Seriously, we're they just dumb or what?

So I am reading about Samson and Delilah this week (Judges 16). As I read it I just can't keep from thinking, how stupid were these two? Delilah agrees to try to get Samson's secret of his strength out of him to tell the Philistines for money. So she asks him and he lies to her and tells her if anyone ties him with seven fresh thongs (not sure what these are) he will become as weak as any other man. So when he falls asleep she ties him with 7 fresh thongs and then has men hiding in the room. Delilah wakes Samson saying, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!". He snaps the thongs like threads and the men scurry away.

So I'm thinking, Samson has to be on to her little scheme right? She tries this two more times and two more times he lies to her. He's toying with her. She wakes him up tied with new ropes and with his hair woven into fabric on a loom yelling "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" two more times. He breaks free easily two more times. So Samson, why didn't you just drop this chick at this point? I mean she is trying to learn the secret of your strength and betray you and have you captured by your enemies. Is this really the woman you want to hang with? Is she really that beautiful? Is the sex really that good? Are you really that dumb and shallow?

And Delilah - you didn't have a better plan for seeking out this secret other than asking Samson outright. Weren't you concerned that he was on to you since each time he told you, you tied him up in his sleep and woke him to a gang of thugs ready to take him down? And when he wouldn't give you a truthful answer you turned to begging and whining and nagging? Let's just say if I were head of the CIA, I would not hire you as one of our operatives.

And then this is where I am just flabberghasted. Samson tells her his secret! Why, you ask? Because "with such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death." Seriously, Dude, what were you thinking!?! Maybe he was thinking that God really wasn't the source of his strength like he had been taught from birth. Maybe he thought he was really just that strong and powerful and all that on his own. Maybe he was trying to go to sleep and just wanted her to leave him alone. (Why wasn't kicking her out of your bed an option Sammy?) Or maybe he was drunk. Really the best option I can come up with is that he was just that stupid.

So she shaves his hair that has never been cut since birth and wakes him up to a room of Philistines who subdue him, gouge out his eyes, bind him with bronze shackles and throw him in prison. I don't feel badly for Samson because he brought this on himself. But he does get his revenge when the Philistines parade him out in their temple and he pushes down the support pillars to bring down the temple on himself and all the rulers and several thousand Philistines who were in it. "Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived." (Judges 16:30)

And God fulfilled the prophecy from when Samson was born: "...he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines." So I guess the moral of the story is that God will fulfill his plan no matter how dumb the people he chooses to employ are.

Restlessness

The past few days I've felt a restlessness in my heart. When I was doing some kind of chore or work it was not as strong, yet I was still longing to be doing something else. What I thought I was longing for was time to take a break, relax, watch a movie, read a book or do a puzzle. But when I got the chance to do these things, I still felt very restless and bored and unfulfilled and dissatisfied.

It reminded me of Ecclesiastes - that everything is meaningless. Then this morning I sat down with my Bible and journal to spend some time with God. I looked back at my last journal entry about week ago. I was meditating on Psalm 42. "As the deer pants for streams of water so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go meet with God?"

When I am struggling I tend to turn to other people for help or try to escape thru books and movies. So I asked God to cause my heart to long for him - not these idols and distractions in my life.

As I sat with God I felt foolish. It didn't occur to me that my heart was longing for him, even though that was exactly what I had asked him for. Well okay it had crossed my mind a couple of times that maybe I could use my time to sit with God, but I quickly dismissed it for something I thought would be more 'entertaining'.

I wonder what God thought as he was watching me last week. Was he trying to get my attention? Was he angry with me or disappointed? One thing that struck me as I was sitting with God this morning. He was gentle and patient with me. He answered my prayer - and quickly too. He cares enough to show me where I am blind, foolish and full of sin.

"Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore, stand in awe of God." (Ecc 5:7)

And now the moment you've all been waiting for....

We have moths! Oh happy day! Well - Luke was excited. He would run upstairs everytime he noticed a new one yelling, "There's another one! You've got to come see!" I would go see. It is definitely a little exciting to watch these creatures transform themselves. But mostly when I looked at them I thought - wow those are ugly!

Sadly, the one you see in the picture died. After it died Luke let the other one's go. We think it was Fuzzy Gold who died. Goodbye Fuzzy - we'll miss you - we'll miss the way you crawled around on Luke's fingers and ate leaves and left your little black pellets all over the place. Sorry you didn't get a chance to soar with the eagles. Maybe you'll come back in another life as an eagle!

Vacation

We spent last week on Hilton Head Island, SC. The weather was perfect! We spent several afternoons at the beach and in the waves - the boys loved it! My dad and stepmom live there and my brother and his now fiance were visiting while we were there too. My brother asked his girlfriend to marry him the first night they were there. I'm excited to have a sister-in-law and hopefully to be an aunty soon! (no pressure Dave and Mer!)


For those of you who don't know, my husband is the tall one. Meredith and Dave are in the back on the left, then me, my oldest son, Sam, and James. The four of us are leaning forward in this picture but even standing up, James is way taller than the rest of my family.

raising cocoons

We now have cocoons. These, I am told by my 7 y/o, are cocoons, not chrysalises, because they are moths not butterflys. Luke told me today that he likes raising caterpillars better because he can pick them up. I prefer the cocoons because we don't have to make sure they have fresh leaves to eat and they don't leave little black pellets all over the place.

And now to wait for the transformation to complete and we will have....moths. Its still a let down for me.