Saturday's Surprises

So Saturday's theme is one that I am very excited about. What I have in store for Saturdays is an opportunity to practice a life of gratitude. I am much to inclined to climb into my own head or cocoon myself with my family's day to day business. I am very much an "out of sight, out of mind," kind of person. If it does not orbit in my current world I place it in the metaphorical box labeled "To be pursued when I have more time." That day will never arrive if I do not do something about it.

So my plan is to use this day as a chance to show gratitude in all areas of my live, but especially for those areas that need to be brought out of the box and dusted off a bit. This may mean a hand written letter to a long lost friend, finally finishing and returning projects that have been entrusted to me, meeting with a loved one to catch up or sending a special treasure that brought someone dear to mind.

Of course that being said this particular Saturday is more about a surprise that I experienced today. Today I was lucky enough to attend a seminar that was being hosted by our local Maximized Living Clinic,Summit Family Chiropractic, called "Cancer Killers" (Monday's Post will be more about Maximized Living.) The seminar was amazing and gave very practical tips and tools to help one become a Cancer Killer. I will share what I have learned, I promise, but what I want to share today is two pieces of information that were the most surprising.

First, I learned that 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer and 1 in 3 women. What that means is that between my brother and my husband one of them will get cancer and between my sister-in-law, my sister and myself one of us will get diagnosed with cancer. Those are terrifying odds and to be honest I am not okay with that. I am not okay with anyone I love getting cancer again. We see these statistics and we are shocked, but if we are honest with ourselves our very first thought is "that is terrible, but it will not happen to me." My question to you is, "What are you doing to ensure that it will not be you?" If your answer is "nothing," then really it is just wishful thinking, with odds like those.

So, the second thing I learned is something that all of us can put into practice starting now. Did you know that ONE minute of anger or frustration or negative thinking suppresses your immune system for THREE hours. It takes your body 3 hours to recover from 1 minute of unhappiness. On the other hand THREE minutes of gratitude can boost your immune system for TWENTY FOUR hours. If you wake in the morning and literally spend 3 minutes counting your blessings, finding moments of joy, you can increase your immunity for a full day.

Let's live in Joy! Grab hold of those moments of gratitude and share them.

Many blessings to you on this fine evening--Kate

First and Favorite Fridays

Here we are on a lovely fall Friday. I can not believe how much of the day has already pasted. We have had special visitors this morning-afternoon. Some very near neighbors, who we were able to spend a delightful summer with, are moving today. The littlest members of the family have been here so mom and dad can pack up the truck. It is a sad loss for our family, the kids have become wonderful friends and I was only just beginning to make a new friend myself. 

So now I find myself nearing the second half of our day with a to do list nearly unchanged. Actually, it is also yesterday's to do list, because yesterday was also filled with distraction. Yesterday's distractions were of my own making. Mostly trying to get things organized with this blog and find a way to connect it to Facebook. It ended up being an easy enough task once I actually found the information on how to do it. The search is what took much to long. 

The second, and much more pleasant, distraction leads me to today's theme, First and Favorite Fridays.
This is my chance to learn or do something new, or share some of my favorite things. My first for today is my first shipment of Young Living Essential Oils.

I have no doubt that there are as many opinions about essential oils as there are oils to choose from. Honestly I would love to hear them all. You think oils are crazy, you think they are amazing. You are a dyed in the wool Young Living user, you prefer a different brand or perhaps you have questions of your own. I want to hear all your thoughts.

It was not a quick decision to start using oils. A local friend was posting really interesting information on Facebook. So I started doing some research of my own. Then my friend invited me to an intro class and I was so impressed with what oils could do and the amazing smells. I was especially interested in the uses for allergies and colds. I still was not ready though, our family was already embarking on a pretty major lifestyle change, (which I will share more about on Monday.) I also wanted to get a better idea about the options out there and find out a bit more about the company, Young Living, itself. Then a major stomach virus hit our family and seemed to linger for a very long time. I decided that was strong motivation to see if these oils really could help keep my household clean and healthy. 

I was so excited to get my first box and have already found many excuses to try out different oils. I was not sure what I wanted to use in the diffuser first, then I burned some food on the stove and filled the house with stinky smoke. I quickly opened the windows to air it all out then put some Purification in the diffuser. Within 5 minutes the air smelled clean and fresh. Later in the day my oldest babe fell in the driveway and ended up with banged up hands. A few drops of Lavender oil and the redness and pain were gone. My youngest has a super sensitive diaper area and a few drops of Frankincense in coconut oil and the redness is gone and the healing has begun. I ended the day with a sore, tired neck and shoulders and tried out the Panaway. What a wonderful smell and the pain was soothed almost immediately. Some Peace and Calming in the diffuser at night and on the bottom of feet and the kids are quickly out. In fact soon after the water ran out and the diffuser shut off in the middle of the night my youngest woke up, (could have just been a coincidence.) In the morning my oldest had a bit of a stuffy nose and so I put some Thieves in the diffuser in case we had a cold on the way. Then a few drop of Thieves also went into the dishwasher.

As you can see I am very much enjoying this first journey into the world of oils. I look forward to more new discoveries and to be honest just more fun with these great smelling new treats. This first of my Firsts and Favorites for Fridays, will rapidly fit into both categories I am sure.

We will see you back here again tomorrow when I reveal what I have planned for Saturdays. 

Many blessings to you on this fine Friday--Kate

The Start of Something New

I do not know what it is about the fall, but it always seems to be the season when I want to try new things, or finish up some old things. No spring cleaning for this gal, fall is the time to get things in order. Spiff things up and then settle in for winter. The problem is I am a big dreamer, but not so great on the follow through. Which means I have a lot of projects and ideas in various stages of completion. So I'll admit it I need a project accountability partner. That is where this blog comes in. I have come up with a theme for everyday of the week, to help me stay focused on my goals. (I may be overestimating my abilities here thinking that I will be able to write everyday, but here goes.) To begin with I shall reveal each day's theme as I come to it. Otherwise this first day will be one long entry.

So today is Thursday's Things. This is a chance for me to thin out the clutter. I have a lot of "clutter". I have been a hoarder in the making for many, many years. I would see something and think, "I could make something out of that," and into the pile it would go. I improved a little bit when I had my babies. Not near so much going into piles, but unfortunately there is not nearly enough going out of them either. The remedy? A day of the week where things have to go. 

I have already been working pretty hard on that. As I mentioned I like to do fall cleaning. So already several large bags have left the house for both garbage and donate destinations. Then there are the items that mean a bit more. Like the following. A set of napkin rings that were once my Grandmother's. My family is not a formally set dining room kind of family. We also do not host often enough for me to justify keeping an item that could be well loved and used in another home. So here is this Thursday's Thing.

 They are not out of the house yet, but it is in the works. 

I look forward to tomorrow, when I shall reveal what Friday's have in store for us. 

Many blessings to you on this fine day. --Kate

When Baby Makes the Schedule

Let me tell you there are times when it is very hard to work for a church, one of those times are when you are pregnant and the baby has not been born on the exact day the doctors say you are due. Now suddenly everyone looks at you mystified and demands. "Where's the baby." Like I somehow have a say in the matter and I am intentionally delaying the baby. As if we somehow stepped into some twilight zone where all babies are born exactly when they are due and I am somehow messing with the system. I am so glad that everyone is excited for baby, I am excited too, but baby will come when she wants, and I am just fine with that.

February Brings New Life

It has been an exceedingly long time since I last wrote and it has not been for lack of material, or lack of time but probably for lack of commitment. It is just so much easier to check in on all of my friends and see how life is going for them, then it is to take the few minutes required to write what is new with me.

Quite a bit is new. Like working with a new pastor who I hate, then because of the new pastor doing a job which I love has become a struggle. I find that working with/or for (as I have been so informed) someone who is fake, cruel, manipulative, controlling and underhanded can be a little exhausting. I have also found that it manages to seep the joy out of other things which should be ever so joyous. Like the fact that my husband and I are pregnant and very soon to be expecting. Very soon as in next month. Pregnancy can be a roller coaster in the best of situations. These past 8 and a half months have taken lots of deep breathing exercises to let go of the pain, frustration and disappointment with work and to remember that there is a little miracle soon to enter our lives.

Night Prayer

Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In the times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and forever, Amen

--found in A New Zealand Prayer Book

A season of perfection

This fall in the Idaho Panhandle has been spectacular. Sunny days that are golden, a crispness to the air, a kaleidoscope of falling leaves, and the scent of wood smoke.

Sunday morning when I was driving into church there was still a layer of frost on the ground, the leaves were falling thick like snow flakes and the smoke from the chimneys swirled in the air and wrapped the houses until they looked like they were draped in a fine gauzy mist. It was amazing. I think autumn is the only season where the light is golden.

I know that soon we will have the rain that also always comes in fall, but even that carries with it it's own special enchantment.

Ahhh, I love the fall.