Rounding the First Bend

Greetings Bloggers-

Once again, please forgive my extended absence from the Blog. My reasons are, of course, school related. But after several weeks of a fairly insane schedule, including many pages both written and read, many sentences of Latin translated, and much crippling self doubt, I'm happy to report that I made it through the first semester relatively unscaithed. And it was a success. The best news is that my work earned me a three credit scholarship for next semester, which is a blessing and will be much help to us this coming year. But beyond the papers, the grades, and the scholarship, the best feeling about finishing a semester is the sheer realization that I have finished, and that I was not conquered. To be sure, there were many points in this semester that felt like I would not finish - several were reported here and several were just shared between my wife and me, and of course the Lord in prayer. But that first hurdle is over, the first leg of the mile, and I find myself in a healthy place in the pack.

Another highlight of these past few weeks include traveling to The Woodlands, Texas to attend the Christmas Conference of the John Wesley Fellows. The John Wesley Fellowship is a scholarship that I was fortunate enough to receive last spring, and it is one of the main reasons that I am able to pursue the PhD. The express purpose of the Fellowship is to be a source of renewal for the United Methodist Church by funding scholars with a heart for the church that they might be placed in colleges and seminaries to train pastors who can go into churches and form Christians. At the conference, I was introduced to a number of fellow students who have a similar mind and heart as myself. Additionally, I was introduced to several world class scholars who are currently in the work of church renewal. I was privileged to hear a presentation from and talk to a man who was a student of the latre Henri Nouwen, an amazing Catholic theologian whose writings evidence a deep and abiding communion with God. I was able to reconnect with my friend, teacher, and mentor from Asbury, Rich Cornell, who is also pursuing a PhD. I found out at the conference that the Fellowship is a good deal more than a scholarship - it is a chance to be a part of a great community of scholars, the hearts of whom are all for the church.

And now I am on a month long break! My wife is rather jealous, though I think she enjoys that I am not cooped up in my office every evening. And despite my success in the PhD program, I cannot for the life of me beat her at a simple game of Backgammon. Needless to say, my grandfather would be proud of her.

For those of my readers who are still with me, expect more on a regular basis - I'll try to get in some blogging between Playtstation games and Christmas movies!