As I re-read my last post I'm amazed at how far I've come and how much I studied since then! Finals are done, my paper written, and I'm officially on Thanksgiving break! Yeah!!!
Finals went really well I think. Church history was a bear, but I wrote for two hours and did it. OT was much better than all the previous tests, praise God! I got an "A" on the Hebrew vocabulary test and aced the final, minus the last page that was a lot of new stuff (that I hear she's weighting less than the rest of the test...again, praise God!) The ten-page paper I had to write for spiritual formation came easy as I wrote about when I was diagnosed with lupus way back in 1995, and how God transformed me during that time. It was a great reminder of how God uses everything to grow us and draw us nearer to Him.
It's really hard to believe this term is over. It's kind of scary thinking about next term because I'll have NT instead of spiritual formation, which was a class that was easy to blow-off a bit. So this term will be where the rubber meets the road.
For Thanksgiving Kim and I will be home alone, which is fine. For a few days there it wasn't ok, but the more I've thought about it the more I'm looking forward to cooking together and just spending the day together. I had asked a bunch of people looking for anyone who might be without family for the holiday, but most were headed home or hooked up with other local folks. We're really missing the kids and Rilo a lot and we're counting the days til we go home for Christmas!
I'm working on balancing having friends over and spending good time with Kim. It was definitely skewed for awhile there, but I think it's getting better as time goes on. It's a hard one for me though.
We're excited for our friend Sarah Tunall to come visit on Dec. 5th! She's going to stay with us and visit the seminary. I'm excited that Sarah might decide to come here next year! Pray for her discernment process!
Well, I'm making Christmas presents this week and hope to do a little baking before school starts up - so it should be a really fun week!
I pray the Lord continues to open my eyes to His will as we continue on this journey together. My biggest prayer is that I can find the time and discipline to have regular time in God's word and in conversation with Him. I pray that He blesses us as we spend time together this Thanksgiving, and that He blesses you as well.
Happy Thanksgiving!
~Sally
The Family - Summer, 2023
Love these people!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Can she make it???
Well, I'm feeling like one of those lost souls that gets tossed about by the waves depending on the circumstances. I hate that! Last week I was feeling pretty good because I did well on a Hebrew quiz and there was a touch of a lull (a false sense of thinking I had things together, I think!). Then I went to Hebrew this morning where we went over a verb exercise we did for homework and I had almost every one wrong -- and we only went thru half of them!!! That was followed by our last quiz in OT, and I think almost everyone felt like that was not the test they expected. I think many studied the bigger ideas, and he tested more on Bible content. Ugh. That's when I start thinking, once again, what do I think I'm doing here??!!!
I have some friends coming over tonight to go over our nine questions that we have to prepare and memorize for our church history final next Tuesday. I pray that it will be productive time together - we can't afford for it not to be.
My friend Mel got a bunch of women together Monday night for our first small group (care, prayer, share group). What a wonderful mix of women! My Vietnamese friend Mihn (she and I are the oldest), Mel (who's a very beautiful and young-looking 31), Tai & Katie (late 20's?), Anna (young mother/student/spouse-of-student), and Kristen (another young married). We may have another couple women joining us too. It was wonderful to share our lives, our small group experiences, our struggles, and then pray for each other in very real ways. I can tell I'm going to be living each week to go to our group.
Kim started work at Border's yesterday. He said it was ok. He does get 33% off though, plus any drink at the Seattle's Best coffee place for .30 - w/ his own cup!) They've scheduled him a lot more than part-time, which is good and bad. I think Kim would've liked to gradually gone into it, but God knows we can use the income.
Sarah sends me videos of Rilo eating out of a spoon and sticking out his tongue and blowing (what DO you call that??). I miss them all so much.
I'm looking forward to the Thanksgiving break, but right now that looks so far away... In some ways I want to be SO done with all this, and then I think of what I've learned thus far and wish there were a few more weeks that I could actually just take what we've learned and discuss it more to the point where it would really go in - and stay in - because I really understood it fully. It would be really nice to remember all this, but I know much of it will fall away when the next trimester starts. Just doesn't seem right somehow.
How I'd love to be in God's word just to be in it and not just to check off the reading list, but I'm having a hard time in that area. My prayer life is better, but I think I just need to pull out an old devotional to work through - or start memorizing some scripture again like this summer. Loved that - and God really brought it alive and to fruition on so many levels. Yep, that's what I'll do (we'd talked about doing that anyway in our small group).
Well, my friends will be here in a little bit.
Lord Jesus, guide me and direct me in the coming days. Help me to use my time wisely. Help me to take time to do meaningful things/spend meaningful time with Kim. Help me to show him love so he feels even more valued. Bless my dear friends both near and far, and let all we do show You how much we love You. Amen.
~Sally
I have some friends coming over tonight to go over our nine questions that we have to prepare and memorize for our church history final next Tuesday. I pray that it will be productive time together - we can't afford for it not to be.
My friend Mel got a bunch of women together Monday night for our first small group (care, prayer, share group). What a wonderful mix of women! My Vietnamese friend Mihn (she and I are the oldest), Mel (who's a very beautiful and young-looking 31), Tai & Katie (late 20's?), Anna (young mother/student/spouse-of-student), and Kristen (another young married). We may have another couple women joining us too. It was wonderful to share our lives, our small group experiences, our struggles, and then pray for each other in very real ways. I can tell I'm going to be living each week to go to our group.
Kim started work at Border's yesterday. He said it was ok. He does get 33% off though, plus any drink at the Seattle's Best coffee place for .30 - w/ his own cup!) They've scheduled him a lot more than part-time, which is good and bad. I think Kim would've liked to gradually gone into it, but God knows we can use the income.
Sarah sends me videos of Rilo eating out of a spoon and sticking out his tongue and blowing (what DO you call that??). I miss them all so much.
I'm looking forward to the Thanksgiving break, but right now that looks so far away... In some ways I want to be SO done with all this, and then I think of what I've learned thus far and wish there were a few more weeks that I could actually just take what we've learned and discuss it more to the point where it would really go in - and stay in - because I really understood it fully. It would be really nice to remember all this, but I know much of it will fall away when the next trimester starts. Just doesn't seem right somehow.
How I'd love to be in God's word just to be in it and not just to check off the reading list, but I'm having a hard time in that area. My prayer life is better, but I think I just need to pull out an old devotional to work through - or start memorizing some scripture again like this summer. Loved that - and God really brought it alive and to fruition on so many levels. Yep, that's what I'll do (we'd talked about doing that anyway in our small group).
Well, my friends will be here in a little bit.
Lord Jesus, guide me and direct me in the coming days. Help me to use my time wisely. Help me to take time to do meaningful things/spend meaningful time with Kim. Help me to show him love so he feels even more valued. Bless my dear friends both near and far, and let all we do show You how much we love You. Amen.
~Sally
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
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
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
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