Update

It's been a while, partly because life suddenly became crazy busy, and partly because, I dunno.  I don't like updating about my personal life.  Then everyone knows without having to talk to me, and I want people to talk to me.  So.  But anyway, I felt like I ought to give an update anyway, to clear out my mind at least.

School:  My feelings for grad school can mostly be summed up like this.  I FREAKING LOVE IT.  I mean, I knew that I liked listening to wise and experienced teachers, absorbing their knowledge and reshaping or strengthening my worldview, but holy cow.  I like, really love it.  All of my professors are hugely smart, of course, but they are also humble and caring and devoted to Christ in a way that is obvious in how they treat their subject and their students.  I love them all, but especially Dr. Kreider, my professor of theology.  For 2 1/2 hours, I stare at him and think, "Get your brain into my brain, now!"

However, grad school is also a lot of work.  Professors assign like, four chapters out of a textbook at a time, and maybe some articles, and oh yeah, watch this video, and have this entire book done in a couple weeks.  I love to read, but it is still overwhelming.  Especially when some of the books are dry as a 2,000 year old bone.  But whatever.  Dr. Kreider encouraged us by telling us mostly we just needed to run our eyeballs over the stuff, to get used to reading the terms and thinking in seminary language, and that by our second year we'll actually start understanding what we're reading.  I just want to huggle him, but he doesn't seem like a huggly person.

Work:  Welp, I'm actually quitting my job at Logos!  I feel a bit like a quitter, which, I guess I am.  But I feel like I ought NOT to quit, since I've only worked there for three weeks.  But I'm doing it.  Mostly because working 20ish hours a week does not pay my bills, and I can't really work any more without dying a stressful death.  But also because I learned two very important lessons.

1)  I always thought I wanted to work in a small book store.  Nope.  I might want to RUN one, but working retail is incredibly boring.  I hate boring.  When customers are there, excellent!  I love chatting and helping them find things.  But most of the day I have to wander the store, making miniscule adjustments to displays to make sure everything looks orderly.  Or I stand behind the cash register and stare into space for 8 minutes, waiting for something to happen.  I can't stand it.

2)  I met a boy who is everything I ever wanted in a boy.  *cough* He's exactly like me. *cough*  And you know what?  I can't stand him either.  Turns out I'd much rather argue than be right.  So that's good--I now have to completely re-evaluate what I want in a guy.

Church:  I found a church that I dearly love (after three weeks), and I kind of accidentally joined a six-week class to become a member.  I love their approach to church, to transformation personally and communally.  I love the people I've met, their friendliness and hospitality (two people have asked me out to lunch already!).  I dunno if I'll become a member after these classes, but also, why not?  I'm 98% sure I want to commit to staying with them for the next three years.

Oh, and I joined a women's Bible study on Wednesday nights.  The women at Trinity are lovely.  I went in kind of prideful, because I'm a hugely brilliant seminary student now, and they are all laypeople.  Then at the first discussion I answered a question and the leader said, "And that leads to...?"  I stared at her blankly.  So I'm not brilliant or anything.  Good to have humility forced on me.  Anyway, I really like them.

Home:  I jumped from doing nothing to being involved in three very big time-suckers.  That unfortunately means I rarely see my housemates.  Liz and I are still deliberate about hanging out, but my free time never seems to coincide with Jess or Amy.  Also they have been gone nearly every weekend, which is good for my schoolwork, but a little sad.  Still, it's fall, and everything is crazy for everyone, so I think/hope life will calm down eventually.

Not for Amy, though.  She's been having tests, and yesterday she found out she has cancer.  She's going to have to do chemo and radiation and everything, and we talked about it a little.  She's the housemate I feel the least close to, and I felt very under-qualified to support her during this huge life obstacle.  But while we were talking, she said she knew God had given her us as her roommates during this time for a reason, and I remembered that her last roommate was a psycho.  So at least I will not be that.  Prayers for her healing would be appreciated, and I'd also love some prayers for me, to know how best to love on her without overwhelming her or constantly reminding her of her problems.

So, Dallas.  It's really kicked up a notch.