A Little Update

Since it is the end of the semester, I thought I would give a quick little update as to what I have planned for the immediate future and, if I feel up to it, some reflections on my first year at seminary.

Schedule:
- Today I took my Hebrew final. Now I am officially done with Hebrew until I take an Old Testament exegesis course (unless I come to my senses and decide not to do that.) I've really enjoyed Hebrew for the most part.

- I will turn in my final paper on Monday (5th). I have referenced it before: Stanley Hauerwas. Ring any bells? Anyway - that will mark the end of my first year of seminary.

- Next week I will move out of my double-occupancy room into a single-occupancy room. It will be strange, but I am looking forward to the privacy of my own room. Maybe now I'll use that yoga mat I bought in January since I won't have to worry if Tina will walk in on me or not. I just don't think me doing yoga looks natural - but it will...

- Next weekend I fly home for two and a half weeks. Some of the highlights will be (there could very well be other highlights and the ones on this list might turn out to not be highlights, but just go with me on this) will be spending time with my family (yes, Mom - that includes my parents!) (a little inside joke with my mom... I love it.) Seeing friends, going to graduations, a wedding, watching the Anne of Green Gables movies - but not the third one. I was hoping to get on the lake while I was home - but South Dakota has had some unnatural weather lately, so I doubt I'll even bring my swimming suit home with me.

- When I get back, I will take two classes over SemLink this summer. That just means I will do them on my own. I will continue to work at the church. I am also starting another job in June that I have mentioned before. God has really provided when it comes to finding jobs. I hope that is a trend that will continue throughout my life!

So - basically that is my plan. Now, for some brief (and possibly silly) reflections.

- I watch a lot of movies. Movies are how I relax and my preferred method of procrastination. I cannot even count how many I've watched this year. I think I predicted it - but Netflix has become my best friend and worst enemy.

- I've learned to do things I never thought I'd know how to do. This year I learned what candle pin bowling is and discovered I'm not very good at it. I learned how to do some origami. I can make a lily, a tulip, a box, and a crane from memory. The fish will be next!

- I'm learning more foreign languages. Not only did I learn Hebrew and sit through all of my friends discuss Greek (luckily or perhaps unluckily I knew enough to follow their conversation), I have learned how to say one phrase in five languages - six if you will let me count English. I am sure that number will only grow!

- I've learned there are wonderful things about New England, but being so far away from my family can be very difficult. Not only have I missed most of Elizabeth's first year of life, I missed most of my Grandpa Henry's last year of life. The same can be said for my Grandma Rowen. It is a hard path to follow when it leads a person away from those they love.

- I've learned that even though I've been a student my whole life - I still love it. Sure, I have my days - but I couldn't imagine myself on any other path than the one I am on.

That's all I am capable of thinking about right now. Good luck to those finishing off semesters and may God bless those who are suffering an endless winter. May the snow quit falling soon!

spring at last!

I know that I haven't been posting mid-week usually but I just have to share my excitement about spring in New England. I don't remember ever noticing when spring would hit at home. By "hit" I mean the grass turns green and the trees bud and the flowers begin to bloom. All I ever remember is a distinct before and after. Before: everything is brown and bare and often still covered in snow. After: Everything is fresh and green and muddy.

The weather turned pretty nice here a couple of weeks ago. Since then I have been very impatient for the scenery to catch up with the weather. Yesterday it did. I went to work and the trees looked as bare as they ever have on my drive. On my drive back from work some trees had fully bloomed these beautiful white blossoms. On others the tips were covered in little green sprouts. My pastor commented on the change and how the world looked so different in the matter of a few hours.

Today while at work I found myself constantly gazing out the window at a tree across the street from the church. It reminded me of a Bob Ross painting. I imagined that I was painting that tree and had just finished the trunk and branches and was switching brushes to add the touches of green. I would use a large bristle-ly brush and dip the end in a bright green paint. Then I would gently tap the brush onto the canvas in a circular motion. It really is a lovely tree.

To be completely honest, I think I know why I'm so distracted by the outdoors these days. You may have noticed that I quoted from the book Anne of Green Gables in my last post. I have been reading the series lately - I am currently in the third book entitled Anne of the Island. I never read the books when I was younger and many of my friends here found that simple unacceptable. I am really enjoying them. I can tell because I am currently taking on the traits of Anne Shirley. Anne has quite a scope for imagination and loves the outdoors. Therefore, I am currently exploring my scope of imagination as well as the outdoors. It is really the perfect time of year to read those books because the weather is perfect for exploring. If only I wasn't a graduate student with work to do!

One last note on the coming of spring: today when I was driving back from work I noticed that the boats are back in the water in Beverly. I don't know why that made me so happy - but it did!

A Wonderful Vision

I have begun to immerse myself in the writings of Stanley Hauerwas for a research paper I am writing for my Christianity in the Postmodern World class. I read some of Hauerwas in college and have been looking for a good excuse to dig a little deeper into his work. He is man with a vision - one that is based on the Bible and the church.

His vision of the church is a people who are called out by the story of God's redemptive narrative and transformed by the Holy Spirit. It is this community of the church that will be a witness to the world - showing it for what it really is while at the same time showing the world what it can and should be and one day will be. ( I say that because I believe in the New Heavens and the New Earth where everything in creation will be reconciled to God and be made new.)

The other night, some friends and I began to discuss Hauerwas over some pizza. During the conversation, we agreed that we love his ideals but are unsure as to how to hold them practically. How does one go about making the church what it should be so that the church, in turn, can be a witness to the world? Hauerwas does not give us step by step directions for this process.

I do think, however, that Hauerwas has given us the first step: a vision. In the book group (that is never-ending because we cannot seem to find the time to meet one last time) we have discussed this same theme in Dallas Willard's book. People need to have something to work toward. They need to have a clear vision of what the work they are doing is going to accomplish. Willard was saying it in context of discipleship, but I think it applies here too. Hauerwas is trying to give the church a vision of what it should be so that the church may provide a vision for the world.

Pretty idealistic, right? Yes. But in the words of Anne of Green Gables:

"We must have ideals and try to live up to them, even if we never quite succeed. Life would be a sorry business without them. With them it's grand and great."

A not so inside joke

In order to make sense of my project for this week, I must begin with a story from New York City. In fact, I must begin even further back to when I lived in Oxford. Only read on if you are willing to brave a long story with very little payoff at the end.

When I was in England I began emailing this girl who was going to work at Lake Poinsett Camp in the summer with me. I had never met her before, but she knew many of my friends. We talked of Europe (she spent a summer in France and is fluent in French.) When she found out I was going to Germany, she teasingly told me I should say "Ich habe keine Beine" to my German friends. The phrase means "I have no legs." Or something close to that - sorry to those of you who are actually fluent in German. Anyway - it was the beginning of an inside joke between us.

This girl is the same one I went to visit in New York City - Camber. While spending some time at Strands Bookstore (I highly recommend going there)I came across a book of French phrases. I was quizzing Camber to the best of my ability and came across the phrase "I broke my leg." We both laughed because of its similarities to the phrase she had taught me so long ago. I begged her to teach the phrase to me so that I would know how to say one phrase in French. The whole weekend I walked around practicing the phrase. At one point two ladies walking in front of us turned around and said I was doing well. It was a little awkward...

Well, this week I decided that it would be fun to learn this phrase in other languages as well. I wrote to many of my bilingual friends and they all responded. Currently, if asked, I can say the phrase "I broke my leg" in English, French, and German. I am still practicing the phrase in Spanish and Russian and have plans of learning it in Korean and Italian soon.

It's a silly project, but it is kind of fun. Reminds me that languages can be fun. Another project I did this week was a little more artsy. I modge-podged a tupperware container that holds all my office supplies. I had this calendar of England that had pictures for every day. One night I cut the calendar up since it was old and now the pictures are on this container. I think it turned out really well. I like it a lot. I probably would have modge-podged other things as well - if I had anything else!

I have been re-introduced to M. Night Shamalayan movies recently. Last week we watched the Village and last night we watched Lady in the Water. His movies really make me think and I like that. I have put Unbreakable on my Netflix queue. I hope it is as good as the others.

Thank you all for your prayers and kind words over this last week. Your friendship and love means so much to me.

The C- Word

This weekend my grandmother (my father's mother) went to Sanford's to get her gallbladder removed. It had been causing her pain and the procedure is pretty simple now. The doctors are able to go in through the belly-button or something. So Friday night, around 1am my grandmother goes in for surgery. The doctor comes out later and tells my parents and other relatives that they couldn't remove the gall-bladder. The entire area is inflamed and there appeared to be a tumor that was wrapped around the gall bladder and hooked itself onto the liver. Therefore, they couldn't remove the gall bladder without removing the liver and a person cannot live without a liver. Perhaps that is why they named it the live-r. Life is connected to the liver.

Needless to say the news was a shock to all of us. The next morning my father and aunt spoke to my grandmother when she woke from the anesthesia. They told her that the doctors couldn't remove her gall bladder. All she said was, "Did they mention the c-word?" "Yes."

It was the c-word that disrupted our family a few years ago when my grandfather was diagnosed with it. He died about a year and a half ago. It was the c-word that took both of my grandmother's parents. And now, it is the c-word that will take her too. No doubt I haven't finished dealing with the c-word in the course of this life.

It is hard for me not to wonder why this is happening. Haven't I had enough pain for a little while? At the same time, something is different this time. Even while hearing the news my heart swelled because I knew that God is faithful. In times of great trial God is faithful.

Sunday I talked to my grandmother on the phone. It was nice to hear her voice. She told me that she decided not to do chemotherapy because she wanted to enjoy the time she had left. And do you know what else she said? She knew that God would be with her. I could tell she had already given the decision and ultimately her life up to him. She knew she would get through it - not because she was strong enough - but because God is. That gave me comfort.

I ask that you pray for my family. I ask specifically that you pray for God's will to be done and that we are all reminded of his faithfulness in these difficult times.