Life of Pride
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Five-hour drives give a wonderful time for contemplation, if one's interior world is well-populated. Mine is. So I contemplated many things on the way to and from KY this weekend. The largest secret I unearthed as I mentally planned my next year (as well as I can know it now) is that I am glad to be home for this time. I am happy to spend these days with my family. I am delighted to be able to research the history of homeschooling, which is something I've been wanting to do for years. This is a splendid foretaste of what real life may be some day. Most of my time spent helping my family, and then 2-3 hours of personal research and writing.
So this is my planned schedule:
6:30-8:30am - pray, exercise, eat
9:00am-5:00pm - work for parents
5:00-8:00pm - research history project
8:00-9:00pm - Bible and prayer
In bed by 10:00pm
Look appealing? I don't know. But it's what has to be done, and it includes sleep. And exercise. And mental and spiritual stimulation. I've never needed very much "fun" to keep me happy.
It's also time for me to start thinking about grad school. I've tried to decide for the past year or so whether I should go at all. I think I should. It became really clear over the past few days that I need to continue my education beyond PHC. God has given me talents that are only just beginning to develop. Besides, as my mom says, Christians are abandoning higher education for favor of more "spiritual" pursuits. In the process - well - we've abandoned higher education. I think I would like to teach at the undergraduate level some day, and I therefore need a Ph.D. I think I want to earn it overseas, because I want to study ancient biblical history. The area that birthed the Jews is also the seat of all civilizations. There, deep in the past, are some of the remaining unexplored realms of knowledge. They draw me the same way the black map of Africa attracted adventurers in Heart of Darkness. It is better to learn such things overseas, because one has a lot more flexibility of study at European universities.
Here, my ambition comes in. I want to go to Cambridge on a Gates Fellowship, or to Oxford on a Rhodes. I think it is possible. Do you know, every time I have applied for a scholarship or a seminar and asked God for the words on the application essay, I have won what I wanted? I have the same sort of feeling about this. I know I could be wrong, but I think this plan is correct. We'll see.
So this is my planned schedule:
6:30-8:30am - pray, exercise, eat
9:00am-5:00pm - work for parents
5:00-8:00pm - research history project
8:00-9:00pm - Bible and prayer
In bed by 10:00pm
Look appealing? I don't know. But it's what has to be done, and it includes sleep. And exercise. And mental and spiritual stimulation. I've never needed very much "fun" to keep me happy.
It's also time for me to start thinking about grad school. I've tried to decide for the past year or so whether I should go at all. I think I should. It became really clear over the past few days that I need to continue my education beyond PHC. God has given me talents that are only just beginning to develop. Besides, as my mom says, Christians are abandoning higher education for favor of more "spiritual" pursuits. In the process - well - we've abandoned higher education. I think I would like to teach at the undergraduate level some day, and I therefore need a Ph.D. I think I want to earn it overseas, because I want to study ancient biblical history. The area that birthed the Jews is also the seat of all civilizations. There, deep in the past, are some of the remaining unexplored realms of knowledge. They draw me the same way the black map of Africa attracted adventurers in Heart of Darkness. It is better to learn such things overseas, because one has a lot more flexibility of study at European universities.
Here, my ambition comes in. I want to go to Cambridge on a Gates Fellowship, or to Oxford on a Rhodes. I think it is possible. Do you know, every time I have applied for a scholarship or a seminar and asked God for the words on the application essay, I have won what I wanted? I have the same sort of feeling about this. I know I could be wrong, but I think this plan is correct. We'll see.
Comments:
Your schedule does sound busy! I hope your history project goes well; it sound like a fascinating subject.
Just make sure with all your office work and study you make plenty of time for interacting with people :).
Grad school in Europe sounds awesome ... it is nice sometimes, to have a break from the craziness of school, to rethink who you are and where you're going.
Though I miss you!
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Just make sure with all your office work and study you make plenty of time for interacting with people :).
Grad school in Europe sounds awesome ... it is nice sometimes, to have a break from the craziness of school, to rethink who you are and where you're going.
Though I miss you!
