Just the Essentials

I have discovered something new since I have been in Colorado. Essential Oils.

I had no idea what they were when I first heard the term, and still have only a vague idea. From what I have been able to tell, they are oils from different plants and other things found in nature, such as peppermint, oregano, and lots of other things. The guy that turned me onto them is one of the kitchen staff here, Spencer. He swears by them, and I must say, I'm slowly being converted.

They are used as part of a natural healing regimen, instead of most medicines. The peppermint is great at clearing congestion, the oregano for flu symptoms, and a huge list of others for different ailments. These jokers are pretty potent, so you don't want to overdo it. A drop on the hands and inhaled, or mixed into a cup of tea is enough.

Today I woke up feeling like a dog's butt after he dragged it all over the carpet. Bad congestion and cough, my throat killing me, that whole thing. I wasn't surprised, since about 75% of the interns have been sick with it, so it was just a matter of time. As I lay there in my misery, Spencer dropped by to go running with one of the other guys. He pulled out his bag of tricks and did his Medicine Man thing, then was off. I'm still not totally convinced by the oils, but I will say they made me feel better. So that's one point they have on modern medicine which has done all of nothing for me today.

Anyways, just wanted to share something new and interesting with the world. Like anything, I'm taking them with a big grain of salt, but they seem to help and haven't hurt yet, so I think the essential oils are worth some further study.


lane

A conversation

I have spent a lot of my Christian life tripped up by prayer, as I think many folks are. Not caught by doing it, but rather what it is and how I do it. Until just a few weeks ago, I treated it as something that had to be done, me coming with my face in the dirt before God, trying to make penance for my sins, or asking for something, or what have you. Even my prayers of praise were like that, censored and cleaned up, me trying to bring before God what I thought He would want to hear.

Tonight, during the 15 minutes of silence on camp, all the Summer Staff and a few intern guys were hanging out, and we went off to spend that time in prayer and silence. I started off like I did so often, with apologizing to God, saying I hadn't made time to talk to Him, to do this, that, and the other thing for Him. I was feeling pretty discouraged and thinking that the time was kind of pointless.

Almost immediately after I had that thought, I realized what I was doing. Jesus is my best friend, yet there I was, treating Him like I didn't even know Him. It struck me that prayer is a conversation between us and our best and truest friend in the universe. It is not filling out a request form, or an awkward meeting between a sinner and an uncaring god, or any of the ritualistic crap that gets fed into our systems. There is no formula to God. He is only Love, and that is what He desires.

After I began to just talk to Him, telling Him what was going on in my life, what I was thankful for, and some of the things I was excited about, I began to feel His presence around me and in me. That is all the confirmation I need to show me what prayer really is. A conversation.

A conversation. It can take many forms. It can be a beautiful praise, an angry tirade, a time of reflection, a sharing of excitement and joy, a remembrance of something or someone, as pure as snow, as raw as a salt scrubbed wound, anything at all. Not a formula, but an exchange between two, or more, dear friends. God is there, and He desires the love of our hearts and all that is in them, and I feel it is a crime to hold anything back from Him.


lane

12 Months

Today as I was in the shower, a deep thought hit me. They often find me there, actually. I was struck by what a completely different place I am in now than I was just a year ago.

A year ago, I was in a place where I didn't know anyone, had no friend or family support of what I was doing, had abandoned my life as I knew it, for the most part turned my back on God, and was generally unhappy with where I was, what I was doing, and who I was with.

Now, I am almost at the polar opposite of that. I still didn't know hardly anyone when I got here, but I have already gotten to know people and have built some lasting relationships with them in just the few weeks I've been here. Everyone I have told, be it friends, family, acquaintances, or complete strangers has been very excited for what I'm doing. Instead of turning away from what I love, I have followed it and it has led me to Colorado, where I spend my days being the best dang cowboy I can be. I feel closer to God than I ever have in my life and I feel like I'm where He wants me to be right now. I couldn't be happier with anything that I am doing. I love my work, I love the people I live with and the people I live with, and have a much better outlook on life, no matter my circumstances.

I can feel and see love everywhere. God is love, and He is everywhere, in all things. Turning back to him and following what I feel His path for me to be on is has made me know that love again. It is something I didn't realize what I was living without until I had it back, and definitely didn't realize how much I missed it.

In the words of a good friend of mine, always remember "You are loved!"


lane