🛀, reading, yoga or stretching can also help relax the body and mind. See what works for your ship. Diffuse Peace and Calming, Lavender, Raven, or Cedarwood in each bedroom throughout the night so that everyone wakes up refreshed and recharged!

😄Above all….
ENJOY EACH OTHER!
Cherish this time together! Ride the waves! 🏄‍♀️
It will be over before you know it!
⛵️ HAPPY SAILING!

Farmgirl Pedicure

Liz James · May 26, 2020 ·

It’s been a mani / pedi kind of afternoon … not mine! 😉

The outside of a horse is definitely balm for the inside of this girl…. even if it does include hard work!

Hope your weekend was filled to the brim with good things!

xoxo~ liz

#farmgirlskillz
#theywaitinline
#nosocialdistancinghere
#farrierskillssavebigbucks
#25yearsfarrierexperience
#notforhire
#hardlaborwithnopainthankstoSulfurzymeandBLM

Trafficking

Liz James · May 23, 2020 ·

I really feel strongly that this is a season of personal growth for our entire world…. an awakening of sorts. Even tho I’m still working more than 40hrs/week from home or as an “essential worker” at the pharmacy during our “time alone together”, I’m trying to carve out time to seek knowledge as I am led to it.

Today, after lunch, I spent about 35 minutes at one of my favorite quickie education sources: https://www.prageru.com/ .

Today’s dive into being better versed in the world of current events have left me 😭😭😭😭 . I may be worthless now for the rest of the day 😭, but this was information we ALL need to know exists so that we can put a stop to it collectively.

Child Sex Trafficking. (I hate even typing those words out 😭 ). I first learned about this industry (for sadly, it IS that) in 2016, and it hasn’t left my mind since.

Here are some quick stats:
👤 8 Million children are trafficked each year
👤 Child trafficking is the fastest growing “industry” in the world today.
👤 There’s been a 5000% increase in “dark web” child rape videos in the last few years (little kids… under the age of 12)👤 There are currently an estimated 250,000 children actively trafficked in the USA.
👤 The USA is the NUMBER 1 consumer of child rape videos in the world. 😭
👤 There are more people (30 million adults and children) currently being trafficked in the world than there has ever been in any time in history.

” It takes guts to listen, and it takes guts to engage.”

https://www.prageru.com/…/the-candace-owens-show-tim-ball…/…

I encourage everyone to take a listen to this video and be changed forever. Ignorance is not bliss. Collective ignorance is a large part of why this beast exists and it must stop.

Join me, won’t you? If we all take an hour or so out of our “at home experience” to work on something that will improve other people’s lives…… imagine how much better the 🌎world will be when we all step outside collectively, and breathe a big sigh of relief. Even if we were to have to stay cooped up for a month or two…. it’s a small price to pay if we collectively make the world better when it’s all over…. isn’t it?

hugs and love friends~ liz

#knowbetterdobetter
#useQuarantinetimewell
#bethehandsandfeetofJesus