torture, death, joy? March 17, 2009

I know its St. Patrick’s day and maybe I should blog about him, but this morning I read about St. Barbara. A young beautiful, intelligent girl who’s father is very protective.  He kept her secluded in a tower all her life with the intentions of her growing up to be a devoted pagan worshiper.  So he one day decides to build her a bath house and gives strict instructions to the way the bath house is to be built.  Then he leaves for a business trip.  Barbara comes out of her tower and sees her bath house and wants a third window added so they do it.  After it is done she goes down to the bath house and stands before the windows and prays ” in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,”  and puts a cross on the wall.  Well daddy comes home and sees the third window goes inside and sees the cross.  He demands to know what happens.  He then finds out Barbara is responsible.  So he orders her to jail where she is beaten and tortured until she deny’s Christ.  Well she doesn’t and she is then ordered to death.  Her dad hears about her sentence and volunteers to be her executioner.  So he beheads her.    Quite disturbing I think.  But was even more puzzling to me was the prayer after the story;

Barbara desired only the joy of serving you Lord, help me to know that You are the true source of my joy.

Hmm, from torture, death, to joy.  Interesting.  I don’t know how I feel about that right now.  But I do come away with one convicting thought.This morning before my husband left for work today I know he was looking for a smile and all I could do was be miserable thinking of all the cleaning I needed to do, all the phone calls and emails to send to be successful in my business and how I have no time. I had no joy.

God help me.  How did I come to a place where my circumstances have determined the outcome of my emotional state of mind, or maybe that’s my real problem maybe joy is not an emotional state of mind, maybe not an emotion, maybe its a state, don’t know but either way I am sure I want it…

This woman clearly had something i did not and I am left in wonder….

I will add a side not for all us who demand justice, after her father beheads her he turns to go back home and he is struck by lightening and dies. I think I just experienced joy… maybe not

Being Exposed? March 16, 2009

So for the past hour or so I have been trying to blog. I was trying to write this amazing, unforgettable spiritual blog about my encounter with the story of St. Photini. Yeah so it’s not happening. I want to sound like I am this deep cool profound spiritual person, yeah, I’m not.  I am pretty plain, nothing profound to say, my spelling stinks and I really need to take another English 101 course.   

What I can say, is that this mornings story has opened my heart to want to be exposed to and by Christ.  I want to be enlightened to my hurts that I carry and my sins that I daily commit.  As hard and hurtful as that process is I believe that doing so will help me to walk in truth and I know I do believe that truth can bring clarity and freedom no matter what religion you are.  We all want clarity, we all want freedom, so with that said I believe we all want to be exposed.

Something that is scary but freeing is that when Christ exposes us to information we think no one knows, it reflects the fact that He knew all along and loved us still.

Thanks to St. Photini a.k.a. the woman at the well, thanks to Christ for being the gentle surgeon…

Asthma and Cleaning Products Really?? March 16, 2009

Do cleaning products REALLY affect my health??  My son Aslan has asthma.  He has been battling this breathing problem since he was about 14 months old.  Since his first attack we have been trying to discover what triggers his asthma.  We ran into the usuals: colds, cold air, excerise, dogs, you asthma sufferers know the deal.    

Just about two months ago I started a Shaklee business. I did it mostly for the vitamins/ dietary supplements.  See Aslan, always seemed to get colds which would then lead to asthma attacks.  I wanted to work to improve his weak immune system.  We put him on a multivitamin, fish oil and vitamin C.  To our delight it was working.  His colds have become less and his attacks even lesser. 

But one day something odd happened.  I was getting the tub ready for his bath and noticed I should probably clean the tub before putting him in it.  I was running out of Basic H cleaner (it was the suppose “wonder cleaner” from my new Shaklee distributor pack) and I just didn’t want to use on it the tub, so I grab my old over the counter “green” bathroom cleaner and cleaned the tub.  Aslan got his bath and not even 5 mins after taking him out, Aslan was having one of his asthma coughing fits.  Thus ledding to a neb treatment the next morning.  I had my first hands on  experience with how cleaning products can contribute to asthma.  I don’t think I would have ever considered cleaning products being linked to his asthma. I am so so greatful for this “accidental discovery”.  I can’t help but wonder what else is being affected by using toxic cleaning products that I am not aware of?

My product feature for the week is Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate. It truly is the non-toxic, natural way to clean.  Its nontoxic, superconcentrated, biodegradable, all natural and no phosphates.

One 16 ounce bottle makes 48 gallons of superpowerful cleaner.

It cuts though the most stubborn stains, grease and grime. Use it to clean oil from the driveway, bbq grills, ovens and more.

Basic H was one of the first biodegradable cleaners ever, created back in 1960. 

It truly will be the best $10 you ever spent!

www.shaklee.net/jessica_coleman

Hello world! March 11, 2009

Welcome to my blog! I am so glad that you stopped by to visit! Stick around for a minute and check out what I’ve been discovering and thinking. Feel free to leave comment!

Later,

Jess