Your ONE Purpose

Today I am going to talk to you about purpose. But first, I need you to do something. Go ahead and let all of the pre-existing, run of the mill, Jeremiah 29:11thoughts and ideas about purpose fill a bucket in your mind. 

"Purpose is for the elite." "I know God has a purpose for me, I'm okay." ...eye rolls... ...sighs... Put is all in the bucket. Now, pick up that bucket, take it out back and dump it out! give it a good shake, make sure it's empty.

Is your bucket completely empty? Good! Now I need you to place that bucket somewhere safe, accessible, but safe. You need to be able to reach this bucket so you can fill it, but you need to be able to guard this bucket so nothing tainted and mundane is able to sneak in there again. 

Now, let's visit some scripture. We are going to jump through the first three chapters of the Bible, highlighting key points. So sit up, buckle up and lets get moving. :)

"Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being... 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the middle of the garden to work it and take care of it." Then God created woman, when no suitable helper was found. - Genesis 2:7, 15-16, 20-23

27 So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. - Genesis 1:1, 27-31

And now we fast forward to The Fall. 16 "To the woman he said, I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. 17 To Adam he said, Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you , 'You must not eat of it,' Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." - Genesis 3:16-19

Whew! That was a lot!! Okay, now let us start chewing this up so we can absorb it and fully digest it! These excerpts are the words that God spoke to us. When God speaks things happen so it is good for us to pay attention and understand.

Let's work backwards through this scripture. The last portion of this is the curse God had to give as a result of sin entering this world.

*Death: up until this point, death hasn't even been mentioned. This may be a revelation for some of you, but life isn't the curse, death is.               Let that soak in.

Later in Bible God shortens our life span, because we are too evil to live too long. How sad is that? Imagine yourself in God's shoes. Do you have a child or children? Have you ever given them ONE rule? All they have to do, or not do, is ONE THING. Then they don't listen and you have to punish them. Then, when you're punishing them, they have a melt down. They start freaking out! Depending on the age of your child, this rebellion can last for a few minutes or a few days, or a few weeks, and so on. You have to continue to punish, limit and restrict them during that time. All the while, you're begging them, 'Listen, Please just listen to me and choose to come back and obey these rules and we can move on with our life.'
That's exactly what happened here. The initial punishment: Death. Later in scripture, because of our fit throwing and rebellion He has to shorten or lives to a fraction of the time because we're too wicked. Death is definitely a curse. Satan, the one who started all of this, is making the gift look like the curse. Go figure. {insert eye roll}

*Work to Survive: If this doesn't resonate with you then please, adopt all of us! This is the point where the Lord had to inform us that the consequences were going to affect us for a while. We now will toil [work hard] just to survive. Today, thousands of years later, we still have to work hard to make a dollar. The dollar isn't the goal, it's the food and shelter, and everything that the dollar buys. Our work, is not our purpose. Yes, God uses what we do, our gifts, our talents, our abilities, the people we're around and every little thing to glorify Him and show His love to us and to others. But working is not what we were created for.

*Desire Your Husband: Depending on what your marriage looks like, or what your intimate relationships have looked like, this can set on one extreme or the other, or maybe somewhere in the middle. The bottom line is that the entrance of sin created an opportunity for that to become a hurtful thing.

*Painful Birthing: Giving birth was not meant to be sorrowful and hurtful, but a joyous thing, a celebration. Thank you sin for making this one of the most excruciating pains ever. Luckily, in this day in age, when it comes to child birthing we have things that make this pain less or not there at all so it is once again only joy. This is applicable to birthing dreams, purposes... God things. There is pain in the birthing process. Sin wants you to give up and not push through. If you can get through that part, your pain is turned to joy! - Child rearing and dream rearing comes with difficulties, but you still push through! The celebrations that help carry us through the pain. The promises of joy and purpose, the promises of fruit that give us the gumption to keep going. Because, after all isn't "being fruitful the first blessing from God?

Let's go back to chapter one. In these verses of scripture we see God's first words to us, his sons and daughters. The ones who he created IN HIS IMAGE!

*Be fruitful

*Multiply, increase in numbers

*Fill the earth
These first three things should fill us with joy and excitement! Have you ever done something well and had someone ask you to do it again? Or maybe your children did something cute and you asked them to do it again. It's because what they did or what you did was good, it gave a gift of joy or love or something that was pleasing. We want more good in our life. We are proud when those we love do well and we want them to more and have more of that good. It's the same thing with God. He saw us as good, and he told us to go and do more good, go and create more good. That's exciting!

Let those words fill your bucket. Your purpose bucket, let those words fill it! You are good! Multiply and increase that good. Share that good. Do more of that good. I want more of you.

*Subdue the earth

*Rule
Have you ever left your kids alone and left one of them "in charge"? Or maybe you and your siblings were left alone and someone was left "in charge". My children aren't old enough to use them as an example so I'm using me. I am the oldest of three girls. One is only twenty-two months younger and the other is five years younger. So when we were home alone I was the one left in charge. I. was IN. CHARGE. {head nodding, lips pressed together, hands on hip, toe tapping.} Yup. There was a demeanor that came over me. My sisters couldn't do anything about it. I was the boss. end of story.

This is God giving that to you. Setting you in charge. Giving you permission. Go rule. God is telling you that what you have is good, He wants more of it, and that you have been given the authority to go out and make it happen. So no matter what he has gifted you with, let that demeanor, that confidence fill your purpose bucket. Go with authority and live it.

*I give you...EVERYTHING

He says I give you everything!! Do you understand that God spoke and it happened. God said, and so it was. While we may be tempted to just wonder on past these words, God is awakening our souls to receive them. Your purpose is the same that God gave to Adam, and created Eve to help him with; "The Lord God took the man and put him in the middle of the garden to work it and take care of it." (Gen.2:15) Your garden may be a variety of things. It may be on a stage in front of thousands of people, or it may not. It may be at home with your husband and your children. It may be in a school, a work place, a building. Wherever your garden is, your purpose is the same; work it and take care of it. Love it. Grow it. Let your garden glorify God. A garden full of weeds, brings no one glory, but a beautiful garden takes work and stewardship. The purpose of your garden is to praise God.

So imagine your garden. What does it look like now? Has it been grown with the tools of the curse, from a bucket of mediocre purpose? Or has it been grown with the tools that God gave us when He spoke His blessing over us? Multiply. Be fruitful. Rule.

In Ephesians 3:20 we are told that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that you can ask think or imagine. Imagine your garden going abundantly! Imagine you, taking hold of your ONE purpose, to shine a light of love and praise on God. Take that purpose, your bucket of blessings, new understanding, and go to your garden. Then get to work, in the name of Jesus!

~Awaken us~
Brenna Stanford

An Overflow of Thankfulness and the Faith to Move Mountntains

"Overflow with thankfulness" , "faith" , these words Christians hear often. We hear them so much because we are in constant need to have an overflow of thankfulness. We have a constant need to have a faith that believes that God is working out great things, even though we can't see them.

Being thankful opens our hearts and spirits to receive from the Lord. Have you ever had a relationship with an unthankful person? It shuts you off from wanting to give to them, but it also shuts them off from accepting what you have to give. It works the same way with our relationship with the Lord. He is the perfect giver and He is so excited to give us abundantly more than all we can ask, think or imagine. But it is in our gratitude for the goodness that He has already done that we can imagine all the goodness that He still has to give! If the only thing you have to be thankful for is your salvation, then you have enough to praise Him for eternity!!

My father in law has been a pastor for 30 years, and he recently shared a story about an older man in his congregation. Everyday when my father in law would shake hands with that man he would ask him how he was doing. That man's response was consistent, "I'm drinking from the saucer!" One day my father in law asked him what he meant. His response showed how wonderful his understanding of the Lord is. He said, "God fills us until we run over, so I'm just drinking from the saucer!" We should all be drinking from the saucer.

And faith, oh sweet faith!! If you were to ask, most Christians would say that the opposite of faith is fear or doubt. But a very dear friend "spirit slapped" me one day. She asked me what the opposite of faith is and just like any Pharisee would say, I sarcastically and mockingly said doubt. She said no and I was taken back! What is the opposite of faith?! --> Having a plan. <-- 😳👊🏻 I know right?!

Here's the deal, God has THE plan so we don't need A plan. Yes, we prayerfully work to follow His lead. That's because His lead is ALWAYS deeper into His heart. ❤️ In that following, He makes a way that we never could have imagined!! So we keep our hands off, we stop trying to control what happens, and we thankfully take each and every step that God leads us in.

“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11:23-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth that you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Colossians 2:7 NIV

Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for reminders and little nuggets of confirmation that you give us along the way. You work ALL THINGS out for the good of those who love you. So let us not grow weary in trying to figure out the plan. Help us to take our hands off because you are more than able to exceed every plan we could think up! Help us to hunger and thirst for more of you! As we dive into your word, show us a new side of who you are. Show us a new way in which we need you! Awaken us to travel the journey deeper into your heart. Awaken us to become increasingly aware of your goodness and your provision! Let us dream big, abundant dreams, and believe you for exceeding them all! Let us remain thankful through the whole journey!!

- In Jesus holy name, amen!!

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

Young Living Member # 2645436

Oil for today: Envision

This essential oil blend was formulated to stimulate feelings of creativity and resourcefulness, encouraging renewed faith in the future and the strength necessary to achieve your dreams.

Stripped for a Purpose

I have written, deleted, re-written, and deleted again this post. There are so many things that can accompany this topic. There are so many ways that God has stripped us, is stripping us and will strip us even further. There is no way that I can do justice in an attempt to write about all of the ways, all of the whats that we are being stripped from or the hows that it is being done. What God has spoken is the why. Why would God take things from us? Why...

 

God loves you and He desires your love of Him. I know, I know, that's elementary, but that the point! We complicate things, we mess things up, we add measuring sticks, we do so much and God is saying "Just stop. Let me love you and you love me."

  

God is calling out, "Come to me. Lay down your burdens AND your dreams. Lay down the expectations and the questions. Lay down the worry, the disappointment, the confusion. Lay down EVERYTHING, and put on love."

Colossians 3:1-17

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

Y'all, it's not easy. It is not promised to be easy, this scripture talks about all of the things that we must strip ourselves of to walk in the way of our Savior. And if we aren't walking with our Savior, are we really accepting His salvation?

 

So why?

Simply put, He knows what's best, and we can't even fathom it. This is God. This is the one who spoke and creation happened. What do you study? What intrigues you? Is it art? Is it psychology? Is it the human body? Is it the universe? Is it science, animals, plants, math, design? Whatever it is, it in all of its awe inspiring amazingness that makes you giddy inside, is only a small portion of our Creator. There is no limit with him! If you could do anything, and remove all fear of failure, what would it be? Why would you choose to do that one thing? Now, take all of that and give that to God. Watch Him take it and magnify it beyond all measure! God has so much more for us than what we are allowing ourselves.

 

We get wrapped up in life and all of its demands that we are forgetting that sin being in this world is why we have to live like we do. Think about it. What did Adam & Eve do? They were stripped bare and all they did was walk with the Lord and enjoy the world He gave them. Only after sin came in was there worry about clothing, food, and more. We were created with a purpose, a purpose to love and adore the Lord our God. That's it. Now, because of sin we have to work to provide for our families and all of the other things life demands. We are not sinners for doing this, if we are being responsible and godly people we will do this, but this is not our purpose on this earth.

 

So once more, here is a message, do your job, and do it well, BUT come to the Lord! He will take your farther, He will blow your mind with what He has in store for you! There is abundance, in many many forms! Step out of the box and quit thinking about finances constantly, God's got this, and even more!

 

Today, take a moment and let God strip you of all of your plans. Then put on His love and walk in it. Let that love lead you wherever He wants to take you. You won't regret it!

 

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

 

Young Living Member # 2645436

 

P.S. Clarity is the oil I want to highlight right now. Do you ever get brain fog? It is literally like a haze in your mind effecting what you can take in, process, or even see. This is an oil I use more and more every day. I absolutely love the way it works with my limbic system (and more chemistry and science I don't understand) to shine a light and clear out the fog! My eyes open wider, my mind processes better and I can hear the Lord a little easier! Enjoy some clarity and walk in love!

 

Get Everyone Picture Ready!

Between snowball fighting, tree decorating, and other holiday adventures, it's no surprise that everyone needs to freshen up before family pictures. Aren't family pictures a staple at every holiday event?! 

~Say cheese!!~

I am going to show you how I take care of my family, not only for family pictures but day in and day out! I'm sure some of you do the same things!! We all use a variety of products on ourselves and our family everyday, from body wash to floss and everything in between.

 

Why are You Telling Me This?!

What we may not know is how harmful these products really are, I know I didn't, and how easy it is to make little switches in our daily routine. {{Warning: you might just be blown away by the impact these little switches have on your family's health & wellness.}}

You get the picture right? Okay good. So, enter Young Living. They have been an absolute blessing to my family!! We use these products from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep!! We are so much more than just oils. We offer a wide variety of personal care items, but for the sake of this article I will only highlight what we use daily!!

 

Bath & Shower Time

If you have children, have had children, or have been around children at all in your life, then you are extremely aware of how DIRTY they can get! {{I have two boys, three and almost two, an OH MY!!}} My boys and I actually use the same soap & shampoo. I love that I don't have to worry about harmful ingredients but also it makes it easier to buy one thing instead of twelve!! With such a wide variety of scents and options for shampoo, conditioner, bath gel, and even bar soap Young Living has made it super simple to always have good quality products. Currently we are using the Copaiba Shampoo and the Morning Start Bath Gel! {{Get this, my super course, super thick hair doesn't need conditioner when I use this!!!!!}}

I will be buying this cute little set to keep at grandma's house! <3

Personal Care

There are a few tooth pastes and I have tried a couple of them, my favorite is Dentarome Ultra! Another fun tip that my friends introduced me to is putting a drop of wintergreen on your toothbrush too! It gives a cool, minty-clean feeling! We do have kids toothpaste, I haven't tried it yet, we had bought another chemical free brand shortly before we started making all the switches. So I can't wait to try YL's version. The reason I love YL products so much is not only because I know that they're all safe and good for my family, but they just go SOOOO far!!! I have had my bottle of face wash for a year!!!! I use it EVERYDAY, most days twice a day!!! When you're running a home and you don't have a money tree growing in your yard, things like that really makes a difference!!

Speaking of face wash, here is my FAVORITE! I use Orange Blossom Face Wash and Satin Mint Face Scrub everyday, but I am in love with Orange Blossom! If I had to only use one this would be it!!

My face's other favorite friends are Pat & Frank! (Patchouli and Frankincense) I use these on my face EVERYDAY after I wash it, 2 drops of each straight on my face!! It has helped my complexion and the oil production of my face. I used to go back and forth from super dry to super oily and breakouts like crazy, well now I don't!! Its AMAZING!!!

 

So outside of that the other things we use are oils. We use different oils on different days, depends on where we're going, what we're doing and who we're seeing. LOL but really. Now, my husband likes to give me a hard time about EVERYTHING!! So naturally he gives me a hard time about my oils.  He has yet to ump on the bandwagon with me so I am going to show you a few of my friends favorite items!! Shutran! This is a woodsy and masculine essential oil blend that most men who stay armed & oily uses. This is simple and works as a beard conditioner, cologne and it supports you men and your health!

 

 

You Look Good, but How Do You Feel?

It's hard to look your best when you don't feel your best. This year embrace the most beautiful gift you have to give to yourself and your family, health and wellness. 💪🏻🌱💧 We use all of these oils daily in a variety of ways! We diffuse them, use them topically and make roller blends to support our immune systems. We also use them internally! (cooking, putting them in water, or in capsules) Our other daily habits include NingXia Red and various supplements.

 

If it weren't for all of these products I don't know how we would make it. I love being able to boast about my children not getting sick!! I love that this (all of the "this" items) is just one less worry I have as a mom. There is only so much I can do to protect and grow my children, BUT there is so much I CAN do, and I will do it. I hope that you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving, a very Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year! 

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

Young Living Member # 2645436

{{Holiday Catalog: https://issuu.com/youngliving/docs/2016_holiday_catalog}}

{{Learn more about Young Living: http://awakenustomotion.blogspot.com/2016/09/everyone-needs-young-living-essential.html}}

Graphics and other information, courtesy of oilrevolutiondesign.com and youngliving.com

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You can't find these items on the shelf at your store. They are only available directly from Young Living. To order call 1 (800) 371-3515 or visit youngliving.com and use member number 2645436 to sign up with your free retail account (think amazon) or purchase your 24% discounted account (think SAM's or Costco)! I am so thrilled that you got look through and see {{SOME}} of what Young Living has to offer your family! Please know that no matter where you reside, I am here to help you on your journey to looking your best this holiday season! You can contact me via email, visit my blog {{awakenustomotion.blogspot.com}}, if you have my number call me!

A Beautiful Song is Being Sung, Go Dance!

Do you remember a few weeks ago when I came back and thanked you all for your grace? You all have walked with me through seasons and some of which were "dry" seasons when it comes to blogging. Well I told you then that instead of retreating during seasons that I would dive in and bear my heart. So here you go. :)

 I, being the human I am, failed. I continue to try to live on yesterday's mana. I let my mind wander to what others have and what I am lacking. I stopped noticing the things I am thankful for and stopped looking for the good in my life. I only noticed what wasn't.

This was the foothold I let Satan have. As soon as I gave him an inch, he tool a mile, and then another. He was making his way to my heart and consuming my mind.

I had burning tears sting my face, thinking; NO! This isn't it. This is NOT what I'm going to live in. I felt this when I was younger, misery {there's nothing more in this world, hopelessness}. I cannot live this again!

The interesting thing is that NOTHING in my life changed. There wasn't anything that happened that "ruined" my life. I was living in the same blessings that God had given me, but I was only seeing what wasn't. I chose to allow one negative thought to snowball into a mind consuming battle.

All the while God was there, my best friend, quietly reminding me that he has already won this war. This chaos in my mind, he already quieted it, but I have to choose where I am going to stand; in the chaos or in the peace.

At this the devil yelled! I chose God already. What I am living in is because of others. "They" made me this way, "they" did this! Oh, his yell roared! My rock was strong, but when their sand swirled, it effected my foundation. I should be mad!

And my friend, still quiet, full of peace, kept calling me. His voice so tender and sincere, carrying a melody that my heart longed to dance to. One that was familiar, yet new.

So, we danced. We danced to a song of humility. Because, while meekness can seem so humiliating in the definition we know, there is nothing more empowering. The ones around me, who see the very worst of me will either see a savior who loves like uno other, or a crazy woman.

Nothing about this journey makes sense. I am learning to be okay with that. My challenge, and maybe yours too, is to not try to plan and put together an entire puzzle with only one piece. My dance, the song He is singing over me, is to live each moment with new mana, enjoying all the qualities of that puzzle piece. I am to praise Him with a thankful heart, laying down all of my weakness as well as all of my dreams. My dance is to enjoy with full gladness everything I have and everything I lack, knowing that He is constantly singing over me.

Today, I pray that you find peace. May my weakness show off God's strength! Let Him strengthen you too!

Father, my best friend, thank you for singing such a beautiful song over me. I ask you to sing over everyone of your children. May they hear your song and respond with humility and joy to your love! You know right where they are and everything they are facing. May they hear your quiet whisper through the enemy's roar. In Jesus' name, Amen.

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

Scripture:

• "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." Romans 3:23 NLT
• "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." John 1:8 NIV
• “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day." Exodus 16: 4 NIV (whole chapter here)
• "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 NIV
• "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
• "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23 NIV
• "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 NIV
• "And after the fire came a gentle whisper....Then a voice said to him," 1Kings 19:12-13 (whole chapter here)
• "Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples." 1 Chronicles 16:8
• "Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul," Psalm 103

Your Abundance Does Not Wither!

“Blessed is the man

     who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

     or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

     and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,

     which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither.

     Whatever he does prospers. 

Not so the wicked!

     They are like chaff

     that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

     nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,

     but the way of the wicked will perish.”

- Psalm 1:1-6 NIV

What was your initial reaction to this scripture? A breath of power and esteem? A sigh of relief? An eye roll? A stir of annoyance?

More than likely depending on the day and what's going on in your life the reaction might be different. Most emphasis on this scripture is directed to be rooted in Christ, the stream of water. And how when you are then you will receive the prospering that is discussed. With that in mind, as a Christian you might have reacted in the positive manners, a breath of power or esteem or a sigh of relief. Even if this is the case, I still want to challenge you to go a little deeper with it! So keep reading. :)

But what if your reaction was on the other end? What if this scripture made you roll your eyes or it aggravated you? I want you to take a moment and ask yourself why. 

Are you ready for complete transparency?!

This morning when I read that I rolled my eyes. {Catch your breath! Yes, me, the one writing all of these blogs and praying for you, the one who loves Jesus with all my heart, - I rolled my eyes!!!} I am far from perfect and as much as I hate to admit it, my flesh gets the best of my mind sometimes. When I read that a Christian is like a tree planted by waters that will  prosper in whatever he does, I sent that through "a breeze through the trees"** of my thoughts and thought patterns that have been formed over the 24 years of my life. This morning followed the several days of the enemy attacking my thought life. So the trees this scripture breezed through were ones that were growing in toxicity; "humph, not me...", "not everything I do prospers", "I'm not good enough", and the list goes on.

Luckily, I have had wonderful mentors, pastors, and friends who have trained me since my spiritual birth to fight my flesh. They have taught me and walked with me through many of the spiritual growing pains I have faced. I have been raised well. 

Have you ever met a 20 something, spoiled brat who doesn't know what real work is? Have you ever met a 20 something who has been raised well, with a head on their shoulders, manners, and a great work ethic? You can immediately see the differences. The same goes for spiritual growth. Some have been raised well, others not so much. 

{{If you are a Christian who feels like you have not been raised well and you identify more with the 20 something brat, find strength and power in that there is still growing up to do. You're not stuck where you are, no matter how long you've been there.}}

Because of my spiritual upbringing I have been able to stand firm and not relinquish my thoughts and emotions to satan. So when I read that and rolled my eyes there was a spirit check. Why? Why was that my response? Also, God's nudging was there to push me from noticing a spirit check to discovering and shifting something in me. He opened my eyes to the rest of that verse.

"...which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither."

First, the tree yields its fruit IN SEASON, not continuously. If you've been in church for very long you know that there are "seasons of life", this is a churchy term used to describe the ups and downs and ebbs and flows of life. This is not exclusive to Christians, but effects non believers too. So we Christians can become used to this term and look it over easily in scripture, while maintaining our pre-percieved ideas about whatever we just read. While I read that the tree will bear its fruit in season I still had in my head a tree will bear fruit constantly and continuously. But that is not what the Word says. There will be a time to "bear fruit", {another churchy term that means to see the payoffs of our hard work - apply that to whatever area of life you need to}, but there will also be a time when no fruit is seen.

Second, the leaf won't wither. When do leaves wither? Extreme circumstances, cold/hot, and in fall, the "season" of death and dormancy. So this tree is not exempt from the heat or from the cold, it is not exempt from the seasons of death and  dormancy. However, the tree will endure. The tree will continue to show signs of life, a leaf not withered. 

This is there promise that we have from the Lord. If we remain in Him, if we obey and meditate on His laws, we will not wither and we will bear fruit in the proper season. 

Through this scripture and others like it we are also promised that if we do not abide in the Lord, if we choose to "walk in the counsel of the wicked" and to make our selves at home there, then we will be like chaff; dried, dead, and useless. We will be tossed around by life, not able to grip anything. We will not truly live.

So, wherever you are, whatever you're going through, I pray that this message speaks to you. I pray that you hear your heavenly Father, your Rescuer, your Best Friend, calling out to you, encouraging you to walk with him. He has the water to provide for seasons, to keep you from withering away and to supply your fruit in the proper season.

Father, thank you that you care enough about us to encourage us and to prompt us to go deeper with you. Thank you for your provision and for giving us your best, no matter what life throws at us. Thank you for new life, for fruit, for steady stream, pouring into us constantly! Give us peace that goes beyond our circumstances and courage to stand firm in you! 

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

Young Living
Member # 2645436

P.S. So right after I had this moment with the Lord I read a post by one of my leaders. I'll share it below. Basically it was a post reminding us of how awesome and powerful these gifts of essential oils are. This particular one is a blend called Abundance. I have this, and actually had it in my purse. So I pulled it out and applied it topically and inhaled it directly. This gift from God paired with the reawakening of this scripture shifted my mind and spirit enough to kick satan's tricks out of my mind, refocus and walk in the abundance God has for me!

Post:

Seriously y'all. You need to use Abundance oil like water. No joke. It's the #secretsauce along with a train load of #hustle!!!

This essential oil has a powerful effect on your energy. If you are radiating the frequency of scarcity {poverty mindset}, it will be very difficult to move into a place of Abundance. Many people find this incredibly beneficial.

HOW DO YOU USE IT?
1. diffuse it during the day
2. diffuse it at night while you sleep
3. rub it on your feet
4. wear it like perfume
5. rub a drop on your phone (seriously)
6. rub a drop on your computer (yep)
7. put a drop on oily mail that you are sending out
8. put a drop in your wallet (no joke)
9. add a few drops to a spritzer with water and spritz yourself each day.
10. spritz the floor mats in your vehicle

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Ephesians 3:20

#ALLtheabundance #getyousome

**This is a phrase taken from Who Switched Off My Brain? by a Christian neuroscientist Caroline Leaf. I highly recommend you reading this book!

God's Ways are Higher than Ours. Where is He Leading You?

I want to ask you, what is the avenue that God is using or is trying to use in your life? If you would have told me 3 years ago that the ministry God was building through me was through a network marketing company I would have laughed in your face and wondered what type of drugs you were doing. I'm reminded of Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

I hope that you find encouragement in this. It is truly in obeying God in the little things that leads to the "big" things.

{I apologize for the abrupt ending. 😬 And all the moms said amen! 🙏🏻 Thank you for your grace!}

I wouldn't be able to share this testimony of God's plan if I wouldn't have first said yes.

My first yes was in 2009 when I said yes to coming home after a LONG summer, on one condition, I had to go to church. My next yes came just a month or two later when I said yes to Jesus. All he wanted was for me to let him love me. After that came many other yeses, all of which took my on a new adventure of some sort. 

While the introduction of Young Living in my life wasn't anything "miraculous", it was God's hand in it after. The freedom from sickness that he brought my family. The subtle pulling on my heart deeper into this company. Then the Spirit speaking to me saying, "If you trust me. I will use this to bless you." Now I get to pray for and with so many people! I get to stand in front of them, representing and glorifying Christ in all of it!

There has been opposition along the way. Satan does not want God's love to be extended to people. Through this ministry it is happening! It goes so far beyond me, but I get to play a piece in it. Here is a video showing the bigger ministry.

So today, I want to ask you, where is God pulling your heart? Are you following Him? Part of my purpose is to help others follow God and where He is leading them. If there's anything I can pray with you about and for, comment below or send me an email. This is a safe place for us to seek God and let Him awaken purpose and passion into our lives.

Father, thank you for your goodness. Thank you that you have a purpose for each of us. We praise you because your ways are higher than ours and your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We do not trust in our own understanding, but we stand firm in faith that you are leading us deeper into your heart. Make us aware of your presence in our moments today. Lead us through each one with fresh eyes for your purpose. In Jesus' name, Amen!

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

The Song We Sing

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us                          You who fear him, trust in the Lord-
     but to your name be the glory,                        he is their help and shield.
     because of your love and faithfulness.
                                                               The Lord remembers us and will bless us:
Why do the nations say,                                     He will bless the house of Israel,
     'Where is their God?'                                     he will bless the house of Aaron,
Our God is in Heaven;                                    he will bless those who fear the Lord -
     he does whatever pleases him.                       small and great alike.
But their idols are silver and gold,
     made by the hands of men.                        May the Lord make you increase,
They have mouths, but cannot speak,                 both you and your children.
     eyes, but cannot see;                                  May you be blessed by the Lord,
they have ears, but cannot hear,                           the Maker of heaven and earth.
     noses, but cannot smell;
they have hands, but cannot feel,                  The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
  feet, but cannot walk;                                        but the earth he has given to man.
  nor can they utter a sound with their throats.    It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
Those who make them will be like them,               those who go down to silence;
     and so will all who trust them.                  it is we who extol the Lord,
                                                                           both now and forevermore.
O house of Israel, trust in the Lord -
     he is their help and shield.                         Praise the Lord."
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord -
     he is their help and shield.                         - Psalm 115 (NIV, 2005)

This Psalm, a song sang at the Passover meal to celebrate how God rescued His people. This song is meaningful and applicable to our lives today.

The first thing that is sung is that God's name will be glorified. This needs to be the heartbeat of our lives, the song that our lives sing. When you hear something like that, the heartbeat of your life, or the purpose for your life, what do you think of? So many of us jump to the big picture of our life, the sum of all of our moments. It is so easy to overlook the fact that the big picture of our life is the sum of our moments.

So if God being glorified is what the big picture of our lives needs to look like, it is also what our moments need to look like. Our moments need to sing God's glory.

Our challenge is to stay in the Word, so we can read and study and hear from the Lord and His instructions for us. Every day we are to wake up, praise Him, and ask the Spirit to fill our heart and mind.

Once we accept Jesus into our heart as savior, the Holy Spirit fills us and we are marked with Him. (Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,) So we aren't asking the Spirit to fill us because He left us. We are simply directing our mind and heart to acknowledge that everyday we need God. We are intentionally making ourselves aware of the Spirit and His presence in our life and our need for Him. This is how our moments will glorify God, when we are intentionally about listening for His guidance in our every moment.

The next portion of this song talks about the idols that others were worshiping. While in most areas today people aren't bowing down to a statue, people are bowing down to money, to status, to busyness, to mediocrity, and about a million other things. While I understand that it takes money to survive in this world, I want to help you understand that that does not mean that money is to be your first priority. The same goes for anything else you can fill in the blank with. We can spend a lot of time here and many blog posts here, but we aren't going to today. So I am leaving you with this, NO. THING. is to be in the first priority spot except for God, not your spouse, not your kids, not your job, not anything. That spot belongs ONLY to God. 

The answer for why, follows those verses, because God is our help and shield. God blesses us when we follow and obey Him. No matter who you are, the president or lowest of low, God blesses and loves you when you glorify Him.

>>>>>Side note here. We, humans, we are the ones who established a "rank" within ourselves. The only rank God gave was that we were to rule and reign over the earth. Our sin put everyone in these "brackets". So no matter who considers you what class, or how you even consider yourself, God is adamant in the Word about how He sees you; HIS CHILD. A child of the most high king. The one who created it all and the one in whom everything has its purpose. YOU BELONG TO HIM.

Challenge yourself to be aware of His presence and guidance and to let your moments, each one, bring glory to Him. I bet you will see some major blessings. If nothing else you will be more aware of the Spirit at work in your life, that alone is a blessing unlike any other! If you aren't sure how ask Him. After all, He is your daddy, your best friend, your number one supporter, He wants you to have all the goodness that you can!

Father, thank you for your love and faithfulness to us! Help us to sing your glory today in every moment! Show us just how you are with us. Lead us through each moment. May your Spirit equip us today! In Jesus' name, Amen!

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

P.S. I am going to be including little nuggets of ways that I have been able to enhance my prayer life, or area of life that these blogs pertain to. Today, I want to share with you the heart fill, the spirit fill! God wired me so that emotions play a big role in how I tick. One thing I have learned is that our limbic system affects our emotions, unlike words. I have been using Frankincense essential oil during my prayer time, and throughout my day. It has helped to stabilize my emotions so that I am more focused on my time with the Spirit, and His presence in my moments. 

Hello Again!! I've Missed You!!

Four years ago this month I introduced myself to you all. At the time I was newly married and had received a dream from the Lord. The reason I started this blog was birthed from that dream. God had given me a message and this was the only way I knew how I could share it at that moment. Over the last four years I have gone through many seasons and many growing pains. This blog reflects those times. In posts to come I am sure you will learn more of them.

Right now I want to share with you why you suddenly see an influx of posts that seemingly have nothing to do with spiritual health and that are all about Young Living. Right now it probably seems that it doesn’t belong here. About two years ago God brought Young Living into my life in such a random manner. I wanted to make laundry soap and the recipes I found used essential oils to scent the soap. I did a little research and right away I saw how strong the opinions were about the importance of pure, therapeutic grade oil. At the time this didn’t mean much to me. I had never been a “green freak”, all I cared about was the fun of making my own and saving some money. Not long after I started looking into them I saw a diffuser at my sister-in- law’s. She called it an “air purifier”, which caught my attention a little. I thought it was cool that it cleaned the air and it smelled good.

Not long after that one of my boys pulled a candle off of the table and it is only God’s protection that kept him from needing to go to the emergency room. There was hot wax EVERYWHERE except on him! That was the moment where I finally decided that we needed to do something different. So I got with my SIL who pointed me to a mutual friend. Between the two of them they got me all set up with oils and a diffuser.

Shortly after that the seasons started changing and I got a cold. Those two started telling my about different things I could use to support my immune system and hopefully kick that cold. After two days I was convinced. I fell in love! I started talking about it and sharing it with other friends! And even people who I had before called “friendlies”  meaning that they were friends on things like Facebook and other social networking platforms.

About a year later I was following some of the social media posts from Young Living’s annual convention. This was the first time I had heard the founders and leaders speak. I was shocked and in awe of how much of God was represented! He was the one getting all of the glory. Others were the ones who was the focus, their well-being, their purpose, their good. The ones leading this company are a true example of Loving God first, loving others second and taking great pride and stewardship over the purpose God has given them! I was blown away. In that moment is when I heard a whisper from God, “If you trust me, I can use this to bless you.”

Now, if you know me, then you know that when God gives me a piece of the puzzle, I try to solve the whole thing! I immediately thought, oh my gosh, he is going to use the business opportunity to financially bless and take care of Awaken! I’m not saying that isn’t going to happen, but I am saying that after a year I can look back and see God’s hand in this is so many ways that go far and beyond finances! I have seen God use these products, which is a pure form of His creation, to do miraculous works in the bodies of His people. I have seen Him use these products to change mindsets. He has used this to bring people into my life that I get to pray for! Some of the people who I have been able to meet and connect with through Young Living are some of the coolest spirit friends I have!

The foundation of Young Living is God. What they stand for and what they want to help everyone achieve is the same goal and vision I have. Although I will admit that I have not always been as aware of physical health, and I still struggle most of the time to stay mindful and pursue physical health and wellness, but Young Living definitely is helping me in this area. I have always been about passion and purpose, about God’s best for your life! So is Young Living! They not only provide you opportunities to discover this but they equip you with tools like brain power, clarity, motivation, abundance, valor and more! (these are all essential oil blends that are formulated to support you in those areas!) 

So, with Jesus, Oils, and Coffee, I have learned to take on each day better equipped. I continue to learn more and more about the Lord. That He cares about every moment of our day and everything that we do. This blog will always have the purpose of God first, others second and ourselves last. We will always share with you ways to grow and learn and love God. Now we are not limiting it to sermon style blogs, but will encompass everyday life.

~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford

Young Living Member # 2645436

Here is some of my story and why I love Young Living

Benefits of essential oils

Start learning about essential oils here!

What does God say?

"There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise." Proverbs 21:20 KJV

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” Thus begins the Gospel of Saint John. The creation story of Genesis begins with the statement: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Following we find God speaking his creation into existence. We find the phrase “and God said” nine times in the first chapter of Genesis.

Word is a vibration, a frequency, a consciousness, an expression of energy. When God created the plants by his speaking voice, he imbued them with his word and his intelligence.”

-Healing Oils of the Bible; Stewart, David, Ph. D; pg. xvii


"It is clear in the Bible that God intended the oils of plants to be used for many purposes. …Food, fuel for light, aromatic, perfume, incense, burial, anointing, emotional release, mental clearing, spiritual upliftment, physical healing, and prevention of disease."

-Healing Oils of the Bible; Stewart, David, Ph. D; pg. xix

Benefits of Essential Oils

If you have been under a rock for the last few years then you've missed the "go green" movement. So I will fill you in! With the help of more research and its availability to the general public, people are becoming more aware of the toxins and chemicals that surround us in EVERYTHING we encounter. Literally. In discovering an issue people are also educating themselves in solutions. Enter essential oils.

Essential oils have added to lives for thousands of years. They offer a variety of benefits from cosmetic and dietary purposes to spiritual and religious use. When an essential oil is extracted properly through careful steam distillation, resin tapping, and cold pressing, you are left with the "lifeblood" of the plant. The purest essential oils are far more powerful than the botanicals from which they come. Any time you hold a bottle of high quality and 100% pure essential oils, you hold nature's pure essence. 1 How can essential oils benefit you in your everyday life?

Heighten Spiritual Awareness

Incense and essential oils from plants are highly known to play an important part in religious and spiritual ceremonies. This helps participants exceed the trivial and connect with something larger than themselves. The pure constituents in these oils trigger receptors and activate regions in the brain’s limbic system associated with memory, emotion, and state of mind. To heighten your spiritual practice, dilute and apply empowering essential oils directly to wrists, feet, and behind the ears or diffuse the oils in a quiet space.1

Inspire a Positive Emotional State

Have you ever smelled something that immediately took you back to another place and time? You were filled with emotions revolving around that memory. That is your limbic system at work. Just like the smell of aftershave and a pipe can remind me of my great-grandpa and fill me with love and happiness, scents are one of the only ways to reach our limbic system. Your limbic system is the area of your brain that is concerned with instinct and mood. It controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drives (hunger, dominance, care of offspring). 3 Essential oils are potent and have a powerful effect on our sense of smell. They are used in aromatherapy, aroma yoga, and other mindful practices because of their outstanding impact on brain health and emotions. Love the way the fragrance from a fresh orange peel brightens your day? Or how the invigorating scent of mint awakens your mind? Essential oil’s complex, pleasant, and unique scent triggers emotions and memories, which can help in your search for a more fulfilling and balanced life.1

 

Don't Forget Your Memory

Our mental faculties are responsible for the way we function in our daily lives and the quality of life which we lead. At one end of the spectrum mental fatigue, poor concentration and burn-out, plague us, and at the other end long-term degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia are taunting us. The good news is that we can do something about it. Scientific research suggests there are a number of essential oils that can benefit our cognitive abilities and help us to maintain healthy brains. At a lecturer in early childhood and special education studies, Professor Barbara Wilmes, has suggested that educators should be using essential oils to boost learning in our classrooms. 2

DHA and EPA are the most important omega-3's to our brain and overall health. Research has shown that some essential oils can slow down the degeneration of DHA in the brain.2 A university held a study which showed that essential oils can increase autonomic nervous system activity, reducing alpha 1 and 2 brainwaves and raised beta brainwaves. 2 Because essential oils have been proven to have these amazing benefits to our brain they may help reduce day-to-day absentmindedness and improve mental clarity and function, as well as the longevity of memory.

 

Physical Wellness

Modern, fast-paced lifestyles don’t always create ideal conditions for physical wellness. Poor diet, lack of exercise, and an overabundance of environmental toxins can leave the body out of balance and with low to no energy levels. From weight management to supplemental support, essential oils and essential oil-infused products can provide the targeted solutions you need to restore balance and feel your best. Check out the Slique® weight-management system or Vitality™ line of dietary essential oils from Young Living to discover the best way to infuse your life.1

If physical fitness is important to your life there are several essential oils and oil infused products that help stimulate and promote oxygenation. Sore muscles? Why not help soothe yourself with the amazing power of a pure essential oil? You can feel revived every day with the whole food-based nutrients, powerful antioxidants, and pure essential oils.1

Refine Your Beauty Routine

Eliminate unsafe ingredients from your personal care products and rediscover your natural glow. Essential oils are an ancient beauty secret, that help promote many different benefits. 1 They can aide in skin cell regeneration which supports clear complexion and an even skin tone. Essential Oils such as Frankincense and Tea Tree can act as natural toners in your skincare routine. Some essential oils may help regulate oil production which can benefit the skin in a variety of ways, maintain elasticity, reduce occasional acne, fight signs of aging, and tighten skin. They also condition the skin which may help with dryness. Using naturally derived ingredients, these advanced skin and hair care solutions make it easy to enjoy the beautiful benefits of essential oils every day.1

Purify Your Home

Harsh chemical formulas aren’t your only option when it comes to cleaning your home. Enjoy peace of mind without compromise when you polish countertops, wash sticky hands, and clean laundry with the safe and effective power of essential oils and Young Living’s Thieves® line of products.1 It’s not just you're cleaning products, do you burn candles, use aerosol spray, wall plug-ins and anything else to help your home smell great? Chances are even the “green” brands are chalked full of chemicals. Diffusing essential oils not only adds a fragrance that is wonderful but it can also support your body on many levels!

How To Use Essential Oils

You can access the power of essential oils many ways, but the most common practices include aromatic diffusion, topical application, and dietary consumption. These methods bring the pure essence of health-promoting botanicals to your home, family, and life.1

Safety Tips

While essential oils are safe to ingests, diffuse and apply topically (I can only safely say this about Young Living Essential Oils), there are a few safety tips you want to keep in mind. Please keep away from eyes, and do not pour into ears. If you get any in your eyes use a fatty oil, known as a carrier oil, to rinse with. There are some oils that met feel “hot” when applied to the skin so use a carrier oil to dilute if that is ever the case. Dilution is suggested for infants and children. Citrus oils are photosensitive so keep off of skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight or uv lighting.

If you're ready to start enjoying the amazing benefits of pure therapeutic grade essential oils you may go to yl.pe/f2q or go to youngliving.com and enter member number 2645436 into the sponsor and enroller slots.

If you would like to learn a little more click here!

Feel free to contact me with any questions!



~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford


brennadawnnstanford@gmail.com
Young Living Member # 2645436

Reference:
1 - https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/discover/about

2 - https://www.wellbeing.com.au/body/health/essential-oils-healthy-brain.html

3 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbic_system