photos and a story

Praise the Lord! I have internet again! Is it wrong to praise the Lord for internet? I am truly thankful for how my internet was restored to me - it involved a long conversation and much overdue conversation with an old friend. Praise the Lord!

Why does my access to the internet have any significance for you? You will now get to see some pictures that I could not post before. I will, by no means, put ALL of my pictures up here - but I will just try to pick out a few of my favorites.

Let the pictures and the stories begin!



This is our couch. The picture is so late and so boring that it is almost not worthy of putting up except that it has really changed my life here. You may think I am shallow and perhaps even a "couch potato" but please don't misunderstand me. Since having the couch, two different visitors have made it their bed, I have hosted a theology discussion group on it, and taken one amazing nap. I love that couch.




When Bridgett came to visit, one of the many fun activities we did was go the Museum of Science in Boston. While there we took in a 3-D show on sharks. Since we both have seen "Honey, I shrunk the audience" we were expecting the sharks to attack us, like Jaws. (In "Honey..." there is a snake that strikes at you.) No such luck - it was an educational video. It was still pretty cool, though. This is us before it began - no doubt blinding 12 elementary students with our flash.



One stop on the freedom trail includes the democratic donkey. We have pictures riding the donkey and cuddling up to the donkey. I decided I would make use of the footprints in front of the donkey that say "Stand in Opposition." They had little elephants in the footprints, even. Well, I wasn't content to just "stand" in opposition - so I went head to head with the animal.



I don't think I could tell you who this is supposed to be a statue of - or if it is supposed to be a statue of anyone in particular. I just really thought Bridgett did an excellent job impersonating the stature of the statue.



Moving to the day known nationwide as "Black Friday." We slept in. Then we went to Newburyport to see what we could see. It was difficult, as you can tell by the picture because it was so bright and windy and cold. We did manage to enjoy ourselves in a few little shops including a bookstore. We all decided if we weren't broke - we would have like to buy new bags at a cute shop there.



If you ever wondered - what does it really look like to walk on the freedom trail in Boston? Wonder no more. Nealy captured this candid moment of Emily and I walking in one of the many parks in Boston on our way to the Bunker Hill Monument. Yes, Emily really takes giant steps and I really do walk leaning over to one side.



We love Boston in the fall. Although they missed the pretty leaves changing color on the trees - Nealy and Emily found plenty of enjoyment in the leaves on the ground. There were some other people in the park while we were doing this - I'm sure they were thinking we were crazy tourists. And they wouldn't be all that wrong. They're pretty smart here actually.



This is sort of a strange picture for the last picture but it makes me laugh. We decided to take some pictures where we weren't smiling - just for something different. These leaves kept us entertained for a good 15 minutes. It's not the history that draws us to Boston - it's the giant maple leaves!

Before I sign off I do have one story. You may recall that I hoped I would have a story, and I got one. While Emily and Nealy and I were in Rockport - a coast town near the seminary we were taking lots of pictures. We found a particularly beautiful view of the coast with bright blue water and rocks and boats. While we were taking pictures of the scenery and of Emily being silly (for lack of a better word) Nealy noticed that there were people in the building behind us watching us. Turns out it was a restaurant. That would be only slightly embarrassing because they are just random people that we will never see again. For Nealy and Emily, that was true. Not true for me. I looked in the window and saw the face of my professor staring back at me. He waved hesitantly and I waved back trying to stifle my laughter.

Tuesday I saw him in class and when I went up to hand in my paper, he says to me, "Hey, I saw you. Well, I guess you saw me too. Hmm." Apparently he recognized me from the back of my head and saw me long before I saw him. Let's just say I'm thankful I was too cold to be too silly right then!

Pray for me to be productive!

Deja Vu

Greetings to you all. I survived my visitors.

Bridgett came to visit me during my second reading week. She was here from a Wednesday to a Monday (which is a while) but we had so much fun together. We explored the North Shore, took in a movie, went to a science museum (turns out she's slightly competitive), walked the freedom trail, and hung out at my pastor's house. Overall, a great trip with a great friend.

Two days after she left Nealy and Emily arrived. I was ill prepared for the amount of energy required to host visitors for an extended period of time. However, their visit was also a lot of fun. We spent thanksgiving with a family from the church I attend here. We also explored the North Shore and walked the freedom trail (however, I did not climb the bunker hill monument with them). So, as my title alludes, I basically had the same weekend twice, but what a great weekend to repeat!

If you would like to see pictures, I will do my best to get them up somewhere online. My internet has been spotty lately which has prevented me from doing much on it. If I fail to do that before Christmas, I will bring my computer home and would be happy to share pictures with whoever was interested.

School is going well. I have a lot of research ahead of me. Let's just say the only man in my life from now to Christmas is a dead Swiss theologian named Karl Barth. Let's hope we can get along!

What I am really excited for is that this coming Sunday is the beginning of Advent. I think I enjoy advent more than I enjoy Christmas. There is something right about the church in preparation for the coming savior. The church I attend is doing a book study for Advent. The book is The Great Omission by Dallas Willard. I am excited to read it and to share it with others.

I pray that you all spend a little time this advent to reflect on the coming savior. :)

Study and Cram

It can be very difficult to update a blog when you don't feel like you've done anything worth telling anyone. I'm currently in my second reading week. Reading weeks are probably the best thing about seminary - seriously. This is coming from a girl who loves school and loves to learn - but sometimes you just need a break from the classes.

This weekend I ventured to TJ Maxx with some friends. It was fun to just get out and do something other than discuss theology or classes. We also went to the Cheesecake Factory. We definitely need to get one of these at home! Their menu is pages upon pages and don't even get me started on the cheesecake menu. It was a fun night out with the girls - much needed and much appreciated. So those of you who worry that I never do anything fun - rest assured that I do.

Actually, I'll be having more than my fair share of fun because starting tomorrow I'm going to have visitors from home for about 2 weeks. It's really amazing and I'm so looking forward to spending time with them. However, that means I have been cramming on some homework. Usually, reading weeks are so we can get caught up on stuff - but instead of a week - I only have a few days. Today is the last day of super cramming - so hopefully I will get much done.

I will update with pictures next time and hopefully some great stories! -The last time I said I wanted a great story I ended up walking in mud for 2 miles... so I'm saying that with caution.

November Already?

As I drove to Beverly today, admiring the last of changing leaves and the multitude that have already fallen, I began to ponder all the changes I have experienced since moving to New England. The landscape has changed the most, going from the lush green of summer to the vast array of reds, yellows and golds the fall season has to offer. While "peak weak" has past, many trees are still clinging to their vibrant leaves making my route to work a scenic route.

I began to think about the changes in relationships. I have been so blessed to find a church that I can be a part of. My relationship with the pastor of the church has become so valuable to me. Being a Gordon Conwell graduate and from the Midwest has allowed her to understand so much about what I am going through. Her and her husband have really engaged me - both have lent me a number of books. One I am currently reading, Dakota, is from an author who lives in Lemmon, SD. It is a book I think I could only truly appreciate now that I do not live in SD. Sometimes it takes leaving a place to appreciate it, and I do. I appreciate where I am from.

I thought about the changes and challenges to who I am: my theology, my personality, my goals for my time here. Some of you who read this are well aware of my theological challenges since I have been here (esp. my wrestling with Calvin). I am grateful for the wrestling - sometimes great things come from wrestling. Jacob wrestled with the Lord and although he remained injured for the rest of his life, he was also extremely blessed by the Lord. Not to equate Calvin with the Lord - but sometimes it good to wrestle with minds greater than our own.

This is such a minor note that I probably shouldn't even waste space on my blog by mentioning it, but I am so excited about it: I got netflix this weekend. That means I will be getting DVD's in the mail - just one at a time. I also get so many hours of instant viewing online every month. I love to watch movies and have been neglecting that love since being here. Watching a movie is so refreshing to me - and I'm always in a better mood after watching a good movie. So, that little luxury is going to be a wonderful blessing and probably a curse in that it will further enable my procrastination. Oh well - take the good with the bad!

My immediate goals:
1. Get stuff done prior to Bridgett's arrival in 9 days.
2. Enjoy the company coming - the friends who are giving of themselves, time and money to visit.
3. Finish the semester so I can come home for awhile and see my family and friends. That is as far as I am willing to look in the future at the moment. And this is all I am willing to write.

Retreat and Renewal

Ahh... the joys of alliteration. I was once told (rightly so) that the first line of my paper was horrible. Ever since then, especially in my blogging, I have tried to make either my title or my first line have some sort of a hook. Most of the time I do not succeed - but at least I am aware of the importance of a first line.

This past weekend I journeyed up to New Hampshire, Lake Winnepasaukee (of the What about Bob? fame) to be exact. The Women's Resource Network was hosting a 24 hour women's retreat for the women connected with GCTS. As a woman connected with GCTS, I went. My hope in going was reconnect with God because it is so easy to lose him in the midst of theological study. Seems ironic, but it is so true. The tendency is to make God an object of study rather than the subject of our lives. This summer, prior to coming to GCTS, someone was asking me what I was doing this fall. I replied, "I'm going to seminary." They heard "cemetery." An honest mistake, but when I corrected them, they shrugged and said with a sly smile, "basically the same thing anyway." It does not have to be that way. Retreats like the one this weekend are designed to remind us to find ourselves in light of who God is and reorient our lives in his direction.

The verse that really stood out this weekend was Psalm 139:14a (perhaps it will sound familiar to many from the Mercy Me song.) I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
It is so easy to see the light of God in others, but when we think about it - do we praise God for how he made us? We talk about people who bear the image of God, but do we ever include ourselves in that discussion? Not really. Often, when people focus on who they are, they focus on their sin and faults. Yes, we are sinners, but we are also justified creatures of God. As Martin Luther said, we are simultaneously sinners, yet justified. Genesis 1:26-27 says that God created humans in his image. That alone gives us value and worth. Not only does it give value and worth to your friends, your family, your enemies; it gives you value. It gives me value. If you don't think that you have been made in the image of God, just ask those around you. They will tell you how wonderful you are. I am sure they would not find it difficult to think of times where God has blessed them through your presence in their lives. Sometimes we just need to hear that. I know I do!

Transitioning a bit from the retreat, but not from the topic- 3 people from USF showed up in the North Shore this weekend. What a wonderful gift of God! Their presence just renewed my spirit. I admit that I've been in a bit of a scholastic slump - I was not motivated to do homework - I felt overwhelmed by theology. Seeing these girls again reminded me how much I loved theology in college and although it may be different here, it still has great value for me. I realize now that my path here was to learn to articulate the theology I already possess. My last months at USF were a struggle for me to articulate what I knew to be true. I find the particular challenges I face at GCTS are in part causing me to define and articulate what I believe. There are no doubt other reasons God has called me here, but I am grateful to be on this one reason.

One quick fun story. I took Kim and Dianna to Salem, Mass. on Sunday night. Considering how close it is to Halloween and Salem is like the Halloween capital of the world due to the witch trials how many centuries ago... it was a little crazy and perhaps even a little creepy. We did get to see some historical stuff and ran into a friend of mine who plays drums in a worship band that was part of a ministry designed specifically for Salem. Anyway - it was an adventure and I'm glad I could share it with those two - such awesome people!

On to much reading and studying. Since I basically took last week off, I have that much more to do this week. Ugh... procrastination!

The many facets of Hospitality

This morning I was reading a book my Marva Dawn titled Unfettered Hope. I came across a passage where she began talking about hospitality and then I realized that this weekend was filled with episodes of genuine hospitality.

Friday night I was invited by a friend to have enchiladas - which is quite the treat considering mexican food is lacking here. She made the food at a couple's apartment that she knew. The night was filled with good food, good music, the budding of genuine friendship and community. We discussed theology, we played a card game and we just enjoyed a night away from seminary. That night I experienced genuine hospitality as a guest in a stranger's home.

Saturday morning my roommate and I went to pick up our couch. Very exciting indeed! It is a lovely couch - big and comfortable and even matches our beige carpet. This couch is such a blessing because now we will be able to invite people over to our room. Before, we were hesitant because we had no place for them to sit. We had to constantly invite ourselves over elsewhere and be the guest. This couch has given us the means to return the favor and be the hosts. Now we can practice the hospitality we have received by so many of our friends here at GCTS.

Yesterday morning I went to church at Immanuel (where I currently serve as the secretary.) I have never felt so welcomed in a church. The moment I stepped in the door people smiled and greeted me by name (or close to my name). I was introduced to a half-dozen people before the church service and to the rest of the church during the passing of the peace. I sincerely believe everyone came to introduce themselves to me. I genuinely believe they do this for everyone - not just the girl who happens to be the secretary. One cannot help but be amazed by their overwhelming hospitality! I look forward to "plugging myself in" at their church more fully in the future.

While these were all wonderful stories of my experience of hospitality this weekend, my very own grandmother put me to shame. After talking to my mom last night, I believe my grandmother to have hospitality ingrained into her very being. This is her story. Sunday morning she woke up and went out to get the paper. On her way out of the garage she found a pair of shoes that were wet and covered in mud. She brought them in and asked grandpa what he thought about the shoes - he didn't know. So she decides to take the shoes back out to the garage and check the vehicles to see if the owner of the shoes is perhaps still in the garage. According to my mother, grandma went back to the garage, stick in hand. Sure enough, a woman was sleeping in her car! Grandma asked her in a loud voice what she was doing here - to which the woman did not respond. Grandma poked the woman with her stick (I admit I laughed a little when I heard that) and the woman woke up. She insisted to my grandma that this was her house.

Grandma noticed that she was cold and invited her in to warm up. The woman, once in the house, still insisted this was where she lived. Grandma protested the entire time (since it was obvious this was not the woman's home.) Grandma then offered to give her a ride to whereever she wanted to go. They drove around Arlington until they found the correct house. Grandma waited until the woman was safely inside before returning home.

Last night I was so shocked at the story and more concerned for my grandparents' well-being that I completely missed the grace and hospitality in the story. Grandma showed mercy on the girl - invited her into their home. It could have been a dangerous situation, but grandma showed grace. Not only that, she again went above and beyond by personally seeing to it that the girl found her own home. I think of the story of the good Samaritan. This girl was in need of help and although we would have thought grandma well within her rights to just kick her out, grandma showed her compassion. She did not think twice about it - that was just her nature. Grandma is never one to draw attention to herself or to do things so others may see. I can only hope to grow into that type of person.

Weekend Trip to Maine

All things must change to something new, to something strange.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This weekend I found myself traveling up to Maine to get away from Gordon Conwell for awhile and to meet some of my mother's relatives. While the drive up there was plagued by rain and the inability to drive over 40mph due to constantly being in a town - the rest of the weekend was "fabulous."

Friday I met my mom's cousin, Judy. This was after I got lost in Portland and ended up north of Portland at one point. Thanks to my innate ability to somehow find my way, I made it to where I needed to be. I say "innate ability" but what I really mean is "luck." I visited my mother's aunt, Ruth, who is 90 years old. She is such a sweet lady and very funny. She is my grandpa's sister and they are so much alike. It was good to see, but it definitely made me miss my grandma and grandpa at home. That night we went to Jackie's (Judy's sister) house north of Portland. Beautiful place with trees, wild animals and a lake across the road - a very pleasant lake - in fact so pleasant it is called Pleasant Lake. The next day we went into Portland and I saw a lot of cool things. It looks like a great city to explore and I look forward to returning again.

What struck me about this weekend can be summed up by the Portland native Longfellow. Things much change to something new, something strange. I get struck my the "strange" sensation often. Many times the changes are so minor and it really shouldn't phase me, yet they do. They are strange because this is the first time I am encountering them by myself. Everything seems a little strange because the vantage point itself is strange. Strange isn't necessarily bad. It is through times like these that a person begins to understand who they are. What does it mean for me to be from South Dakota? What does it mean for me to be a female academic? What does it mean for me to be a theologian? All valid questions.

Below I have some pictures of my weekend. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Pleasant Lake


Fall Foliage


Horse at the Fireman's Museum


Harbor at Portland


Jackie, Judy, and me