Why I Chose to be a Distributor for Young Living

So do you ever find out someone you know on Facebook or another social media avenue has become a distributor and quickly finding yourself resort to an eye roll that says, “Well, here we go.  Another fabulous product I can’t live without and I am crazy if I don’t try it.”?  If I can be honest, I certainly have.  We live in an age where everyone is researching the newest thing and once they have found it, it is TO DIE FOR! 

When I became an independent distributor for Young Living Essential Oils, I knew I was officially in “that group”.  That group of people who only post about their business and what you are missing out on if you don’t jump in and order soon!  But wait, act now and I’ll throw in (fill in the blank)….for FREE!  I shudder to think I may have become that person in anyone’s mind.

The truth is, when I find something I am passionate about…I talk about it!  Generally, whether good or bad, that is what Facebook is all about, right?  You have the choice to read all about it or to scroll right on past.  I promise, I won’t hold it against you should you choose to do the latter. 

When I realized all that Essential Oils could do, it was a HUGE light bulb moment for me.  When I ordered and received my starter kit, it was a HUGE light bulb moment for me.  When I decided I wanted to be a distributor for these oils, because they really do WORK, it was a HUGE light bulb moment for me.  When I was able to run over samples to my friend’s homes to help them with a queasy stomach or horrific headache, it was a HUGE light bulb moment for me.  How many times have you heard “I am sorry you don’t feel well, if there was something I could do, I would.”?


This is a company that has a product that isn’t about carrying around the latest fashion, cooking with the coolest gadgets, wearing the coolest jewelry or investing in something for just me. No…these products could benefit everyone and the company has been around for 20 years!  Essential Oils have done wonders for my skin care, hair care and diet.  They have eased up headaches, nausea, sore muscles, ear aches and much more.  They have helped curb my appetite and get me on track to a healthier lifestyle.  They have helped me get the best night’s rest I have had in YEARS.  They have enabled me to get off my anti-depressants prescriptions of 8 YEARS!  And that is just ME…the same oils that do these things for me have helped my family in countless ways!  Young Living, for me, isn’t about another latest fad that has the potential to supplement our income (though it does).  It is discovering, exploring and testing out ways that I can use 100% pure oils to guard the health of my family as well as myself.  We are talking OVERALL health too!  There is always going to be an essential oil that can help with something and I love being the mom that my family comes to in order to find out which one!



Why wouldn’t I want to share?  Now, hear me when I say…my family still eats at fast food restaurants.  We are not health nuts (I say that with utmost respect) who refuse to ever eat anything classified as “junk”.  We do not exercise regularly (though I have taken up running lately and am thoroughly enjoying it).  We do our best, but we also love convenience!

So, when you see me post about essential oils, please do me a favor.  Try to go easy on me, okay?  Oils are extremely addicting…especially after you discover how well they work!  We do all have passions…mine just happens to be one that I get to share and help support my family financially in the process!  Outside of that, essential oils have really become a part of our everyday life (hubby included…he loves using them and often calls me Mama Smurf…ha!).

I wish there was a way around becoming one of “those” people.  Maybe someday, if you try essential oils, you will look back and think “Aha!”…that would actually be pretty cool!  But if not, please love me and just scroll on past my oily messages.  I promise intermingled in there will be updates on my family and how we are doing with occasional pictures and videos as proof!  

When You See Me Smile

There are people we meet in our lives that have one of those stories. A story that brings about feelings of disgust and disappointment and leaves you wondering what God could do with a person like that. 

For a few years now, I have wrestled with tons of emotions.  Recently, I have broken down some serious barriers that have changed my perspective on this life God has chosen to allow me to continue.  I cannot help but have JOY!  It isn’t a joy the world gives…I have found that to be a FALSE joy that can easily be taken away with a misunderstood look, a hurtful statement, offensive gossip, a friendship that has parted ways and by simple reminders of how ugly my sin is.  My smile has a story.  Not a story I have written, but that God has written in my heart as He has walked me through a serious time of healing and continues to do so. 

  

 So why do I smile you ask?  Well, let me tell you first why I am NOT smiling.

I am not smiling because I am proud of myself or my accomplishments.

I am not smiling because I made poor choices and got away with them.

I am not smiling because I am smug in my life regardless of its effects on others.

I am not smiling because I want others to think I’ve got this all figured out.

I am not smiling because I am thrilled at the people I hurt to get where I am at today.

I am not smiling because it all worked out for me.

I am not smiling because I got a new life and the cost was worth it.

I am not smiling because I want people to see us as a happy little blended family.

I am not smiling because I no longer care about my past.

I am not smiling because I think God thought enough of me to make things work out.

I am not smiling because I feel a sense of entitlement.

I am not smiling because I have something to prove.

I am not smiling because I think I have earned the right to.

I am not smiling because I have found a way to be victorious in my own strength.

I am not smiling because I no longer think about and hurt for my step-children and their mother.

I am not smiling because I have moved on.

I am not smiling because I want others to think I am strong.

So then why DO I smile?

I smile because of all God has accomplished in my heart as I chose to learn some of life’s hardest lessons the hard way.

I smile because His Grace is enough to cover my lowest points and His cross is ENOUGH for even the vilest of sinners such as me.

I smile because God hasn’t given up on me and provides me opportunities every day to bring Him glory and keep my focus on Him.

I smile because I know I don’t have it all figured out, but God does.

I smile because God can use the ugliest circumstances and use them for His good if we choose to use our story to further His.

I smile because God knows every single feeling deep within my soul and the He agrees with the longing I have for Him to redeem all the time I wasted pursuing my own selfish gain.

I smile because God is working things out for the good in my life and for my family. 

I smile because, though my life is different, I am still alive.  God is not through with me.

I smile because God uses my husband, son, stepdaughter and stepson to teach me some of the most important life lessons I have learned thus far.

I am smiling because my past does not define me, but it has shaped my outlook on life and what is truly important and helped me see how quickly I can lose my way.

I am smiling because I know what it is to take my eyes off of Christ and what it is to not ever want to turn my eyes away ever again.

I am smiling because though my sin is great, His grace is greater.

I am smiling because my failure was HUGE, but God’s mercy is still bigger!

I am smiling because God has given me a reason to in His loving compassion.

I am smiling because I have found complete JOY in His presence.

I am smiling because the Cross of Christ makes it never too late for repentance and redemption.

I am smiling because God can use the ugliest stories to draw men and women to Him.

I am smiling because my destiny is not determined by man but by God and His undying love.

I am smiling because I have realized my utter weakness and how His strength can shine through.

I am smiling because with God’s grace and love for me, there is never a reason not to!

I am smiling because I am a true sinner rescued from captivity and am blameless only because of the blood of Jesus!

Will I fail again?  Yes.  Will I have bad days?  Guaranteed.  Will I ever have days of mourning? Absolutely. But the only JOY we can ever experience is the JOY that is found in God’s presence.  That is a JOY that cannot be shaken in even the worst of times.  Life is not about me…it isn’t about what others think of me…it isn’t about pats on the back.  It is about a Creator that invites us to be a part of His Story.  When we sin, our story is not over…or at least it doesn’t have to be.  We make a choice how we want our story to end.  If our desire is to make God famous in our lives, we can be assured that God wants the same.  He can and WILL give us the desires of our hearts!

As I am reminded of Jeremiah 29:11…I cannot simply stop at verse 11.  Have you ever read the verses that follow?  Jeremiah 29:11-14 says,

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.  I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

This makes my heart dance!  Sometimes we fall hard when we focus on verse 11 and fail to see our part in God’s plans for us in the following verses.  We must call to him, pray to him…HE IS LISTENING!  We must seek him and we will FIND HIM!  He is the God that brings us out of captivity when our hearts are turned to Him. 

I am overwhelmed…I am in love with a God who loves this messed up girl!  Who pulls me into His embrace and says “We’ve got this…you are not okay…but WE ARE!”  There is unspeakable JOY in knowing God is not through with me!

So to sum it all up?  I smile because I know HE holds my future...and yes, that makes life worth living!

We Do Forgiveness...and Then Move Forward

So, I have apparently fallen off of the blogging wagon over the past several months.  Though my blog has been silent, my heart has been stirred, and it has been ringing loud and clear.  There are many mysteries in the Christian faith.  So many times I ask myself why I do what I do...if I really believe God's Word to be the ultimate authority, why does my behavior show otherwise at times?

It makes me so disappointed in myself to recall the countless times I have walked through the doors of church to either receive a message from God's Word or teach one, and left unchanged...God's Word has so much power, and yet I find myself minimizing it as I live out my everyday life.

It could be in the words I speak to my husband or kids that are saturated with impatience...the self-centered attitude that oozes out of me when my plans for the day don't go as I planned...the careless words I speak about others that I would never once consider saying to their face...the money I choose to spend thoughtlessly despite our tight budget.  If I am so consumed in my own little world, how can I say I truly believe all God says to be true?  Ouch...it is one thing to think it, another to see the words written out.  I am a mess!

Our family consists of imperfect people...people of all ages.  Some that are selfish, whiny, bossy, impatient, lazy, and that like to have the last word.  And that doesn't even include my husband and kids!  In order to have a house that our family is able to call home, forgiveness has to be present.  There are times forgiving a member of my family seems like a small task...then there are times I want to get the last word in before forgiving.  Why?  Because for some odd reason, we are programmed to feel like forgiveness means letting someone off the hook. If we forgive someone by biblical standards, there is a part of us that makes us feel as if are losing.

Then I find myself wondering if that is how I approach God's grace.  Does His grace mean I got away with my sin?  As the Lent season begins this week, it makes me think of how lightly I have taken my salvation.  I know Jesus chose to become a man...I know that He lived a sinless life...I know that He chose to suffer a horrific death so that I wouldn't have to.  But still, do I really get it?

I was talking to a friend the other day about my past and how grateful I am for God's forgiveness.  There is nothing the blood of Christ does not cover.  Then my dear friend said,  "Allison, I know you are sorry for the things you have done...but, it doesn't sound like you have forgiven yourself."

I wanted to argue...to backtrack my statements to convince her and myself that I have.  Then came the analyzing...playing it back in my head.  My choices, the consequences, the hurt, my repentance, my journey in working towards restoration.  I have played it back in my head so many times.  That's the problem.  As the new favorite song in our household says, I need to "Let It Go".

It takes me back to the cross.  As Jesus is drawing His last breath, He says three simple, yet profound, words.

"It is finished."

That was it.  He didn't say, "Alright, I have done what I came to do, but these people and I are going to have a serious discussion before my blood covers their sin."  God says when He forgives us, our transgressions are removed...we are blameless and there is no condemnation.  He wants us to be sorry, to repent of our failures...not because we"got caught", but because we have offended the Creator of the Universe.  But if the God of the universe can move on, why is it that I can't?

I have messed up big time in my life.  I have missed out on blessings and opportunities because of my sin.  I can grieve over that, but dwelling on it keeps me from being who God wants me to be now.

My past is my past.  I can't change it.  I made choices that cannot be undone.  So now what?  It is time to forget what is behind me and press on.  To take where I am now and live a life that can only be lived by the grace of God.

I cannot be the wife I need to be if I am living in the past.  I cannot be the mom or step-mom I need to be if I am living in the past.  The people in my life need me...not my grievances over what I cannot change.

Our family has had to practice a great deal of forgiveness.  Forgiveness doesn't always mean there aren't any consequences, it just means we choose to move on from the offense.

God's grace is massive!  He extends it to the most undeserving.  If He dealt with us as we should be dealt with...grace wouldn't exist.

It takes a lot of grace to parent...both on the receiving and giving end.  I love how my husband responds to the kids when they ask him to forgive them.  He says, "Of course I forgive you.  You know why?  Because I am your Daddy, and I love you.  I will always forgive you no matter what you do."

Seems like a lesson to be learned there.  In our home, we do forgiveness.  Because we, too, desire to be forgiven.  Being forgiven doesn't change my past, but it does change my future!

New Business Venture - Artistic Ripples is coming soon!

I have been working hard getting ready to launch Artistic Ripples!  I am so excited  about a new product that is NOT vinyl but is safer and better.  This material is PVC free and repositionable up to 50 times! It will stick on walls, refrigerators, mirrors, brick, wood, textured walls, lockers, phones, computers, and more!

I am now able to put your favorite pictures on this amazing fabric so you can stick it anywhere without it leaving any residue.  As soon as I started working with this material, I fell in love!  I am building up a library of iPhone skins that can be personalized, customized photos, and my new project, the "Modesty Mirror" decal set!

I promise I will have more information soon!  Along with using this product for indoor use, I am also providing indoor/outdoor vinyl designs for your home and office!  Check out some of my pictures!  If there is something that you are interested in, or would like more information, please message me at allison@lifeintheripples.com.

Vinyl Mailbox Decals (for a similar design- $15, $25 includes application)

 iPhone Skins (Customizable) - $10 

*Some designs are pending approval.

Modesty Mirror Decal Set + Discussion/Devotional Pages - $20

Tablet/iPad Photo Skin - $18

 iPhone Photo Skin - $12

You will love that these can go on any of your electronics, furniture, or walls without leaving any kind of sticky residue.  If you get tired of having it on your tablet, you can move it to your refrigerator or anywhere else you choose!  Have I mentioned I LOVE this new PVC free "un-vinyl" fabric?  I promise...you will too!

There is more coming soon!  

We Do Happy...Because We Choose To

It's true...we do happy.  But we also do sad, angry, and hurt.  We have our moments like all families.  We also know that being happy is a choice.  We choose when to be happy, how to be happy, where to be happy, why to be happy, and who to be happy with. 

I saw this several times over our Labor Day weekend with the kids.  Our weekend began with a rough start.  One of the hardships of having a blended family is the every other weekend visits that can invade on activities our children would get to participate in otherwise.  Emma was invited to a birthday party on Saturday in Murray and wanted to go.  Adam and I had many discussions on how to approach this dilemma...not because we aren't willing to work with Emma and her mother when these things come up, but because we had planned our weekend out over a month ago.  We were so excited that we would get a three day weekend with the kids. 

Our compromise was to stay in the area on Friday night and take her to the party.  We would have to adjust our weekend plans significantly, but felt it was worth it.  That is until Emma chose not to ask Adam about getting to go but instead abruptly said, "I want to go to the party!" on the phone with no willingness to talk about it. 

As parents, Adam and I have to juggle many aspects of raising Emma and Caleb.  We know our choices have made life more difficult on them.  They have to travel to spend time at their home in Arkansas...they have "Mommy Days" and "Daddy Days"...they have to miss out on things at both of their homes.  Grace has to be extended so many times because of this reality and its affects on them.  Then there is the other side of the coin that still finds it important to teach them to honor their mom, dad, and Alli.  The importance of asking in a respectful way...of talking about their feelings...of understanding that we love them and are doing our best in difficult circustances.

This brings me back to Friday night, when Emma melted down because she had wanted to go to the party and didn't want to come to her Arkansas home for the weekend.  She was so upset...Adam got her calmed down and I was so proud of how he talked her through what happened and what should have happened.

At that point, Emma had a choice to make.  To be upset the entire weekend over something she couldn't change, or to be happy spending time with her daddy, step-mom, and brothers.  She chose to be happy...genuinely happy.  It wasn't long before the party was forgotten (or at least the acceptance of not getting to go set in) and she was laughing and having fun. 

Another time at the zoo, she didn't get to do something she wanted to do.  I could visibly see the expression on her face change dramatically.  What started out as the "I'm about to throw a tantrum" face quickly melted into a smile and skip in our direction as we headed the opposite direction she had been heading. 

And then Caleb...at three he is learning so much!  Several times, he was given an opportunity to pout or change his attitude.  He doesn't always make the wise choice here, but do we ever get to an age we grow out of this?  Many times, I would watch Caleb choose to wear a smile instead of a frown.  To choose to laugh instead of whine.   To choose to be happy instead of being upset over not getting his way. 

We have a long way to go in our family...but I find that when we make a choice to be happy, our feelings become contagious.  What starts out as a little giggle quickly erupts into an uncontrollable laughter from all of us.  Even Bryson laughs along with us whether he understands what is so funny or not. 

Nobody wants to choose sadness over happiness.  But we all need the reminder that it is our choice to make.  People cannot make us lose our happiness.  People cannot steal our joy.  People cannot control the feelings we choose to feel.  What an incredible lesson for us all to learn!  It is part of training our children and helping them to see their choices as a heart matter. 

On a different note, as a wife, I must be careful about my choices too.  There are times that I mope around the house and try to make life more difficult on Adam because I want him to share in my unhappiness.  I am not talking about the Bible's teaching on sharing in each other's sadness.  I am talking about an all out pity party.  I have found that my silent treatments, passive comments, and irrational moods make me a whole lot more miserable than it does him.  Granted, he doesn't enjoy this quirk of mine.  And hopefully, it happens a whole lot less the older I get.  But it never goes as planned...and there is nothing about this behavior that is good for our marriage.  Even if I am rightfully upset over something that Adam has done.  Communication is the only way we are going to move forward in a healthy way. 

I adore Adam.  He is a wonderful husband.  It is important for me to keep my feelings in check because it has a direct affect on him and our children.  It has a direct affect on how I interact with them.  If I choose to be happy, even on a bad day, my family will likely follow suit. 

It reminds me of what it says in 1 Corinthians 15:33:   Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

I do not want to corrupt the good character in my family.  I want to be good company that encourages good character.  That is how God can be honored in our home.  My prayer is that I would be that kind of wife, mother, and step-mother.  We do happy...because we choose to. 

We Do Second Chances...And Many More!

Why can't they just get it?  Have you ever found yourself asking that question when reading about the Israelites, who time and time again complained about being in the wilderness and taking God's guidance and protection for granted?  Or even when the disciples would question Jesus and His ability to do all things after witnessing so many miracles?

We sit on this side of the cross and are astounded at how many chances God gave His people after messing up.  Peter denying Jesus three times?  Really?  Thomas asking for proof that it was really Him when Jesus rose from the grave.  We can read so many people in God's Word that just didn't seem to get it....and we wonder, how is that possible?

Then when we take a look in the mirror, we see that we are just like them.  We fail time and time again, and by the grace of God, can find forgiveness and another chance.

At the Haynes' home, I have mentioned we make mistakes and say I'm sorry often.  As a parent, giving second chances is part of the gig.  It is part of the training process of raising children.  Who am I kidding?...it is part of the training process for people of all ages.  Emma is well aware that this is part of our family theme.  Just a couple weeks ago, Adam had told them they were all done with doing an activity because he had given them warnings several times to not bang on the front door.  Inevitably, in their excitement, they did it again.  When told to sit down on the sofa, Emma said, "But Daddy, we do second chances!".  It made me smile.  (He had actually given them several chances before making them sit down.)

Part of giving second chances is talking with our kids about their mistakes and what they should have done, and can do, differently.  Sometimes, we press the rewind button, and we get to pretend to do it all over again as if the initial error was never made.  It sometimes brings on more tears, but most of the time brings on laughter and reconciliation.

I love second chances.  It speaks of acknowledging that, while there is nothing we can do to undo what has been done, there is still hope our actions can prove that we are sorry and have learned our lesson.

None of us ever outgrow the need to receive second chances.  So why do we grow tired of extending them to our kids?  If we are always going to be in need of them, these precious little lives God has entrusted us with certainly do as well.  If we are called to "love others as we love ourselves", we must extend the grace to others that we desire to receive from others.

There is, of course, value in balancing second chances with discipline.  For us, second chances do not always mean there is not consequences involved.  Sometimes, that second chance is not granted for a day or two.  Sometimes, time needs to pass in order for a lesson to be learned.  For instance, if one of our children decide to not share a toy, they may have to go without it for awhile to realize it is far better to share what they have with others than to live without it altogether.  What a painful lesson for all ages!  We are not wired to wait.

Our family does second chances...and yes, it usually doesn't stop there.  We love each other and will never give up on any member of this family.  I am so thankful God loves us and does not give up on us.  He extends us grace, He gives us second chances, He can strengthen us through our mistakes and we end up never being the same again.  We see it back in Bible times...and some things never change. My prayer for this home is that we purposefully strive to reflect God's love through good times and bad.  God is not through working on any of us...so while He chooses to mold us into what He wants us to be, we choose to spur each other on amidst the process.  In this home...we do second chances.

We Do Hugs...Through the Good, Bad & Ugly

It's true...we are huggers!  We love giving and receiving hugs.  Good morning hugs, bedtime hugs, playtime hugs, spontaneous hugs, and even "I disciplined you because I love you" hugs.

I get it...life happens.  It is so easy to get so caught up in the day that we forget to pause for a moment to show someone we love them.  It is always heartwarming when my son or stepchildren take a moment in the midst of intense play time to give me a ginormous hug.  It has challenged me to do the same.  I may be cleaning, cooking, having some "me time", or spending some time at the computer...but I should never be too busy to stop and give a heartfelt hug.

Out of all of us, Adam is the best at giving purposeful hugs.  He may randomly hug me just to show appreciation for taking care of our home or hug our children after disciplining them.  There are even times the kids get annoyed because their "agenda" has been interrupted by a Daddy hug.  But all the while, I see them wearing the biggest smile on their face.  They love their Daddy!

Just yesterday, I sat watching Adam lecturing the kids about their attitudes.  They had been so wrapped up in having fun playing that when Adam told them to pause for a minute, annoyed attitudes surfaced.  He sat there explaining why their actions were unacceptable, told them their consequence for the day, and ended with a big hug with an "I Love You" attached.  They were bummed that their mistakes cost them, but had no question that their Daddy loved them no matter what.

I wholeheartedly believe they will carry the sweet memories of their Daddy's hugs throughout their lifetime more than any other activity he has interrupted in order to do so.  Our hugs are real, purposeful, and are an outflow of our love for each other. 

Adam and I love hugging each other, we love hugging our children, and our hearts melt when hugs are initiated from them.  I am so thankful we are a hugging family!  In this family, we do hugs...and what a blessing they are!