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eklekton
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Interests: Starbucks, literature, particularly anything Austen, film, Lost, langauges, theology, philosophy, photography, travel, Scotland, Seattle, rain
Expertise: apparently nothing...so much for a B.A. in religious studies and philosophy
Message: message me
Member Since:
2/13/2005
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| my motivation
for everything that I did was the exaltation of God, not guilt, nor any form of
self-centeredness—my comfort, my success, my reputation, my glory—nor even the
happiness of another person? How would my time be measured out differently if
my primary goal was to honor God with every second of my life? How might my
attitude upon getting up in the morning be different if my thoughts were tied
up with the One who has graciously bestowed favor upon me and given me every
good gift? How might I be different if I recognized that the gifts of a nice
condo and a nice car, though I am thankful for them, are far inferior, indeed
even unworthy to be compared, to the salvation and deliverance that Christ has
purchased for me, a deliverance from bondage to sin in its various forms, and a
deliverance to neither comfort nor happiness, but to a life that glorifies God
in every particular and that by its very connection to God is filled to
overflowing with peace and hope and joy—a peace, hope, and joy wholly
independent of the circumstances of everyday life because they are founded on
the character of God, which is fixed and unchanging, despite the uncertainty
and endless fluctuation that characterize this life? | | |
| We are just now at the tail end of our first Chicago snowstorm. I have
definitely never seen anything like this before! There was at least 2
feet piled up behind my car this morning, so even after I pushed quite
a bit of it away with my own gloved hands, it still took me a couple of
tries to get my car out. I'm getting much better at driving in the snow
now. I've discovered that a little sliding and fishtailing isn't
necessarily a bad thing...as long as you maintain control.
All this powder makes me want to go snowboarding!!! Too bad I'm at least 1000 miles away from any mountains!
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| The last 7 months have been an overwhelmingly crazy time for T and me, as we've been struggling to get our feet under us. With the events of last summer happening the way they did, we've had absolutely no time to sit back and reflect on everything, which is something that I think we both desperately need right now. But tonight, Minho called T and it made me come out of my tunnel and wonder about how everyone back in Cali is doing, so I've spent the couple of hours reading blogs, catching up and missing all of our old friends back there.
I really like Chicago...I like that there are seasons (though the -30 wind chills can be a bit shocking!) and that there's lots of grass and trees...I like that we were able to buy a condo...I like that even though people in our area are pretty busy and don't always have time to spend hanging out with friends and neighbors, there seems to be an underlying sense that people need each other, a sense of community that seems to be lacking from the West Coast (yes, even from my beloved Seattle!)...I like that I could envision us raising a family here (a picture that I frequently bring to mind when school gets tough: "doesn't having babies sound so much better than staying up until ungodly hours writing papers...I mean, I know I wouldn't get a lot of sleep with a baby, but at least when I got up in the middle of the night to nurse, I wouldn't have to think!"...note that aside from the fact that the childless Baylight couples are dropping like flies, all of my bridesmaids that I still keep in touch with are pregnant [except my sister and sister-in-law])...
I also really like (but also sometimes hate) my program at Wheaton...I like that it's a really comfortable place for me to be, that it fits my interests and strengths like a glove, but that it's also (sometimes overwhelmingly) challenging, continually pushing me harder and harder...I like that I'm studying with such top-notch scholars...I like that there are so many other students in the program who are kind of like me and that we can all relieve each other's stress and learn from one another...
But since I spend SO much time studying and since I'm split between two worlds (Wheaton and home, with 27 miles in between), I haven't yet forged any really deep relationships with people...Most of the time I'm too busy to notice the lack...after all, I've got T and a few friends...but there aren't any M&M's or D&J's or H&E's or women's group girls...no one that I want to have over when I'm tired and want to rest...no one to completely understand me and to make me get out when I've been working by myself for too long...I know that it takes time, but I just wanted to say that I really miss all of our Baylight folk and am so sad that I'm missing out on all of the huge changes that are happening in everyone's lives...I just wish I could wrap everyone up and have them shipped out here...do I hear a Baylight Chicago???
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| After a 7 hour straight block in the library on Thursday, I came home
turned on the TV. I watched the end of The Office, then Grey's Anatomy,
then Six Degrees, and then the news, and then I flipped (or rather sat
there like a zombie while T flipped) between Leno and Letterman. Then
this weekend...I watched Mr. Holland's Opus and then I watched 13
Going on 30 three times (once with director's commentary, which was
really pretty interesting).
I think I'm turning into a carrot...or maybe a potato...if I keep snacking
as much as I have been, I think I will soon look like a potato.
Must get back to Hebrew and Old Testament Theology before my brain
turns to mush!
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| Gingerbread lattes are back!!!* I had my first one this morning...mmm...
Christmas in a cup! I love the Christmas season, and I have to say that eagerness
to finish a beast of a class that I'm taking this semester has had me singing
Christmas carols to myself pretty early this year. ;)
I do have to say, though, that this beast of a class has promoted camaraderie
among us students, due to the excessively long hours we spend in the library
together. It has also been really insightful! I've been learning some amazing stuff
recently...for example, did you know that the serpent wanted to kill Adam so that
he could marry Eve? Thus sayeth the Talmud...or was it the Midrash Rabbah...I
forget. At any rate, those Jewish rabbis seem to have been very creative exegetes,
and they certainly had way too much time on their hands.** Yesterday we had many
a good laugh over our discoveries in said Jewish literature...and many a sigh as we
began to realize the great depths of nerddom to which we are plunging as is
evidenced primarily by our jokes. I'll try to record a sample next time I'm in the
library, so you'll understand what I'm talking about.
*Thanks to lilmuy...your recent comment on my last entry inspired this one.
** Just wanted to clarify that I doN'T agree with the Jewish rabbis on this point.
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