Saturday, December 2, 2006

Why I have a passion to teach about herbs.....

I guess you all know by now that I LOVE herbs.  I love to cook with them, clean with them and use them to keep our bodies healthy.  Often I am asked why...so today I'd like to share a bit about why.

I have been studying and using herbs for half my life now (yikes!  I just dated myself!)  After studying most subjects for 25 years you would have a pretty good grasp on it whether it be a foreign langauge, history, philosophy or something else.  In fact most people would call you an expert and you would, perhaps, have lots of letters after your name.  I, however, can not claim to have those letters or be worthy of the title expert.  The study of herbs is so vast, varied and complicated that I don't think three lifetimes would be enough to "know it all".

I would like to share with you some of what I have learned.  In the study of herbs, I see the hand of God at ever turn.  Remember that God placed man, and woman, in a garden to live.  I think that is very significant.  They were told to tend the garden and they were also given all that they needed.  God, being omniscient, had created plants not just for food but for medicine as well so that when sin entered the world and sickness arrived, His people would not be at a loss.

I believe, personally, that there is a plant to treat every disease.  I believe that God, being perfect, left nothing out.  Perhaps we have not found them all.  Perhaps because of mans' arrogance, his belief that he does not need God and his desire to live a life free from accountability, God has prevented man from discovering them.  We frail humans are so desirous of a "quick fix" ...we want instant gratification even in our health care.  I cannot tell you how many people I talk to who would rather take a pill than brew a cup of herbal tea.  The tea takes too much time and is too much trouble!

I have the heart of a teacher.  I am happy to sell you my products but I would so much rather teach you about them, light a fire in your heart so that you can walk this path, delight in God's gifts and live healthier....without me!  I know that not everyone will care to learn...and that is fine.  I hope, if that is the case, that you will avoid the corporately produced products that offer almost no benefit and purchase from small family owned farms.  In this way you will be supporting small farmers, such as myself, and the small farm movement...voting with your dollars so to speak.  One of the reasons why I have a website is because government regulations in TN prevent me from making a living from the farm in many areas.  KS Milkmaid has written a wonderful series on the small farm crisis and you can read about it here.  There truly is a crisis...but I will touch on that another day.

Through herbs I have been given many ministry opportunites.  I teach classes here on the farm and I do a lot of public speaking throughout the year...sometimes to small groups and often to hundreds of people.    I have the ability to present Christ to people in a format that they are interested in hearing.  I have been invited there because they want to hear and to learn.  It is an awesome opportunity and responsibility.  I always pray that my words will be His words, that I might touch hearts and spirits as well as teach minds.  Here is where my passion lies....to teach about something that I believe God has given us, yet the enemy has stolen. By educating others, by sharing my knowledge and my faith at the same time, I have the awesome ability and responsibility to touch lives for Christ's sake.  Doors open, relationships develop and I have the ability to speak into people's lives and share the gospel.  What a privilege!  No wonder I am passionate!  In my own small wy, I am trying to reclaim ground that the enemy has stolen.

Why would the enemy care about herbs?  Because when we are whole and healthy we are much more effective warriors for God's kingdom here on earth.  It is hard to fight a battle when you are continually walking in sickness.  If Satan can use the benefits of herbs to promote  the vileness of the New Age movement, then most Christians will be turned off to the benefits of herbs.  At the same time, how many people who are simply desiring to find health, are lured into pagan beliefs?  Visit your local "health food store" and you will be hit slap in the face with it!  Yes, the enemy is definitely interested in herbs!

I am also passionate about herbs because I know they work.  I have 25 years of experience to prove it. They have worked for me and I know that they will work for you.  I delight when someone writes to share how one of my products worked....it is that same delight in homeschooling when you see the light bulb go off over your little one's head...they got it!!  People are amazed at how well herbs work.  I think many people order my products hoping they will work but not really believing that they will....thus the amazement!  I must confess that at times we are still amazed.  Josiah had his face scratched badly by one of the Pyrs last night.  It didn't break the skin but it raised a nasty red welt.  He covered it with healing salve at bed time and in the morning he was anxious to show me that it had completely disappeared!  He was amazed at how quickly it healed.

I so appreciate when ya'll do write to share.  Sometimes I learn new things about my own products!  For instance, a customer wrote asking if my healing salve would work on a diaper rash.  Since I don't have babies in diapers anymore, I had never tried it but assured her that it would be safe to use. Here is the response I received:

"Yes, the salve did help the diaper rash and it didn't hurt him when I put it on (unlike the screams when I tried to use a tube of white diaper ointment).  It also kept the area coated, so nothing else could touch his skin.  The rash was better in 24 hrs, gone in 48. "

Imagine my delight to learn of a new use for my healing salve!  I have had several simiilar reports in the last year.  To know that the products my family are using, and that I make available to the public, are helping others is immensely satisfying!

I received this note from another customer about my healing salve last week:

"I've been wanting to write you for awhile to tell you what great results we've seen with your Healing Salve.  I really wish I had taken before and after pictures!  One of my little guys has a terrible time with his hands chapping so bad that they crack open and hurt him terribly.  (Of course, being outside doing chores doesn't help any - but that's part of life on the farm.)  We ordered your salve a while back, but I didn't think to try that till just the other day.  Before bed, I coated the backs of his hands with Healing Salve and wrapped them loosely - they were covered with scabs from the bleeding and were bright red.  What we saw when we unwrapped them was almost miraculous!  Most all of the redness was gone - only a couple of small patches where the chapping was the worst.  Best of all, he said that they didn't hurt anymore!  After another night of the same treatment, all the redness was gone and most of the scabs were softened and cleared up.  What a blessing your salve has been!  Now, when his hands begin to look red, I just wrap them before bed and they look wonderful again in the morning.  We love our life on the farm and the boys love working outside - even in bad weather - but that little guys hands were really beginning to bother me.  I am so thankful that we found your salve.  Thanks so much for making it available."

How could notes like this not fuel my passion?  To know that something I created for my own children is helping other children...I am so blessed and humbled at the same time.  And all of the glory belongs to Him, for he is the Creator of the plants.  It was His wisdom, His love for us and His mercy and grace to provide these wonderful healing plants to ease the problems in our lives. 

Yes, I am passionate, for Him and for His creation!

Blessings!
 

2 comments:

  1. I am really looking forward to your herbal course. We have been working a bit with herbs already, but it will be great to have something more than "hit and miss" in learning about them and what they can do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Lynn,
    I think you will be most interested in my next post ;)!
    Cheri

    ReplyDelete

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