A stirring of sorts.

Actually, part stirring, part pulling.

Pulling meaning I'm holding on to the last bit of myself, he's plowing ahead, reaching back, "Come child, follow me".

And I still resist.

Truth. I struggle every single time he asks me to write. Because what he asks is not a simple review of a stroller or hair product (although I've done my fair share of reading reviews on both, so they are important!). He asks me to bare my soul. In it's current condition.

And share it.
And use it.

And that's humbling. And not in a sweetly humble kind of a way. In a difficult, terrifying kind of way.

We've gone through a few big moments in this household in the past two weeks.
Moments that can be a simple memory or pave a different path.

And that path is what I'm resisting.

It's about them. It is through them, that he calls.

Gifts are rising out of these children that suddenly I feel ill-equipped to nurture.

Something higher, different. How?

I met with a sweet friend, an on-call mentor. She's a few years ahead and in my eyes, an incredible example of a mother. I invited her over after Carter shared some pretty powerful things with us (that left me frightened and amazed at the same time). Words spilled from her mouth like fresh water from a spring.

I tried to grab every drop. So helpful, so full. So wise.

What I came away with was more pulling and tugging.

"Come child".

Isn't it enough? I thought that by praying with and for, disciplining, and mindfully raising these kids to the best of my ability that it was enough...but I'm learning it's not.

They are masterpieces.

Each one is.

It's our job to unravel their purpose, their spiritual gifts, their struggles and equip them to fulfill it.

It's our job to be led by the Spirit as we do it. It's not our doing, it's HIS. Because they're not ours, they're HIS.

I've had this conviction before. Yes.

But it comes stronger and deeper. Almost like pain. Fire.

As Jason just described it tonight, he feels as if his spirit is groaning (read Romans 8:22-24,26).

We're to know the Word as a family.

We are to fight the darkness. The darkness that separates us from the light.

And through the experience of a child, MY child, I have learned that darkness is easily accessible from a very young age.

And to know he's been fighting it on his own. Without the proper tools.

Stirring, pulling, tugging.

But for them, I will. For Christ, I will.

We started opening up more to the children about spiritual warfare. They're aware of Satan, they're aware of good vs. evil... but the reality of what they are facing on a daily basis. What we have learned to tune out through the years...it's very real to them. It's in their face, in their ears, in their heart.

All you have to do is ask. And listen through spiritual ears.

They're in battle.

Be ready to listen. And be ready to teach.

Jason and I will be working together to try and put together an "Armor of God" worksheet. Something to go through with the kids daily.

To bring awareness and to teach them the ability to fight before they allow anything to come into their hearts that shouldn't.

Once we come up with something, I am happy to share.

In the meantime, if you know of anything out there similar to this, please do share in the comments!

I'm not sure what different means for us.

But we're both preparing for it.

We both seek it, want it, desire it.

I don't know what different means for them.

I kind of like being a part of the world sometimes.

Shamefully, I admit it.

(He knows my heart anyway, so I may as well be honest about it publicly)

There's something about being accepted in both places, you know? Not to say what he has for us won't allow us to be involved with "the world", but certainly it means set apart (hence our verse for this year). And set apart means not in.

So it will be a year of change.

And a lot of humility.

Regarding humility... I was asked to speak at a wonderful women's conference, HOPE SPOKEN. (Which opened ticket sales last night and I heard they're already sold out!!)

My first response was a bit of a chuckle...Yeah right, what do I have to offer?! I've never spoken to a group of women before... but some of the people I have come to love and admire will be there, and that's just plain scary, speaking with and in front of them!

But, he's stirring. And pulling.

And so I said yes. And you better believe I will be relying on him for every single word I say, because goodness, without him I'll be one nervous, shaky mess!

Please visit their site for the list of wonderful speakers, some I am so excited to spend time with as I have come to know and love them over on Instagram!

Also... our traditional Easter picts! Yay! We set out two nights before Easter as we did last year (which was such a relief). Sure enough the twins were a disaster. It was a complete miracle that we got a photo. Everett was like a labrador, wanting to run in every which direction... Carter was trying to manage everyone and Scarlett just wanted to lift up her dress and squint her eyes!

But we did it. :-)

A big thanks again to Ladida for the clothing on Scarlett, August and Elias. Also a thank you to Ann for the suspenders and hankie. A thank you to Kat who sent us some of her amazing bow ties for the big boys!

I've mentioned previously a little part of my journey with oils and what I have come to learn about some of these companies. I'm going to try to lay it out a bit more detailed without it being offensive...it's going to be a bit matter-of-fact, as the result of my journey is what works for us, where as other options work for others. So I want that to be known before I share my perspective.

Why I have fallen for Native American Nutritionals! (And a coupon code at the end!!)

There is no question that there is a huge oil movement going on. You can thank DoTerra and Young Living for that. They've done a great job at the way they use their multi-level marketing system all while delivering a product of great quality. Great quality.

I made an order through Doterra to kind of jump start our oil closet (I've always used oils for smaller things, but was hoping to replace all natural remedies with oils. I explained that earlier in this post). Things didn't work out as planned. I love using different sources of nature in our home to heal our body, it's what I'm used to and it's always worked for us.

We do love the use of oils and prefer to have an organic, pure grade, high quality oil to use when we use it.

But.

I signed up with Doterra through a friend who was an excellent rep. She was very informative and helpful. Due to my order, I received a very helpful book that is a guide for what oils can be used for. We use it a lot.

The first month was great, I was using oils far more than I ever had.
Then I ran out.

I went to re-order and was appalled over the shipping cost.

I am a bargain shopper. I know how to find a good deal. And I know virtually anywhere, you can get free shipping if you order X amount. Not at Doterra. In fact, in order to keep your membership you have to order at least one item per month. If you're not building your collection, and you try to get by with one oil, you will still end up spending $9 on shipping.
When every dollar is accounted for and you're charged $9 for something that weighs a few ounces...that's just unfair.

I tried to cancel and that ended up costing money too (due to their confusing web site and their poor customer service).

I'm sorry to say that. I don't like being negative, but it was kind of a negative experience.
But keep in mind the oils were amazing.

So was their marketing.
Which is why you're paying all that extra money.

Then I discovered Native American Nutritionals thanks to a reader.

This is a fantastic company.

Their oils are every bit as high in the quality department (I relied on heavy internet research for that and a conversation with Paul, the owner).

They have great customer service.

Simple, easy, and informative web site (read the reviews, they're helpful for extra suggested uses).

EXCELLENT PRICES.

And shipping? You pay based on the weight of what you're buying.
You can buy two to three oils all for the price of one DoTerra oil and the shipping will cost you less than $4. If you are budget conscious or just commitment-phobic, this company is for you.

The owner (Paul) will converse with you if you have specific questions.

It's wonderfully run.

To be fair, I should point out the "negative" aspects of this company, which aren't at all negative in my opinion, but possibly to someone else:

They lack attractive packaging and quarterly magazines (which you pay for through the high cost of their oils).

They don't have a huge sales system (initial sales rep education, automatic re-ordering, or magazines giving you ideas), so if you are new to oils and are not willing to do the research, the membership route may be the best for you...to start off with, at least. You may find yourself crossing over as soon as you're confident in your oil needs.

I am a forever customer of theirs. They are perfect for our budget-focused family!

Also, if you would like to read in more detail on a true comparison of multiple oil companies, please read this blog post. She does a very accurate run down of each company from multiple angles...it's good research, very informative, and very much on the same page as what I've come to learn! Ps, I have read multiple posts comparing oils and NAN actually wins the break down nearly every time...check it out, you will find out for yourself. :-)

Here is a list of our current oils and what I use them for:

Melaluca: I put a drop in my face wash, it's anti-bacterial and anti-infectious so can be used for ear infections, infected areas of skin, etc.

Baby Soft Blend: I put a drop in my moisturizer, it's for rashes, oily skin, flaky skin, broken capillaries, etc.

Peppermint: Heavily used oil, a household must: for tummy aches, digestion, headaches, muscle pain, the list goes on!

Lemon: Another heavily used oil, for household cleaners, in water for cleansing, allergies, fever-reducer/breaker, etc.

Orange: Immunity boosting, fever reducer, water retention (good for PMS), a great mood booster, a happy oil!

Oregano: Ant-infection, Anti-parasite, Anti-fungal, Anti-viral. Really strong and effective.

Citrus Blend: Liver tonic, really happy, fresh smell to diffuse.

We use others, but these are the primary oils that are used on a near-daily basis.

I suggest buying an essential oil guide (for healing/household uses), Ours is from DoTerra, but you can buy it here. It still works with our NAN products even if some of the blends are different. I haven't been able to find a more thorough book, but please leave your suggestions in the comments if you have.

If you're still with me, I have a special coupon code for you!
Save 10% off of your entire order (excludes shipping) with the code "mockabee".
Code expires May 30.

I really hope you try them, you will not be disappointed!