past the halfway mark

Well we've passed through the halfway point of this semester. Last week was midterms. I think I did OK on them, but the results remain to be seen. They were a bit more stressful and quite a bit more detailed than I was used to in undergrad or my previous Master's program. These last two weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster for me personally. Going through the stress of preparing for midterms and getting all the reading done for two papers that are due this week just got me sort of depressed. I ran through a time of wondering why I'm here and if this is really what I'm supposed to be doing. Then I got some good news about a job prospect that really raised my spirits. I'm still waiting to hear back but I'm pretty confident that it will come through. I also completed my application to the North American Mission Board for endorsement in the Air Force Chaplain Candidate Program. I know that I have been called at this point in my life to pursue the chaplaincy. I don't know if that is the ultimate plan that God has for me. I might end up doing something totally different, but for now at least, I'm supposed to be going through this process. That knowledge helps during the difficult times of studying for midterms and wondering where the money for next month's rent is going to come from. I am in the middle of God's will for my life right now, and that is exactly where I need to be. Well, that's about it for tonight. I've just felt a need to put some of my feelings down on paper (ok, so it's cyber-paper) but now I need to get back to reading Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship". Gotta finish it and get that paper knocked out.

Cell Phone Etiquette

OK, I know there has been MUCH debate of this subject over the years, but I'm putting in my two cents now. I'm sitting at Panera Bread studying for a midterm exam that is coming up tomorrow. I watched this woman drive up about half an hour ago. She was already on her cell phone when she got here. She came in, still on the phone, ordered her food, still on the phone, got it and sat down two tables over from me to eat. She's still on the phone. Now I realize that I am in a public place, and I don't expect complete quiet, my problem is with the fact that she is speaking loud enough for people to hear her on the other side of the restaurant. And she's speaking in Spanish no less. Why do people insist on yelling into their cell phones? And if the reception is that bad, why do they continue sitting somewhere they are not getting good reception? Get up and move somewhere that you might be able to hear.

OK, she just got up to leave, and started whispering by the way. Guess I'll end this particular rant and attempt to get a little more studying done.

From the "You've got to be kidding me" department

CNN.com - 'Planet Xena' has a sidekick: Gabrielle - Oct 1, 2005

I was reading some reports on CNN.com tonight and ran across this one. Has our culture degenerated to such a point that we are now naming scientific discoveries after cheesy characters from even cheesier TV shows? I will admit I have watched an episode of "Xena: Warrior Princess" here and there. But in my opinion there is a huge difference in watching something cheesy on TV and memorializing it by naming a planet after it.