Dawn Camp - It All Began in a Garden: A Practical Guide to Gods Gift of Essential Oils

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

For those whose shelves are filled with and bodies are covered in oils,
for those who have purchased oils they dont know how to use, and for
those who arent completely sure what an essential oil is:

This is for you.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verses marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover and interior design by Faceout Studio

Cover image of eucalyptus leaves K.Decor / Shutterstock

Cover image of essential oils by Dawn Camp

All other photography by Dawn Camp

Readers are advised to consult with their physicians or other medical practitioner before implementing the suggestions that follow. This book is not intended to take the place of sound professional medical advice or to treat specific maladies. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any liability for possible adverse consequences as a result of the information contained herein.

It All Began in a Garden

Copyright text and photos 2020 by Dawn Camp

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97408

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-7958-0 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-0-7369-7959-7 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Control Number: 2019054720

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My family: Thank you for love and patience while writing this book.

Bryan: You make everything possible.

My local and online oils community: Every time youve said, I need this book. Please finish it, youve encouraged me more than you know.

The novice oiler: I hope you find this book not only informative but also understandable and that it gives you the confidence to use your oils.

The skeptic: Ive thought about you a lot. Keep your skepticism. Keep an open mind too. Oils are weird. As hard as I try to explain them, they are beyond words. Many of us grew up trusting the contents of the pharmacy, not the field, and it takes humility to admit there could be something to these little bottles. For Christians, its quite an aha! moment to realize the molecules God gave us in the beginningin the gardenwork with our bodies better than manmade ones from a lab. God made them both: our bodies and the oils. He is not only the Great Physician, but Hes the best pharmacist too.

Ruth Samsel: Youve been with me almost from the moment the idea of this book entered my mind and youve championed the project ever since, like you always champion me.

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: Thank You for this opportunity to point people to You and to the hidden gifts of Your creation.

by Edie Wadsworth, MD

It was 2013, six years since Id left my medical practice to homeschool my kids and pursue my love of writing, and the first time in six years I was interested in reading something related to health. Maybe my medical school years cured me of wanting to study health and medicine, or maybe it had been so long since those kinds of books had inspired or given me hope.

In 2013 that changed. I began researching and could hardly believe what I discovered. A friend talked me into buying a box of essential oils. Because of skepticism, I mostly kept them hidden from my physician husband for a year. Surely there was nothing to the oils.

Interesting things happen when youre desperate. In the middle of full-fledged adrenal and thyroid crash, traditional medicines answer (a pile of prescriptions) was not something I wanted at age 43. Oils and supplements, to my surprise, began to bring my body back into balance. Soon I felt better enough to hope, and I began making much-needed lifestyle changes. My body healed itself, and food and oils from Gods garden were the catalyst.

Essential oils intrigued me. I spent the next year reading about and using them in my daily routine. The oils themselves were the best teachers, but I read books, journal articles, and medical studies. What I uncovered mystified me. These were no snake oils, and they certainly werent a fad. They were Gods first medicine. Ancient cultures relied on them in daily life. They were carefully designed by an intelligent Creator to help with everything imaginable. And they were being studied in medical settings with astonishing results.

God made plants with healing properties. Thats where most of the ideas for medicines come from. With the chemical revolution of the past 50 years, we have drifted away from simple, plant-based solutions to fancier, more complicated options. Thousands of chemicals fill the shelves of the processed food, cleaning supplies, and personal care aisles of your favorite big-box store. Most are made in labs not too different than those that make our prescription drugs. Interestingly enough, they seem, over time, to cause problems those drugs are meant to solve.

These chemicals are not easily recognized by our bodies, so we struggle to process them. Eventually, they can wreak havoc on our systems. When we stick with things God made, they tend to balance and harmonize better with the bodies He also made.

Im thankful for modern medicine. Without a doubt, it has benefits. Im glad to have an ER within 20 minutes of my house in case someone breaks a foot, experiences chest pain, or has trouble breathing. But if you drive down any main road in my tiny Southern town, almost all you see are pharmacies, doctors offices, ancillary health services, therapists offices, and more. Why are we so sick, and why is health care the number one growing business in the world? As a physician, I can honestly say we are pretty good at keeping people from dying but not very good at keeping them well and thriving.

Weve gotten away from simple truths: Eat food God made, avoid most things He didnt, and when your body needs support, look for solutions that dont cause more harm than good (that may mean avoiding most prescription drugs) and ask yourself what you are doing in your own lifestyle to contribute to the problem. Much of what we face in modern healthcare we bring on ourselves. Even most cancers are environmentally triggered. What we put on, in, and around our bodies is often the culprit, not genetics.