nate80's Xanga

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:05:57 GMT

Random Thoughts on Fatherhood

Well well, it seems nearly 2 months have gone by since my last update. I suppose we can chalk that one up to the newest little Blevins, or "doodle noodle" as my wife calls him, arriving not long ago. For those who aren't aware of the details, my wife went into labor on September 6th, and delivered him safely at home on September 7th....Labor day. Oooh, the lifelong jokes the boy must now go through are painful to think about.

It's funny how the reality of a baby hits people differently at different times. For instance, minutes after my son was born and they'd cleaned him off, they handed him to me, wrapped in a towel and crying his little head off. My very first thought was, "Aw, hey little guy, you look scared, let's go and help you find your family." Zoing! "Wait a second," I thought, "I am your family. Ohhhh." :)

Now, I haven't slept much the last 6 weeks, but I expected that. What I didn't expect was how little time I'd have during the day. It has taken nearly two months for us to find a real routine again, or even something resembling one. If he wakes up, it takes us anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes to get him sleeping again. Then there are the feedings that we are courageously trying to space out to respectable 4 hour intervals. I know what you parents are thinkin, "Good luck with that!" Gee, thanks guys.

Honestly, looking at him it's amazing to think that he's my future, the future of my lifeline, my family, myself...To grasp that he is an extension of myself is wonderful, but far too mind boggling to wrap my head around. So, for now, I'm just satisfied knowing that he's mine and he is a gift from Jesus. I hope each of you know the joys I have known with your kids, or kids to come. Lastly for kicks, here are a few shots of the little stinker, James Davis Blevins.

James, on the day he was born.

In a happy mood.

Pimpin his new hat.

Daddy needs a nap.

Next time, guys. Peace.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:00:46 GMT

I'm contemplating much

As I sit and type this update at my parents' house. Many things it would seem, have piled on, making the last few weeks at the Blevins household ones with nary a dull moment. From the refrigerator breaking and needing a new compressor, to my computer being knocked flat on its butt with a devastating virus, to my stubborn son still clinging onto the warmth and coziness of uterine life...you'd think we'd be at our wits' end.

Thankfully however, I can report that 'although the times, they've been a tryin', the Lord has stepped up and answered the prayers of me and my family. He's given us everything from the means to fixing the pesky refrigerator, to the patience and peace to wait an extra several weeks for James Davis to be born. Oh, and did I mention full time school in the mix? No? God took care of that too. Reader, I'd like to ask you to please pray that He continues to take care of us.

I'm so very glad that I don't know the future as I wished I did sometimes. Life would not only be extraordinarily dull, but also...pretty pointless if I did. My story isn't for me to foreknow, just to live and enjoy. Imagine, reader, if you already knew the contents of every book ever written or to be written. Would you ever read again? Sure, for the love of the act itself you might, a little...but, answer me this: would anything in those pages excite you ever again? Would you have that pang of surprise and joy, when a twist or a turn swept the characters away to a place they pleasantly never expected to be in? I suspect not, because you wouldn't be swept away with them. You knew it was coming. Though the story can still be a cherished thing on the 3rd or 4th reading, it can never do what it did to you...that first time. Would the story be interesting to the characters if they knew? Not at all, because it was precisely the act of being surprised that was half the joy in their experiences. The same is true of our stories, of any story.

Once upon a time, a rabbi was asked why he thought God made men. His reply was simple, "I think God made man, because He loves stories." It's still one of the best answers I've ever heard.

Reunion

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:59:50 GMT

*Hears the echo of his own footsteps in the hollow halls of his own Xanga*

Well well...this familiar place. Yes, I know it all too well. Like a man, visiting the boyhood home he moved away from years before. Comforting, yet bittersweet as it brings back all the liveliest and most cherished memories of a time in his life that feels like a dream.

Yes, I must say...that after nearly 18 months away from this old blog, I miss it. I've missed it for a long time. The whole template and default settings have been completely changed, and it took me nearly an entire 10 minutes to even figure out how to make a new post on this site. Yet, looking back on blogging days within a Facebooking world, I can say with total confidence...the return here is worth it. I've always been fond of Xanga, as the medium has allowed me to express some very geniune thoughts, even if they're not very important ones. Yes, Xanga...my old friend...my new resolution is to write within your corridors at least bimonthly. There are many things now happening in my own life(the imminent birth of my first-born son, for example) that only you can do justice to. A simply 'updated status, or wall post' are an insult to such events, I believe.

I have no delusions of reliving the glory days when all my friends were also regularly writing posts(80% of my friends, I find upon returning, have deleted their accounts). Still, I relish the chance to remain more true to myself as I get to do that which enlivens my soul as few other activities can: writing. And so...without further inadequate excuses, I do return to lay the stones of my thoughts into a coherent stretch of road that hopefully will allow myself and others to better know who I am, and where I am going. Xanga, I hereby write this post as an olive branch to make my peace with you. Is it too late? Can we not still harken back to days of more personal reflection and intimate conversation? Only time will tell, but if actions do speak for themselves, then let this post be a good place to start.

Yours Truly,

Nathan Blevins

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 01:23:24 GMT

Recently I went back to good ole Tinseltown

to check out a picture that hasn’t set any box office records, but nonetheless has received serious attention from the film critics. In fact, I knew little about it, having seen only one trailer for Sweeney Todd in theatres. I figured though that a 19^th century musical set in London with an all-star cast always has potential, doesn’t it? I wasn’t sure what to expect, but knowing that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp had joined forces again, I had anticipated something dark and sinister.

Let’s just say I wasn’t disappointed in that regard. Now, Burton has made some pretty dark films to date(Edward Scissorhands, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Planet of the Apes come to mind), but let me tell you right now: this is his darkest. In fact, I don’t foresee him ever making anything darker or more disturbing than this movie.

The premise is rather reminiscent of the “Count of Monte Cristo”: a young barber, with a beautiful wife and lovely baby, was framed by a public official and sent off to prison to rot while the official stole his family. The difference between Sweeney Todd and Edmond Dantes though, is how they dealt with the betrayal. Dantes simply became hardened toward the men who wronged him, but Sweeney turned his hatred toward all mankind. That’s what separates this revenge story apart from all others, in that Sweeney exacts his violent mission of payback against…well, whoever happened to walk into his barber shop. Countless people, who had nothing to do with him or his past, die senseless deaths. That, I believe, is the film’s entire point though: the dangerous thing about vengeance is that it promises justice and redemption for its host, but only results in destroying its host. Vengeance is a lie.

Perhaps the biggest heartache of all, was that even when Sweeney received news that his daughter was still alive and needed rescue, he did not drop his scheme of retribution to save her. It would’ve been so easy to salvage a life with her and find redemption in her love, but Sweeney had been so deformed by a hateful act, that he could no longer embrace anything good. This tragic blindness not only ensured he could never recapture happiness, but it almost destroyed every remaining person he ever cared for.

Tim Burton has a real love for the “redemptive misfit”, as a friend of mine once observed. It quickly became apparent in this story though, that this time there would be no redemption. When the songs are sung, the slicing is over with, and the story is spent, we are shown a man who got what he wanted. The results of which are so ugly, so horrific, and so wasteful that viewers cannot help but take the closing frame with them as a timeless warning.

____________

I chose not to speak to the nuts and bolts of the film this time, but I’ll just briefly say that as a spectacle, the movie was a total success. Sweeney Todd was always engrossing. I don’t remember thinking to myself even once, “man, I wish this scene was over”, as every scene was interesting to watch.

The music was good, but not great, as musicals go. There was no “defining song”, nothing that stood out as something you’d wanna sing along with your friends if you listened to the score at home. For what the music was though, it was executed well. Even the musical’s original composer said that it was the single best recording of his songs ever done. As many of you know, Sweeney Todd has received several Academy nods, one of them being yet another nomination for Mr. Depp. Even though he ultimately didn't win the award though, he deserved the attention: it was a convincing performance. Here I’ll cautiously say that if you can stomach a dark, cruel world full of bloody carnage without remorse, this film is worth your time.

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Next time, per reader requests, I'll try to post some pictures of my new nephew Tristan. I've finally gotten some, so I'll see if I can make this thing work. Ok, as much as I love writing, this chocolate stout I'm currently drinking is calling my name. So for now, adieu.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 15:14:41 GMT

A wondrous thing has happened

Within my family. Two days ago Clint and Allison Blevins finally had their baby. My folks had eagerly waited at the hospital through what must have been almost two hours of heavy pushing for Ally, she’d been through alot that night. I looked at my watch between exchanges and prayers, it was getting late, and soon I’d have to go. When would the baby come? And then, the doctor appeared. “The baby’s here, he and the mother are doing fine,” he said.

“He”? A baby boy, could it be? My brother has a son! Amazing! The peaceful delight was then interrupted through the door, by a very distinctive sound: punctuated, rapid-fire bursts of high-pitched shrieks. I smiled. Another child of the covenant had been born. Yup, Satan, that’s right, get used to losing your grip on humanity, one sanctified child at a time.

The following night, Courtney and I went to visit them, for neither of us had gotten to see the spry young Tristan Rowntree yet. As we went in behind the dividing curtain, we saw the proud new parents next to a hairy little bundle, wrapped tightly inside his tiny, plastic kingdom. “Do you wanna hold him?” Clint asked. I was not keen on the idea only because I’d been cleaning, and was probably pretty dirty. At last I relented(I really wanted to hold him). At first the little guy started as if he was going to start crying in my arms, but he stopped short of it. He then looked up into my eyes with his deep baby blues, closed them, and gave a big yawn as he drifted into a serene sleep. At that point, between him and me, one of us indeed did cry. I’ll leave you to guess which one. The perfect little meeting was capped off by Clint showing my wife embarrassing pictures of me at the age of 3. Then we were off.

“He’s a pretty baby,” my wife said as we left the hospital. “Yes, yes he is,” I replied. God and His promises are remarkable, aren’t they?

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:36:26 GMT

Life is so unpredictable.

I suppose that's much of the reason it captures our imagination so well. About 6 weeks ago, I wrote some plans about honeymoons and other things surrounding my up and coming marriage. As God would have it, some of the things I wrote about didn't occur. Japan, for instance. That was a trip that both my wife and I were really looking forward to. As the date neared ever closer, I began finding out new and amazing things we'd see. I had printed off information on no less than 10 temple sites(including their times open to site-seeing, and prices of entry) in Kyoto alone. I was stoked. All that changed the eve of August 9th with a small stomach cramp.

At first I thought it was merely hunger pains. So, that night at Cock of the Walk, one of Jackson, MS's best known restaurants for deep south cooking, I made sure I ate plenty. Five pieces of catfish, and 4 helpings of greens later, it only became worse. This concerned me somewhat, but I was not yet alarmed, after all, people get stomach aches. Later that night, the pain was still steady and kept growing worse. I tossed and turned until 6 am. It was now the day of my rehearsal, and yet I'd only gotten 2 hours of broken sleep. The pain was still no better, and I was finally ready to do something about it. "Let's go to the ER," I said, "I want to check on this while I still have time to."

2 hours later, at St. Dominic's hospital in Jackson, the doctor came in after my CAT scan. "Well, your colon is fine, and your gallbladder is doing quite nicely." "Whew", I thought, "that's a relief, there must not be anything wrong." But, then the doctor continued, "but your appendix, it's enflamed, it's gonna have to come out."

My heart sank. An appendectomy, now, of all times. A mere 24 hours before my wedding, and I was going into emergency surgery. At first I was a little angry, but soon I realized God's timing was gracious. Not only did this happen with time still to spare before the wedding, but it hadn't happened in Japan. Within hours, I was just ready to get it done with. When the staff heard that I was supposed to get married the next day, they all worked feverishly to try get things done, each staff member was determined to get me out and on my way to Natchez by the next day. They were fantastic. I woke up that afternoon with 3 small incisions, and a feeling of relief.

The following morning, I was checked out by 11 am. After a quick bite to eat, we were leaving Jackson at 2 pm for Natchez. It was a two hour drive, and the wedding was at 6 o'clock. With 2 hours to spare, I arrived in Natchez, changed into my tux, and went to the house we were married at. With no rehearsal, or even much advice, I walked out in front of all my friends and family...with a chair nearby in case I had to sit down. Then I saw Courtney for the first time in 3 weeks, all aglow in her lovely wedding gown. The wedding ceremony went flawlessly. It was just God, I couldn't believe it, and couldn't explain the peace I had throughout the entire ordeal. My wife and I both just had to trust God's will at that moment. Though the honeymoon trip had to be cancelled, we weren't too saddened(Lord willing, we'll be taking it later). At the reception's end, as she and I walked between two lines of cheering loved ones and friends, all ringing their farewell bells, I was overcome with the satisfaction of knowing that we'd just leaned on Christ, and He'd brought us through. But as she helped me get into our car and we drove away, I saw the love in her face and knew that from here on out, thanks to God's infinite mercies, we would also be leaning, quite literally, upon one another.

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Congrats to Jeannie and Gray today on the safe delivery of Lucy, their new covenant bundle of joy.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 22:53:41 GMT

Yes, it's true

My xanga days still have a pulse, despite the allures of apathy that other online personal sites bring. *coughfacebookcough* I hope this entry puts all certainties to rest. Errm, wait a minute... ;) Only three weeks left til I'm a married man, and I gotta say, it feels...pretty nifty. I know it's coming around the bend, but it's kinda difficult to actually guess what the changes will even be like for us. I've never been in this position before, so I have no point of reference. God is both very good and very sovereign though, and trusting Him even more than yourself is what it's all about.

Btw, for those who haven't heard, my fiance and I will be going to Japan for our honeymoon. Yeah, I figured that a sweet little hike up Mt. Fuji, as we're dressed as a reenacting samurai and geisha for kicks, and tumbling through an open window in an all you can eat sushi bar in Tokyo, while riding a boat under a towering Shinto torii, and singing songs with anime characters(they're all living, breathing creatures with real PO Box addresses in Japan, ya know) is just the kind of thing a late summer adventure needs; besides the whole sex thing that honeymoons already include that is. ;) Honestly, it's a place of mutual fascination for Courtney and myself, so this will be a wonderful time.

I've also recently completed two summer classes to officially finish my accounting degree. Meanwhile, job searching, moving our stuff into an apartment within 2 weeks, gift showers and final wedding preparations are indeed enough to make one's head swim. God has been so good through it all though. This has been a completely different summer than last year, but just as memorable. I only wish I was more prepared in the Lord for the duties and joys yet to come. Btw, for those of you who survived CWSC yet again...y'all should get medals. I'm not even joking about that.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:16:51 GMT

*Edit*

Johnny has given me excellent phone advice, which I intend on taking. So hopefully that will take care of the phone number list issues. Thanks bro!

*Edit*

My phone stopped working on me yesterday. It stopped charging altogether. After a brief period with the cingular folks, we figured out that it was the charging port itself, and not the battery. So, with a 90 minute phone call, I got them to send me a new phone. Here's the rub though: the old pictures and videos I took on it aren't easily transferable, and it seems I must give them up. Oh well, you can't have it all, can you?

_______________

Funny story here. My brother Clint, many of you know him, was doing his assistant youth pastor duties at Celebration Church(which has about 3,000 members) last week. He was up on stage in front of about 250 kids, jumping up and down, playing the guitar etc, and just havin a good time.

He then asked for volunteers from the children to go up on stage with a flashlight, which they were to shine at the ceiling to make it look like a starlit evening. The little kids went up, grabbed their flashlights and started pointing them around. Clint noticed one little guy quite a bit nervous about being up there(I mean really nervous). He was visibly shaking as his feeble arms tried to jerk the flashlight around. Turning to him, my brother said, "come on, faster, you gotta shake the flashlight faster." The poor little 4 year-old started shaking his flashlight a bit faster, but then stopped, looked up at him blankly, and said, "Clint, you're...too...crazy!"

Friday, May 18, 2007

Fri, 18 May 2007 14:30:44 GMT

Lately I've been looking

At different houses, hoping to find that perfect one for our needs later this summer. Seen some great stuff so far, but I blew it the other day. Saw this pad that had alot of great things with it, and I didn't bring my camera to shoot it. I won't make that mistake again.

It's now official, most every friend I have as an avid watcher of the new TV series, "Heroes". The first season's climax is up and coming, and I've only seen one episode in the middle. It wasn't bad at all, but the kind of devotion they have to the show is comparable to the kind our group had to Lost for the first several seasons. I want to start catching up and getting into it so I can be along for the ride, but I just know that by the 2nd or 3rd season, it will really start disappointing. Oh well, I still might start into it anyway.

My fiance is gone on a cruise with her folks for the next four days. Yes, you better believe I'm missing her and thinking about her. It's a cruise in Gulf waters down near the coast of Mexico for several days. The cruises I've been on were alot of fun, I know they're having a great time. Jack Sparrow returns soon...maybe he can redeem 07' cinema from humdrum blockbusters. Peace.

Friday, April 27, 2007

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:27:14 GMT

Today is my cousin Chris's birthday.

Happy birthday bro! The fact that he is known affectionaly as "cousin" even by people he has no relation to has led me to attempt several theories to explain this phenomenon. Perhaps it's his charming charisma that has fed his title, or even more likely a thought is that we all have a "Christopher gene"(since it's trendy to revert everything back to genes) that lowers our defenses when we come into contact with him. I still think the UN would be wise to make him "the world's cousin". Fierce fighting between Tamils and Sinhalese in Asia? No problem! After all, your very own cousin is coming to help you work out your quarrels...just send in Bono with an aids concert in the aftermath for good measure, and you've got yourself a recipe for serious bridge building. Please send him some shout outs on his big day!

Another semester has come and gone. Taking 17 credit hours has kept me pretty busy, but it's been a good busy. Accounting and business hasn't come naturally for me, but this is the first time in awhile that the report card I should get will actually be pretty damn good for my GPA. I'm happy about that, God has been abundantly good to me these past few months. Only got one more final to take on Tuesday, then that's all she wrote. Still 2 courses to take, but there's a good chance I can get those during summer months.

Spidey 3 comes out very soon...followed by Pirates 3...and then Shrek 3. Three 3's. Does it get any more perfect for summer cinema than that? :) Looking forward to some blues music at the Memphis music festival in early May with my sweetie, and hopefully some kickin ribs. I'm out. Love you guys.