Prep Week
Before I begin this post, I am happy to announce that Jumping Jayhawk and I have set a date for our wedding...
... June 9th, 2007. :)
Now, we just need to keep the planning train rolling and get some of this stuff in order. Now we just have to iron some things out with the reception, and start getting things like flowers and the rehearsal dinner locked in. It's getting there.
Now, on to the update of... um... the rest of life! :)
This is what I call "Prep Week." This is the week when the department "wakes up" and sets about its work of getting things ready for the year ahead. I've moved in to my new office, bought my textbooks, printed out my schedule, and started locking down my student loan information.
I also turned in an application to become a Washington resident. That means I'll get in-state tuition and save the department some money, making them very happy.
*Edit*
I just got off the phone with the Graduate School. I am now officially considered a resident of the state of Washington, and am entitled to all the tuition benefits inherent to that status. :)
*End Edit*
In the meantime, I have a lot of reading, writing, and organizing to do this week.
I've begun writing my Masters Thesis. Yes. The real deal. Once I have an intro and a methods section down in stone, I can propose. It's all coming together now, and I'm very excited and scared out of my mind at the same time.
I never really felt fear in the form of a sinking dread-like feeling at the bottom of my stomach until I came to Graduate School. All of a sudden, it's up to me to demonstrate my learning and my academic skills in activities that I largely have to structure and execute rather than showing my know-how through prestructured hoops to jump through.
And it's kind of scary.
It really is.
But I think it's healthy to be afraid like this. It keeps my edge sharp, keeps my nose to the grindstone, and keeps me on my knees constantly praying for God's grace and wisdom to carry me through.
And man, have I ever been praying a lot recently. There's a TON to do, and just not enough time in the day to get it all done.
The real battle this year will be to keep myself from allowing all my work to rob me of my times of peace and rest. I am one of those people who cannot function unless I get major downtime to just sit, relax, and do nothing. Once I have that time once a day to just be a vegetable (usually this happens in the evenings), then my batteries are charged and I'm ready to go for another day. If I don't get that time? Well, I get cranky. And I don't get work done.
Imagine that... doing nothing helps me get work done. ;)
But anyway... JJ and I did a lot of work on her new duplex yesterday. We took down old curtain rods, patched holes in the walls, drilled new holes, put new rods up... all that fun stuff. The place is really coming together. Hopefully, the cat-piss smell will go away once she gets her new carpet in... and I won't suffocate every time I walk through the door.
We're going to be co-teaching Sunday school for the high school student group with the pastor's wife this year. We're looking forward to it, as neither of us have really worked with this age group before. Well, that and we're excited that the pastor's wife shares our vision for presenting the basics of the Gospel clearly and simply so the students really have a grasp of what it means to say "Jesus died on the cross to save sinners." Good stuff.
So... yeah. That's pretty much the low-down from the PNW. Lots of things are going to be changing around here this year: New focus in my research, new people in the department, old friends living closer, new friends yet to be made, a new place to live for JJ, and the fact that I'm getting married in less than a year.
Truly, change comes with the Autumn winds as more than the leaves begin to turn their colors. Lord, help us to be stalwart to face it.
... June 9th, 2007. :)
Now, we just need to keep the planning train rolling and get some of this stuff in order. Now we just have to iron some things out with the reception, and start getting things like flowers and the rehearsal dinner locked in. It's getting there.
Now, on to the update of... um... the rest of life! :)
This is what I call "Prep Week." This is the week when the department "wakes up" and sets about its work of getting things ready for the year ahead. I've moved in to my new office, bought my textbooks, printed out my schedule, and started locking down my student loan information.
I also turned in an application to become a Washington resident. That means I'll get in-state tuition and save the department some money, making them very happy.
*Edit*
I just got off the phone with the Graduate School. I am now officially considered a resident of the state of Washington, and am entitled to all the tuition benefits inherent to that status. :)
*End Edit*
In the meantime, I have a lot of reading, writing, and organizing to do this week.
I've begun writing my Masters Thesis. Yes. The real deal. Once I have an intro and a methods section down in stone, I can propose. It's all coming together now, and I'm very excited and scared out of my mind at the same time.
I never really felt fear in the form of a sinking dread-like feeling at the bottom of my stomach until I came to Graduate School. All of a sudden, it's up to me to demonstrate my learning and my academic skills in activities that I largely have to structure and execute rather than showing my know-how through prestructured hoops to jump through.
And it's kind of scary.
It really is.
But I think it's healthy to be afraid like this. It keeps my edge sharp, keeps my nose to the grindstone, and keeps me on my knees constantly praying for God's grace and wisdom to carry me through.
And man, have I ever been praying a lot recently. There's a TON to do, and just not enough time in the day to get it all done.
The real battle this year will be to keep myself from allowing all my work to rob me of my times of peace and rest. I am one of those people who cannot function unless I get major downtime to just sit, relax, and do nothing. Once I have that time once a day to just be a vegetable (usually this happens in the evenings), then my batteries are charged and I'm ready to go for another day. If I don't get that time? Well, I get cranky. And I don't get work done.
Imagine that... doing nothing helps me get work done. ;)
But anyway... JJ and I did a lot of work on her new duplex yesterday. We took down old curtain rods, patched holes in the walls, drilled new holes, put new rods up... all that fun stuff. The place is really coming together. Hopefully, the cat-piss smell will go away once she gets her new carpet in... and I won't suffocate every time I walk through the door.
We're going to be co-teaching Sunday school for the high school student group with the pastor's wife this year. We're looking forward to it, as neither of us have really worked with this age group before. Well, that and we're excited that the pastor's wife shares our vision for presenting the basics of the Gospel clearly and simply so the students really have a grasp of what it means to say "Jesus died on the cross to save sinners." Good stuff.
So... yeah. That's pretty much the low-down from the PNW. Lots of things are going to be changing around here this year: New focus in my research, new people in the department, old friends living closer, new friends yet to be made, a new place to live for JJ, and the fact that I'm getting married in less than a year.
Truly, change comes with the Autumn winds as more than the leaves begin to turn their colors. Lord, help us to be stalwart to face it.
posted by Raoul The Destroyer at 11:49 AM
5 Comments:
As one who has waded through the firey river and came out holding that piece of paper unburned...
you'll make it. I think the pressure usually presses from us our best work so long as we see our identity in Him and not in the thing.
those who break under the tide usually draw their worth from the accomplishment of this monumental task. So failing at the task equals failing as a person.
we've already accepted that we have failed as people and are only successful in that His success has been granted to us.
like i said, all your work as unto Him will always come out of the fire unsinged.
njs
Well said, and much appreciated. Thank you. :)
Wow, so my advice is much more simple, you'll be fine!
Anyway, that is really exciting that you are getting married in less than a year! It will go by so fast. If you two need anything, just let me know, I would be glad to help out in anyway.
Just remember: in 1,000 years it won't matter. Except for chaos theory, in which case everything you do changes the world. :) No pressure!
In all seriousity, I'm sure you'll pull through and be a smashing success. You'll naturally be good at things you enjoy doing.
/deep wisdom
j/k
You need to spend more time in the valley....Ther's too much talk about curtains. Dad
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