Wednesday, February 26, 2014

of cards, chapters, papers, and breath

I received a card in the mail today.  It was from Wilbur. 

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He cut me a lock of his hair. 

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The poor chap must really miss me.

In other news, I hit a relatively major milestone with the dissertation last week.  Since returning in January I’ve been working intensively on the chapter that forms the heart of my thesis.  The long days and weeks  paid off on Friday when I submitted the 25,000 word draft of the chapter.  It’s only a draft but a draft is a whole lot easier to revise than a blank page.  And 25,000 words is over a quarter of the entire project’s length.  With only two small chapters and the introduction and conclusion left, there is a deceptive sense that it’s all downhill from here.  I’m on track to have a draft of the entire dissertation done by the end of June, which is fantastic.

There was no rest for the weary on Friday though, as I immediately dove into preparing a paper for yesterday’s New Testament Seminar.  My friend Andrew and I were asked to host the seminar on the topic of Paul’s implicit references to the Roman Empire in Philippians.  It was a great seminar with good discussion points all around.  I’m thankful for any leadership opportunities I get these days, but especially grateful for ones that involve communicating the issues within biblical and theological studies. 

I’m also grateful for the chance to breathe!  The second half of this week is blissful as I enjoy reading without having to write.  On Monday I’ll launch the next chapter—less than half the length of the last one.  And this weekend, if the sun decides to shine (unlikely), I may even dig my digits into Judith’s flower beds.  The crocuses are coming!

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