Proposal: APPROVED!

Today has been a vacation of sorts.

My dissertation proposal: Legendary Landscapes: A cultural geography of the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox phenomena of the Northwoods was approved! The presentation was at 9:00 this morning and lasted for about 20-25 minutes. I was then questioned for the next hour-and-a-half on details of my proposal, nothing too big, just constructive criticism and suggestions (which is what I was hoping for!).

I had class afterwards and gave every student that showed up today extra credit. They loved it.

Since then...I have done nothing but relax! I'm going out to celebrate with friends later tonight.

A big relief to be done with this...God is so good.

Serenity...

After nearly a month of working on my proposal, I have finally finished! I turned it in earlier today and am happy with how it looks. Hopefully my committee feels the same this coming Monday when I present.

Wish me luck!

In other news...I think I may be a "Browncoat".

The Fishing Song

To the surprise of many of my friends, I have come to appreciate country music over the years. There’s a simplicity expressed in the songs, whether it be with women or life, that I often find myself longing for. Other times, it’s simply that the songs make me laugh.

Brad Paisley's song, “I’m gonna miss her”, incorporates all of the above.

Well I love her
But I love to fish
I spend all day out on this lake
And hell is all I catch
Today she met me at the door
Said I would have to choose
If I hit that fishin' hole today
She'd be packin' all her things
And she'd be gone by noon

Well I'm gonna miss her…

There is a story that goes with the song...but that's for another time.

Matthew 5:44

There are people in this life that I wish nothing less than they be singed by a lightening bolt straight from the “Almighty Spiter”.

People who cheat, lie, and root for Duke are never popular in Christian circles. Today at church, I saw someone that fits the bill. I have no idea what is going on in this person’s life, and may never know the details, but felt compassion for this person, quite possibly for the very first time.

Over the past year, I have prayed and fasted for this person and yet it took this person’s life crumbling apart for me to feel love for them again. Jesus’s words that lead us to love and pray for others, especially our enemies, have been on my mind.

Must we sometimes see others in ruin before we can truly love them?