two things.

I finished my exam early enough that I was able to catch an earlier train, but not before I went ice skating with Ben in the Commons.  It was (to say the least) pretty magical (although I’m sure my amateur moves did away with that).  Its so beautiful in the Commons with all the lights up… and its so cool that this pool turns into a skating rink during the winter.  I really enjoyed spending time with Ben- even though it was a mere 30 minutes.

Secondly, depending on where the next few months will take me, I’m considering taking a church planting course offered here.  Figure if I might potentially partner with a church planter I might as well be of some use.

hanging up.

most of the time I end up laughing, as I have to catch myself from saying anything….. out loud :)

I hate low lighting.

two points here- sometimes its so low its pretty much impossible to salvage a good photo. Generally, I hate the idea of shooting in low lighting (much like my friend Heather), and generally I’ll avoid it. In the event that its necessary there ends up being two scenarios- I’ll up the iso to 1600 (the highest on my d40, not the highest on other slrs), which makes the image grainy and orangish (see here for an example of before and after from the Burns‘), or I’ll use flash.

Both of these are generally horrible ideas- when I do end up using a high ISO and change it via iphoto it just ends up looking unreal and ugly. When I end up using flash, since its not an external, its inflexible and shoots straight into my image making it white-out. I can’t decide which to invest into this Christmas (that is if my parents actually decide they’re giving me a gift this Christmas).

Ahhh… aperture looks like it fixes all my semi-low lighting nightmares (which 9/10 is the lighting I’m in), but an external would totally make all nighttime events look spectacular. Decisions.

first snow, first a lot of things.

ok, thats a lie, it was the 2nd snow- regardless… it was beautiful.

While I thoroughly enjoyed thanksgiving with the couples at my church, I still felt distant… depth isn’t something that comes quickly, instead its built up in time and thats probably the hardest thing for me considering I moved so far away.

Ben helps- but he can’t be my only friend ;)… I just found out my best friend here is pursuing the prospect of going to Israel next semester (ie leaving in 1 month)- the thought of that (on the ride home) actually crushed my spirit.  Then I’ll have no one on the S. Hamilton campus… Its bad enough most dinners I spend eating at a table by myself- somehow I just don’t feel like I was able to penetrate the bubble (that and with 80% of the seminary being boys its hard to form relationships).  

But, tonight at church I did have this feeling of being at home- of seeing eye to eye with most all of the people present, and feeling as though we were a body- with each part doing its thing… and each part feeling the pain/loneliness/fill-in-the-blank of the other parts.

I wonder how I really contribute to the body.

Brian

so now that I practically live in Boston (as I am there every weekend)… I go to starbucks less. Tonight I wrestled with being “owner” of my time.  My procrastination/laziness leads me to get annoyed tonight when Brian wanted to talk and I needed to read 200+ pages and pop out a paper. 

We talked. He critiqued the paper that Prof. Anders took apart (mainly b/c I didn’t follow his format). Luckily, we get to turn it back in. Regardless… it allowed me to really talk to Brian about those issues I care about. I coherently (and thats a miracle) explained the issues I expressed in my paper… to which Brian had several questions.  Again, those experiences remind me why it is I am here- what it is I want to communicate, and how I desire to really break down stumbling blocks for those who have completely dismissed the Scriptures and feel justified when they discover “historical criticism!”  

Brian had a problem with a footnote I made.  I said that non-believers are slaves to sin and cannot see Scripture as anything other than human creation.  He said,

“Non-believers are slaves to sin? I’m not a slave.”

I told him it was in the book of Romans, and unfortunately I left it at that.  I tried to explain that we are all slaves to something… but I didn’t elaborate.  I shortchanged Brian in explaining to him his sinfulness and our need for Jesus. This conversation has been progressing though, and (thankfully) the Spirit is involved and will do the work.  He wants to get together with Kait and I before Christmas- dinner and a movie.  I hope it happens.  I’m going to get him a case for his macbook (he puts it in a fedex bubble envelope).  This is why we give gifts  this is why I give gifts. I’m bothered by the compulsion- the seeming meaninglessness in our giving during this time.

it still doesnt feel like Christmas- even with the advent candle.

i hate being broke.

I need better bible software, for real.

4 months.

also, for the record- I have never thought more about church planting in my life than these 4 months…

Did he go to seminary?

This was the first questioned asked by a fellow seminarian regarding Matt Chandler. The question actually kind of bothered me.  I feel like people here think that seminary is necessary in order to properly teach and preach the Word.  I know of so many dead churches where seminary was/is a requirement and yet there is no passion for the Gospel.

An example is a church that this particular individual came out of. 

I feel like many of the people I interact with here think that seminary is a given- but seminary is a privilege.  And to be quite honest, it shouldn’t be your final gauge as to whether or not someone really know the Scriptures.  To think that seminarians are better equipped than those who haven’t gone to seminary is speaking much of oneself.

I’m getting old.

I remember when staying up til 3am was no big deal.

 

….