the Word

having just celebrated the birth of Christ, the Word made flesh, it seems appropriate to express my passion for studying the Word and for seeking a deeper knowledge and love of Christ.

"Since I have first gained the use of reason my inclination toward learning has been so violent and strong a passion that neither the scoldings of other people... nor my own reflections... have been able to stop me from following this natural impulse that God gave me"
~Juana Ines de la Cruz (1691)

i thirst, i ache to learn, to always seek beyond what i already know. perhaps this is a healthy lust for truth, or maybe i am just eager to keep my eyes open, my mind alive. in any case, i have always enjoyed learning. a college professor once, intuitively acknowledging my eager nature, advised me never to stop, and encouraged me to continue learning even after my formal education was complete. at that time i assumed that my undergraduate college experience would be the completion of my formal education, but i held loosely to the possibility of grad school.

over the past few years, as i have been growing in my faith and my desire for Christ, my passion for knowledge has shifted from the worldly to the theological. i want to learn about the Word of God, I want to know the details, the original Greek, Hebrew, history... and i want to be able to approach it from an informed, analytical standpoint. i have so many questions, and there is so much i would like to discuss with fellow believers and share with those who seek a greater understanding of God and the Bible, those who may not know Him.

i feel that the only way to quench this thirst is to attend seminary. so, that is what i am attempting to accomplish. one step at a time, but i am on the path, regardless of those who intimidate or criticize, and with all gratefulness to those who encourage and assist.

the next few months are crucial... i will have to work hard to apply, decide, and prepare my heart for whatever lies ahead. i will need to be constantly in prayer and i will need your prayers. i will also need things like a new computer, new kinds of software (i thought i'd be upgrading to Adobe CS4, but instead i am trying to acquire a copy of Logos, bible software!) and booksbooksbooks.

while this seems daunting and scary, i couldn't be more excited. i start my first class at Gordon Conwell at the end of January, my first taste. hopefully it will be only the beginning, the whetting of my palette.

as many of my previous posts have expressed, i can't shake the idea that there is more to life, that i am somehow missing out on something greater. this might be it! i guess we'll see what God has planned...