Julie.

Now I will tell everyone about Julie!

Since I have left Orlando, Julie and I have been talking every day and getting closer. At first, that was bizarre because we weren't hanging out and dating, we got closer through the distance. One of the themes of our relationship, and a difficult one. I started to see how much I loved  talking to her, and invited her to come and visit with Sarah (Howell, not my sister) in September. That was great because we learned that we loved spending time with another on top of talking to each other and thinking about each other. We had a great weekend! We continued to communicate well and be honest and open about what was going on between us. We missed each other, struggled with the distance, and just wanted to see each other again. I went home about a month later, and even though I was spread pretty thin, we got to spend time together and that was just great. She came up to visit by herself last weekend, which totally meant a lot to me. She does not typically do things like that, so I knew it was big for her and it makes me feel great that she did that. We had a fantastic weekend, it was so perfect. Now, I am headed back to Florida next weekend to visit my sister Sarah in Gainesville and she is coming! Then when I am done with the semester, we will really spend some consistent time with one another and that excites me more than anything! I am looking forward to that and not having our time together be short and sporadic. 

We know that it is a big deal to try to make a long distance relationship work, we are not naive to that. We struggle. It is very hard, but we know it's worth it. She is one of my biggest supporters, which is not easy since she misses me so much. She helps me balance out my stress of school, and always lifts up my spirits just by being there for me to talk to, miss, and think about. I turn to God for encouragement and preparation and that is fed by Julie's encouragement. She vitalizes my faith as we pursue our relationship, care for one another, and are hopeful and excited for the future. 

Topsy-Turvey

This first month of Seminary had been up and down (topsy-turvey). At times I feel prepared, on top of my studies, faithful, motivated, passionate, and engaged in my classes. I choose these words carefully because there are times where I feel their exact opposites. As hectic as this may seem to me, this precedes growth and maturation for me. I know I am being stretched in ways that I need to be while I am here. With one month left of classes, I finally feel at home at Candler. I am doing well in my classes, and that is encouraging. The balance between growth and comfort has been difficult for me, however. It’s easy and common for me to get overwhelmed, work through it, and then feel like I am doing well.

I chose Interpretation of Scripture,which focuses on the Biblical Languages, as a concentration while I am at Candler. I did this because I know I have an interest in Greek and Hebrew as they pertain to the understanding the Bible. This is necessary for me as I study the Bible, to understand where it came from. I am really excited about this, because I will have a focus in my studies. I will be taking languages as my electives as I move through m education in Seminary. God provided this direction, and I know I want to own it.

While feeling more at home here, I do miss being home a ton. It’s comfortable there. I had a few days back in Florida in October, but I was spread thin because of things I had to take care of, so I am really looking forward to the two weeks in December I get to spend back home.

I also apologize for saying I would keep up with writing and not doing that. It’s important to me to keep in touch, and I have not made that a priority. It’s easy to say I have been extremely busy, but I do have time to keep up with this if I really wanted to.

All in all, I am doing well here. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is all worth it and I know I'm in the right place. I know I have all the support in the world, and that drives me to do well here. I am looking forward to this last month here before I go home, and it will go by fast!