du calme, s'il vous plaît - merci

So I am dog sitting right now and do not feel that great... the one dog, bless his heart, has a lot of heart and loves to vocalize it quite a bit. He's great, though. If anyone dared to break in, I would definitely be protected!

I have begun my french lessons!!! I am so excited! My friend, Jade, and I have covered some of the basic phrases, verbs and conjugations. I am surprised at how much I remember from high school. I just received my workbook in the mail, so I 'll be starting that this week. This is fun to do, but it also serves as great prep if I do go ahead with the Harvard language school...Love it.

Power > Words

I was reading in 1 Corinthians this week and I came across a verse that really excited me:

1 Corinthians 4:20
"For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power."

WHAT?!?! Craziness, I know.

God uses words to create our visible reality, yet His kingdom (I am translating that as Heaven) consists of/exists in / was made via power. Wow. What does that look like? As if speaking words and creating things with those words was not incredible enough - it's simply a display/avenue/example of power.

Power is greater than words.

If comparing progressed art mediums/forms with their predecessors, power being greater than words is almost like...Paint to Photography, sequential paintings to moving pictures, Hellenistic idols to Rodin's figures... Those examples don't even really come close to a proper comparison of power to words.

What do you think about that? I think there is so much more that could be discussed here...power is such a braod subject and term...

je suis fatigué

I looked into Harvard again recently. After writing my first blog entry here, my imagination got going and I had to indulge :) I discovered that Harvard has a Divinity School and an Arts & Sciences School that carry PhD programs. Yay! So as I develop my idea for a PhD, I can refer to the programs and the professors they have to guide me.

The Divinity school has a Summer Language Program beginning mid-July through mid-August. It looks really interesting, just what I have been wanting in my Bible reading lately. Simply more. They have a requirement that you are basically literate in 2 of the following languages: Spanish, French, German. I had two semesters of French in high school and I now have a friend that speaks fluently. :) I had one semester of Spanish in college and spent a couple of weeks in Costa Rica living with a host family 2 summers in a row. Immersion helped tremendously. Plus I have a few bests that can speak it fluently as well. I think I could make this (reading comprehension of Spanish and French) happen by next summer...maybe :)

Back to the reason why I would like to participate in this Summer Language Program: Calvary Chapel, where I have been since last November, teaches through the Bible and brings all the history and context for the books as well as some Greek translations in the New Testament. It has opened a whole new world for me basically in reading the Bible. I feel I am reading history instead of story after story. I am beginning to make connections. Example: Thessalonians was one of the first books I learned about at Calvary. It's a letter to the church in Thessalonica, written by Paul, delivered by Timothy. A few weeks ago I was reading Acts which goes through Paul's conversion and his missionary journeys. I read the passage where he first meets Timothy and was so excited to make that connection. "Yay! Here's where he meets Timothy who will later be going to Thessalonica on his behalf and encouraging the church there!" And then after I finished Acts, I went into Romans, which I have read through a couple of times before. However, this time when I was reading I was taking into account all the traveling Paul had done before writing this introduction letter of himself to the Romans. And I was putting together the fact that he didn't know then that it would be another 3 years before he would see them...It's the simplest of connections that are making me so interested in reading right now. And many people may already know of these things, but this is where I am currently...

I don't want to get in the habit of making apologies because it will cause me to dread writing on here, BUT, and there is a "but", - what movie? :) - I am extremely mentally exhausted right now and I hope what I have written 1) Makes sense. 2) Doesn't have awful grammar - which I am sure it does.

I recently moved into a new position at work and today was a bit frantic for me. I am now taking on the role of "Executive Assistant" and am so excited! It is challenging, but I like a challenge. I am looking forward to learning how to best do the job. Today was a bit rough. There were items I wanted to complete today, but I didn't have the opportunity. What's great about this opportunity is that it will allow me to remain where I am until The Gallery I was in last season plans a new exhibit for the 2010-2011 season...AND this opportunity will force me to learn valuable organizational skills that will follow me and assist me through my PhD ;)

Anywho. I am tired. Must go now.
Not positive that "je suis fatigué" is the correct French translation, but it's a start...

Intentions & Expectations...

Location of my future PhD writings...Grendel's Den near Harvard ;)

This blog is being written for a few reasons:

1. I am no longer studying in a foreign country, but that doesn't mean that my life isn't interesting. I am discovering new things about tiny little Sebastian and Vero Beach, Florida all the time. I have also been blessed with amazing ministry opportunities and friends. God is good. That alone warrants some writing.

2. I like to write. Not sure why. Not so sure it's all that great, I just enjoy the act of writing. I have been doing a lot of it lately. Some of what I write brings me to interesting thoughts, ideas, tangents, that I would love to talk about and sometimes I do.

3. I have told some people about my desire to go back to school at some point. Preferably Harvard. I visited the school over the 4th of July weekend this summer and LOVED it. I want to be a Harvard PhD student so badly. However, I believe the only PhD programs they offer are centered on Law and Business. I want to delve into The Bible. Specifically the words of The Bible. Words are so powerful. Many people have heard that words can edify and destroy. The world was created with words. Think about it. Words created the world. That would make it the first art medium, would it not? "In the beginning was the Word...All things came into being through Him..." John 1:1,3 I want to explore this through this blog.

So, it may not be spectacular, but I have officially begun this blog. And because it is not necessarily about me, but about discoveries and connections with all that I love (God, Art and Involving People in the discussion of the two) then I will be more apt to keep it up. There is so much to discover in the 66 books of The Bible that God gave us. And to think, there was so much more He could have given us that could fill volumes upon volumes of books. God is and always will be the most intriguing, exciting, and intellectually stimulating God ever discussed on planet Earth.

Also, if I do go for my PhD with this subject of Words and The Bible, this blog will provide a good place for all my notes and ideas. It will also show me the progression in my writing, because the Lord knows it could use improvement.

For now, good night, and thanks for checking in :)