Last Day of Class...

...for THIS degree.

One of these days, I have big plans to go to graduate school - no idea when, where, for what, or how...but one of these days.  Hubby is cool with it, too. :)

Today is the last day of my undergraduate classes for the rest of my life.  It's a weird feeling.  It's seems silly to be excited about it, mainly because it's taken a long time to get here.  When I graduated high school, I had NO desire to continue going to school for a higher education.  Growing up in a small-ish town, there are a different set of "worldviews" involved.  I am, by no stretch of the imagination, saying that growing up in a small town makes you small-town minded (maybe a little) and, therefore, means - insert list of derogatory things - here.  All I am saying is, there are different expectations, and I experienced this firsthand.  When my parents forced me to go to college after graduation it was with the BEST of intentions.  And I appreciate it...now.  At the time, I rebelled.  For the year I was away at college, I managed to receive 9 college credits while failing 21 credits. You do the math - not good.

With a 1.5 or so GPA, I quit college and got a job for the next one in a half-two years.  Living at home, my parents were gracious enough to allow to stay living with them free of charge and comfortable.  Looking back, it seems weird to have done that (where I am now in life), and I am grateful to them for letting me work out my life in the comfort of their home.

Rich and I were married January 6, 2007 - and I continued to not want to go to school (Rich, who would be a career student if it paid the bills, could not understand).  I had taken 3 or 6 hours at the community college here and there, and had gained a few more credits to my name, increasing my GPA just a little.

In December of 2007, after talking with my sweet hubby about continuing my education, which he was THRILLED about, I told him I wanted to go to the University of Oklahoma.  He plainly said, "Ok."  Nervous and excited, I sent off my application, was accepted as a transfer student with 30-36 hours (don't remember), and talks began about moving to Oklahoma.

We moved to Norman, OK, June 2008.

OWC (stealing this from Autumn, as "Our Wonderful Church") became Rich's place of ministry and we both got other jobs as well to supplement our income (I hold to the idea that no one becomes a paid minister because it's going to make you wealthy...just an observation - and those that GET wealthy, I would suggest that maybe what they're doing isn't ministry...but that's a tangent for another blog)

I enrolled in classes for the Fall of 2008, one of them being "Intro to Religious Studies."  If I had only known what doors this one class would have opened, I think I would have walked in to the class feeling like I was going in for an interview - nervous, and not myself at all.

Professors B and T Boyd have been instrumental in my degree - and I am indebted to them for their kindness and willingness to work with students, to talk with students, to open up their home to students, and really do anything that can for students.  I can honestly say that they live for their students - for the challenges that students have, the sharing of intellectual conversation, the evolution of a student's worldview into something broad, etc.  Best professors, ever.

In this entire process, I have had the pleasure of meeting great groups of people in every "life" I have had in Norman: school life, church life, work life, sister life, hubby life.  Each group of people I come in to contact with changes me for the better.  I have learned much, experienced much, and and grateful for everything!

Norman, OK: I didn't expect much when we first met, and I'm still not sure about you as a geographic location (WHY can't you just be in Texas), but you house some of the greatest people I have ever had the please of meeting, and for that, I am eternally indebted.

"I have been changed for the better...because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

Hundreds of people have gone unnamed, but there are too many names to list you all - just know that I cherish each and every one of you.  Thank you for shaping the person I am becoming - and challenging me to grow into something more.

:)

Hope & Joy

There are certain moments where I feel like I could burst into tears with joy.  Not because something good has happened to me, or something works out in my favor - just random outbursts of joy.

As I was driving to work the other day, I had my iPod playing a random "Shuffle" of my "Christmas" genre music.  It was anything from Josh Groban to N'Sync (who, btw, sing a mean a cappella version of "O Holy Night!")  But back to the story - a Michael W. Smith song popped up, it was "Sing Noel, Sing Hallelujah."  It is a song that has a huge orchestra, and what seems like a 500 person choir.  It is one of the most beautifully moving songs I have heard this holiday season - and the mixture of the lyrics that gave me such hope along with the masterful orchestra....it was truly ineffable.  This post really doesn't even make sense to you - because you have no idea what I'm talking about.  Ineffable.

There is such a sense of hope in the holidays.  Not because there are things to look forward to, but because the world seems to get smaller as we realize that there are others less fortunate and realize all that we have been blessed with - material and other.  This time of year, at least in this part of the world (which is all I know), there is a spirit of hope and glimpses of joy in everything from a religious experience, a song on the radio, a raw and honest blog post about prayer, or a good home-cooked meal.

This post is not trying to be inspirational and convicting - enough of that will be portrayed during the holiday season.

I was brought to tears by the beauty of music - and it is something I found hopeful with a replenished sense of joy that seems to fade at times.

What gives you hope?  What revitalizes your joy?