Busy Season

So Sorry I've been MIA lately! have you ever just hit a point where everything seems to be taking up all of your time and energy? Well that's been me lately! I've been really busy with my husband, our girls, and life. It's like I can't get the time I'd like to just breath and write. Plus my computer crashed so that created a whole other slew of issues. I'll be getting back to regular posting soon.

But just to give you a little update:

-The eczema salve seems to be helping and I've been learning more about the root causes and have a few posts that I plan on writing to share with you all.

-We got a new (to us) car! Which is super exciting, especially if you remember what happened to our old one.

-The 90 day reading plan is going great and we're pretty far in. I really feel like I'm getting a lot from it. (still not too late for you to join in!)

I think that's all for right now. But I will definitely be back after the all the excitement from the chagim! In the mean time I pray that you all have a blessed Pesach, Chag HaMatzot, Frist Fruits and/or Resurrection Day!

90 Days in the Word: Wrap Up #2

I can barely believe we're just about a quarter way through reading the Bible chronologically in 90 days! If you started reading on March 1st then today is day 18, and if you've completed your readings that means... You've read all of Genesis, Job, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers! What an amazing accomplishment. If you haven't started it's still not too late. The plan has no dates so you can always start whenever you want. 

This week's group of scriptures contained one of my favorite passages. The one about Balaam and his donkey :o) I always get something when I read this passage but this time what stood out to me most was the questioning of Elohim's authority. In chapter 22 verse 13 we read: 

"And Elohim said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed."

That's an end of discussion answer. But when Balak sent his messengers to offer more to Balaam, he decided to ask Elohim AGAIN even though he had an answer. NO. 

Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what YHVH will say unto me more. And Elohim came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. And Elohim's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of YHVH stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him. -Num 22:19-22

In the past I didn't understand why Elohim was angry. I always felt like it was a set up. One of those you tell me to go and then you get made kind of a deals. But verse 32 clears that up. 

And the angel of YHVH said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine donkey these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

What Balaam did was perverse, or reckless, before Elohim. But what did Balaam do? He didn't obey. Instead of being obedient to the Word of YHVH he allowed his greed to give him reason to search for a way out. Like a child who says "I know you said I have to eat all me peas, but, look I ate three. Is that enough?"

That revelation really made me question my heart and my motives. Do I seek to obey YHVH even when I'd rather do something else? Or am I like Balaam seeking to please myself more then YHVH?

...choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve YHVH. -Joshua 24:15

DIY: Eczema Rescue Salve

I mentioned before that our youngest has eczema, and that it's something we are really hoping to treat with herbs. So I read up on herbs that are good for treating eczema topically and decided to make this herbal salve. The method I used is the basic method for making a salve so it can be done with whatever herbs you want. 

Here's what I did:

First I made an herbal oil infusion. This can be done quickly in a crockpot or over a few weeks in a jar. I chose the quick method, using echinacea, comfrey, and plantain. I put the herbs in my crockpot and then covered them with olive oil (coconut may be a better oil for this, but we avoid it because of allergies). I let them sit for about an hour on low and then switched it to warm for 2 more hours. You have to know your crockpot to determine the heat settings, because having it too hot will fry your herbs. 

After the herbs and oil cooled I strained out the oil. You can use a cheese cloth or a clean cotton cloth to strain it, make sure to squeeze the herbs to get out all the oily goodness. Then slowly heat the oil on the stove.

Gradually add in your beeswax. Mine came in little pieces but if you have a brick then you need to grate it so that you have small pieces. I didn't measure this step I just added some and then tested to see if it was the right consistency. 

Drip some of your oil wax mixture onto a plate to test the consistency. It  should cool quickly so you'll know if it's right. Mine was just how I wanted it on the first test. but if yours isn't then add more wax to harden it or more oil to soften it. 

Once it was the right consistency I poured it in a bowl and stirred it until it cooled. This is important because if you don't stir it the oil and wax will separate. 

Once it cooled  I poured the mixture into a tin and smoothed out the top. I also had my hubby make a cute label since it's for a cute little girl :o)

I'm only planning to use this to get her condition under control. After that I'll use it sort of as a spot treatment. It's also good for cuts, scraps, and bug bites. The salve should last for a few years, but if you want to add to it's shelf life you can add some vitamin E oil. 

...and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. 

-Ezekiel 47:12

Linking up with: Health 2day Wednesday, Eco Kids Tuesdays

Happy *BIBLICAL* New Year!

The new year is upon us and you know what that means??? Pesach {Passover} is right around the corner! 

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. -Exodus 12:1-2

In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover. -Leviticus 23:5

With Pesach comes some SERIOUS spring cleaning in order to get the chametz {leaven} out of our homes, and hearts. 

Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. -Exodus 12:15-20

There are SO many products that have leaven in them. So as you'r preparing for Pesach remember to read ALL labels. When in doubt I just make sure to get products that are labeled kosher for passover, which saves me a little bit of hassle. I'm also planning to make my own matzah! We will most likely be buying some but I'm going to make some as well. Our meals will probably get pretty creative since we eat a lot of bread around here. 

The big clean will be starting soon and we'll be very careful about what we bring into the house. 

What are some of your tips for cleaning and staying leaven free? 

My Bulk Herb Store Order!

I am so excited about my order! I can't wait to get my herbs organized and start making tinctures and infusions. I have some tutorials and experiments that I'll be posting soon, so be on the look out for those. 

When I first showed my hubby the herbs I wanted  to purchase he was like "hooooold on"! It's not the the herbs were expensive, he's just really good at keeping me on track financially :o)  But once I showed him that I had already spent more than $50 on syrups and tinctures in the past month, he was totally on board. It's so much cheaper to make things yourself. 

All the herbs and accessories you see in the picture cost less than $100! And we're stocked up for a good while. Pretty much any issues that might come up we're prepared for, which was my first goal. Next I want to stock up on things for day to day heath and well being. 

There are SO MANY uses for the herbs I purchased so I'll just name a few:

Comfrey Leaf: anti-inflammatory good for speeding up the healing of wounds, and promotes cell regrowth. 

Dried Elderberries: good for cold, flu, sore throat, fever, constipation, allergies. 

Echinacea: good for acne, ear infection, fever, sore gums, insect bites, stings, eczema, antibiotic, strep throat.

Nettle Leaf: good for burns, eczema, asthma, anemia, high blood pressure, hair loss.

Plantain Leaf: good for eczema, bites, stings, cuts, rashes, tooth ache, poison ivy, constipation, liver issues.   

Yarrow Flower: good for colds, flu, fever, pneumonia, menstruation, chicken pox,  urinary problems, circulation, diarrhea. 

Red Raspberry Leaf: There are so many benefits to this herb that I probably could devote a whole post to it! "It is filled with essential minerals and vitamins like magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin C, E, A and B complex. It also contains easily assimilated calcium and iron." -Bulk Herb Store

Henna Leaf Powder: This herb is for my hair, I will use it as a treatment for strengthening and conditioning. 

As you can see a few of these herbs are for eczema and that is because my youngest has eczema and we're on the hunt to heal her. But enough about me I have something for you!MARCH PROMO CODES!!! These codes are good until March 31st or while supplies last.  

Making Vegetables Book (pre-order) $12.95 (normally $19.95)- MARMVB

Organic Alfalfa $2.94 (normally $4.20) - MARALF

Black Walnut Hull Powder $3.29 (normally $4.70) - MARNUT

Erin's Super Green Drink $10.47 (normally $14.95)- MARGRN

Pomergrante Green Tea  $6.27 (normally $8.95)- MARPOM

Organic Lemon Peel $7.28 (normally $10.40)- MARLEM

Even if you don't want to purchase any of these items stop by the bulk herb store and check out their wide selection. The prices are reasonable and shipping is a flat rate!

Oh and here is a sneak peek of my herb cabinet before it's stocked. Can't wait to show you the after picture!

...and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. -Ezekiel 47:12

*this post contains affiliate links

Making the Switch to Glass

Awhile ago I mentioned that we were making the switch from plastic storage to glass. But I didn't realize how expensive that could be! So we've started to switch gradually. Since we've had to get a little creative with our switch I thought others might benefit from reading about some of the things we're doing. 

Purchased glassware- So far I have purchased a set of 3 pyrex containers, 7 cups, 4 cups, and 2 cups for $15. I purchased a set of 6 containers from Pampered Chef all 1 cup for $7 because I had a party and earned some credit. I highly recommend doing this. I would of gotten more glassware but I really wanted a pizza stone which I get totally for free. It's probably one of the easiest ways to get glassware for free and it's great quality. 

Cheap glassware- Craig's list is actually a great place to find cheap jars and glass storage. I was kind of surprised at how much was available, if you're looking to buy cheap glassware this is definitely a viable option. Another option is thrift stores, you'd have to search in order to find what you want but that can be half the fun! 

Free glassware- I have been saving the glass from everything I buy! I also have my family saving their glass too. I'm planning to use most of this glass for storing herbs and concoctions. But jars are also great for storing left overs. I actually got my favorite jars this way. They have measurement markers on them so they will definitely be used for making tinctures and infusions. 

I hope some of these tips can help you. Switching to glass is a small step that can help lead to better heath for you and your family. 

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. -3 John 1:2


I'm linking up with Healthy 2day Wednesdays, and Simple Living Thursdays

90 Days in the Word: Week 1 Wrap Up

Kind of hard to believe that it's already been a week since the 90 days in the Word challenge began! Actually it's been a little longer than a week but I wanted to make sure enough time went by before I started doing the wrap ups.

So, in just 10 Short days we've read All of Genesis, Job, and Exodus! How cool is that? Getting through all this reading in 10 days is no small feat! If you're reading along you should be so proud of yourself. The facebook group has been awesome. There have been great testimonies of what Elohim is doing through this reading challenge and I'm enjoying having the encouragement. If you're reading along and on fb let me know and I'll invite you to the group.

If you aren't reading along but would like to start you can find the chart here. Don't worry about catching up just start now and keep going for 90 days. You can even still join the fb group if you want.

A theme that I'm noticing as I read is that YHVH is in complete control. I already knew that intellectually but through out this time that I've been reading I'm feeling it more and more. I'm finding so much peace in my Abba's presence. From how He provided for Adam and Eve, to the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, YHVH was in it all. And not only was He there and in control, He was longing for connection and ready to offer grace when mistakes were made. His grace has ALWAYS been sufficient and abundant. I love that this is what He's choosing to show me.

The whole point of this reading challenge is to spend more time in the Word. Each day's assignment takes about 30 minutes to do. You'll be amazed at how refreshing that time can be and how connected to YHVH you will feel. But don't take my word for it try it yourself, even if you don't follow this plan I encourage you to aim to spend more time than you already do reading His Word. You won't be sorry you did.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -Psalm 119:105