Why I started using Essential Oils

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor. I can't make any medical claims, diagnose, or treat any medical conditions. The following is just my story and experience with Young Living Essential Oils. I can simply encourage you to be your own advocate for your health and educate yourself on all of your options. 

My journey with Essential Oils and Young Living started about 2 1/2 years ago. My sister-in-law, Alyssa was a new mom and had jumped on this crazy train about essential oils. I was pretty open to trying them, but also silently skeptical that they would actually work. My intent was to use them only to diffuse in my house for the smell. I had no idea what was falling into my lap. I ordered my starter kit and jumped right in. Let's start with what my life was like before YL. 

I bought all of my favorite beauty products and personal hygiene products at the drug-store. I never left the house without spritzing on one of my favorite perfumes. I never thought twice about what ingredients where actually in a product. If the label said it was all natural or it was marketed to look that way, I thought it must be ok! We had been trying to get pregnant for about 5 years at that time, but my cycles were all over the place. Lets just say that can make things confusing when you are trying to figure out when ovulation is happening. I could go anywhere from 40-70 days in one cycle. Not only does this cause confusion for ovulation, but it is also devastating each cycle that is delayed, because you think maybe just maybe this is the month, just to discover it's another messed up cycle. My doctor prescribed a medication that we were hopeful would help control those cycles and bring in some sort of normalcy. I tried that for almost 6 months. The only thing that changed in that time was all the side-effects. I felt sick all the time. I finally decided enough was enough. It wasn't helping my problem any, just making me feel miserable, so I stopped taking it. 

Enter Young Living. My life changed and I didn't even know it yet. I decided anything was better than what I was doing. I thought I'd give these oils a try, but had no idea that they would actually WORK! I got my starter kit and started using them! I did some research on how to use them to support the reproductive system. I found a few things one of which was a product from Young Living called Progessence Plus. It's serum that I started applying daily to being a protocol of trying to support my reproductive system. Within 2 months of using these oils....my cycles were happening in 30-35 days instead of the 40-70 day cycles I had been experiencing. Finally something that seemed to be working!! 

From there I've never looked back. That experience changed my mindset and my life. I can say I've had regular cycles consistently for the last 2 1/2 years I've been with Young Living. I've seen over and over again how these products WORK to support our bodies using the plants that God placed on this earth. I'm switching over as many products as I can to Young Living products that I know will be made with only the best ingredients by a company I trust! I am now much more aware of what ingredients I place on or in my body. I've switched over everything from deodorant and toothpaste to now make-up! I'll talk more about what products I use and why in some future posts.  The number of toxins and chemicals we are exposed to every single day is staggering. Since I've entered the world of natural living and chemical free products, I've learned so much more about making more informed choices. That is why I love Young Living and all it has to offer.  

If this post has peaked your interest and you want to know more about Young Living and how to get started, please get it contact with me. You can email me or comment below. I would LOVE To help you. It really is a lifestyle change, but it's the best thing you could ever do for yourself and your family.  

Finding Biblical Hope in the Waiting

When you hear the word hope what do you think of? The following is definition of hope I pulled from a quick google search...

     Hope- a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

or as a verb- want something to happen or be the case. 

We often think of hope as a wish, or a desire for something to come. However, this is not biblical hope.  Psalms 62:5 says:

         "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken."

Biblical hope is an assurance and a confidence of what's to come, not wishful thinking. See the difference? Wishing for something is like saying,  "I can only hope that comes true someday." Biblical hope is like saying, "I rest assured of the promises of God, because my hope comes from him."

Notice how biblical hope is rooted in God's promises. His promises are revealed to us through scripture. Scripture gives us plenty of examples of how God has shown himself faithful over and over again to his people. There are testimonies of healing, deliverance, miracles, rescue...only to name a few. These testimonies of his goodness and faithfulness should build up our confidence in Him.  As believers, we see this hope, this confidence, this assurance, because we KNOW of His faithfulness. We have read about his goodness and how He is a God of his word! Those without this knowledge or relationship with God, have no basis for their hope. No firm foundation....so the "hope" is merely an empty wish to them. Not a signed, sealed, delivered promise from God that we KNOW he will keep, because we know HIM and how he always keeps his word.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be RICHLY rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
                                  Hebrews 10:35-36

Be joyful in HOPE, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 
                                Romans 12:12

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary, behind the curtain where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf .
                                 Hebrews 6:19-20 


The longer you have been around Weston and I, the quicker you will learn that we love cruises! When I read this verse, I am reminded of the huge anchor that holds that sinks down deep into the depths of the sea and keeps the ship anchored, firm and secure. This scripture says our anchor (our hope) reaches into the inner sanctuary, all the way behind the curtain....to JESUS, who has entered on our behalf. So the root of our hope, reaches to the heavens, into the very presence of God himself. Nothing more secure and firm than knowing you are tethered to God himself by your hope.


For those who don't know our story, we have been trying to have a baby for the last 7 years. It's been 7 years of waiting, wondering, questioning. 7 years of disappointment every. single. month. In this season of waiting, the enemy has tried over and over to steal our joy, our hope and our faith. BUT GOD. In those moments of frustration and hurt, He ALWAYS comes and reminds us who HE is and of the promises he has spoken over our life. I won't lie, in the beginning my mentality was more of a "if only..." or "I just wish we could be parents..." Joy is a daily choice and some days it's easier than others. But over the course of time and seeking after God, he has shown us that He sees us right where we are. He's developed our hope into something much more powerful than wishful thinking. I don't know how people who don't know the Lord can face something like infertility. There are literally days where the only reason I felt strong enough to brave leaving the house and seeing all the precious little babies out with their parents at the store or where ever we were going was because I knew my strength came from God. Without that, I would have faced many dark and lonely days and probably be in a really scary place. But BECAUSE of His goodness, BECAUSE of his faithfulness, BECAUSE of His word we have the assurance and confidence that our little miracle is in the making, only in God's timing. Now I don't mean to make it sound like I don't have bad days, because I do...they just aren't as bad as they could be if I didn't know the God I serve and carry the hope only he can give in my heart.

Are you patiently (or impatiently) waiting for something? Is there a desire in your heart that is unfulfilled? Is there a dream that you think is impossible? Can I just remind you that God sees you. He hears your cry. He hears your prayers. He has not forgotten you. And He does the impossible! He knows your heart. He knows your desires. He very well may have given you that dream. He sees you and he feels for you and he loves you. He meets you right where you are. And where you are may not be a pretty place. You don't need to be in a place in your heart, mind and spirit where everything is fine. You don't need to be perfect. You don't need to have it all together. You don't need to have all the answers or have everything planned out, or know the who what when where and why behind it all. . You may be hurt. You may be broken. You may be bitter. You may have some trust issues. You may have some anger. But he doesn't care. He comes to us in our brokenness and meets us right where we are. In the ugly messy pit of all our doubts, fears, and emotions, He grabs us by the hand and takes one step at a time with us. He challenges and stretches us to change our mindsets and attitude, but He never leaves us. He brings strength. He brings restoration. He brings joy. He brings courage. He brings hope.

So my prayer for you today is that your would come to know hope in whatever season of waiting  you are facing. That you would feel His tender, loving hand reach out to grab ahold of yours and His sweet small voice calling you to come with Him on this journey, reminding you that He will never leave your or forsake you. Reminding you that His promises still stands and great is His faithfulness.

 

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Welcome!

WELCOME!! I'm so glad you are here! This is my first attempt at writing a blog, so bear with me as I get my bearings here and figure out how this whole blogging world works. I've been wanting to start one for a while now and think it's finally time to just jump right in! SO...here we go!! 

My name is Charlene Smith. I have been married to my fun-loving wonderful hubby, Weston, for 9 years. (Time really does fly by...) We are very different individuals, but God created us perfectly for each other. We really do balance each other out. I bring him down a level or two when he is about to fly off the handle or remind him to consider his words before he says them. He encourages me to be bold and speak out more often. We make a good team and we learn more about each other every day. 9 years ago, I didn't think I could love him any more than the moment we said our vows, but I was wrong. Each day brings a deeper sense of the love I have for him.

I work for a local bank and my husband works as a parts courier for a local quarry. I am also the Worship Pastor at our church, where Weston plays guitar as well. We LOVE the Lord and have a passion for connecting people's hearts with God's through worship.

We LOVE to travel. In about 30 years, you can find us on a cruise ship somewhere! We have been on 3 Carnival Cruises in the last 4 years. And we have more planned! We find it such a economical way to vacation and we just can't get enough. I plan to document our future adventures and I will probably re-cap our last cruise as well. 

We have been trying to have a baby for the last 7 years. It has been a very tough road to walk, but we have learned a lot along the way. We have learned to embrace the waiting and it's taken our trust in God to a whole new level. With that being said, God has also been speaking to us about not being stationary in the waiting. I'll talk more about that later....

We have a double yellow headed amazon parrot named, Lolita. She loves to sing and talk. I also can't write this without mentioning our sweet boy, Rocky. We faced a situation we didn't forsee for at least a couple more years this last week when we had to lay him to rest. Rocky had been a part of our family since before Weston and I got married. We don't know married life without him, so we are still adjusting to his absence. Once I gather my thoughts and my emotions, I will post about how we dealt with losing him. 

We are crazy essential oil people! They are a part of our daily lives as you will see me document on this blog. I will post DIY recipes and lots more regarding Young Living Essential Oils, as they are the best (in my opinion, the ONLY) choice out there. They have truly changed the way we do life and we love to share them with everyone we know and love, so they too can reap all the awesome benefits. AND Young Living pays me to share my love for their products...how awesome is that?!?!?!

Well....that is the quick and simple introduction. My intention with this blog is to be transparent and genuine. We hope that the trials we have faced and overcome in our lives can help others going through something similar. I am so excited to start this journey with you all! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to get to know us. Have a blessed day!!!