In the home stretch!

This has been a good week! Yeah!!!!! Late last week I wasn't feeling so hot so we cancelled our Friday night get-together and just stayed home. As it turned out, our neighbors (in the big mansion w/apts) had a little Halloween porch decorating party so we walked over and visited with them for a little bit. It was fun getting to know them all a bit more.
The weekend was filled with homework and doing a few errands together - and then watching the Broncos lose to Baltimore. Boo! But it was nice to be able to watch it on and off.
The highlight of the week thus far was Tuesday. We were getting our midterms back in Church History. I felt, after I took it, that I did horribly so I was not looking forward to seeing my test. The professor even prefaced the handing out of tests with a speech about how a couple people did fail the test, so talk with him if you did poorly and you can have your midterm and final weighted differently if you choose. What grace. I was certain that was going to be me. Then, by the grace of God, I got my test and had 25 out of 30! Woohoo!!! I was truly surprised, and so grateful to God! I know it was soley by His grace that I did it.
That class is so crazy. On one hand, it's my favorite because we start each class sharing prayer requests and praying for each other with heartfelt prayers. On the other hand, so much of church history eludes me and it's so frustrating! The various writers in history and their thoughts on Christology make me feel like an idiot. It also makes me question myself and if I'm truly in the right place because many times I just really don't care what they thought! I feel like I SHOULD, but all the debating and arguing over the divinity/humanity of Jesus drives me crazy. I guess because I know what I believe and don't need to go into great detail about it... I'm just so NOT an academic...
It's my friend Mel's birthday today. She's one of the first people I met at seminary. We've both wanted to start some sort of small group and she has finally taken the initiative to gather some women to see what & how we want to do it. Yeah! I love Mel because she's one of those people who spends lots of time in prayer and just hanging out with Jesus. I just admire that so much. She inspires me to do more than I do, be more obedient, just hang with Jesus in very real ways. It just drips out of her.
I love how God brings people into our lives who help steer us in the direction He wants us to go...and I love how it's this young woman doing that in my life.
I took a Hebrew quiz today and I know I aced the translation portion - not as good on identifying the parts of speech - but a great improvement! I just have one more quiz - next week in OT and then it's all finals. Hebrew vocab test Friday, Church History Tuesday 11/17, OT Wed. 11/18, Hebrew Friday 11/20, and the Spiritual Formation paper due Monday 11/23. A full couple weeks.
Only by God's grace have I made it thus far and will I make it to the end. Please pray that I finish well.
I'll end with the two prayers that our Church History professor shared with us on Tuesday:

Morning Prayer, from St. Thomas Aquinas:

Most loving Lord, grant me a steadfast heart which no unworthy desire may drag downwards;
an unconquered heart which no hardship may wear out;
an upright heart which no worthless purpose may ensnare.
Impart to me also, O God, the understanding to know you,
the diligence to seek you,
a way of life to please you,
and a faithfulness that may embrace you,
through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.


Another prayer of Thomas Aquinas:

Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you.

May that always be my prayer.
~Sally