Finished on week of school already and I can tell that this quarter is going to be draining but highly encouraging. I have been looking at my quarter and there are very few large things that need planning for but many small ones.
Greek - 3rd and Final Quarter
Finally … I get to put all the pieces together and have it make sense. Translate and deal with tough stuff and work through some of the intricate things that go on between word relationships. I feel more energy about it than I did last quarter, but then again memorizing verb paradigms is never fun.
Modern Church History
Sometimes referred to by professor name (aka Thompson, John), this is the last bit of church history that I have to take and it has been quite a ride in going from one quarter to the next. This will probably require most of my intellectual energy this quarter, as it is a paper and reading type of class.
Grief, Death, Loss, and Dying
This will hands down be the most emotionally draining class I have every taken and probably will take (except perhaps from the school of hard knocks). I am pretty sure I will be staring down Tuesdays with a mix of joy and dread. Having already finished one book for the class I know that it is just going to be lots of self-examination. I am very happy that the class is not a pile of papers but rather the molding of hearts. Tuesdays have taken on a very odd feeling, I’m not sure if I am a “Tuesday person” yet, I hope to be by the end of the quarter.
Everything Else
I think my room has been the cleanest it has been since I moved furniture in. I actually feel like I can have company over and be hospitable rather than feeling like I have to apologize for the state of my room. Posters are up, I have a table for two that can serve four with a little shuffling around, my room has the feeling that I am able to live and not feel surrounded by chaos.
So I have sifted through most of my new music, and I make the following recommendation to everyone. Pick up Toby Mac’s Portable Sounds CD. The music just sits with you no matter the mood and has lyrics that inspire. It will be getting me through most of this quarter; it works as study music, relaxing music, and free time soundtrack.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
Random Musings
Preface:
I have misplaced my brain, all of the below comments referring to specific people are meant in jest, sometimes those moments are wonderful if only for the lack of sleep (apologizes to Sarah now).
The world has officially moved into the computer age: Goodwill no longer accepts typewriters for donation.
So I am officially a tea fan. My dear friend Laura has been a wonderful instructor in the preparation, ritual, and intricacies of tea. I know ‘roughly’ what I like and I must say that it was nice having chai to wake me up to write papers during finals week.
So I’m at home doing Spring, Summer and Fall cleaning at my parents house for a couple of days. (Yes I am talented enough that I can do 9 months of cleaning in the course of one week) This involves yardwork, garage work, and the strange necessity to shower twice a day, and I still have dirt behind my ears …
When I picked up Sophie and Sarah from the airport about … 2 or 3 weeks ago, they both had just come from playing Guitar Hero. Both thought I would love it (not realizing that I already am a guitar hero in disguise), and highly recommended that I find someone who had it to try it out. I have, I like, I want. Anyone wanna sell me a PS2?
Going back to having ‘moments of clarity’ that are basically the realization of something taught in class and then seeing it in reality. I have had quite a few of those while I have been home. Mostly after the fact but I can think of about 7 (and counting) specific instances where I have had my mind wander and then stop on one of these moments.
In the world of 24 … someone is about to get messed up cause Jack is … well ticked off is too much of a understatement, so I think ‘homicidal’ is probably more accurate. That and Charles Logan is officially on my ‘Good Guy’ list.
Is it a bad thing to be taking more stuff back to Pasadena with me when I already am very limited in the space I have? *Looks in his trunk, Looks in Sarah’s direction* “Yes Sarah, my car does have a trunk.”
Having finished Foundations in seminary has left me with a feeling that might be more joyous than when I graduated College. As if a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders and thrown into the lake of fire with great fanfare and pyrotechnics. Followed by a great choir singing in angelic voices giving praise to God for the defeat of a horrible foe ... I think I feel like river dancing.
Junior Highers that I watched grow up when I was at home between College and Seminary now have their driver’s license. I’m getting old(er).
After having 3 months of intense schoolwork I have worn out most of my music collection. Additions have been made that require large portions of my free time to sort out and figure out what I like and what I don’t.
Oh there is my brain … right on top of my head.
I have misplaced my brain, all of the below comments referring to specific people are meant in jest, sometimes those moments are wonderful if only for the lack of sleep (apologizes to Sarah now).
The world has officially moved into the computer age: Goodwill no longer accepts typewriters for donation.
So I am officially a tea fan. My dear friend Laura has been a wonderful instructor in the preparation, ritual, and intricacies of tea. I know ‘roughly’ what I like and I must say that it was nice having chai to wake me up to write papers during finals week.
So I’m at home doing Spring, Summer and Fall cleaning at my parents house for a couple of days. (Yes I am talented enough that I can do 9 months of cleaning in the course of one week) This involves yardwork, garage work, and the strange necessity to shower twice a day, and I still have dirt behind my ears …
When I picked up Sophie and Sarah from the airport about … 2 or 3 weeks ago, they both had just come from playing Guitar Hero. Both thought I would love it (not realizing that I already am a guitar hero in disguise), and highly recommended that I find someone who had it to try it out. I have, I like, I want. Anyone wanna sell me a PS2?
Going back to having ‘moments of clarity’ that are basically the realization of something taught in class and then seeing it in reality. I have had quite a few of those while I have been home. Mostly after the fact but I can think of about 7 (and counting) specific instances where I have had my mind wander and then stop on one of these moments.
In the world of 24 … someone is about to get messed up cause Jack is … well ticked off is too much of a understatement, so I think ‘homicidal’ is probably more accurate. That and Charles Logan is officially on my ‘Good Guy’ list.
Is it a bad thing to be taking more stuff back to Pasadena with me when I already am very limited in the space I have? *Looks in his trunk, Looks in Sarah’s direction* “Yes Sarah, my car does have a trunk.”
Having finished Foundations in seminary has left me with a feeling that might be more joyous than when I graduated College. As if a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders and thrown into the lake of fire with great fanfare and pyrotechnics. Followed by a great choir singing in angelic voices giving praise to God for the defeat of a horrible foe ... I think I feel like river dancing.
Junior Highers that I watched grow up when I was at home between College and Seminary now have their driver’s license. I’m getting old(er).
After having 3 months of intense schoolwork I have worn out most of my music collection. Additions have been made that require large portions of my free time to sort out and figure out what I like and what I don’t.
Oh there is my brain … right on top of my head.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Confessions of a Seminary Student
Ok a slight confession, well maybe two:
1) Most of the time I have no idea what I am talking about:
One of the things that was made abundantly clear to me this quarter is that I am here by God’s grace, because I just don’t think like an academic theologian most of the time. I have found that my beliefs really are more of a cloud than well thought out and cemented into my brain and life. Example: In one of my classes we had to write a paper on Calvin and predestination. While I wrote it myself a friend of mine had a long conversation about the sovereignty of God and how that applies to her beliefs, which began to make me wonder about mine. What I have realized is that growing up I never had a confirmation class where I was taught all these things within the context of the church, despite being a PK (Pastor’s Kid). Now I want to sort this out but the reality of that situation was that the paper was due not 8 hours from that conversation … inopportune? I think so. Now that Spring break is here I have been able to look back and consider some of those things as I begin to put shape to the beliefs that are this cloud in my head.
2) I have a terminal case of Foot-in-Mouth Disease:
What this really means is that my brain fails to engage with the words that come out of my mouth. What results are some poorly timed sharp words that really never should have left my mouth. Most of the time no good comes from it, but hindsight is always 20/20 and some good has. I have learned two things:
The first is how to deal with conflict and to put my self, pride, ego, stupidity on the side and reach a point of sincere apology, and then to work from there. For all the shoe leather that I have tasted over the last year or so, I don’t feel as if I hold the label of being a jerk, but rather that I have jerk like moments.
The second is that I have been fine-tuning my ‘filter.’ Or in some cases I have just engaged my brain, as that is all that is needed. Some of the more delicate conversations I have learned to approach from a safe angle rather than cannonball into the shallow end.
What is really fun is when the two problems I have get together. This is commonly called ‘digging one’s self into a hole.’ When this situation occurs I normally dig with a really big shovel or small explosives, whichever is handy at the moment. Either way those that I have managed to be a jerk to have returned with grace that is beyond what is due, and for that I am thankful. For the friendship, and for the patience to deal with me.
-- Non-serious post coming later when I either feel in the mood, or am on cold medicine, or when my head doesn’t feel like it is 10 pounds heavier.
1) Most of the time I have no idea what I am talking about:
One of the things that was made abundantly clear to me this quarter is that I am here by God’s grace, because I just don’t think like an academic theologian most of the time. I have found that my beliefs really are more of a cloud than well thought out and cemented into my brain and life. Example: In one of my classes we had to write a paper on Calvin and predestination. While I wrote it myself a friend of mine had a long conversation about the sovereignty of God and how that applies to her beliefs, which began to make me wonder about mine. What I have realized is that growing up I never had a confirmation class where I was taught all these things within the context of the church, despite being a PK (Pastor’s Kid). Now I want to sort this out but the reality of that situation was that the paper was due not 8 hours from that conversation … inopportune? I think so. Now that Spring break is here I have been able to look back and consider some of those things as I begin to put shape to the beliefs that are this cloud in my head.
2) I have a terminal case of Foot-in-Mouth Disease:
What this really means is that my brain fails to engage with the words that come out of my mouth. What results are some poorly timed sharp words that really never should have left my mouth. Most of the time no good comes from it, but hindsight is always 20/20 and some good has. I have learned two things:
The first is how to deal with conflict and to put my self, pride, ego, stupidity on the side and reach a point of sincere apology, and then to work from there. For all the shoe leather that I have tasted over the last year or so, I don’t feel as if I hold the label of being a jerk, but rather that I have jerk like moments.
The second is that I have been fine-tuning my ‘filter.’ Or in some cases I have just engaged my brain, as that is all that is needed. Some of the more delicate conversations I have learned to approach from a safe angle rather than cannonball into the shallow end.
What is really fun is when the two problems I have get together. This is commonly called ‘digging one’s self into a hole.’ When this situation occurs I normally dig with a really big shovel or small explosives, whichever is handy at the moment. Either way those that I have managed to be a jerk to have returned with grace that is beyond what is due, and for that I am thankful. For the friendship, and for the patience to deal with me.
-- Non-serious post coming later when I either feel in the mood, or am on cold medicine, or when my head doesn’t feel like it is 10 pounds heavier.
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