A Very Lutheran Sunday

Today was such a beautiful day! The crisp air that follows a snowfall like yesterday's epic storm is something that I look forward to every year. I was not quite expecting it this early, though.

Anyway, today also defied my expectations in another way. Since it is Reformation Sunday, some of us decided to go to a Lutheran church! Yay! Well, that and one of my very best friends has been dying to go to one since she arrived here at seminary, so what better day to do so?! We went to Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Ewing, NJ as recommended by the director of music here, Martin Tel. It was pretty sweet, and also my first time at a traditional Lutheran service. I'd like to point out some notable details:

Music Music Music. Liturgy Liturgy Liturgy. Holy moley! Being the Presbyterian that I am, I was overwhelmed (in a good way) with the vast amount of music! Whoa! 5 hymns including one of my all time favorites--The Church's One Foundation. We also sang Listen, God is Calling and, of course, A Mighty Fortress is Our God (and two others that I do not remember off the top of my head). Another interesting thing about Lutheran worship is the liturgy... and the vast amounts of it. 

3rd person pronoun. What's that? Now, I am not entirely certain if this is a Lutheran thing or just a characteristic of this particular church, but God was not once referred to in the 3rd person pronoun. Even in situations where it seemed almost natural to use a "He," the ministers avoided it. I admire such efforts, especially since all of my OT papers need to be written in such a manner. 

Stick to Scripture. Another notable difference than the typical Presbyterian worship service I am used to was the nature of the sermon. There was not a single story, allusion, or anaolgy used. It was straight Bible, straight theology, straight confession, straight creed, straight Jesus, straight Scripture. ...and that's it. Pft, no need for anything else in this Lutheran church.

Dismissal. I'm used to just ending worship with a Benediction, but not here. They end with, "Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God," which I like very much!! Overall, it was a great experience; I am very glad I went.

Another Reformation event that happened tonight was a Lutheran group gathering on the steps of the seminary chapel. I went with some of my Lutheran friends. A retired Lutheran professor came and just gave us some informal history on Martin Luther and the 95 thesis. It was very interesting. Then, Martin Luther showed up and taped them to the door of the chapel!! 

Then we all sang A Mighty Fortress is Our God! After that we got group pictures with Martin Luther and the 95 theses:

All in all it was a really excellent day! I thank God for all of my dear Lutheran friends! I love them all very much! And all of my other non-Lutheran friends as well! Oh, what great adventures we all have here at seminary! =)

Great and Unsearchable Things

Since I am very much in need of a study break, I shall follow through on my promise to post reflections from reading week. Let me begin by saying that whoever came up with this idea of a reading week is both a genius and also an evil schemer at the same time. Genius because it seems like you will have time for a break, some down time, and even a whole lot of fun if you plan accordingly; evil schemer because you really don't have all the much extra time, you get wacked out of routine, and when they say "reading week," they aren't kidding. It's literally like a 10 day weekend full of reading assignments. Looking back on it, however, I think I've made the best of it. A little something to keep us going while studying: "Call to me and I will answer you, and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. (Jer 33:3)"

My awesome job. Now don't get me wrong, I am going to have an even more awesome job in 3 years, but I have a pretty swell one at the moment considering my circumstances. I work for the school's catering service. Sounds boring--right? ...wrong! It is sooo much fun. Check this out: I get paid to hang out with friends, study while people eat, and chat with alumnae, trustees, pastors, and the president of the seminary! Talk about pretty neat! I had quite a few hours this week because there were obviously no classes and also because there were a lot of catering events for alumni week! During these events, I had several conversations with many very interesting people including: Iain Torrance (president of the seminary), his Scottish friend (who has two Th.M's and two M.Div's), chair of the board of trustees, countless alumni, distinguished pastors, and our "southern pastor friend" (who is absolutely hilarious)! Overall, I have learned so much from conversations I have had with each of them. It makes me even more excited (I didn't think this was possible) about my future!

70th anniversary. Now, I know quite a bit of people who have graduated from this seminary. One very distinguished alumni is none other than Dr. C. Edward Brubaker who graduated in 1941. I knew he was going to be on campus this week, and I was fortunate enough to run into him on Monday during the State of the Seminary address! We then had lunch together after Chapel on Tuesday. Talk about wisdom... this man just emanates it. We spoke mostly of my first semester, but he also told me of his time here. We even talked briefly about his ministry in Trinidad. I can't even explain in words how blessed I am to have met him (he attends my home church). He has been a true inspiration to me on my journey to seminary.

Philadelphia trip. See last post: Cheesesteaks and Tastykakes. Easily the best part of the week! But, here are some of the pictures from my church:

Studies. Other than all those incredibly fun things, I have been reading, reading, reading. And when I'm not reading, I'm thinking about what I should be reading. Even meal times have been drastically shortened in time due to all the reading that needs to be read. If any of these following topics interests you, I would love to take a break from reading, reading, reading and write a brief post, email, or text message about them (ahem, begging for distractions here!): Calvin's Institutes, pretty much any part of the Old Testament, Hebrew prepositions and roots, predestination, reformation, etc.

Jeremiah. I am currently working on my Jeremiah paper (Jer 20:7-13), so I may post something about this in the near future. It is one of my favorite scriptures in the Hebrew Bible, and I would highly recommend that you take a moment in your busy, hectic day and read over it (I like the NIV translation, but any one would get the gist across). It's very interesting. =)

Until next time, I am very glad you all have take a few minutes to read this blog! All the best. Peace.

Cheesesteaks and Tastykakes

Let me just begin by apologizing for my lack of blogging over the past few days! Despite the fact that it is reading week here at PTSem, I have simply not taken the time to sit down and collect my thoughts from the past few days.

Anyway, yesterday was a wonderful, fantastic, fun-filled day! A few friends and myself decided to set the academics aside and leave them behind while we all took a nice little day trip in the the city of brotherly love--good 'ol Philly. Now, being the native Pennsylvanian that I am, I have been to Philly more times than I could count (not to mention my undergrad institution is about 40 minutes away from it). My dear friends on the other hand have never been there; after all, they are all from lands far far away from Philly. So this trip was bound to be filled with a lot of firsts!

Our first stop in the city was "Love Park." You know, that dinky little park on JFK Blvd with a cool fountain and historic love sign. Despite the fact that city officials already drained the fountain, it was very pretty and a whole lot of fun. We definitely looked like tourists with our cameras and smiling faces, though. Check it out:

 
"It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be..."


Next mission was to head over to Pat's and Geno's for some lunch. Cheesesteaks! Yay! Again, this was a first for everyone except myself. Sooo, we split into two groups and got cheesesteaks from both Pat's and Geno's. This way, we could split them and all try famous cheesesteaks from both places! So clever...

"Whiz wit..."

Our final stop in the city was historic Independence Hall. Unfortunately, they were doing some construction. BUT, we found some geocaches around the area, got some interesting pictures, and were able to see the Liberty Bell! Yay!

"That building is a lot bigger on the inside. You guys missed out."

After the city, we are trekked to my alma mater--West Chester! Except we didn't go to my school (we went somewhere that has had an even more significant influence upon my life than my undergrad), we went to First Pres Church West Chester for the Bridge program. Despite the consensus of the regulars that it was a "light" and "slow" night as compared to most Wednesday evenings there, we all still had a blast! For me, it's been far too long! I was finally home again. AND I got to bring my awesome friends with me (and they all seemed to have a good time too)! We ate some homemade, yummy food, met with all the amazing people at the church, participated in a contemporary worship service (which I was craving in the worst way), and we decorated a door for Halloween! All in all it was pretty fantastic!

"Your church makes me miss my church!" 

Before we made our way home, we stopped at Wawa for some Tastykakes (another first for everyone except myself) and Pumpkin coffee! The entire day just proved to me even more how incredibly lucky and blessed I am to have such great friends and such an amazing church!

Stay tuned for some reflections on alumni/reading week! May the peace of Christ be with each of you!

P.S. Additional photos can be found on my facebook page in days to come (including ones from the church).

God is Holding onto Me

I just wanted to share a few "pastoral points" from none other than John Calvin. We had a great guest lecturer this morning in theology, and it was one of the most interesting classes of the year. I have this tendency to write down quotations that I find clever, insightful, and/or inspiring. This morning's lecture was full of them. I pray that they have a similar affect on you.

Prayer. As John Calvin prayed before teaching, "May the Lord grant, that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of his heavenly wisdom with really incredible devotion, to his glory and our edification. Amen."

Very clear/concise. I am currently reading Calvin's most famous work: Institutes of the Christian Religion. It is a very clear and concise writing. He is addressing lay, "churched" people in France & Geneva. I am grateful that it is relatively easy to follow and understand. Thank you Calvin for not being pretentious in this respect and especially for not adding 'fluff' to your writings!

Heart is more difficult to convince than the mind. Calvin thought so.

We are accepted by God as if we had the righteousness of Christ. Now, THAT'S Grace. This is very comforting to hear! And it is also a nice, memorable statement that explains the basic idea of grace in a single breath (go ahead and try it).

Holy Spirit as center of one's faith. Like gravity. I love how the professor explained this! Scripture is authoritative, but we wouldn't be able to understand that without the Holy Spirit.

"He doesn't take all Scripture literally, but he does take it all seriously." I love this about Calvin. He addresses many issues that challenge his own theology instead of simply sidestepping them like many theologians have done. You many not agree with his arguments, but he would not have been scared to address your protests.
  
"If God has done it, I cannot undo it. I am not holding onto God; God is holding onto Me." This was the main point of the lecture. It definitely re-emphasized that we are not in control. God is. Grace through faith. This statement was also the cherry-on-top of the talk about predestination (not double predestination... that was actually not discussed).

"What happened to the body of Christ when he was around? Yeah, it's not going to be easy." I think it wouldn't hurt to be reminded of this every so often, especially in times of trial and hardship. Christianity is not necessarily easy. Trust me, Calvin knew this from experience (being an exile in France).

What affects us as evil is not necessarily 'bad.' What is truly evil is that which separates us from God... sin. I like this implied definition of evil, so I thought I'd throw this in here. Also, it emphasizes the seriousness of sin.

I continue to keep you all in my prayers. Have a wonderful day/night! Blessings.

"It tastes like when you're walking in the fall, and you open your mouth"

Greetings and grace to you all! Wowzers! What a weekend! It flew by before I even knew what was going on! I have a few updates to share with you all. I will try not to ramble on aimlessly!

Church hopping. Ugh, whereas I am enjoying the vast smorgasbord of worship styles, liturgies, and traditions that I have been exploring recently, I am feeling a tad worn out by it all. You see, back in West Chester, I have an amazing church that I miss very much. But here, I have yet to find a church "home." I have explored various venues: Nassau Pres, Plainsboro Pres, UChapel, Nassau Christian Center. I like each of these in different ways, but I have yet to find that connection. It is, however, a good thing to explore because I am hoping to do my year-long field education placements somewhere rather close. Daily chapel is keeping me from being on edge about it all. Plus, I listen to my church's podcasts every week, so that has a comforting effect as well. Wish me luck as I visit Hamilton Pres this week.

PJs. If any of you read my last post about places to eat in Princeton, you may have taken notice that I left out PJs Pancake House! (pancakes.com <--score on that website url!) This was completely unintentional, and I feel a little bad about it after eating there with a large group of friends on Sunday evening! This place is great! Pancakes of all sorts, every breakfast food imaginable, lunch/dinner plates, and pasta! It is all very good. On Sunday, I got Pumpkin Pancakes with autumn butter ("It tastes like when you're walking in the fall, and you open your mouth"). Some other dishes at our table: pigs in a blanket (not halupki... rather sausage links wrapped with pancakes!), peanut butter chocolate chip pancakes, raisin and cinnamon pancakes, and monte cristo! In total eight of us went, and we had a really cool waiter (Scott)! It was a wonderful time and a great way to relax on a Sunday night!

Time pictures. A good friend of mine was telling me a while back about a very, very old picture of the seminary, and how one could line it up with a newer picture from the same perspective and the photo matches up really well. You could definitely tell the timing difference, but overall, all of the buildings and landscape are pretty much the same. This got me to thinking. In response to all of my thought, I figured it may be interesting to take a picture at the beginning of my journey and then one at the end, and compare how time has worked its magic on me. I decided that there was no better place to do this than in the pulpit at Miller Chapel (plus, all seniors have to run a chapel service... perfect comparison picture).

And heck, while I'm at it... a picture with the organ too!

Hebrew Midterm. My Hebrew midterm was yesterday, and I was slightly worried about it going in. It turns out that it actually wasn't so bad! We're still in the infancy of the class... learning the foundational basics, but I still feel semi-accomplished after taking the test! Wish me luck going forward and especially in the short term!

I hope all is well with each of you! =)  (shalom) שָׁלוֹם

7 Premier Places for Plates in Princeton

So, if any of you all decide to come visit Princeton, there are probably certain food places you should know about because it is far too tempting to just eat at a chain place along Nassau Street. Each and everyone of these options is pretty exclusive to Princeton (with an exception or two) and definitely favorites among the locals. So here we go:

Soup and Sandwich Company. Relatively inexpensive handmade, homemade sandwiches and soups. There are numerous vegan options and combo specials. Located in Palmer Square, it is a rather tiny little shop filled with very delicious food. Probably my personal favorite place for lunch.

Halo Pub. Also a favorite of mine, this shop is an ice cream/espresso "pub." It has exotic ice cream flavors that you can mix, milkshakes, and sundaes (although they are called weekdaes here). Across the street from Soup and Sandwich Company, Halo is also pretty inexpensive. Recommendation: maple walnut ice cream on a sugar cone--two scoops!

Hoagie Haven. This is located uptown on Nassau Street, so it is quite a hike from PTS & the University, but they make very scrumptious hoagies. Anything you could think to put on a hoagie, they have already thought of and then some. It's a rather small shop, so don't expect to eat there. Get your food and make a mess of yourself while you are exploring the rest of the town.

Small World Coffee. Hands down the best coffee in town. A block away from Palmer Square and very reasonably priced. Much cheaper than many big name chain coffee shops!

Bent Spoon. This place is a tad pricey, but it's the only place in Princeton to get organic frozen yogurt. They also serve ice cream and other tasty desserts of this nature. Located on the near end of Palmer Square, I would recommend trying this at least once because that's all it will take for you to fall in love with this place.

Deli. Surprisingly, I have never actually thought to look at the proper name of this place. Everyone just calls it "the deli." It is one block North of Palmer square and has some amazing foods! It's very Italian in nature and also has a small grocery store--like section where you can get a lot of items that you may find in a Trader Joe's store.

Cupcake Shoppe. Cookies and cupcakes of all sorts! They even won some prestigious cupcake award for many years running. It definitely a good place to just stop and get that sugar high you may be looking for. This shop has some pretty awesome flavors that will really make your eyebrows go up! Give it a try!

All the best!

**This may be a subtle hint for some of you to come visit me! Good area for food! =)

"How to Avoid Getting Burned at the Stake"

Today was one of those very well balanced days that you wish you could come close to duplicating everyday. Breakfast--speech meeting (with my awesome preaching professor)--gym--chapel--lunch--bookstore--PC(USA) ordination meeting--macy's/old navy--choir practice sit in--dinner--contemporary service where a friend preached an awesome sermon--and now... blogging! Wow, what a day! I must admit, I love Wednesdays--no class, and a lot of time for catching up on things. Plus, it kind of let's me get a good, running head start at Thursday!

Just to touch base on a few key points:

NEPA. Being a native born of Northeastern Pennsylvania means that there are some syllables I mush together and others that I simply say phonetically incorrectly. My speech professor pointed this out today. I can say any "s" word that has a "sch" sound, but then I also incorporate that when I say "str" words. I sound very un-academic, so I am working on this. I think if I just say the Hebrew letter tsade in my head before saying words like straight, strangle, strange, etc I should be alright. It's ok to poke fun at me... apparently, I already ask questions in a funny tone of inflection, so it's all good fun.

Bookstore. Here at PTS we have a great bookstore. Students get discounts on various books, and we always have the most up to date translations and newest books. Today, however, I had to buy a book that I cannot even read yet! The Bible... in HEBREW. I mean, I could pronounce and read it, but as for translating it into something I understand... well, that will come with time. Anyway, the best thing about this bookstore trip was a book called The Presbyterian Handbook for Pastors. A chapter shown below: How to Avoid Getting Burned at the Stake. Check it out:

PC(USA). I have found that being part of the PC(USA) means that you get to have all kinds of fun in the forms of various challenges in seeking ordination that other denominations do not get to encounter. I knew this before coming to seminary. But most of these requirements are things I would want to do anyway: CPE, year-long field ed, Hebrew/Greek, respective exegetical courses. It feels good to start planning how I am going to fulfill these requirements and when. It is all very, very exciting.

Preacher Friends. ...and a lot of them. I went to a worship service led by one of my colleagues today. It was really great! Oftentimes, when I am at dinner, in class, or just hanging out with friends, I think: this is the future of preachers, teachers, leaders, missionaries, and chaplains! How lucky am I to be in such company?! Bottom line: I LOVE this place!

What a wonderful day, despite the gloomy weather! Thanks be to God!

Oh, and p.s. I would strongly recommend the African American Heritage Hymnal for all kinds of worship! Check it out!

"Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn"

Things I am learning & beginning:

ASL--this is the most fun of them all, and arguably the most useful! About half of what I know to sign is holy.

Organ--4 measures of Toccata and Fugue in D minor down (and memorized), only what seems to be like a ba-gillion to go! Next task--Doxology (the good one)!

Prayer Group--once a week place to recenter and fellowship! So excited!

Flag Football--I need to learn how to collide with the other team. Physically sore after an L. It was plenty of fun though!

Daniel 5--reading in Speech! Veeeery powerful. Love love love this class though!

Hebrew--flowing along in this class. Embracing the stupidity, but having a good time at the same time. Currently learning about roots and irregulars. Newsflash: they're ALL irregular to me! =)

Theological Debate--over the divinity of Christ in our precept on Friday. Icebergs were bumping. This week's topic: Anselm--Why God became Human.

OT--I would highly recommend How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture Then and Now by Kugel if you want to critically study scripture. It is a very dense, informative, and challenging book!

Have a fantastic week! God's blessings!

Note: I know that there are some of you reading this who aren't "followers" for various reasons, but if you have any suggestions or requests of blog topics/scriptures, I highly encourage you to comment or email me: ashley.reimold@gmail.com. Truly, I am beginning to run out of things to talk about.

Golden calf. Really?

This week has been wonderful (that is "fantastic")! I, along with my fellow seminarians, seem to have gotten into a nice routine and have made this community a new home! Classes, clubs, groups, and other activities are rolling on full steam and everything is going very well!

This being said, I would like to share with you a discussion about one of the many OT stories that I have been having with some friends, and also that I have been reflecting upon personally:

Golden calf. Really? This story is found in Exodus 32. Moses goes up to get the 10 commandments from the Lord while Aaron and the Israelites wait at the bottom of the mountain. Apparently 40 days of waiting is too long for the Israelites, so they demand Aaron to make them a God, so they could worship. Really? Talk about impatience. Not to mention God just told them a few chapters ago to NOT do that. And Aaron, noble man that he is refuses... or NOT! He instructs them to take their golden rings and jewelry and throw them into the fire. Out of this refined gold, Aaron makes a calf and tells the Israelites that THIS is their God. Really, Aaron? A Golden Calf? Oh, and did the Israelites ever get excited! Whoo hoo! A god to worship! Let's throw a party! All the while Moses is starving up on the mountain speaking with the God of the universe! Moses comes down and hears the Israelites making a whole lot of noise. He thought they may have been engaged in battle. When he realizes that they are actually worshipping idols, he throws the recently engraved 10 commandments of God (no big deal, just God's law) in a fit of anger. Really? Throwing God's Commandments?! Then he approached Aaron, and basically says, "Dude, what the heck?!" In return Aaron stutters (he's supposed to be the brother well versed in speech) and says, "They made me do it." Really? Furthermore, he continues, "We threw in the gold and this calf just came out of the fire." Really Aaron. It just came out? Eventually, the people are put back in their place and God gives Moses a new copy of the 10 Commandments. The people in this story, however, are ridiculous. It just begs the question--really?

Before passing too much judgment upon them, I wonder if there is anything I have ever done that would cause God to say, "Really, Ashley... seriously?!" And maybe even throw in some rolled eyes, a slight head nod, and a deep exhale. And the truth is, there are things I have done that would cause God to respond in such a way. And I'm guessing I'm not alone in this respect. We have all done things like this. Good thing for us is that God is forgiving... and merciful... and gracious... and loving... and caring... etc etc etc! And above all, I would like to emphasize the main point main in OT this week: GRACE before law.

Thanks be to God for grace! =) Amen.

Mission at Westminster

Greetings once again! This will be a relatively short post, but I wanted to share some of the mission work I was fortunate enough to partake in during orientation week (I just got an email with some pictures from one of the church's elders). Each of the incoming MDiv students got to choose from a list of about a dozen or so mission partners around the area. I choose Westminster Presbyterian Church in Trenton, NJ. The original plan was for the group of us to work on an intentional living community that the church had recently purchased. This plan, however, did not work out because there was apparently a ridiculous amount of poison ivy growing the backyard. Instead, we went on a historical walking tour of the city and learned a lot about different social issues that are impacting the church and the religious life of the community.

We then came back to the church and split up into groups to do some on-site work: managing the garden (some of us went away with fresh veggies), cleaning the entire sanctuary (nooks and crannies included), and some translation work for the pastor. After we had finished, we went into their meeting room where there was a blanket covering what appeared to be a bike. This wasn't just any bike though, my friends, oh no! This was a blender bike! One would get on it and pedal to power a blender. And we made fresh fruit smoothies using this method! It was so much fun!

Here are only a few pictures from the adventure:

It's incredible how a few hours of volunteer work can mean so much to people. 

Anyway, I am working on a post for the very near future. That is, if Hebrew and OT decide to give me a moment to breathe! Until next time, all the best! =)

Fruits of Our Labor

It is time to be less academic! Finally. Yesterday some of my friends and I went apple picking. We had this planned for quite some time, so it functioned as something to look forward to all week. I'm thinking flag football is going to serve that function for this upcoming week. Or perhaps even a trip to Philly. We'll see all in good time.

Anyway, apple picking. If you have never gone before, I highly recommend going. It is a ridiculous amount of fun, especially if you go with the right people. Since I love lists, here are some highlights of the adventures of apple picking:

Free apples? Yep, that's right. Free. But only if you eat them in the orchard. And they really don't get any fresher than that. I think each of the five of us had at least two or three as we walked around picking.

Cheap. This is something every college student/seminarian can truly appreciate. $1.39/lb--sweet deal.

Discovery. McCoun apples are amazing. I had never even heard of this kind of apple. Very sweet and good for baking. Definitely the best kind of apple there!

Laughter. Of course this is involved. We're a group of young adults going on apple picking adventures, would you expect anything less? Just a few laughs: endless fences, mud, awkward hugs, tractor pictures, handless picking, etc.

Fruits of our labor. Apples. Apple crisp. Apple sauce. <-- and that's all in one day. I'm sure there will be various other apple creations in the near future.

We also went for lunch after apple picking at Princeton's very own Soup and Sandwich Company. Great, great place! Oh right, and then for CUPCAKES! Yay!

What a great day! I am definitely grateful for such great friends, such awesome adventures, and such tasty food! As Ed would say in pretty much any context, "Praise Jesus, Allelu(sh)ia!

All the best!

Heart vs. Head: Check yourself before you wreck yourself

Week two: complete! Okay, now I'm about 3% done with seminary (not including field ed and CPE), and it has been all I expected and then some. I am really beginning to settle in here and have developed a pretty solid routine. This routine should help me: (1) get everything done (on time); (2) ensure I do not starve; (3) stay in good physical shape; (4) have a little fun. I am looking forward to the next 97%! =)

An interesting observation that I have heard many a time over the past two weeks is that Princeton is a "head school." Umm, yeah... it is. But I have been hearing this comment in both positive and negative contexts. Some of the best scholars come from this school. And trust me, there are many incredibly intelligent people around here. This "head school" idea has a tendency to worry some people about the well being of their spiritual life. This being said, I would like to list a few bits of advice of what have helped me stay pretty well grounded--things that I would turn to in order to "check myself" and make sure I remember the deepest reason I am here in the first place. 

Call stories and testimonies. These are great! There are so many people here with such diverse backgrounds and different call stories. Each one of us has a unique journey that brought us here. Most people are pretty comfortable to share their call story and/or testimony. Plus, it always helps to recenter and remember why you're here. Just go for a walk when Liberation Theology is getting frustrating and talk about what brought you here. Honestly though, hearing call stories and testimonies is even better than sharing yours (although, I would argue sharing your very own story is incredibly important for refocusing yourself). You just never know how someone will inspire you, or how you could inspire someone else. Let God work.

Laugh. ...a lot. Have a good time; lighten up. And for goodness sake, be willing and ready to laugh at yourself. I for one say a lot of stupid things and have many ridiculous things happen to be, so I am wholeheartedly sincere when I say, "Laugh at yourself." For instance, just the other day a baby bunny rabbit scared the living cahoots out of me in front of the mail room. The little guy was probably more frightened that I was, but the entire situation was really funny. One of my friends tried to "help" him up the stairs and to safety. Another great example is that my friends and I have distinctively defined what we call an "engagement hug." Just an FYI: an engagement hug is when a slightly taller person hugs a shorter person with both arms around the shorter person's neck and squeezes with their biceps. Oh, and one could even add a soft pat or clockwise hand motion on the other's back. Yeah... it's kinda creepy, but apparently it means you're engaged. =)

Weave in, don't weed out. The academic nature of this school and the insane amount of reading may push you to prefer quiet, lonesome studying. I would strongly discourage this method. Instead, I would recommend studying in groups and especially with other students in similar classes. This is very comforting when I get frustrated and usually involves lots of laughing (point number 2). For instance: when I study Hebrew, I tend to do it with a small community of people. There are multiple reasons for such tactics: Firstly, it's a language--you have to do things verbally. Secondly--it's a lot of work. Having people who can relate is extremely helpful. You are not alone in this journey of ancient languages. Thirdly--as my professor so nicely put it, it helps you, "Embrace the stupidity." Being novice Hebrew-ers, we tend to sound like babbling babies with confused tones of voice. Classes are not a competition around here. They are a cooperation. If you are going to succeed, it is because of the immense amount of help you receive from your classmates. So, weave in, don't weed out.

Forget about the Impostor Syndrome. It's kinda paradoxical that I would bring it up then, right? I just want to address this because it seems to be playing in the subconscious of a few people around here. If you've never heard of this before, it is basically the idea that you are a fraud.... that you're faking some major part of your life. To this, I would simply say... let it go. If you are here, you are here for a reason. Don't let doubt creep into your mind, especially when things are beginning to get difficult. Trust. Have faith that God will make your paths straight. 

Yes, this is a head school, but don't let that overwhelm you. There are plenty of things you could do to make sure your heart stays in the right place and that your motives remain pure. So, check yourself before you wreck yourself. =)

Until next time friends, God Bless!