Things I'm Learning

A few nuggets of knowledge for you:

1. God dwells in darkness. (Another theme from my Old Testament class.) The idea here is not that God is somehow evil or shrouded in smoke (even though that does happen.) But the idea is that darkness, for the Israelites at least, was a time of rest. Thus, this was a time of devotion and focus on God. Darkness is also a place of trust.

2. Atonement theory is much more complicated than I ever recognized, but also simpler, in a way. Eventually, it all comes down to one thing: Jesus gave the Father what we couldn't.

3. It's a lot easier to eat healthier when you're buying your own groceries. A bunch of bananas, for example, is like $1.50, as compared to things like chips or cheese or whatever, which are usually at least $4 and last half as long.

4. I am simultaneously organized and sloppy. Anyone who has ever seen my living spaces will know this to be true.

5. I am only productive when stressed, apparently.  If I get the least bit stressed, I can sit down for hours at a time and do nothing but homework.  Without that motivator, though, I will definitely spend an entire night on Facebook.

And, a follow-up on my last post. I've gotten a few responses, and I'm so grateful for each of them. My mind changes almost every day, sometimes several times a day. There are mornings when I wake up and say, 'that's it, I'm done', only to go to class and say 'now this is why I'm in seminary.' And the opposite happens, too. I'll finish out this semester, since it would be stupid not to, but if I can find a job between now and then I might take a semester off, just to see what else might be out there.

I know that I have a lot of growing to do before I can be a full-time pastor, chaplain, or whatever. I don't know if that growth will be smushed into three years of seminary, or spread out over some time taken away from school, but someday, I'll get to where I need to be.

All that said, I don't know where I'll be come January. I could be in the middle of Africa for all I know right now, and I'm at least a little OK with that. (PS: if anyone has suggestions, now would be the time for that...)