Started classes on Tuesday morning and just submitted my final assignment for the week. For those keeping track, that is one day early!!! But what that more than likely means is that I have completely missed something I was supposed to do! I’ve poured over the syllabuses…er… syllabi(?), but don’t see anything jumping out at me.

This week I learned several important lessons about studying. I present them to you here as a top 10 list (ala David Letterman style):

10 – Every professor wants papers in different formats…good luck keeping them straight.

9 – Count on assignments taking you longer because you have to look up and learn what those formats even are.

8 – Make your wife drive everywhere so you can get reading done.

7 – Do not get behind… there is no time to make it up.

6 – There should only be one space after a period before the next word starts. Go figure.

5 –  Read assignment instructions carefully. Save yourself 9 HOURS of reading, highlighting, and tabbing, that you did not have to do.

4 – Sleep is overrated.

3 – Internet memes have no place in a class forum. (Thankfully I learned this before posting a meme, but it was close!)

2 – Coffee = Fuel

And the number one thing learned this week (as it relates to studying)…….. <drum roll>

You can have a life and go to Seminary, but that life must fit between 5:00-5:15 pm or 6:45-7:00 am!!!

All kidding aside, this has been a fantastic week. I have been blessed and humbled every step of the way. God has exposed my naivety, my ignorance, and my limited time as a Christian. But what he has also done is lift me up and given me energy when I was exhausted, given me words and knowledge I did not possess and surrounded me with friends and family that supports this endeavor.

Each day I have experienced and learned new and amazing things. Each day I was immersed in reading material that drew me in and expanded my view of God’s grace and love for all of us. This just shows God’s almighty power…trust me… I can show you how dry some of these textbooks appear. Not once did I ever become bored. Not once did I ever lose interest. The Holy Spirit was present and guiding.

Not only was this week of studying rewarding beyond measure, but it was also rewarding in service to God. This weekend was the annual Feed My Starving Children Mobilepack Event (https://fmsc.org/) at Asbury United Methodist Church (no affiliation with the seminary). This year I was blessed to take part in their efforts in organizing and raising money to purchase meals. Myself, my wife, and my youngest daughter all were able to work many shifts over the weekend. We were tired at the end, but it was the good kind of tired. The initial goal for the packing event was to pack 200,000 meals…then it grew to 225,000…and by the end of today’s last shift we had bought and packed 233,280 meals!!! This was enough meals to feed 639 children for a year. What a rewarding experience.

Well, that’s all I have time to write for now… time to read the entire book of Matthew twice before tomorrow night.

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. — James 1:5-8