Ginger Garrett

If you need makeup brushes or mineral makeup, head on over to:

http://www.eyeslipsface.com

The company is selling all makeup brushes for one dollar each, and has mineral makeup on a great deal as well. This company may be in the middle of a name-change or buyout, so take advantage of some great deals this week before they’re gone.

I taught three classes this weekend at women’s seminar and the two topics women were most interested in always focused on natural solutions for skin and weight, and a spiritual message of comfort and hope.

It was so gratifying to see women having “aha” moments and releasing their critical self-judgments. A major key to letting go of critical self-talk is to understand the connection between faith and the comparison game.

When we compare ourselves to another woman, we are really asking “Who do you love more, God?” If we judge ourselves as less than the other woman in any capacity, we’re accusing God of not loving us. If my children made a list of all the Christmas gifts they wanted, and I bought those gifts but passed them out to other children, how would my children feel? Unloved. Angry. Unwilling to trust me.

When we compare ourselves to another woman, and decide she got what we really wanted (that skin! that body! that man!) we erode our faith in a loving God. We decide God does not see, or does not care. We decide God can’t be trusted. But the truth is, beauty isn’t about getting what we want. Beauty isn’t about winning love and acceptance from others. Beauty is about the power of attraction: the power to attract others to God within us, the God who says, “You are loved and accepted.”

We want to be beautiful so we will feel love; God made us just as we are so others would feel love. But for that equation to work, we have to be willing to trust. Trust that God gave you the right gifts, the right form, the right design to communicate love and acceptance to a hurting sister.

Someone today needs you to shine, because she’s lost in a dark world. Hold your head up high, and refuse to be shamed into the darkness again.

It is no accident that much of our inner battle as women centers on our bodies. We obsess with appearance, weight and form. The battle over our bodies is really a battle for our souls. We have to choose who we belong to, and what we were designed for. If we believe our bodies were designed by God as a temple, a place to meet God in the world, then we leave no place for worldly judgments about size or “imperfections.”

God calls us to recognize the sacred in this world of pollution. Sacred means set apart, not for common use. Soething sacred is uncommon and cannot be judged alongside the profane. Sacred also implies it is initiated by God and intended for God. The world’s standards are simply not relevant.

Today, may you find the peace of accepting yourself just as you are, and the joy of knowing you were created to see God.

If you feel a little uneasy about the words beauty and spirituality used in the same sentence, that’s okay. There is an unnatural, uneasy relationship in our society between the two. In biblical days, it was easier to understand the symbolism of caring for your body and appearance in relationship to your spirit. Before you could worship, you had to ceremonially wash yourself. Applying oil and perfume next was a sign of blessing, an annointing that often meant much more than just mere grooming. You were preparing to go into God’s presence. To meet with God, you first prepared your body.

What do you think of in the morning as you prepare for the day? Do you expect to meet with God in the little events and casual conversations? Or are you more concerned with grooming yourself to hide yourself and your flaws, and to win the approval of others?  For as much as we talk abotu tolerance in our culture, there is no middle ground in our spiritual lives: we cannot tolerate competing spiritual desires. We cannot aim to please the world and honor God within us. We cannot judge ourselves by the world’s standards of beauty and live at peace with our appearance.

If we want to discover our true beauty, the radiance of a loving God expressed through our physical bodies, we have to abandon the world’s definition of beauty. We have to live by faith, believing that our beauty cannot be applied, purchased, or toned. It simply is a reflection of the light within, a light that draws others to us, so that they, too, can know healing. It’s not about us, or our weight, or our wrinkles. It’s about acknowledging that Perfection indwells our imperfect bodies, and being at peace with that knowledge.

It’s about letting go.

Belinda asked,

“I read your book Beauty Secrets of the Bible.  Loved it.  Bought 4 additional copies and gave them as gifts.  I did not find any information on Rosacea.  Do you know of any natural treatments that might work?”

Thanks for the encouraging words, Belinda! Here’s the scoop on rosacea:

First, if you suspect you have rosacea, please see your dermatologist. If you didn’t go to medical school, it can be difficult to tell the difference between rosacea and other conditions that can mimic it. According to the National Rosacea Society, 14 million Americans suffer with rosacea. The symptoms can include:

Stay away from over the counter miracles cures. Most don’t have solid research behind them, and supplements are not regulated. What you can do, however, is make sure you’re getting plenty of essential fatty acids in your diet. Ask your doctor about adding borage oil or black currant oil capsules, which are high in GLA, an important fatty acid for our skin.

Some women also report that highly diluted lavender is very soothing for rosacea. I love Kimberly Sayer’s lavander facial spritz, but if you want to make your own, here’s how:

1. Pour pure spring water into a clean spritzer bottle.

2. Add 2-3 drops lavender per one cup of water. Shake well.

3. Lightly mist face before and after applying makeup.

A few more tips:

1. Be sure you’re using pure mineral cosmetics, with no added preservatives or fillers. You don’t want to see any word ending in “paraben” and you don’t want to see bismuth or talc, either. I have a link on this site for minerals which are affordable. (By the way, I don’t make any money from them, so there’s no incentive for me to push the products.)

2. Be sure your cleanser is gentle and natural, as well as any products you put on your skin. I have great recipes in my book, and many of them are on my free Downloads page as well.

All my best to you!

According to the CDC, most of us have been exposed to a chemical in plastic bottles that may cause hormonal disruptions. You can read the full report here:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351419,00.html

This is another great reason to install a water filter at home or at the office. Skip the bottled water, which only creates more waste for our landfills. And remember not to heat food or beverages in plastic containers, including warming baby formula or food. I also replaced our coffee travel mugs, which were lined with plastic on the interior surface that touches the coffee, with stainless steel travel mugs. The coffee stays warmer, tastes better,  and I don’t worry about chemicals leaching from plastic.

I’ll be back later in the week with more tips and insider news. I’ve got to let my hand rest and stay off this computer as much as possible right now…but we’re getting some great stories together for you!

I am sneaking an email in today, despite a torn tendon in my hand. I’ve been left unsupervised near a computer!

Spring always rejuvenates me and makes me want to freshen things up. My desk is sorely in of refreshing! It’s the spot I spend most of my hours in a day, after all, and I want to do my best, most creative work here. So here are a few tips I’ve gathered to make over my desk today:

1. First, I have to remove all this clutter. (Actually, since I am one-handed today, I’ll make a sad face and get someone else to do it…)

2. I’ll spray my computer and electronics with Endust (R) for Electronics. Did you know it’s oil free, wax free, & ammonia free? It will also repel dust after it is applied. Allergies make any environment unpleasant, so Endust is a great tool.

3. Studies conistently show that a natural environment, with plenty of greenery and natural elements, not only boosts creativity, it creates a sense of happiness and well-being. So first, I’ll be heading to the store today to choose a gorgeous, natural fiber placement. (Or perhaps one made with natural materials such as stone, shells, bamboo, etc.) 

The placemat will go in the center of my desk, and I’ll sit the laptop over this.

4. Next will come the greenery and flowers. Ivy and gerbera daisies are hardy and low-maintenance. I also love the mini roses I find at WalMart. And remember that plants do an amazing job at removing contaminants from the air you breathe. This is a great investment in your health.

5. My final touch? This is a trick I already use and love. Buy a large glass candy jar with a lid. Use this to keep your pens inside. Every time I see my giant candy jar, I feel happy inside, like a kid. Keeping my pens inside is an unexpected, fun touch.

Voila! A makeover in less than 10 minutes that will brighten your day and make work more fun. I hope you can find at least one of these tips to incorporate into your own workspace today!

I tore a tendon in my right hand this week.

Being a righty, this is a major problem! I cannot type with that hand so this post will be short. The good news is, I won’t need surgery as part of the tendon is still attached. The bad news is, it hurts like crazy and it’s Spring Break. That means all my kids are at home with me, and I can’t take pain meds! (Well, I could, but they’d spray-paint the dog green and set the kitchen on fire making toast. Don’t ask me how I know this.)

I’ll try to post something later in the week. I have some great new tips to share with you! Thanks for being patient for a few days until my hand gets over the worst of this.

All my best,

Ginger

From the new April 21 Woman’s World, here’s a great little tip!

Pour unscented mineral oil into a tiny bloom vase and add 1 teaspoon of the essential oil of your choice. Cut bamboo skewers (like the sort you’d use for barbeques) to size and insert in bottle.

You can also freshen the oil in any reed diffuser you currently own by using this tip. You can even subsitute your favorite perfume in place of the essential oil.

We’re spending 50 billion a year on weight loss products and services.

That’s a lot of money, and interestingly, the world’s leading economists have an opinion worth hearing. When asked “What could we do on a global scale with 50 billion dollars?” the intellectual elite set about brainstorming just how far 50 billion could go when put to good use. If every American quit purchasing diet products and services, and used this money to change the world, we could:

1. Save 28 million lives by fighting the AIDS virus in the worst-hit areas, including Africa.

2. Save half the world from malnutrition by providing nutritional supplements.

3. Control malaria by providing chemically treated nets to at-risk families.

Now, the economists didn’t know that 50 billion was the same figure we’re spending on weight loss; this was just a mythical number they pulled out of the air for the discussion. But I lvoe to daydream about what could be possible for us if we could learn to let go of an unhealthy obsession. When we’re determined to live in health and peace, we can extend that to the world.