love. Osama.

I’ll admit that, as of late, I am confused by those around me who are confused over whether or not they should be joyful over the death of Osama bin Laden or remorseful. 

First I’d like to point out that in being remorseful one is saying that it is better for a man to live on encouraging actions of ungodly hate.

Second I feel like such a view is pushing beyond Christians' call to love.  It is through Christ we are able to fully love God as well as fully love man.  However, when something happens, such as killing Osama, are we to mourn over it?  We are saying that what has happened should not have happened; that is saying what is better for the world is another type of world.

getting what i paid for

I like to get what I'm paying for, in fact I expect it and hold myself to it.

Example 1:
My car.  It cost me 3000 bucks... trust me I am getting what I paid for.  It's not the greatest car in the world, well lets say it sucks.  I bought it out of necessity and I think I actually over paid, but supply and demand baby.  The radio volume control doesn't work and so it's stuck at a level unhearable at interstate cruising speeds.  I also am scared to death to run the AC because I just don't think the battery could handle the load when I'm not going 75 mph.  Its frustrating of course, but I am getting what I paid for.

a bit of distance...

There's one thing I don't necessarily enjoy about what I'm experiencing at seminary: I feel I have become almost over intellectualized; I see things in a very intellectual way, in very theological ways.  It's good, but its nothing like what I experienced when I was in Greensboro.

In Greensboro there was a certain limit to it, mainly because I simply didn't have the time for it, nor was I given the direction.  I had other things to accomplish and better pursuits to go after.  I feel as if I was more connected to my humanness, where as now I feel connected to a sort of transcendence.

below par...

I'm a terrible writer.
Well, at least as it stands I'm a terrible writer; that's what Candler has shown me at least.  I think it's reflected in a lot of my posts on here as well.  The common critique that I get on tests and papers in class is my lack of ability to write cohesively.  I can structure an argument fairly well, at least when I spend time trying to develop it.  I can argue for it well also, but what I cannot do is make it sound fluid or pretty, which then actually makes it seems as if I can't argue for it.

Reading of Scripture and Love Wins

So having a friend who went to Rob Bell's church, I myself liking Rob Bell, being a Christian, being in seminary and being rather familiar with the conservative, evangelicalsI have been not far from the debate about Rob Bell's new book Love Wins.
Personally, I'm not much concerned about what he is saying right now; he has a new book coming out, which is sold by a publisher, a big one at that; publishers have to make money and so they hire marketing firms.  If I were a marketing firm and I wanted to sell a book... I'd make controversy or get good reviews.  Well, in the Christian world good reviews sell well, especially the classics, but nothing sells like an out in the open theological controversy; therefore, if I were a marketer I would make a controversy and props to HarperOne cause that's what they got and I guarantee you that everyone will either buy the book or borrow it; I mean they practically have to now if they care anything about the debate that is now in the public sphere.

sometimes hobbies gotta die

One thing that I have realized lately is that I'm too busy.  I will refrain from taking more than 12 hours a semester all at once from now on.  I will get a August and January term in and then have 12 hours for the semester so I can get my 15/semester total.  Of course I have not withdrawn from my classes now; call me stubborn or call me stupid and I'd agree.
The other thing I realized... sometimes your hobby just gotta die.  It's blogging and working out for me, for instance.  Because I am just so busy, I can't handle, much less think about, spending time doing things other than studying all week and spending time with Alison on the weekend. Were I single I would just have a free weekend.  It's all about getting priorities straight, what are the essentials and what are the nonessentials?

It hurts too, I love blogging; I literally have a list of 5 thoughts/ideas, that I want to work through on this blog and that's been adding up since the first day of class, and I really wanna work out, ya know for the honeymoon... and well I think that's enough justification in itself, but I would also like to be healthy as well.  It makes me wonder what next semester will look like when not only will classes are essential, but so is my wife.  I certainly hope I don't cut into either of those.  I think I'd much rather lose sleeping and eating...

But I guess this is my thought for now...  I am gonna start studying for my Old Testament class.
If you want some good musings I myself have a personal fondness for www.donmilleris.com and www.qideas.org

I'm still here!

Wow, so talk about a busy, busy semester.  I don't think, at least I hope, that I'll ever be this exhausted and swamped when I actually have a church, but I am thinking that that is just wishful thinking.
I have a job now, which is nice.  I am also taking 15 credit hours, which is a ton.  You might think its just 15, but I don't think I've had to read and write so much in my life.  I also actually have a group of friends I hang out with on a regular basis now whilst on campus.  And that's probably the nicest thing; when I first got here in August I was glum about not having anyone to hang out with and living so far away from campus only compounded that fact.  But since late October, or November, I've had a group of people whom I enjoy.  I will say, also, that I am glad that I live a far away from campus as I do.