In the Midst of the Storm

I awaken yesterday morning from a very interesting dream. I was driving down from the mountains in my VW Bug. It was forecasted to snow that evening and I wanted to get home before it did. I left early enough according to the forecast but the snow came earlier and stronger than they predicted. Visibility diminished quickly. I tried to continue but I couldn't see. Suddenly, I heard a voice say "Stop." I thought, "In the middle of the road?Some other driver may hit me. " Then I heard the voice say louder, "Stop!" So I stopped. I want you to know, there was no one human in the car with me or outside the car. After I came to a complete stop, the voice said,

"Leave your engine running, turn off your lights and turn your heat down to a comfortable but low temperature."

 I was bewildered, and somewhat anxious but I obeyed the voice. Then the voice said,

" Get out and pour salt around your tires and a few feet in front and behind the car and along side  your door.

I obeyed. By this time I had decided this must be God because there was no other explanation. I sat in my car and covered up in my blanket. Yeah, where did a blanket come from? I, peacefully, fell asleep. I slept the rest of the night and was awaken by the noise of the snow plows that were clearing the highway. There was a tapping on my window. It was one of the drivers who said, he was able to distinguish the shape of the car because the snow did not completely cover me. What was he talking about. I got out and saw that my car should have been completely covered to look like the snow  bank. It was the salt. Around my car, the snow melted immediately, and did not form one mound. Then I woke up.

This was very bizarre. My first thought.

First of all why would I have salt in the car? Another thing, I don't own a VW Bug. The other odd thing is there were chains on the tires. I don't live in the snow.  Why would I have these things?

 I lay in my bed thinking about it. This was a very vivid, detailed dream and that usually means God is trying to tell me something. But, What? Is an early storm coming? Am I in the midst of the storm now? Is it someone else's storm since I don't own those things? Don't know.

I concluded, that regardless, I was instructed how to handle the storm. I was protected during the storm,  I was delivered from the storm and I was not alone. My All Sufficient, Self-Existing, Omnipresent God was with me.

I had peace in the midst of the storm.

My experience with Essential Oils

For years we have been told about massage therapy and aroma therapy. I really didn't take it seriously until a few years ago. I knew I like candles burning when I took a scented bubble bath. I knew the lavender scent was my favorite because it was relaxing. What I didn't know was why. I didn't even consider investigating the properties of lavender. About two or three years ago I was introduced to Young Living Essential Oils (YLEO). A member of our church introduced us to a couple visiting who were distributors of YLEO. They came over to our home and shared the benefits of essential oils. More than that, the wife massaged my husband's legs and knees with the oils. At that time he was in a lot of pain and was having difficulty walking. The oils relaxed his muscles and aided in the relief of the pain. He was sold. We ordered the oils mainly for him. I still didn't get on board fully. I wasn't against them but just wasn't ready to be involved with selling oils. I had just gotten burned with another so called business opportunity and I wasn't interested. I was satisfied to be a distributor for the purpose of buying the oils for my husband.

Over the next two years, my attitude changed. I began using the oils for my lower back pain, sore throat, congestion, stress and fatigue. The scents were so relaxing. My husband and I joking call the cloves and thieves oil our scented heating pads. Now here is the clincher that tossed me to the business side. My mother has severe arthritis and she has heart disease. Her doctors had to change her arthritis pain medication to something less effective because it affected her heart. For weeks afterwards she had difficulty sleeping. Her pain was worse at night. She told me what was going on so I decided to try rubbing her legs with some of the oils. I decided to use one of our scented heating pads, Thieves. I massaged her legs and feet when I got there. Shortly, she told me the pain was reducing to a bearable intensity.  I hadn't read about the foot reflexology yet. I just massaged her legs and feet. I left the Thieves with her because it did relax her while I was there. She called me the next day and told me she slept the entire night. After four nights I checked in to see if it was a fluke. It was not. She slept every night after that. She then put it on her other joints. My Mom and I are sold. Her side benefit was relief from sinus congestion just by having the essence in the room.

I am now a student of the essential oils. It just supports the belief that God placed everything on earth in our plant life for our health. You can have similar experiences at home that you have at the day spa. You can massage your own legs, feet, hands and neck. You can get a loved one to massage your back. Home spa with the occasional visit to the day spa.

It is not about having more medicine or that the essential oils are medicine in the American Medical Association or the Food and Drug Administration defining way. But if something natural aids your medication or relaxes the tension by infusing it into the air or rubbing it on your body then there is benefit to your well being. It will at least comfort you while the AMA is looking for a cure or better medication for what ails you.

If you would like to experience Young Living Essential Oils or become a distributor, click the Get Essential Oils link on the sidebar. You are not required to distribute if you don't want to. I didn't and no one harassed me to do so. I did, however, get the discount for being a member.  Try it. You won't be sorry.

In Spite of It All

This week has been very interesting for my family. We gathered together for a wonderful family dinner on Sunday at my mother's house. My sisters and their families were there, along with some close friends. The meal was off the chain. We laughed and joked until late into the night. The next morning we gathered at Kaiser Permanente, Sunset Blvd for one of two brain surgeries one of my sister's faced. There were prayers and some were anxious but she and I had complete peace. God promised that He would not allow us to be caught unaware. Translation, He would warn us or give us divine intel so that we could prepare for what was coming. She and I were at peace. There was no need to be forewarned because everything was fine. Parking created the greatest anxiety. It was a tiring day because they kept delaying the time of her surgery. A more critical patient arrived and had priority. The family stayed. We had favor from the ICU staff. They allowed all of us to enter her room at the same time. ICU's usually limit the number of people who can enter.

The next morning those of us who went home to sleep re-assembled. This time they took her on time. So we gathered and waited. About 4pm the doctor emerged to tell us the surgery was a success. The tumor was removed, there was minimal bleeding and her vitals were stable. About 6pm we were able to see her. Yes, they allowed all of us to enter the ICU unit. We stood outside her room and took turns going in. The funny thing is, she gave the orders. She first sent for her kids, then parents, and then sisters. She showed us that she was still our loving organizer. She was released from the hospital on Friday and she is resting at home.

In Spite of the seriousness of the occasion, we had a wonderful family reunion. All that time spent waiting was spent talking and catching up on each others lives. There was no sense of doom. We could have easily still been in my mother's family room. Being with family can be a time of warm, comforting love or a time of anger and chaos. Choose love regardless of the situation.

In Spite of It All choose to LOVE and ENJOY your Family!