It has been a while since my last post.
The summer flew by - Colin, my brother, is currently at the USNA for his undergraduate work. He's excelling and growing in wisdom and stature and favor with his community there. Indeed, the Lord will honors those who honor Him. God's goodness is seen in my brother's life and the way he pursues the Lord in an environment where such personal devotion is hard to maintain.
At the end of July I began my coursework here at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA. I'm currently pursuing a Masters in Divinity (on a three-year course - it's been quite the ride so far), with hopes of further academic study upon graduating. However, I am still open to whatever the Lord impresses upon my heart. Seeking His will is a priority in my life, and I am ready and willing to go where He commands me.
As I said, coursework has begun. I took Greek I over the course of four weeks from late July towards the end of August. It was rigorous, but very rewarding. I really respected my professor in that class and his concern for our spiritual well-being throughout the gauntlet of "Kamikaze Greek." I finished the course strong, and was super-pumped for the semester. The best part of Summer Greek, though, was the people I labored with. I made such solid friends in that class, and each one brought to the classroom their own unique personalities. I studied a lot with my friend Sam from NYC. He was a true encouragement to me throughout my Greek studies, and continues to be this semester. Our whole class really bonded during that time. It was very comforting to enter the academic semester already knowing some brothers and sisters to go to if I ran into trouble - academically or spiritually. The community at Westminster has been such a blessing to me thus far.
The Lord has been showing me some amazing things recently, and His Providence is one of the greatest blessings in life. This semester I have sat at the feet of those whose hearts have been filled with a fire for Truth. My professors here at Westminster Theological Seminary are truly godly examples who are heaven bent on not just teaching men and women theology but have deep-seated desires to prepare them for practical ministry in life as Christians. To be orthodox and engaging, I have found, is a much needed dynamic in our world, where there is a desperate need for the gospel, and a desperate need for an honest, yet propositional, Love.
While God has continued to pour out His blessings on me, I have begun to cherish one particular blessing in particular. And it is odd. The academic workload here at WTS (especially for a first year student on a 3 year track taking 6 courses) is daunting, heavy, and near impossible to successfully keep up with. It took a Herculean effort to even begin to try and manage my time and work to get stuff done. I probably average a good 500 pages of reading a week. This is not including hours of time spent over my Hebrew and Greek grammar, vocab, and paradigms. Recently, essays have snuck into my workload. Needless to say, I have felt somewhat under the gun. But the beautiful thing about hardship is the way the Lord shows you how you can achieve nothing on your own strength. Indeed, as Paul says in his second letter to the Corinthian church, "For when I am weak then I am strong." God's power is seen at its greatest, when we fully acknowledge our own weakness and submit and accept His strength and direction in our lives. To become less is not self-abasement, it is a recognition of our status as finite creations, and a joyful reception of God's greatness. So in my studies, I am constantly reminded that God is truly in control, and that is His power alone that can bring me through my struggles, academic or no. What a wonderful blessing that is! His power is made perfect in weakness. Amen.
