oil pulling pt 3 & some thoughts

It's been nearly two months since I started my Oil Pulling experiment, and I think it's safe to say it's not an experiment anymore. Oil Pulling is now part of my daily routine and I've been pleased with the results. My mouth has continued to be kept clean and healthy, I've thrown away my toothpaste, and I have even found other uses for my coconut oil. Just the other night I was telling our friends how it's become my "wonder drug."

Besides using coconut oil to clean my teeth and gums, I've also been using it in my hair to keep it smooth and well-moistened (wavy hair needs to be kept moisturized). I had noticed that since I started Oil Pulling, my hair has grown significantly, which, if you know me, is saying something. The last time I cut my hair short, it took me over a year and a half to grow it back out to be able to grab it from behind me. I cut my hair again back in November or December to just above my shoulders and here I am at the end of March with my hair already about halfway grown back. I'm a little impressed.

I've also been using the oil as an occasional lotion replacement since we've had significantly cold, dry weather. I say occasional because some days I just can't resist the smell of Bath & Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel. My skin feels softer and moisturized longer, and I have felt like I had that "glow" that most women seek to have nowadays while using it on my face.

So obviously there are many ways you can use coconut oil, and since little bit goes a long way, you can make it stretch. You can even bake and cook with it. If you're looking for a good brand, I've used the Spectrum brand that you can find at Target, but my favorite that I recently found at HEB is the Central Market organic virgin coconut oil. It smells like coconut, so you know it's pure and high quality. I'll probably be buying that from now on if the Central Market near us carries it.

In other news...

My hubs and I have been rolling over some choices we've needed to make, and we finally settled on a decision. Although at this point I feel like it might be more of an acquiesce or surrendering, which is probably good. I've been wrestling with myself a great deal, as there are things that I don't feel ready for or qualified to do. As I think on the things that God has set before me - some fully visible, and others veiled - it's quite easy to get caught up in questions and concerns, most of which are all about little ole ME. I can think all day about what I need to do, what steps I could take, what any given task might require of me, and I often make the mistake of trying to force God's will to happen.

God has given me prophetic words about how my life will be used, but He hasn't exactly given the nitty gritty details about how that will be done. And He doesn't have to.

As such, I see something happening or something I could do, and though I might not admit it, in my heart I say, "Maybe this is what God meant for me to do." It's easy to get wrapped up in doing things, but just because you're doing something doesn't mean you're producing anything.

We've been studying Genesis and recently covered where Abraham's wife Sarah (who is unable to have children) gives her servant Hagar to him to have children with. Now, God has already promised a child to Abraham and Sarah, so you wonder why they would do this. Well, they, like us so many times, tried to "make" God's work happen. We often think, "This will do God," or, "I can do this God, so bless this." The truth though, is that God has already set His plan in motion, and He knows exactly how it will play out. All that is required of us is to have faith in His promise, and to walk in obedience.

There are many things I could get involved in or make happen, but if I'm not placing each step in obedience to God, those things won't matter, and they won't bring Him glory. It is His will I must seek, but I have to remember that I can't make it happen in my timing any more than I can make it rain. I look forward to what God is going to do with my life, and I am excited about what He's doing now. And even though I often don't feel like the person for a given task, I know that God has placed me here and entrusted it to me, and He would not do it if He did not have a purpose for it. I know He will uphold me, and if I listen and obey, I will see His amazing work come to fruition, and I will bring Him glory.