Essential Oils

I've been a Young Living Oil distributor for nearly two years, and have most recently added doTerra to our distribution line. While my studies focus primarily on herbal remedies now, I am still very drawn to essential oils. I've just finished reading Heal with Oil: How to Use the Essential Oils of Ancient Scripture by Rebecca Park Totilo and true to form, this essential oil book like all others I've read, was full of tips, tricks and recipes, but lacked the rationale and science I enjoy. It is a handy little book however, and will be added to our lending library.

EMOTIONAL RELEASE

One of the classes I attended in Chicago for essential oil therapy was Emotional Release. Not a class I have done much with, but am ready to get started. I am reading through my notes from class and am reminded of a few great points.

Emotional release is vital. Our nature is to take short cuts, which does not lead to healing. Like the light that keeps going off on your dash, indicating a motor issue, the mechanic can unscrew the bulb to the indicator light, and even though he didn't fix the problem, we think all is well.

This weekend, or rather this program, was a Christian program. I was thrilled to better understand the relationship between my Father and essential oils. Our instructor however, had very different beliefs than my own. "I don't prescribe to be born into sin." She believes we are born perfect but we have veils draped over us that we need to release. Her belief removes the need for Christ, but I understand her attempt to rationalize that essential oils can bring great healing by the harms of our world.

The principle of the class is to teach how forgotten sins or pain can cause us physical injury. Those circumstances are no where in our conscious memory, so when we loose the memory and therefore can't make sense of our emotion, we resist the urge to feel the consequences. Emotions certainly can sabotage relationships and suppressed emotions can rob from us.

I wrote in my tablet: Don't take on too much energy exhausting circumstances or people. They will cause illness. Don't invest too much. The emotion I worked to release in particular was bitterness. The oil recommended was a recipe called, Forgiveness. I've just placed my order. The gallbladder is often the affected area when struggling with bitterness, oddly enough.

Just ordered a few books: A More Excellent Way: Be In Health, With DVD by Wright, Natural Home Health Care Using Essential Oils by Penoel (scratch that - couldn't find for less than $100), and Aromatherapy for Health Professionals by Price & Price.

Short Lesson on the Chemistry of Essential Oils

When I attended the CARE workshop and studied the chemistry of essential oils and raindrop therapy, the speaker talked a lot about phenylpropanoids and monoterpenes. Those are rather fun to say, but the terms don't tend to stick in my memory very long. Below is some information from CARE, but I'd like to read about these principles from other sources as well. My research continues...

THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER
By David Stewart, Ph.D.,R.A.
It was thought for years that the interstitial tissues of the
brain served as a barrier to keep damaging substances from
reaching the neurons of the brain and the cerebrospinal fluid.
Instead of a barrier, it would be more accurate to consider it
as a sieve or filter through which only molecules of a certain
size or smaller can pass.
Most of the molecules of the substances used in chemotherapy
are too large to pass through the blood-brain filter, which
is why doctors say that chemotherapy doesn't work on brain
cancer. Some of the smaller molecules get through, but not
the whole suite of drugs intended.
Doctors don't know for sure, but it seems that in order to
cross the blood-brain barrier, only molecules less than
800-1000 atomic mass units (amu) in molecular weight can get
through. Lipid solubility seems to be another factor which
facilitates passing through the blood-brain barrier. Water
soluble molecules don't usually penetrate into brain tissue,
even when very small. The molecules of essential oils are all
not only small, but lipid soluble as well.
In fact, when it comes to essential oils, small molecules
(less than 500 amu) are what they are made of. That is why
they are aromatic. The only way for something to be aromatic
is for the molecules to be so small that they readily leap into
the air so they can enter our noses and be detected as odor and
smell.
That is why oils for cooking or massage, such as corn, peanut,
sesame seed, safflower, walnut, almond, canola, olive and other
oils pressed from seeds are not aromatic. Sure, they have a smell,
but you can't smell them across the room in minutes as one can
when you opens a bottle of peppermint, hyssop, or cinnamon oil.
Essential oils of every species cross the blood-brain barrier.
This makes them uniquely able to address disease, not only from
a physical level, but from a more basic and fundamental
level-that of the emotions which are often the root cause of
physical illness.

A QUICK COURSE IN CHEMISTRY
Because of the tiny molecular structure of the components of an
essential oil, they are extremely concentrated. One drop contains
approximately 40 million-trillion molecules. Numerically that is
a 4 with 19 zeros after it: 40,000,000,000,000,000,000. We have
100 trillion cells in our bodies, and that's a lot. But one drop
of essential oil contains enough molecules to cover every cell in
our bodies with 40,000 molecules. Considering that it only takes
one molecule of the right kind to open a receptor site and
communicate with the DNA to alter cellular function, you can see
why even inhaling a small amount of oil vapor can have profound
effects on the body, brain, and emotions. Sometimes too many oil
molecules overload the receptor sites, and they freeze up without
responding at all, when a smaller amount would have been just
right. This is why we say that when using oils, "sometimes less
is better." Sometimes more is better, too. Knowing the difference
is the art of aromatherapy.
Essential oils are mixtures of dozens, even hundreds, of
constituents, all of which are composed of carbon and hydrogen
and sometimes oxygen. All essential oils are principally
composed of a class of organic compounds built of "isoprene units."
An isoprene unit is a set of five connected carbon atoms with eight
hydrogens attached. Their molecular weight is only 68 amu,
which is very small, indeed. Molecules built of isoprene units are
all classified as "terpenes." Terpenes are what make essential oils
unique in the world of natural substances.

PHENYLPROPANOIDS
Phenylpropanoids are compounds of carbon-ring molecules
incorporating one isoprene unit. They are also called
hemiterpenes. There are dozens of varieties of phenylpropanoids.

They are found in love (90%), Cassia (80%), Basil (75%),
Cinnamon (73%), Oregano (60%), Anise (50%), Peppermint
(25%). While they can create conditions where unfriendly viruses
and bacteria cannot live, the most important function performed by
phenylpropanoids is that they clean the receptor sites on the
cells. Without clean receptor sites, cells cannot communicate, and
the body malfunctions, resulting in sickness.

MONOTERPENES
Monoterpenes are compounds of two isoprene units, which is ten
carbon atoms and sixteen hydrogen atoms per molecule-
molecular weight 136 amu. There are an estimated 2,000
varieties of monoterpenes.
Monoterpenes are found in most essential oils: Galbanum (80%),
Angelica (73%), Hyssop ((70%), Rose of Sharon (54%),
Peppermint (45%), Juniper (42%), Frankincense (40%), Spruce
(38%), Pine (30%), Cypress (28%), and Myrtle (25%).

While offering a variety of healing properties, the most important
ability of the monoterpenes is that they can reprogram miswritten
information in the cellular memory. With improper coding in the
DNA, cells malfunction and diseases result, including lethal ones
such as cancer.

SESQUITERPENES
Sesquiterpenes are compounds of three isoprene units, which is
fifteen carbons and twenty-four hydrogens per molecule-
molecular weight 204 amu. There are more than 10,000 kinds of
sesquiterpenes. Sesquiterpenes are the principal constituents of
Cedarwood (98%), Vetiver (97%), Spikenard (93%), Sandalwood
(Aloes) 90%, Black Pepper (74%), Patchouli (71%), Myrrh (62%),
and Ginger (59%). They are also found in Galbanum, Onycha,
and Frankincense (8%).
Sesquiterpene molecules deliver oxygen molecules to cells, like
hemoglobin does in the blood. Sesquiterpenes can also erase or
deprogram miswritten codes in the DNA. Sesquiterpenes are
thought to be especially effective in fighting cancer because the
root problem with a cancer cell is that it contains misinformation,
and sesquiterpenes can erase that garbled information. At the
same time the oxygen carried by sesquiterpene molecules
creates an environment where cancer cells can't reproduce.
Hence, sesquiterpenes deliver cancer cells a double punch-one
that disables their coded misbehavior and a second that stops
their growth.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has said that if they
could find an agent that would pass the blood-brain barrier, they
would be able to find cures for ailments such as Lou Gehrig's
disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's
disease. Such agents already exist and have been available
since Biblical times. The agents, of course, are essential
oils-particularly those containing the brain oxygenating
molecules of sesquiterpenes.

THE TRIPLE WHAMMY
The big triple punch combination of "PMS" (Phenylpropanoids,
Monoterpenes, and Sesquiterpenes) found in essential oils is
very powerful in addressing many illnesses, injuries, and disease
conditions. That is because this combination offers the following:
First, you clean the receptor sites allowing the proper transfer
of hormones, peptides, neurotransmitters, steroids, and other
intracellular messengers. (The Phenylpropanoids do that.)
Second, you deprogram or erase the wrong information from
cellular memory stored in the DNA. (The Sesquiterpenes take
care of that.)
Third, you reprogram the cells with the correct information so
they can function properly. (The Monoterpenes do this.)
These three classes of chemical components are why essential
oils can sometimes affect a healing that is nearly instant and also
permanent. What they simply do is to restore the body back to its
natural state of balance and health. While a specific oil may have
one or two of these three classes of compounds as its
predominant chemistry, all the Biblical oils contain some of all of
them. This is one secret to their amazing healing abilities.
So there you have it in a nutshell: The way the blood-brain
barrier works and the biochemistry of one of the ways essential
oils can help achieve a healing.

Enhancing Worship with Essential Oils

When you want to be "centered" and quiet a busy mind during meditation so you can focus on worshipful prayer, frankincense brings peace and a sense of calming to your heart. You need not burn the precious resin to achieve this calmness. Simply breathe in deeply the aroma of frankincense or sacred frankincense.

You may wish to (anoint) apply a few drops of these precious oils on your crown chakra and over your heart (Essential Oil Desk Reference, 2011). The negative energy that inhabits the world can be warded against with a few drops of White Angelica on your shoulders. A drop of rose oil (which I'll never be able to afford) over your heart or on the crown chakra can also help you rise up to a meditative state above the worries of the world.

I was trained to use essential oils for emotional release. I want to read further about this therapy before offering it to others, but I am intrigued, cautiously. I am well aware that emotional burdens can weigh heavily on physical health. However, the process of emotional release is one that walks a fine line with voodoo. I want to be very discerning with any gift of healing the Lord may be bestowing upon me.

One of my attractions to essential oils is the fact that I have a very heightened sense of smell. This is both beneficial, and at other times rather inconvenient. As scientists have studied the neural basis of emotion, they have discovered that the limbic system of the brain plays a vital role in interpreting and channeling intense experiences, particularly memories of fear or trauma. Interestingly, the two parts of the limbic system that play a major role in emotional processing - the amygdala and the hippocampus - are located less than an inch from the olfactory nerve (Essential Oils Desk Reference, 2011).

Olfaction or smell is the sense that is physically the closest to the limbic system structures of the amygdala, which is involved in experiencing emotion and also in emotional memory, and the hippocampus, which emcompasses memory: working memory and short-term memory. This close link is the theory linking the sense of smell to emotion and memory.

In my training, our instructor spoke of emotional bondage and the ability of aromas to have a profound effect in triggering responses that evoke release. "Fear and trauma can produce conditioned emotional responses that -unless released- will not only hamper our ability to live and enjoy life fully but can also limit the ability of some body systems to function properly, particularly the immune system. This can result in unexplained pain and illness as well as depression and other psychological 'issues'" (Essential Oil Desk Reference, 2011, p 4.6).

I am open to discussing what I've learned about essential oils and emotional release with those interested. I am interested in trying it personally, and using it with my family.

Enzymes

I haven't given much thought to enzymes until reading the book, Lick the Sugar Habit. Now I seem to find information on their benefit everywhere. Young Living Oils is a huge proponent of enzymes, even for children, and I'll admit, their rationale is quite intriguing. Not only am I considering this as part of my weight loss regimen, but I am considering them for the boys. Noah in particular has a sensitive stomach and I suspect MightyZymes might give him great relief.

Understanding Hormone Health

It seems this is one particular area of women's health is nearly ignored, because it seems to be the most perplexing. Hormones are critical to maintaining vibrant health, regulating numerous activities in the body. There must be a perfect balance, and when that balance is off kilter, restoring homeostasis is a challenging feat.

Hormonal testing is available, yet practitioners know very little about hormone analysis, ranges, subsequent cause and effect, and solutions. Hormone panels can cost several hundreds of dollars and to obtain the best results, they should be repeated every week for four weeks to cover the complete cycle. Saliva testing, or even hair analysis, are available, but fairly unreliable methods of hormone analysis.

The body ages faster because we do not eat live foods that are rich in natural enzymes and hormones. Our world today is a world of processed and prepackaged foods treated with all kinds of chemicals, sugars, and salt. Fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and other growth and beautifying chemicals for our consumption. Our air is polluted, and the water we drink is often contaminated or treated with chemicals for purification. Then we wonder why hormones are starting to decline by age 25, and strange, unexpected maladies start to show up in children and young adults.

Simple Rules:
1. Keep the liver clean.
2. Consume enzyme-rich foods or add good quality, active, complex enzymes such as Essentialzyme or Polyzyme to give your digestive system a natural boost. Children who start early by eating the supplement Mightzyme will have a head start on maintaining hormone balance and healthy body function as they grow older.
3. Eat a fiber-rich diet supplement with ICP and JuvaPower.
4. Avoid processed food, foods grown with chemicals, body and hair care products formulated with damaging chemicals, and the use of synthetic chemicals in all forms.

Melatonin, the hormone of darkness, is worth reading about to better understand how to optimize your own levels.

The most common hormone, 5-DHEA, is the most abundant circulating natural steriod hormone that is produced in the body by both men and women because it is the precursor to over 50 other hormones in the body. A decline in DHEA is directly correlated with lower energy and obesity. The great the production and proper balance of DHEA, the greater sex life, energy, weight balance, normal sleep patterns, and a feeling of well-being. DHEA strengthens the neurons in the brain for better memory retention with sharp and clear thinking. Another benefit, is DHEA keeps cortisol levels in balance, which helps the immune system operate at an optimal level. DHEA produces hormones responsible for burning fat and converting fat to muscle. It is a hormone that is well worthy studying, as its value to the human body seems immense.

Cortisol helps you handle ongoing and difficult stress situations. When stress levels continue, cortisol levels go up, which can lead to adrenal fatigue and burnout. Cortisol is important for normal function of the brain, immune system, muscle tone and strength, blood circulation, and sugar levels. Although a valuable hormone, when out of balance, it can be dangerous or even fatal. Cortisol is  not only known as the death hormone but also the stress hormone and the fight-or-flight hormone. A major key to healthy levels of cortisol is to keep the hormone system balanced. Higher levels of DHEA will lower cortisol levels as well as many other aspects of body functions. If you are worried about having good balance, then the product Cortistop would be a supplement to add to your daily regimen.

I've placed my order with Young Living Oils. Interested in joining me, just send me an e-mail.

Essential Oils

The Bible contains over 200 references to aromatics, incense, and ointments. Aromatics such as frankincense, myrrh, galbanum, cinnamon, cassia, rosemary, hyssop, and spikenard were used for anointing and healing the sick. In Exodus, the Lord gave the following recipe to Moses for a holy anointing oil:

Myrrh        "five hundred shekels" (about one gallon)
Cinnamon  "two hundred and fifty shekels"
Calamus     "two hundred and fifty shekels"
Cassia        "five hundred shekels"
Olive oil      "an hin" (about 1 1/3 gallon)

Psalms 133:2 speaks of the sweetness of brethren dwelling together in unity: "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments." Another scripture that refers to anointing and the overflowing abundance of precious oils is Ecclesiastes 9:8: "Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment."

The Bible also lists an incident where an incense offering by Aaron stopped a plague. Numbers 16:46-50 records that Moses instructed Aaron to take a censer, add burning coals and incense, and "go quickly into the congregation to make an atonement for them: for there is a wealth gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun." The Bible records that Aaron stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed. It is significant that according to the biblical and Talmudic recipes for incense, three varieties of cinnamon were involved. Cinnamon is known to be highly antimicrobial, anti-infectious, and antibacterial. The incense ingredient listed as "stacte" is believed to be a sweet, myrrh-related spice, which would make it anti-infectious and antiviral as well.

The New Testament records that wise men presented the Christ child with frankincense and myrrh. There is another precious aromatic, spikenard, described in the anointing of Jesus:

And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. Mark 14:3

The anointing of Jesus is also referred to in John 12:3:

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

Our modern world has only begun the discovery of the power of God's healing oils - something that the ancient world knew well. Their time was one without laboratories, manufacturing facilities, high technology and equipment, or chemicals. The earth and its healing gifts were the ancient world's medicine- something our modern world should take note of and embrace. Modern medicine is certainly not without its miracles. But the way to live with strength and vitality without pain and disease lies in what God has created, not in what man has altered.

Essential Oils Desk Reference, 2011

Healing Oils

I've shared before that I am inspired to learn more about healing oils, particularly those used in the Bible.

What knowledge can I gain about the healing oils used by the ancient Hebrews? What oils did Jesus and his disciples use to heal? Was God teaching us that the earth can provide us with healing substances for our bodies, mind and spirits? What exactly does it mean to anoint?

Anointing is not just placing one's thumb in olive oil and pressing it to another's head. It is a sacred connection to God. It was a way of recognizing the coming together of the spiritual world and the physical world. Oil became a symbol of the healing power of the Divine breaking through their lives. It was a sign of unique blessing from God that was at once healing and sustaining. As one anoints, one offers prayer. However, the power to heal is not exclusively in word of a prayer either. There is also healing in the oil itself.

Jesus taught his disciples how to anoint and then sent them out to heal and anoint all those who were ill in body and mind. Surely he wasn't encouraging the use of cooking oil. Clearly, all wise Jews were well aware of which oils had healing properties, as they were the common medicines of their day. Oils like frankincense, myrrh, cedarwood, spikenard, and hyssop were quite common.

Proverbs 21:20 states:
"Precious treasure and oil remain in the house of the wise."

Ezekiel 42:12 states:
"Their fruit [from trees] will be for food and their leaves for healing."

Ministry, which I believe my practice as a midwife is exactly, implies being an instrument or vessel through which God's healing power flows. Blessing another is not strictly the prerogative of a priest. All blessings come from one source, our Father. We are a conduit.

It is unfortunate that the Bible doesn't offer more formulas for healing. Likely these were simply passed down through the generations and as the books were written, healing oils and ointments were so commonplace that everyone knew about them and how to use them. During Christ's time on earth, oils were common practice for healing.

Luke 10:33-35 states:
"A Samaritan while traveling came near him [the wounded man], and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him."

Oils were expensive. The lesson in this scripture is not simply that a Samaritan who was looked down upon by Jewish culture was receptive and gracious, but that he generously offered his precious oils and wines. We are advised to be as generous and caring in the healing of others.

Remember Mary of Bethany anointing Jesus shortly before his death? Mark 14: 3-6, 8-9:
"A woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard [a blend of spikenard and myrrh] and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, 'Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.' And they scolded her. But Jesus said 'Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me...She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her."

Moses was given a formula of four oils to help sustain his people for the journey. Modern science has identified these four oils as highly antimicrobial, antiviral and antibacterial as well as immune stimulating. He was told to take 500 shekels of myrrh, 500 shekels of cinnamon, 250 shekels of cassia, 250 shekels of calamus and put them in a hin of olive oil. (A shekel is half an ounce and a hin is approximately two cups.)

1 Chronicles 9:30 discusses those who mix this blend as the "apothecaries" or "perfumers." This special oil blend was for anointing the dwelling, furniture and all those who dwelt in the home. It was rendering the home and its occupants holy.

Interestingly, we can't replicate this formula today because we don't know the true botanical origin of myrrh and calamus. Apparently there were nine different species of myrrh available at the time of Moses and currently there are more than  80 species recognized.

The Lord is inspiring me to reawaken to the healing abilities of these medicines of the earth. Using them in my Christian healing ministry then only seems natural.

Nutritive Cleanse

Clients are often asking me about detox. Is it safe? Do I recommend it? I do. Yet, I have failed to do it myself.

I suspect cleansing is a health maintenance step one should do rather regularly, a few times a year. Our diets are quite dangerous actually, full of calories with little nutrients and fiber, while high in sweeteners. These quickly digested foods flood the bloodstream, causing insulin levels to soar.

High levels of insulin are associated with increased inflammation. Recent research indicates that inflammation is at the root cause of all chronic diseases, including depression. Excess blood sugar and insulin surges eventually lead to chronic problems like diabetes and cardiovascular damage. Hypertension, kidney damage, weak and brittle vessels and veins, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and basic aging result from inflammation.

One noticeable symptom of excessive insulin and high blood sugar is abdominal obesity. Hello? Do I need a big red arrow over my head? Clearly I am at risk for cardiac disease, cholesterol imbalance, cancer, and gallstones.

I am loosing a vicious cycle. I crave simple carbohydrates because they enter my blood quickly. Then, a surplus of insulin is produced which causes more hunger. In response to hunger, I eat more. Overeating causes more body fat to accumulate and it activates more insulin. This merry-go-round of insulin spikes leaves me tired, hungry, and without focus.

I've been reading a book, Lick the Sugar Habit. Great Book. I'll share more later.

For now, I am committing to a 5-day cleansing diet starting after the holidays. I realize the holidays are full of temptations to overeat all the wrong foods, but I suppose our health has more to do with what we eat from New Year's to Thanksgiving, then Thanksgiving to New Year's. I don't want to disappointment self early on, so January seems the most appropriate time. After the holidays, Keely and I will start training again as well.

Young Living has a 5-day Nutritive Cleanse and nutritional maintenance program specifically designed to balance the extremes of modern diets. The program has been academically researched and has proven success.

RESTORE BALANCE
Cleansing diets are high in fiber which produces viscosity. Fiber swells with the addition of water to provide bulk, absorbing and removing toxins from the intestines. Some cleanses wipe out the gut flora, but Young Living has a unique blend of fiber that not only produces more viscosity, but also contains a mixture of prebiotic fiber that nurtures beneficial microflora like lactobacillus and bifido bacteria while decreasing pathogenic bacteria.

Important to be aware of however: a sudden increase in fiber can cause a minor amount of gas and bloating. This is primarily because most Americans don't eat enough fiber and this increased load is a shock to their bodies. Young Living provides an enzyme pack that aids in digestion and minimizes bloating.

Interested in joining me in this adventure? Give me an e-mail and I can send you further information. I'll place the order January 9th.

Thieves

I still have much to share about aromatherapy and essential oils. However, with my new head cold I thought I would start by introducing Thieves, a very popular essential oil blend by Young Living Oils.

Young Living's Thieves essential oil blend was created based on the historical account of four thieves in France who protected themselves from the Black Plague with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing victims of the killer disease. When captured, they were offered a lighter sentence in exchange for their secret recipe. Young Living's proprietary Thieves oil blend includes clove, cinnamon bark, rosemary, lemon, and Eucalyptus radiate and has been specially blended to offer the same kind of defense. Thieves has been university tested and found to be highly effective against airborne bacteria.

I'll be dropping a few drops in my diffuser and praying for a quick healing.

Essential Oils

This past weekend the kids and I traveled to Chicago so I could attend an aromatherapy intensive. You can visit www.RaindropTraining.com for further information on the courses I attended, but briefly I attended an aromatherapy course, Vita Flex, Raindrop therapy, Emotional Release and Essential Oils of the Bible.

The weekend was rather intriguing, in many ways, and I am sure I'll share a great deal of my thoughts as time goes by, but for now, I stick with sharing some interesting information from my chemistry class. Keep reading...it might intrigue you too!

The first full day of my workshop discussed essential oil chemistry. I'll admit the weekend was an extreme challenge for me in that while I do feel as if God is leading me to learn more about His oils, just like midwifery there is great temptation in the field to create idols of the tools with which we work and those with which we feel have greater gift than our self. The profession overall has a large New Age influence and is often perceived as witchcraft, which sometimes is valid. Other times however, it evolves because modern Christians have put our Lord into a box. He has been limited to The Comforter, or Our Father, or The Counselor. He manifests Himself as all of these and more... most easily forgotten, Our Great Physician.

The Lord grew my faith through the study of human lactation and later, midwifery. Now I am finding Him in healing oils. Psalm 19, "The heaves are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork." Our Lord isn't only about the grandeur of galaxies and the infinite scale of the cosmos, but He is also experienced in the infinitesimally small. Molecules do in fact, proclaim His handiwork.

Vibratory medicine. Heard of it? Geophysics or theoretical seismology. New term? Wave phenomena. If we better understand how and why essential oils work, we can apply and use them better and more effectively. "And since your belief has something to do with how well oils perform, perhaps a little science will increase the level of your faith," states Stuart, the author of The Chemistry of Essential Oils: Made Simple.

To be completely frank, I have a medical background and want to know if there is science to support the practice of aromatherapy. The Lord seems to be teaching me that healing, particularly with essential oils is intuitive and spiritual, a gift acquired by one's receptivity to the Divine.

God is the source of all knowledge and makes this available to us, to increase our intuitive gifts without limit. Healing arts of antiquity were closely allied with religion in cultures throughout the world. The same is true of our first scientists. They sought to discover truth and in their research, their relationship with God was never far from their consciousness. This speaks also of my own spiritual walk. When asked what motivated his life-long devotion to science and mathematics, Albert Einstein replied, "I want to know God's thoughts." Our God is an eternal, omnipresent God whose thoughts are the objects of scientific research.

Another fabulous quote of my favorite Albert Einstein, "I maintain that a cosmic religious feeling is the strongest and noblest motive for scientific research... In this materialistic age of ours, serious scientific workers are among the only profoundly religious people." True science brings us closer to our creator.

Throughout my midwifery career and as well during this weekend intensive, people ask, "Why is it that science doesn't support what we know by faith to be true?" I found myself rather defensive this weekend. True science and true religion should never be in conflict. They both seek the same end-the delineation of and the alliance with truth. Science does support our faith. It is man that rejects truth and even our own evidence.

There was a time in history when scientists seeking truth had to separate themselves from the institutions that controlled public religious practice. Centuries ago, when sincerely devout, God-loving men began, in their honesty, to discover aspects of the universe contrary to prevailing religious dogma, the ecclesiastical authorities who benefited from maintaining those dogmas declared them heretics. Midwives? Does this sound familiar?

Scientists and midwives with "powers to heal" were imprisoned. Others were tortured or killed in the name of God. Thus, to save their own lives, scientists who hungered for a more complete understanding of creation than was offered by formal religion had to seek means to develop science in a way that did not offend church leaders. Christian midwives, do you identify?

What developed was a philosophy of separation between church and science. The church kept to "spiritual" matters and science kept to "material" matters. Religion was for the sanctuary and science was for the laboratory. Birth moved to the hospital. As a result, today we have materialistic science and secular medicine, both of which claim no relationship to God in their practice. At the same time, we have religion that does not know how to incorporate science into its theology and has lost its healing ministry. Both are manifestations of the one God whose omnipresence and omniscience permeate everything from atoms to galaxies, from the tiniest creatures, to you and me.

Job 12:8 NIV... "speak to the earth, and it will teach you"
NLT... "speak to the earth, and it will instruct you"
NASB... "or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;"

There is so much information regarding speaking to plants in our ancestral history that is hard to accept. Inspired men speaking to plants, altering their DNA, creating new species. Can't God inspire us to do just that? Why is this so hard to comprehend? Can you imagine being so receptive to the divine truth that we could alter life for the benefit of all humankind?

Matthew 7:7, "Ask and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" and then the qualifier in James 4:3-4, "You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly..." The Lord doesn't simply pour into us. We must seek Him. We must give the Holy Spirit our ear.

Just like John in Revelation, scientists are attempting to articulate God's creation. They chip away, reverently, patiently, and humbly... providing us evidence to illustrate what our minds can not otherwise fathom. If science and religion could reunite in the proper way, the path to truth is certain. Religion makes science relevant. And science, in its proper role, makes religion honest.

Paul admonishes in 1 Thessalonians 5:21, "Prove all things," both science and in spirit.