Wasn't talking about coke and birds, it was more like spoken word, except he's really putting it down...
- Through the Wire, Kanye West

So, I'm a poet and writer.  But, only the people closest to me know this.  I'm also a Christian, I'd like to believe that everyone who meets me knows this.  Well one thing I have learned is that God gives us gifts to share with others, not to hoard for ourselves.  So I decided to share my gift of poetry.  This journey is very personal to me, my poetry is like my baby so it takes a lot for me to share with people.  My first step began with me visiting a local Spoken Word spot to simply observe.  I wanted to get an idea of the audience and the poets and how to improve my delivery of my poems.  Especially since I only write them down, I don't recite them out loud.  Well, I learned a lot, the most engaging poets draw you in with their emotion and clarity of their words.  While others were emotional, I couldn't understand half of what they were saying and still others were simply elementary in word choice and delivery.  This taught me what to focus on and how to choose the right poem to recite.  Sometimes you have to keep editing your poetry before it's ready for others to receive it.  I left feeling like, this is something I can do but I need to practice.  So this journey is definitely to be continued.  

What prompted me to begin this journey of letting people in and sharing my gifts was actually my discovery or I should say rediscovery of self love.  You see I had it before when I was a little girl, I was invincible, my self love was overflowing.  That was because of what my parents instilled in me.  But somewhere along the years of puberty and bad relationships I kept chipping away at my self love and pouring it into others who lacked their own.  I was giving away pieces of me to people who didn't know the value.  Fast forward to now, years after my divorce, I finally gained my self love back.  Now, I love and accept me just the way I am.  Not in a narcissistic way, but in a way that I acknowledge my flaws and also understand that nobody has it all together.  So while I'm working on becoming a better me everyday, I refuse to think lowly of myself.  Now, my choices and actions are not heavily influenced by what others may think or how they may ridicule or criticize me.  After all, no one can tell me how to be the best me if they are not me, they are just as flawed as me and most times don't even know how to be the best them.  So little by little I'm crawling out of my reclusive shell to share the expression of God in me, what He created me to be.  I'm starting with sharing my poetry.

Essential oils are any of a class of volatile oils that give plants their characteristic odors and are used especially in perfumes and flavorings, and for aromatherapy, as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary.  The oil is called essential in the sense that it contains the essence of a plant's fragrance.  They are generally extracted by distillation, often by using steam and are used in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps and other products for flavoring food and drink and for adding scents to incense and household cleaning products.  I will be sharing some of my favorite essential oils and why I love them.

Sandalwood Essential Oil
Sandalwood is by far my favorite essential oil, my love for this oil started with the scent but I have come to learn that it has an infinite number of benefits.  

It’s a warm, rich, sweet and aromatically ‘woody’ oil. One interesting feature of sandalwood oil is the fact that it takes roughly 50 years for the tree to be mature enough to be harvested which makes this oil very expensive. 

Common Uses: Sandalwood Essential Oil is used by aromatherapists to combat bronchitis, chapped and dry skin, depression, laryngitis, leucorrhea, oily skin, scars, sensitive skin, stress, and stretch marks. It also has historical applications as an aid in meditation for religious ceremonies. As well as believed to be calming and helps the user to focus your mental state while relieving stress. It is believed to create an exotic, sensual mood with a reputation as an aphrodisiac. It also has extensive uses in the perfume industry as a fixative, and use in body care products for the fragrance it provides.  

Medicinal - Many people believe that it can be applied to the genitals to help against urinary infections and digestive issues. 

Cold/Flu - Dry coughs, throat problems, and laryngitis can be relieved when applied directly to the chest. The aroma will help clear sinuses and relieve chest pressure.

Skin - Dry, cracked skin, acne, rashes and flaky skin can be helped when the sandalwood oil is applied directly to the affected surfaces. 

Mental - Depression, anxiety and nervous disorders can be benefits when sandalwood essential oil is regularly inhaled or mixed into a bath/shower.


*Please note: I am not a doctor, nor am I recommending the use of sandalwood essential oil in any of the methods mentioned above.  Always consult your doctor before administering self-treatment.*