Five Things

Time for a random mini-update on a few things that don't necessarily fit together. :)

1. New address, same blog. Originally, I wanted the URL for this blog to use only my first name or initials in some form or fashion, but I couldn't get anything that wasn't already taken. And even though most of the people who read this probably know my last name, I didn't like having it out there in the site address. So I finally settled for one that was a weird combo of my initials and the blog title, but I never really liked it.

At Candler, I feel like I've become known as "the one from Texas," which is really interesting. There are a few other Texans here, but it seems to be something that a lot of people remember about me.

For example, I met one of my now-classmates here in March when I visited for Admitted Students' Day. Everyone there seemed impressed that I had come to visit from so far away...even though it didn't seem like far to me. I mean, you have to drive so long to get out of Texas anyway, you may as well keep driving through all those other states, right? (Plus, I took a plane that time. Ha.)

But anyway, I saw this guy at orientation five months later, and he was like, "Ginny! From Texas!"

I've also had a lot of people tell me that I'm not like any other Texas they've ever met, which I take as a compliment from the tone of their statement. ;)

But more seriously...being here and visiting different churches and hearing about other UMC conferences has made me realize that I do love and appreciate the Texas Conference. I miss the people in it, and while I enjoy living here, I'm still excited to go back there and work in a few years. Even if I now realize even more fully how terrible the heat is.

So, voila, a new URL was born! :)

2. First test down! I had my first test AND my first real paper due yesterday (in addition to some smaller assignments), so this week has been crazay. I think everything went pretty well, though! However, this leads me to my next point...

3. Sadly sickly. Aside from a few bad allergy days and one random 24-hour sinus thing, this is the first time I've been sick since Travis and I got married (16 months ago). I thought maybe it was because I was getting better sleep with him there, was more relaxed, etc. Now I realize it's just because I wasn't in school. Le sigh. At least I get a 4-day weekend to recover...and it just feels like a cold.

4. Travis got a job! Yayyy! My poor husband put out so many applications, but it's just hard to get hired anywhere full-time at the moment. However, after a few weeks of applying everywhere he could think of that remotely applied to his interests, he got a very excited callback from an Eistein Bros. Bagels (if you don't know, it's a chain cafe-type place that does breakfast and lunch). He's now been working there for about two weeks, and this week he was officially certified as a full-time baker with the company! It has completely weird hours...he basically ends up sleeping for about three hours at night and five or six in the afternoon. He's transitioned into it pretty well, though. And it's a full-time job with potential for benefits after a while, which is wonderful.

5. Free Museum Day! If you are a nerd like me and you love museums, you need to check out this year's Free Museum Day tomorrow sponsored by Smithsonian Magazine. You can get a free ticket (which admits two people) to any participating museum, sent to your email. There's a search engine on the website so you can find which museums near you are taking part! I'm really hoping I feel better so we can visit ours.

ABC, easy as 1-2-3 (or maybe not)

Everyone tells you going into seminary that there's no possible way to do all your required reading (not to mention the "recommended" reading. Let's be real, here, guys).

But still, doesn't every nerdy little first year feel like they will be the one to finally accomplish ALL the reading?

No? Just me? Well, okay. I used to feel that way. For about two weeks.

I guess it's just the perfectionist in me...I want to do all my work, and I want to do it well. Oh, and I'd like to make all A's while I'm at it, as well as help provide for my family financially, be part of a church congregation and small group, and engage in organizations and community outreach in meaningful ways. And have friends. And stay married. Sounds good, right?

Yes, that marvelous dream shattered yesterday.
(Just the schoolwork part, not the married or friends part. Don't fret.)

Now, obviously I'm not saying that I'm going to quit doing any work at all. But my methods and priorities are definitely going to need to change. I've only been out of school for a year, but I honestly think I just forgot how to read and study.

I've been reading all my books and articles closely, underlining as I go, and then going back and taking copious notes in my spirals on what I underlined (can you tell I don't have a job yet?).

Yesterday afternoon, I was getting really stressed out about how I was even going to retain this vast amount of information. But after talking with Travis, I reviewed my study methods and basically went, "What the whaaat? How do you think this is even beneficial? You never used to read like this, and you graduated with a 4.0. Plus, you're running out of pens already. And we don't have money to buy more."

So, here is what I have determined to change:

• Mark up only the main ideas in my books...not so many details.
• Type at least some of my reading notes instead of writing them out (this may seem obvious, but I've always been a much bigger fan of handwritten notes).
• Read faster. Not necessarily speed reading, but again, just not getting bogged down in details. More like skimming, I guess.
• Set reasonable goals for how much I will study in a day, balanced with family and other activities. Even if this means I don't finish reading certain things.
• Focus on learning and understanding what I'm reading, rather than just getting everything accomplished.

Pretty easy, I know, but I kind of just forgot how to be a student. Hopefully this will be a post I can return to if I feel overwhelmed by work in the future.

So, it's all on you now. You guys better hold me to this or you'll never see me again for the next three years. :)

The Three-Week Mark

Well, we've been in ATL for three weeks, and I've had one day of seminary classes so far (though some might count the 3.5 days of orientation, too). And I foresee that blog posts are going to be few and far between, at least at first! It's true what they told me: "On the first day, you'll already be about three weeks behind." Hopefully things will get into a rhythm soon. And the Blogger app (on which I wrote this post right before dinner) will probably become my best friend in this regard.

We are both still jobless, which is a little stressful at times. But we fortunately have a good amount of savings (as well as parents/friends who wouldn't let us starve or get evicted if it came down to it). I feel that God is teaching us to rely on Him again through this first-month-in-a-new-city experience.

Travis and I used to be really good about not worrying excessively about money and the future (as a couple, that is. I've always been a little more of a worrier, but that's definitely improved over the course of my life.). We valued many things above money, and we lived with those other priorities in mind and were always provided for monetarily...sometimes in really weird but blessed ways.

However, during our first year of marriage, we got caught up in the money worries sometimes. And we stopped relying on God to provide for us. We didn't tithe and give like we should and like we did before: trusting that there would be enough as we gave generously to those needs that were more pressing than our own.

I'm not advocating that one should be totally irresponsible and never save or anything like that, but I believe there's a balance that must be struck between faith and what our society might term financial "responsibility" and what I might term over-concern with future security. A security which takes away from faith. And we are learning that again, in a new place.

So today, in spite of zero income and a mountain of schoolwork to do, I am thankful. Thankful for newfound friends and the beginnings of connections and community. Thankful for my husband who has put out about fifteen job applications, and who cooks all of our meals and lets me read for school instead. Thankful for this opportunity to engage in theological education. Thankful that God has led us here, and that He'll continue to lead us all the way.