Weekly post

February 23, 2008

Dear friends,

Last week was not, shall we say, the best week of my life. On Wednesday evening, quite suddenly, I became terribly ill with stomach flu. Had to leave the Lent service early, skipped choir rehearsal, spent far too much time with my body divesting itself, and spent Thursday in bed, with (!) sore ribs. Finally figured out why the sore ribs.

On Friday, I foolishly thought I was better and drove to work in Elon. I spent half a day listlessly doing what little I could, and the boss drove me home en route to a stop in Kernersville. Tried to be up and around some Saturday with little success. On Sunday morning, preparing for church, I ate breakfast, which proved to be a poor choice. By Sunday evening, though, I was sitting up and having soup.

Here it is Monday, and I am finally feeling like myself again. That was a lousy five days, not to put too fine a point on it. However, even at my most miserable, I am aware of the blessings of timing if nothing else. To wit:

What if this had struck last spring and I had lost a week of class attendance, reading, and paper writing in Theology, Greek, and Homiletics?

What if this had struck this May, and I had been unable to participate in graduation ceremonies?

What if this had struck (ominous chord) both children at once? Thank heavens, they are old enough to know to keep their distance, and we are now fine once again. Academically, I'm not really behind. I've lost a few days of reading but can make them up and have not lost crucial ground just at midterms ... which, if I had any, would be this week.

See what I mean?

The senior project is chugging along. I did miss a meeting with a faculty person about that but can easily reschedule. The sun is out, the new portion of I-40 has been completed, and the Oscar Hype is finally winding down. I am, as always, outnumbered whenever I count my blessings.

Grace and peace,
Beth

Weekly post

February 18, 2008

Dear friends,

By the time I graduate on May 19, I will have:

written 93 papers, sweated through 72 quizzes and exams, stacked up 99 required textbooks, provided 193 response papers, and given 17 presentations. I also will have attended 60 chapel services and enjoyed 68 community lunches, consumed 192 soft drinks and 217 cups of coffee, eaten 29 slices of pizza, and made 96 visits to the bookstore. Oh ... and logged 78 hours in Room 202.

Grace and peace,
Beth

Weekly post

February 11, 2008

Dear friends,

Although I haven't been counting, the Web site counts for me, and last week's post was #100. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

The middle of an unusually tightly contested primary season seems to be an odd time for public radio stations to have fund drives. Normally I get around the pesky things by switching between two public radio stations that I mostly sort of get all the way between Elon (work) and Winston-Salem (school). Wouldn't you know it, on this Monday morning, when I was dorkily craving Cokie Roberts' take on the weekend's activity, BOTH stations are having fund drives. I don't want a mug, I don't want a trip to Hawaii, I want my news! This is by far the most interesting primary season that I can remember, seeing as on both sides, a clear winner has not yet been anointed. That means that the time leading to the June conventions will be (ahem) newsworthy instead of dull.

Speaking of dull, the Carolina game wasn't, and I had to watch it between interlaced fingers and the occasional small channel surf to keep calm. I kept telling myself that it's just a game, and remember, I just watched Carolina lose to Duke at home very calmly and without a noticeable rise in the pulse rate. Somehow, this was uglier-enough to get me biting my nails. I'm willing to bet that ol' Roy gives his players quite a workout this week.

What also was not dull was last weekend's 1-credit pastoral preaching course, which finally came off after several reschedules and changes in faculty. The instructor was Claude Alexander, the senior pastor of a large church in Charlotte, and with quite a delivery. His instruction method blended lecture, sermon examples, and in-class exercises, along with references to the textbooks. Two classmates and I -- all having been in the same Homiletics class a year ago -- agreed that the weekend's course was first-rate. We're now required to write two short papers, and the associate dean will arrange a time for us to deliver a sermon that will be recorded and sent to the instructor for analysis.

Meanwhile, the son had a terrific time at a weekend confirmation retreat at Lutheridge, this one emphasizing Communion. He seems to have learned everything I would have hoped for on that score. I believe there is one more retreat, possibly two, between now and June.

Oh, yes -- somehow ... no one seems to know how ... my cell phone made it into the hamper. I did not discover this until after it had been washed. The prognosis is dim. I'll let you know.

As always, much to do.

Grace and peace,
Beth

Weekly post

February 4, 2008

Dear friends,

Very sleepy this morning after going to a Super Bowl party last night. The children fell asleep in the car going home, but husband and I were closer to midnight falling asleep. Great company, great fun, and an underdog win. It's good.

On the surface, it might look as though I haven't got much to do this semester, and it's true that I don't have many class meetings. The senior project, the independent study, and the classes that meet only a few times, however, demand A LOT of time and energy. I've found that I simply don't have it in me to write more than four pages a day for the devotional; after that, I'm spent. So I aim for four pages and usually get three or four. Also doing a lot of reading and note taking and Thinking Deep Thoughts for the independent study and feel as though I have hardly any time left (in reality, I have a lot).

If I can get three pages a day, every day, I'll be finished with the writing by the end of the month, four weeks ahead of deadline. That will give me some time to edit, rearrange, etc. I'm really hoping (trying) to get done by the end of this month. You know how skittish I get about going down to the wire. Am modestly proud that I have never had to ask for an extension on a paper here.

In the relative quiet of the bakery on a Monday morning, I plan to do lots of reading and, I hope, a good amount of writing. The writing is hard work but highly satisfying.

Grace and peace,
Beth