Cory and I visited a natural beekeeper in Nebraska about a month ago. During our conversation the wife told me how hard it was to keep their bees alive because of all the spraying. They both said they had once lost $50,000 in one day because an aerial sprayer sprayed insecticide on a bean field that was in bloom and killed all their bees. I was so thankful to be sitting down, because that came as a big shock to me. My heart still aches for them every time I think of that family. With the spraying picking up in our area again, I’m praying and thinking of them even more often.

I asked these natural beekeepers if they received compensation for the loss and the wife explained in a kind, gentle voice (way more kind than I could have been) that they had visited an attorney who was also a beekeeper and he told them there wasn’t much they could do. There was an investigation through a government program, and because it was so slow, by the time the testing was complete to determine if the bees had died from chemicals, it came back negative. They were scared to do anything more because they feared that somehow, they could lose more bees. These were some of the kindest, most generous, hospitable people I have ever met, and I’m sharing this story to bring more light to this issue. I am praying for a blessing upon this humble family and for protection of their bees, because it’s so hard for justice to be served when our government is so corrupt.

The herb Calendula that is used in our salve is antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. The flowers contain high amounts of antioxidants and the leaves contain lutein and beta carotene. Unfortunately, the plant has not been studied thoroughly for other nutrients. Despite all these benefits, some caution needs to be expressed. Calendula is so healing that it can seal up a wound too quickly and trap bacteria in the wound. Thankfully we don’t have to worry about bacteria being present in the salve itself, because our salve does not contain any water, and it’s impossible for bacteria and mold to grow without water. The problem arises because there could be bacteria present in or around the wound where the salve is applied.

I received a phone call from a good friend several months ago. During our discussion she confessed that she was really struggling. She had been very tired and her stomach hadn’t been feeling right for a few weeks. She said she was really thinking about seeing a doctor. I listened, told her I would pray for wisdom for her, and felt led to share my story about my healing journey. She said she would like try some of the herbal tea that I had been using for years to provide energy (especially during my last two pregnancies). I happily offered to bring her some. I always use raspberry leaves and then add whatever I have in my cupboard. This time it was licorice root (which is not recommended if you one is on heart medicine). We sent enough for several days, and I didn’t expect to hear back from her. I was really surprised when a few days later, she called with great excitement and claimed her stomach felt so much better and her energy was back to normal. She also said she was planning to start making her own. These stories always thrill me, and it reminds me of God’s grace and His amazing gift of plants as medicine.

I recently read that during the pandemic the number of type 2 diabetes cases in children increased by 182%. As Joel Salatin often says, “Folks this aint normal.” The great news is that we are wonderfully made, and Lord willing, with the proper nutrition, sleep, exercise, and keeping stress low, I believe many people can experience the power of healing. I have witnessed this in myself and so many others. We don’t have to live in constant fear that we are helpless to our genetics. We live in a fallen world and will never experience perfect health, but most of us understand that certain habits are more damaging than others, and I believe getting our sweeteners right is a critical piece to bringing back the health of our culture.

I received an update/email from Kit Pharo today and decided to share this as my Wisdom Wednesday. I also need a little more time to research my other idea for today. I’m so excited to be sharing it next week and hope it encourages you as much as it has me.

There are many options for sweeteners on the market today, and for some reason, many of us assume that if something is on the market, then it’s been proven to be safe. I used to believe the same thing, but I don’t anymore. The truth is, we live in a fallen world, and sometimes profits are put ahead of public health.

Back in the mid-1800s a man by the name of Dr Semmelweis used his power of observation to discover why women were dying of puerperal fever in a maternity ward staffed with male doctors and medical students at a rate of 5 times higher, compared to women delivering with midwives, in another ward in the same hospital. After trying a few different approaches, and a lot of frustration, he hypothesized that cadaver parts were getting left behind on the hands of the doctors that were doing autopsies and they were then infecting the patients. He ordered everyone to start washing their hands before working with women, and the child bed fever dropped dramatically. You would think everyone would have been thrilled, but they weren’t. Doctors were actually upset that he made them look bad, and eventually dropped the handwashing again for a time.