doTerra Essential Oils

New Category!
Back in January, I joined a company called doTerra, and they distribute essential oils - 100% pure essential oils. Not all oils are created equal. Some are cut with carrier oils and still labeled as pure oil. But doTerra's oils are clinically tested and certified to be 100% essential oil with no carriers.

I had limited experience over the years with essential oils, mostly in candlmaking and soapmaking. But those were not pure oils - they were usually fragrance oils.

There is a HUGE difference when dealing with real essential oils. Yes, they cost more money - but they are SO worth it!

I am creating this category in my blogspace to promote several things:

1) I want people to know how to use essential oils in the home - for healing, for relaxing, for cleaning. Oils are non-chemically based, so are much healthier for your family.

2) I want to share recipes using essential oils.

3) I want to help people have a better quality of life and health while reducing the number of trips they make to a doctor for prescriptions.

3) I want to help people clean their homes and rid their pets of fleas and their homes of ants without using harmful chemicals.

4) I want to encourage people to join doTerra if they think they might start using oils on a long-term basis. (If you only want a bottle here and there, you can just order them from me. I'll give you a discount over what you would buy them off the website, but the real discounts come if you actually join the company. It's only $35 to join, so not a huge outlay, and you get great discounts!)

The reason I got involved:
I went to an oil party and yes, it's kind of like going to a Tupperware party, except these parties give you great information on helping your entire family for life! (Not just for keeping your lettuce fresh for a few days!)

During the course of the party, the speaker told us of the many ways she has seen various oils help people with a host of different maladies. Now, the first thing to bear in mind when dealing with essential oils is that not all oils work the exact same way for all people. A good comparison is perfume: Eau d'rose on LadyA may smell divine, while the same scent on LadyB may smell like old wine. You might have to experiment a little to find which oils work best for your specific body type. But generally, an oil for a specific use will work on a majority of the people.

The second thing to bear in mind is that essential oils are all-natural and sometimes natural remedies take a little longer to work than prescription drugs. If you are simply seeking a quick-fix bandaid for your illness, keep your doctor appointments. If you want to see if you can actually eliminate the problem, give alternative medicine a try. Essential oil use is under natural medicine - it tries to get to the root of the problem and make it go away.

I purchased several different oils to try out at home and see if any of them worked. The one I was MOST interested in was the Basil Oil because it is supposed to help heal sinus issues. My dear hubby, Curt, and I have been married 25 years. For 25 years, I have had to listen to him sniffle, snuffle, and snort - especially in the spring and fall, and a lot in the summer, too. Basically, I only had about two months or so every winter when the sniffling died down a little. It's not a little {sniff, sniff} here and there. We are talking loud, obnoxious noises every 15-20 seconds, including when sitting in church. We even had one family come up to me and complain several years ago that my husband was distracting her children. They were actually counting the number of snifflings he did per minute instead of listening to the pastor's message. She told me how many times he sniffled that morning. I even got to where I asked him if he could either sniff more quietly in church, or could he go sit in one of the classrooms down the hall from the auditorium, where he could still here the sermon, but we wouldn't hear him sniffing. These are not exaggerations and ANYONE who knows our family knows what I am saying to be the honest truth.

Curt went to an allergist. It didn't help. He tried every prescription drug on the market. Some helped a little longer than others, but the sniffling was only held at bay for a few hours at best. At worst, it didn't work at all. He became addicted to nasal sprays - to the point of getting nose bleeds periodically from over-using them.

He frequently contracted sinus infections and had to be on antibiotics 2-3 times a year. I had gotten to the point where I wanted our next tax refund to pay for sinus surgery - just remove the doggone things! Ugh!

I want to make sure you get the picture and understand how desperate his sinus problems were!

So I bought a diffuser, also called an atomizer. These devices come in a wide array of sizes and shapes and can run from 30 minutes to 8 hours, depending on the kind you buy. Prices range from the super inexpensive ($30) to the top of the line ($200+). The cheaper models often have to be cleaned after each use and may corrode due to the essential oils. I have four units now - two expensive ones and two cheap ones. They are all currently working, but it will be interesting to see which units ultimately last  the longest.

Anyway, I place a diffuser on my hubby's side of the bed in early February. Every night it ran for 1 hour. We place the recommended amount of water in it, and 3-4 drops of Basil Oil. Some nights we would add OnGuard in case anyone in the house had been exposed to a sick person, or Oregano in case someone had a sore throat or fever - this was winter, after all, and there are 8 people in my home.

So, after just a few weeks, my husband actually looked forward to filling the unit himself and putting in the oil drops. If he had to go out of town for work, he took the diffuser and oils with him. He said it was helping him breathe better.

April rolls around and my daughter is starting to have all the symptoms of spring allergies. But my husband is not. In fact, when I first realized what a great job it was doing, it was a Sunday morning. About 11:45 my husband sniffled. I jumped. Then I thought, "Why did that startle me? I've been listening to it for 25 years. Wait a minute.....that's his first sniffle this morning!"

I am EXTREMELY pleased to tell anyone who will listen to me that my husband's sniffling is down by over 90%. I cannot say he never sniffles - but it is so minimal now it's no longer even noticeable. Everyone has notice the difference. Best of all - for him - is that he can breathe better! What a blessing!

One bottle of Basil Oil, with my member discount, is $20. (Non-members pay 25% more.) The bottle lasts for a month or two. Do you have any idea how much money we are saving over going to the doctor, getting prescriptions for nasal sprays, antibiotics, etc.? No more over the counter Claritan and additional nasal sprays, netti pot mixtures, and other meds. $10 a month and he's no longer suffering! Yes, he still uses a little nasal spray from time to time - but he isn't going through 1 bottle every 4 days anymore! All those chemicals are no longer clogging up his liver and kidneys. The Basil Oil is 100% natural - it CAN NOT HURT ANY of his organs.

If you or someone you love is experience nasal issues, I strongly encourage you to invest $30 in a diffuser and $25 in a bottle of oil - see if it doesn't provide you with the long-desired relief you have been seeking!

Aliens and Angels

ALIENS and ANGELS

Mooster:  Hi Kids! We haven’t seen you in a while! We’ve been on loan to another church for a few weeks. Did you miss us? We missed you too!

Moe: (poking around edges of stage) Shhhhh……(whispers) be very quiet, Mooster. They can hear you!

Mooster: What? Who can hear me? Moe, what are you talking about? Of course the children can hear me, that’s the point! I ---

Moe:  (still whispering loudly) nononono – the A L I E N S

Mooster: The what?

Moe: The aliens! You know, the people that can see and hear everything we do but we can’t see or hear them.

Mooster: Moe, I think you are confused.

Moe: Mooster, I heard about them! We can’t see them, but they can see us. In fact – they are probably in this room with us right now!

Mooster. Moe, you have been watching tooooo many scary movies. Just like there’s no such thing as ghosts, there’s no aliens. And you can talk normally…even if there were invisible aliens, if they’re smart enough to see us and hear us, they could hear you whispering.

Moe: Oh. Yeah I guess that makes sense.

Mooster: So why are you worries about aliens?

Moe: Well, first of all they might steal my bananas. I’ve been trying to keep some extra ones hidden away just in case. Second they might make crop circles in my banana orchard.

Mooster: Oh brother.

Moe: Third, what if they kidnapped me! You know if you read the National Enquire Alot that happens all the time!

Mooster. The National Enquire a Lot?? Really? You know that’s a hogwash magazine.

Moe: Well it seems pretty convincing to me.

Mooster: I think you should read your Bible and stop reading the National Enquire A Lot.

Moe: Are you kidding? I learn a lot from the National Enquire a Lot!

Mooster: You’d learn more from your Bible. Besides…did you know the Bible says there really are created beings that can see us and we can’t see them?

Moe: What ?!?! Are they horrible? Are they frightening? Do they eat….gulp…..cute little adorable monkeys?  

Mooster: No, Moe, they don’t eat monkeys and they’re not horrible or frightening. They are here to help us!

Moe: What are you talking about?

Mooster: Angels.

Moe: Oh – you mean all those pretty little kids with wings I see painted on everything? Sometimes they’re beautiful women and they have fairy wings and glitter and …

Mooster: No. Those are not real angels. I’m talking about the ones in the Bible. Real angels in the Bible are always referred to as males, and they’re never children or fairies.

Moe: There’s angels in the Bible? How do they fit in between all those pages? They must be realllllly tiny…

Mooster: Moe, you are not really listening here. God’s Word tells us ABOUT angels. God made lots of them. Once there was a time in heaven when the most beautiful angel, named Lucifer, decided he wanted to be God. He led a rebellion and 1/3 of the angels were on his side. Of course, he lost. He and his angels were cast out of heaven. That’s why God made hell. It’s a place for them. But it’s also the place people go who reject God.

Moe: Oh. Well that was silly. Why would any angel think they could defeat the One Who created them? So what about the 2/3 of angels that did not rebel against God? Where are they?

Mooster: They are all around us and in heaven. According to the Bible they can travel back and forth. Did you know that one of God’s servants saw a whole bunch of angels all at one time?

Moe: Really? When?

Mooster: In the book of 2 Kings, chapter 6 it tells of God’s prophet Elisha being surrounded by enemy troops. They were everywhere! When Elisha’s servant got up in the morning, he could see them all around the city where they were staying. He was so scared he went running back to Elisha and told him there were so many against them – what would they do? He was scared!

Moe: I think I would be too.

Mooster: That’s when Elisha said to his servant, Fear not: for they that are with us are more than those that are with our enemies.

Moe: But Elisha’s servant didn’t see anyone there?

Mooster: Nope. So Elisha prayed and asked God to open his servant’s eyes. And the Bible said God did and the servant saw the mountain around them filled with horses and chariots of fire, all around. They were there to protect Elisha from his enemies.

Moe: Oh. Hey…wasn’t it an angel that told Mary she would have the baby Jesus?

Mooster: Yep, it was.

Moe: So they can talk to us?

Mooster: That’s right, Moe. The Bible says that sometimes we entertain angels unaware. That means that sometimes we might not even know we are talking to an angel, but we are. Sometimes God sends angels to help us. There’s lots of stories of that happening. And, angels can even be seen by animals!

Moe: Really? No way. How do you know that?

Mooster: I think you need to read your Bible more. The story in the Old Testament of Balaam and his donkey tells us about that. Balaam was on his way to do something God didn’t want him to do. The Lord sent an angel to block his path, but he didn’t see it. The donkey did though! He kept trying to get out of the angel’s path. The donkey went off the trail twice and then finally stoppe altogether, and Balaam got mad and started beating him. Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and said, “Why are you beating me? I’ve always been a good donkey. There’s a reason I’m doing this!”

Moe: And Balaam didn’t think it was rather odd that he was having a conversation with a DONKEY? I think I would have freaked out a bit if I were a human, talking to an animal that could talk back to me!

Mooster: One would think. I guess Balaam was just so mad he wasn’t thinking straight. Anyway, God opened Balaam’s eyes and then he saw the angel with a sword drawn – and he fell down and admitted his sin. That old donkey had saved Balaam’s life!

Moe: Well, that’s really cool. I guess knowing that God made angels makes more sense than thinking there’s creepy aliens floating around, spying on us, ready to steal our bananas.

Mooster: I guess so!

Moe: I’m really glad you told me about the angels. It would be cool to see one someday! Do they still talk to people or help us out?

Mooster: They do! I’ve heard missionaries tell stories about how the natives in distant villages wanted to kill the missionaries, but when they came to attack, they were afraid of the tall, shining men with swords in their hands. Apparently, God opened the natives’ eyes so they could see the angels sent to protect the missionaries.

Monkey Moe: Oh WOW! That’s amazing!

Mooster: It is, Moe. God can send His angels to help us or protect us whenever He chooses to do so.

Monkey Moe: Well…I guess I don’t need to hide anymore bananas. Hey…that means I have extras! Want to go make banana shakes?

Mooster: Sounds great! Bye boys and girls – see you soon!!

The 10 Suggestions

The Ten Suggestions

Mooster: Hey everyone! School is ALMOST over for most of you! Are you excited? Do you have awesome summer plans! I know I sure do! I’m looking forward to hanging out in the woods, eating water lily leaves, taking long baths in the river, napping in the shade. AHhhhhhhhh…..it’s relaxing just to think about it!

Moe: Hi Mooster! Hi kids! What are you talking about? Summer vacation? Oh me too! I’m looking forward to that myself.

Mooster: What do you have planned Monkey Moe?

Moe: Well, first I’m planning on sleeping in EVERY day and not getting up until NOON! OH yeah! Maybe get up, watch some tv, eat some banana o’s, take another nap…

Mooster: Except Sunday, right?

Moe: Except Sunday what?

Mooster: You’ll be getting up on time for Sunday school, right?

Moe: Well, actually, Mooster, it IS summer vacation, so….I’m planning on vacating. You know, kicking back, chilling…

Mooster: Yeah but Moe, you should still be in church.

Moe:  Well, I’ll probably go in the evenings. But Mooster, I’m sleeping in on Sundays! It’s my day of rest!

Mooster: You just said every day would be your day of rest. Beside, the Bible says we are supposed to honor the Sabbath day to keep it holy. I don’t think sleeping through it is what God had in mind.

Moe: Annnd then I’m planning on going to the mall every afternoon and hanging with my friends, maybe take in some movies.

Mooster: Um, I thought your parents didn’t like you just hanging out at the mall? And are you going to tell them which movies you are seeing?

Moe: Wellll, since they both have to work a lot this summer, they won’t know if I’m at the mall or not and if I don’t tell them what movies I’m watching, they won’t know.

Mooster: Moe! You can’t do that. The Bible says to honor your father and mother – that means we are supposed to obey them, even if they aren’t home. And where are you planning on getting the money for all this?

Moe: Oh, I’ve got lots of money saved up. I do the laundry and whenever I find money in the dryer, I keep it! I figure that’s my payment for doing that chore.

Mooster: Uh huh. Did your mom tell you that you could keep it?

Moe: I didn’t ask.  

Mooster: Was it yours in the first place?

Moe: Nope. I keep my money in my super secret safe so it’s never in the dryer!

Mooster: Then that money is probably your mom and dad’s.

Moe:  Was. What difference does it make? 50 cents here, a buck there – who’s counting?

Mooster: I imagine you are.

Moe: Twenty-nine dollars and sixty-three cents to be exact. What’s your point?

Mooster:  It’s stealing, Moe! The Bible says, Thou shalt not steal!

Moe: Mooster, you sure have a lot of rules tonight. Where are you getting all these?

Mooster: From Exodus chapter 20. God gave us the 10 commandments. They are laws of His that we should live by.

Moe: Laws? I thought all those “thou shalt nots” were just suggestions.

Mooster: Uh, no Moe. God gave them to Moses for the children of Israel so that they could live in peace with God and with their fellow man. If we follow the 10 commandments, we avoid a LOT of trouble in this life.

Moe: Welllll, I don’t know…..I don’t think I have too many of them to worry about.

Mooster: Didn’t you tell me the other day you were really, really badly wanting that new banana yellow zyke, like your cousin has?

Moe:  Oh yeah – Man, I would give anything to have one of those! It’s not fair that my uncle makes so much more money than my dad. My dad’s a great guy! He should make the same and then he could buy me a zyke, too.

Mooster: Moe, that’s coveting. We are not supposed to covet. And your dad IS a really nice guy. But he’s a school teacher. He’s a great school teacher – but you uncle is a biochemist. There’s a bit of a difference in education and skill levels there. It’s not Unfair that your uncle is better paid – he has a much more complicated job that required a lot more education than your dad.

Moe: I suppose you are right, Mooster. So just what exactly ARE all the 10 commandments? I think I’ve forgotten most of them.

Mooster: We can tell you! Everyone can help me. Mr. Curt can you pass out the papers? Thank you!! Okay – I’ll start off with number one: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Okay, now whoever has number two, please stand up and read it!

Great! Now number three?

Awesome! Number four!

That’s right! Number five.

Super! Number six.

Absolutely! Number 7.

Excellent! Number 8.

Good job! Number 9

Thank you! Number 10

Awesome job, kids! Thanks for reading those. Moe – were  you paying attention?

Moe:  Wow. I’m really sorry, Mooster. You are right. If I followed all those commandments, I would have a more peaceful life-with God and man. I’ve really blown some of those.  

Mooster: We all break God’s law from time to time, Moe. But what’s important is that we recognize when we have disobeyed, and we ask God to forgive us, and we get back on track living for Him!

Moe:  I think I need to memorize the 10 commandments.

Mooster: You don’t think they are the 10 suggestions anymore?

Moe: No, that was silly of me. I know God’s word is there for my best. I just needed reminding. I think I might be replanning my summer vacation. I’ll make sure I’m up for Sunday school!

Mooster: I’m glad to hear that! We need to take advantage of all the opportunities God gives us to learn about His Word. The more we know it and memorize it and study it, the stronger we will be as Christians, and the harder it will be for Satan to attack us.

Moe: Thanks Moe! Hey boys and girls – this summer, why don’t we all work on memorizing the 10 commandments, if you don’t already have them memorized.  I think that would be a great summer project!

Mooster: That’s a great idea, Moe! Every week this summer, if you can stand and tell us some of the commandments, we will give you something – maybe a penny for each commandment or a piece of gum or something. Once you have alllll 10 memorized, in order, you will get one of those giant candy bars we used to give out. Sound good?

Moe: Can I have a banana instead?

Mooster: You sure can, Moe.

Bye!!!

Fruit of the Spirit

Fruit of the Spirit

Mooster: Hi everyone! Today is a great day to be alive. Every day that God gives you breath, you should be thankful for it!

Moe: Howdy howdy howdy! Lovely day we are having today! Hello Mooster! What’s up?

Mooster: We are going to talk about fruits today, Moe.

Moe: oooh goody! I love oranges and bananas and pears and bananas and watermelons and bananas and peaches and bananas and apricots and  bananas…

Mooster: Um, not that kind of fruit.

Moe: Um….ohhhhkay. I know there’s some people in my neighborhood that seem a little off-balance, but I don’t usually refer to them as fruits…

Mooster: Not that kind either.

Moe: Hmmm….Oh I know! You are talking about the fruits of our labor, right? So if we work hard we’ll have good things to show for it.

Mooster: Hey that’s a very good guess, Moe. Not what we are talking about today, but you are right – if you work hard you will earn fruits, or good things, from your labors.

Moe: So I give up. What fruits are you talking about today?

Mooster: The fruit of the spirit.

Moe: Uh…you know, I’m really kinda creeped out by ghosts and spirits and that stuff. Do we have to talk about that today?

Mooster: Moe, I’m not talking about the creepy kinds of ghosts or spirits that you see people promoting for Halloween. I’m talking about fruit of the Holy Spirit! Fruit that shows you belong to Jesus Christ.

Moe: Ohhhhh that fruit! Why didn’t you just say so. I got it now.

So…..um…….what exactly is the fruit of the spirit?

Mooster: We have to read about it in the Bible. Let’s start in Galatians chapter 5, verses 22-23:  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance. Ephesians 5:9 says that the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.

Moe: Oh that fruit! I do all that already.

Mooster: Reallllly?

Moe: Yep, sure do!

Mooster: Let’s start with love. Do you love all those around you? What about your super crabby neighbor, Mr. Yelzalot. I thought you didn’t like him.

Moe: Oh, well that doesn’t count. I love my friends and my family!

Mooster: When Jesus was telling the story of the Good Samaritan, He proved that everyone is our neighbor and that good Samaritan showed Godly love by caring for the injured man.

Moe: Oh, yeah. So I guess I could show Mr. Yelzalot love by taking him some cookies or raking his yard for him, huh? Okay well move on to the next one. I’m telling you, I got these! Like the next one – JOY! I’m a joyous kinda monkey, Mooster! You know me – I’m always happy!

Mooster: Well, happiness and joy aren’t always the same thing. Joy is something you have forever in heart no matter what your outside circumstances.

Moe: Yeah, and?

Mooster: Well you didn’t seem to joyful when you failed that spelling test last week. I think you blamed the teacher.  

Moe:  Oh yeah….That was wrong of me. It wasn’t my teacher’s fault. It was mine because I didn’t study. And I was pretty upset. I see what you are saying….I didn’t let the joy of the Lord shine through me that day, did I?

Mooster: Nope. And joy is something that we can have even in sorrow. It’s what people feel even when a loved one dies. For instance, when your friend Chuckie’s grandma died, he was sad because he would miss her, but he had joy in his heart because she knew Jesus and he knew that he would see her again in heaven.

Moe: The next one is peace. I do have peace! I have peace in my heart no matter what is happening around me because I know Jesus is in control. And, I know that in the end, all things will work as He has them planned. ANND – I read the book of Revelation in the Bible and Jesus will be the victor and we will live with Him forever in heaven if we know Him as Saviour!

Mooster: Right, Moe! That’s exactly right. We can be at peace even when things are bad. What about longsuffering?

Moe:  Oh I got that. I’m the most longsufferingist person I know! Yep. That’s me. Longsufferer. Yep. Totally. Um..Mooster?

Mooster: Yes Moe?

Moe:  What does longsuffering mean? It sounds painful…

Mooster:  Well, sometimes it could be, like if you had a disease you had to learn to live with. But, mostly it means something like patience. It means you are willing to wait for God to supply something, or you are willing to wait for healing, or an answer to prayer.

Moe: Oh. Maybe I don’t got that. I’m kind of an impatient type of monkey. Let’s move on to the next one. Hurry up.

Mooster: Gentleness.

Moe: Oh that’s me! That’s me! Did you see how I gently got Mrs. Meecham’s cat out of her oak tree last week? I didn’t even drop it!

Mooster:  Yes, you did great with that! But, do you remember how you told Mr. Oglesby that his socks didn’t match?

Moe: Oh yeah…I, uh, guess I wasn’t too kind about that, huh? But Mooster, come on, I mean..seriously? Yellow on one foot and bright purple on the other? He looked silly!

Mooster:  Moe, he’s 98 years old and he doesn’t care and he can’t see that well. He has lots of interesting stories that he tells people and he’s always bringing little treats to the kids at church. Do you think any of those little children care if his socks match?

Moe: No because they don’t have any clothing savvy yet.

Mooster:  No, Moe, it’s because it doesn’t matter. You know that. What’s important is that they all want to spend time with each other, not what they are wearing.

Moe: Yeah, yeah, I gotta work on that. I’m clothing challenged…I always gotta match. Next one please!

Mooster:  Goodness.

Moe: But Mooster, none of us are good. The Bible even says that. The Bible says all of us are sinners.

Mooster:  That’s true – but, we can still do good works. Once we are saved, Jesus helps us do good things – like when you got the cat out of the tree or when you helped that lost girl at the mall find her mom.

Moe:  Oh yeah. Thanks, Mooster. That’s true. What’s next?

Mooster:  Faith.

Moe: I got that I got that I got that! I asked Jesus to be my Saviour. I’m good with faith.

Mooster: But faith is also believing that He has things under control. Like when your dad had to change jobs and you had to move. You had to have faith that God knew what He was doing.

Moe: Oh. Yeah, that kind of faith is hard sometimes. But I keep working on it. God is always faithful, even when our faith is not strong.

Mooster: That’s right! Only two left: Meekness and Temperance.

Moe: Oh, I’m the most meek monkey in the whole neighborhood! I’m so meek, I should give classes on meekness. I have meekness down to a science. Other people come up to me all the time and say, “How can I be meek like you?” It’s embarrassing really, but I’m okay with it.

Mooster:  Moe…Meekness means the opposite of being filled with pride. It means you are not trying to say how good or wonderful you are. You are someone who is willing to step aside and let others have the praise.

Moe:  Oh. BUSTED….Phooey.

Mooster:  And lastly, temperance.

Moe: Oh! Let me tell the kids what temperance means, please, please, please!! I so have this one! I can do it, let me do it, you got to do all the other ones, this one is mine, let me tell them, please please please please!!!!

Mooster: Go ahead, Moe. Tell everyone.

Moe:  Temperance means self-control.

Mooster:  I’m shocked you know that! Hahahahaah

Moe:   Very funny. I may not be able to demonstrate it very well, but I know what it is.

Mooster: Well, there you have it kids – the fruit of the spirit. Why not try to look for these fruits this week in yourself and in others. If we are Christians, we need to try and practice them everyday.

Moe:  Sounds like a good idea, Mooster.

BOTH: Bye everyone!!

The Greatest of Gifts

The Greatest of Gifts

Mooster: Merry Christmas, everyone! What? Christmas is over? Well, that may be – but it’s still the Christmas season, so I keep saying it. We can still say Merry Christmas – it’s like saying, “Happy celebration of Jesus’ birth!”

(Moe starts sneezing behind the curtain.)

Mooster: Hey Moe! Is that you sneezing? Come on out here!

Moe: Hi Mooster! Hi kids! Ah-chooooo! Yep, I’m sneezing. My little sister got a kitten for Christmas and I think I’m allergic to it. I’ve been sneezing since she got it. Ah-choo! Swell gift, huh? You don’t want a cat do you?

Mooster: Oh that’s too bad, Moe. I’m sorry you are allergic to it. Perhaps your parents can just section off one room for the cat to be in, like your sister’s room. Maybe that would help.

Moe: Yeah, whatever. She got what she wanted for Christmas and apparently that’s all that mattered.

Mooster: Huh? What are you talking about, Moe? Your folks got you gifts too, didn’t they?

Moe: Uh-huh. I got some new socks. A new backpack for school. Oh yeah, and some new long underwear since it’s so cold outside. My sister got a kitten. It’s all she’s ever wanted! Did they get me the pet I wanted? Oh no! Ah ah ah-choooooo!

Mooster: Bless you.

Moe: Thanks. The point is, I’ve always wanted one of those awesome colorful blue frogs from South America. They’re only $49.99 from the online pet stores. That’s not so much. I could have done without the socks.

Mooster: Moe, are you KIDDING me? Aren’t those blue frogs poisonous?

Moe: What’s your point?

Mooster: Moe, really? Do you think your parents would want you to have a poisonous animal in the house?

Moe: Well, it’s only poisonous if you touch it….

Mooster: And you think you could take care of it without ever losing it or having it escape or touching it or having one of your little sisters try and touch it?

Moe: Ummmm….. mayyyybe….

Mooster: Uh huh. Let’s look at this from your parent’s point of view. Their job is to protect their children. What is a safer pet? The poison dart frog or the kitten?

Moe: Okay, okay, fine. Ahhhhhh-choooooooo! I get it, I get it. The kitten is safer. But I didn’t get anything I wanted!

Mooster: Really? I thought your folks got what you had on the list you wrote down? Didn’t you ask for a new tablet?

Moe: Yeah. They got one for me.

Mooster: Didn’t you ask for a new remote control banana mobile?

Moe: Yeah. They got one for me.

Mooster: Didn’t you ask for that new mystery book series, “The Great Monkey Detectives of History?”

Moe: Yeah. They got all those for me. There’s 52 books in the set.

Mooster: And didn’t you ask for a new backpack?

Moe: Yeah, yeah, yeah I did. But I didn’t get the frog!

Mooster: Moe, you got more stuff than probably any other monkey in Greenville County. I can’t believe you are focusing on the dumb frog. Your focus is all wrong. You shouldn’t be wasting your time thinking about what you did NOT get. You should be SOoooo thankful for all the things you DID get! You know if your dad hadn’t gotten that great promotion, you would not have had much more than socks for Christmas.

Moe: That’s true. Dad is making a lot more money now. My parents bought a lot of things for all us kids this year because we had to go without a lot of gifts for birthdays and stuff this year. We didn’t have much money at all through most of the year. We ate lots of beans and bananas this year.

Mooster: God blessed your dad with a better job. Have you told the Lord “Thank You” yet for that?

Moe: Um…no I guess I haven’t.

Mooster: You should. Many dads have no job right now. Their kids got almost nothing for Christmas. Did you thank the Lord that all your family was able to be together for Christmas?

Moe: Ahhhh-Chooo! No……

Mooster: You should. Think about all the soldiers who missed Christmas with their families yesterday. Think of all the people we know who had a loved one die this year. There were lots of empty places around Christmas dinner tables all over the United States. But your table was full.

Moe:  Yeah…it was. I’m really being a selfish monkey, aren’t I, Mooster?

Mooster: Well, I do think you are focusing on the wrong things, Moe. God has blessed your family sooo much! You are missing out on the rejoicing and the blessings when you only think about what you didn’t get. You have a lot to praise the Lord about, Moe.

Moe: Aaahhhhhhh-chooooooo! Oh, man. You are right, Mooster. I am making myself miserable for no good reason. My best friend’s dad is in the Middle East right now. They got to Skype each other yesterday, but I know it’s not the same. I would have cried if my dad couldn’t be home for Christmas. And you are right about all the nice things my parents DID buy me. I guess I need to be reminded of all the good things I have every day.

Mooster: Excellent point, Moe. I think lots of times we all have that problem. We focus on what we don’t have. Sometimes that just seems so big! It’s like having an elephant in the closet. We can’t see all our clothes because the elephant is taking up so much space. But that doesn’t mean the clothes are gone. We just have to get rid of the elephant.

Moe:  Does the Bible say anything about gifts?

Mooster: Uh huh –sure does!  James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” That means every gift we receive is ultimately from God, so we should always thank Him for everything we receive.

Moe:  I need to memorize that one. I bet it would help me.

Mooster:  It sure would! Do you know what the greatest gift of all time was?

Moe: O I know that one! It was the birth of Jesus Christ. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. If we ask Jesus Christ to forgive our sins and to be our Savior, He forgives all our sins and then we can go to heaven one day! God is willing to give us heaven because He gave us Jesus!

Mooster: Very good, Moe. There are people all over the world who received nothing yesterday in terms of physical gifts. But they could rejoice anyway because God gave them the greatest of gifts – salvation through Jesus Christ. People may be poor here on earth. They may never have a warm home or a nice car or plenty of food to eat. It’s hard for us to think like that because we live in America. But people all over the world live that way every day…always cold, always hungry, always needing clean water. But if they have asked Christ to save them, they know they will one day have all the beauties of heaven as their own. That’s something to rejoice over, whether you are rich or poor!

Moe: I agree! Ah-choo!

Mooster:  Bless you, Moe. So, let’s start this conversation alllllll over from the beginning, shall we? Hi, Moe! How was your Christmas?

Moe: It was the best Christmas, ever, Mooster. My mom and day and all my brothers and sisters were home. Dad has a great job now. My parents were able to buy all of us kids some amazing gifts. I got more than I deserve. And my parents loved all of us enough to not buy me that poison dart frog I asked for. I don’t even know why I put that dumb thing on the list. But best of all, I know that all my family members that are old enough to understand have asked Jesus to be their Savior. I know that if we die, we will see each other again in heaven. That’s the best Christmas gift of all.

Mooster:  Amen, Moe. I couldn’t have said it better! Boys and girls, remember: It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t get for Christmas. What matters is what you have done with the gift that God sent you. Have you asked Jesus Christ to come into your heart and save you? Have you asked Him to forgive your sins? Do you believe that Jesus was born to die for you? Do you believe that He rose again and lives today in Heaven? If you ever need help praying and asking Christ to save you, I hope you will talk with one of the adults here. They would all be happy to show you how to be saved. Then you would have the greatest give ever given to man: Salvation!

Moe: I’m going to go home and write down all the things I’m thankful for. I think starting off the New Year by thanking God for all His blessings will help me keep my eyes focused on the right things.

Mooster: That’s a great idea! Kids, you can make a list too! Every night, before you go to bed, take a few moments to pray and thank God for all the many blessings He has given you, especially the blessing of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Moe: Bye everyone! Merry CHRISTmas!!! Happy New Year!

Mooster: Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

Spring Is Sprung

SPRING IS SPRUNG

Mooster: Oh what a beeeeeyoutiful day! We’ve been having so many pretty days! Sooooo much better than the constant cold weather. Are you kids enjoying being outside?  ………. Me too! I love it!

Moe: Hi Mooster! Hi kids! Oh man what a beautiful day! Except….I have been feeling a little yucky the past couple days. I think it’s because I ate too much chicken.

Mooster: Oh that’s too bad, Moe. Why are you eating too much chicken? Did your mom get a special from Kentucky fried or something?

Moe: Um, no …not Kentucky fried.

Mooster: Zaxby’s? Theirs isn’t usually too greasy. Is it the grease?

Moe: Uh no….I don’t think the chicks were greasy.

Mooster: Chicks? You are eating baby chickens?

Moe: Well, actually, they are called peeps. You know…the kind that comes in Easter egg baskets?

Mooster: Moe, you ate all your Easter candy already?

Moe:  Yeah. And my mom’s. And my dad’s. They didn’t want theirs – they are on a diet.

Mooster: oooooh Moe, really? No wonder you haven’t felt well.

Moe: Well, I figured it’s spring! New beginnings and all that – so I thought since I’m a year older than I was last Easter I should be able to hold more candy! But I don’t think it works that way.

Mooster: Um, no, it doesn’t. And while spring is a season of new beginnings, it doesn’t mean you can suddenly eat a lot of junk and not get sick. Can you think of OTHER new beginnings that might be better examples for spring?

Moe: Ummmm…..probably anything that doesn’t contain sugar….groannn….My other problem is allergies! Every spring….ahhhhh-choo!

Mooster: Spring does cause people with allergies problems. Kids – can you help us out? Why would allergies be worse in spring? What do you see at this time of year coming up out of the dirt? ………..yep you see new plants! New leaves! New flower shoots! And with all that comes pollen – which makes some people sneeze. But new life is seen in the sprouting plants!

Moe: Oh oh oh – I know where the Bible talks about that!! Isaiah 61:11  For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Mooster: Very good! Kids- what’s another thing that you might think of when you think of spring? Does anyone think of water?

Moe: Oh yeah! Springs of water come up out of the ground! They form creeks and ponds.

Mooster: You bet! I even know a song about that. Do you want to help me sing it?

Moe: Sure!

                   I’ve got a river of life

                   Flowing out of me

                   Makes the lame to walk

                   And the blind to see

                   Opens prison doors

                   Sets the captive free

                   I’ve got a river of life

                   Flowing out of me!

Spring up oh well

                   Down in my soul

                   Spring up on well

                   And make me whooooole

                   Spring up oh well

                   And give to me

                   That life abundantly

Moe: That song isn’t just talking about water. What else is it talking about?

Mooster: Living water! Kids – do you know Who the Living Water is? …….. that’s right! It’s Jesus!  When we ask Jesus Christ into our lives to be our Savior, He brings us the living water of eternal life. That living water of Christ can set people free from their bondage to sin. Christ’s salvation offers to us new life – we are like new flower shoots. The old man dies when we get saved and the new man springs forth through the abundant life in Jesus Christ. That song is really cool for helping us remember all those things!

Moe:  Hey, when I think of spring, I think about all the new baby animals that are born. They are so cute! The only problem is that sometimes people are allergic to animals too. Ahhhhh-choo!

Mooster: Oh are you allergic to animals too?

Moe: Not really, but it was a good place for a sneeze.

Mooster:  Oh brother! Anyway, new baby animals are another sign of spring, you are right, but they are also a good reminder of what happens when a person gets saved.

Moe: That’s true. Our pastor told us that newly saved Christians are like new babies. The apostle Paul wrote about that in the New Testament. He said new Christians have to learn and grow spiritually just like new babies have to learn and grown physically.

Mooster: That’s right! The Bible is compared to milk and meat for the Christian’s spiritual body. Moe, can you live on candy?

Moe: Um…no I guess I can’t. I can’t even eat too much of it. I’ll get sick. Ugh….like this week! I have to have real food to stay healthy.

Mooster: Exactly! But sometimes Christians think they can live on candy…just coming to church when it’s convenient for them – once a week or once a month or once a year. But if you only ate a good meal once a week, you’d be pretty puny woudn’t you? What if you only ate candy?

Moe: I wouldn’t be a very healthy monkey if I ate like that.

Mooster: Nope – and Christians who only go to church once in a while are not usually very healthy spiritually. That’s dangerous because the Bible says Satan is roaring about like a lion – seeking whom he may devour! He can easily confuse a starving Christian with things that sound good but aren’t really truth.

Moe:  Oh yeah – we learned in school how lions will pick out the weak or sickly from a heard of animals. I guess that’s true in our Christian life too, isn’t it? If we don’t grow spiritually, we become easy prey for Satan to lead us away from God.

Mooster: Absolutely true! Kids – if we want our new spring plants to grow, we water them and give them fertilizer for food and make sure they have lots of sunlight. What do you think we should do as Christians to make sure we grow and stay healthy spiritually?

Yep – we need to pray and sing hymns, and we need to read our Bibles and go to church whenever we are able! We want to grow into healthy, mature Christians for God.

Moe: I know a song for that!

Read your Bible pray every day

Pray every day

Pray every day

Read your Bible pray every day

And you’ll grow, grow, grow

And you’ll grow, grow, grow,

And you’ll grow, grow, grow

Read your Bible pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow.

Mooster: Yep, and the opposite is true, too!

Don’t read your Bible, forget to pray

Forget to pray

Forget to pray

Don’t read your Bible, forget to pray

And you’ll shrink, shrink, shrink

And you’ll shrink, shrink, shrink,

And you’ll shrink, shrink, shrink

Don’t read your Bible forget to pray and you’ll shrink, shrink, shrink.

Moe:  Wow. We sure did cover a lot of things that go with the Bible and with spring. I guess that’s why Easter time and spring are such good pictures of the Christian life.

Mooster: Yep! Just like Christ rose from the dead, if we know Him as Saviour, we will one day rise to heaven. Just like a seed falls to earth and dies before it can bring forth a new plant, we much die to our sins in order to grow in Christ. Just like baby animals need milk to grow, we need to read the Bible to grow. Just like healthy animals can form a group and protect the herd from attacks from lions, so Christians need to grow strong spiritually so they can fend off attacks from Satan. God has given us lots of examples in nature of what we need in our spiritual lives.

Moe:  Well….I know peeps are a little sugar version of a baby chick, but I definitely need to lay off the sugar if I want to stay healthy. I think I’ll offer the rest of my candy to my brothers and sisters. They are better at not eating everything all at once than I am.

Mooster: That’s a good idea, Moe. Boys and girls – as you enjoy springtime, let’s all be reminded of the many ways spring is like our Christian life!

Bye!!!

He Knows My Name

He Knows My Name

Gail: Hi kids! Tonight we are going to do something a little different with the puppets. We are all going to chat with them!

(Knocks on puppet stage) Moe! Miss Elly! Mooster! Is anyone home tonight?

Moe: Hi Miss Gail! I’m here! I think Mooster is too. I’m not sure about Miss Elly….I think she’s visiting her cousins down at the Columbia Zoo. Maybe she will be back next week!

Mooster: I’m here! Hello everyone! What are we doing tonight, Miss Gail?

Gail: I thought it would be nice to talk about God knowing our names. We heard that preached in a message recently and I think it would be good for the kids to understand that concept a little better.

Moe:  Miss Gail, Seriously? God knows MY name? I’m just a monkey in a big old jungle. I’m cute and adorable, I’ll grant that, but still….I don’t think God knows me by name.

Mooster: Of course He does, Moe! You still are not reading your Bible as much as you should, are you? Listen to these verses, spoken by Jesus Himself: Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

30  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Moe: Wow! God see when every sparrow falls to earth? That’s amazing. I mean….think about the billions and billions of birds there are in the world right now. But God notices each one?

Miss Gail: Yep. And Jesus said that we are more important to him than the sparrows.

Mooster: Also, listen to this from the Psalms chapter 139: I will praise thee (speaking to God) for I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Also in that chapter, it says God saw us when we were being formed in our mother’s womb. It says that all our members – things like fingers and toes – were known to God before they were even formed.

  

Moe: WOW  - that’s amazing. God knows all about us before we are even born? I guess that means God thinks we are a person before we are born, too, right, Miss Gail?

Miss Gail: That’s exactly right, Moe. A baby is a human being to God from the moment He starts creating it. No matter what the laws of any country may say, an unborn baby is a person – a person worthy of the notice of the God of the Universe. Now that’s pretty amazing!

Mooster: Miss Gail – why don’t you tell the children about God knowing our names?

Miss Gail: Well first, let’s have each of the children stand up and tell us their full name. Then they can tell us one interesting thing about themselves. I’ll start, then Moe and Mooster can go, then I’ll call on the children. My name is Gail Ann Kappenman. I’ve been married for 25 years. Moe – it’s your turn!

Moe: My name is Monkey Moe. Last year I ate 2,419 bananas!

Mooster: Uh. Wow. That was…uhm…fascinating information Moe.

My name is Mooster. I’m a moose and I moved here from Norway.

Miss Gail: Norway? Really? Wow – you don’t have any accent!

Mooster: My mom taught Moose English in school. She didn’t let us develop an accent.

Miss Gail! AH! Okay boys and girls, let’s start with you.
(Calls on each child in turn to stand, say their name, and give an interesting piece of information about themselves.)

Moe: Are you serious? I can’t do that! How could I possibly remember all that?

Mooster: God can.

Miss Gail: That’s true. God knows everything about us, including our names. Many times in the Bible God tells people He knows their name.

  

Moe: Oh now come on….how much information do you think God can store, anyway? First you said He sees every sparrow, and I know the Bible says He knows how many hairs we have, which is just soooo amazing, and now you are saying He knows all our names, too? He doesn’t forget anyone?

Mooster: Nope – He knows everyone’s names. He never forgets a single person because He created each one. And He sent His Son to die for each one, so every single person can have the chance to go to heaven. Isn’t that right, Miss Gail?

Miss Gail: It sure is. SO many times in the Bible God tells people He knows their name. He told Moses He knew him by name in Exodus 33:17. In John 10:3 He says the shepherd calls his own sheep by name, and we know Christians are often called the sheep of Jesus. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel in Genesis. In Isaiah, God is speaking to His people and He says, “I Have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou are mine.” And when Naomi wanted to change her name to “Mara” which mean “Bitter” God never called her by that name, because to God, her name was Naomi.

Moe: Wow! God knows my name!

Mooster: And how many bananas you eat every year.

Moe: Well that’s just amazing. I knew God loves me and all. But I never really thought about Him knowing my name, and calling me by my name. That’s really kind of awesome.

Mooster: God IS awesome, Moe.

Miss Gail: Kids, whenever you get discouraged or things don’t go the way you expect, I want you to remember that the amazing Creator of the entire vast universe…. KNOWS YOUR NAME! He knows you personally. He knows when you are sad or happy. He sees inside your head and knows your thoughts – He knows things about you that no one else can ever know! God loves you. He loves you so much He allowed Jesus to die and pay for your sins and for my sins. And Jesus rose again from the dead and sits in heaven right now, alive and watching over us. All we have to do is ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins and to save us and the Bible says we will live forever in heaven with Him. And He will know our names through alllll eternity!

Moe: Thanks, Miss Gail! Bye kids!!!

Mooster: Bye everyone!