We ended up getting about 4-6 inches of snow.  Mostly gone after the next day.  It sure was pretty while it lasted.  Enjoy the pictures. 

I think my Holy Spirit challenge this past semester was just getting here and through the first semester after so many years away from academia.  My Holy Spirit challenge this semester is definitely Greek.  At this point I have had to put all hope of passing this class in the Holy Spirit.  I don't see how, but if I am suppossed to be doing this then the Spirit will pull me through some how.  I am just going to remain faithful to the process and let it work.  We have a test next week, so let's see what happens.  I might have passed the quiz last night but then I might not have also.  At least I didn't know for sure that I flunked it right after I took it.  PROGRESS!

I sure am missing home and my family.  I get to come home for a few days next week.  By the time I get home it will have been 7 weeks since I saw them.  That is too long!  We have to do something different when we have such long stretches between breaks.  I am looking into possibly moving to a school in Florida next year and transfering the credits back for next year only.  That would allow me to be closer to home and probably home most weekends.   I don't know that we can get through another year and a half of being this far apart for this long.  This semester is much more challenging than last.  Then again, we didn't have a 7 week stretch last semester either. 

We preached our first sermon for grades yesterday.  Only one more sermon in class and then one in our field congregation.  They have asked that we not preach until we get into the preaching class and I have not preached since I got here.  I am trying to honor the process.  Holy Spirit help me!  The sermon went well.  The real challenges to this sermon vs. others that I have preached is the process we had to go through to develop the sermon or what is called the "Exegesis".  Obviously there is a much more formal process than I am used to.  The other major challenge was that we have so many students in our class we were limited to 7 minutes.  This is timed and we are told thank you, that's enough, if we went over.  No pressure there.  My sermon started at 1050 words.  With my more paced way of preaching I ended up having to pare it down to 850 words.  Have you ever tried to cut 20% out of something you were presenting?  It is not easy and you start examing the role of every word in the text and let the red ink fly.  I got it done and came in right at 7 minutes.  I am preaching in my field congregation on Easter 5 weekend, but I am also filling in for Pastor the Sunday after Easter while he is on vacation.  Never hurts to get a little more practice. 

All for now.  May the Holy Spirit be active in your life!  God bless, Steve