Saturday, July 23, 2005

The Love of Learning

It's probably a good thing that I'm headed into academia because as I was studying in the library all Friday evening, I realized with a shock that I was actually having fun. Although it doesn't hurt that I was keeping very good company, I know that the situation left me sounding somewhat like a nerd.

To augment the extent of my nerdiness, I'm picking back up my hobby of reading. Signing up for a new library card to the public library (which I seem to have misplaced today) is one of my biggest triumphs this summer. I'm determined to read through all the Harry Potter books this summer. Unfortunately, the release of the newest book has left the shelves completely devoid of Harry Potter. After recovering from my disappointment, I realized that this will leave me with more time to read the rest of my books that I've been meaning to get through all summer. I have a lovely Tom Clancy book (The Sum of all Fears) begging me to read it, some Christian books (Why Not Women, Political Visions and Illusions, and The God Who Hears), as well as curling up and rereading Shakespeare's sonnets.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

A Change in Pace

I've decided to shut down my Xanga site and move on to the world of Blogger. Much has been happening in my life, including my decision to postpone graduate studies in Psychology and first apply to the MPH program in Nutrition at the University of Michigan. I do not know whether or not I'll get into the program, but we shall see.

The art fair is in town. The weather has been beautiful lately despite the downpours that have occurred at the most inopportune times. It's almost amusing the measures I've taken to finally feel like a townie in Ann Arbor. I have joined a fitness club in town, gotten a library card at the public library, and am now determined to find a small apartment off campus for the year after next.

I have been throwing myself into the research I am doing for the Psychology department. With deadlines approaching, I figure it's best to finish the draft of our paper by the end of August. I may start school in September, leaving me with little time to invest more in this paper.

With all these academic opportunities, I wonder how God is planning on using me this next decade. I realize although much of my life makes no logical sense to me, God often unravels His plans in a way we least expect. Take the book of Esther, for instance. It struck me that the path she took was not the most conventional path for saving an entire race of people from genocide. Although my path seems to be deeply embedded in the world of academia, I trust that God has a plan for me and that He will use me in a way I cannot possibly foresee.