What a week! I know it has started out light. We are yet to have two of our classes. Greek and Intro to Bible. I know that the Greek class is going to be very challenging for the almost 30 years out of school mind, but I am looking forward to it. To be able to translate original text of the New Testament is exciting to me. And of course the Bible is something that I need to learn more deeply anyway.


Between working out, class, working, and laundry yesterday just got away from me. Filled right up. I got a lot of studying done today as work was really slow and it is pretty dead in the dorms since half of our hall of 6 goes home on the weekends. Peter came in my room about 5:30 and enlightened me about the necessity of community as well as study. So Jason, Peter and I went out for pizza. The Lord led us to a good pizza place. I know you say, you are giving too much credit to this Lord thing, but I tell you we took a wrong turn from the GPS directions and as we were turning around right in front of us was this pizza place. We went with it and it turned out good! Of course I had asked the Lord to lead us to a good pizza place about 5 minutes prior to that. I guess that all falls under the faith thing. We came back and watched the South Carolina vs. Georgia football game for a while. You know, community! Wait a minute, I think Peter headed off to his room to do some reading in the midst of all that. We are all conscious of the amount of reading we have and try to be reading something that we need to whenever we have a spare 15 minutes.

Tomorrow we try a different church. The last Sunday we will have a choice about where we worship here in Columbia. We will get our Field Education church assignments next week. The church we are going to tomorrow has an 8:30 and an 11:15. The 11:15 is just a lot later than we are used to so we are going to the 8:30. That leaves a couple of guys out as they prefer to sleep in a little. From working before even during the week is sleeping in. As I understand it, Junior year seminarians focus on worship and visitation with their congregation. We will see what the Lord has in store for us.

It was good to get the first week, even though a partial behind us. So many unknowns that we as humans stress over are out of the way. We are underway and now the stress can be the homework, papers, and tests. We are humans and we have to stress about something. However, I must tell you that I am so convinced the Lord wants me here that some of the stress is removed. Those of you that know me know that I will take the work very seriously and give it my all. However, I really feel that God has my back on this and because of that this is doable. There are just so many things that fell into place for this to happen in the first place. Doors have closed on me for several things over the last 5 years and that was one of the things that convinced me that this was my path. In fact the instance where the doors were closing on something potentially life changing was the instance when I knew this was the path and because of that I was at peace that the other door closed. Very unlike me at the time. But the doors on this have miraculously opened at each step. If me, who didn’t even go to church 10 years ago can be led here with doors opening like they have imagine what else He can do in my life AND what He can do in your life!

Good night for now. May the peace that surpasses all understanding be with you as you bring our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the world.

Steve