I've been trying to think...

This past week has brought with it a number of blessings, and a few struggles....

First of all, I've been trying to think through the haze of (what I sense is) allergies. Although the blessings of sunshine and bike rides seem glorious, I think I've developed allergies to pollen here, and it's been keeping my mind in a haze (either from the meds I take, or the lack of meds- same symptoms- foggy thinking)...

Which is why I've been trying to stay focused, yet I feel as if days melt away in the blur of a swirling head. Don't worry, it isn't like this all the time, but most of the time the past week, it has been. I've had moments of clarity and beauty too, I've enjoyed time outdoors, I've been working on papers (one rather successfully)...but I don't feel %100. All this to say, I should concentrate on things you might rather read.... :)

I finished an exegetical paper this week on 1 Corinthians 11: 17-34 (it's Paul's address to the church at Corinth concerning unity in practicing the Lord's Supper). Really interesting, since this is the 1st written account of the Lord's Supper, and one which most churches use as words of institution before communion, yet Paul was primarily addressing the divisions within the church, particularly economic situations of separation based on class...I enjoy the task of exegetical work quite a bit, and I especially enjoy allowing my work to remain as a "working paper." HA! Basically that means you write all your accumulated questions and research, but you don't have to synthesize into a cohesive argument! Oh yeah!

Speaking of cohesive argument, I actually have to do that for a paper I'm starting on this weekend...it is the 2nd of three for my Radical Reformation class, and I have generally zero direction...so my plan is to choose something and run with it, since I've heard from several people that this professor isn't likely to give an A anyway unless he thinks it's "publish-worthy." Ha well then, I'm not exactly anticipating a publishing contract here...

I have truly been enjoying my prayer group with three other married ladies (who are also 1st year students). We have a great time speaking about our lives and concerns and joys- and bringing them together before God. The consistency of this group is a treasure, and I've just now begun to realize how intentional people must be to create groups like this, yet how naturally they come together when everyone desires that connection. And prayer is only as powerful as one believes in its meaning.

Surprisingly, I have actually been able to take my mind off wedding for awhile this past week- well, okay, so not exactly "off"- but at least "on hold" while I wrote my paper. :) I am getting thoroughly excited, because my wedding falls exactly 2 months after Easter- and the time from Easter to summer always flies by! We have our wedding rings in wax molds waiting for us to try on in SD, we have finalized a number of details, our energetic mothers are sending out invites soon, and we are not feeling over-burdened with work for the wedding- such a blessing!

So, good story from last night. AJ and I decided to go on a double date with my friends Karen and Brian. We went to the best sushi place in Princeton (and supposedly the chef worked under a famous NY sushi guy before moving to Princeton)...and it was really fun, although I must admit that sushi is not my thing! Too many 4-H Special Foods rules about cooking meat are running through my head as I'm eating! Funny thing- AJ also took Special Foods in 4-H, but he seems fine eating raw fish. Strange. Anyway, all the dishes and food looks miniature which is really fun, and I sort of felt like a giant eating at a hobbits table! :)

Okay, that's about all for now- I am off to attempt this paper- or at least attempt to choose a topic. That would be wonderful! :) Please, if you pray, pray that my body might adjust to this season, so I can be of a clear mind as I tackle the next several weeks of the semester. Thanks.

Much love and a forever smile,
Emily

PS- I forgot to mention two very important things- 1. the play is coming along well, and we perform in less than two weeks! 2. my dear friend Emily is coming to visit and see the play, and check out campus! How fun, right? Okay, whew, almost forgot!

PPS- Another thing! I've been offered two additional positions for next year (both of which I sadly turned down due to lack of time)- one was to be host for the admissions department, and another was to be my speech professor/play director's TA! How fun would both of those be! Yet I already committed to doing the work of data entry at IYM. Oh, if only I had enough time for it all!

Is it really March 19th?

Okay okay,

So I admit, my generally-timely blogging tendencies have been lacking....but I would assert for slightly good reason! :)

The week leading up to my reading week (aka- spring break) I was frantically pulling together my life: studies, wedding plans, packing, the endless correspondence which goes with being overly social...and then AJ and I made swift driving of the 25 hour trip back to SD. Yes, we drove. Also for good reason, I would suggest. AJ needed to drive to Kansas the week following my reading week, so we thought it would be best to drive to SD together and I would fly back to Princeton (Sunday) in time for my midterm exam (Monday)....

I must say that my reading week was full of wedding plans and feeble attempts at studying for my NT midterm exam (which, btw, did not go well- but on the bright side, I feel as if I know a lot more about the gospels! -just not the specific details they happened to ask on the test!) :) My wedding plans, I realize, will never diminish in number or detail until the day I marry AJ. What I mean to say...is that if I hadn't gone home, the same things would have been accomplished sooner or later before the wedding- but when I have time to fill with wedding plans (as I did this past week), I somehow realize a million more to-dos! :)

We are on the final stretch of basically two months until the wedding, which makes it strikingly difficult to stay focused in school. Did I mention the 70 degree weather doesn't help much either? Yes, finally the good Lord has provided sunshine for our weary academic minds, only to create further distraction from the last 8 weeks of the semester! I keep telling myself- only 8 more week of being a student, then 4 MONTHS off for summer! In reality, I should be able to maintain focus, but add in the psychological effect of already having my first bridal shower (thanks to Debi and the Mina crew!)...I am overly excited about one thing- wedding.

I never imagined myself for "that girl"- you know, the one who becomes so consumed with wedding plans that everything else falls off the face of the earth for awhile, but I must admit that to an extent, this has been me. Entirely unintentionally, I might add. In some ways, the very circumstances of getting married require me to be thinking about little else...and it's wonderful- but as we all know, thinking about others (taking the focus off yourself) is ultimately the most fulfilling sense of peace and meaning, as opposed to always being preoccupied with "my decisions" "my wedding" "my this" "my that." With that said- I know I will be thoroughly happy with my wedding day- but I will be even more thrilled to begin a marriage with AJ Munger- and be able to focus OUR energies toward others.

So, this week I have been busy catching up on all the "school stuff" I conveniently forgot about during reading week, and I've also been sleeping off this little bug that keeps wanting to attack my immune system! The weather has been fabulous, and everyone's spirits are up on campus, which is a nice change from the gloom of the cloudy, sometimes rainy, sometimes snowy past several weeks. I went for a few runs outside, and the feel of fresh air on my winter-whitened legs feels marvelous!

Tonight I am hosting our very first dinner group! I signed up for dinner groups as a way for AJ to meet people (and coincidentally, he is still on his way back from Kansas...poor timing), but it's basically a random group of people from campus who have all signed up. I agreed to host our first dinner, and we will be eating Mexican in our stylish gray Alexander hall basement! (emphasis on the "stylish" sarcasm). So hopefully everyone enjoys themselves...I'm looking forward to meeting a few new people!

And this weekend I start in on my 2nd (and last) NT paper, due Tuesday. It's an exegetical paper, which means spending endless hours pouring over a passage in 1 Corinthians to understand the literary structure and nuances...and maybe write a good paper? :) I did get a few papers back recently. My first NT actually came back with an A on it. Weird, I know. :) And my first Radical Reformation paper was a B. Not so weird, considering how difficult I found that paper to be. But I will get a chance at another one of those soon too, lest I think I can relax. :)

Okay, speaking of relaxing- I'd best get going! Ha, JK- I actually need to prepare for the dinner group, but I'm so glad to be able to write an update- as I know many of you might have written me off as a quitter! :) Never, Never, never quit.

Sending my love and as much NJ sunshine as I can pack into this blog post!

Emily