Paper Writing Day

My new boss is out of town on vacation this week, and there is - again - nothing for me to do at work, so yesterday I asked Miss Vicki if I could stay home today to get caught up on homework and write a paper due tomorrow. She had no problem with that, so here I am at my desk in my living room trying to figure out what I have to say about Swedenborgian exegesis and how it compares to other forms I've studied. I should be able to turn out the required three to six pages before 11am tomorrow. If I'm very efficient, I might also finish one or both of my past-due weekly reading assignments.

I also get to order a new laptop computer today, thanks to a nice tax return and an unsolicited contribution from my parents!

New Laptop

Well I just spent I'm-not-sure-how-long on the Dell website figuring out exactly what I wanted on my new laptop. Budget considerations kept me from going quite as large/fast as I would have really liked, but it's still a huge step beyond what I've got now. I had done some consulting with a computer-savvy friend about a week ago, but made the final decisions by myself. I'm close to shaking now. This is the most money I've ever spent on my own, not counting tuition.

The approximate ship date is April 26 - delayed an extra nine days beyond the usual build-time because I chose an internal wireless option. The old 3500 will have to keep humming on for another month.

I can't get over what a strangely intense experience this is. . .


Update: My email confirmation says the approximate ship date is April 16. So much the better!

Finished the Paper

My mid-term paper for Swedenborgian Exegesis is due by 11am March 31st. It's 8:20pm on March 30th, and I just emailed mine to the prof. This is a good feeling.

It was an easy paper to write. The question was "What are your reactions to the material thus far presented, and how does it relate to other modes of exegesis that have been presented to you?" It turned out to be one of those times that I found myself a little surprised by my own conclusions. I hadn't done any systematic reflections on the course content until today, and it was a valuable exercise.

( My concluding paragraph, if you're interested: )

And while I'm on the subject of spiritual journeying, I should mention that I spoke to two different spiritual directors in the last few days, having introductory discussions prior to establishing an ongoing relationship with someone. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time, and it is, in fact, a requirement of my M.Div. program. My recent vocational struggles make it all the more urgent. I'm looking forward to meeting on a regular basis with someone who can help me connect more deeply to the Divine, deepen my personal spiritual practices, and help me sacralize my everyday, "mundane" life.