When I began running low on oils, I ran into an old friend of mine who is a rep for Young Living. I hadn't tried any of their oils before and was interested to know why she chose that specific company.
In her own words...
Fourteen years ago a 19 year old girl
started a journey. One that she had no clue where it would lead. I
was that girl.
I walked into Lyndales Fundamentals of
Beauty on a hot September day in 2002 ready to start my cosmetology
career. Following a car wreck in which I suffered a pretty nasty back
injury, I was able to get a rehab grant that paid for my education.
It wasn't long until I figured out I loved working with skin. My
instructor was an old school teacher who was in her 60's at the time
and had a home remedy for everything. It was in that season that I
was introduced to essential oils. She showed me how to make sugar and
salt scrubs to incorporate into my facials and pedicures. It was
instant love. This would be the start of a plan God had years down
the road for me. However, that journey also came with a dependence on
all the medication my orthopedic surgeon was throwing at me to deal with the pain from my injuries.
Fast forward to 2013, I had now lived
on the drug Soma for over 11 years and my tolerance was one of a race
horse. I was hurting so bad that I took a handful of pills and went to the
bathtub to soak. Before I knew it my husband was pulling me up from
under the water. I had gone to sleep and was drowning. That was the
moment I knew I needed to change something or I would die. I spoke
with my provider and told her that: 1) I didn't want to be dependent
on these things anymore and 2) Obama care had really hurt me and I
couldn't afford to pay 250 dollars for a 4 dollar script any
longer. I told her I would be trying a holistic approach to
supporting my body. I began talking with the wives of the veterans I
worked with who were naturalists and soaked up their advice. One day
on the way home from work I stopped at our local herb shop and bought
a bottle of peppermint to help with head support. This was the first
time I had used oils for a supportive reason and not a fragrance
reason. I was in total shock at how quickly I saw results. It was in
that moment that I began spending close to $50 a week in this store
buying new products. But there were so many brands to choose from and
I had no clue what to do. I started off on a lower priced and lower
quality oil but was always being led to Young Living when I really
wanted something good.
The price for me was a huge turn off
because I didn't understand why there was such a difference in cost.
I continued to do research as to what was truly the best oil on the
market. At this point essential oils began hitting the MLM world and
were becoming mainstream and not just something us hippies were
using. Two major companies began flooding my social media. I, being
very stubborn, refused to commit to either one of the companies
because I honestly didn't know who was the best. I dug deeper. I
began looking at the companies and seeing what their differences
were. That was when I learned what seed to seal was. \Seed to seal meant from
the time the seed was sourced until the oil is sealed in a bottle
they go through rigorous quality controls without ever leaving the
hands of Young Living. Young Living has farms all over the globe and
are dedicated to bring the highest quality of oils on the market.
They have been the world leader for more than 20 years and it shows
in their products. These fields are hand planted, hand weeded and
never see an ounce of the harmful chemicals that so many crops today
are treated with. They even still use horses in the process which I
find super cool and you talk about spoiled babies! Those horses are
treated close to royalty.
When harvest comes, the plants,bark,
or roots of whatever oil is being produced is distilled immediately
and pulled after the 1st distillation to ensure that that
oil constitutes do not began to break down and affect the quality of
the oil. They are then ran through the labs where they tested for
their purity. They are never cut, diluted or adulterated. If an oil
doesn't stand up to the standards Young Living has in place they are
destroyed and never make it onto the open market like some companies
do. These oils are guarded by armed guards just to make sure that no
one ever attempts to even try to mess with them. From there they are
bottled and labeled in the 107,000 foot facility in Spanish Fork
,Utah where they are then shipped to faithful members. It was
definitely the integrity of this company that sealed the decision for
me on what I wanted to be a part of.
After 14 years of playing with oils
and 3 years of using them full time to support my entire mind and
body I was given an opportunity to come into the company under
outstanding leadership. I joined because I learned I had wasted so
much money over the years and I could have been a wholesale member
paying less than retail customers as well missing out on their
essential rewards program. I joined and never look back. I am now
traveling the country teaching people about essential oils and seeing
so many lives changed. Young Living has a mission to get into every
home and I am going to do my part to get it there. I now know God has
been preparing me for this mission for many years! When His plan
begins to come together you can see Him in every detail. I see how He
has changed my life and the lives of those around me. This is my
ministry, my calling in this big ugly world and I give God every bit
of the glory.
After a brief consultation with my friend on some of the issues I was wanting to address through the use of oils, I ordered three bottles. Sara (used for soothing emotional wounds, relaxation, stress relief or panic attacks), Forgiveness (a blend to promote well...feelings of forgiveness), and Hyssop (an ancient oil used numerous times in the Bible to promote spiritual cleansing and release from bondage -think addictions).
On the day I received these new goodies, I stopped by my husband's work and asked if I could rub some oil on him. I didn't tell him which one or why, I just doused his neck with Hyssop. Arriving home, I added some Forgiveness to our diffuser and am currently basking in the feel good feelings it is generating.
You know how, as a Catholic, things just seem to come up right when you need them most? More often than not the scripture readings for the day have either been exactly what I needed to hear at that moment or have eerily coincided with some random event happening in my life. I opened my email to read the daily scriptures after I came home with my new oils in hand. Imagine my surprise...
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-13, 14 AND 17
R. (17b) My mouth will declare your praise.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart,
and in my inmost being you teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Behold, you are pleased with sincerity of heart,
and in my inmost being you teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
R. My mouth will declare your praise.
