Hello and welcome to Beauty – the no-frills, no-nonsense podcast where we talk about all things beauty. True beauty. God’s beauty. I am your host and Lemongrass Spa consultant, Deanna, and I am so happy to be behind the mic real quick today!

Earlier in the week I posted a blog about swimming upstream, and I wanted to follow that up with a little scripture, because if the bible is our authority, we need to know and obey what it says – even when that means walking upstream. This scripture applies to life in general and not just my frustration with social media. Social media was an example I thought others might be able to relate to.

We are truly called to be different, and we need to remember that calling. This does not mean you shouldn’t do reels and stories and whatever… This is not me being a prude. This is me sharing my thoughts on a higher calling. I simply think we need to be different. The person God made me is not a person who will be silly - I am all business. It is not a person who has a good voice or slick dance moves. Those are not talents I possess. I don’t want to distort my voice doing something that goes against who he created me to be in order to do something he created me to do. If he created me to do it – I need to just do it. So I am. Without the hoopla. Because that is who I am.   

We see Paul encourage the Ephesians in Ephesians chapter 4. His encouragement was targeted. He wanted them to live lives worthy of their calling. You guys, our calling is not our vocation – it’s understanding God’s grace and walking in that grace out of obedience and faith. It is our calling and obedience which naturally make us different.

Our goal as Christians is not to blend in. I think that is why the social media hoopla gets my blood flowing. And isn’t it a great example of the way we live our everyday life? We see a trend and we jump on board without thinking about the consequences. In the process, we may end up compromising our faith. Am I saying that dancing on social media will compromise my faith? No – but the silliness of it might distort the message.  

God put us on a road – a road filled shoulder to shoulder with people who are walking in the opposite direction. If we are going to walk worthy of our calling, we have to use our minds and engage with Christ. That is counter-cultural. But if we did it more consistently, we would be in a better place. I believe so many people are questioning their faith or even walking away from their faith because they didn’t live like they were a child of God. They lived like they were a child of the world. They weren’t different. They were swayed by the cultural trends.

I think we miss the call because it is a call to holiness. I can’t think of many times where I was urged to pursue holiness. Every once in a while, I heard how God was holy – but me? No. Holiness is unattainable this side of heaven. But holiness is what we are to strive for. Walking upstream is the only way. You don’t get to holiness walking with the in-crowd. We need to be different, friends. We need to engage with Christ before we can engage the world. Let’s go for his thumbs up.

Okay – join me next week when I will focus on the word “life.” I want to be thoughtful in my response to yesterday’s decision. I am not great at debate and quick thinking, so I am forming my thoughts now and will lay them out a little at a time next week. I really do hope to have a good conversation about the important issue of life. Until then… tell me how you swim upstream. What is difficult? Or easy? How do you do it? Where are you called to obedience?

D 😊

Before I go, I always leave you with a really great Lemongrass Spa product. Masks are all the rage these days, so, to go along with the theme of jumping on trends, I chose to share our Cocoa Clay Mask.

This mask will help draw out impurities in your skin and rehydrate for a great complexion. Sometimes we just have to sit in the muck and then peel it all off. Am I right? 😉 Get yours here!

Be sure to read through Ephesians 4 and really sit in the thought of walking upstream. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Hello and welcome to Beauty, the no-frills, no-nonsense podcast where we talk about all things beauty. True beauty. God’s beauty. I am your host and Lemongrass Spa consultant, Deanna, and today we are going to talk about eavesdropping. Yes, eavesdropping. Here me out. I had carpool duty last week for baseball and when you have three teens in your car, you take advantage of it. They always ask to go somewhere after practice and I will say yes as many times as I can - for two main reasons. First, because I won't have carpool duty too much longer. Whether I like to admit it or not, these boys will be driving themselves pretty soon. I want to take advantage of the time I have now and help them create memories. Second, it allows me a little more opportunity to invest in them. As we talk, I listen for a teachable moment and I walk through the door. We've covered leadership and emotions. We've talked about school and weightlifting. We've even talked about the importance of rinsing the toothpaste out of the sink. I don't need their full attention for a 30-minute spiel. I need a burger or some ice cream and sentence or two to make them think... ...maybe it is a good idea to rinse the sink after I brush my teeth, or to listen to that teacher, or to study for a test, or to not stress about a situation.

I never thought I'd be old enough to say, "these days," but these days are vastly different from the days of my teenage years. Kids have so many voices speaking into their lives. I just want to be one of them, and I want to give them nuggets of truth they can hold on to and retrieve at just the right time. The other day, Gav shared a story about a teacher who asked the class what their goals were for high school. One classmate said she was hoping to stay out of the psych ward. Gav was appaled by that statement - and why wouldn't he be appaled? He is a "normal" kid. He doesn't struggle with mental health. He has a good, supportive family. This was a teachable moment. I first told him everyone needs goals and trying to stay out of the psych ward is a goal for some people. To be very honest, some days, my goal is to not have a mental breakdown, so I connected with this story. I get that girl. I get her goal. But Gav didn't, so I continued. I didn't give him a speech he wouldn't remember. I simply reminded him that mental health is a real thing, not to be joked about. I encouraged him to ask questions and show a little more grace and left it at that. I don't know what his developing brain registered, but I am confident he'll pull that conversation up the next time the topic arises with his friends. I'm hopeful he will have a word of encouragement for someone the next time he hears about a struggle he may not understand. That he will ask questions and learn, and that he would be willing to offer help - even if that is an offer to pray. No, especially if that offer is to pray. It is a beautiful thing when we are brave enough to be simple and honest with our kids. When we resist the urge to do more and say more. And when we equip them to use their own brain to make the world a better place. I cherish carpool days - even with gas prices over $4/gallon and McDonald's bills of $30. The benefits of time invested into young minds far outweighs a few bucks. What are the teachable moments you treasure? D 🙂

Alright, speaking of simplicity, let me tell you about our new Facial Cleansing Milk. This is cleanser that is gaining in popularity since being introduced a month or so ago. If you've been around long, you know I always preach the two essential facial products - cleansers and moisturizers. If you don't use anything else, just use a cleanser and a moisturizer (please!). So, if you're looking for a light, gentle cleanser, this Facial Cleansing Milk just might be your answer!

Hello and welcome to Beauty, the no-frills, no-nonsense podcast where we talk about all things beauty. True beauty. God’s beauty. I am your host and Lemongrass Spa consultant, Deanna, and today we are going to talk about the beauty - and importance of - Scripture. Last week I posted a website that compared the times of high school male athletes to the times of Olympic female athletes in a variety of races. I shared this to give some insight into the unfair advantage Lia Thomas had in stealing medals from other competitors. Some people agreed with me and some people didn't. I was called hateful and bigoted because of my beliefs, because those beliefs were construed to be narrow-minded. But the words I thoughtfully typed were simply biblical. I could share a lot about this topic, because there is a lot to say, but in the time I have, I will just say this:

It is of utmost importance for Christians to say the hard words.

Now there is a line here. We don't want to argue with people. Unless the person is willing to have an intelligent conversation, there is little point in going round and round in circles. That can actually damage not only a relationship with that person, but also with onlookers, and it does nothing to change their thinking. Ultimately, we want to share biblical truth with others and let Jesus work in their heart with the seeds we plant. If we are just telling people they are wrong then we shut down the possibility of anything happening in their heart. But the fear of their argument should not stop us from starting the conversation in the first place. The world tells us if we are not loving someone the way they want to be loved, then we are loving wrong. But Jesus says something different. The greatest commandment in the bible is to love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And a second is to love your neighbor like yourself.

Many of you have probably heard this verse but we don't always highlight that there are two distinct commands. First, I am to love God with everything I have; all that I am. The greatest commandment is to love God with all of me. The second commandment is to love others the way I love myself. Do you see the difference there? If I am going to love God with all I have, then I am going to obey him. Not the world. I can be nice to the world, but I cannot love the world the way the world wants to be loved. Being nice, and being kind, and loving the world does not mean agreeing and approving of everything that is going on as if it is good. If I am loving God with all that I am, I am affirming his character, not the feelings of the world. If I am loving God with all that I am, I am studying his words, defending his truth, and paving paths to Jesus. So then, what does it mean to love others like myself? It means loving God with all I am. It means recognizing truth and loving people the way Jesus did - and he didn’t approve of the things that go against his character. He was kind. He saved people from themselves and from others. But he also said, go and sin no more. He did not affirm and approve in the name of love, and he was not wrong. Yes, it is risky to share the truth. I won't get everything right. I won't say things correctly. I will be met with opposition. People will tell me that I am hateful and bigoted and unloving and unkind and a slew of other words - all because I didn't agree, and it will hurt. And I will be sad. But here's the thing - I don't care what other people think about me. I don't mean that in an arrogant way. I just mean that it isn't about me. I care about what people think about Jesus. I won't stand before any of my critics on the day I die. I will stand before God. And he will either say I obeyed or I didn't. I followed him or I cowered in fear. I spoke truth or I held back. I defended him or I enabled the enemy. We are living in a world gone mad. But so was Jesus. And he gave us the model to follow, which involved love grounded in truth. I can't encourage you enough to get yourself in the word. Read. The. Bible. Figure out what you believe and why you believe it. God gave us the scriptures so we would know him, and when we know someone, we can introduce them to others. Okay, I am out of time, but let me introduce you to a natural fragrance. When it comes to perfume, finding your perfect scent can be tricky. Finding your perfect natural fragrance can be even more complicated. Look it up on the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetics Database, and you'll quickly see why artificial fragrance should be kicked out of your beauty routine!

So, today, I want to share a lovely selection of Lemongrass Spa "perfumes" made with beautiful ingredients. The trio includes Sweet Melon, Blossom, and Sunkissed Coconut. They make great gifts for the people in your life this Easter and Mother's Day.

Hello and welcome to Beauty, the no-frills, no-nonsense podcast where we talk about all things beauty. True beauty. God’s beauty. I am your host and Lemongrass Spa consultant, Deanna, and I want to welcome you to this space!

For those of you who are new to this neck of the woods, this is just a quick podcast, usually 4-6 minutes, where I talk about something I find beautiful in scripture. I also share something about Lemongrass Spa – such as a product or a special deal. I always leave links to order in the show notes in case something catches your eye, but selling stuff is not the goal. The goal is really to invest into you, to equip you with biblical truth, and sometimes even to challenge you to look at things through a different lens.

Today, the topic on this beauty podcast is actual beauty. Imagine that...

This week, at Lemongrass, we launched some Mother's Day and Easter Spring specials and the last couple of days, in my VIP group, I posted a few things about my mom to generate some curiosity and excitement. One of the things I shared was how I thought my mom would have loved Lemongrass. She was always looking for natural products and she particularly loved lotions. But I also shared how she would have taken the opportunity to remind me about true beauty...God's beauty. I would be remiss if I didn't also share that same message with you. 

I am a beauty consultant - but I am one of the most plain Jane people you will ever meet. I like real. I like simple. My routine is both. I love the Lemongrass hair products, but I don't have perfect hair. I use a cleanser and a moisturizer everyday. I use a toner and serums when I think about it - usually daily, but I have gone weeks without using them too. I am a creature of habit, so if I get busy and skip it one day, then I skip it for three. I am not a die-hard beauty freak, with a flawless face. I am too busy, and honestly, too lazy for laser focus on eyeshadow and lipstick. While this is just a little side-gig for me, I also want to be careful about getting sucked in to the world of "beauty." I put that in quotes for a reason. The world has different standards of beauty than I do. 

If the bible is my authority, and it is, then I need to always remember how I am created in the image of God. We all are. Genesis 1:27 tells us so: 

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

What does it mean to be made in God's image? I am kicking around writing a blog or two about this, because there is more to it than I can describe in a few minutes, but the short answer is this: We were made to be a reflection of God. Of course, that brings forth more questions because God does not have flesh. No one has seen him. That is where our heart and soul come in. When we die, it is our soul that is sent to eternity - not our body. Our soul is what reflects the nature and character of God. 

My mom would always remind me that beauty is found within. I used to smile and nod my head when she said this, trying desperately to keep my eyeballs from rolling because I really didn’t get what she meant. But as I have gotten older, and a tiny bit wiser, I have come to understand that phrase a little better. Beauty on the outside is a product from the inside and it has little to do with the color of your eyeliner, your hair, or your outfit. Beauty doesn't come from smiling pretty and agreeing with everyone. Beauty comes from loving people the way Jesus loved. Jesus didn't conform to the world, but his actions were kind and his words were truthful. Beauty comes from displaying the character of God. Beauty comes from a place of love and that love can only exist in truth. 

In the spirit of remembering our moms and their cryptic advice, share with me something your mom would have said about beauty. And then consider getting her a fun little gift set from Lemongrass Spa to pamper her a bit this Mother's Day! 😉

Hello and welcome to Beauty – the no-frills, no-nonsense podcast about all things beauty. True beauty. God’s beauty. I am your host and Lemongrass Spa consultant, Deanna, and I am so glad you are listening today.

I was listening to a podcast the other day where the host said something that intrigued me. The podcast was actually about the situation in Ukraine. To be honest, I really didn’t pay a ton of attention until she said something that didn’t pertain to Ukraine at all. She said,

“I always think about the time God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac…and he didn’t ask Sarah.”

I had to skip back ten seconds to repeat that. I had never thought about who God didn’t ask, so, of course, I had to look back at the story to see if there were any clues. Spoiler alert: there were no clues, per se, but I do have some thoughts. Let’s look at this story a little closer. Take a moment to reach for your bible and turn to Genesis 22. We are going to look at verses 1-19, so go ahead and hit pause to read and come back here for my riveting thoughts.

The very first verse says, “Some time later, God tested Abraham.” This event took place after Abraham experienced heartache with Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham had to send his son Ishmael away. Perhaps Abraham was just getting over that loss and clinging to the promise he had in Isaac being his heir. In this passage, God is asking Abraham to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. I wonder if knowing how God saved and blessed Ishmael helped Abraham to walk through this next test of his faith. I believe these tests help us to see God; to experience him; to know his grace and mercy in a real and intimate way. And as we rely on the lessons we learn in the valley, we can confidently face the next battle and know with certainty God will be honored.

But is won’t be easy – as is demonstrated in this story.

Pay attention to the words God chooses when he calls Abraham. God says, “take your son; your only son; the son you love so dearly…” God was making a point here before telling Abraham to head out on a journey to sacrifice his son. This was not a backyard adventure. Abraham was going to have time to think about this call; this command, as he was travelling with his son and his servants. He was going to have to answer questions – in his own mind but also questions from Isaac. And he was going to have to decide exactly what will happen when he got to where God told him to go. Will he obey? Or will he change his mind?   

Of course, we don’t know why for sure, but here is what hit me as I thought about this story. Abraham likely knew a child sacrifice would go against the nature of God, so, in my mind, it stands to reason that he also knew God was testing him. He had to know God would not make him sacrifice his son. God needed to see that Abraham was willing to obey at all costs. God needed to see that Abraham’s faith was real. And it turns out, it was. Abraham heard the command, and he was ready to go the distance – even at a great sacrifice. The climax of the story is when Abraham is ready to slay his son and he hears the angel of the Lord speak and confirm his faith. He was affirmed in his willingness to obey – and I think this is a key element of the story.  

As we read, we also need to see something about God. We need to see that he is loving. That he cares about his people. He is our Father. He is concerned for our life – our eternity with him. His desire for us, as his children, is that we do not hold anything so dear to us that it would stand in the way of obeying him.  God did not offer a single reason for Abraham to do this act and Abraham did not delay in carrying out his obedience. Would Sarah have done the same?

We don't know the answer to that question, but speaking as a mom, I would have to say no. If I were Sarah and God asked me to do that, rational thought would be thrown out the window and I would have to tell God that’s a hard pass from me. But God didn’t ask Sarah. And here is the beautiful part:

God asks the right people to do the things he commands – and it is never a mistake. We can trust that God asks us to do things in the right timing and we can confidently obey, knowing he asked us with the foresight only he could have. Abraham was fully committed to God and this story is an example of exactly what it will take for us to be fully committed as well. No, God isn’t going to ask us to sacrifice our children – but he might ask us to examine the things we hold dear and to offer those things up to him. The question then becomes, will we obey to the limit?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Is there anything you struggle with about this story? Can you relate to Abraham at all? What is God asking you to “sacrifice?” Be sure to leave a comment or send me a message. I would love to connect with you.

D 😊

Before we head out, I want to take a moment to share a few summer products. We don’t know what this summer will bring – heat, bugs, staycations… Be prepared with some outdoor summer essentials from Lemongrass Spa – like Bug-a-Boo and Aloe Vera Gel. As always, you can check out these great summer products, and more, online.  

Hello and welcome to Beauty – the no-frills, no-nonsense, and apparently, no-consistency podcast about all things beauty. Yes – I am still here. I have just not had a lot of time to sit down and record all the thoughts swirling in my head. But here we are today, and I am ready to dig into one of the beautiful thoughts floating around this brain of mine.

 I was scrolling through social media the other night and came across a reel. I have been watching a lot of reels from some reason. I like the dance ones and wish I had moves like some of the people in the reels I watch. I feel like I could be famous if I could sing or dance but I lack both of those skills, so I’ll just use words – which happens to be my point today – and I promise I will get to it.

I wish I would have saved the reel, but sadly, I didn’t. I was in such shock! Basically, it was a woman who was saying “representation matters” and that is why she prefers to think of and pray to mother god.

Oh boy…

I could go on a long rant, but I won’t. I will simply say that mother god doesn’t exist. God prefers the use of male pronouns. The snarky part of me wants to remind people how kind it is to use preferred pronouns…but the theological part of me just wants to say God is a dude and leave it at that.

I scrolled on and went about my day, but I couldn’t get over that reel. Apparently, I live under a rock because I didn’t think this was a thing – but as I dug in a bit, I have discovered it is. It makes me sad, but it also makes me determined to keep speaking truth.

This reel was overtly bold in saying something completely opposite of truth, but most things we see and hear and read are not. Most lies are disguised like a tasty piece of fruit. You will hear things like, “All people are equal and deserve love.” and “Be a good human.” Those things are not wrong, and I agree with this statements in and of themselves – but it is important to ask further questions because those statements are rarely left as is. They typically lead to some sort of unbiblical truth disguised with pretty words and flowery language.

We have to pay attention to what we are not hearing. We have to listen, and we have to have conversations to understand – and be understood. If we truly love people, we will unapologetically tell them the truth because we know the truth is what saves. There is beauty in truth and we should never be afraid to share it.

I am going to be sharing more on this idea because there is just a lot to say, and I am becoming increasingly aware of the need to share biblical worldview and truth so that we all learn and grow in the process – so stay tuned!

For now, I am encouraging you to blossom with some Lemongrass Spa and our new Blossom scent of jasmine, lilac, and cotton. The Blossom collection is on sale this month and you can get yours right now by clicking on this link. As a bonus – anyone who orders from the Blossom Collection this week will get entered to win a free massage!

I hope you will start to listen to the words you are hearing and reading and that you will start to ask questions and pay attention to the words you are not hearing. We will go forward together to search the scriptures and seek the truth. I hope you will join me!

D 🙂

Hello and welcome to Beauty – the no-nonsense, no-frills podcast about all things beauty. True beauty. God’s beauty. I am your host and Lemongrass Spa consultant, Deanna.

Do you guys have a practice of reading regularly? I know some people who are like me and just love to read. If I could quit my jobs and sit immersed in books all day, I would be in heaven. But then there are people, like my brothers and my children, who aren’t so fond of reading. I feel like you either find it useful or you don’t. Some people read to get lost in story. Others, like myself, read to learn. I usually don’t read fiction, not a lot anyway. I prefer books that will edify me in some way.

Right now, I am reading, “The Road to Daybreak” by Henri Nouwen. It is basically a book about his own spiritual journey. As a professor at Yale and then Harvard, he felt something was missing in his life and he ended up quitting his job and moving to France to live and work with a handicapped community. He shares many stories about his experiences in France and some thoughts that have really made me sink deep into my own. One of the stories he shared was about balancing the need to do a job well and still be mindful of the needs of the handicapped people he served. He wrote:

“I found this out myself this afternoon when I went apple picking with Janice, Carol, Adam, Rose, and their assistants. My attitude was to get the apples picked, put them in bags, and go home. But I soon learned that all of that was much less important than to help Rose pick one or two apples, to walk with Janice looking for apples that hang low enough so that she herself can reach them, to compliment Carol on her ability to find good apples, and just to sit beside Adam in his wheelchair under an apple tree and give him a sense of belonging to the group.    

We finally collected four bags of apples, but eight people took more than an hour to do it. I could have done the work in half an hour. But efficiency is not L’Arche’s most important word. Care is.”

Does that hit you hard the way it hit me? I haven’t stopped thinking about it. What a wonderful reminder for us to slow down and think about other people. Think about their needs. Allow them to have an experience. Bring them into the conversation. Offer them a seat at the table. I could have used that reminder in my younger parenting years – and, honestly, still now with a teenager. I can use that reminder in my marriage, with my friends, at work, while at the dreaded grocery store, at a busy restaurant – everywhere. People are important and the way we care for them looks different in each situation. But in order to care for someone, we have to slow down and consider what their needs might be.

What does that look like in a busy world? I’ve got a few ideas, but I sure would love to hear your thoughts on this one. What does it look like to slow down and care for someone in your world?

Comment below or on one of my social media pages!

Okay, because I care about you – I want to make sure you are aware we launched a new product catalog at Lemongrass, and I want to give you permission to linger with it a while. 😉 I have a VIP group where I am revealing the new products little by little. It is also the place where I offer all the deals and discounts. I love to give things away. I love to offer free shipping and reduced prices – just because. The line-up for March is spectacular in my group – with new products, March Madness, my 50th birthday, and a chance to win a FREE 60-minute massage. So, my VIP group is definitely the place to be! It is a great space for you to take advantage of some great deals, but also to slow down and linger with some thoughts.

See you soon…

D 😀

Hello and welcome to Beauty – the no-frills, no-nonsense podcast about all things beauty. True beauty. God’s beauty. I am your host and Lemongrass Spa consultant, Deanna, and I am super pumped for this message today.

I was in Numbers for my bible reading and I knew I had to share this with you because it is one of my most favorite reminders in the bible – and clearly a reminder I needed as I wrestle with some decisions of my own. Do you ever struggle to know what God wants you to do? I struggle with timing in a big way. When I get an idea, it is like full-steam ahead! And often, once I have jumped in and gotten wet, I realize I messed up. I should have stayed with the idea a little longer and let it linger in my heart as I took it to God to see what he’d have me do with it. I’d like to say I have gotten better, but some days that water is still too tempting and I just jump.  

I would love to know if you hear the same message when you read this passage of scripture. So, you know the drill – press pause, grab your bible and read Numbers 9:15-23. I have also linked this scripture at the bottom.

Okay, so let’s just review real quick what is going on. This passage of scripture is about the history of the cloud, which is the presence of God. Once the tabernacle was finished being set up, the cloud would rest upon it and at night, the cloud became fire. This was how the people would know God was there among them. So here we have our first reminder to always look for God.

Now, what would happen was that when the cloud or fire lifted, the people were to move their camp, so there is this element of standing guard and always being ready while in the wait. I get anxious just saying that. I am a person who likes to do one or the other – rest or move. Not rest and be ready to move. Not move and get ready to wait. That is constant tension in my book, and yet this is how God chose to get the people to the land he promised them. Slowly and deliberately.

What does that tell you about waiting? To me, it shows God values the wait. He wants us to rest and lean in. I have found that there is often something God has to teach me or reveal to me as I wait. If I was moving, I might miss the message. We lose nothing and gain everything while we wait on God. We need to learn to sit still and be content in the wait – but we also have to be ready to move. And there is uncertainty in both. How long will I wait? Where will I move to? Will he command me in the middle of the night? What if I miss it? Will I have time to gather everything? Will I have strength to keep moving? Being ready for God's next command and stepping forth in obedience is the place in the middle. The place where he wants us to be - whether we are resting or moving. It is the place where we don't need answers and we just stand ready to receive and accept the next move. 

I love this passage of scripture because it teaches us how God takes care of us – and the formula is simple. We only need to follow his directions, moving and resting at his command. What is he telling you right now?

Let’s pray:

God, we love the way you move in our lives and we thank you for being an all-knowing God who takes great care in providing for us. Help us to be ready, Lord, and to obey your command to move or rest.

Okay, the wait is almost over here at Lemongrass Spa. We are getting ready to launch some new products and we are all giddy with excitement to see what is coming our way. We have made room in our catalog for some new products by saying a sad goodbye to some of our beloved products. We are staying positive because we also know that these products are simply paving the way for the next wave of greatness. Before the new stuff comes out, I wanted to give you all one last reminder of the Winter Clearance products we still have available. The Winter Clearance Event runs until January 27th, or while supplies last – and unfortunately, supplies ran out of the Apple Silk Hair Mask and the Jade Roller. But – get your shop on and snag some of these other great items and get excited about what's to come.

D 🙂

To read Numbers 9, click here.

To order your favorite Winter Clearance items, click here.

Hello and welcome to Beauty - the no-frills, no-nonsense podcast about all things beauty. True beauty. God's beauty. I am so glad you're here today as we tackle the topic of grief.

Have you ever dealt with a tough loss? That might be a loaded question. The truth is, we all deal with loss. The word “tough” is what makes our loss different – and that word has several levels. My son experienced a tough loss on the basketball court a couple of weeks ago. His team worked hard to prepare in the weeks leading up to the big game. They were ready to give it all they had – and they did. They left it all on the court, for sure. But at the end of the game, the scoreboard was not in their favor – and it was a big upset for them. Gav struggled through it for a couple of days. To be fair, there was an element of unfairness to the loss, but even still, to me, it was an 8th grade basketball game. Like I have told all my boys a hundred times – it is just a game. Not one person is going to lose a scholarship or money on the game. I have always tried to encourage my kids to do what they love to do and have fun doing it. There are always lessons to learn, whether you win or lose, so learn the lessons and be better in the next game. I suppose that is easy for a mom to say, and I will admit that losing to the rival team is rough when you are a teenager. I haven’t completely forgotten those days.

There is loss beyond school sports – and that is what I want to focus on today. There are many levels of loss, from disappointing games to losing a job to losing a friend to losing a loved one. And when I say “lose” it can mean different things. You could get fired from a job or you can quit. Maybe you are forced to quit. Maybe there is an internal conflict and you quit on principle. You can lose a friend because of conflict or maybe you have no idea at all why a friend stopped talking to you. You can lose a parent for the same reasons. You can also literally lose anyone to disease and accidents. Loss is complicated – and so is the grief that accompanies the loss.

I have been dealing with grief myself and I am certainly no expert. In fact, I often feel like grief overcomes me – and at the strangest moments. Sometimes I hear a song and burst into tears. Sometimes I see a picture that triggers a memory. Sometimes I find a card from my parents and all I can do is close my eyes and wish for one more conversation. I have particularly struggled in the past year with the death of my dad. He died unexpectedly and, because of the c-word, my siblings and I were forced to say goodbye over video chat and watch him die at a distance. I’m not saying my grief would have been any less overwhelming had I been at the hospital to hold his hand and whisper in his ear the way he had done with me so many times as a child, but I do think it would have impacted my ability to deal with the grief.

But I am also learning that grief can be beautiful.

The beatitudes always intrigued me and in my season of grief, I was really drawn to them - especially verse 4. I wanted to feel happy; blessed - but the sadness was too overwhelming. As I came back to these verses over and over - literally for a year, I finally understood. 

I'm a slow learner. 

Jesus had all the authority to make these promises and he has all intentions on bringing it about in our life. When he says, "happy/blessed are they..." we are called to that blessing. We have this skewed vision of what happiness is. But Jesus? He knows full well and he is prepared to bring it to fruition in our life.

But that isn't all. 

His blessings aren't only for those with abundant gifts and resources. His blessings are for those of us who are poor and hungry and lonely. His blessings extend to us at our lowest points.

This past year, I clung to the promise of comfort in my mourning. It didn't come immediately. In fact, there is still much discomfort - but when I think of comfort in the eternal sense, I can look forward to replacing sadness with joy - forever. And that, my friends, is beautiful. 

I don't know how these blessings speak to you today, but my prayer is that you will treasure the promises of God and find your reward. If I can pray about anything specific for you, please reach out. I would love to stand in the gap for you the way others stood in that space for me last year. 

Okay - in honor of my dad, I am sharing our Cherry Almond product line today. Dad loved both - in food form over lotions, so I thought it would be appropriately healing to share this month’s specials. Specifically, we have 20% off the Cherry Almond Body Spritz, Body Polish, Body Wash, and the Hand and Body Lotion. To honor my dad, I am giving my full commission on these products to The American Stroke Association so they can continue their work in advocating prevention and care. So - gobble up some great deals and help save the life of someone's parent, sibling, or friend. You can order here.

D 🙂

Hey guys – welcome to Beauty – the no-frills, no-nonsense podcast where we talk about all things beauty. True beauty. God’s beauty. I am Deanna, your host and Lemongrass Spa consultant, and I am super excited you are listening. Today we are going to talk a bit about rules. Are you a rule follower or a rule breaker? For me – it kind of depends. I like to push buttons, and if I think a rule is dumb, I will probably break it.

Today we are reading Leviticus 11 and it reminded me a lot about rules and even the reasons we have rules in the first place. Now I know, Leviticus isn’t super exciting, but I hope that at the end of these few minutes together, you will walk away with a fresh insight about not only this passage of scripture, but also some fresh insight about rules and obedience. So go ahead and press pause, grab your bible, and read Leviticus 11. I have also linked this passage of scripture at the bottom.

So, most of Leviticus is pretty boring. It is filled with a lot of details about rules and rituals and sacrifices – stuff we just don’t do today, and it can be difficult to relate to. If you are not careful, you might be tempted to read through it quickly just to check it off in your bible reading plan and never really be changed or challenged by the words you read (not that I know this by experience…).

If you make it through Leviticus 11 and get to verses 44 and 45, you are doing good. And I believe these verses hold a lot of truth for us to ponder.

God led the Israelites out of Egypt and set them apart. But the call to holiness was not new to them. The call to holiness was actually extended to Adam and Eve first – and it is extended to us still today. We were all created in the image of God and that means we need to mirror the character of God. But how do we do that in a world filled with sin? Well – being set apart means choosing a life that is different. It means not following the ways of the world. Even walking alone on some paths.

RC Sproul, in his book, “The Holiness of God” writes,

“What we are ultimately called to is more than nonconformity; we are called to transformation. We are not to follow the world’s lead, but to cut across it and rise above it to a higher calling and style…. The “saints” are called to a rigorous pursuit of the kingdom of God. They are called to depth in their spiritual understanding.”

So why is a passage of scripture about dietary regulations beautiful?

To me, this passage of scripture is more than just a bunch of rules about what to eat. This passage of scripture is how God taught the Israelites to live differently from the nations surrounding them. It was God’s way of protecting the people from getting caught up in sin. He wanted the Israelites to learn to trust him and obey him in every area of life.

When you read through Leviticus, you see how God perfectly ordered things to be for the Israelites – their diet, their dress, their sacrifices; everything was designed to set them apart. Why? Because the Lord is their God. After Leviticus 11, you will read the phrase, “I am the Lord Your God” over and over, along with the call to holiness. It isn’t about all the stuff they have to do, the rules they have to follow, the laws they have to learn… It is about trusting and obeying God so they live a life distinctly different. Their outward behavior transforms their heart – and that is what makes this beautiful – both for the Israelites and for us. While we don’t have the same rules to follow, the Lord is our God too. And as such, he has set us apart.

RC Sproul writes,

“We need to be people whose lives have changed because our minds have changed.”

We don’t live transformed lives by breaking the rules. We get there by mirroring God’s character – and if we are going to mirror his character, we need to study him. We need to learn what he loved and hated and love and hate those things without wavering. We need to learn how Jesus lived and live like that. We need to toss our selfishness aside and align our hearts with God’s heart. We need to learn how to serve others and then we need to roll up our sleeves and serve.

Just as God set rules for the Israelites long ago and ordered their days, he also does for us. We only need to seek him and obey him to be transformed. We will see how beautiful the world truly is as we look through the lens of God and mirror his character to a people desperate for his saving grace. When we obey his rules, we are radically different, and it will not go unnoticed.  

Let’s pray:

God, you are the Lord our God. You have ordered things for our good and you only ask for full obedience. Lord, help us to be people who believe you, trust you, and obey you – even when the rest of the world around us is going in a different direction. Help us to be so connected to you, we are disconnected from the world. Help us to pursue your kingdom and live in obedience to you.

Okay friends, it is time to share the good stuff about Lemongrass Spa. Since it is the month of love and our obedience depends on a heart that pursues God, I chose a product for the heart. Not literally, of course, but this month’s Bliss Box will make your heart swell. It is so great – I ordered two. The Bliss Box includes an apple elixir serum to renew, protect, and restore your skin; a gua-sha facial tool designed to help boost circulation, reduce puffiness, and support lymphatic drainage. I am so excited to use this tool - combined with the elixir, the two are a powerhouse! There are also two more products included in the Bliss Box – a peony & rose hand and body bar soap and a blossom roll-on fragrance. You get all four of these products for $39 plus tax. But hurry – supplies are limited, and we are 86% sold as of February 6th. This box makes a great gift and is the perfect way to show love to someone. Tuck in a note of encouragement and commit to praying for the recipient and you have a very practical way of mirroring the character of God.

D 😊

Click here to read Leviticus 11.

Click here to order your February Bliss Box – Product G4640