Defining Your Values: A Series (1/6)

Values. We all have them, whether we have taken the time to seek them out and define them or not. They are principles that define us- our businesses, our work, our free time, our interactions with others...they are a core part of who are are, and they are different for everybody. They define who we are and explain why we do the things we do. Every successful company has core values that defines what they are about. Think about it- Disney, Apple, Walmart...even the University I attend has 4 core values that drive it. Our businesses are driven by values too, and it is important for us to recognize and define them so that people who see us know what we are about and what we are striving for.

Last February when I attended the Thrive Conference in Nashville hosted by Monique McLean, we had a session on this very topic. I went home, did some soul searching, and developed my values- I have 6 of them. I am going to do a series for the next 6 posts of going through those values and why they matter- I am not ashamed of them as they really encompass what drives me to keep working on growing my business (they are different than my "why," though they make up parts of it)....also I hope it will encourage YOU to seek out your personal values - they will be different than mine and represent a picture of your business and your life. At the end of this series, I will make a post with a step-by-step guide for how you can come up with your values! It's going to be great!

SO, with that being said...

Value #1: Changing Lives

(Also these are in no particular order, except for the last one, which is really my top one- best for last, ya know? ;))


I got a text today from a good family friend that I helped introduce the oils to and become a part of this journey.  She explained how her family was incorporating the oils into all parts of their lives and how even her kids loved learning about them and using them. She said it was a lifestyle change and expressed thanks for how much she loved her oils.

I got another phone call recently from a downline member who told me a heart-warming story about how she was so thankful for Ningxia Red and how it has completely changed her dad's life- for the better. Calls and messages like this are not out of the ordinary in this oily journey, and it is so fun and exciting to hear each time! My automatic response in my mind:  I was a part of that? Of telling you about this? Wow, that is humbling. I give all the glory for everything in my business to the Lord, for it is He that brings people into our lives and causes our business to grow, but the fact that He is choosing to use me in such an impacting position is so incredibly humbling!

BUT the greater fact is that lives are being changed!! I'm not just talking about physical wellness here, either, guys!! I'm talking about empowering people to live in wellness, purpose, and abundance in ALL areas of life -spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial. It gives me the opportunity to serve people and lead people- to show them the love of Christ in all of my work. I am thrilled to be a part of a company that is so life changing....truly! THIS is part of my "why" I do what I do....I share the oils with everyone I possibly can because I know how it will positively make an impact in their life, and I want to be a part of that. To me, not telling someone is incredibly selfish. When we help to change people's lives we are changing the world, one little bit at a time.
I am a world changer, and you know what!? I believe you can be too! :)

Citrus Ningxia Wolfberry Tea

Hi friends!

I saw this recipe posted online by one of my Facebook friends who is also involved in Young Living, and it looked so good that I just had to try it and post about it for others to try! This is a perfect tea for a cool fall or winter day to curl up with a blanket and good book. I think the best part about it is getting to eat the hydrated wolfberries at the end- it's quite a treat! :D

Citrus Ningxia Wolfberry Tea

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp. Dried Ningxia Wolfberries (or enough to thoroughly coat the bottom of your mug)

1-2 drops Young Living Citrus Fresh Essential Oil

Honey or Agave Syrup (optional)

Hot Water

Directions

Put the wolfberries in your mug. You can add more to adjust the tea to your liking. I like my tea to be flavorful, so I tend to be more generous with the wolfberries. You can't really overdo it, so just try it to see what you like! Add boiling water to the mug, and let the tea steep for 2-3 minutes. Add the Citrus Fresh, or any other dietary Young Living Essential Oil. Stir in the honey or agave to your liking, and enjoy! I like to leave the wolfberries in the tea while I am drinking it, so I can slowly eat them. :-) 

Be sure to click "Subscribe" on the right or put your email in the "Follow via Email" box so that you can stay up to date on oily posts and encouragements!

New to Young Living? Click Here to find out how you can get some of these oils and yummy wolfberries for yourself at a reduced price!

Gluten-Free Chocolatey Pumpkin Walnut Bread Deliciousness (w/essential oils!)

MMMM I loveeee the tastes and smells of fall. Carmel apples, pumpkin pies, spiced coffees...I could go on! Today I decided to make a gluten-free chocolate pumpkin walnut bread with essential oils!! Now that's a mouthful- literally! This bread is SOOO good and very moist- it certainly does not taste "gluten-free." It is my new favorite go-to fall bread, and your house will smell amazing when you bake it. Enjoy!

Ohh fuzzy socks...! Those are also on my list for fall/winter favorites. :-)

These oils would be wonderful diffused together, they are all so wonderful in this bread!

The nice thing about this recipe is that it is a "one-bowl bread," meaning that you only use one bowl! I am a big fan of less clean-up and dishes so this made things super easy!

Note: The dough will be quite thick before you add the pumpkin and water (above picture). Don't worry though, it will become easier to work with. Also, you can remove the walnuts and/or chocolate if you don't like them, it shouldn't alter the recipe much.

Adding the oils, my favorite part!! Make sure you mix them in well (but don't overmix) so that they are evenly distributed!

This is my "I-wish-you-could-be-here-to-smell-how-amazing-this-is" look. Sigh. It is times like this that I wish scents could go through the computer!

Andddd after 67 minutes....viola! 

I like it the best when it is warm so that all of the chocolate is melted! Yum!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Walnut Pumpkin Bread w/ Essential Oils 

Ingredients:

3 c. sugar (can use xylitol for a lower carb option)

1 c. grapeseed, avacado, or olive oil

4 eggs

2 c. gluten-free flour

1 1/2 c. almond flour/meal

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 c. water

1-15 oz. can Pumpkin Pie (not pie filling)

1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

7 drops of Young Living Nutmeg Essential Oil*

3 drops of Young Living Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil*

2 drops of Young Living Orange Essential Oil*

1 drop of Young Living Clove Essential Oil*

*I only recommend ingesting Young Living brand essential oils. Here's why.

Instructions:

1. Grease 2 large loaf pans and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat sugar, oil, and eggs together.

3. Beat in flour and almond meal (1 cup at a time), baking soda and salt.

4. Stir in pumpkin and water (if using an electric mixer, don't use it for this step, as everything will splatter all over the place).

5. Add chocolate, walnuts, and all essential oils. Mix thoroughly, but do not over-mix.

6. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Remember, if you added chocolate, it will always come out on the toothpick, but you are looking for no batter on the toothpick).

7. Let stand in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove to a rack and cool.

8. Wrap when completely cool. These freeze very well!

Enjoy!!! Let me know how you like it!

An Unusual Twist on Gratitude

Today I was looking back over some of my past twitter/facebook posts, and the more I did that, the more I was overcome with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I remembered the good times, the times I was laughing so hard I was crying, the memories made with my friends, and the longing to be remake those memories again. However, I really was drawn to reflecting on the difficult times, and more importantly, how much I had grown through those difficult times.

It's weird.
You see, I enjoyed thinking about and reminiscing on the hard times almost more so than I did on the fun times. It seems almost backward.

I'm not saying that I necessarily enjoyed the thoughts and feelings that rushed back along with those hard memories, but it made me realize where I am today, and how I would not be where I am today had I NOT had those hard times, and had I not chosen to grow through them. Hence, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for them.

God is so good. He grace is....indescribable. In my own life, I've always found that I grow the most through tough times, and I'm pretty sure that applies to most people. I LOVE Genesis 50:20 that states "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result." (NASB)  What Satan intends for evil, God can turn it around for good and for His glory, because He works ALL things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). We see this all throughout the Bible, but the story of Joseph is especially brought to my mind.

So, what can we learn from this?

1. You can choose to accept and be at peace about the past: Nothing that you've done is out of the reach of God's forgiveness and grace. Don't beat yourself up! Forgiveness of yourself and others is a key catalyst to the healing process. God can and will work everything for your good! I'm not saying you may not have to deal with the consequences of your actions, but your future can be bright! We all make mistakes, so don't dwell on the past, but rather, choose to learn and grow from it. :)

2. Live in the present! I sometimes catch myself playing the "what if" game...don't do that! You are where you are for a reason. The past is gone. Whatever you are doing and wherever you are, be all in and do it for HIS glory.

3. Get excited about the future- and stop worrying! God has you in His hand, and He will guide your path and direct you, if you let Him! Yes, we make mistakes, but He is always there to guide us back and lead us to Him. I was once told to think of it like a GPS. We're supposed to let God direct us (let Him be our GPS), but sometimes we take a wrong turn. When this happens, the GPS recalculates to get us back on the right track- so God does with our life!


Here are 2 songs that I absolutely LOVE that completely resonate with this entry:

Sovereign Over Us- Aaron Keyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPkMbhydU9I
Through All of It- Colton Dixon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91KliTa1ksY

Anyway, just a few thoughts for the day. Time to go back and study for my Gen Chem II final exam that is tomorrow..ha.. :p THANK YOU for taking the time to read. :)

Beautifying Foaming Facial Cleanser

A few people have asked me what I use to make my own facial cleanser, so, here it is! I absolutely LOVE to lather my face with this recipe....it's so luxurious and refreshing- better yet, it's extremely economical AND completely natural. Can't get much better than that!

I made a video about how I do this on Youtube. This is EASY EASY EASY but some people prefer to actually watch it happen. You can check out the video by clicking here. 

The biggest thing that I emphasize when I do this recipe is that you can MAKE IT YOUR OWN!! Play around with the ratio of the oils you use, or try different oils! It's really really hard to mess this up, I promise. Sometimes I substitute different oils based on what I have on hand, and that's okay! Make this how YOU like it. Or in the words of Burger King, "Have it Your Way." 

I always like to gather all my ingredients first. 

With this recipe, all you do is mix all the ingredients in one foaming *glass container and you're all set! It's really that simple.

Ta da! Foaming facial cleanser, it about 3 minutes. 

*A note on the container. I am reusing a Young Living facial cleaner container. I know they use a special grade of plastic that is safe to use with the oils at this level of dilution- do not just go out any buy any old plastic container! Amazon has some good glass ones, and you can also get some at www.lifesciencepublishers.com that are okay to use with diluted EO's.

Natural Beautifying Foaming Facial Cleanser

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

1). Young Living Essential Oils! Use this as a guide, but you can also substitute other oils. For example, my mom uses Frankincense, Geranium, Myrrh, and Sandalwood instead of the oils I'm using.

-8 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

-4 drops Lemon Essential Oil

-7 drops Frankincense Essential Oil

-6 drops Purification Essential Oil

-7 drops Lavender Essential Oil

-5 drops Elemi Essential Oil

2). About 1/4 c. Organic unscented Castille Soap- this is available at Target or on Amazon.

3). Distilled water

Directions:

1). Pour the castille soup into your empty container. 

2). Add the oils as you desire.

3). Fill the container the remainder of the way with distilled water! 

Shake it up and you're good to go!

*Note: This supports ALL skin types, but, if you do have more mature skin, you can make it extra special by adding a little jojoba oil, vitamin e oil, and rosewater. 

If you're curious about how to get some Young Living oils, I can hook you up. Just click here to read my post about it!

How Can I get these Young Living Oils?

So you've read some of my posts or maybe some other things online about the awesomeness of Young Living Essential oils, but are you ready to try them for yourself? I'm here to help walk you through that process- seriously, it couldn't be easier! There are a few different starter kits to choose from, but the premium kit gives you the BEST deal around.

The Young Living Premium Starter kit comes with 11 of the most commonly used essential oils, your choice of diffuser, a FREE wholesale membership, and other various samples and product information.

As a side note, know that you do NOT have to promote or sell Young Living- EVER. There are NO monthly minimums. There are NO strings attached to this...really! :) You WILL be getting a box full of goodies and tools that have the power to change your life!


ᗯᕼᗩT ᑕOᗰEᔕ Iᑎ TᕼE ᑭᖇEᗰIᑌᗰ ᔕTᗩᖇTEᖇ KIT?

The Everyday Oils Collection, which includes 10 oils that come in 5ml bottles. The bottles contain about 85 drops, and since essential oils are very concentrated, you usually only use 1-2 drops per use. With this in mind, you can see how economical this kit is when you consider the price per drop. The oils included in the U.S. Kit are:

     1. Thieves: Supports a healthy immune system!
     2. Digize: Promotes healthy digestive functioning.
     3. Frankincense: The famous gift! Valued higher than gold in ancient times due to it's many uses,                                      from promoting beautiful skin to being emotionally grounding.
     4. Lemon: Uplift and clean with this oil!
     5. Copaiba: A wonderful oil that is effective in supporting healthy digestion when taken internally.
     6. Peppermint: Promotes healthy digestion and mental clarity, among it's many other uses.
     7. Panaway: The "after stretching, after climbing, after working, after bending" kind of oil.                                       Supports a healthy musculo-skeletal system.
     8. Lavender: One of the most versatile oils! Creates a peaceful and relaxing environment when                                 diffused.
     9. RC: Promotes a healthy respiratory system.
    10. Purification- Purifies the air when diffused as opposed to just masking smells; apply topically                                  to enjoy the outdoors "annoyance-free."

PLUS you get a 5mL bottle of Stress Away- one of my favorites, the name says it all!

Roller Filament- for easily using your favorite oils on the go!

Two Samples of Ningxia Red- a powerhouse of nutrients in a DELICIOUS low sugar juice                                                                   containing the Ningxia Wolfberry and essential oils.

10 Sample packs of essential oils for sharing with friends or to take on the go!

AND a diffuser! The diffuser acts as a humidifier, air purifier, and aromatherapy diffuser in one easy to use product that safely releases essential oils into the air to eliminate odors and create a peaceful atmosphere in any home! This is one of the MOST effective ways to use your oils! The oils are broken into micro-particles that you passively breathe, which goes into your lungs and entire body.

You also get a FREE wholesale membership that allows you to save 24% on future orders!

The Premium Starter Kit is an INCREDIBLE deal for $160 + tax and shipping. If you were to buy all these things at retail, it would cost nearly $300, so why not save some money now and take advantage of this AWESOME deal!? This is how I was introduced to Young Living, and I LOVED playing with all my oils when I got them! There are hundreds of ways to use the oils in this kit! When you order with me, you'll also get one-on-one personal support from me and group support from our Lavender Legacy Team community. We offer a New Member Bootcamp on Facebook as well for our new members, as a gathering place where you can learn about the oils in a safe environment and get started using them!

GᖇEᗩT! ᕼOᗯ ᗪO I OᖇᗪEᖇ?

Ordering your Premium Kit is SUPER easy! Just follow these simple 5 steps:

Step I

-Click Here to go to my online referral link.

-Choose your membership- "Wholesale member" will already be selected. If you want the Premium Starter Kits or another Starter kit, you can move on. If you'd like a retail account, select "retail customer."

-Young Living is a referral based business, so they will ask who introduced you to Young Living. My member number (1485460) will already be populated in both the "sponsor" and "enroller" fields, so you can move along.

Step II

-Fill out your membership information and sign-in information. Create a username, password, and pin. The password will need 1 capital letter and 1 number. I'd recommend writing this down for future log in's.

-Tax Info- select Individual or Business. Wondering why they need this? A SSN is required for wholesale members (like how you had to give it to get a Costco or Sam's membership) as a federal regulation for tax purposes. However, If no one purchases anything using your Young Living member number, your SSN will not be used. 

Step III

-Select Starter Kit- The Premium Kit should automatically be selected, but you get to choose your diffuser! The dew drop diffuser comes with the $160 price, but you can upgrade to other diffusers if you'd like.

-Essential Rewards is Young Living's monthly auto-ship program. It's COMPLETELY optional, so you don't have to worry about it right now. In the future, if you find yourself making repeat orders, then it's definitely something you'd want to do as it's free and allows you to start earning points back for free product and gives you reduced shipping rates. But for now, don't worry about that section.

-Now you can add more products or proceed to check out.

Step IV

-Select your shipping method and enter payment info.

Step V

-Review your cart, then select "Activate and Place order"

You're all set!! Congratulations on making a decision that will promote the wellness of you and your family! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me using the link at the top of the page! Your order should be arriving in 5-8 days. You can always log into your Young Living account to track your order. I'll be sending you a personal welcome email shortly that will give you some more information and resources for you to use while you wait for your lovely box of oils!

Also, check out this video, it really shares the heart of Young Living as a company!

I'm so excited for you to try these oils, AHHH I can't wait for you to get them!!!! Hah. I'm just as excited as you are for you to get them, because I know how AWESOME they are and how much they are going to rock your world!!

Gluten-Free Lemon Cupcakes with Luscious Lavender Icing

About a month ago it was my birthday, so I decided that I wanted to make a dessert to celebrate! (Yes I am posting this super late, but better late than never!) Now, usually, if you know me at all, you know that I would TOTALLY go for something chocolate, because well, that's just me. BUT I'd been wanting to experiment more with using essential oils in cooking, so I decided to try something that would be (hopefully) pretty good and that would allow me to try something new with the oils. Turns out, it WAS really good!!! I ended up taking the cupcakes to a team meeting (with other oilers) and they LOVED them- yay!

Side note: I ONLY recommend cooking with and ingesting Young Living brand essential oils. You can look at my previous post to find out why it's the only company I trust, but even if you don't take it from me, Young Living oils are the only ones that are GRAS (generally recognized as safe for ingestion) by the FDA and are food-grade quality. Anything else you use migghhhttt a). cause the taste to be different and/or b). contain chemicals that might not be the smartest to ingest.

Anyway, I found the original cake recipe here, and the icing recipe here! However, I did make some modifications from the original recipes, since the recipes didn't use essential oils like I did. :-)

Got all the supplies ready to go!

I LOVEEE lemon zest!! Mmm! The recipe above originally called for the zest of 2 lemons, but I only used the zest of 1 lemon + 12 drops of Lemon EO. YUM. It was the PERFECT balance of fresh and tangy!

YAY! Finally out! The batter was thick, so the cake turned out to be more of a moist lemon pound-cake consistency, which was actually really delicious with the lavender icing. 

Finally, after waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting....they were cool enough to ice. :-) The original icing recipe used dried lavender instead of Lavender EO. I just used the essential oil and it worked wonderfully! BUT you ONLY need 1 or maybe 2 drops oil. Start with less, trust me. The lavender is VERY potent and if you put too much, your icing will taste like a bar of soap. 

Final touches. :)

Ta-da!! Lemon Cupcakes with Luscious Lavender Icing. Perfect for your next summer event, or the next time you want to try cooking with your YL essential oils. :-)

Gluten- Free Lemon Cake Recipe- modified from Sweetapolita's original recipe

Yields 18 Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk, at room temp.

2 eggs + 1 yolk, at room temp.

1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups gluten free flower, sifted

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temp.

Zest of 1 med-large lemon

12 drops Young Living Lemon Essential Oil

Directions:

1). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 standard sized muffin pans with baking liners.

2). In a medium bowl, combine and stir the eggs, 1/4 cup of buttermilk, and vanilla. Set aside. 

3). The the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients, including the sugar, together on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and blend on low speed for 30 more seconds, then add remaining buttermilk and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and blend for 1 1/2 minutes.

4). Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add egg/milk mixture in 3 separate batches. Beat on medium speed for 20 seconds in between additions. Stir in the lemon zest and essential oil.

5). Divide the batter between the liners, do not fill liners more than 2/3 full!

6). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 15-20 minutes). Be really careful not to over-bake. When done, place the hot pans on wire racks and carefully (they're really hot!!) remove the cupcakes to let cool. Allow to cool completely before icing. 

Luscious Lavender Icing- modified from Corkandspoon's original recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (give or take, play around with it until you get the consistency you want)

1/2 cup butter, softened (NOT melted)

about 5c. powdered sugar

salt

1-2 drops Young Living Lavender Essential Oil (I'd stick with one, personally) 

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (I don't recommend the pre-bottled stuff)

2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

Directions:

1). Beat butter and 2 tbsp of milk together in an electric mixer, add a nice pinch of salt

2). Add 2.5 cups of powdered sugar and beat until incorporated.

3). Add lemon zest and juice, and Lavender Oil

4). Begin alternating between additions of more sugar (about 1/2 c. at a time) and milk (no more than a few teaspoon's at a time). Taste test frequently to determine if you need to add more sugar or milk, based on the flavor of the lavender. Keep an eye on how thick it is becoming. Play around with it a bit, and make it how you like it. If the lavender is too strong, add more powdered sugar. If the icing is too thick, add more milk. 

5). If you'd like, use gel food coloring to tint the frosting. Liquid food coloring has the potential to make the frosting runny, so stick with gel if you can.

6). For best results, chill the icing 30-45 minutes before piping on cupcakes (I totally forgot this step when I made it, hence why my icing looks more runny) :) 

Enjoy and happy baking!! 

If you're curious about how to get some Young Living oils, I can hook you up. Just click here to read my post about it!

Can You Trust Your Essential Oil Company?

Okay, so this is a topic that I feel NEEDS to be addressed. If you're totally confused about the whole essential oil thing and don't even know where to start, THIS is the article for you.

There are ALOT of essential oil companies out there. Literally, just walk into the nearest health food's store and take a walk down the entire isle they have dedicated to the stuff. If you've never noticed it before, you will now. Now, if I was new to this field, I know I would feel very overwhelmed trying to decide which oil is a good one!  I was at a conference this last weekend on Essential Oils, and the speaker said that the essential oil industry is one of the most corrupted industries out there. WOW, that blew my mind! BUT it does make sense when you start to do some research! I found out that 98% of oils on the market have been adulterated or diluted to some extent.  I mean, it would be ironic, even dangerous, to try to do something "natural," but then unknowingly be using "natural" products that still contained synthetics.

SO what's the deal? How can you really know if what you're using for your family is safe?

Personally, I only use Young Living Oils. Yes, I'll admit that I am a bit biased. However, here's a good comparison of different companies. You can make the decision for yourself. These are GREAT questions to ask when determining what oils you want to use- the company you use should be willing to provide you with this type of information. If they don't know or won't tell you...RED FLAG.

Other reasons I only use Young Living....

1. Not only do they own their own farms, but they go BEYOND organic in their farming. They clear all their own land, so they never buy farms that have previously been farmed on, due to potential residual pesticides that could be in the soil. Pest control is done using their essential oils, and weed control is done by hand!

2. They are the largest distiller of essential oils in the world and are a 20 year old company. 
Lots of experience here!

3. When a particular plant is out of season and a product runs out of stock...we sometimes have to wait until the harvest until we are able to get that product again! While this can be a pain sometimes, it truly is evidence that they will NOT sacrifice purity for sales. It would be SO easy for them to add synthetics to the oil so that it smells almost exactly the same, but they're not about that life. They're about purity and giving their customers only the best, even if it means we have to wait for it sometimes. However, they are currently expanding their farms so that this doesn't happen. :)

4. Many Young Living Oils are GRAS (generally recognized as safe for ingestion) by the FDA.
     HINT: If an oil you ever buy from somewhere else says "not for internal use," in small print,...red flags should be going up EVERYWHERE!! After all, everything you put on your skin goes internally anyway.

5. The Seed to Seal Promise ensures quality throughout every part of the distillation and growing process. Distillation and testing facilities are on site. Check out www.seedtoseal.com for more info.

6. YL oils are first distillation only- which means they are the most potent and concentrated.



After looking at all of the facts, it was easy for me to determine that I was with a company that was providing the highest quality EO's on the market, and that YES, I could trust Young Living oils to be held to the highest standard of excellence.

Anyway, I hope this helps someone out there that's working through all this! Essential Oils are a wonderful thing. :) I'd love to chat with you about it and can help you get the best deal with the best EO's around! Just shoot me an email under the "contact me" tab or visit www.naturallypureoils4u.com!

Love you guys!!

My Heart Is Full

Okay.

SO, everytime I think I have God figured out, He completely shakes things up and turns things around so that I am once again reminded and humbled that I don't and never will know or understand the thoughts or mysterious ways of God. His ways are higher than mine. His thoughts are greater than mine.

Today, I was reminded again of God's PROVISION! This verse right here....let me tell you...it will change your life...

"Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—"
Ephesians 3:20, AMP

My prayer life changed the day I realized that God was able to do SUPERABUNDANTLY far over and above ANYTHING my highest prayers and desires could even touch- not only that, but that He DESIRED to do great things in my life! When we give our prayers and desires to God, not only does it take pressure off of us, but it's the absolute best thing we can do because it's giving them to Him who wants to take those prayers and dreams and do EVEN MORE than we could ever imagine with them!!! How cool is that!?

Anyway. I'm getting a bit sidetracked. Back to the story of God's provision and Him doing things far above anything I could ask or imagine...

As many of you know, I'm going on a Mission Trip with my home church this summer to Mexico!! I've been on a mission trip before through my church to NYC, but this is my first international trip and I couldn't be more excited! I joined the team a bit late, so I was a little behind in my fundraising. As is pretty typical, I mailed out all my support letters,  hoping to raise enough money along with the church fundraisers for me to go! I knew in my heart that God had given me the desire to go on this trip and that somehow, He was going to provide!  I just didn't realize how yet...

I'd been praying about God's provision for the trip for a few weeks when I get an email from a certain person, telling me that they are sending me a check for..........





(wait for it)














$2000 for my trip.





WHAT. IN. THE. WORLD. IS. THIS. EVEN. REAL.


As you can imagine, it was completely unexpected and totally blew me away! The trip is going to be paid for in abundance, in that I'll have overflow funds that will be able to be saved for a future mission trips for me or to help my other team members. God works in SUPERABUNDANT ways. Our cup isn't just filled, it's OVERFLOWED!! To God be the glory!

I'm sharing this because I hope it will encourage someone out there, that God IS faithful and He WILL provide. We serve Jehovah Jirah- The Lord will provide! This is also a testament to the power of PRAYER, it really works people! God cares about you, He loves you, He's listening to your cries, and He is for you.

I'll admit this isn't my most thought out, planned, and organized, blog post.
BUT I hope if nothing else it gets this point across: God is good, all the time, He is faithful, and you can trust Him (Thanks Dr. White for saying that great reminder at the end of all your chapel messages).



I love hearing testimonies of God's provision! God gives us testimonies for us to share and for the building up of the Church! So please, if you have a story of God's provision, SHARE it!!! Send me an email or comment below- I'd love to hear it for sure!

One Step At A Time

Hello, lovely people!

I was recently asked to write a blog post and be a guest author for the Lavender Legacy Team (www.lavenderlegacyteam.com), and this is the post that I wrote for them. I wanted to document it on my blog as well, so I simply copied and pasted it here so you could enjoy it as well. :)

Today I get to write on a topic that is near and dear to my heart, because it's something that I have to remember DAILY. I am ALWAYS reminding myself that this Oily biz (and life in general) that I'm blessed to be a part of is a journey, NOT a destination. You see, I'm extremely goal driven, so I like to look at pictures like this...

...and dream about being a RCD, like, tomorrow. I think to myself: "Obviously I have a lot to do before then, but soon enough, I will be there! Full speed ahead!" Through this mindset I've found that it's easy to get so wrapped up in that dream that you are so focused on, that you end up  forgetting the little things that got you there and enjoying where you are in life now. I found a nice quote by Calvin & Hobbes that summed it up well: "We are so busy watching out for what is ahead of us, that we don't take time to enjoy where we are." 
(Disclaimer: I am NOT saying it's bad to dream big and look ahead and all that stuff! It's CRUCIAL to dream big and picture the future and see yourself as who you want to be, I'm ALL FOR THAT.) 
BUT when I am a RCD, I never want to forget how I felt when I reached this...

...and everything it took to get me there: The one-on-one's with my professors, the times I got up at 5am on a Saturday -my last day of break- to drive an hour to be at a mom2mom event by 7am, the roadtrips to THRIVE conference, the moment I realized my core values and wrote my goals for the first time, the times I stepped out of my comfort zone and emerged on the other side more confident than ever OR the times when I was discouraged because absolutely no one showed up to a meeting I was hosting or no one liked my Young Living posts on Facebook.


It's the LITTLE things that build your story, that eventually culminate in your end goal, and ultimately, your story. I'm in college now, so I really have to focus on finding balance between biz, school, and social life. If I'm not careful, it's easy for me to do primarily biz stuff and school, leaving little time for me to build relationships with my friends. My challenge to you is to take time EVERY DAY to INTENTIONALLY appreciate the day for what it is, not for the deadlines you did or did not make, but because it is another day that you have been given. We are not promised tomorrow. Each rank and chapter of life has new responsibilities and opportunities of it's own, enjoy them. This is a relationship biz, so build them! Develop friendships. Laugh. Share. Enjoy life.
I'm 19 and I already am realizing the incredible pace at which life flies by, and I've been told it just gets faster. I want to enjoy every stage of my life, every chapter, every rank, to it's fullest. So, no matter where you are in this JOURNEY, enjoy each day and all that it has to offer. While looking ahead to the future and dreaming is CRUCIAL, do not let it overstep it's bounds to the point where you are not appreciating every step of the journey you're on to get there. 
That being said, I thought I'd share with you a few pics from my journey. Let's do some reminiscing, shall we?

My first weekend at college, freshman year. Oils were a thing, but not a business thing. Aw, we all look like little babies.

Convention 2014: TOTALLY Rocked my view of Young Living and decided that maybe this biz is something that I could really do! I was especially inspired by Adam Green, the youngest in YL history to achieve any of the Diamond ranks, and I was determined that I would beat his record. Watch out, Adam. :)


Next, I had learned that "Leaders are Readers," So I decided to read this book, The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz and it COMPLETELY changed my mindset around and really got me thinking. Seriously, read this book. It will change your business and any view you THINK you have of your biz.

---

Sophomore year didn't start off so well...I broke my leg the first week of school and had to get major surgery which included 2 plates and 14 screws, which will forever reside in my left leg. I ended up missing two weeks of school and was disabled to some extent for the rest of the semester. This was a huge distraction in my biz, and my growth quickly started to decline. It was an EXTREMELY humbling experience like no other.

When I was home for Christmas break, I completely reset my goals and was ready to give this thing a go, for real. The troubles of the previous semester had actually strengthened my relationship with the Lord in incredible ways. I asked Him to completely be my CEO and to lead me to people that NEEDED these oils. My biggest value is "God-glorified;" He gets ALL the glory for the success of my biz. Since then, I've steadily seen growth; adding new members every month and helping those that are currently enrolled. I love my team and working with such great people! Things haven't always been smooth sailing, but hey, as they say, a smooth sea does not make a skilled sailor! ;) Anyway, it's all a part of my journey, and I'm learning to appreciate and enjoy every part of it. Where are you in YOUR journey and how did you get there? I'd love to hear from you so please comment below, shoot me an email, or connect with me on social media (see the icons at the top of the page). :)

Fear.

So, it's been a while since I've posted anything, and to be perfectly honest, blogging isn't something that comes naturally to me. Like, I guess I'd rather write out my thoughts in a private journal as opposed to all over the web (then I don't have to worry about grammar and spelling as much either, ha).
BUT God's really been laying this topic on my heart and writing it on here allows it to benefit more than just me.

A wise person once said,
"Action cures fear, while indecision and postponement, on the other hand, fertilizes it."

F.E.A.R.

In the Bible, the phrase "Do not fear" or similar is written 365 times. God's reminder for us each day to not be afraid. Somehow, though, it seems that the church is missing this point, or it hasn't fully gotten absorbed. Anxiety, stress, nervousness- all of that is rooted in fear.  Fear that I'm not going to get my work done. Fear that I'm going to fail a test. Fear that I won't be good enough. Fear that I'm going to fail, or fail again, Fear of the future.

The list goes on and on...

The sad reality is that fear is crippling the lives of believers, who are called to not live in fear! "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of POWER and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)." What if characters of the Bible such as David, Moses, or Noah were too afraid to act on what God told them to do? Of course they were naturally afraid (who wouldn't be, facing a 9 foot giant), but acting in spite of their fear and relying on God is what allowed them do accomplish great things for the Lord. These people trusted in the promises of God, and that He was going to be there for them. Their FAITH overcame their FEAR, and that is what made them heros of the Bible.  I don't like to beat around the bush, so to get to the point, fear is rooted in the doubt that God will really do what He said He would do. Acting despite fear, however, builds faith.

"What!? That's not true! Of course I believe that God will come through on His Word! I have faith in God!"

That's what you're thinking, right? I'm not saying you don't. I'm just saying, if you're constantly worried and afraid, maybe that's something that you need to work out with God. This doesn't just apply to facing giants, but the little things in life too. "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life (Matt 6:27)?"

I realize that this is a deep topic, that can't fully be covered by one short blog post. However, I just want to encourage you to PRAY next time you are starting to worry about a situation or event. If you are a His child, God's got your back. He IS faithful.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7)."