So I decided to post an update on some of the things going on in my life for all of you who don't live with me and don't hear me talk about the day-to-day stuff.
--- I'm writing my master's thesis this semester. It's going to be around 60-70 pages, I think, and I've got about 20 so far. The paper is on tolerance, dealing with moral pluralism in the biomedical setting. If everything goes smoothly and it gets approved, I will graduate on May 12 with a Master's of Arts degree in Ethics and Applied Philosophy.
--- As of now, I have nothing planned after May 12. I've submitted applications to seven philosophy Ph.D. programs, although I'm not 100% sold on the idea of doing school for another 5-6 years. I've already been rejected from UNC-Chapel Hill (which I'm ok with) and I'm still waiting to hear from the other six. For your information, many of these schools receive over 200 applications for 7 or 8 spots in their program. I just want to get accepted to two so that I feel like I have a choice. I also would need an offer of full-funding, cause I definitely won't agree to 5-6 more years of school if it means being in debt, too. I'm expecting to hear rejections from some of the more highly ranked programs first, and then hopefully a couple offers from the mid-range programs. I'll keep you all posted as the letters come in.
--- I'm a Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Philosophy, and I LOVE it. This semester brings new students and a different professor with a different syllabus. I have much more freedom and much more responsibility than last Fall. I created my own syllabus for my own Friday discussion section, with my own assignments and my own rules for class. I take attendance, grade papers, hold weekly office hours, and answer emails from students. It's the real deal.
--- Even though I'm living with my family, I've been attending a different church. As I've told many of you, I also inadvertently joined a singles small group. I didn't know it was going to be a singles group, and I'm definitely the youngest member. We meet biweekly, and we represent a wide range of ages and backgrounds. While this is not exactly what I would have signed up for, it's a good reminder to me of the variety within the body of Christ and the edification that can happen because of that diversity.
--- Here's a short list of other, random, less-important details of my life: I'm technically the president of the graduate philosophy club (so I'm trying to put together a couple events for that), I recently experienced one of the more embarrassing moments of my life (luckily only one person witnessed it), my schedule is such that I get Tuesdays and Thursdays off (which is awesome), my commute to school is over an hour both ways (so any music/podcast/audiobook suggestions would be very well-received), and yesterday I negotiated a friend down from taking me out to get a drink at the bar to getting drinks at Starbucks after class (clearly, he doesn't know me well).
So, that's pretty much all you would ever want to know about my life right now. I just wanted to write it all down because I know that I don't cover it all in conversations with my long-distance friends, and the ones who know about this little blog of mine care enough to be interested in the details. :)
1.31.2012
1.28.2012
marriage thoughts.
I'm sick of hearing Christian pastors and authors talk about how hard marriage is and how much work it takes. I cannot count the number of times I've heard sermons, lectures, or discussions on things like how to know if he/she is "the one," what singles can do to prepare for marriage, and how to treat your husband or wife once you're married. There seems to be a disproportionate emphasis on solving marriage problems than on the value and significance of having a good marriage.
After hearing a sermon or finishing an article on marriage, I usually come away thinking something like, "why would I ever want that?" or perhaps worse, "I'm glad I'm not married." Now maybe I'm alone on this, or maybe other singles enjoy sermons on the difficulties of marriage because it leaves them feeling relieved that they aren't dealing with marriage problems. But, I HATE feeling this way.
Those that know me well, know that I spent a significant amount of time and energy writing a 40ish page paper on the Greek text of Ephesians 5:22-33, aka the "wives submit to your husbands" passage. Through the paper-writing process, I learned a ton about God's purposes for the marriage relationship and the special status it has as a representation of the awesome, intimate, and fulfilling relationship between Christ and the Church. By the time the paper was finished, I had nothing but the highest respect for marriage. Which is why I hate when a Christian author or pastor gives a message focusing on the hardships and trials of marriage without sufficiently acknowledging how great it is.
I get it. Marriage is hard. The divorce rate in the church is inexcusable and church leaders are making an effort to combat the reasons for failed marriages. False expectations, infidelity, dishonesty, addictions, you name it. These are all sins which need to be preached against and repented of. However, I'm not sure why I rarely hear positive messages on the nature of marriage itself and the ways it represents Christ and the Church. Maybe they don't want to alienate the singles or divorcees in the audience, but I, for one, would welcome a message that uses real marriage experiences to illustrate how awesome marriage can be.
I mean, if marriage is a reflection of the Church's relationship with Christ then shouldn't it be natural for Christians to be able to point at marriages and say, "That's the kind of relationship Christ died for"? If people really understand the beauty of the gospel, and if they truly understand how a good marriage exemplifies that beauty, then wouldn't they be strongly motivated to work on their marriage so that the beauty of the gospel is on full display?
I'm sick of hearing messages trying to improve marriages defensively. These messages focus on how to avoid miserable marriages and divorce. They typically give advice about choosing the right spouse, getting premarital counseling, improving communication, forgiving, dealing with tragedy, and balancing time between children, spouses and God. Again, these are all good topics, but by concentrating on a list of dos and don'ts, these message imply that a good marriage is one that merely survives.
Instead, Paul's teaching on marriage gave practical advice, but included a greater perspective by focusing on the value of the marriage relationship to the message of the gospel. So my final point is this: There is nothing of greater importance than Christ's work on the cross; marriage is privileged by being a representation of what Christ did and why. Reminding ourselves of this valuable aspect of marriage should make marriage seem less like a chore and definitely should deter Christians from deciding they don't want it anymore.
Am I alone in this? Is anyone else tired of hearing about how hard marriage is and how much work it takes?
After hearing a sermon or finishing an article on marriage, I usually come away thinking something like, "why would I ever want that?" or perhaps worse, "I'm glad I'm not married." Now maybe I'm alone on this, or maybe other singles enjoy sermons on the difficulties of marriage because it leaves them feeling relieved that they aren't dealing with marriage problems. But, I HATE feeling this way.
Those that know me well, know that I spent a significant amount of time and energy writing a 40ish page paper on the Greek text of Ephesians 5:22-33, aka the "wives submit to your husbands" passage. Through the paper-writing process, I learned a ton about God's purposes for the marriage relationship and the special status it has as a representation of the awesome, intimate, and fulfilling relationship between Christ and the Church. By the time the paper was finished, I had nothing but the highest respect for marriage. Which is why I hate when a Christian author or pastor gives a message focusing on the hardships and trials of marriage without sufficiently acknowledging how great it is.
I get it. Marriage is hard. The divorce rate in the church is inexcusable and church leaders are making an effort to combat the reasons for failed marriages. False expectations, infidelity, dishonesty, addictions, you name it. These are all sins which need to be preached against and repented of. However, I'm not sure why I rarely hear positive messages on the nature of marriage itself and the ways it represents Christ and the Church. Maybe they don't want to alienate the singles or divorcees in the audience, but I, for one, would welcome a message that uses real marriage experiences to illustrate how awesome marriage can be.
I mean, if marriage is a reflection of the Church's relationship with Christ then shouldn't it be natural for Christians to be able to point at marriages and say, "That's the kind of relationship Christ died for"? If people really understand the beauty of the gospel, and if they truly understand how a good marriage exemplifies that beauty, then wouldn't they be strongly motivated to work on their marriage so that the beauty of the gospel is on full display?
I'm sick of hearing messages trying to improve marriages defensively. These messages focus on how to avoid miserable marriages and divorce. They typically give advice about choosing the right spouse, getting premarital counseling, improving communication, forgiving, dealing with tragedy, and balancing time between children, spouses and God. Again, these are all good topics, but by concentrating on a list of dos and don'ts, these message imply that a good marriage is one that merely survives.
Instead, Paul's teaching on marriage gave practical advice, but included a greater perspective by focusing on the value of the marriage relationship to the message of the gospel. So my final point is this: There is nothing of greater importance than Christ's work on the cross; marriage is privileged by being a representation of what Christ did and why. Reminding ourselves of this valuable aspect of marriage should make marriage seem less like a chore and definitely should deter Christians from deciding they don't want it anymore.
Am I alone in this? Is anyone else tired of hearing about how hard marriage is and how much work it takes?
1.10.2012
Tim Tebow, Jesus, and Victory.
Ok. First of all, I'm just going to ignore the fact that I only blogged once last year. You should, too.
Well, as any human being who has been on the internet today knows, Tim Tebow had an amazing win last night. And I, along with millions of other people, witnessed it.
Today, all I could think about was the game last night. I had a hard time concentrating on my work, and Tim Tebow occupied the majority of my thoughts throughout my hour-long commute. But the main thing that I kept coming back to was this question: "How can Tim Tebow think about anything else today?" Let me explain.
Here I was, trying to shake off my thoughts about the victory last night so that I could focus on what I needed to get done. In my attempt to accomplish daily tasks, I realized that I'm just a fan. Then I began to wonder (as I'm sure most fans do), how awesome would it be if I were his friend?!?
All day I continued to reflect on the glory of the Bronco's victory, trying to figure out just how significant that OT play was. Then I thought of a comparison that makes Tim Tebow's victory seem mundane. That comparison is to none other than Tim Tebow's (and my own) Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Tim Tebow is famous for comebacks. 4th quarter, exciting plays. He (and the rest of the team, let's give them their credit) pulls out victories when there seems to be no hope. All Tebow needs is a little time left on the clock, and its Tebow Time.
People wear crosses around their necks, get tattoos of the cross with a crown of thorns around it, and they make a cross across their body when they pray. That's what Jesus is known for: the cross. But the reason why people celebrate the cross is because it was the greatest victory ever. Jesus rose from the dead three days later. He returned when the clock had already run out. Now THAT, my friends, is a comeback.
If that's not enough, here's the real kicker. I'm not just a fan of Jesus. I'm his friend. I know him. In fact, his victory was for me. Can you imagine that the greatest victory of all time was done for you? and you have the opportunity to personally know the victor?
I don't know how long people will be celebrating Tim Tebow's victory. Probably just this week, until he plays again on Saturday. Then, more games will be played, other quarterbacks will have success, and eventually Tebow-mania will end.
Jesus' victory was so significant and so powerful that we're still celebrating it 2000 years later. No one else can match it. I can confidently and continuously celebrate. It is finished.
How can I think about anything else? 1 Corinthians 2:2
Well, as any human being who has been on the internet today knows, Tim Tebow had an amazing win last night. And I, along with millions of other people, witnessed it.
Today, all I could think about was the game last night. I had a hard time concentrating on my work, and Tim Tebow occupied the majority of my thoughts throughout my hour-long commute. But the main thing that I kept coming back to was this question: "How can Tim Tebow think about anything else today?" Let me explain.
Here I was, trying to shake off my thoughts about the victory last night so that I could focus on what I needed to get done. In my attempt to accomplish daily tasks, I realized that I'm just a fan. Then I began to wonder (as I'm sure most fans do), how awesome would it be if I were his friend?!?
All day I continued to reflect on the glory of the Bronco's victory, trying to figure out just how significant that OT play was. Then I thought of a comparison that makes Tim Tebow's victory seem mundane. That comparison is to none other than Tim Tebow's (and my own) Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Tim Tebow is famous for comebacks. 4th quarter, exciting plays. He (and the rest of the team, let's give them their credit) pulls out victories when there seems to be no hope. All Tebow needs is a little time left on the clock, and its Tebow Time.
People wear crosses around their necks, get tattoos of the cross with a crown of thorns around it, and they make a cross across their body when they pray. That's what Jesus is known for: the cross. But the reason why people celebrate the cross is because it was the greatest victory ever. Jesus rose from the dead three days later. He returned when the clock had already run out. Now THAT, my friends, is a comeback.
If that's not enough, here's the real kicker. I'm not just a fan of Jesus. I'm his friend. I know him. In fact, his victory was for me. Can you imagine that the greatest victory of all time was done for you? and you have the opportunity to personally know the victor?
I don't know how long people will be celebrating Tim Tebow's victory. Probably just this week, until he plays again on Saturday. Then, more games will be played, other quarterbacks will have success, and eventually Tebow-mania will end.
Jesus' victory was so significant and so powerful that we're still celebrating it 2000 years later. No one else can match it. I can confidently and continuously celebrate. It is finished.
How can I think about anything else? 1 Corinthians 2:2
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