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A Message for the Lonely: You are Not Alone

Disclaimer: I wasn’t planning to post this. I actually wrote this months ago. I didn’t want it to make people feel awkward or obligated. (You’ll understand as you read). But… I feel like I need to share because this is part of life, and part of my struggles.

Based on a conversation with other moms a few weeks ago, I think many can relate. My hopes are that by sharing our hearts we can help each other reach truth and self acceptance. So please know, I’m not doing this in an attempt to seek attention, I’m doing this in an attempt to seek healing. I’m also posting this for all other women who struggle with feelings of loneliness to know: You are not alone.

You know that saying, “Nothing good every happens after midnight?” Well, in mom terms that translates to “Nothing good every happens after 9:00PM.” This seems especially true tonight.

Scrolling through social media late at night is just not a good idea for me… I felt pretty good about myself right before I opened up my computer, and now I am in tears. (This outcome is also magnified by hormones LoL) All I could see was the success of others that I didn’t have yet, the parties and celebrations that I wasn’t invited to, and the friends and deep connection with others that seemed out of my reach. 

My heart is breaking. I feel like I don’t belong. I feel unwanted. I feel unlovable. I feel forgotten. I feel a deep ache in my heart. I feel a longing in my heart for connection. Real connection. A connection I had with a group of friends in college. We could openly share our struggles, our joys, our awkwardness with each other without any judgement, knowing we’d have unconditional love for each other…. I miss that kind of connection.

So now who do I talk to? I feel like I really don’t have that one girlfriend that I can spill my guts to. (Update: I know this is now a lie, as so many friends have opened up to me in the past few weeks… but alas, this was my thought when I wrote this.) So I’m spilling my guts to my computer screen. At 11PM. On a Monday. God, help me. (Literally).

I am reading the book Uninvited by Lysa Terkeurst right now, and it’s so fitting. I just started and feel like I’ve gotten bits of nuggets from it, but still waiting for my ah-ha! moment to arrive and be fixed… but that doesn’t just happen from reading a book. That happens from intentional prayer, reading multiple books, chewing on the truth (not literally, but mentally), hashing things out with God, waiting, listening, worshiping, and possibly repeating the process multiple times.

What I do know is how I feel, and I recognize these are lies. I feel unwanted… forgotten… unlovable…. maybe I start to believe the lies because I can think of so many events I wasn’t invited to, inside jokes I don’t know, opportunities I wasn’t included in, the times people who I’ve met before literally forgot me. Every time one of these things happen, it’s like a tiny stab in my heart. So I scroll through a Facebook feed and those tiny stabs lead to a gaping hole.

A hole in my heart that people aren’t meant to fill. My feelings of being loved don’t reside in people justifying it. I (should) know I am loved, because I am called Beloved by my Creator and Savior. I belong because He says I belong to Him. I may not belong to every clique or club, but I belong to His kingdom, and that (should be) is enough. I am never forgotten. My God knows my thoughts, my sorrows, my emotions every second of every day… and despite that He still wants me. He longs for my heart. I long for that to be enough.

How do I believe this truth? I know I’m not the only one who has these struggles. Please share your tips and truths below.

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doTERRA February Promotions

Happy February! I know we are well into the month, but have y’all seen doTERRA’s February promotions yet? They are pretty sweet, and I’m here to tell you all about them. Let’s get started.

Product of the Month

Did you know that doTERRA offers a FREE Product of the Month, every single month? All you have to do is place a qualifying Loyalty Rewards order, and this product will automatically be added to your cart. No promo code needed.

This month doTERRA is offering a free Melaleuca Touch roller bottle. I love the Touch rollers because they are already diluted in a base of doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil. This makes it so convenient to apply on your kids, or other family member with sensitive skin. Melaleuca is great for immune support, and we like to roll this oil on our feet daily. You can also use this roller for skin blemishes by easily applying on the area of concern. We also use this roller (along with doTERRA Lavender Touch roller) for any sort of skin irritations.

Highlighted Product

doTERRA also highlights a product every month where you can receive 10% off. Yes, if you have a wholesale account, that is 10% ON TOP OF your wholesale discount. So awesome! This month they are highlighting their SPA Replenishing Body Butter. Y’all, I have literally had people tell me they can’t live without this product. Honestly, I am usually not one for spa products, but this body butter is heavenly. It’s made with shea and cocoa butter which are known for their ability to moisturize the skin. It also has jojoba seed oil and avocado oil that are praised in the skin industry for their ability to soothe and nourish your skin. Of course, this body butter in infused with the doTERRA essential oils: Wild Orange, Douglas Fir, and Frankincense. You can’t find a body butter more luxurious than this one. It would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for your special someone!

New Year, New You

doTERRA has extended their New Year, New You (NYNY) promotion. This is for those of y’all that have been wanting doTERRA essential oils, but haven’t made the plunge yet. Here’s the skinny: When you enroll as a Wholesale Customer with at least 100PV order (basically any starter kit), and join the Loyalty Rewards Program for extra discounts and free product (with a 100PV order in March) doTERRA will give you 100 PV to redeem for any essential oils of your choice! You’re getting $100 in free doTERRA essential oils (or other products) of your choice. It’s a pretty sweet deal! Go to https://www.doterra.com/US/en/site/amandagerber/join-and-save to get started.

Bonus from ME!

Just to sweeten the deal, here is what I have to offer when you choose to start your doTERRA journey with me:

  • Welcome gift (personalized roller bottles, recipes, and other oily goodies)
  • Private access to my team’s Facebook group (a wealth of oil knowledge)
  • Free Wellness Consultation (a chance to really dive deep into your health goals)
  • Continued Support (to answer your questions in real time from a real person— ME!)

Which one of these promos are you taking advantage of this month? Share below in the comments!

Sweet & Sour Kids

sweet-sour-2

You know those Sour Patch kids commercials? “First they’re sour, then they’re sweet.” That’s about what it’s like every day with kids.

My day usually starts around 3:00AM (sour) with a wake up call from my baby Sarah letting me know she’s ready to nurse. I usually groan, hit my cell so I can use it as a flashlight, then get my baby girl and make my way to the couch. As I nurse her, sometimes I’ll scroll through Facebook, sometimes I’ll close my eyes and doze off again, but other times I’ll choose to soak in the moment. I look down at my (sweet) baby girl and realize she will never be this little again, she will never need me as much as she does now again, and I kiss her cute little cheeks before putting her back in her Pack n Play while I crash back in my bed next to my sleeping husband.

Then my alarm goes off at 6:15AM telling me it’s time to start getting ready to take Noah to school. I snooze it a couple of times, knowing Nathan will be up and starting breakfast for everyone (thanks, babe). I finally drag myself out of bed in time to make Noah lunch and see how crazy his bedhead is to fix it. We walk to school, and he chats with me about his new friends and recess (these walks are so sweet). As soon as he walks inside the school doors I realize how freakin’ hot it is at 7:30 in the morning in October, and sweat like a pig on the walk back (sour).

The rest of my morning is filled with watching Tim and Isaac make a huge pile of pillows and blankets to jump on to (sweet) and being a referee when they both jump at the same time and knock heads (sour). Baby Sarah is quick to remind me every few hours to nurse her and will coo and laugh with me (sweet) until she poops (sour), and then laughs some more at me. The amount of diapers I go through a day with 2 littles still in diapers is ridiculous.

After lunch everyone takes a nap. I think most people will admit that kids look the sweetest when they’re sleeping. Some days I nap with Tim (sweet), other days I decide to tackle the dishes or work on the pile of laundry my kids create (sour). Then I wake them up to drive to get Noah (because I’m not walking 2 miles in 100 degree South Texas weather with all the kids). Now, that pick up line is something else: it seems no matter what time you make it in the line you end up waiting at least 20 minutes, and then occasionally our A/C goes out when the Suburban isn’t moving (oh so sour moments).

The rest of the day is a blur. I just try to keep the boys from hurting each other until Nathan comes home, feed and bathe them, and then put the boys to bed. This is usually when baby Sarah wants to tell me about her day so we chat and giggle at each other… These days aren’t glamorous, but they’re mine. These days are demanding and not always encouraging, but I know that even though I have some sour moments, I’m guaranteed some sweet moments too.

How about you? Share some of your sweet and sour moments below!

When’s the Last Time You Blogged?

“Hey babe, when’s the last time you blogged?”

I cringed and kept scrubbing the pan that had bacon grease practically burnt on it. I really need some new pans!

“It’s been a while.” I casually responded back.

The truth is, I’ve been avoiding it. I kind of just feel like a big failure in the blogging world. I had told myself over and over I’d be consistent, and time after time I dropped the ball and stopped blogging for extended periods of time. I felt like I didn’t deserve to take another crack at it again… Then I thought about it some more, and decided Who flipplin’ cares if the last time I blogged was when I announced we were pregnant and now our baby girl is one month old?! 

I was a little busy growing a human, chasing 3 boys, and teaching essential oil classes! Now, I’m still doing all of those things (minus growing a human, now she’s just attached to my boobs every couple of hours, which is still pretty time consuming). I’m still trying to figure out how to run a business, keep 4 children 5 years old and under alive, and occasionally take a shower or brush my hair. I probably “don’t have time” to write consistently, and I probably will still have times where I fall of the grid for a while, but I LIKE writing. It makes me happy, and sometimes is the only time I think about things other than what I’m going to make for the kids’ lunch. So, I’m back at it! Yay!

Even as I wrote those words down I thought: What am I going to write about? Will I be able to come up with enough topics/stories/recipes to keep readers engaged? What am I going to make for the kids’ lunch? Didn’t they JUST eat? 

I don’t know… I don’t know what I’ll write about, or if it will even be something people will enjoy reading. I may just ramble about my kids, or how I dream of what it would be like to shower every day… But that’s okay. I think this will help keep me sane because, as I confessed to a friend, “I feel like I’m drowning in diapers, laundry, and nursing pads.” If all else, it should help keep my mind sharp because right now it seems like all my mind is good for is singing the theme song to Bubble Guppies… In my defense, it’s pretty catchy.

So if you’re curious (as am I) to see where this leads, join me and follow me in this new adventure of my life.

WINSDAY: Peppermint and Tangerine… Yum!

I’m sitting here thinking about a few things:

1. My oil business is booming right now, and as a result my blog has kind of taken a back seat. Sorry guys, I’ll try to post at least once a week, but I can’t make any promises at this point. Because of the craziness that’s going on right now, I’m going to start making my WINSDAY and Friday Fun Facts biweekly (unless I’m feeling adventurous! LoL).

2. Why am I having a hard time focusing right now? I’m out of the house, writing this after my class has ended and my brain feels like mush. Then I think, Oh let’s put on some Peppermint and Tangerine! Y’all, this is amazing for focus and mental clarity. I put just one drop of each oil in my hand, rubbed the back of my neck and my hair (the hair part is optional: I like when essential oil is in my hair because I get a whif of oils every time I turn… I’m kinda nerdy like that), and it made a huge difference. I pushed past my mental block and started getting some work done. So then I thought…

3. WINSDAY GIVEAWAY! I’ll be making a roller bottle of Peppermint and Tangerine and will give it to one lucky winner. This is a killer combo and works wonders at increasing focus and alertness. I also like to use this in the morning to give me that mood boost that citrus oils are so famous for.

Many people and “oily” friends I know use Wild Orange and Peppermint, but I’m a Tangerine girl. It feels a little more exotic and has a bit of a crisper scent to me. (Don’t get me wrong, I like Wild Orange, but I like Tangerine more!). Peppermint is also known for its ability to help support a healthy respiratory and digestive system, so by all means, don’t just use this blend for focus! In fact, I’ve used this blend when I needed a little extra support for my digestive system, and loved it.

You know I only recommend one brand of essential oils, so if you’d like more info on that please email me at info@amandagerber.com and I’ll answer any questions you have for me. Have an amazing and productive day!

Comment below for an entry in the giveaway! You have until Tuesday September 22, 2015 to enter.

This giveaway is now closed.