I have never been a huge fan of the story of Samson. I mean it seemed more like a story for guys - big strong man, fighting battles and defeating enemies with his bare hands, falling in love with a woman he shouldn't, etc. And it was always a kind of sad story about how he was deceived, didn't realize that the Spirit had left him, and was finally captured by the enemy. He had his eyes put out and was ridiculed by the people he had previously caused to tremble just by saying his name. (Side note, this reminds me of the hyenas in The Lion King movie.....Mufasa!). Samson's final act was to destroy the enemy but he lost his life in doing so. What a story, right?
However, several months ago when the story of Samson was being taught in Sunday School, something jumped out at me like it never has before. In two or three different places in the story of Samson before he begins his role as "judge" it speaks of the Spirit of God moving in him or stirring within him. Before it was time for him to actually step into his destiny, his place, his purpose in God's will, the Spirit began to work in his life. It began to stir within him. What did this feel like?
Well, I've often pondered if it felt like the restless feeling I've had within me for months now. A restless...can't quite put your finger on it....a yearning of the heart and soul....a longing to do something more. Is that what Samson felt? Did he feel like the Nazarite vow had some more purposeful meaning? Had his mother told him the story of the angel appearing to them foretelling of Samson's birth and how he was to be raised? Did he often lay awake at night trying to figure out why he was called to this life? And wonder when he might know why he was called?
This restless feeling in the Spirit could be worrisome if I dwelt on it. However, I'm choosing to keep my thoughts re-focused so that it is not about me and who I am in God's plan and when I'm supposed to take my destined spot in His plan or where that might be exactly. I'm choosing to focus on Him as my Father who is teaching me, Him as a Potter who is molding me, Him as a Faithful Friend who is always with me. I choose to focus on Him as Creator, Designer, and Sovereign God who knows how to raise up kings and kingdoms and bring them down at the exact times they should be. I accept this restless feeling as a way to keep me from being too comfortable where I am so that I will be ready to move when He calls. If I get too comfortable then I will hesitate even more to be obedient. And my greatest desire is to obey Him with all of my life.
Samson....he is one of my new favorite stories. I feel ya, man.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Jonah
Yesterday my oldest child turned seven. It is hard to believe that seven years ago that I was in labor in a hospital room not knowing if I was going to have a little boy or a little girl. And hours later a beautiful baby boy with lots of dark hair weighing 10 lbs 1 oz was put in my arms. He was the most amazing thing I had ever laid my eyes on.
Now, I had the name Jonah picked out since I was in high school. If you don't remember, Jonah is the name of the Tom Hanks' son in the movie Sleepless in Seattle. When Jason and I started dating and knew we would marry, I decided to use Jason's middle name which was also his grandfather's name if we had a son. So, the name Jonah Argo for a little boy was a given as soon as I found out I was pregnant. So, when they told me it was a little boy and brought him to me, laid him in my arms, then I had the little Jonah Argo that I had always dreamed of having.
Jonah was such a happy baby. He smiled all of the time and laughed so easily. He loved to be rocked and at times I wondered if the child would ever learn to go to sleep on his own without being rocked. Jonah loved cartoons - Veggie Tales and Wiggles ranked among his favorites. I guess because there was so much singing and he loved to dance. Jonah has had a ball in his hand from the time that he could sit up. There were hours spent with Jonah propped up against the couch and one of us sitting across from him rolling the ball back and forth. And he loved to play with tractors. We had a small toy tractors and lawn mowers that went everywhere with us. He would play with them constantly. I guess it had to do with his daddy having tractors and lawn mowers that Jonah was completely fascinated with them. He loved to ride the tractor or lawn mower with his daddy. He would sit there contentedly forever. It was almost as bad having a tractor for him to play with as it was to have a pacifier.
He has brought so much joy to our lives. He laughs alot and enjoys playing games. Competitive but more with himself than anyone else. Jonah is very family oriented. He loves his parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and enjoys spending time with them. And he is such a smart boy. I can remember when he was just a little over 2 years old and he could tell us the directions to go from our house to Pa and Nanny's house or from church back home. He's always loved to color, draw and write. Last year he learned about the internet and how we can get on there and play games. He loves to get on webkinz and play games to earn money and take care of his pets. And in school he just seems to soak up all of the learning. I'm already amazed at the things he can read and how creative he is with his imagination.
Jonah is a very responsible 7 year old. Of course at times he thinks he is much older than he is and believe he can do things without asking. Such as making sandwiches for him and his brother the other afternoon in the kitchen before dinner or going out to the shop to "work" on something for dad. One day he volunteered to mow the yard because he said he knew how to drive the lawn mower already. He is such a great help. You can give him multiple tasks to do and know that he will do it. Remind him to ask the teacher something at school and he certainly will.
Now, I had the name Jonah picked out since I was in high school. If you don't remember, Jonah is the name of the Tom Hanks' son in the movie Sleepless in Seattle. When Jason and I started dating and knew we would marry, I decided to use Jason's middle name which was also his grandfather's name if we had a son. So, the name Jonah Argo for a little boy was a given as soon as I found out I was pregnant. So, when they told me it was a little boy and brought him to me, laid him in my arms, then I had the little Jonah Argo that I had always dreamed of having.
Jonah was such a happy baby. He smiled all of the time and laughed so easily. He loved to be rocked and at times I wondered if the child would ever learn to go to sleep on his own without being rocked. Jonah loved cartoons - Veggie Tales and Wiggles ranked among his favorites. I guess because there was so much singing and he loved to dance. Jonah has had a ball in his hand from the time that he could sit up. There were hours spent with Jonah propped up against the couch and one of us sitting across from him rolling the ball back and forth. And he loved to play with tractors. We had a small toy tractors and lawn mowers that went everywhere with us. He would play with them constantly. I guess it had to do with his daddy having tractors and lawn mowers that Jonah was completely fascinated with them. He loved to ride the tractor or lawn mower with his daddy. He would sit there contentedly forever. It was almost as bad having a tractor for him to play with as it was to have a pacifier.
He has brought so much joy to our lives. He laughs alot and enjoys playing games. Competitive but more with himself than anyone else. Jonah is very family oriented. He loves his parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and enjoys spending time with them. And he is such a smart boy. I can remember when he was just a little over 2 years old and he could tell us the directions to go from our house to Pa and Nanny's house or from church back home. He's always loved to color, draw and write. Last year he learned about the internet and how we can get on there and play games. He loves to get on webkinz and play games to earn money and take care of his pets. And in school he just seems to soak up all of the learning. I'm already amazed at the things he can read and how creative he is with his imagination.
Jonah is a very responsible 7 year old. Of course at times he thinks he is much older than he is and believe he can do things without asking. Such as making sandwiches for him and his brother the other afternoon in the kitchen before dinner or going out to the shop to "work" on something for dad. One day he volunteered to mow the yard because he said he knew how to drive the lawn mower already. He is such a great help. You can give him multiple tasks to do and know that he will do it. Remind him to ask the teacher something at school and he certainly will.
And he is a very friendly child. It amazes me that he knows so many teachers and children from his school and he is only in first grade. It is nothing unusual for us to go to Walmart or the grocery store and see someone that speaks to Jonah or that Jonah speaks to. And if he has met them once, then he will forever remember them.
I am so blessed with this wonderful son. What a kid! Happy Birthday Jonah!
I am so blessed with this wonderful son. What a kid! Happy Birthday Jonah!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Moving
Moving is a very interesting process. Each move for us has consisted of three phases.
The first phase in the process is the Cleaning/Selling phase. It consists of going through closets and drawers, totes and boxes looking for items that need to be thrown away or could be sold at the yard sale. Looking at each item asking questions such as- When was the last time I used this? Does this still work? Does this still have all the pieces? Is it still valid (coupons, etc.)? Once you sort through all the places in your house, closet, garage then you look to see what you've accumulated and labeled as "junk" that someone else might find useful and pay you for. Granted, they aren't going to pay you but one-fourth of the price that you paid for it, if you're lucky. However, the yard sale motto is "something is better than nothing".
Once the Cleaning/Selling phase is complete, then you can move on to Packing. This packing phase is typically organized and consists of packing items that you still use but not necessarily on a daily or maybe weekly basis. This is seasonal clothing and holiday decorations. It consists of photo albums, books, pictures, and movies. It is the stuff in the closet that was not deemed junk but remains in the closet. It gets packed neatly in a box. That box is taped and clearly labeled.
However, the closer the moving day comes the quicker you move to the third phase which is PACKING. Now PACKING is different than packing. This is crunch time. Everything must be moved and it must be moved NOW. It does not matter that you are putting books in the same box with your pots and pans. It was all in the kitchen, right? It doesn't matter that part of the box has kids toys and the rest of the box has adult clothing. It all belongs to someone that lives in the house, right? Yep, PACKING is the final phase...the most stressful phase....the phase that almost puts people over the edge and starts them thinking "Why are we moving again?"
Apparently, if I'm typing a blog about moving then I'm obviously in the packing phase and not the PACKING phase. Yes, the boxes I packed last night are taped up, they are like items, and it is clearly labeled. I have about five more weeks to be moved and I'm trying to get things organized and spaced out. I know that the PACKING phase will come but I'm hoping to minimize the effects for me, Jason, and the boys.
The first phase in the process is the Cleaning/Selling phase. It consists of going through closets and drawers, totes and boxes looking for items that need to be thrown away or could be sold at the yard sale. Looking at each item asking questions such as- When was the last time I used this? Does this still work? Does this still have all the pieces? Is it still valid (coupons, etc.)? Once you sort through all the places in your house, closet, garage then you look to see what you've accumulated and labeled as "junk" that someone else might find useful and pay you for. Granted, they aren't going to pay you but one-fourth of the price that you paid for it, if you're lucky. However, the yard sale motto is "something is better than nothing".
Once the Cleaning/Selling phase is complete, then you can move on to Packing. This packing phase is typically organized and consists of packing items that you still use but not necessarily on a daily or maybe weekly basis. This is seasonal clothing and holiday decorations. It consists of photo albums, books, pictures, and movies. It is the stuff in the closet that was not deemed junk but remains in the closet. It gets packed neatly in a box. That box is taped and clearly labeled.
However, the closer the moving day comes the quicker you move to the third phase which is PACKING. Now PACKING is different than packing. This is crunch time. Everything must be moved and it must be moved NOW. It does not matter that you are putting books in the same box with your pots and pans. It was all in the kitchen, right? It doesn't matter that part of the box has kids toys and the rest of the box has adult clothing. It all belongs to someone that lives in the house, right? Yep, PACKING is the final phase...the most stressful phase....the phase that almost puts people over the edge and starts them thinking "Why are we moving again?"
Apparently, if I'm typing a blog about moving then I'm obviously in the packing phase and not the PACKING phase. Yes, the boxes I packed last night are taped up, they are like items, and it is clearly labeled. I have about five more weeks to be moved and I'm trying to get things organized and spaced out. I know that the PACKING phase will come but I'm hoping to minimize the effects for me, Jason, and the boys.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Family Weekend
This being our last weekend before football season starts and every Saturday is booked from now until November, we decided to head out for a night and have some family time. It seems that the only time we are able to really have family time is if we get away. So, we loaded up and headed out of town as soon as Jason got off work on Saturday at noon.
The boys were glad to be away and truthfully so was Jason and I. We've basically been going nonstop for weeks now between football practices, Vacation Bible School, church website meetings & Bible studies, school starting back, Fair Board committee, PTO member for the school, work, home, laundry, selling a house, buying land, yard work, getting ready to build a house, planning a move. What is that old saying, "If you want something done, then give it to someone who is busy." Well, that has been our motto lately.
So, we headed out to just have some family time, some fun with each other and to put everything else out of our minds. And we were pretty successful. We made it to Pigeon Forge and went to the Comedy Barn. It's been many years since the last time that Jason and I went there. We really enjoyed it...laughing until it hurt. The boys weren't all that impressed. It is however as I explained to them - sometimes you do things that you don't necessarily enjoy because someone else in the family does enjoy it. Being the parents, we do that often. I think it was good for our kids to do it once for us. They did think it was silly when Jason got picked to go on stage and be part of a skit. (Got that on DVD by the way!).
After the Comedy Barn we went and rode go-carts. That got rained out but the tickets we purchased are good for any day. Perhaps we'll make it back up there this fall and be able to use them then. On to a lovely dinner where we played Tic-Tac-Toe and other games on the Kids menus. We had a great night sleep then up yesterday morning for a day of fun. While Jason and I got ready as well as bags packed up, the boys played their Nintendo DS games. Then on to breakfast and to Splash Country. This is Riley's most favorite place on earth. Yesterday was not the best day to go to Splash Country from a weather perspective. The sun never really did break through the clouds and it didn't get hot temperature wise either. However, from a crowd perspective it was perfect. We were able to go on the rides without hardly any wait in line. We enjoyed time with the boys talking and being silly. I got lots of pictures of them as they played and swam in the water.
We headed back to Sparta and each napped at different times on the way home. And only one fight in the car....towards the end of a trip....over a DS game. I would like to insert that Jonah took his nap after this fight (must have needed it, huh?). We also stopped in Knoxville and ate at the Mellow Mushroom. I'd eaten there once before but none of them had. It wasn't busy and it was something different for us.
The best thing was the time that we enjoyed just the four of us. All in all...a perfect family weekend.
The boys were glad to be away and truthfully so was Jason and I. We've basically been going nonstop for weeks now between football practices, Vacation Bible School, church website meetings & Bible studies, school starting back, Fair Board committee, PTO member for the school, work, home, laundry, selling a house, buying land, yard work, getting ready to build a house, planning a move. What is that old saying, "If you want something done, then give it to someone who is busy." Well, that has been our motto lately.
So, we headed out to just have some family time, some fun with each other and to put everything else out of our minds. And we were pretty successful. We made it to Pigeon Forge and went to the Comedy Barn. It's been many years since the last time that Jason and I went there. We really enjoyed it...laughing until it hurt. The boys weren't all that impressed. It is however as I explained to them - sometimes you do things that you don't necessarily enjoy because someone else in the family does enjoy it. Being the parents, we do that often. I think it was good for our kids to do it once for us. They did think it was silly when Jason got picked to go on stage and be part of a skit. (Got that on DVD by the way!).
After the Comedy Barn we went and rode go-carts. That got rained out but the tickets we purchased are good for any day. Perhaps we'll make it back up there this fall and be able to use them then. On to a lovely dinner where we played Tic-Tac-Toe and other games on the Kids menus. We had a great night sleep then up yesterday morning for a day of fun. While Jason and I got ready as well as bags packed up, the boys played their Nintendo DS games. Then on to breakfast and to Splash Country. This is Riley's most favorite place on earth. Yesterday was not the best day to go to Splash Country from a weather perspective. The sun never really did break through the clouds and it didn't get hot temperature wise either. However, from a crowd perspective it was perfect. We were able to go on the rides without hardly any wait in line. We enjoyed time with the boys talking and being silly. I got lots of pictures of them as they played and swam in the water.
We headed back to Sparta and each napped at different times on the way home. And only one fight in the car....towards the end of a trip....over a DS game. I would like to insert that Jonah took his nap after this fight (must have needed it, huh?). We also stopped in Knoxville and ate at the Mellow Mushroom. I'd eaten there once before but none of them had. It wasn't busy and it was something different for us.
The best thing was the time that we enjoyed just the four of us. All in all...a perfect family weekend.
Growing
My boys are growing. Literally. And I don't mean just growing up as in Riley starting Kindergarten and Jonah going into the first grade. I mean physically they are growing. And I am seeing signs of it everywhere. Personally, I am just not that happy about it either.
The other morning, Riley was reaching up to a shelf in the bathroom for the toothpaste. I was about to say the words, "Wait a minute and I'll help you" when I realized that Riley was reaching the toothpaste without standing on his toes and leaning. He could reach it by himself.
While shopping for some new school clothes, we bought Jonah a shirt and shorts outfit in a bigger size. I was sure that it would be too big and he would wear it next summer. I was wrong. He wore it last week to school and it fit just fine.
The other morning, Riley was reaching up to a shelf in the bathroom for the toothpaste. I was about to say the words, "Wait a minute and I'll help you" when I realized that Riley was reaching the toothpaste without standing on his toes and leaning. He could reach it by himself.
While shopping for some new school clothes, we bought Jonah a shirt and shorts outfit in a bigger size. I was sure that it would be too big and he would wear it next summer. I was wrong. He wore it last week to school and it fit just fine.
Last weekend while we were at Splash Country Jonah was able to go on two rides that he's not been able to ride before because he wasn't tall enough. And on the tube ride he was tall enough to ride by himself. He even carried his own tube while in line. While Jason and Jonah stopped for a snack, Riley and I went down the Lazy River. He splashed and swam around me. Then he decided to get in a tube and float a little while. He pulled himself in the tube all on his own and laid across it. Then we floated along the river.
Wow.....how did they grow so fast??? And when???
I can only imagine how much they are going to grow this next year!!!
Wow.....how did they grow so fast??? And when???
I can only imagine how much they are going to grow this next year!!!
First Warriors Game
Well, the first Warrior game was last Friday night. And boy were we ready for it! We've been eagerly reading the newspaper all during the off season workouts, the scrimmages, the football camps, etc. to find out how the team was doing. However, the first game is a big test.
Jason, the boys, and I loaded up for dinner at El Tapatio and then off to the first game of the season. Excitement filled the air. We all had on maroon and gray clothing, our Warrior stadium seats, and our parking pass & season passes. We are true Warrior fans! Made it to the stadium about 10 minutes before kick off and was able to talk to some friends. When we walked through the gate, we were handed a card roster along with a full season schedule that was made by a local bank. Very nice. This I can keep up with until I know which number goes with which name.
Jason and I made our way up to our seats. This was the first game that we let both Jonah and Riley go down to another area of the bleachers and sit with some of their friends. Luckily they were in our section just at the bottom. They kept coming up to see us to ask to go to the bathroom, to get something from the concessions, etc. We did have one minor incident. Riley picked up a bottle of the body paint on his way to the concession stand and got it all over the side of his game jersey. So, we had to take off his game jersey and wash it out in the sink. I was so aggravated that he picked up trash off the ground. Why would you pick up trash? Did not get a satisfactory answer on this. Thank goodness that he had on another shirt underneath the jersey. And thank God that the paint came off the jersey. And of course you know that the only time that the Warriors scored, Riley and I were just coming out from under the grandstands. We missed it. Oh well....they will score again this season.
It was showing rain on the radar and the wind was picking up so Riley and I headed to the Tahoe during the third quarter. I had not packed ponchos or an umbrella and was not in the mood to get wet. We listened to the game on the radio and Riley played the Nintendo DS. Jason and Jonah endured and it ended up just barely sprinkling. The location of our parking spot was enough that I could still see the scoreboard and part of the field. I will have to say that the radio announcers did a great job with the game.
This game was the first chance to see what the new head coach and his staff had been working on with the team. Definitely caught glimpses of greatness! I believe it is going to be a good season and we'll watch some exciting games. Go Warriors!!!
Jason, the boys, and I loaded up for dinner at El Tapatio and then off to the first game of the season. Excitement filled the air. We all had on maroon and gray clothing, our Warrior stadium seats, and our parking pass & season passes. We are true Warrior fans! Made it to the stadium about 10 minutes before kick off and was able to talk to some friends. When we walked through the gate, we were handed a card roster along with a full season schedule that was made by a local bank. Very nice. This I can keep up with until I know which number goes with which name.
Jason and I made our way up to our seats. This was the first game that we let both Jonah and Riley go down to another area of the bleachers and sit with some of their friends. Luckily they were in our section just at the bottom. They kept coming up to see us to ask to go to the bathroom, to get something from the concessions, etc. We did have one minor incident. Riley picked up a bottle of the body paint on his way to the concession stand and got it all over the side of his game jersey. So, we had to take off his game jersey and wash it out in the sink. I was so aggravated that he picked up trash off the ground. Why would you pick up trash? Did not get a satisfactory answer on this. Thank goodness that he had on another shirt underneath the jersey. And thank God that the paint came off the jersey. And of course you know that the only time that the Warriors scored, Riley and I were just coming out from under the grandstands. We missed it. Oh well....they will score again this season.
It was showing rain on the radar and the wind was picking up so Riley and I headed to the Tahoe during the third quarter. I had not packed ponchos or an umbrella and was not in the mood to get wet. We listened to the game on the radio and Riley played the Nintendo DS. Jason and Jonah endured and it ended up just barely sprinkling. The location of our parking spot was enough that I could still see the scoreboard and part of the field. I will have to say that the radio announcers did a great job with the game.
This game was the first chance to see what the new head coach and his staff had been working on with the team. Definitely caught glimpses of greatness! I believe it is going to be a good season and we'll watch some exciting games. Go Warriors!!!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The First Days of School
It's really amazing how less than one week of school and already my boys seem to have grown up so much! First grade and Kindergarten....how can that make such an impact in just a matter of a few days? However, in this short amount of time they seemed to have just "grown up".
Jonah is reading things all of the time, everywhere - signs and papers. And this morning I asked him to write "cheese" on our shopping list. He is quite responsible and very naturally falls into the "big brother" role now that Riley is at school. I was so happy when I pulled up the other day to pick them both up and they were playing together....by choice. Of course they were digging in the dirt but that is completely besides the point.
And Riley....I think he's grown two inches taller in the past week. He already is "getting" school - where to go, when to go, etc. By the second day he told Jason that he didn't have to walk him down to class from the cafeteria. He knew where it was and could go alone. And he is up pretty much first every morning and ready quickly and that has never happened.
As we drove home yesterday afternoon the boys were falling over each other to talk about their day. I learned this, we did this, I made that, we read this, we counted, we played, etc. I hope this enthusiasm continues. Of course the best parts of the day still revolve around recess, lunch and snack time. Jonah thinks that is funny that his teacher posts what they did each day on a webpage. But it makes for more detailed conversations we have about what he is learning and the activities they are doing.
We enjoy packing lunches together in the morning - choosing snacks and drinks, talking about the upcoming day. Thankfully the boys' schedules are similar this year - PE, Library, and Music are all on the same days just different times. This will be a great source of help to mom and dad to make sure tennis shoes are worn on PE days and books are returned to the Library on Wednesday.
We need all of the help we can get.
Jonah is reading things all of the time, everywhere - signs and papers. And this morning I asked him to write "cheese" on our shopping list. He is quite responsible and very naturally falls into the "big brother" role now that Riley is at school. I was so happy when I pulled up the other day to pick them both up and they were playing together....by choice. Of course they were digging in the dirt but that is completely besides the point.
And Riley....I think he's grown two inches taller in the past week. He already is "getting" school - where to go, when to go, etc. By the second day he told Jason that he didn't have to walk him down to class from the cafeteria. He knew where it was and could go alone. And he is up pretty much first every morning and ready quickly and that has never happened.
As we drove home yesterday afternoon the boys were falling over each other to talk about their day. I learned this, we did this, I made that, we read this, we counted, we played, etc. I hope this enthusiasm continues. Of course the best parts of the day still revolve around recess, lunch and snack time. Jonah thinks that is funny that his teacher posts what they did each day on a webpage. But it makes for more detailed conversations we have about what he is learning and the activities they are doing.
We enjoy packing lunches together in the morning - choosing snacks and drinks, talking about the upcoming day. Thankfully the boys' schedules are similar this year - PE, Library, and Music are all on the same days just different times. This will be a great source of help to mom and dad to make sure tennis shoes are worn on PE days and books are returned to the Library on Wednesday.
We need all of the help we can get.
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