Just got back from an amazing Thanksgiving break, and to my surprise... there's only 3 more weeks of classes left!! My first semester has flown by and part of me doesn't even know where the time has gone. Before the semester comes to an end there is still a lot of work to be done.
Two weeks ago was the week after Reading week and for some reason, every time we finish reading week, no one on campus feels like doing any work; me included. We all felt lackadaisical and found it hard to keep doing work, but we had no choice because our next Greek exam had come along. This time the exam was definitely much harder than the previous exam. Our professor asked for very specific details, and many of us were stumped by his questions. Thankfully, God gave me the perseverance to keep studying and I was able to get a 94 on my exam. Personally, I don't think it will be enough because of the way our class gives out grades; a 96+ is an A, and right now I stand with a 96 and a 94. Besides grades, everything has been moving along pretty well.
I am really starting to get to know different people at campus and especially the guys in my soul care group. Saturday before the Thanksgiving week I had the opportunity to just sit with them and pray over all the different things we were thankful for. It was a really refreshing and encouraging time where we spent time just giving thanks instead of always coming before God for help with our burdens.
More recently, I was given the opportunity to return home to New York for Thanksgiving break, and that was a well needed rest from school work. It was really great to see friends and family and to hear how they were doing. I was also really looking forward to doing some black Friday shopping because my laptop that survived all of my college Computer Science degree had finally breathed its last breath. Even though I wasn't exactly able to buy the laptop I wanted to, God was gracious and still let me buy one that had decent specs. One of the things I hear a lot up here in seminary is the phrase "there's a sermon in there somewhere." This is basically said by most of the students about a situation to try and find the silver lining, but I think it is true that in every situation, a sermon could be found. In my particular case, I was really struggling long before black Friday came along on what kind of new laptop I wanted to buy. At first I really wanted to get the new mac book pro because of all the amazing new upgrades, but quickly realized that I was letting myself fall for the shiny and new things of the world. It was really hard to turn away from the shiny new toys that were being released left and right, but God was calling me into the discipline of simplicity. It was true that there was no need for me to get such a brand spanking new laptop, and instead a simple one would be fine. I had long since given up my gaming life, and now all I really needed my laptop for was notes, essays and light browsing. My next choice was turned to the Surface Pro 4, because of its convenience and the many different perks it had that I have never experienced. Once again I found myself chasing after the next new shiny thing, but this, like the mac book pro, was taken off its pedestal upon considering its usefulness when using bible software.
If there was one thing that I had to say God was doing in my life it would be the small things that he has been influencing me through. I don't think I have been completely changed into a brand new person, but I do know that my decisions and my life is now, more than ever before, centered around him. I am slowly learning how to look to and rely on God for every decision in my life and process through whether it was a desire of the flesh or of the spirit. Even though there has been many challenging moments giving up what I thought my heart wants to follow Christ, my life has never been more filled with the Holy Spirit. Of course with the coming few weeks, I will be super busy and swamped with the last bits and pieces of work left for my classes, I ask for prayers to keep my focus on God, and never skimp out on just spending time alone and in his presence daily!
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Not much pictures this time, but I'm so glad I got to go
back home to eat Dim Sum!!!!! Chinese food
is super scarce up here besides my
own cooking ><
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