I’ve just been outside…
In Sondra’s greenhouse
I’ve just been outside. It’s nearly 11 a.m. and the temperature is hovering below 30 degrees. The greenhouse thermometer says it’s 53 inside. That’s good for two reasons: one, because I have to water the plants in there, and two, because the plants I overwinter in the greenhouse don’t like cold Virginia weather.
Living in the greenhouse are my Bay, Citrus and Olive trees. About thirty years ago I did a study on how many plants are mentioned in the Bible. Depending upon the version, there are about sixty! More surprising to me, though, was that these were commonly known plants and most could be grown right on my Virginia farm! So I began collecting them.
Some, like almond trees and grapes, could be planted in the ground. I enjoyed my Bible garden!
When we moved from the farm in Loudoun County to nearby Warren County, the plants I brought with me were in pots, because they couldn’t winter outdoors.
Over the years these old friends and I have grown older together. It strikes me how much a part of my life they have been. And it’s humbling to realize they have depended upon me to look after them!
I didn’t start using plants for skin care products until a couple of years after we moved from the farm. Once I did, I had another revelation: most of the ingredients I use in my products are mentioned in Scripture!
That so amazed me that I put together a booklet about that (The Little Book of Plants in Scripture, available on the Website), because I wanted folks to realize that God has given us these plants for food and medicine, both physical and emotional, including medicine for our skin! (Genesis 1:29, 2 Kings 20:7, Psalm 45:8).
My plants still amaze me. My two Bay trees are now much taller than I am. (Psalm 37:35). They are too tall for the greenhouse so they winter on an enclosed porch. The Calamondin orange is the closest citrus plant to the Citron mentioned in Scripture that I found I could grow in a container. It has been with me longer than any of the others; over 35 years.
So as you are peruse our Website and learn about our products and how they help skin issues, I hope you will be reminded that it wasn’t a scientist who discovered the healing use of plants. It was every person who has read the Bible and realized God intended them to use plants that grew right outside their door!
Happy New Year!
Sondra.
