Faith & Health Stewardship

Happy Independence Day weekend friends!❤🇺🇸❤

Total health isn’t only about the physical body. The more I study and learn, the more I see the enormous unaddressed gaps in Western medicine. Mind, body, spirit, community, (and in my opinion, having full faith in Jesus ) are all necessary for a life that is full of peace,  health,  and joy filled. 

I realized about halfway thru my pharmacy career (of 30 years) that pharmacy would bring a solid paycheck but would not bring me peace, health, or joy. The stress and the hours and the speed and accuracy with which you are pressured to work is grueling (there are very few healthy pharmacists out there). Even more importantly,  I had come to realize that what truly brings health (mind, body, spirit alignment) would never come from a pill. The problem tho, was this, how do you leave that which doesn’t serve you…. whatever THAT is? 

You find what DOES serve you….. what makes your heart sing….. what brings you joy and peace, and then you pursue it, even if it means only 10 minutes a day….. you make it happen. Baby steps. 👣 Gradually, you invest more time and effort because THIS (whatever your “THIS ” is for you) fuels your fire….. it might just become your blueprint for an exit strategy to leaving that which no longer serves you 😘. 

This is what personal growth and development looks and feels like. A constant honing and awareness off correcting course. We only get one life to live, and it is honoring to God to live it fully using our gifts to help others and also to  carry joy in our hearts always. 

If you feel stuck somewhere in life, I encourage you to think on this. “Stuckness” will eventually affect your health in ways you’d never imagine 😔. If you’d like to chat a bit, find a mentor who radiates joy! I can pretty much guarantee  they  would be happy to talk to you and share their story.  One of the reasons I love Young Living so much  is because they serve a community of passionate people who have realized that freedom has many facets and they all involve, …..as the Declaration of Independence so beautifully states….. the God given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (tho I much prefer to say the acquisition of joy!❤🙏)  .
Have a beautiful July 4th weekend! 🇺🇸
xoxo~ liz

#sharingiscaring
#findwhatfuelsyourfireandbringsyoujoy
#ThanksYL
#inGodwetrust

When we hear about oil being used in the Bible, it may be easy to glide over the word and move on……( at least it was for me years ago) until I learned the historical uses for essential oils and pure carrier oils (like olive, coconut, jojoba, etc). Once I knew, reading the Bible became a 4th dimensional experience because I could grab an oil and thru smell and application, step into the pages. 
There is a document called The Papyrus Ebers which contains recipes for health and wellness. It is the longest and most famous document relating to the practice of ancient medicine, written about 1500 B.C.. The Bible is ripe with medical information that coorborates the Papyrus Ebers….. not surprising considering the Bible is to be used as a handbook for living life well ( and healthy!).
When Jesus was given gold, frankincense and myrrh, the latter two had more value than the gift of gold for their health benefits (and monetary value too).
A good shepherd knew the medicinal value of oil that came from plants. He would know which plants repelled flies, made the best poultices,  or healed a wound. This information was passed down from generation to generation. Neither man, beast, or plant has changed much over the centuries, and God has not changed at all.
He gave us what we need in the garden🙏. It’s up to us to use it.
xoxo~ liz
(If you’d like to learn more, let’s chat!)

Happy St. Paddy’s Day!
Most people know St. Patrick thanks to a day filled with all things green and Irishness, but do you really know the man behind the day? His story is a pretty inspiring one!
 ☘️St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland.
 ☘️Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t Irish. He was born around A.D. 375 in Britain, probably somewhere in Scotland, though the exact date and place are unknown.
 ☘️According to several sources, he is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He was probably partly responsible as well for the Christianization of the Picts (an early Scottish people group) and Anglo-Saxons.
 ☘️When he was 16, St. Patrick was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland to herd and tend sheep.
 ☘️After six years in captivity, he escaped after having a dream sent by God, telling him to leave Ireland by going to the coast where he would find a ship waiting to sail to Britain.
 ☘️He later became a priest and a bishop and is known for two short works: Confessio and Letter to Coroticus.
 ☘️In Confessio, he tells about a dream sent by God. In it, he was given a letter with the heading “The Voice of the Irish.” He heard the Irish people calling out to him to come back to Ireland and walk once more among them.
 ☘️After overcoming doubts, and motivated by a deep sense of purpose, he returned to Ireland, where he preached and converted people for 40 years, amid opposition and formidable difficulties—not a small accomplishment, given the circumstances at that time.
☘️His Letter to Coroticus was a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish Christians.
 ☘️According to legend, He used the shamrock to help explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to unbelievers. 
 ☘️ I’m not sure where the green beer, leprechauns, and pots of gold fit into St Patrick’s story 😂! Sometimes what we think we know has nothing to do with what is true. 😉
St. Patrick’s life was guided by a strong sense of divinely inspired purpose. Some pretty significant icky moments and obstacles didn’t appear to get in the way of what God asked him to do. I admire people who know their purpose in life!
Enjoy your day and get your green on in honor of St. Paddy! 
☘️💚☘️💚 ~ liz

Two of the most well known essential oils, 💧Frankincense and 💧Myrrh, pretty much owe their claim to fame to three wise men over 2000 years ago. Now that’s some kind of successful advertising campaign! 😉

I’ve been celebrating this Christmas season by walking thru a 25 day devotional, “The Soul Felt its Worth”. Each morning has been like an Advent calendar for me as I learn history and relevant Bible verses and theology expressed through 25 traditional Christmas carols.

As I write this, I’m on day 11: “We Three Kings”…..written in 1857 by American clergyman John Henry Hopkins Jr. Spoiler alert…. The Bible never put a number on the wise men who travelled to see infant Jesus ….. Nevertheless, this carol is where we get the 3 kings/wise men from!

Although it’s considered a Christmas hymn, “We Three Kings” is really a poetic tribute to Jesus’ whole life, with Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh representing some very key attributes:
(verse 3)
“Born A King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.”

Gold (referenced in verse 3) has been a sign of royalty, wealth, and power since nearly the beginning of time. Giving the gift of gold to Jesus was an acknowledgement to the birth of the King of Kings.
(verse 4)
“Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high”

💧Frankincense was used in the temple as an incense and anointing oil, and was a symbolic acknowledgement of God and spiritual leadership. (You will be learning so much about the historic healing properties of Frank and Myrrh next week! Stay tuned!!❤ )
(verse 5)
“Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.”

💧Myrrh had many historical uses, including that as a key embalming agent. Its name comes from the word ‘marar’ which means bitterness. For myrrh oil to be attained, the tree’s heartwood must be pierced/tapped allowing the gum resin to trickle out in red droplets called ‘tears’. The gift of myrrh symbolizes Jesus’ earthly a bitter death and subsequent burial. .
And finally, the phrase “Guide us to Thy perfect Light” in verse 2 leads us to the truth of the matter. The kings/magi-astronomers were looking for something far more significant than the bright star they were following. They were looking for THE Light. ☀️
God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. ~ I John 1:5.
Enjoy the journey this coming week friends!
xoxo~liz

#Hegaveusthetoolsinthegarden
#sharingiscaring
#WiseIndeed
#GoldFrankincenseandMyrrh
#oilsoftheBible
#ThanksYL