~~~~~~~~~~~~EXTRA~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2006

I got a 98 on my Church History midterm.

--30--

Weekly post

Feb. 27, 2006

Dear friends,
The two back-to-back midterms are over, but I don't really have a sense of how I did. From conversations with classmates, I learn that is common. Usually, we are all pretty good at gauging how we did on examns, but both the church history and New Testament midterms were hard to estimate. I should have results from both, I hope, by this time next week.
I might not post next week, though, because I will be in New York on a mission trip with 15 classmates. We will be spending a week in the Chelsea section of the city, learning and living urban ministry. I will have much to report when I return to my home planet.
I will also have another wickedly challenging midterm and several papers looming when I return to my home planet. :)
A good weekend, with a little down time for once. (Did I overlook some schoolwork? Free time? How did that happen?)
Keep checking in, and I will keep you posted.... no pun really intended.
Grace and peace,
Beth

Weekly post

Feb. 20, 2006

Dear friends,
Two midterms this week, one tomorrow and one Wednesday.
More later.
Grace and peace,
Beth

Weekly post

Feb. 13, 2006

Dear friends,
How quickly the semester is moving! My classmates and I all agree that the approach of midterms (next week) seems sudden indeed. Although I have made A's on all my papers so far, I made B's on all of last semester's midterms and finals. I hope to crack that wall this semester.
The snowstorm that moved from southwest to northeast last weekend missed us almost entirely. While 30 miles to the west, cities got an inch or four, we got only the odd, teasing flake -- but also dry roads, which is some consolation.
I have been making good use of my study times and am keeping up with my assignments, but will need to devote extra time to studying for midterms. That's why I feel pretty good about making a dent in this week's reading assignments over the weekend. This is a typical homework to-do list, if I look at one week's work:

New Testament: read textbook pp. 326-344
read Women's Bible Ccommentary, Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians
Read Gen. 21:1-21
Read Galatians and Philippians
Mark-up of Phil. 2:511 and Galatians 4:19-5:1
Ethics: Read "Introduction to Ethics" pp. 146-190
Read "Selected Readings" pp. 169-230
History of Christianity: Read Gonzalez book pp. 6-125, 149-163, 174-178, 196-205 write two homework response papers
New York City immersion course: Write 3-page paper based on readings (due Feb. 13)
God & the New York Times: Have Friday, Sunday, and Monday papers read & three one-page responses ready
Midterm study sessions this week: Monday 12-4, Tuesday 9-11
That looks like A LOT, I know, but once you're in the rhythm of the semester, it really isn't. For the most part, I'm enjoying the readings, when they are not too dry.
For Dietrich Bonhoeffer's centenary last week, I brought in German chocolate cake for the ethics class (39 students!), which we shared at break. It was much appreciated. A bit of lightheartedness amid the thicket of ethics. (It's a thicket because it requires serious brain-work on Tuesday evenings, unpacking the why's of what's right. "What is right" is sometimes a hard question; "why is it right" is harder!)
Enjoy Valentine's Day.
Grace and peace,
Beth
P.S. Gift exchange: my husband got me a lovely necklace with three silver rings engraved "Hope," "Faith" and "Love" on a black cord ... I got him (his choice!) a new TV remote control. Ah, romance.

Weekly post

Feb. 6, 2006

Dear friends,

We got to bed late last night because of watching the football game at the home of friends. I did not get to sleep until after 12:30 and got up at 6:00. Have not yet had a cup of coffee. Hmmm. Coffee.

The semester is flying along without any sense of going so fast. Already I will have my history and New Testament midterms on two successive days on Feb. 22 and 23. I don't feel awake enough yet to process the awfulness of that. I'll be fine by class time.

Our New York City class has met only once so far this semester, and the second session comes this afternoon. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not quite sure what the point of the readings has been so far and hope to get them unpacked a little.

At least two students are taking a semester off that I know of. One other is pulling a C average and may not last. But the atmosphere here is supportive, not cutthroat. We all wish one another well and most seem to understand the importance of carrying a good grade point average.

One final Super Bowl note: The older Mick Jagger gets, the cuter he gets.

Grace and peace,
Beth