Grace and Good Coffee

Finding grace and good coffee to survive every day.

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gratitude

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I like to start my blogs the same way I would if I were picking up a conversation with an old friend. “It’s me again! Let me tell you about today…” But in reality, sometimes it’s been a while in between conversations, and if you’re not really good friends, it might seem a little awkward. Nevertheless, I have a hankering to talk about something today, so cheers to the awkwardness ensuing.

Photo credit: Emily Hunsaker

It’s officially October, so we’re quickly approaching the season of gratitude. You know, the couple of months out of the year when we’re forced to think about all the things we’re supposed to be thankful for, even though we’re still annoyed with everyday life.

It feels something like this:
I’m still working all the time.
I’m still just as exhausted as ever.
I’m still overweight.
I’m still stressed out.
I’m still not “living my best life” … *insert eye-roll here*

You know what? You don’t have to fall into that trap. “Living your best life” does not mean you’re expected to live out someone else’s highlight reel. Forget that staged mess! Life is dirty and stressful and downright MEAN sometimes.

Living your best life might just mean being thankful for the 3 things that didn’t hit the fan today, and dragging your butt out of bed on purpose tomorrow to do it all over again, because there are people who need you to do that.

And honey, that kind of gratitude these days is my kind of gratitude.

We all know the reality is that most of us are able to get ourselves wherever we need to go, feed ourselves when we’re hungry, work to pay our bills, and even jump into a whole heap of trouble every day if we feel like it — and I usually do. Sigh.

When I can actually pause to think about the word “gratitude” on purpose, I quickly realize that I have a LOT to be thankful for. I may not be a spring chicken anymore, but I can still do most of the things that I’ve always been able to do. And thank goodness for that, because I have a toddler who likes to keep me on my toes!

But on most days when I don’t have time to sit and think about it, I’ll just keep whispering, “Thank you Jesus for my coffee. Amen.“

What can you be grateful for today?

Blessings,
Emily

CBD oil, not snake oil.

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My husband is a huge advocate for cannabis (CBD) oil. He knows a great deal more about it than I do. He could tell you about the importance of purity (third party) testing, the different concentrations, all the many ailments it can be used to treat, etc. I know very little about it, but I do know that cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells.

After Mama was diagnosed with cancer, all I could think about was the type of treatments insurance would cover. How the insurance company would essentially give the doctors their blessing to pump poison into her body to (hopefully) kill the cancer cells. But the problem with chemotherapy is that it’s not selective to only killing the bad cells; it kills the good cells too. And don’t get me started on radiation.

Do y’all know that chemotherapy was derived from mustard gas? Yes, the same kind that’s used in war to kill an enemy.

When will this antiquated cancer treatment be updated? When will scientists be able to harness the power of the amazing human immune system to kill cancer, rather than disabling the body’s natural defenses? And when will the insurance companies cover other types of treatments that have been shown to cure cancer, without completely wrecking us?

For now it seems the best answer is to help yourself, using your own good sense and finances to try to avoid cancer altogether. A lot of that involves eating well and exercising. But if you’re like me, and you’re at a greater risk because cancer runs in your family, you may want to go a step further.

This past weekend, my husband and I made at stop at our local health store before heading to see Mama again. I bought some CBD gummies for her, and a dropper bottle of CBD oil tincture for myself. My Mama is old-school and I knew introducing something like this outside of her doctor’s orders was going to be a challenge. So I was thinking the gummies might be the smallest bear to fight. Thankfully, she accepted the gift and started taking them right away. I asked her to take a leap of faith with me, and she did.

So in turn, I started using this Plus+ CBD Oil to help me with being able to relax and sleep better at night. It has amazing reviews, and was one of the first CBD companies to be certified by US Hemp Roundtable – meaning their products can be tracked “from seed to shelf”… Which as my husband pointed out, is extremely important to make sure you’re not buying “snake oil”.

I’ve been using it now for a few days, and so far I have definitely noticed a difference. It has a very light and pleasant taste, thanks to the mint and monk fruit they added to it. (I’ve tried other brands, and some of them are truly gag-worthy.) So this new addition to my nightly routine is a breeze and a blessing!

If you haven’t looked into all the healing properties of CBD oil, please do. Chances are, you or someone you know could benefit from it. I’m not saying it’s the answer to everything from cancer to the zombie apocalypse, but I’m certainly not saying it isn’t. And I’m open to absolutely anything that will help my Mama.

We’re still praying for complete healing, in His name. Please pray with us.

Blessings,
Emily