Word-Filled Wednesday ~#62~ The Blessing of a Name

". . . you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow." ~Isaiah 62:2(b)

"To him who overcomes . . . I [Jesus] will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only him who receives it." ~Rev. 2:17

"Him who overcomes . . . I will write on him the name of my God . . . and I will also write on him My new name." ~Rev. 3:12 [all emphasis mine]

In the last several months that my church has been going through the Bible using Randy Frazee's "The Story", we have covered so many wonderful true stories of tragedy and triumph of God's people and the workings of God from creation until the end of this world. This week, we will be wrapping things up by covering many of the incredible things that will happen before and leading up to the Lord's return. 

O, glorious day!

But of all the things that must ~ and will ~ happen upon the Lord's return (or my arrival in heaven, which-ever comes first), I am looking forward to something that is simply glossed over by so many as we read through all the other exciting things in the book of Revelation . . . 

I am excited, I am impatient to find out the name that God Himself has picked out just FOR ME! Aren't you? Have you ever given that any thought? For some reason that I don't understand, that simple fact of my future is beyond exciting to me. 

I know how much thought THE Man & I put into picking the names for our daughters. How much MORE thought ~ being the loving, insightful, thoughtful Father that He is ~ has God put into the name that HE has picked out just for me? For all believers? A name that only HE and I will know. WOW!! It touches my heart beyond measure. What thoughtfulness, what intimacy of our Father/daughter relationship awaits when we finally are welcomed home.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<>< 

The Benefits of Red Raspberry Leaf

For as long as I can remember, I have believed that your body will tell you what it needs. Now, granted, we all have our bad habits & addictions ~ whether "bad" food, drugs, alcohol, etc. ~ but I believe that if you try to live a healthy life & listen to your body, it will tell you what is good for it. After all, no one knows yours body as well as you do.

One of my all-time favorite foods has always been raspberries. Mmmmm. It started early for me because the home I lived at until I was 12 years old was bordered by a large woods & it was filled with raspberry briars & mulberry trees! Oh . . . it was Berry Heaven!

So, when my quest to live a healthier lifestyle began several years ago, it was no surprise to me to find out that raspberries were good for you ~ especially for women. My only surprise was to find out HOW good they are for you.

Not only is it good for the whole family, but most especially, red raspberry leaf is good for pregnancy, childbirth/labor & breastfeeding moms.

According to the book "Be Your Own 'Doctor'", red raspberry helps with:

• easing morning sickness for pregnant women
• relaxing the smooth muscles of the uterus when it is contracting
• assists with the birth of the baby & the placenta
• calms uterine cramping during the menstrual cycle
• provides a rich source of iron, calcium, manganese & magnesium; Magnesium helps to strengthen the uterine muscle
• aids in fertility for BOTH men & women
• promotes a rich, plentiful supply of breast milk
• stops excess bleeding after birth
• treats diarrhea
• regulates irregular menstrual cycles & decreases heavy periods
• relieves sore throats
• reduces fever & fights the flu

**I will have to say at this point that in my research I have found a bit of a conflict as to whether women should drink red raspberry tea in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy ~ some resources say it's safe to drink the whole pregnancy, others say to only drink it while trying to conceive & then for the last 8-10 weeks of pregnancy to help your body prepare for labor ~ but ALL say to drink as much as possible during labor & while you are breastfeeding.

B.Y.O.D. Pregnancy Tea Mix 

~3 parts red raspberry leaf

~1 part alfalfa leaf

~1 part nettle leaf

~1 part peppermint leaf (for flavor *optional*)

Directions:

~Mix all herbs a keep in a glass container w/a good lid

~use 1 TB of the mix per cup in boiling water

~let steep for 10 minutes, sweeten

It is also said to aid those with incontinence "issues" & as a source of calcium & magnesium in "its most assimilable form."  Not only that, but because of the high absorption rate, it helps with BOTH improving uterine tone in post-menopausal women AND, when drinking it in the weeks after childbirth, it will help get the uterus back to normal size (as well as make your breast milk rich & plentiful ~ as mentioned earlier). As you can see from the list above, red raspberry leaf is so good for women. 

It can even help with teen-age acne by drinking 1 or more cups a day during a break-out!

Here's another plus: the late Dr. John Christopher recommended a red raspberry "flu" tea to rid &/or shorten the duration of a nasty cold or flu ~ both head & stomach flues. You can also drink this tea a an immune-booster to prevent colds & flu.

Flu Tea

~3 parts red raspberry leaf

~2 parts peppermint leaf

~1 part alfalfa leaf

~1 part nettle leaf

~1/4 part Yarrow flower

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients together & store in glass jar w/a good lid

2) use 1 to 1-1/2 TB per cup or mug

3) at 1st symptoms or during illness, drink every hour

And, in case you are interested, here's 1 of my favorite red raspberry tea recipes:

~ 1/2 c. red raspberry leaves

~ 1/2 c. green tea leaves

~ 1/2 c. hibiscus flowers

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients & store in a glass jar with a good lid

2) use 1 to 1-1/2 ts per cup; steep 5-10 minutes.

Isn't it amazing what the Lord provides for His children?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

**Please note disclaimer at bottom of page**

Very Simple Chamomile Healing Salve

 Google Photo as example

About a year ago, I gave you my recipe for my favorite healing salve. I know that there are many times that when we WANT a salve is right when we NEED a salve and my other recipe takes about 2 weeks to cure. So, here is a recipe for a lovely Chamomile healing salve that only needs to cure over-night.

 Chamomile flowers in a jar on my Hoosier hutch

I keep a little jar of chamomile flowers on-hand all the time. It's good for so many things . . . including a comforting cup of chamomile tea in the evening.

But let's get back to the salve . . . 

You will need:

~1 c. of coconut oil (FYI ~ the better coconut oils are sold in the grocery section of most health food stores and come in a semi-solid state. I recommend Barlean's or Garden of Life)

~2 handfuls of chamomile flowers (bought in bulk at a health food store or bulk food store)
~small or medium-sized cooking pot
~a wooden spoon (preferred but not mandatory)
~cheese cloth
~container with a pour-spout (I use a Pyrex measuring cup); 

~small containers, ex: mint tins, baby food jars, small cream jars, mini canning jars, lip balm containers, etc ~ make sure your container has a good, air-tight lid.

Directions:

1) in the cooking pot, heat the cup of coconut oil to it's liquid state. DO NOT BOIL;
2) add the chamomile flowers;
3) mixture will begin to foam, when it does, stir mixture so that it is completely blended;
4) remove from heat and place, STILL IN THE PAN, in a cool place overnight ~ cover with a dish towel;
5) in the morning, re-warm the mixture ~ DO NOT BOIL;
6) while it is warming, get out as many of your containers it takes to hold your salve; this recipe is a small batch so it won't take many;
7) after the mixture is re-heated through, strain it through the cheese cloth into a measuring cup or something w/a pour-spout;
8) pour into your container. You can use it immediately in it's semi-liquid state or wait for it to cool into the salve form.

Google Photo as example

This lovely chamomile salve is great for diaper rash, cuticle cream, lip balm and most other minor skin irritations that other balms and salves are good for. Chamomile is wonderfully soothing, healing and has it's own light fragrance.

Quick, easy, effective ~ you will love it!

{***This recipe can be easily modified for other herbs ~ EX: lavender, German chamomile, peppermint, white willow . . . etc.***}

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#61~ By Faith . . .

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see . . . By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible* . . . And without faith it is impossible to please God . . . 

"By faith Abel . . . By faith Enoch . . . By faith Noah . . . By faith Abraham . . . By faith Isaac . . . By faith Jacob . . . By faith Joseph . . . By faith Moses . . . By faith . . . " ~selected verses from Hebrews 11:1-23 [all emphasis, mine]

[*ex nihilo = out of nothing]

Have you ever taken one of those "Gifts of the Spirit" tests? I suggest that you do, they are very interesting and informative. I've probably taken 3 different ones, and every time, my most prominent gift is faith. 

Jesus often spoke about faith and the faith (or lack thereof) of some. He told His disciples to have faith (Mark 11:22); in response to the faith of the mother and father of a little girl who had just died, He raise her (Matt. 9:18); in response to the faith of a paralyzed man, He not only healed the man but forgave his sins . . . 


And in response to the faith of those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, He is preparing the road ahead of us to do great things in His Name!


So, step out in faith, pray those prayers of faith! Then someday, our descendants may read a note written in our family Bible that says . . . 


"In faith Kim . . . "


"In faith [your name here] . . . "


Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Mother's Day is Coming

This year's Mother's Day will be a little bitter-sweet for me. Oh, I'm always excited to spend the day with my family ~ especially now that DD#1 has lived away from home for a while & is now planning her wedding; 

but this will be my first year without MY own Mother. But one thought of where she is, where she is on this Mother's Day, & I can't be sorry for her, but only for myself. Selfish as that may be.

I hope that you, my dear blog-sisters & friends, have a wonderful Mother's Day with many precious memories in the making.


Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Vacation 2012 ~ Part 2

I simply can't believe how quickly our vacation went by ~ but we are thankful to have many photos to remember it by. Today, I'll share some of the sights we saw . . . 

Of course, a large part of our time was spent at the pool & on the beach at our time-share. Lovely, long, lazy days. 

Our mermaids :-)

 Here are some of my beach finds. You can see from my hand how BIG the oyster shells were!

 Something else we did was visit the Tampa Aquarium. We took a Dolphin Cruise boat ride. Lots of fun. Of course . . . by the time I got my camera up to my face, when dolphins were sighted, all I really got was their tales! lol But it was a beautiful day & we still had fun.

 A view of Tampa from Tampa Bay:

Some of the sights inside the Tampa Aquarium . . . some beautiful . . . some down-right scary! . . .

This is DD#2 taking pictures, silhouetted against the aquarium.

"Saw the whole thing, Dude. 1st you were all like 'whoa,' & we were like 'whoa,' & you were like 'whooooa!'" {~ the Green Sea Turtle from Finding Nemo}

Leopard Sharks

Sand Sharks . . . HUGE!

And with that friendly smile 8-/ I'll end for the day. Thanks for sharing our long-awaited vacation memories.

More later . . . 

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Solid Deodorant

Quite a while back, I referred you to a link about making your own homemade solid deodorant. Now, I'm going to show you my own. :-)


I've used this for about 1-1/2 years & simply love it. I really didn't think I would like it as much as I do when I first started using it.

You will need:

• 1/4 c. baking soda
• 1/4 c. arrowroot powder
• 6 TB coconut oil (solid)
• 1 medium-sized bowl
• 1-2 empty solid deodorant container(s)

 Directions:

1) in a bowl, mix together all ingredients; mix well until ingredients are soft & pliable

2) adjust deodorant container so that the "lift" is all the way down; scoop and stuff mixture into the container, leaving a little at the top to smooth over
 

3) put in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to solidify 

4) once your deodorant has solidified, you may use it just like any other solid deodorant. It is wise, however, to keep it in the refrigerator as it will begin to liquify at around 75 degrees & the coolness of it feels SO good on a hot day. 

Also, if you are not fond of a light coconut fragrance, add JUST 2-3 drops of your favorite essential oil (lavender, sweet orange, rosemary, tea tree, etc.). 


Let me know how you LOVE it!

ALSO ~ remember that I have recipes for homemade powdered deodorant (great as a foot powder, too!) & homemade spray deodorant.


Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Vacation 2012 ~ Part 1

PRAISE GOD, THROUGH WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!

Last week we took a much-needed, much-anticipated vacation to Florida. We have a time-share that we have not been able to use for years b/c my sweetheart hubby, THE Man, was laid off in '09 & the last 3 years have been a long, steep financial climb. 


In the next few posts, I will share w/you our joy . . . 

1st things 1st ~ we had to celebrate DD#2's BFF's very 1st trip to Florida by stopping at the state line.

When we got to our place, the weather was a little choppy . . . but did we care?! No way! We were in Florida! Once we got there, we threw everything into our room & took BFF out to the Gulf of Mexico ~ she had never seen an ocean or been to a beach. This (above) marks her grand arrival to the shore. 

Even the rough sea that met us upon our arrival was beautiful. Glory to God!

 Our place isn't fancy, but it's very comfortable & "just right." Goldilocks & Baby Bear would love it. '-)

 Our robins & sparrows were replaced by beach birds & gulls. I love feeding the gulls ~ throw pieces of bread up in the air & it will never hit the ground!

The best part of the whole vacation is that my sweet, hard-working Man got to kick back & relax. That's what it's all about.


More to come . . . 


Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><