Update on Southern

 For ten grueling days, I lived in Louisville as part of my PhD process.  I won’t go into all the details and embarrass my new found friends, but the trip was humiliating and exhilarating; draining and filling.  Most of my days commenced at eight in the morning and ended around eight that night with a few breaks in between.  I did get Sunday off to attend worship in a local church and take in the sights of downtown Louisville.  I was in two seminars and one colloquium.  I presented four papers; two of which were major presentations.  I thought I presented well, but in one seminar, I was the first to present in a seminar made up of predominantly third year seminar students.  Not getting all my questions answered before presenting added to the frustration.  The response by some of the students was brutal but ultimately helpful.  I will say this about my experience.  It is not for the thin skinned and faint of heart.  It is easy to take comments about your work personally, but you can’t.  If I took all my high school, college, seminary work and rolled them into one, they wouldn’t hold a candle to the grueling labor of this PhD work.  You never get a break.  I have pre-course assignments, post-course assignments, actual seminar presentations, and it all runs together.  There have been a hundred times that I have asked myself, “Now why am I doing this again?”  It has been extremely edifying.  It certainly has refined my life in ways I would never have anticipated.  I could not pursue this without my gracious wife, understanding (most of the time) kids, elders, and church family.  You guys are the best.