Sep 21, 2017 |
SuperGirl is at it again! This month, she shares the beauty and benefits of that timeless classic, lemon. If you get a chance, follow her on Twitter for more tips on how EOs are da best.
by Cara Pearson @ThatBedfordGal
Summer is almost gone. If you find yourself sighing for lazy summer days, why not keep the memory alive with a little lemon in your life?
I’ve always loved the tangy-sweet taste of lemon. I can’t tell you a favorite use for it—there’s just too many. Lemonade. A perfectly seasoned salmon steak with lemon and rosemary. Lemon Meringue Pie. It conjures up visions of careless days spent by the water’s edge.
You probably have already been told that the acidic content of lemon pulp can break down the enamel of your teeth. An essential oil won’t have the same effect. Why not, you ask? Because lemon essential oil is cold pressed from the rind of the fruit—not the pulp. You can flavor your favorite foods and beverages with the delicious benefits and fragrance of lemon without the acidic content.
Keep Summer Going with Lemon Essential Oils
Lemon essential oil has a high content of limonene, giving it a powerful punch in antioxidants and cleansers. I add a drop or two of lemon essential oil to my water to keep me hydrated and help cleanse, as it aids digestion and provides immune support. Lemon can be a great polish for your wood furniture. I love that I can go natural and use it in my cleaning—add several drops to a glass spray bottle with vinegar. It also boosts mood and deodorizes.
With such diverse options for this essential oil, it is no surprise that lemon is one of the most popular. Try substituting a drop or two in your favorite recipe calling for lemon juice. Essential oils are incredibly potent—for instance, one drop of peppermint oil equals 28 cups of peppermint tea! So one drop is usually more than enough. And when using EO’s in your cooking, add the oil towards the end, as high heat can cause much of the oil to vaporize and lose their potent quality in your food.
One of my new favorite ways to use lemon essential oil is as a room deodorizer. Slice a citrus of your choice, and hollow out a half. Fill this with coarse sea salt, and a drop or two of lemon. This will be good for about a week; it’s a lovely centerpiece and smells amazing!
You don’t have to say goodbye to summer just yet. You can carry those sunny-day feels into the hum-drum of winter with this citrus oil.
*When ingesting essential oils, it is important to only use CPTG (certified pure therapeutic grade). Many EO’s contain synthetics (think perfume) which have been added to dilute and stretch so as to offer lower prices. You wouldn’t drink perfume, so please don’t ingest essential oils with added synthetics. Take care of yourself!
**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
TWEET THIS: Keep Summer Going with Lemon Essential Oils @RealMojo68 @ThatBedfordGal #lemon #summer #essentialoils
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Enigmatic. Fragile. Tenacious. Reader. Writer. Musician. Grace. These are all words that describe Cara. A superhero/barista by day, she makes coffee and plots epic stories in the Deep South. Evenings, she can be found on the ranch, making her own natural skin and beauty products and helping others reach wellness goals through essential oils.
Sep 20, 2017 |
By Beckie Lindsey @BeckieLindsey_
It amazes me how I can go from praising the Lord while singing along with Christian music in my car, to yelling at the person who cut me off—almost simultaneously. But sometimes I react and then regret.
The second half of the scenario plays out like this: The driver who angered me speeds by, oblivious to my plight. The music begins to fade into the background and finally disappear. Now I’m left with an onslaught of negative, harassing thoughts like, What kind of Christian are you? You’re such a phony! A loser. “Real” Christians don’t have short fuses like you! When are you going to get better with this issue?
Beckie Lindsey: Condemnation vs Conviction
A lot of believers hear condemning thoughts, and some even think it’s God. My friends, that is a LIE!
God will NEVER tell you what a sorry loser you are.
I can prove it, too. Look at what Jesus had to say:
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ” (John 3:17)
As Christ followers, we must be able to discern what we are hearing in our minds: conviction from the Holy Spirit or condemnation from an unholy spirit.
Listen, this is super important because many of us waste valuable time wallowing in condemning thoughts that center around self. This is a major tactic of the enemy to keep us focused inward rather than upward on God and outward on our mission to a lost world in need of hope. We cannot offer hope to anyone if we have lost hope ourselves.
Condemnation renders us out of commission
to accomplish the Great Commission.
WHAT IS CONDEMNATION?
1: CENSURE, BLAME 2: the act of judicially condemning.
Condemnation comes from Satan. It is an attack designed to accuse and tear you down. Revelation 12:10 refers to Satan as the accuser of the brothers and sisters.
Condemnation continually points out what a failure you are, and how badly you’ve messed up. But the biggie is this:
Condemnation shows you the problem without offering a solution.
The Bible tells us “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
WHAT IS CONVICTION?
The Bible refers to conviction as godly sorrow. We will feel grieved in our spirit, but the grief leads us to the Father.
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10
Condemnation says, “You’re such a failure!” Conviction says, “Come to me and I will forgive you.”
“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18
The Holy Spirit will convict us when we sin. And that is a good thing because sin is a problem. Sin separates us from our holy God. Conviction feels a bit like an uncomfortable separation. A godly sense of sorrow. Along with godly sorrow comes the hope of forgiveness an opportunity for teaching and correction.
Satan will condemn and guilt, showing us the problem. God lovingly convicts, showing us the solution that leads to repentance. I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded of this…a lot. My prayer is this article served as a reminder of God’s wonderful nature to convict, forgive, and correct.
CONDEMNATION
Guilty
Depressed
Ashamed
Accused
Blame
Shows only the problem
CONVICTION
Godly sorrow
Teaches
Hope
Points to the Father
Helps
Shows the answer
When we mess up (and we will) and the negative thoughts begin (and they will too), we must train ourselves to STOP and ask, is this teaching me and pointing toward forgiveness? Or, is this accusing and showing me only the problem?
TWEET THIS: Will you allow God to work through you instead of allowing the enemy to work on you? @RealMojo68 @BeckieLindsey_
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Beckie Lindsey is an award-winning writer, poet, freelancer, and blogger. She is the editor of Southern California Voice, a division of One Christian Voice, LLC., a national news syndicating agency. She is the author of devotions, a devotional study journal, and the upcoming YA novel, Beauties from Ashes. She and her husband Scott have three adult children, two adorable cats and live in California. Learn more about Beckie at beckielindsey16.com.
Sep 19, 2017 |
by Mary Denman
Twitter: @MaryDenman
Instagram:@MaryFDenman
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Mary Denman photo tip
Have you ever taken a photo, expecting it to be a great shot, but when you see it later, you realize that it just didn’t have the effect you wanted?
Don’t worry, it happens to all of us!
Sometimes, this is the result of taking a picture that doesn’t have a clear subject or point to it. I know. I’ve been there.
So today, let’s see how to learn from our mistakes and take cleaner shots that are more powerful!
In this first photo, you can see my daughter with her silver lab and my cavalier puppy.
Mary Denman: cluttered photo
It’s cute, but there’s just not a clear focal point. The partial shot of the lamp and mirror is distracting. So are the blankets and half of my son. The picture is supposed to be about my daughter and our puppies being side by side.
How do you correct a problem like this?
TIP 1: CROP THE PICTURE ONCE IT’S ON THE COMPUTER.
Mary Denman: girl & puppies
Doesn’t this look so much better?
If you’ll notice, I took a landscape shot, but then cropped it to portrait framing to draw your attention where I wanted it.
While you can crop on the computer, you can also look at the back of your camera and recompose a shot right away to make it stronger.
Mary Denman: pink rose 1
I have pointed out the bright blobs of color in the background with arrows. They really stand out, don’t they? They draw your eye around the photo instead of letting it focus on the main subject.
I noticed this in my camera and moved to take another shot of the same rose.
Mary Denman: pink rose 2
Isn’t this a lot better?
While there is still bright color in the background, it can easily be handled by cropping if I want to isolate the rose even more.
TIP 2: MOVE AND RECOMPOSE YOUR PHOTO AT THE TIME TO ISOLATE YOUR SUBJECT. Don’t depend on doing all your cropping on the computer.
Mary Denman: pink rose 3
I cropped the shot a little more once I had it on my computer to show you how recomposing and cropping are great tools to understand.
These may seem like very simple tips, but they are effective in improving your photography skills and photos.
Learn how to go behind your lens right after you take a shot and see if it communicates what you want. If not, and if you have the time, compose another picture and move around to get a better angle.
Then, crop once it’s on your computer if you need to.
Just make sure that you have a clear subject for your viewer to appreciate. Get rid of the clutter and make your subject shine!
Hope these tips help!
Mary
TWEET THIS: #PhotoTip: Have a Clear Subject or Point to Your Photos @RealMojo68 @MaryDenman #photography
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Mary Denman, photo by Peter Hurley
Mary Denman is a photographer who also writes and loves to teach. As a freelance writer, Mary has had articles published in various forms ranging from Focus on the Family publications to magazines to devotions to op-ed pieces. She’s a member of several professional writing organizations including ACFW, My Book Therapy, and Word Weavers.
As a professional photographer, Mary has had photos published in both print literature and online. Her shots have been used by businesses and by fellow authors alike.
Her philosophy is to catch a moment that reflects God’s beauty and creativity, whether in nature, in life or in the face of her subjects. Mary blends the mediums of writing and photography on her blog. www.marydenman.blogspot.com.
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