Word-Filled Wednesday ~#112~ Beautiful Wounds

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands . . ."

~Isaiah 49:15-16

"Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you." 

~Isaiah 43:4

Yesterday, at work, a lady came in with her mom who was obviously in the mid-stage of Alzheimer's. But what really struck me was that she looked SO MUCH like my mom. Her features, her mannerisms, the way she would simply stand next to her daughter with a wondering, confused look as her daughter explained things and led her around. It was startling and I was, frankly, a little unnerved by it. 

My mother passed away in September of 2011 ~ how can it be possible that it has already been so long? The last few days were so sad and painful, but her actual passing was peaceful and almost sweet. With one hand, I was holding hers and my other hand was stroking her hair. She just simply slipped away. 

Alzheimer's is such a sad ending. I want to believe that she knew I was there, but I am not sure. The last person she actually responded to was my husband (the night before she passed), when she reached up to kiss him good-bye and tell him that she loved him. He got her last kiss, her last "I love you" . . . and then . . . just that fast "she" was gone again. 

I don't mean to depress you, but to encourage you with the Scripture, above. It encourages me, greatly. My mom LOVED her family. She LOVED my daddy and my brother and I. If she had had control of her mind, she would never have "chosen" to forget us, our relationship to her, or how much she loved us. But in the end, all we could hope is that whether she knew who we were or not, that at least she knew that she was with someone who LOVED her. I think she did.

But I never have to ask these questions about God. Because we are precious in His sight and because He loves us, He will NEVER forget us. He loves us so much that He has engraved us onto the palms of His hands! And not only Him, but His Son, Jesus Christ has eternal wounds ~ beautiful wounds ~ because of His love for us. 

Jesus' wounds are the eternal reminder of the expensive, loving price that was paid for us ~ for you ~ for me. 

I know my mom struggled with understanding who I was, but God NEVER will. He didn't NEED to engrave me onto the palm of His hand ~ He WANTED to. His demonstration of His deep, abiding love for me causes me to bring glory to Him and praise Him all the more. 

This may seem like extraordinary measures to prove His love, but I serve an extraordinary God ~ I have been redeemed by the precious, sinless blood of His Son that was shed from His beautiful wounds . . . 

I will remember that as long as I live.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Ranch Mix

One of the most popular choices of salad dressings and dips is Ranch. That unique flavor that seems to accentuate every veggie that it touches. Whether it's a salad dressing or a dip ~ it's rare that you will go wrong having this and a platter full of veggies, slices of pita bread or snack crackers on-hand.

Let's cut right to the chase and look at the simple recipe~~

You will need:

~2 TB dried parsley
~1-1/2 ts dried dill weed
~2 ts garlic powder OR granules
~2 ts onion powder
~2 ts dried onion flakes
~1 ts ground black pepper
~1 ts. dried chives
~1 ts. sea salt OR Himalayan/Real salt
~1/3 c dried buttermilk ***optional***
~medium mixing bowl
~whisk
~small, air-tight container

Directions:

1) Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well blended.
***If desired: pulse mixture a few times in a food processor to make it a more finely ground mix***

2) Store in air-tight container

To Mix:

~Ranch salad dressing: Mix 1 TB of mix with 1/3 c mayo and 1/3 c milk. If you want it a little thicker and with a little more "zing," use buttermilk. (OR use the option to include dried/powdered buttermilk in your original mix)

~Ranch veggie dip: Mix 1-2 TB of mix with 1/3-1/2 c mayo and 1/3-1/2 c sour cream OR Greek yogurt. (depending upon your taste)

 Label your container

~so you won't confuse it with 

your delicious dill dip mix~

Make a small label for  
quick salad dressing and dip directions

and stick to the bottom of your container

Yum~!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#111~ Jesus Loves the Little Children

"People were bringing their little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuke them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said them, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tel you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God lie a little child will never enter it.' And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them." ~Mark 10:13-16 {emphasis, mine}

Isn't this just about the cutest picture ever? I simply adore this picture. I am touched that it is so real ~ simply Jesus having sweet conversation with a little child ~ and that little child, becoming bashful while basking in the love and attention of Jesus, self-consciously plays with his little toes. 

Can't you just hear Jesus asking the little boy questions about himself? About his favorite games, or toys, or how much he loves his mommy and daddy. Maybe Jesus was taking the opportunity to identify a bird's call from a near-by tree and using that as an object lesson to tell him how God gave each songbird his own sweet tune to sing.

Maybe He was telling the little boy that HE is GOD's little boy!

What do you think they are talking about?

Oh, yes, Jesus loves little children so much that He reminds us, in our busy "grown-up" world, that we are to come to Him with the simple, trusting, unassuming, sweet faith that drew those little children to Himself. Just to be touched with His loving hand. Just to be acknowledged as His own.

BUT . . . we still can, today. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, YOU ARE HIS. And Jesus loves you . . . His child.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

He's NOT Here . . . He HAS Risen!

"Why do you look for the LIVING

among the dead?

He is NOT here, 

HE HAS RISEN!"

~Luke 24:5-6

"Lead me to the cross

Where Your love poured out!

Bring me to my knees

Lord, I lay me down.

Rid me of myself

I belong to You.

O, lead me!

Lead me to the cross!"

~Lead Me to the Cross

~Hillsong

Have a blessed and happy Easter.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Easy, Healthy Trail Mix

I don't know about you, but I love a good salty~sweet taste combination. I also like to munch on a tasty trail mix from time-to-time; especially since we started on the Daniel Plan.

When I shop at my favorite bulk food store or health food market, I like to pick up various nuts, seeds, dried fruits and healthy treats and make my own trail mix. Let me say that I like raisins, but it seems to me that so many trail mixes are overrun with them ~ soooo ~ I fixed that situation by making my own.

When you buy your trail treats in bulk, you can save money ~ when you make your own trail mixes, you can save BIG money. 

This trail mix has pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds, 

peanut butter stuffed pretzels 

and dark chocolate drops

Pick up your favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruits, dark chocolates and play around with your favorite combinations and what mixes meet any dietary needs you may have . . . stay away from any nuts you may be allergic to . . . make a gluten free mix . . . whatever YOU want . . .

• raw cashews
• roasted salted cashews
• peanuts
• peanut butter stuffed pretzels
• pretzels
• pumpkin seeds
• macadamia nuts 
• hazel nuts
• dried figs
• dried dates
• dried apricots
• dried bananas
• raw almonds
• roasted salted almonds
• raisins
• craisins
• dried cherries
• dried papaya
• dark chocolate drops/chunks/wafers
• Jordan almonds
• dried pineapple
• etc . . . 

Mix whatever combination you like and store it in a large freezer bag, canister or other air-tight container. Put a little out in a small bowl to snack on during your day, at your desk or when company comes over. Put some in a sandwich bag or small left-overs container and take to work or have on-hand in the car. Make your own personal mix as healthy or as decedent as you wish. 

And another good thing about it: NO COOKING! :-)

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Face Scrub Additive

Well, if you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that I try to live a frugal life. I have also found that a majority of the time, what I make ~ particularly in skin care ~ far exceeds my expectations. Saving money, knowing exactly what's in my product AND being able to pronounce everything in it, customizing the product to fit my (and my family's) needs ~ there's just nothing like it. Once you start making your own health care, personal care and home care products, it will be VERY hard to go back. 

 Google Images

It is also no secret that I tend to be more on the oily side of skin issues. Even now that I'm in my 50's! Most of my life, I suffered from terrible deep, cystic acne ~ spent thousands of dollar$ through the years on dermatologists who's "help" did nothing but make my skin red and flaky and the meds messed with my hormones. Not good. UNTIL . . . I started experimenting and discovered my own simple, effective face wash and toner. That was 7 years ago (as of this writing) and I have never looked back. 

(**NOTE: I am a health and beauty buyer at a heath food market and am blessed to be able to try samples of new products, and I do just that: TRY them. I ALWAYS return to my own products.**)

Many times, especially those of us with a thicker skin-type, we like to use a little somethin'-somethin' to takes those dead surface cells off of our face so that our other skin products can work more effectively, our make-up will go on smoother and so that our skin looks a little fresher, a little younger. So, we will make the EXTRA purchase of an EXTRA face wash to do the deed. And that product will sit in your cabinet and maybe go stale or dry out while it waits to be used . . . because . . . in the midst of your busy schedule and the rush of your morning or exhaustion of your evening, we'll forget to use it. Right?

Well, I may just have the answer to your problems ~ a way to save you money AND have a product that can remain on the shelf for long periods of time . . . a powdered face scrub ADDITIVE.

With this scrub, you add a VERY small amount to your favorite face wash and ~ voila ~ you have just made a whole new product: a face scrub that you simply use WHEN you need it.

 Google Images

You Will Need:

~1/4 c. baking soda 
~1-1/2 to 2 ts. spinach powder
~1 ts. cinnamon powder
~1 ts. dried calendula flowers (*optional* for drier skin)
~4-5 drops of lavender essential oil
~2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil
~small mixing bowl
~whisk
~small jar or small decorative canning jar or other container, with tight-fitting lid   

Directions:

1) In a small bowl, use a whisk to blend the baking soda, spinach powder and cinnamon powder. IF you have a drier skin, blend in the calendula flowers; otherwise, leave this out.
2) Once it is well blended, add the essential oil drops one fragrance at a time; whisk well to blend.
3) Carefully, pour the scrub mix into a container with a good lid.

 Google Images

To Use:
~Pour a VERY small amount into your palm or onto your wash cloth, add your favorite face wash as usual, LIGHTLY mix together (so that the powder does not completely dissolve) and wash your face.
~Avoid eye area.
~Rinse as usual.
~Use 1-2 times per week, as needed.

Easy peasy!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<>< 

Hawthorn ~ So Good for You

Do you have poor circulation? Heart issues, like angina? High blood pressure? Do you need a memory booster? Then you might just want to keep reading . . . 

Hawthorn has been used for centuries for such ailments and has a long list of documented successes.* In the last two centuries, hawthorn has been used especially for heart and blood pressure issues. The Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine says, "Western herbalists consider it literally to be 'food for the heart,' increasing blood flow to the heart muscles and restoring normal heartbeat. Recent research has confirmed the validity of these uses." 

Both the flowers and the berries can be used, though most people will use the berries of this lovely tree. 

Hawthorn is also loaded with the bioflavonoid: quercitin, which is a top-notch product for those (like THE Man and DD#2) who suffer from allergies, asthma and sinusitis. Keeping things open and working as it should is something that hawthorn does so very well. 

And that's exactly why it works so well with for angina and coronary artery disease,* because it increases blood flow to the heart and slows down the degeneration of the blood vessels that feed the heart. 

As for correcting blood pressure, hawthorn has the amazing ability to correct BOTH high AND low blood pressure. It is amazing, indeed. 

And as I said earlier here, and to so many of my customers, once you get your veins opened and your blood flowing as it should, many other things are improved as well. Another problem that is improved by good blood flow is your memory. And if you are anywhere near your peri-menopause or menopausal years, you know that your memory can just do flip-flops . . . if it even shows up! With good blood flow to the brain comes a better supply of oxygen, which clears the cobwebs of "memory fog." 

Hawthorn can be taken in several different ways: capsules, teas and tinctures. Liquids (teas and tinctures) will always get into your system quicker than capsules/pills and are great to build a strong foundation for long-term use. If you do wish to use it long-term, once your foundation is laid by using a tea or tinctures for a few weeks, switch to capsules. (Gymnema is a good partner for blood sugar issues.)*

What wondrous, healthful things the Lord has given us.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

*Please see disclaimer as bottom of blog page*

Memories of a Sad Day in Ohio

Today is a sad anniversary for our area of Ohio. 40 years ago today ~ April 3rd, 1974 ~ a neighboring county and town were hit by a rare F5 tornado.

At the time, I was 15 years old and had only been home from school for a short time. The winds whipped up and dark storm clouds quickly filled the sky. My brother called me out to the back yard to watch the clouds race to the east. We had never seen anything like it ~ the clouds were traveling so fast and as they went by, there were swirling areas that would slowly go up and down, up and down, but never dropping.

We watched this incredible scene for several minutes and then went inside to watch a local weather man, Gil Whitney, as he was in front of his big radar map (that tornado footage on the link was shot by my husband's uncle). At once, he was desperately trying to convey the urgency of the situation AND not make people panic, but calls were coming in that a HUGE tornado was ripping right through downtown Xenia.

At the same time, my husband (then still on his family's farm in a neighboring town) and his dad were watching THREE tornadoes blend into one HUGE tornado . . . and praying for my mother-in-law who was working at a bank in that very downtown and for my brother-in-law and his new wife who lived in the historic section of old downtown Xenia. Thankfully, they all survived ~ but downtown Xenia didn't. 

My mother-in-law worked at a bank nearly in the middle of the most devastated area. The employees and a few patrons ran down below ground into the bank's vault. That decision saved all of their lives. When it was over, and with the help of others outside, they were able to get out of the vault and when they did ~ the WHOLE bank was gone! Just gone. Completely level. 

A whole housing development of scores of homes was gone. The historic courthouse was badly damaged. Banks, restaurants, groceries, shops, homes . . . gone. 

The high school was gone ~ a close friend of ours was a senior at the high school and was practicing for a track meet with a friend. They actually survived the tornado by hanging on for dear life to the heavy metal legs of the stadium stands! I've heard him tell many times over the years about how they stood facing each other with their arms wrapped around and through the huge risers' leg and as the tornado bore down they would be lifted up 6 and 8 feet from the ground, with the risers, and slammed back onto the ground. But they survived when others didn't. Another friend's father was in his truck in a downtown parking lot that was rolled and crashed around, he survived but was badly injured. And paperboy was on his bike delivering papers in the large plat that was leveled and couldn't get home quick enough, next thing he knew, he was sitting on the courthouse lawn talking to a policeman and wondering how he'd gotten there . . . 3 miles away. He was never quite the same. They survived when others didn't.

32 lives were lost that day, including an expectant mother. There was over $200 million dollars in damage ~ in 1975 money. President Nixon flew over the area in a helicopter and said that he had never seen anything like it, and he had served in the military. 

Three days after the tornado, my family drove through the parts of Xenia that had been shoveled and cleared to allow traffic, on our way to southern Ohio to visit my grandparents. It is a sight that I will never forget. I had never seen a town just "go away." You could see the trail the tornado's tail had literally cut into the ground in some of the fields it had traveled through. 

My 9th grade science teacher was also a National Guardsman and he missed a week of school to help with some of the rescue and clean up. He came back to class with 4'x6' blown up aerial photos he had taken of the devastation. Our class looked at his photos and listened to his stories in stunned silence. Stories and finding people in the strangest places, railroad ties wrapped around telephone poles like weird candy canes, planks sticking out of houses, a telephone pole that went in the front windshield of a parked car and out the back windshield and the glass was barely cracked around it, playing cards cut into trees and telephone poles that weren't even bent. 

My dad had a co-worker who had gotten home just moments before it hit and, like he did everyday, had laid his wallet and extra pocket change on an end table in his living room; his house was destroyed, his family barely survived ~ but ~ while nothing else was there, the little end table still stood and his wallet and most of the pocket change was still there. My brother-in-law and his wife's house was half gone, however, the kitchen did survive. They had a cream and sugar set on their kitchen table that had made it through. When they were packing up the things that they could save, they took the little set. The first time they had opened the sugar bowl was to pack it up to wrap in packing paper and when they opened it, they discovered that all the sugar had been sucked out, replaced by broken glass and the lid set back down. 

Amazing stories from an amazing day in Ohio history.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><