NOTE: I began this post a couple years ago and finally decided to finish it. Several tries later, as an hour’s work accidently got deleted AGAIN, I think I’ve finally overcome the enemy’s reluctance to me writing this post.
Essential Oils are all the rage at this time in our culture. It goes along with the quest for health, youth and healing. It’s a luxury, an ancient natural cure for what ails you. With a myriad of uses; some very old, some quite newly discovered, let’s dig into what the Bible has to say about oil, since that’s where this all began. Typing “oil” into a Bible search, I got 207 results, so I’ll try to cover a few Scriptures by categories.
Food: Oil was essential to mix with grains to create bread. The Lord did many miracles of multiplying the oil as with the widows in the Old Testament. In 1Kings 5 and again in chapter 17, Samuel first decrees that Hiram shall be provided with “twenty kors of pressed oil” along with wheat to feed his family each year. Chapter 17 tells the story of the widow who was blessed… her oil jar did not run dry until the rain again fell on the land.
Anointing: Starting in the book of Exodus, almost every book of the Bible talks about anointing things with oil for offerings, appointing kings and priests, mixing with other items like flour, to make a sweet savor for God. Note: the specific mixture of oil God told the priests to mix for the holy offering was not to be used for any other purposes.
Beauty: Esther 2:12 Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women.
Healing: Mark 6:13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. The story of the Good Samaritan: Luke 10:34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine;
Health: Hebrews 1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” [Proverbs 17:22A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.]
For myself, my chiropractor turned me on to essential oils several years ago. She gave her patients lavender peanut oil that her mother mixed for her. It’s great for sore joints and muscles. Also, my nephew and his wife made lavender oil spray for their wedding favors, good for room spray, linen spray, and many other uses. I found a basic book that has guided my use of essential oils,
Aromatherapy Made Easy Simple Step-by-step Guide To Using Essential Oils by Christine Wildwood. I also found do TERRA has an essential oil chemistry wheel you can download that helps visualize how the different oils interact. Of course, this goes beyond what the Bible says about oil; mostly olive oil. I generally use coconut oil and depending on what time of year, I mix some olive or avocado oil, with the essentials. My go-to oils are lavender, frankincense, and cedar wood. I mix one for bedtime and another for morning and oil myself from head to toe before I change clothes. It’s great for keeping moisture in after a shower/bath. Well, let’s talk about oil and unity. Remember, the Bible says Jesus was anointed with the oil of joy more than all His brethren!
Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore.
The blessing of dwelling together in unity! The Spirit is stressing unity in the Body of Christ in these days. In order to experience the fullness of abundant life in Jesus, we must learn to dwell in unity. This does not mean we agree on EVERYTHING, but it does mean we overcome our differences- which make us unique- and come into unity in the Spirit. We need to focus on the major truths and minor on the major dividers the world brings in. The first photo is my young friend Arie, and the second photo was taken at My Father’s House orphanage in Port Au Prince, Haiti in February 2015. I am preparing to embark on my first mission trip since then, Tanzania 2023, February 7-22, 2023. The unity in the Spirit is never more noticeable than when we quickly bond with others that we have never seen before and that we do not share a language/culture with.
I leave you with another display of God’s glory, taken on a day trip to visit our son Alex’s family. As my husband says, I don’t often get to see the sunrise, especially in January!
NOTE: I love all people because God made each one of us and loves each of us the same. Walking in love does not mean condoning sin, even my own!
This movement has hijacked God’s rainbow, the word ‘queer’, the word ‘gay’… I pity the young person who tries to read and understand some of the older classic books which use these words with different meanings! So, is truth relative according to the prevailing culture… does it change? The Bible is truth that comes from our God who does not change. Jesus is The Truth, and always will be the only way to eternal life. In an attempt to be non-discriminatory, our schools have aided and abetted the enemy’s plans to corrupt young children and prevent them from fulfilling their God-given destinies. The devil sees abortion is not killing enough infants, so these plans keep them from being conceived. It allows a same sex “married” couple to adopt a child. 
God created human beings male and female from the start. He made our bodies to create and raise children to populate the earth, giving us dominion and authority to subdue and rule over the earth He created for us. If you research the Hebrew, both male and female are Adom – man and wo-man; a man with a womb. This makes us mankind. 
Some people say the Bible doesn’t say anything about homosexuality. Must be they’re not reading the versions I have read! Let’s look at what it says. I am using the NIV. Dr. Kevin Zadai uses it frequently and lovingly calls it the ‘Nearly-Inspired Version‘. The first verse is from the part of the book of Exodus that lays down God’s Law for sexual conduct.
It would seem unloving for God to destroy people who perverted God’s sexual design [as you read in Exodus 22], but if the Israelites had obeyed God and put to death those who practice immorality, the sins would have been removed from society and not passed on to the generations. The New Testament compares sexual immorality to the worst sins and depravity that come from the human heart.
Well, I did not load Natty down with all these Scriptures, but the pertinent ones, and reminded her to speak the truth in love.
Her Mom gave me a good report: “She told the teacher, ‘I hope you don’t hate me, but I believe marriage is between a man and a woman and don’t believe in homosexuality.'” Her teacher said she doesn’t hate her. Nat’s mom told me the teacher loves Natty and she’s one of her favorite students! That is what the favor of the Lord looks like on a humble, respectful Believer who stands up for truth [in love] instead of political correctness or pat facts. If we don’t step up and walk in the Spirit’s boldness, the youngsters will put us to shame! Last Sunday a twelve-year-old girl stood up and shared a prophetic dream she had that set many people free. May we all walk in the Spirit, know and speak the truth, and keep loving God and loving others at the forefront.
Have your “friends” inundated you with horror stories about the Covid-19 vaccine? It has caught me between the no-vaccine group and the get-me-a-shot ASAP! The talk with the ASAP group is, “How/where can we sign up to get one?” Even my husband’s doctor didn’t know how. Another one is, “I’m scheduled for one in a month, two hours away.” My husband was waiting after his immunization and got a text from our local pharmacy offering an appointment it took us an entire afternoon to drive to and from the clinic he had the appointment for. They schedule your second shot while you’re at the appointment for the first one, so there’s no reason to take an appointment at another venue. They also give you a sheet on symptom tracking and a number to call if you go to your doctor after the immunization. You get the second Pfizer 21 days after, Moderna 28 days after. The next ones being developed will be a one-shot deal, but only give 75% protection instead of 90 I got this info confirmed on the CDC website. 
For the ‘anti-vaxxers’ group, there’re all kinds of fodder. Here’s a sample: 1. It’s developed using aborted baby parts 2. they put a tracer chip in to control you 3. things in the vaccine will alter your DNA 4. it will bring the ‘mark of the beast’ (for you fans of Apostle John’s Revelation). I went from not wanting it to, “Lord, if I get it, I’m trusting you to protect me from any complications.” So today, I signed up with our local pharmacy for alerts for appointments. I don’t expect one quickly, since I’ll only be 58 in May, have no major health concerns, and don’t work in a hazardous job. A friend of mine is on call for spill response cleanup and can’t respond to any calls until he gets immunized. The following is one link-there are several others available-providing appropriate answers to all the fear mongers, helping me decide.
You may wonder how these two topics today connect. Not as randomly as you think! We build altars to the medical community, to the government, to the Facebook community… Immunizations touch on ethical questions, generational beliefs and other similar topics. The elder population was around when the first vaccines became available. My mother grew up in that era and took us to the doctor and got us medications with minimal provocation. At five, she nearly died of Scarlet Fever and said if the doctor hadn’t come each day and lanced her throat so she could breathe, she would have died. The polio vaccine made it safe to go swimming in the community pool during hot summer vacation days again. The whooping cough vaccine saved babies. My point in all this is: a vaccine made available will be desired by most of this cohort. 
On the other hand, I have two friends who are young mothers whose sons have had problems since their first immunizations. One almost died. I question if the children are getting too many immunizations in too short a time. I think the immunizations my children got during the 1980s were enough of a load on their systems, and now there are several more added to the regimen, crammed into the same space of time. I know other parents who immunize, but not on the normal schedule. Breast-fed babies get immunity from their mother’s milk and shouldn’t need their own during that time period. If a preschool child isn’t in a group setting, they have lower risk of exposure and shouldn’t need the immunizations until school. Note: this is my own reasoning, not the medical community’s.
In conclusion, I want to encourage you to stay away from fear. The enemy can be compared to an alligator who does a death spiral to take its victim under, dismembering them piece by piece. I choose as an act of my will to refuse the bate and avoid the descent into fear and depression. My friends, choose life for the sake of your children and loved ones. Trust God for the good outcome that’s being prepared to end this time of trial. It’s à propos that our ladies’ group is beginning a study on the book of James, which begins thus: 
Musings along life's journey 