Thanksgiving is defined as “the expression of gratitude, especially to God. ‘He offered prayers in thanksgiving for his safe arrival'” This Thanksgiving especially, I wanted to reflect on gratitude to God for all that we have, for all that I have. As I drudge through the day-to-day routine, I often forget to give thanks or think of the things that I am thankful for. Rather, I keep praying for this or that. I think gratitude and I feel it from time to time, but I never get a chance to reflect on all the gratitude I have to him for all that he has bestowed upon me. So, this is especially meaningful for me this Thanksgiving, as I give my gratitude to God:
- Family- I am so grateful for my family, my kids, husband, and my parents and extended family. Thank you, God, for them, for they give my life meaning and purpose. They are the motivation for me to be better and to make the world a better place.
- Health- I have prayed more this year for this than anything else because as I get older, I am learning that good health is so important. But, along with praying for this for me, my family, and my parents, I realize I must give thanks for the days of good. I feel that healing prayers are important, but it is equally important to give thanks to God for days of good health and energy. Thanks for all that I have and for good health for my family too!
- Great friends- A person can have 1 million followers on social media, and no real friends, but I am so blessed to say I have true friends. I know I tend to be compartmentalized in my friendships because I am a logical thinker so I categorize them. I have work friends, military friends, Facebook friends, and then personal friends, including my neighbors. In the end, no matter which category or compartment, they are all my great friends and I am blessed beyond compare. I am so thankful for them all and pray for them too.
- Career- I am so thankful for an amazing job, an even more amazing employer and feeling fulfilled. There is no success without him, and so while we can always find things to complain about, it is so important to stop complaining and be thankful for the great things, which are all around us, if we can stop and appreciate them.
- Nature- I don’t get to stop and appreciate all that surrounds me, but when I do, I really am in awe with nature, with all that is around me. The mornings when I can take it easy, sip tea, and take all this in starts off so great because I took time out to thank God for his glory which surrounds me daily, even on snowy days.
- Grace & Forgiveness- There are few things in life worth holding on to resentment, hate, or ugliness. It is when we learn the art of grace, forgiveness, and to love all people that we are emulating the actions of God. I am not there yet, but each day I learn something new and I take a step towards God when I am able to exercise grace, dignity, and forgive. To love those who have wronged us and not let the negativity into our soul is a huge step in that direction. I am thankful that at an early age, I learned this and am developing this daily.
- All that I have, and all I have yet to give- I am very thankful for all I have; my cup runneth over daily, but I want to work on giving, sharing, and donating more — I feel this is important and I hope I can build on this. I am not materialistic, but I thank him daily for all we have – food, drink, shelter, transportation, and all the other material things which help us daily.
This Thanksgiving, I hope you can “express gratitude, especially to God,” and feel blessed with all you
have. Happy Thanksgiving 2015!
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I absolutely love the Bath and Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Body wash, and decided to try it myself. I made two different batches and happy to report, it smells and feels great when I use this body wash with a loofah.
HOW TO MAKE IT: I used 1/4 cup of coconut oil (melted over a double boiler). 1/4 cup of raw honey (stir it into the melted coconut oil and keep melting it), add in 1 tsp of Vitamin E, and all your essential oils. It will look like the jar does (see picture on right) and it looks separated. I used 2/3 cup castile soap and poured that into my empty bottle. I added my warm mixture into this and it mixed in well once I poured it and it hardened. For me, I love Eucalyptus Spearmint from the Bath and Body Works collection, so I recreated it. I added 12 drops of Eucalyptus and 9 of Spearmint and it smelled great. I used an old castile soap bottle I had, but if you are going to use citrus oils, I recommend a glass bottle because citrus can break down some plastics. Update: I recently added a teaspoon of almond oil too and it really softens my skin. Loved it!!
Shake before each use, pour onto a loofah or into your hands and enjoy! So relaxing! And remember, you can vary up the essential oils you add – you can do Ginger, Orange combination, lavender and chamomile oil blend, or whatever you love to smell and diffuse.
But, the journey doesn’t end there, you then take a picture with your entire group, before meeting the big man in red! Get dressed up or go casual, but get ready to have fun with Santa, his elves, and all his cool equipment 
transported temporarily from the 
For a decade now I have wanted to get away from chemical deodorants, but I feel I stink and never had time to make my own deodorant. Well, if I can make my own this easily, trust me, you can too! And I’d pick this deodorant application over higher risk of cancer and clogged ducts any day. If you are planning to sweat a lot during the day, I recommend taking some of this in a small travel-size jar or container with you where you go – gym, work, etc., and you can re-apply. But, the statement that natural deodorants make you stink is simply not true.
I want to credit these two blogs because I used the recipes I found 
So, let’s get started. You will need the following:
Recipe 1: Use a mason jar, put in 2 tbs of Coconut Oil, 3 tbs spoons of arrowroot, 2 or less tablespoons of baking soda, and my favorite- 2 tbs scented or unscented shea butter. Mix the coconut oil and shea butter together and melt in the mason jar. I didn’t have a mason jar at the time, so used a small Corning(c) bowl. I placed the bowl over light heat and it melted. Then I stirred in the baking soda and arrowroot, and stirred and kept over heat until the clumps disappeared. I added lemon essential oil (3 drops), tea tree (3 drops), and 5 drops of lavender while it was still melted and stirred it.kept this stored in a cool place overnight, and voila! In the morning, had homemade deodorant. I apply it with a stick and with small amounts only. Keep in mind that you can get empty deodorant cases at amazon.com, and can fill them, and let them cool too. For summer months, you can store in a cooler or fridge.
Recipe 2: This time I had a mason jar on hand, and tried a different recipe, without shea butter. I used 1/3 cups of coconut oil, 1/3 cups for arrowroot and only 1 Tbsp of baking soda. This time I inserted the entire mason jar with lid off into boiling water, and let it melt. I stirred it all together with the following essential oils: 5 drops lavender, 3 drops tea tree, 3 drops melrose, 2 drops lemon, and 3 drops of Cypress. It smelled so good. I let it set overnight, and used it the next morning. This mixture was amazing too! I used it twice already, and it works great. Again, bring a travel jar or two with you when you travel and keep it at work or in your gym bag if you think you will need it after a rigorous workout.
Halloween is over and so is the need for creepy, crawly friends and spider webs. You know they are everywhere, and now you can try this recipe at home, and naturally keep them away! Then, they will scurry to your neighbors’ house so share this recipe with them when they complain next. It works! I used peppermint and not a single chomp of our pumpkins happened. It just works and the scent/taste keep bugs away, naturally. No need to call pest control over and over again.