Bergamot ~ A VERY Essential Oil

"Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels [12-1/2 lbs.] of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 500 shekels of cassia - all according to the sanctuary shekel - and a hin [about 4 qts.] of olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.'" ~Exodus 30:22-25

Something I am continually amazed at is God's provision for His children. Herbs and plants for health and medicinal purposes. Whether used in a tea, a tincture, a poultice or expressed into lovely, potent essential oils ~ God has provided for our health and wellbeing without depending upon synthetics. 

As I think about what to share here at Marmee's Pantry, not only do I like to tell you about herbs, oils and home remedies that are pretty common (because, everyday, there are precious newbies starting out in this exciting venture of medicinal herbs and oils. And since we were all new to this at one time, we must not forget about them), but I like to share information about some of the more over-looked but incredibly beneficial herbs and oils, as well. 

One that is so often over-looked is BERGAMOT [berg'-a-moe]. This precious oil is a little different than most essential oils because it actually comes from the peel of an odd cross between a lemon and a lime. Amazing. 

Now, for all you tea drinkers out there ~ you know that wonderful Earl Grey tea you love so much? Bergamot is what gives it that fruity-fragrant taste! Drinking Earl Grey tea (or adding a couple drops of Bergamot essential oil to your favorite herbal tea) not only tastes great, but it is actually a detox. It can rid your body of parasites, intestinal worms, viruses, icky fungi growths, ease nasal congestion, help your digestive and urinary tracts, can help with upset stomach, gas and indigestion. For digestive issues, you may drink Earl Grey, OR add a couple drops of Bergamot to your favorite herbal tea OR rub a few drops onto you tummy for relief.

And how often have you thought, "This tea smells and tastes so good that I think I could wear it as a perfume"? Well . . . guess what else Bergamot is used for? You guessed it ~ Bergamot is often found in perfumes, colognes, deodorants (because it can stop perspiration ~ that's why it's in my homemade hot flash essential oil) and room sprays.

 

And since it is so effective in reducing perspiration, it is also very effective in reducing a fever. Simply put a couple drops in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and inhale deeply; and try putting a drop on each temple.

Some other things that can be helped simply by inhaling Bergamot from your hands, a homemade inhaler or in a room diffuser, is that it can help with hormonal mood swings, depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue and lowering blood pressure (because it helps your body's production of dopamine) and normalizes cholesterol (get off of those statins!). And it is FANTASTIC for your mood and to give you a more positive attitude ~ it's like L-Theanine in an essential oil. :-) Did I say it's good for your mood? ;-)

 

Does your child have a boo-boo or a scratch? Take advantage of Bergamot's anti-bacterial, anti-septic, disinfecting ability by putting a few drops on a Q-tip or cotton ball and using it on the scratch just as you would any other anti-septic ointment. Apply as often as needed. You may also find that insect bites, acne, cold sores, chicken pox and shingles heal a little quicker by using Bergomot on the eruptions.  

As I was saying earlier, Bergomot is often found in fragrances ~ men's fragrances, in particular. Dr. Axe has a yummy recipe that I especially like on THE Man. 

You will need:

~5 drops of cedarwood essential oil
~3 drops of bergamot essential oil
~2 drops of sandalwood essential oil
~1 cup of vodka (70% or better)
~glass roll-on OR spray bottle

Directions:

1) add essential oils to bottle, first
2) add vodka almost to the top of the bottle, leave room to shake before using
3) use as any other cologne

**WARNING** Unfortunately, as near perfect as this oil sounds, sadly it has a couple of draw-backs. DO NOT use this oil if you are pregnant or nursing and be careful of your sun exposure. And, as always, ANYONE can be allergic to ANYTHING.

How to YOU use Bergamot, this VERY essential oil?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

**PLEASE READ the obligatory disclaimer at bottom of page** 

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#151~ Effective in Prayer

1)"O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, Who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying . . . 2) I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against You . . . 3) Remember the instruction You gave Your servant Moses . . . 'if you return to me and obey My commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name' . . . 4) O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering Your Name. Give Your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.' I was a cupbearer to the king." ~selected verses from Nehemiah 1:5-11 (*see below)

"This, then is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be Your Name,

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also forgive our

debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil;

for Yours is the kingdom and the power

and the glory forever. Amen.

~Matthew 6:9-13 [Jesus speaking]

"He does not ask much of us, merely a thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think." ~Brother Lawrence; The Practice of the Presence of God

Let me start off by saying that I DO NOT believe that there is some "magic" way to pray that will somehow make God into a genie who is compelled to answer our prayers. I'm not that ignorant, nor am I that bold. 

I have prayed very meaningful prayers that have been immediately answered, often-times not knowing what to pray for or what to say quickly enough. They usually go something like this:

"GOD, PLEASE HELP ME!" 

"LORD, PLEASE HELP THEM!"

Simple and direct. Both of these prayers are highly effective and I recommend them in times of emergency. :-)

However, we DO NOT have to expound the most eloquent, King James prayers. God just wants His children to pray ~ to talk to Him as often as possible. Like any parent, He loves us and wants to talk . . . and REALLY appreciates it when we listen.

But . . . God's Word, the Bible, does give us "models," if you will, of how we might pray from both Jesus and Nehemiah. For this devotion, however, we will look at Nehemiah's prayer.

1) PRAISE

It should be the most natural thing in the world for those of us who are born again Christians, to call upon the Name of the Lord and offer Him praise. Praise for how utterly, incomprehensively amazing and HOLY that He is. That THE ONE AND ONLY GOD should know who we are, should have sent His One and Only Son, Jesus, to shed His blood as a ransom and eternal payment for our sins. That the Creator of all knows and loves us. That every good thing we have ~ whether material or talents ~ has come from His loving hand. A world that is over-all beautiful, repeats it's seasons, day and night, plants that grow, animals to enjoy as pets and for work have ALL come from His hand. Health and the ability to work, it's ALL from Him. How can we NOT praise Him?

2) CONFESS OUR SINS

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." ~1 John 1:9

This "exercise" isn't for God, but for us. Just as in the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God asked Adam, "Where are you?" God most certainly knew where Adam and Eve were, He wanted THEM to know where THEY were: lost in their sin. 

As are we.

There are days when I feel like I sin in some way ~ whether in thought or deed ~ with every breath I take. I am, by nature of this fallen world, a sinful creature. But praise be to our wonderful God, that through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can have forgiveness in His Name. We have a way out.

3) REMIND GOD OF HIS PROMISES

Once again, this "exercise" isn't for God, but for us. God knows what He has promised us, could it be that He wants us to know and understand His promises? Repetition and remembrance helps us to be aware, thankful and remember what God has promised. WE are the ones who need to remember that when God makes a promise in His Word, that "He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion . . . " (Phil. 1:6)

4) BE SPECIFIC IN PRAYER

Nehemiah needed favor from the king and he asked God specifically for it. Elijah asked specifically for God to open his servant's eyes so that "he may see . . . the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." (2 Kings 6:17) Solomon realized his great need to wisely rule his people and humbly asked specifically for wisdom and discernment and it was given to him. (1 Kings 3:7-9) 

Make no doubt that God knows what we need before and even more completely than we do. I think He wants us to asked specifically so that WE will understand the depths of our requests.

And something else that strikes me about this passage of Scripture ~ "I was cupbearer to the king."

Nehemiah knew his humble estate both before God and before the king he was about to petition. When we go before our God, even though He is a Friend of sinners (Matt. 11:19), HE IS STILL GOD and not your Buddy, He deserves our reverence and humility. 

Once again, there is no "magic" formula when it comes to prayer ~ pray the way God has led you ~ but we do have some mighty impressive examples of how to pray more effectively.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Ashwagandha ~ Amazing Ayurvedic Herb

One of my very favorite tea blends is my Adrenal Recovery Tea. One of the herbs that helps to make it such a refreshing, soothing, recovery tea blend is the Ashwagandha root. 

Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic (Indian) herb, with adaptogenic properties . . . meaning that they miraculously adapt to what your body needs; whether rejuvenating or calming. 

Similar to Skullcap, Ashwagandha is wonderful for an easy sedative for calming one down, lowering heartrate during stress and even calming hysterics. And because of that, it works so very well in restoring and strengthening your adrenal glands. With these restorative abilities, it helps some with bringing back some life and vibrancy to the elderly and people who suffer from chronic conditions such as chronic fatigue and is a good source of iron for those with anemia. 

Not only is Ashwagandha wonderful in my tea blend, but it's good all by itself for those under any sort of stress ~ short or long lasting conditions. If you are working long hours, if you are trying to help your body build immunities and bounce back from an illness, if you are a new mommy or a care-taker and you are constantly under stress from being constantly in demand ~ a soothing mug of Ashwagandha tea will help immensely. 

Besides all of that, Ashwagandha is also an inti-inflammatory. So, similar to Turmeric, is helps with blood flow, helps with male fertility, soothes joint pain, rheumatoid arthritis pain, reduces blood pressure; better circulation clears the mind so that you may think clearer, restores vitality during those long work days when you are physically exhausted, and is even considered a cancer preventative.

See why this is such an important herb for not only your adrenals, but for your all-over-feel-good-health?

Just one more of those herbs that make you wonder: How did live without this?

What do you use Ashwagandha for?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<>< 
 
***WARNING*** This is a mild abortifacient - DO NOT take while pregnant!
**Please see the obligatory disclaimer at bottom of page**

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#150~ Godly Women Let Men Be Godly Men

**WARNING** Very frank conversation below**

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior . . . Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy . . . For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. ~Eph. 5:22, 25-26(a), 31

"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so the nothing will hinder your prayers." ~1 Peter 3:7

"A good part - and definitely the most fun part - of being a feminist is about frightening men." -Julie Burchill

The very first two customers through the door of the store Monday morning were a man and a woman. The man, a regular at the store ~ a friendly, polite, Christian man ~ stopped to open the door for the woman who was quickly coming up behind him toward the door. Once she got through the door, she very rudely commented about how she didn't need an man to open the door for her! This, as it often seems to go with the more militant women I have encountered, just set the pace for her shopping experience. When she comes to the store she is never happy, never kind and usually ends up chewing out an employee who is "simply there to help" her ~ as I told her that day, myself, after I got a tongue lashing by her. 

And I know I'm not alone in noticing how the last 40-50 years of "feminism" have nearly ruined man-woman and even many marital relationships. If "feminism" were simply about equal pay for an equal job, equality before the law, etc., that would be one thing, but it's NOT. It's leaders ADMITTEDLY condone the emasculating of men. And that deadly spirit also makes it's way into the church and into Christian marriages.

And in so doing, SOME (thankfully, not all) of our men begin to believe one of two things ~ and both are lies: 1) men being the head of the home, a woman's protector and covering under God, is a thing of the past or 2) "I'm going to MAKE my wife submit to me whether she wants to or not. She WILL do everything I demand of her!"

Both are lies and perversions of the truth.

The first is a lie ~ flat out ~ because Jesus Christ and God's Word "is the same yesterday, today and forever" and "will never pass away" or change (Hebrews 13:8, Matt. 24:35). Man, from the beginning, was made to be his woman's protector, her covering under God, shelter in life's storms, her confidant, her lover, her priest of the home, her trust, her heart's desire. 

The second is a lie ~ flat out ~ because BIBLICAL SUBMISSION is what a woman WANTS to do when men fulfill their godly role as being the man in the previous paragraph. Biblical submission IS NOT a master-slave relationship. Biblical submission IS a high honor for BOTH the man and the woman . . . 

BUT . . . 

The woman has to stop following our fallen culture and LET the man be the godly man he is created to be. 

Once we women "let" our men be the godly, Biblical leader of our home, we get more of the man we have always wanted, more the man we have been praying for! Frankly, I get SO TIRED of women ~ who PROFESS to be Christians, who PROFESS to be regular readers and students of their Bibles ~ who stop reading at "Wives, submit to your husbands." They seem to be deaf, dumb and blind at the next several words: ". . . AS TO THE LORD" and "Husbands, love your wives, JUST AS CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR HER . . ." 

Our men are REQUIRED to DIE for us, ladies!! 

Why are we making their jobs ~ under God ~ more difficult for them? Why are we exasperating our men into post-Biblical whimps? Our husbands NEED our love and respect (Eph. 5:33). Our attitude and our "help meeting" build up or destroy our men. Why do we want to make their responsibilities before God and in this world harder than they may already be? 

LET your man be the godly husband he was meant to be. Do you catch yourself always trying to get your own way? Stop it . . . just stop it. If you want a godly marriage it takes TWO to work toward it and we both have our roles. Have you ever thought that while you might be wishing your husband were a more godly man that he may be wishing you were a more godly woman? "What?! . . . Me?!" Yep. It works both ways.

So I issue this call ~ for our families, for our country, for our churches, for the kingdom of God ~ 

GODLY WOMEN, LET YOUR MEN BE GODLY MEN!

Our men WANT to show us how much they love and value us.
 
Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Hot Flash Essential Oil Roll On

Well, ladies, if you haven't suffered with those dreaded peri-menopausal or menopausal hot flashes and night sweats . . . you will . . .

Those nights when you feel like you could fry an egg on your tummy, only to freeze five minutes later when the flash is over and the perspiration starts to evaporate. Those come-out-of-nowhere flashes in the middle of the grocery when all you want to do is crawl into the ice cream freezer. 

Yep, been there, done that.

I've used a number of things ~ some have worked well, some have worked "OK" but not strong enough, some have worked for a while but seemed to have had a short life-span, and some just didn't work at all.

In the health food store where I work, many women come in because of someone's advice and run right for the black cohosh. And then, when the bottle is finished, they come back in because it didn't live up to the hype. (Let me stop here and say that, YES, it does work for SOME women, just not all.) Something I often recommend is 1,300 mg daily of Evening Primrose Oil.

This works for many women but has a tendency to run it's course. (I used this for quite a while, myself, and got a lot of benefit from it.)

But something that many seem to have not heard of is an herb called Chaste Berry, or also commonly known as Vitex (or Chaste Tree). Vitex has the double blessing of not only being useful for peri-menopause and menopause symptoms, but can also be useful for premenstrual syndrome, cramps, premenstrual acne, breast tenderness and irregular periods. Vitex has also been used in the treatment of infertility, uterine fibroids, tremors and Parkinson's Disease (because it produces dopamine)

But for those in the peri-menopause/menopause years, we especially benefit from it for hot flashes, night sweats and the moodiness that they bring by balancing our progesterone and estrogen levels.

I have to tell you that I love my hot flash roll on. It has brought me GREAT relief. Even if you are past the major hot flash/night sweat stage and you rarely get them anymore, keep this roll on in your cupboard for those irregular occurrences; for hot, humid days, or for those stressful times that make your heart palpitate and cause you to break out in a cold sweat. 

 And there it is . . . the little 

bottle that brings me BIG relief.

You will need:

(for 1 oz. bottle)
~10 drops vitex essential oil
~6 drops clary sage essential oil (to cut down on sweat and body odor that may be caused from hot flashes)
~6 drops lavender essential oil (anti-stress, calms the mind and body)
~10 drops peppermint essential oil (cools the body)
~6 drops thyme essential oil (works with vitex to balance hormones)
~3 drops bergamot essential oil (relieves depression, anxiety, pain, balances hormonal changes, helps with night sweats and hot flashes, helps with mood and emotional wellbeing)
~jojoba OR grape seed oil (I use food grade oils for my carriers oils)
~1 oz. roll on bottle OR essential oil dropper bottle

Directions:

1) drop essential oils into bottle
2) pour carrier oil into bottle, leaving enough room to thoroughly shake to blend
3) snap roller ball securely onto bottle
4) shake before each use 

To Use:

1) shake well before each use
2) roll (OR drop 3 drops if you use an essential oil dropper bottle) onto any of these places, as needed: back of neck just below hair line, on neck, on wrists, behind knees, on tops and bottoms of feet.

FOR EXTRA STRENGTH:

ADD:

~4 more drops of vitex essential oil
~3-4 more drops of clary sage essential oil
~7 drops of wintergreen essential oil

As an aside, please do not forget to take care of your Adrenal glands. This will also help with your mood and to manage stress while your body works it's way through all of the changes.

Be sure to let us know how much you LOVE this Hot Flash Oil!

What products have worked for you?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><      

**Please read the obligatory disclaimer at bottom of page**

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#149~ Are You Blaming the Lord?

"A man's own folly ruins his life,

yet his heart rages against the LORD."

~Proverbs 19:3

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made, His said to the woman, 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"? . . . When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it . . . And [God] said, 'Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?'

"The man said, 'The woman You put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.'

"The the LORD God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?'

"The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'

~Genesis 3:1, 6, 11-13

We can be so willingly blind. We can be so self-aggrandizing. Nothing is EVER our own fault, is it?

What pride, what arrogance.

In so many things ~ shifting the blame can become almost an art form ~ it's not my fault I loose my temper, my father was like this and I'm just like him, it's the way I am and I can't change (truth: I won't change because I don't want to); I didn't mean to steal, it was just there and it was so easy to take (truth: and I wanted it, plant and simple; I'm not sorry I did it, I'm just sorry I got caught); I didn't want to do it, but they dared me (truth: and I didn't want to be the nerd who didn't do it); everyone else is doing it (truth: and it looked like A LOT of fun)!

Our culture has taught many to be people of lies and excuses. So, I suppose my message for this devotion is 1) DON'T DO IT when you KNOW it's wrong. 2) If you fall short of God's will, suck it up, admit it, ask for forgiveness and, if necessary, take the punishment. 3) Stop blaming others for your own bad decisions.

You will gain back your credibility much sooner for your honesty and humility.

 ". . . for ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God . . . " ~Romans 3:23

So, if you are going to follow the crowd, follow the ones who are following Jesus.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Dusting Spray

So . . . we have our homemade laundry detergent (or homemade liquid detergent), our homemade dishwasher detergent, homemade dish soap, our homemade wet jet cleaner (whoops, looks like I still need to tell you about that ;-) ), our homemade rug deodorizer, homemade soft scrub . . . and on and on . . . we must also have our homemade dusting spray. 

Right?

Of course.

This blend will give your furniture a sweet shine with a great fragrance (of your choice) and will not be greasy, sticky or tacky to the touch, causing your what-nots and antiques to leave a ring when you pick them up. 

You Will Need:

~1 c. distilled water
~1 ts. liquid castile soap
~1/4 c. distilled white vinegar
~2 TB. olive oil
~15 drops essential oil ~ I recommend EITHER: lemon, lemongrass, sweet orange, lavender or rosemary
~spray bottle; glass or plastic

Directions:

1) in the spray bottle, add the essential oils FIRST
2) add all other ingredients
3) attach spray lid and shake to blend

To Use:

1) shake well before using
2) you may apply to dust cloth, but it works better if you spray directly onto the furniture
3) wipe to clean, be sure to get into the intricate details of any antique furniture, picture frames or other wooden antiques 

How do you like it? Let me know.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#148~ Some Days . . .

Some days, THIS is all you need to know . . . 

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Holy (Blessed) Thistle ~ Amazing Bitter Herb

"...[T]he Blessed Thistle, which is much used in the time of any infection or plague, as also to expel any evil symptom from the heart at all other times." 
~William Shakespeare; from Much Ado About Nothing

So many people seem to have issues with their digestion ~ reflux, bloating, bile flow in the liver, stomach pains from poor digestion, all the way down to the intestines. It's a bother to anyone who suffers with these issues, but especially hard if your are nursing or elderly.

Bitter herbs a are a group of herbs that work well with the liver and digestive organs. And we all know that if your liver and digestion are going along as they should, barring any other health issues, you will probably have a healthy day.

Holy Thistle, also known as Blessed Thistle, has been well known since at least the Middle Ages and is a very effective bitter herb that is often confused with Milk Thistle ~ they are related by NOT the same thing . . . 

BOTH help with liver function, diuretic and helping nursing mothers' milk flow, but also . . . 

Holy Thistle stimulates bile flow, saliva production, aids digestion in that it helps the intestines and gallbladder and so helps the whole digestive tract. Holy Thistle, being in the Feverfew family, is an anti-inflammatory and helps with headaches and body aches and is mildly antibiotic. Another benefit is that they contain cancer fighting lignans (as does flax). [DO NOT use if you are pregnant or allergic to the Chamomile/Feverfew family of herbs]

Holy Thistle can be used ~ up to 3x per day ~ as a single ingredient tea, a tea blend, a tincture or in a balm for boo-boos of all sorts ~ from hangnails, to skinned knees, to small open wounds.

In the United States, Holy Thistle is most commonly used to increase nursing mothers' milk production ~ blending it with fenugreek and/or fennel seeds makes a yummy and even more effective nursing tea.

 I love my Blessed Thistle.

As you can see, when I label my 

herb jars, I also include

what they are best used for.

To make a tea, my general rule is 1 ts. in your tea ball per cup OR 1-1/2 or 2ts per mug.

To make a tincture, click HERE. 

To make a balm/salve, click HERE. Simply replace the chamomile in this recipe with Holy Thistle OR blend half-and-half.

Have you used Holy Thistle? What are your favorite ways?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
***Please read the obligatory disclaimer at bottom of page***

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#147~ Do You See It?

"I sought the LORD, and He answered me;

He delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to Him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with 

shame . . . 

The eyes of the LORD are on the 

righteous

and His ears are attentive to their

cry . . . "

~Psalm 34:4-5, 15

". . . And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" ~Esther 4:14(b)

Vision: 1) the ability to see; sight or eyesight. 2) something that you imagine; a picture you see in your mind.

Purpose. Vision.

Can you see it?

Do you have a goal or dream? Have you brought it before the LORD? Is it something new or something that has been on the back burner of your mind and heart for quite a while?

I have a dream . . . a goal. Life and all of it's twists and turns have gotten in the way of achieving it. I suppose that the LORD has used those twists and turns to keep me from jumping ahead of His timing. 

But I have NOT given up. I know that I know that my dream is the LORD's will and He IS making a way for me. There have been signs and encouragements all along the way. 

I just wanted to encourage you, today, to NOT give up on a dream that you know has the LORD's handprints all over it. Keep preparing, stay ready, be watchful of opportunity laid in your path and keep praying. And we will celebrate each other's prayers answered and dreams coming true. 

The LORD knows your heart, the talents and abilities He has given you and when you will be ready. He knows exactly what He has prepared you to do.

"The longings of your heart are not incidental, they are critical messages. The desires of your heart are not the be ignored, they are to be consulted. As the wind turns the weather vane, so God uses you passions to turn your life. God is too gracious to ask you to do something you hate." ~Max Lucado [Just Like Jesus]

Purpose. Vision.

Can you see it?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><