Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:40-41

In the middle of this time of Holy Week, it seems appropriate to ask ourselves the same question Jesus asked his disciples, “Could you not watch with Me one hour?”

These two verses show us the utmost importance of prayer. Jesus knew what was ahead

of Him, and He set aside time to pray in the garden of Gethsemane for His Father’s will. He also asked his friends to pray with Him. Jesus needed prayer to give Him the strength to endure the ordeal of the cross.

We know that Jesus came back to find that His friends had fallen asleep, and it is then that He asks them the important question, “Could you not watch with me one hour?”

Jesus Calls Us To Watch with Him Too

As I apply this question to myself, I realize that if I want to increase my effectiveness in my kingdom work for Jesus, than I need to increase my time in prayer.

Results are first prayer-planted before they can be work-achieved.

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To listen to the rest of this podcast, click on the arrow below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Let us know what you think about how prayer helps you in your work for God. Do you have any tips to share on how you work prayer into your day?

Have a blessed Easter!

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Our bees working away!

With it’s slightly sweet honeyed scent and glowing colors ranging from yellow to orange, it’s hard to resist natural beeswax.

Three years ago my husband and I took up the mantle of beekeepers, and while we have much to learn, we are fascinated by the day-to-day workings in a beehive and the goodness that the bees give to us. Besides pollinating about 70 percent of our food crops, honeybees produce honey, beeswax, royal jelly, pollen, and propolis.

Today I want to focus on beeswax.

Beeswax is produced by bees of the genus Apis and it’s actually comprised of over 300 components, including long-chain alkanes, acids, esters, polyesters, and hydroxy esters. What I find fascinating about botanicals including beeswax and essential oils, for example, is the very fact that we are using substances as God made them complete with all of their components within them.

The reason I point that out is because when we consider the fact that most pharmaceutical drugs are isolating a single compound in a plant, synthesizing it and then distributing it as a pharmaceutical, we can see why we are having the problem with bacteria and viruses being able to mutate and become stronger than a drug, rendering the drug useless or much weakened in power. When you isolate one substance from the others in its natural state, you are ignoring any possible interactions with the myriad other substances that are probably contributing to the efficacy of the isolated substance.

Beeswax Uses Past and Present

Now let’s look at how one of my favorite substances has been and can be used.

My rose facial balm

First of all, beeswax has been used for thousands of years in many different countries and cultures like Europe, Israel, Egypt and China. Applications included medicinal uses, beauty products, dietary supplements, and of course candles. Ancient writings even contain recipes of medicines and beauty products made with beeswax.

Today beeswax is used in numerous ways including candles, ornaments, encaustic art, crayons, lip balms, salves, creams, balms, furniture polish, and as a waterproofing agent, in soap making, and in candy—just to name a few things!

Benefits of Beeswax

• Beeswax is an emulsifier and a thickener, which makes it so beneficial in natural cosmetics.
• It has emollient properties and can help seal in moisture to your skin.
• It is healing for your skin. A powerful trio of ingredients used together in many recipes are beeswax, honey, and olive oil.
• It’s interesting to note that beeswax is also being studied for its antimicrobial properties (see link below to an article on this).

I use beeswax in many of my products. I love beeswax candles because they don’t have any added chemicals in them. When I am burning a candle in the house, I don’t want to be adding substances to the air that could possibly be irritating to the respiratory system. The natural, gentle sweet aroma of pure beeswax is just right.

I also favor beeswax for its ability to act as a natural thickener and healer in my products, such as salves and balms and solid perfumes. Since it appears that beeswax may have antimicrobial (antibacterial and antiviral) properties, I consider this an added bonus that can only benefit the user.

When looking for local beeswax for sale, try to buy from a beekeeper that does minimal processing. Beeswax should still retain its scent and color.

How to Break Apart a Block of Beeswax

Working with the big blocks of beeswax can be a bit tricky. I have found two ways to break off smaller amounts of beeswax from the one-pound blocks:

• Take a clean screwdriver and hammer. Pound the screwdriver into the beeswax until you fracture off a piece of beeswax that is easier to work with.
• Use a sharp serrated knife to saw away at the beeswax, which will give you smaller chips of beeswax. Take care that the knife doesn’t slip.

To clean beeswax off of your utensils or pans, I have found the easiest thing to do is to boil water in a kettle. As the water is steaming, hold the object to be cleaned in the stream of steam, constantly wiping off the melting wax with a paper towel until all the beeswax is removed. Be careful not to burn yourself!

Today I am sharing a video I made for my Etsy shop that highlights four of my products that contain beeswax including solid perfume.

Thanks for watching! Let me know of your experience with beeswax in the comment section below. Also see below for helpful (affiliate link) resources of books that I use for reference.

 Beeswax: A minireview of its antimicrobial activity and its application in medicine This is an interesting article about the scientific study of beeswax.

Book source: Beeswax Alchemy: How to Make Your Own Soap, Candles, Balms, Creams, and Salves from the Hive

On a side note …

I’m very interested in those who are studying natural antibiotics and natural antivirals and their current and future role in the fight against bugs and superbugs. I’ve included two books that address this topic: Herbal Antivirals: Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections and Herbal Antibiotics, 2nd Edition: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-resistant Bacteria.

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When it comes to essential oils and kids, you can’t be too careful.

As an aromatherapist, one of the things that bothers me the most is misinformation concerning the use of essential oils on children. Too often I hear of essential oils being applied to children without diluting them first, or essential oils being put in baby bottles, or of using essential oils on very young babies.

Six Important Guidelines to Using Essential Oils on Children

I’ve made an essential oil infographic to help you remember 6 important guidelines about using essential oils on children.

To sum up the guidelines:

1. Wait until about the age of six months before using essential oils on your children. At this age you may diffuse child-safe essential oils for them for short periods of time for acute conditions.
2. Always dilute the essential oils. See Tisserand’s chart below for the proper rates.
3. Children should not be ingesting essential oils. Remember, essential oils are 75 to 100 times stronger than the plant they come from. The exception to this is if your child is under the care of a doctor, naturopath, or clinical aromatherapist trained in the practice of ingesting essential oils.
4. For children under the age of five, use essential oils for acute conditions like injuries or illnesses.
5. Avoid using essential oils everyday on your children. With repeated prolonged use, they may become sensitized to the oils. When using creams or salves on their skin, alternate with days when you use unscented products..
6. Keep in mind that eucalyptus and certain chemotypes of Rosemary should be avoided on children under age 10. Don’t use peppermint with children under age 6. This is due to the possibility of slowed respiration caused by menthol and 1,8-cineole in the essential oils. (These guidelines apply to both topical use and inhalations.) A gentler option to use on young children is rosalina.

You can also explore more specific information in this post on diffusing antimicrobial essential oils safely with children .

Hydrosols are a Good Option for Babies

Keep in mind that hydrosols are much gentler then essential oils and can be used on babies. Hydrosols are a by-product of the distillation process of essential oils and they retain a tiny amount of the essential oil along with the water soluble, volatile components of the plant. They will have a fragrance similar to but not as strong as the essential oil. They are gentle, but still beneficial for health and wellness.

One way you could choose to use them would be to add 1 tsp of your chosen hydrosol to an infant bathtub or 2 tsp. of hydrosol added to an adult tub filled with the smaller amount of water suitable for an infant. For children up to 12 years old, add 1 tsp. of hydrosol for every year of age up to a maximum of 8 teaspoons.

In summary, essential oils can be an important part of a wellness program for your children as long as you follow the safety guidelines. What is one way you use essential oils to help care for your children?

Botanically me,

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The whole human race is foolish and has no knowledge! The craftsmen are disgraced by the idols they make, for their carefully shaped works are a fraud. These idols have no breath or power. Idols are worthless; they are ridiculous lies!  On the day of reckoning they will all be destroyed. Jeremiah 51:17-18 NLT

In this passage, God is disgusted with the craftsmen. Why? Because the metalsmiths have been using their talents and gifts to make worthless idols. God just couldn’t understand how people could make an object of wood or metal, call it a god, and then worship it as if it had created them or loved them or cared for them! They were taking the gifts and talents God had bestowed upon them and were using them to disrespect God and lead others astray.

That lead me to evaluate my talents and gifts, and I realized that ultimately there are only three ways I can use mine:

1. I’m not using them.
2. I’m using them in a worthless way.
3. I’m using them in a “worthful” way.

Listen to the podcast below to finish our reflection on The Craftsmen. Just click on the arrow or subscribe on iTunes if you’d like to get Reflections delivered to your podcast library every week.

Resource

In this podcast I recommend a book I’m reading called Called to Create, A Biblical Invitation to Create, Innovate, and Risk by Jordan Raynor. Perhaps you’re an artist or maker and you struggle with how to use your gifts. This book will help you! I’ve included links to both Amazon and Christian Book Distributors in case you’d like to check it out.

Thanks for listening. And may your soul’s meditations be fuel for Spirit-led actions today!

Called to Create: A Biblical Invitation to Create, Innovate, and Risk By Jordan Raynor / Baker BooksReimagine your work as service to God and others! Best-selling author Raynor helps artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and other creative professionals tackle difficult questions of importance, reputation, discipleship, and eternal significance as he discusses calling,creating, challenges, and Jesus’ command. Includes stories from the Christian founders of TOMS Shoes, Chic-fil-A, Sevenly, and others.

*This post contains my affiliate links to Amazon and Christian Book Distributors highlighting today’s resource.

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In Essential Oils in the Bible Part 1 and Part 2, we looked at whether using essential oils and botanicals are a viable option and how they were used during Bible times.

In this post, we are going to look at ways Christ-followers can use botanicals and biblical oils today in their faith practice.

Quick Definition of Aromatherapy

First of all, I want to start by defining aromatherapy:  “the art and science of using essential oils for physical and emotional healing.” This is where I differ with many of the mainstream aromatherapy teachings today. They also say that EOs can heal us spiritually, but I disagree with that. Oils help us emotionally because they work in our limbic system through inhalation and can help with stress, depression, and anxiety. And they can help us physically as they relieve inflammation and pain and other assorted ailments, but I believe that only God has the power to heal us spiritually.

Now let’s look at some practical ways to use these oils in our faith practice.

As a precursor to devotion time.

If we are full of stress, diffusing essential oils can help alleviate that. Oils such as sweet orange, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, frankincense, lavender, bergamot,  Roman chamomile, geranium, jasmine, rose, vetiver, cypress, sandalwood, and ylang ylang can help us relax just so we are better able to receive from the Lord what He has for us during our time of Bible reading and study.

In Isaiah 61:3 God says, “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Proverbs 27:9 says “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart.”

During Ministering Prayer.

If you are part of a prayer ministry at your church or just on your own, and you pray over other people, you can anoint them with oil as you pray just as James 5 instructs us.

How To Make an Anointing Oil

• Take a small glass vial or perfume bottle of 1/3 oz or 1/2 oz size and fill with olive oil.
• Add 3 drops of frankincense oil and shake lightly to mix.

During Personal Prayer.

During personal prayer you may want to diffuse some essential oil if that helps you to better focus on the Lord. One obvious choice would be frankincense, or you could purchase an “adoration” blend, which would be a synergy of several essential oils such as frankincense, ylang ylang, and lavender.

Prayer Beeswax Candles

Another idea is to use a botanical beeswax candle while you are praying. Sometimes you may be

Blessings Beeswax Candles

discouraged in praying for a request when you have not seen any progress. I had the idea of lighting a taper candle while I was praying for these requests as a type of “covenant” with God that I would keep praying for them. Blow out the candle at the end of your prayer session. This also serves the purpose of giving you an actual visual reminder to pray. And as the candle gets smaller and smaller, you’ll be reminded of how much you have prayed.

I love this verse: Psalm 141:2 : “May my prayer be set before You like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”

Diffuse Uplifting Oils as You Sing Praise Music to God.

Any of the essential oils for stress listed above would be wonderful.

Other favorite verses:  2 Corinthians 2: 14-16 14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

Rose Balm

Finally, the Bible tells us that our bodies are now the dwelling place of God. His Spirit dwells in each one of us instead of now residing in the tabernacle. We should care for our bodies in a way that would make a fitting place for the Holy Spirit to reside. Essential oils help us care for our bodies through the use of botanical creams, balms, oils, perfumes, and so on that are made with essential oils and herbs.

Recipe for Today

If you’d like to try a DIY recipe using frankincense and myrrh, here’s a simple one you can mix up using either an unscented cream or oil.

Frankincense and Myrrh Skin Blend

• 2 ounces unscented cream or vegetable oil, such as sweet almond oil, fractionated coconut oil, regular coconut oil, or olive oil
• 2 drops of Roman Chamomile Essential Oil
• 7 drops of Frankincense Essential Oil
• 9 drops of Myrrh Essential Oil
• 18 drops of Lavender Essential Oil

Mix the synergy of all your essential oils together first. You can use a small shot glass or other glass or ceramic vessel. Don’t mix them in plastic. Stir the synergy into the cream or oil and mix well. Once the synergy has been mixed into an oil or cream, it can then be stored in a plastic or glass container. Smooth onto skin as needed.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this three-part series on essential oils in the Bible. Please leave any comments or questions below. I’d be happy to answer them.

Botanically Me,

Note: As always, the information here is for your personal use and not meant to replace your health professional’s advice. Use essential oils with caution. Pregnant and nursing women should check with their doctor or midwife or a certified aromatherapist before using. You can check any interactions with medications you may be taking on WebMd.com. Links in this post to products are products that I make and sell in my personal Etsy shop. You can also most likely find similar products in stores in your local area.

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short meditations on scripture intersecting life

As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. Jeremiah 18:6

I have a college friend who has started a second career. She is an artist, more specifically a sculptor, or potter. Recently she posted pictures of some of her work online. I studied her nature sculptures of rabbits, loons, owls, and a cheerful little bird—I think it was a Carolina wren.

Block of unformed clay

Now we don’t live close to each other, so I haven’t seen her at work, but I can imagine her hands sculpting a big lump of clay into exactly the form that she wants it to take. Sharp tools are needed to add intricacies of form and personality. As I zoomed in on the photos I could see all the amazing detail work that gives life to each of her pieces.

To hear the rest of this podcast as we discuss being the clay in the Potter’s hands, listen by simply clicking on the arrow below. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes so it’s delivered to your podcast library every week.

What Do You Think?

Finally, what are your thoughts on the process of being clay in the Potter’s hands? How is God shaping you today? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

My friend’s work

Thanks for listening! May your soul’s meditations be fuel for Spirit-led actions today.

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