YOUR LIFE A-Z:FRANKINCENSE

Healing comes in Unusual Substances

FRANKINCENSE

Reportedly the magi of the Christmas story brought the Christ-Child, FRANKINCENSE, MYRRH, and GOLD.  Obviously these three gifts had great importance and were worthy to gift to newborn royalty.    FRANKINCENSE is harvested from a Boswellia Sacra tree, which are scraggly but hardy trees growing in some of the most difficult climates.  The FRANKINCENSE is a resin that bleeds off of slashed bark of the tree forming a tear like substance.  It was rare in the day of the Christ Child.  It was given to him as a symbol of his divinity.  FRANKINCENSE was used in the Jewish temple as a fragrant incense of white smoke that carried the prayers from the temple to the heart of God.  Today besides incense and perfume fragrance, FRANKINCENSE is finding its way into the medical field.  First it touted properties of healing for arteritis and chronic bowel inflammation.  I began taking Boswellia (FRANKINCENSE) years ago for knee pain and it is the only herb that helps. However, Boswellia (FRANKINCENSE) is making its healing properties known in the field of cancer treatment.  Cancer starts when the DNA becomes corrupted and cells become mutant.  FRANKINCENSE is thought to help the cells reset themselves by separating the brain of the cell from cell’s nucleus, which renders the cell powerless to recreate itself, thus slowing the cancer growth down.  I am not suggesting you run out and buy a bottle today, but I am bringing forward the fact that FRANKINCENSE is still powerful and useful over 2,000 years later. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:SEASONS

EVERY ONE IS BEAUTIFUL

SEASONS

SEASONS are so refreshing.  Fall is my favorite SEASON.  What is yours?  SEASONS add a variety to the rhythm of life.  Can you imagine having an entire year of summer or winter?   That would be so boring.  Once you identify your favorite SEASON, ask yourself what are your favorite things to do during this SEASON?  SEASONS, especially favorite ones, can provide a change of pace, surrounding you with an aliveness that you just can’t create the other times of the year.  However, no SEASON needs to be hated.  Rain- storms and beaches can be fully enjoyed in the summer.  Snow, skiing, and fireplaces add ambiance and specialty foods to your winter.  The SEASON of spring brings you new life, green, and a sense of self-renewal of spring cleaning and de-cluttering.  Fall brings a chill to the air, colorful trees, and wonderful holidays like Halloween.  The SEASON calls you to the outside to hike, to see colors, to experience the crispness of the weather and taste the delicious fall flavors, such as pumpkin, sweat potatoes, and cinnamon.  The harvest is full and it is time to enjoy the richness of flavors, pumpkin carving, and dressing up in a Day of Dead costumes.  The SEASONAL change alerts you to how your lives are also SEASONAL.  Developmental stages mimic the SEASONS of the year.  A young child goes through very different stages every six months.  If you are being driven crazy by a SEASON, just wait for a few months, and the SEAON will change. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: MEANINGFUL

DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO CONNECT IN MEANINGFUL WAYS

MEANINGFUL

What is it that makes your life meaningful and what is meaningful to you?  This word wraps nicely around gratitude because as we think about it, the word MEANINGFUL probably brings to mind things like family, children, friendships, good health, honest values, trustworthiness, and freedom.  As you reflect further on the word you might extract valuables from the periphery of the word and realize that a piece of jewelry or art,because of the occasion or giver, is very meaningful to you. You might also remember trips in your life that were MEANINGFUL and certain milestones, such as graduation from high school, baptism, commitment ceremonies, or special birthdays that were a part of creating you into the person you are today.  In one sense of the word, MEANINFULNESS sneaks up on us and just happens but we can create meaning too.  If you are feeling lost, bored, lonely, and struggling to find MEANINGFULNESS in your life today, then get out of yourself.  Go out and make someone else smile.  Go find a homeless person and bring them some lunch.  Look online and donate to a specific cause that’s meaningful to you.  Call up some one who might like to hear your cheery voice, say, “Hey, just checking in to see how you are doing?”  MEANINGFUL moments create MEANINGFUL lives.  Don’t sit around and feel sorry for yourself.  Get out and do something to make someone else feel better.  As a result, you will feel better because you made your life count today.  Today is all you have.