Sweet Boys

Thinking About Changing Things...

I want to get your take on some changes I have been mulling over in my head as of late. My walk as a believer has been amazing to say the least. We believers tend to have experiences quite the opposite from the rest of the world. Duh, Celi, no news here...LOL. Obviously. What I mean is, I have come to realize that the further along I go in my walk, the less I know. Finding a niche for this blog compared to all the millions of millions of blogs out there is getting harder for me the longer I have it. What is my purpose for placing my thoughts on this page and is it truly beneficial for anyone to read other than myself over and over again in the darkness of the night...sob...weep...sigh?

I'd like to expand Profits of Silver further than just my spiritual ramblings. I'd like to ask, how many of us ramble spiritually inside of our heads, talking to God, throughout the day? I do constantly. While I'm washing dishes, changing diapers, picking up toys and sorting clothes...all day long. And every now and then I get this thought that says, "ooh, that's good I need to blog about that," but the day passes into the evening then the next day comes and that little rambling is now archived somewhere in the dusty vacant lot of my brain. It's a scary place. Then this evening I realized, what is so special about my ramblings compared to yours? There is so much wisdom out there and I read it in YOUR blogs. I hear it in my ears when I talk to fellow believers or listen to amazing sermons, and obviously when I read the Scriptures.

What I would like to do when I talk expansion is include some fun activities I do with the family. Things like creative cooking ideas for kids, involving kids, sneaky ways to get them to eat healthier, fun crafts, KONOS projects we did that could be beneficial to anyone to do, inexpensive outdoor and indoor games we do using everyday items...etc, etc. I don't know much that most women don't already do in regards to most departments but I do know that I need to spend more time with my family. And instead of abandoning all outside communication with the world, why can't I pick up the fantastic experiences we have after we are done and share them with my friends in the off chance you might want to try them too?

Obviously, every now and then when I am robbed of sleep in the deep of the night with a yearning to post some spiritual rambling of some sort, I would still like to do that too but I am worried that this blog is becoming a bit, well, heavy. Heavy is good every now and then. It's prolific but is it the direction for THIS blog? Is it me?

Anyway, I come to you, my reader, because honestly, I probably have only one. Hahaha. And I ask you,faithful friend, what are your thoughts?

Nothing is Everything

Too often do I open up a blog to see someone, especially myself, post of nothing going on, "no news here" but yet here I am wrapping my mind around several events of absolutely nothing that in all honesty actually mean everything. A friend of mine who is wrapped in a world of chaos tells me quite often how she prays for normal again for days filled with nothing. How full those days really are! Small events that may not be as monumental as a child's first steps or the day one has come into salvation are important nonetheless. I had five minutes to sit on my couch today and when I did I thought of the days events, the close of B's Apple Camp, housework, schoolwork, my frequent talks with God trying to figure out so many monumental little things. Now, here come my children, dancing on their miniature feet, laughing and playing with each other, "Mommy can I's?" fill my ears and again my head is no longer pondering over "nothing." A Titus 2 woman once told me to savor my time, "The days are long," She said, "but the years are short." Wise words to echo in the nautilus of an ear that experiences so much more than nothing.

Called to Be a Mother

"You mean that’s all you do?”

That’s all? As a mother, your life is given to taking care of people –
small ones, to begin with, whose wants never seem to cease. Sometimes when
your days seem to be wholly taken up with wiping things – dishes and sinks,
little runny noses and big slow tears – you wonder about what “fulfillment”
is supposed to mean for you. You wonder about being (besides the perfect
wife and mother) the hostess-with-the-mostest, creative, intellec-tually
productive, beautiful….and slowly your dreams seem to evaporate.
You’ve been listening to what they’re telling us nowadays about how
important it is to find yourself, express yourself and assert yourself.
Maybe you’re thinking that you’re nothing more than somebody’s wife and
some-body else’s mother. And what kind of life is that?
There is a tribe in the Southern Sudan called “Nuers” where a woman’s
name is changed not when she become a wife, but when she be-comes a mother.
She is “ManPuk” – “Mother of Puka.” Among the Nuers, being someone’s mother
is what makes a woman’s life meaningful. Two thousand years ago there was
another young woman, of the Jewish tribe of Judah, who understood that
truth. The world has never forgotten her – Mary, the mother of Jesus –
because she was willing to be known as, simply, Someone’s mother.
Motherhood is a calling. It is a womanly calling…..and let’s not be
cowed by those who extinguish the light and joy of sexuality by trying to
persuade us to forget words like manly and womanly. At the beginning of
time when God made the first man and the first woman in His image He put
both under the divine command to be fruitful. The woman’s obedience to that
command meant self-giving. First she gave herself to her husband – he
initiated, she responded – then she gave herself for the life of her child.
A woman knows, in the deepest regions of her being, that it is this very
self-giving for which she was made. Single or married, her level of
maturity is measured by how much she gives to others. If she’s married, she
gives herself to her husband and she receives. If she’s a mother, she loses
her life in her child and – mysteriously – she finds it.
A woman knows that no one can really say where the giving ends and the
receiving starts. It is no wonder we are confused when urged to look for
some “better” or “higher” vocation in which to “prove our personhood.” No
wonder we are distressed to be subjected to male standards, or told that the
notions of femininity and masculinity are obsolete.
Old fashioned notions they are indeed, but they weren’t our own to begin
with. They were God’s. He planned the whole system, and it’s God Himself
who calls. He calls some to be single, some married people to be childless,
but He calls most women to be mothers. There are, the Bible tells us,
“differences of gifts,” and they’re all given to us according to God’s
grace. None of the gifts of my own life – not my “career” or my work or any
other gift – is higher or more precious to me than that of being some-one’s
mother.
If our calling is to be mothers, let’s be mothers with all our hearts –
gladly, simply, and humbly – like that little peasant girl Mary who spoke
for all women for all time when she said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it unto me according to Thy word” (Luke 1:38).

~~~~~Elisabeth Elliot~~~~~

Moved in and My Little Guy

Ahhh, yes! We are officially moved in! Most of the boxes are unpacked, paintings are hung and we are all getting acclimated to our new surroundings. Therefore, there will be more opportunities for me to get back to blogging! Woo-hoo!
Here is a picture of my little guy. Obviously, he likes the taste of the pads of his fingers OR he's super excited about losing his second tooth! He's six so what can I say? Anyway, this handsome boy has been having migraines about twice a week for around six months. They have gone up to about one a day (they did this in December also.) After a visit to the neurologist it was determined that my son has something called pseudotumor cerebri. Basically something outside his brain is causing pressure on his brain and his eyes. Which explains why he normally holds his eyes during a migraine and tells me it feels like lava oozing out. This Friday he is scheduled for a lumbar puncture, similar to a spinal tap, where they will be removing some excess brain fluid to test and see what is causing this pressure and also to alleviate some of the brain fluid in the hopes that this might cure his migraines as well. Would you mind saying a little prayer for my handsome little guy? I have heard a few testimonies about lumbar punctures and they weren't very favorable. However, I am comforted that his MRI has pinpointed a cause for his pain and it is being treated. Praise the King!

Isn't She Lovely?

(cue Stevie Wonder's "Isn't she lovely" harmonica solo) Yes, I've been singing this song ever since this little gem landed in my kitchen. Look at her? My new Vitamix. Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful? She comes equipped with a 64 oz BPA free container, the 32 oz smaller counterpart, the dry blade for grains, some cutting boards, a whole foods cookbook, a waterless stainless steele pot and so on and so on. BUT the best part is the actual star of the show, the one the only all star best blender in the world ever... (drum roll please) the HERcules of all turbo blenders...the Vitamix itself!
I've been having fun concocting green smoothies, soups, purees and today we are making ice cream. (Big smile)
I know I may be a little over dramatic but after burning through 9 blenders anywhere from three weeks to eight weeks after original purchase you have to understand my enthusiasm. So turn it up DJ and sing with me!!! "Isn't she looovellllyyyyy? Isn't she won-der-ful. Isn't she precious?..." fade and out.

Be Still

It's 10pm right now and I am knee deep in searching for our new home. A friend of mine checked in on me via email and when I responded back with a brief summary of what has been going on in my head (and I say this because in all actuality my world is still very secure) she sent me this. What encouragement! Thank you Jesus! Thank you my Beautiful Friend!

Drop the Reins -

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the
nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalms 46:10

This has always been one of my favorite verses. The image of
being still before God, resting in Him and knowing that He is in
control gives me great comfort. I recently discovered that the
Hebrew word for be still, "raphah", has another meaning.
Raphah means not only to be quiet, but it can also mean to let
drop or let go, especially the hand. It is the picture of a
horseback rider dropping the reins and letting the horse be
totally in control.

When I was young, I dreamed of having my own horse. My favorite
books were the "Black Stallion" series and I read every one of
them. When I grew up and actually had the opportunity to ride a
horse, I have to admit to being afraid! Suddenly that beautiful
horse became a powerful horse. What if he didn't listen to my
commands? What if he decided to go where he wanted? What if I
lost control? The problem was - it wasn't my horse. I didn't
know him. Didn't know how he'd respond to circumstances we might
encounter. Didn't know if I could trust him. Didn't have faith
in him.

It's not that way with God. When we have a personal relationship
with the Lord through Jesus, we can trust Him. The more we
develop that intimate relationship, the more we come to know Him
and the more we know that we can place our faith in Him
completely. No matter the circumstances, He is right there to
help us through them.

Do you see the application? Be still. Drop the reins. Let God
be in control. Quiet your heart to the extent that there is no
striving, no worry, no fear. It's not easy at first to do this
but it's an amazing way to gain God's peace. Lately, if one of
those little "what if" thoughts comes into my mind or if I feel
myself trying too hard to control a situation, I literally drop
my hands to my side and recite Psalm 46:10 as a prayer back to
God. "Lord," I say, "You tell me to be still and to know that
you are God. I drop the reins and I choose to let You be in
control. You already have the situation under control. You work
all things together for good because I love You and You have a
purpose for my life."

The word raphah is also used to speak of God and His promises.

For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or
destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which
he confirmed to them by oath. Deuteronomy 4:31

The word abandon, or forsake in the KJV, is also the word
raphah. Here it says that God will NOT let go or drop the
reins. He is merciful and will not forget His promises! While
we continually give Him the control, He faithfully promises not
to abandon us.

"Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD
your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor
forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

The word fail in this verse also means abandon or forsake.
It's like God wants this point very clear. He will neither
abandon nor forsake (which also means leave or abandon) us!

Whatever circumstances you're facing today, no matter how hard or
heart breaking they may be, know that God will never, never leave
you. Turn to Him, drop the reins and let Him work the situation
out for your good and His glory! Be exalted O Lord!

God Bless,
Teri standing in MN
"Rejoice Marriage Ministries"