Feels and Flowers

You rarely see people contort themselves pretzel-like as they do when they try to make scripture--and God--more palatable to modern-day sensitivities as when they talk about Sodom and Gomorrah. Trust me--I’ve listened to a bunch of podcasts and sermons on this subject from both sides of the spectrum. The truth is, this is not a pretty story. But we can’t skip it, either. So let's talk about this, let’s talk about that time when God rained fire down on the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. What were these people’s sins--sins so grievous that God wiped it out from the map by raining down fire from heaven. And why is it so important that we understand this story? Featured Essential Oil: Grapefruit.

So many times, we fall back on the belief that we are only human made of dust and ashes and what CAN we do, what positive change, what impact can mere mortals do in the face of overwhelming odds and huge challenges. And when someone is hurting we say we will pray for them. But REALLY? Is that the best we can do? In this episode we talk about that time when Abraham interceded for the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In this passage, wouldn’t it have been the human thing to do to leave it “in God’s hands” because “God’s ways are far higher and whatever will be will be?” We can’t miss the persistence in Abraham’s intercession, and I believe God was pleased--not affronted--when Abraham approached him and interceded. The essential oil of the week is Rosemary! I use it to grow my hair. If you know me you know how ridiculously long it's gotten, hear this episode to know my secret. Send me flowers! Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com

The end of year is always a good time to pause and reflect on what growth we achieved and what goals we met in the year and how we are going to do better and in the future. But hey, we just survived 2020, I think you should be proud of yourself. Being alive trumps any other accomplishment. Really. Without meaning to, this episode somehow circles back to the very first episode that I ever published back in January of this year, and I'm a little proud of that. So... in this episode we talk about identity crisis, how English is a horrible language to learn, the unfortunate girl who became widely known as Pee-Pee at school, and sundry other things. But most importantly we will be talking about Genesis 17 and Abram who became Abraham, and Sarai who became Sarah. What's the deal with the name changes, anyway? How does that affect us today? Stick around and you'll also learn about Sweet Almond oil, one of the best carrier oils there is. Wishing you a happy 2021. Stay safe~ Paula

Sometimes in the Bible you get these stories of supposedly good and holy people handpicked by God who just make the worst decisions. There was this elderly couple, you see, and one day they decided to explore surrogacy with a dash of sexual exploitation to see if that was the answer to their problems. The story is quite problematic, especially when seen through the modern lens. But we learn a bit about God, and get another glimpse of his loving character in how he dealt with what was at the time considered to be the lowest of the low: a runaway female slave, who had been abused by those that should have cared for her. How God deals with Hagar is how he deals with us too. The essential oil of the week is Peppermint.

Gather round kids for embarrassing stories of Paula's youth. We're getting personal as we talk about loooooove. Or lack of love, and what happens when you chase it away with a broom. It's going to be a wild ride, as this episode was written in the middle of the night after waking up from strange and unsettling dreams. But that stuff is unimportant. What IS important is our journey through Genesis. This week we talk about Sarai, Abram's wife and how she dealt with her own black moment. Turns out, the road to hell IS paved with good intentions. But before you bash this pair of old coots who tried to help God and made a mess of things, I want you to stop and listen to this episode. It is important. Essential oil of the week: Sandalwood, which is all kinds of good for the skin and respiratory system, and is a central component in religious ceremonies, but it is far easier to remember it as the one that is used as an aphrodisiac. Ooooooooo! Check out more information at the Feels and Flowers website: https://feelsandflowers.com/episode-018 https://feelsandflowers.com/featured-flowers/sandalwood/ email: feelsandflowers@gmail.com IG: @feelsandflowerspodcast

Hello! Welcome to Feels and Flowers. Your host is preparing for the crazy that is coming up in November. Yes, one of the most important elections of our generation is coming up, as well as Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and (important to me) NaNoWriMo 2020. But aside from all the nonsense I share about the many novels I have written during National Novel Writing Month, I am finishing out Genesis 15 where Abram and God make a pact, or rather, God makes an oath that he will give Abram the promised land to his descendants. How does that help us see a clearer picture of the loving character of God? Stick around and find out. The flower of the week is Manuka! Learn about its history, its uses in aromatherapy, and why Manuka honey is only produced in New Zealand. Learn how Manuka has the ability to make gums healthier and disinfect woulds at https://feelsandflowers.com/featured-flowers/manuka/ Find semi-accurate show transcripts, essential oil blends, notes from the episode, and all kinds of random extras go to https://feelsandflowers.com/episode-017 Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. Don’t forget to follow or subscribe to Feels and Flowers and tell others about it. Plus if you would, I'd love it if you would rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Thanks! XoXo!!!!

Back from summer break! We delve right back into Abram's story. He is back from defeating the king of Elam and all his allies. He rescued the captives and returned them home without seeking so much as a reward for it. Now he's home and the eyes of his neighbors were on him while Abram continued being solid as a rock. Unshakable in his beliefs, unafraid of the future, unwavering in his faith. Or...was he? If you feel a bit burnt out this is actually an episode for you. There is a message that God gave Abram at this point of his life that you also need to hear. The flower of the week is the lemongrass. Find lemongrass essential oil blends for at https://feelsandflowers.com/featured-flowers/lemongrass/ Find semi-accurate show transcripts, essential oil blends, notes from the episode, and all kinds of random extras at https://feelsandflowers.com/episode-016 Email: feelsandflowers@gmail.com IG: @feelsandflowerspodcast Twitter: @feelsandflowers

Should Christians support the Black Lives Matter movement? I had thought it was a no-brainer. What could be more obvious for us as Christians to do but to support something that affirms the dignity and worth and value of humans? Surely churches would jump to make a statement of some kind in support of the cause. Apparently I was wrong. Many churches were reticent, and after reading more I learned why: because there is much more behind the BLM movement than I was aware of. Here are my thoughts, based on Genesis 14, Micah 6, and Isaiah 58. Find semi-accurate show transcripts, sources, notes from the episode, and all kinds of random extras at https://feelsandflowers.com/episode-015 Send me flowers! Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast and Twitter @feelsandflowers. Finally, Don’t forget to follow or subscribe to Feels and Flowers and tell others about it. Plus if you would, I'd love it if you would rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. XoXo

Hello! Welcome to Feels and Flowers, where your host finally has finally come to grips with reality (it only took a little under a month) and decides to move forward. You should too. After all, the world is on the brink of change--let's make sure the change is a positive one! This week we are talking about one thing that keeps a lot of us back: Nostalgia. A longing for the good ol' days to return in any capacity (Seems an innocent enough wish, right? WRONG!!!). To do so we delve into Genesis 13 and 19, which deal with Abrams nephew Lot who, much like your host, was in search of his own place in the world and at a critical point made a choice. Tragically, he chose wrongly. Learn what his mistake was and how to avoid it. The flower of the week is Cinnamon! Learn about its history, its uses in aromatherapy, and also why the Cinnamon you know and love is probably a big fat fake. Find cinnamon blends to make your home smell like the holidays at https://feelsandflowers.com/featured-flowers/cinnamon/ Find semi-accurate show transcripts, essential oil blends, notes from the episode, and all kinds of random extras at https://feelsandflowers.com/episode-014 Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. A special thanks to all of you who reached out after last episode. I was so happy and touched to receive your words of encouragement. Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast and Twitter @feelsandflowers. Finally, Don’t forget to follow or subscribe to Feels and Flowers and tell others about it. Plus if you would, I'd love it if you would rate it. Thanks! XoXo!!!!

Hi! Welcome to Feels and Flowers where I, your host, talk about plants and essential oils, celebrate beauty in all its forms, and share a Christian gospel based entirely on love: Love God, love yourself, love others. Full stop. This week's podcast is based on Genesis 12 and 20: two nearly identical narratives about that time when Abram/Abraham took matters into his own hands and lied about his relationship status. What happens when in the midst of your calling you encounter a trial which seems beyond your control? Bear with your host as she tells you about how she lost her job, the ensuing crippling attack of anxiety, and how among the questions of how she's going to make it through this COVID-19 crisis she managed to find peace. When heaven is silent it is often so tempting to think that you are on your own--well, you're not. Ok? The essential oil of the week is Bergamot. Ah, Bergamot, so fresh and clean, and wonderful. For you I'll empty out my pockets so I can ever enjoy your sweet, sweet, fragrance as much as I can. Yes, Bergamot is my favorite essential oil, so you may hear me gush about it. Learn more about it and how you can use it at https://feelsandflowers.com/featured-flowers/bergamot/ Find semi-accurate show transcripts, notes from the episode and extras... all at https://feelsandflowers.com/episode-013 Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast and Twitter @feelsandflowers. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Rate, Review, Subscribe!

Hello! Welcome to Feels and Flowers! This week we are talking about putting faith into action. In this instance, it is in following the call of God to go wherever He leads you. To do so we delve into Genesis 12 when God calls Abraham (then known as Abram) to leave his land, his people, and his family to go to a new place that God would give him. The flower of the week is Frankincense, which isn't a flower, or a plant, or a fruit rind, but an aromatic resin rich in history. Learn about it, its uses in aromatherapy, and also why our desire for it is endangering this precious commodity that has been around for more than 5000 years. Yikes! Learn more about Frankincense at https://feelsandflowers.com/featured-flowers/frankincense/ Find semi-accurate show transcripts, essential oil blends, notes from the episode, and all kinds of random extras at https://feelsandflowers.com/episode-012. Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast and Twitter @feelsandflowers. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Rate, Review, Subscribe!

Hello! Welcome to Feels and Flowers, where your host finally has had enough and decides to come clean about something she's been trying hide for a while. Clickbait? Of course not! She'd never! We are done at last with Noah! Or... are we...? We'll see. This week we are talking about Faith. To do so we delve into Genesis 11, the construction of the Tower of Babel and what it represented. You host gets the chance to dust off her civil engineering undergraduate education and drones on and on about masonry, high rise structures, and why in a strictly engineering standpoint, the project was doomed to fail, much like our Christian walk is bound to fail if we rely on religion to accomplish what only faith can do. The flower of the week is the geranium. Learn about its history, its uses in aromatherapy, and also why the geranium you know and love is probably a big fat fake. Find geranium blends for your next spa-night at https://feelsandflowers.com/featured-flowers/geranium/ Find semi-accurate show transcripts, essential oil blends, notes from the episode, and all kinds of random extras at https://feelsandflowers.com/episode-011 Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast and Twitter @feelsandflowers. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Rate, Review, Subscribe!

Welcome to Feels and Flowers, a podcast where your host gets really enthusiastic about plants, their history, and their benefits and spends way too much talking about olives. Is she obsessed? Probably, but you will too when you learn about the wonderful properties of olive oil. This week's podcast is based on Genesis 8. Yes, we are still hanging out with Noah. It seems like we've been hanging out with him for months and months, but it's only been a few weeks. During quarantine, time seems to warp and months last decades. It's not just you--its a proven fact, didn't you notice how long March felt? Bear with your host as she goes back in time to share with you about an unsavory time in her life, and you will learn about how you can learn how to get through this and any other crisis with grace. All it takes is a new perspective, a sense of purpose, and an unshakeable trust in an unseen hand that leads you. Easy peasy, right? (I'll explain. I promise!) A shoutout this week to my sister, Liz (yes, the very same one from last week) who helped edit this week's episode. She is the best and as you guys seemed to really enjoy that episode, I'll bribe her into returning to the podcast soon. Find semi-accurate show transcripts, notes from the episode and extras... all at https://feelsandflowers.com/ Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast and Twitter @feelsandflowers. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Rate, Review, Subscribe!

Welcome to Feels and Flowers! We're switching it up a bit this week and interrupting our study of Genesis to talk about Essential Oils. This week I am joined by the wonderful Liz who happens to 1: Be AWESOME, 2: Be my sister, and 3: Be stuck with me during quarantine. HA! After a rough start (hear the outtakes in the end) I'll share with you some very important things about Essential Oils, how they must be used safely, what oils you need to start your essential oil journey, and much more! As ever, if you need to get in touch or if you have questions for our next Essential Oil Talk, email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com, follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast and on Twitter @feelsandflowers. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Rate, Review, Subscribe! Love you all!

Ladies and Gentlemen we are in the midst of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic. And we are being told to stay indoors to flatten the curve. And people left and right are panicking because of the quarantine and the lack of testing kits, and shortage of medical supplies, and things look really bleak, and.... and... Well, your host finds it all a bit overwhelming and a tiny bit scary, but rest assured, she presents to you a positive perspective on this... because even THIS insanity will end. This week we are on Genesis 8: Noah's time in the ark, and.... I could not have planned the timing on this better *facepalm* The "flower" of the week is the Orange fruit. Find out about the amazing properties of this lovely essential oil and how the Orange essential oil and the fruit can come in handy for you and your family. Praying for you all during this uncertain times. If you need to get in touch for whatever reason, email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com, follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast and on Twitter @feelsandflowers. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Rate, Review, Subscribe! Love you all!

Welcome all! Feels and Flowers is back after two weeks of silence! This week your host steals quotes from the internet and talks about dreams and your purpose in life. She also talks about myths that keep us from getting anything done, and a very important thing you need to do with a hammer. She expounds on how it is so easy to deliver a message of mediocrity in this day and age, and speaks with great candor against following supposed "omens" and "signs" from God. Do you lack a definite purpose, vision, or big dream in your life? Don't worry, here at Feels and Flowers we got answers for you. The "flower" of the week is the Cedarwood Atlas. Find out about the amazing properties of the essential oil and how it can be used. (Hint: It has been said that it acts as an aphrodisiac. Wooo!) Find semi-accurate show transcripts and extras at https://feelsandflowers.com/ Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast and at my newly formed twitter account @feelsandflowers. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Rate, Review, Subscribe! Love you all!

Content Warning for this episode: Violent death, Cancer. Welcome to Feels and Flowers, episode 7. A podcast where it is perfectly okay to lose one's sh*t while recording and where your host will weep halfway through. Sorry, this episode got a little too emotional. This week we continue our snail's pace journey through the book of Genesis. Chapter 6 deals with the wickedness of the world before the great flood, and God's decision to wipe out every creature on it. Ooof. How can one deal with the idea of hell/destruction of sinners? Can we find grace and love and beauty in this passage? I say yes. Today's flower is a plant called Absinthe Wormwood. Learn what it is, its history, and ways in which you can use it! This episode is dedicated to Janet, my supervisor and friend from work. She shared with me a Psalm that went a long way in helping me prepare for this episode. Also, a huge shoutout to Sofia C. from Texas! Thank you for your friendship, your words of encouragement and the lovely quotes you sent my way, as well as your continued support! Send me flowers, and I'll give you a shoutout! Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast. Find semi-accurate show transcripts and extras at https://feelsandflowers.com/ Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. *** Additional music: "In the End" by Marcus Warner: http://www.marcuswarnermusic.com/

Welcome to Feels and Flowers, episode 6. This week we continue our journey through the book of Genesis. Chapter 5 is just a long genealogy, but within the list of Adam's descendants is a short mention of a man who walked with God. Enoch. This week's flower is Lavender. Learn all about its history and uses. Find semi-accurate show transcripts and extras at https://feelsandflowers.com/ Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Go forth and share!

Welcome to Feels and Flowers, a Christian podcast where your host sometimes has to wing it. No notes, just me talking [please don't go away]. This week: listener mail!! Shoutout to Hazel A.! Also, two types of brains, unacceptable produce, and why God probably disapproves of all our pious churchgoing. This week’s podcast is based on Genesis 4—Cain and Abel. This is my take on it and what it tells us about God's heart. The flower of the week is actually a fruit pit: Apricot Kernel Oil! Learn about it here and at https://feelsandflowers.com/ Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Rate, Review, Subscribe!

Welcome to Feels and Flowers, a Christian podcast where your host indulges in a bit of nostalgia and pulls out lessons about God wherever she can. This week I tell you about ridiculously cute nicknames, disobedient children, misadventures when learning to drive, and...fathers. And of course I also expound at great length about flowers. This week it is a small flower called bearberry, though I knew of it as pingüica when I was growing up.. This week’s podcast is based on Genesis 3—the fall. This is part 2 of my take on it and what it tells us about the character of God. There are no flower recipes this week, but I will post on the website safety guidelines and precautions when dealing with essential oils. Additionally, find semi-accurate show transcripts and extras... all at https://feelsandflowers.com/ Send me flowers! Your comments and emails will make my day. Email me at feelsandflowers@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @feelsandflowerspodcast. Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the show and tell others about it. Rate, Review, Subscribe!