The Essentials Experience

A friend of mine recently started using Essential Oils, and she raved about how amazing they were and how quickly they worked and how many different uses they had . . . and I was happy they worked for her, but I was still fairly skeptical as to just how well they actually worked.  Then I went to visit, and I tried several of the oils myself, and my skepticism melted away.  Here are a few reasons why (and these are all true stories from myself and friends):

1. Elevation.  This blend does just that -- it elevates your attitude and mindset when you're feeling blue and helps you stay happy and joyful, or at least pleasant.  And it smells amazing.
2. PastTense.  This blend works wonders on headaches of all kinds, including migraines.  A friend of mine gets terrible migraines, and I had her try this oil.  Within ten minutes, her migraine had disappeared.  Sounds too good to be true, right?  Well, it isn't.  And this one also smells amazing . . . like cool and calming peppermint.
3. Balance.  This blend is great for stress and depression -- both of which apply to my life in various degrees.  I'm still waiting on my own bottle to arrive in the mail, but when I was testing this one with my friend during my visit, it really did help balance out my emotions.  I'm looking forward to testing this out during finals, which are rapidly approaching.
4. Deep Blue.  Have you ever had deep, hard knots in your shoulders that no amount of massages or gels or medicine will melt away?  Try this oil in a lotion.  It works wonders!  It soothes sore muscles, painful joints, and melts away the tight knots.
5. Lemon.  Breathing in lemon takes care of my runny noses within minutes.
6. Serenity.  This blend is for peace, tranquility, and, most importantly, SLEEP!  (I'm still waiting on my bottle of this in the mail as well.)  The few nights I tried this were the most restful ones I've had in a very long time.  I recommend it to anyone who has trouble sleeping -- students, mothers, children, parents, people who keep strange hours.
7. Slim & Sassy.  This blend helps increase your metabolism, especially in problem areas, and also helps curb your appetite.  
8. Peppermint.  Another "miracle" oil, peppermint takes care of motion sickness and nausea (as we discovered on a very long traffic jam) as well as giving you a "wake-up" boost if you smell it.
9. Sunburn.  A mixture of frankincense, lavender, melaluca, and lemon with coconut oil does wonders for sunburn.  I had a pretty red burn, so I mixed this up and applied it overnight.  In the morning, the burn was practically gone.  You can find the recipe here: DIY Sunburn Relief. 

You can also use the oils for household cleaning, for creating your own spa products such as lotions, sugar scrubs, face cleansers, etc., and as a plethora of other remedies.  Pinterest has been a lifesaver and somewhat addicting in this area.  You can view my Essential Oils board, or you can create your own Pinterest account here and start pinning your own oil blends.

I use the doTERRA oils.  There are other brands out there available.  The important thing to look for is natural and pure oils.  A helpful tip is diluting the oils with fractionated coconut oil or another carrier oil in order to make them last longer.  While an individual bottle may be expensive (depending on the type of oil), the power of a single drop is enormous.

Still not convinced?  Don't take my word for it.  Conduct your own research.  Here's a helpful guide for all the skeptics out there: A Skeptic's Guide to Essential Oils.  All I can tell you is that I'm amazed at how well they work for me, and I hope they work for you as well.

Till The Jar Overflows . . .

I posted a while back about how fitting everything in is hard, and it's easier if we imagine our individual life as a jar and all of the things we need to fit in as different sized rocks -- with God being the biggest, which goes in first, and then progressively smaller as the importance dwindles.  You can read the full post HERE.

Lately, I'm realizing that even if you put everything in the jar in its proper order, you can still overfill it and simply create even more of a mess than when you started.  But let me start at the beginning.

Over the years, I have prided myself on being able to multi-task and get everything done in record time, and with high quality results.  I have always managed to do my chores, and my homework, and play with my sisters or go to class, and work, and participate fully in extra-curriculars, and visit with friends, and spend time with my family, and still have time for me and recuperation.  I always hated saying "no" to someone because I hated the knowledge that they needed me, and I was being selfish by saying "no" simply because I was a little too tired or just wanted some "me" time.

Since I started law school, however, things have changed . . . rather slowly at first, but I'm beginning to feel the full effects.  When I started law school, my father hoped I'd finally be challenged -- that it would be something where I'd really have to work my brain.  Well, he was wrong . . . at least the first year.  And now, even in my third year, the classes really aren't all that difficult, by and large, so long as I study.  My hardest obstacle as far as law school itself is concerned has been overcoming my frank distaste for the whole area of education.  (I have never desired the path of a lawyer, yet here I am.  That's a tale for another time . . . but it involves the work of the Holy Spirit, and here I am finishing my law degree and pursuing the dream of being a librarian once I graduate.)  But back to obstacles, the law school classes haven't been all that hard, especially the first year -- so it's been easy enough for me to balance a 15-17 credit load with a 20+ hour work week on top of two choirs, an intense editorial position on an extra curricular, friends, dating, family, school clubs, babysitting, teaching piano lessons, and . . . well, you get the picture.  Even now, looking at that list, I can see why my boss is a bit worried that I'm overextending myself.

Thus far, I've been fairly successful at balancing everything in my life, and I've never really had to say "no" to anyone.  Sure, I was taxed to the max last year (including a roller coaster dating relationship, but thankfully that's steadied out quite a bit now).  I blamed all my stress and emotional breakdowns on the continual highs and lows of dating (since it was a completely new experience for me), but looking back, I begin to wonder if some of that stress came from the simple fact that I stretched myself in too many directions . . . like chocolate pudding spread across too much ham. (For that reference, watch THIS MOVIE.)  Sure, a lot of it was from the dating, but I can't blame all of my problems on that alone.  Especially since that particular area of my life is mellowing out, what with better communication and understanding.

Regardless, I was positive coming into this third year of law school that I could "do it all."  I was balancing 15 credits, an executive board position on Law Review, 20 hours working at the law library every week, a board position on the St. Thomas More Society, being schola mistress for two choirs, babysitting and teaching piano to three children every week, weekly Skype nights with my best friends far away, weekly girls' nights with my friends here, keeping in touch with family, and dating an awesome guy.  Sounds a bit tiring, I suppose.  But honestly, at the beginning of the semester, life seemed as "easy" as it always had been . . . sure, I was scheduled practically every minute of every day, but I could handle it.

Not so.  I had more emotional breakdowns this semester than I've had in my entire life.  (That may be a slight exaggeration, but it's fairly accurate.)  Most of them came unexpectedly, and I had no clue why I was crying . . . so I just sat there crying into Boyfriend's shoulder while he held me and waited patiently until I could figure out the jumbled mess in my brain of why I was so upset this time.  And without fail, the root of my stress and emotions was stretching myself too far and having too many commitments.  And so slowly, one by one, I began to let things go.  Well, not really . . . but I dropped one choir, and the other one has been waiting in the wings until life slows down a bit for everyone involved, including me.  Even now, I find it hard to believe I've made it this far without a complete breakdown.  And I know that's only because I've had such amazing people in my life who helped me through all those hard times.  You know who you are.  I love you!

All of this leads to my boss's comment the other day about how I need to take care of myself and not do too much.  At the time, I just brushed him off and said I'd take care of myself.  But then I sat down to think about everything I do, and I decided he's right.  I need to cut back . . . unfortunately, a majority of my commitments are year-long, so there's no backing out now.  But there are a few more things I can trim down so that I have time to breath.  Not that it's going to be easy.  Like I said before, I hate saying "no" to people.  Especially people who rely on me.  But I'm getting better at determining when and how I can best help people, and if I drive myself into the ground with an unceasing stream of "yes, I'll help you"'s, then I won't be able to help anybody.  And there has never been anything more relieving and wonderful than the beauty of saying "no" when I really needed to do so.  Sure, it still hurts a bit to have to "let people down," but I know it's for the best.

Here's to a new year and new resolutions.  To balancing life and focusing on what's really important.  To saying "no."  To giving thanks for the amazing people in my life.  To praising God for all of the blessings He continually bestows upon me.  To taking care of myself now and always so that I can be of service to those around me.

Beauty of the Written Word

The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought,

this in turn makes us think more deeply about life,

which helps us regain our equilibrium. ~ Norbet Platt

Handwritten letters . . . ideas turned into reality . . . imagination recorded.  If our world were devoid of the written world, how would we function?  If there were no means of promulgating the creativity and wonder of our human intellect, how would we discover all the world can offer?  It is the combination of language and writing that allows the human race to communicate effectively with one another, even across vast distances.  It is this same combination that allows us to record our thoughts and ideas for posterity and to create a world where we can live together.

For me, there is nothing quite like picking up a book off the shelf and skimming through the pages, drawing in the knowledge contained therein just waiting for me to discover it.  Maybe that's why I love working in a library so much -- I get to work with books and to extend my love of the written word to others around me.  Granted, by and large my work revolves around the legal system and finding the correct case law or statutes, but even there I appreciate the beauty of the written word because it enables us to begin with a common ground when addressing a problem.  There is such depth and richness to the written word, so much so that we often need assistance in truly understanding the meaning behind what the black letters say.  Yet this is only another reason to appreciate the written word because it guides us along a path of bettering our own intellect as we search for truth and understanding of the world around us. 

While I understand that not everyone shares my passion for the written word, I challenge you to consider what our world would be like without it.  What would you do if suddenly all our laws were merely promulgated by word-of-mouth?  Or if your favorite restaurant only provided a menu from their server?  Or if the street signs disappeared, and you had to make your way through town based on landmarks?  And what about if all those stories you heard as children suddenly disappeared because nobody remembered them since they were never written down?  It's a sobering thought.  The written word allows us to express our human intellect and to share it with those around us.  Keep that in mind the next time you read the signs on the subway or flip through the pages of your newspaper.  The written word keeps us connected.

Giving It Up

I've been struggling with trusting God and His plan for my life, and I finally found some true peace about all of it.  I know there's a plan, and I know that it's fabulous.  And I can hardly wait to turn the page and see what happens next.


I gave it all to God tonight
Offered up all control
Chose Him as my guiding light
To solve my rigmarole.


My dreams and visions set aside
And sole trust placed with Him
I sit and wonder
Watching them grow dim.


Slipping slowly through my hands
All human plans begin to dwindle
And yet unfettered springs to life
A hope begins to kindle.


I haven't met my soulmate yet
Perhaps I never will
But there's this sense I can't forget
A peaceful, happy thrill.


My trust stays strong
And my thoughts remain
With God they belong
And the sense comes again.


A sense of security
Of hope and of love
Filled with all purity
And sent from above.


And deep down inside
My vocation rings true
With God as my guide
I'm heading to you.


And just as our love
For God must shine bright,
Such love will reflect
In our own loving light.


In God is my trust
Never to falter
Whatever He plans
As my Heavenly Father.


Whether wedded to Him
Or a white blushing bride
I've offered my everything
In His heart I reside.


I pray, God, for grace
To pursue You farther
To deepen my trust
As Your loving daughter.


Grant me, I pray
Your eyes of true clarity
To follow Your path
With unwavering certainty.


Till death do us part
My heart will be yours
Once our Father reveals
The keys to the door.

Looking for a Fairytale

Flipping through the faded pages
Fading into a fantasy
Fighting demons and slaying dragons
Escaping to the realm of imagination


We're all looking for a fairytale
Sword of justice; shield of truth
Seeking our happily ever after
Beneath the ashes, beauty blooms


Day in, day out, trudging through reality
Toils and struggles rising everywhere
Mankind's despair ever mounting
Why can't we live in our storybooks


We're all looking for a fairytale
Sword of justice; shield of truth
Seeking our happily ever after
Beneath the ashes, beauty blooms


Yet isn't this what the heroes battle
Constantly facing thorny barriers
A closer look, a keener eye
Reveals a parallel design.


We're all looking for a fairytale
Sword of justice; shield of truth
Seeking our happily ever after
Beneath the ashes, beauty blooms


Life is a gift, a fantastical adventure
Watch me seize the opportunity with both hands
The more you seek, the clearer you'll find
All fantasy finds its root in reality


We're all looking for a fairytale
Sword of justice; shield of truth
Seeking our happily ever after
Beneath the ashes, beauty blooms