Well, for those of you who are waiting with baited breath for the answer to the question I posed last post; the correct answer is..... (C) demotion from glory! And if you were waiting for me to post an answer, may I suggest a dictionary. If you can't afford one right now, www.dictionary.com is absolutely free. But, great job if you got it! More posts to come on the topic of the GRE, I am sure.
*brandon
Friday, July 28, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Vocabulary, Quantitative Comparison, and Analytical Writing... Oh My!
Per admittance to Wheaton's graduate program, I am required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE for short). As I began studying the Antonym section in my Barron's "How to Prepare for the GRE" , I came to the stark realization that my vocabulary is not where it ought to be for this exam. I will give an example question that I encountered below, but needless to say, I spent about an hour and a half today listening to The Appleseed Cast and doing a little light reading by Merriam-Webster. This should be fun. No seriously, it was really fun. Weird, huh?
Directions -- In the following antonym question, a word printed in capital letters precedes five lettered words or phrases. From these five lettered words or phrases, pick the one most nearly opposite in meaning to the capitalized word. Because some of the questions require you to distinguish fine shades of meaning, be sure to consider all the choices before deciding which one is best.
APOTHEOSIS:
(A) departure from tradition
(B) impatience with stupidity
(C) demotion from glory
(D) surrender to impulse
(E) cause for grief
Go ahead give it a shot, see how you do. Believe it or not, I got this one right.
*brandon
Directions -- In the following antonym question, a word printed in capital letters precedes five lettered words or phrases. From these five lettered words or phrases, pick the one most nearly opposite in meaning to the capitalized word. Because some of the questions require you to distinguish fine shades of meaning, be sure to consider all the choices before deciding which one is best.
APOTHEOSIS:
(A) departure from tradition
(B) impatience with stupidity
(C) demotion from glory
(D) surrender to impulse
(E) cause for grief
Go ahead give it a shot, see how you do. Believe it or not, I got this one right.
*brandon
Sunday, July 23, 2006
One Week Down!
Our first week in Chicago has officially come to an end. This week has felt like an eternity to me. It is strange to think that it was really only one week ago that I said "good-bye" to many of you. It feels like we have been here forever, but time is also going really fast for me. As a result of that, I didn't have time to reflect on all of the changes in my life. This weekend, as life slowed down, things got hard. Brandon and I both laid in bed last night with feelings of homesickness for our little white house and adorable dog Lucy. Not having Lucy has been the hardest thing for me. I miss that little pup like crazy.
On a postive note, I am loving my job. I don't really have a handle on what I am doing yet, but I already have a great feeling about my position. I met one of my RA's this last week and she seems great. Meeting her made me very excited about the school year and the relational side of my job.
This post isn't anything profound. Just an update from me since I have been silent for some time now. Your continued prayers are appreciated.
*abbey
On a postive note, I am loving my job. I don't really have a handle on what I am doing yet, but I already have a great feeling about my position. I met one of my RA's this last week and she seems great. Meeting her made me very excited about the school year and the relational side of my job.
This post isn't anything profound. Just an update from me since I have been silent for some time now. Your continued prayers are appreciated.
*abbey
Monday, July 17, 2006
From the lips of children and infants...
***disclaimer***
The following thought is a work in process. There might be a couple of holes in the pattern, but I think there is something there. Thanks.
I have been thinking a lot about my hastening entrance into the world of "Christian" Academia. I have been thinking a lot about Luke 10:21 when Jesus states (excitedly) "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." (emphasis mine)
I guess that my prayer is that I would not lose "it". I am confident that, as a developing leader, I need to be well prepared so that I might lead soundly and with confidence. For this reason, I long for wisdom and learning. But I pray that I might never forget that the secrets to the Kingdom are easy enough for a child to understand.
I've often wondered why children were so favored by Jesus. I've wondered if it was for their unashamed social interaction (the kind of fearlessness I see in the Kingdom). I've wondered if it was their humility (the kind that is unavoidable due to their status and the kind that is imperative to being like Christ). Today, as I read this passage in Luke, I wondered if it was for their innate sense of literal obedience to authority (the kind that would lead to unquestioning service of your master).
In regards to the latter, here is something I have observed in the 27 years I have lived on this great terrestrial sphere; the more you study something, the less you are able to take pleasure in the beauty and simplicity of your study. As you become wiser and wiser on your specific study, the more you tend to feel that you know it. The more you feel you know it, the more you tend to feel that you have power over it. The more you feel you have power over it, the less you will tend to find beauty in it (for if you know it and have power over it; it is less than you).
What does this have to do with Jesus and children? We must never lose sight of the fact that at the end of the day, children get "it". As hard as we will study it, as much as we read into it, at the end of each day children understand it. And I think there is something beautiful about a child's literal obedience to a simple call.
I pray that I might learn in humility and that I might become wiser in obedience. Lord, I pray that I might never lose sight of what you have held from the learned and wise and revealed to children. Lord, let me never lose sight of the Kingdom.
John 14:15
"If you love me, you will obey what I command"
Matthew 4:19a
"Come, follow me"
The following thought is a work in process. There might be a couple of holes in the pattern, but I think there is something there. Thanks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been thinking a lot about my hastening entrance into the world of "Christian" Academia. I have been thinking a lot about Luke 10:21 when Jesus states (excitedly) "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." (emphasis mine)
I guess that my prayer is that I would not lose "it". I am confident that, as a developing leader, I need to be well prepared so that I might lead soundly and with confidence. For this reason, I long for wisdom and learning. But I pray that I might never forget that the secrets to the Kingdom are easy enough for a child to understand.
I've often wondered why children were so favored by Jesus. I've wondered if it was for their unashamed social interaction (the kind of fearlessness I see in the Kingdom). I've wondered if it was their humility (the kind that is unavoidable due to their status and the kind that is imperative to being like Christ). Today, as I read this passage in Luke, I wondered if it was for their innate sense of literal obedience to authority (the kind that would lead to unquestioning service of your master).
In regards to the latter, here is something I have observed in the 27 years I have lived on this great terrestrial sphere; the more you study something, the less you are able to take pleasure in the beauty and simplicity of your study. As you become wiser and wiser on your specific study, the more you tend to feel that you know it. The more you feel you know it, the more you tend to feel that you have power over it. The more you feel you have power over it, the less you will tend to find beauty in it (for if you know it and have power over it; it is less than you).
What does this have to do with Jesus and children? We must never lose sight of the fact that at the end of the day, children get "it". As hard as we will study it, as much as we read into it, at the end of each day children understand it. And I think there is something beautiful about a child's literal obedience to a simple call.
I pray that I might learn in humility and that I might become wiser in obedience. Lord, I pray that I might never lose sight of what you have held from the learned and wise and revealed to children. Lord, let me never lose sight of the Kingdom.
John 14:15
"If you love me, you will obey what I command"
Matthew 4:19a
"Come, follow me"
Sunday, July 16, 2006
And so it begins.....
We arrived safely yesterday afternoon to a heat wave and what will probably be the smallest space Abe and I will ever live in. With the help of some wonderful, young Moody students, we unloaded the truck in no time at all. With all of the items inside, Andrea and Joe (Abbey's sister and husband) showed us one of their favorite sites in this great city...Costco. With a giant box of granola bars in tow, we were treated to some hot, hot Chili (a la Andrea). After much chili and much laughter, we came back to the girls' dorm, unpacked some, and crashed. Day 1 completed.
Day 2 started very late. Awesome. What we thought would be the dining room/study, turned out to be only a study. Sweet for me...I've never had an office. Sad for Abe... no dining room means no dining room table for us at this time. Without the need for a dining room table, we went ahead and returned the Uhaul. Afterwards we decided that a trip to the wonderful land of Ikea would be an alright way to spend the afternoon... and evening. We were there forever. What a place, those Swedes sure know how to make a lot of stuff!
The overall feel of our lives right now is overwhelmed. It's hard to believe that this is our home. The busyness of the city is incredible (and it was the weekend). Traffic is ridiculous. We miss Lucy. Abe is starting a new job. I've lost my identity. But, we are excited to see what God has in store for us here. He brought us here for a reason, we are sure of that.
*brandon
Day 2 started very late. Awesome. What we thought would be the dining room/study, turned out to be only a study. Sweet for me...I've never had an office. Sad for Abe... no dining room means no dining room table for us at this time. Without the need for a dining room table, we went ahead and returned the Uhaul. Afterwards we decided that a trip to the wonderful land of Ikea would be an alright way to spend the afternoon... and evening. We were there forever. What a place, those Swedes sure know how to make a lot of stuff!
The overall feel of our lives right now is overwhelmed. It's hard to believe that this is our home. The busyness of the city is incredible (and it was the weekend). Traffic is ridiculous. We miss Lucy. Abe is starting a new job. I've lost my identity. But, we are excited to see what God has in store for us here. He brought us here for a reason, we are sure of that.
*brandon
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
It's so hard to say goodbye...
No really, it's so hard. It's hard because it really hasn't set in yet. This week has been full of tying up loose ends and saying many, many goodbyes. But it hasn't set in yet. I suppose it will on Friday as family and friends gather at our home to help us load the 2nd smallest Uhaul that they make (I hope it's big enough).
In case you have been under a rock for a while, this Saturday, Abe and I are moving to "The Big Breazy", Chicago, IL; it is time. We will, for the next 2+ years, be living in a girls' dormitory. We will soon be saying our final "farewell" to our beloved Lucille 3. We will, with finality, be closing the red door to an empty house. We will be heading down I-80 to the hustle/bustle of city life. We will be leaving all that we have known as a married couple.
Our first years in the DSM have been good. We've made lifelong friends. We've been inspired to dream. We've grown wiser from experience. We've fallen deeper in love.
God bless this city, may His face shine on her, and may His love and Will flourish here.
Thanks for the memories.
*brandon
In case you have been under a rock for a while, this Saturday, Abe and I are moving to "The Big Breazy", Chicago, IL; it is time. We will, for the next 2+ years, be living in a girls' dormitory. We will soon be saying our final "farewell" to our beloved Lucille 3. We will, with finality, be closing the red door to an empty house. We will be heading down I-80 to the hustle/bustle of city life. We will be leaving all that we have known as a married couple.
Our first years in the DSM have been good. We've made lifelong friends. We've been inspired to dream. We've grown wiser from experience. We've fallen deeper in love.
God bless this city, may His face shine on her, and may His love and Will flourish here.
Thanks for the memories.
*brandon
Monday, July 03, 2006
Lost.....and then found!
This has been an interesting couple of days for me. Brandon is gone and I am packing up our life in Des Moines one box at a time. It has been emotional for me to start seeing visual reminders that our time here is coming to an end very quickly. I also lost something very important that caused me quite a bit of stress.
This last Sunday I realized that I had no idea where my moleskin journal was. I did not panic at first, but looked all through my house, car, Brandon's car, and any bag I had used in the recent past. No luck. At that point I started to panic. I actually just received my moleskin this last Christmas as a gift from Brandon, he encouraged me to start journaling. My argument for not keeping a journal was that I find them to be very intimate and always worried about someone reading my thoughts. Well, against my better judgment I began to journal in January and loved it. I found it so refreshing to write my thought and feelings without having to censor them. I also discovered I tend to write when I am feeling a strong emotion. As a result of that my journal entries are definitely not anything that I would want anyone to ever read. As I started to think about some of the entries that I had written I became very paranoid about where my journal was. I will cut to the chase and let you know I found it under my bed, underneath a suitcase 48 LONG hours later. How it got there I will never know. Why I didn't see it there the first five times I looked I also will never know. I do know that I am very relieved to have my little journal back in my possession. Now I have to decide if I will keep on writing, We shall see.
abbey*
This last Sunday I realized that I had no idea where my moleskin journal was. I did not panic at first, but looked all through my house, car, Brandon's car, and any bag I had used in the recent past. No luck. At that point I started to panic. I actually just received my moleskin this last Christmas as a gift from Brandon, he encouraged me to start journaling. My argument for not keeping a journal was that I find them to be very intimate and always worried about someone reading my thoughts. Well, against my better judgment I began to journal in January and loved it. I found it so refreshing to write my thought and feelings without having to censor them. I also discovered I tend to write when I am feeling a strong emotion. As a result of that my journal entries are definitely not anything that I would want anyone to ever read. As I started to think about some of the entries that I had written I became very paranoid about where my journal was. I will cut to the chase and let you know I found it under my bed, underneath a suitcase 48 LONG hours later. How it got there I will never know. Why I didn't see it there the first five times I looked I also will never know. I do know that I am very relieved to have my little journal back in my possession. Now I have to decide if I will keep on writing, We shall see.
abbey*
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Pacifism in Chicago
I'm sitting in a hotel room in West Lafeyette, IN. I am here with our high school group for the national conference of Evangelical Free Churches, more commonly known as "Challenge." It should prove to be interesting, if you know me well you know my stance on youth conferences. But now is not the time or the place to go there. I will, hopefully, have a fantastic time with our group on this "last hurrah" of my days at Valley.
Today we had to pass through Chicago to get here. Abe called me at the exact moment we were passing through. She asked if it felt like home. With frank honesty, I answered, "no." It didn't feel like home. It probably won't for a while. But, in time, it will.
On a completely different note, I read a lot on our bus ride. I read some Martel, some N.T. Wright, and I finished "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McClaren. Though McClaren's works have sparked much controversy in conservative, evangelical circles, I feel the need to hear him out. I feel this for two reasons; first, I am moving to the liberal side of conservativism (to be safe) and second, he has good things to say.
In one of the chapters he lays out a very convincing argument for a pacifistic lifestyle. Pacifism is something I have been personally mulling over in the ol' bean for a while now. I read the Scriptures, and I can't help but see it. I realize that this is a sticky subject, but I feel that this is one of those things that you've got to figure out where you stand. It seems especially important in a day and age when wars are waged and violence is effected in the name of God (if you think about it, this statement is incredibly ambiguous, so don't get to bent out of shape). So if I were to take a stand, I would have to say that I am a Pacifist. I might be a developing, or a progressing, or even a struggling one, but I am a pacifist. It seems that if you are follower of Christ, you put your stock in God's economy. And in God's economy, love and peace will win, period.
This is a strikingly political post for me, but nevertheless, it must be said. Let me know what you think on the topic.
Shalom (which means God's Peace, if you didn't already know that).
Today we had to pass through Chicago to get here. Abe called me at the exact moment we were passing through. She asked if it felt like home. With frank honesty, I answered, "no." It didn't feel like home. It probably won't for a while. But, in time, it will.
On a completely different note, I read a lot on our bus ride. I read some Martel, some N.T. Wright, and I finished "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McClaren. Though McClaren's works have sparked much controversy in conservative, evangelical circles, I feel the need to hear him out. I feel this for two reasons; first, I am moving to the liberal side of conservativism (to be safe) and second, he has good things to say.
In one of the chapters he lays out a very convincing argument for a pacifistic lifestyle. Pacifism is something I have been personally mulling over in the ol' bean for a while now. I read the Scriptures, and I can't help but see it. I realize that this is a sticky subject, but I feel that this is one of those things that you've got to figure out where you stand. It seems especially important in a day and age when wars are waged and violence is effected in the name of God (if you think about it, this statement is incredibly ambiguous, so don't get to bent out of shape). So if I were to take a stand, I would have to say that I am a Pacifist. I might be a developing, or a progressing, or even a struggling one, but I am a pacifist. It seems that if you are follower of Christ, you put your stock in God's economy. And in God's economy, love and peace will win, period.
This is a strikingly political post for me, but nevertheless, it must be said. Let me know what you think on the topic.
Shalom (which means God's Peace, if you didn't already know that).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
