Testimony Tuesday

Thieves has seriously become one of my favorite oils!  First - it smells great.  Love!  Secondly...  I'm pretty sure it has helped to keep my family healthy this year (so far).  Hannah's birthday is in the beginning of October.  And every year..  around her birthday.  as we move from summer into fall and those colds begin..  Hannah ends up with a cold and an ear infection.  I think for her - it was part cold/part allergies that just got too bad and end up in her ears.

 This year..  along with doing an oil allergy mix (lavender/lemon/peppermint - of which I'll share more about in another Tuesday Testimony) - I have used Thieves..  a lot.  And ya know what?  We made it through the fall without even getting a cold.  No cold, no allegies, no ear infection, no Dr. visit and no antibiotic.

Lavender has been another great oil in keeping those yucky ear infections away.  Just over Christmas break, we were up at my mom's for 2 days.  I took my diffuser and some of my oils..  because - well..  I'm attached!  The second day there, Hannah slowly took on a fever, complained of a sore throat and her ears bugging her.  I did not even have with me any children's medicine.  But - I had my oils!  Of course.  I rolled Thieves onto her spine.  Rubbed drops of lavender around the outside of her ears, and also put peppermint on her feet and lemon on her back.  But the time we had gotten home that night, her fever was up high and she was pretty wiped out.  I kept up the oils and also did give her a dose of childrens medicine to help with the fever.  Within 2 hours - the fever was gone.  The next morning - she woke up completely better.  :)  No more fever.  No sore thoat, no ear infections.  Normally - that first day would have led into more days of fevers, ear infections and drs visits..  always  - that is how it would work for her.  Not this time.  Nope!

So how do I use the oils?  What do I do?  Simple!  I diffuse a lot.  At least every other night I diffuse 2 or 3 drops of thieves in the kids diffusers.  I also made up a thieves roll on (about 20 drops of thieves and the rest a fractionated coconut oil to dilute) in a roll on bottle and I roll that on the kids spines (and mine) and on their feet.  Not every day..  but def. when it seems that something is starting to come on..  or we're around someone who is sick..  or..  when I think of it!  Thieves can also be used ingested.. - you can put a drop under your tongue to ward off a sore throat.  Be careful though - it's spicey!  Or you can gargle it and swallow.  I have to be honest.. - I havn't gotten there yet!  For Lavender..  I diffuse it, put a drop on my hands and rub it on my pillow at night to help with sleeping.. and I've used it on a bad burn I had on my hand - it helps with healing and there is no scar!  I have also used it around Asher's ears, Hannah's ears and my own ears when I have felt an ear ache coming on.

So far - this winter - we're good!

If you are interested in finding out more about how oils could help your family - email me; Jamielindtner@gmail.com     I would love to see your family benefit from the use of oils just like our family has!


I am not a Dr and these products are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any diseases. The Oil images are from YoungLiving.  

It's a new year!

Well, I'm a wee bit late in the Happy New Year Department, but at least it's not February yet! Here's some highlights from the last month or so..

*  We had a fun Christmas, kids enjoyed being off from school and we spent some of Christmas break working on my mom's kitchen and hanging out with her new puppy dog Sadie - which was fun!

 * The transition back to school as been..  well, more rough for some..  but, we are getting there.

 Hannah has started gymnastics at the Y while Asher does a PFX Training class which he is loving.

 I'm trying to motivate myself back into running, while John runs circles around me.

We had a 'reveal' party at youth - revealing where we are headed this summer for our mission trip.  We are ALL excited about the beach!  And we are looking forward to helping repair some houses that had been damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

We even got a little bit of snow.  Now can spring please come?

Let's talk Oils.

I am not a die hard fan of anything really..  I'm pretty flexible when it comes to most products.  I go for inexpensive and covenient.

And then, I got into oils.  Young Living Essential Oils to be specific.  And I can't get enough.  I am loving them.  And after nearly 5 months of using them, I'm ready to start sharing about how we, as a family, have benefitted from them.

I first started to use oils in September because I wanted to find something natural to help with Hannah's allergies.  I really did not want to resort to giving her medicine every single day but she needed something.  Her allergies are constant.  Her eyes bother her most - they get red, itchy, weepy..  so a friend told me that a combination of Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon - diffused or rolled directly onto the bottom of her feet or the back of her neck - can help.  Instead of just ordering those 3 oils, I ordered the starter kit - which included 11 oils, some information about the oils and a diffuser.

Ya'll..  I love diffusing.  My kids LOVE the oils.  And.. they work.  For Real.

Hannah doesn't take any meds for her allergies.  I'm sure come spring - I'll need to be even more on top of her w/ the oils, - diffusing this combination every day as well as rolling them on her every day, but for now I will occasionaly diffuse the combo of Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon - at night in her room to help.  No more itchy eyes.  No more weepy, watery eyes.  and her congestion is so much better.

We use the oils for lots of other things too..
    *  Peace and Calming and Lavender - I diffuse at night to help with sleeping.  Asher is all over Peace and Calming.  He says, it helps him sleep.  We didn't have it for a while and he kept asking me - when will we get it..  once it came and I put it on his feet at night - he responded by saying.. "Now, I can finally get some sleep!".
     * Thieves.. - this is one of my favorite.  It has kept us healthy this fall/winter.  I'll write another post on that soon.  Thieves is a MUST HAVE.
     * Valor - totally helped me on those long runs when I was training for the half marathon.
   

I'm a huge fan.  I feel like these oils have helped us to be healthier and have provided an alternative way to dealing with health issues instead of over the counter meds.

Email me at JamieLindtner@gmail.com - if you are interested in learning more about Young Living Oils.  I'd love to share our experience with the oils and how they can help you!

2014 books

I love hearing about what others are reading, going to bookstores and looking through books, collecting books on my nightstand....  yep - I've got a whole stack of books to read just sitting there.  I love books with pretty covers..  how can you not read it if it looks pretty?  Seriously!  So, in case you're looking for some good books to read..  here's some books that I've read through this past year.

Bread and Wine  

This was one of my favorie books that I read this past year.  Maybe a foavorite book of all times.  LOVED her stories, her emphasis on community and intentional relationships.  And, she writes about her favorite recipes too.  Win win!

The Shack

This book shook me to my core.  Oh. My. Word.  It's a story about a man who gets a note from Papa  (God) to come meet Him at the very shack where his daughter was brutally murdered.  What happens at that shack is a beautiful conversation between this man and the different persons of the Trinity.  I was so drawn into the development and characterization of the persons of the Trinity.  The hard questions that are asked, that we all want to ask God - and the responses.  The way that God meets us where we are but then draws us out of that.  Amazing.  It's a hard read, but it was a tremendously eye opening read.  

The Circle Maker

I was given this book over the summer by a pastor in Washington DC.  He was dreaming big and praying big and for a day my youth group and I were a part of preparing an old building to be a Christian school for kids.  This book challenged me in how I pray.  It challenged me in persevering in my prayers and in expecting our big God to do big things.  

Lean On Me

I was drawn to the cover of this book - look how pretty it is!  This was another book about intentional community.  It took me a while to get into it - but once I was - I was drawn in by the authors story.  She went through a time of darkness, lonliness and she speaks on how her community of people led her through this.  I love the model of community she talks about.  The need to be vulnerable and to go deep with people  - our longing for that intimacy and connections.  It's a good read!  

I'm sure I read more, but these are the books that I remember and stood out to me!  What books have you read this past year that are worth a mention?  

Being Significant as Moms

Yesterday at the MOPS group I'm involved with, I sat with a couple of other moms and we talked about how hard being a mom is.  We shared stories of what surprised us about motherhood.  We wrestled with dark, hidden things of motherhood that no one ever tells you.  We struggled through the trap of undermining the work we do as mothers by tossing the phrase 'just a mom' around when asked what we do.  We gave ourselves permission to say that who we are and what we do as moms is important work, significant work and no less valuable then those sitting in conference rooms disucssing plans to change the world.

There are a lot of things about motherhood that I did not realize.  Like the constancy of it.  It's all day, every day.  We don't get to 'turn it off'.  We don't stop being a mom or thinking like a mom just because our kids go to school or off to bed.  Mom..  it feels our entire being, our doing.  And ya'll - that is significant.

Remember those early days and even more  - those nights with newborn babies.  The darkness of the house.  The silence..  except for that little baby and his crying.  all...  night...  long...  No one tells you how hard those nights are.  How tired you will be.  How frustrated you get.  Trying to learn how to nurse and how much that hurts and the emotions after giving birth..  Goodness - whose body is that and what in the world is it doing?

Or the disciplining of children.  What is right?  what works?  and how in the world am I to help my children become kind, responsible, hard working, generous, loving, selfless human beings?  Some days it feels impossible.

The exhaustion.  Feeling totally unprepared for these little people and their constant questions and needs and requests and arguments and defiance.  Oh my word, the defiance gets me every time.   And how is there any significance in doing dishes every single day and yet the sink is never empty?  The toy rooms that never stays clean.  The mundance of doing wash, folding wash, putting wash away..  me?  a mom?  significant?

YES!  moms..  and you too dads...  the work that we do as parents of our little people - it is so significant.  As I fold socks, I pray for the paths those little feet will walk upon and that they will always follow after Christ.  We hold hands and redirect behavior and pray that those little hands will always be gentle with others.  We clear the toys and make room for new messes and we let our children be children who pull every single thing out and giggle with innocence and excitement and then we teach them how to clean up toys so some day they know how to clean up bigger messes and they can go into the world and make a difference.  Those snuggles in the morning when the sun is not even up yet help little ones to start the day feeling safe and loved and brave and valued and some day we will sleep again, but not today, not when our babies need our arms around them.

We may not be bringing home big paychecks, or shaking hands with other CEO's  or executives or well dressed people every day planning meetings and building company's and saving lives on the surgical table.  We may go days without fully brushing our hair or getting out of our yoga pants.  Some days the only conversation we have will be with our children and our husbands.   But momma's..  hear this.
YOU ARE SIGNIFICANT.  The work we do in raising our tiny human people, in teaching them manners, in helping them learn to read and do math and build towers - it is important.  The hugs, the kisses, the yes's and the no's: the books read over and over again; the child hanging on our leg while we are trying to make dinner; the conversations over homework, or in the car or at bedtime..  the work in the house and on the house that isn't getting done because we are being moms  - it is all important.  Be significant in who you are as a mom.  Those little people are worth it.

Be Still

Psalm 46
- God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  THEREFORE, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging....  

Though wars rage, and children hurt other children with words and actions, and mommas whose job it is to keep their little ones safe who instead become abusers and OH, when precious children know NO love and endure such atrocities and when schools evacuate and parents worry and police are called in to the very halls where our children walk.  Though, harsh words and inpatient spirits and starving children and more pain this my heart can handle...

Though...

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she WILL NOT fall; God will help her at the break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms falls

HE LIFTS HIS VOICE, The Earth Melts.  

The Lord Almighty is With US!!  The God of Jacob is our FORTRESS!!  

Be Still and KNOW that I Am GOD.  

I will be exalted among the nations.  I will be exalted in all the earth.  

The Lord Almighty is with us' the God of Jacob is our Fortress.  

Needing my sweet Jesus' reassurances this morning as I grieve the hard stuff in this world.  God is God and he voice alone makes the earth melt.  Today, I am resting in the presence of God, In his victory, in his mercy and in his grace.  Maybe you need that comfort to?  

Thursday Thoughts

It is cold.  Fall is here..  officially.  It's cozy pajama's and blankets and warm socks around here these days. 

   Last weekend I went away with some youth last weekend to serve with The Philadelphia Project which rocked.  We had a blast!  We worshipped Jesus and just laughed a lot and we got to serve some precious homeowners.  LOVE my job!  LOVE my students.  They make my job easy and so much fun and they inspire me daily.  

Liking this quote by CS Lewis; - "I Need Christ, Not Something that Resembles Him" 

~Jamie