So I have officially been done with school for 1.5 weeks now and already it seems a full lifetime ago. We all had a very brief and fun "last family vacation before the kids get a job" in Nashville, TN this last weekend. It was lots of fun, we ate lots of good food, and listened to some enjoyable country music. Almost met some country music stars, Dad says the guy I nearly ran into coming out of the small music joint was Kenny Chesney, but I don't think so.
Now I'm back home finally able to dive back into some of my hobbies that I had given up on for the last two years of my life due to time constraints. First, I've been grilling up a storm, I do have to get back in shape. With all the family coming out for the big grad celebration I've got to start getting back in shape to cook for large groups of people. So far I think I'm going to be doing beef tenderloin with a sauce, cedar planked salmon with a honey Dijon glaze, and hickory smoked rosemary chicken. Needless to say we are going to need another grill (my graduation present), lots of charcoal, and no rain. I can also guarantee that never again in my life am I going to go 2 years without owning my own charcoal grill wherever I live!
The second hobby I've resumed is reading. During my time in A2 I've acquired quite the collection of books, it seems like every time I would have to sit at my desk and study I would furtively glance at my beautiful bookshelf's brimming with books tantalizingly waiting to be read. I'm happy to report that in the 1.5 weeks since I've been done with school I've finished 2.5 books! Yeah.
My final, much missed, hobby that I've resumed is my model building. I'm quite happy to find all my paints and equipment that I invested in several years ago are still good to go, well all that is except for the extra strength supper glue which hardened into brick. I'm currently working on an F-14 tomcat, F-4 phantom, 464 space shuttle transport, and sci fi geek that I am Anakin Skywalkers fighter from SW:ROTHS. I also happened to take a trip to the hobby store today where I literally let out a shriek when I saw a BSG Viper which I promptly bought with my 40% off coupon. Oh happiness... On this note I am also happy to report that my old skills still seem to be there, I only supper glued my fingers together twice.
So as you can see I am now happy and content with my hobbies (hmn, I do think I need to add job hunting to the list, nah). Ah the bliss of rejoining a previously in progress life :)
Monday, May 11, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The End of One Chapter, Beginning of Another
I am happy to report that I have successfully passed all my classes and now hold the title Master of Public Health in Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology, just try saying that 5 times fast. So with the degree bestowed upon me last Thursday I close a major chapter of my life , 20 years of being a student. What the future holds is still uncertain, for all I know I'll be moving to a destination unknown in a month, yet I feel a sense of peace which was definitely missing last time I graduated.
These last few years God has been at work in my life in both big and small areas, from the little ways in which he reminded me why I was here to the big areas such as providing a mini-miracle when some much needed funding support came through two years in a row. I've learned many lessons about myself and had my life changed in many ways. Because through this blog some of you have had the opportunity to follow my journey I thought I would share some of the things I've learned these last 2 years.
1. Creation truly reflects the creator. These last two years I've had the opportunity to learn about life from bacteria to human behavior and the one thing that was continually impressed upon me is that even from the simplest organism imaginable design, order, beauty, and love are visible. Every day I did my research I was once again amazed and awed at how the attributes of God are reflected in his creation. I still find it amazing that from a specific, ordered sequence of only 4 nucleic acid structures DNA can be created, and that this simple structure can create a humble bacteria that can ravage the human body. I still can not put into words the wonder and joy that I experienced each day when I realised that the same God who created all the complex organs and structures I studied knew me before I was born and cares enough about me to send his only Son to die for me so that I can be restored to a relationship with him.
This perhaps has been one of the greatest gifts of my education, a renewed and deepened love of my Creator.
2. I definitely can't always see the path ahead but that doesn't mean that it isn't there. Who would have thought that a flyer posted on the bulletin board the week before my undergraduate graduation would lead me to pursue a degree in a field which I feel called to. Many things big and small have lead me to where I am today, far to many to write down here. I am constantly amazed to look back and see how events unfolded.
3. At age 24 I can no longer pull all nighters. Needless to say in order for this to be a lesson I learned it would have to be something I experienced. There is nothing like watching the clock tick by as a 15 page paper becomes due in a few short hours. An experience never again to be repeated and one which threw off my body for weeks.
4. Life is short, take time out for the important things like hanging out with friends. I've had the great privilege to meet some incredible people during my time here at school. A highlight of these last two years have been the weekly gill and game night get together in the summer and holiday themed dinners. You know you're in good company when a game about an end of the world pandemic is a big hit. It was also really nice to be able to go home for weeks at a time and hang out with my friends back home. I'll miss being able to take entire months off to go home.
5. Studying is important, sleep is over rated, and money- who needs it? This point is kind of self explanatory. I really didn't get to much sleep for the last two years. As far as money goes maybe the government will bail me out because I've been operating with a fiscal loss each year. Studying, well lets just say I'm not going to miss not having a weekend.
So now you may be asking what next? Truth is I have no idea, I don't have a job yet but I'm think that if God can make DNA align then he most definitely is capable of providing for the next step.
These last few years God has been at work in my life in both big and small areas, from the little ways in which he reminded me why I was here to the big areas such as providing a mini-miracle when some much needed funding support came through two years in a row. I've learned many lessons about myself and had my life changed in many ways. Because through this blog some of you have had the opportunity to follow my journey I thought I would share some of the things I've learned these last 2 years.
1. Creation truly reflects the creator. These last two years I've had the opportunity to learn about life from bacteria to human behavior and the one thing that was continually impressed upon me is that even from the simplest organism imaginable design, order, beauty, and love are visible. Every day I did my research I was once again amazed and awed at how the attributes of God are reflected in his creation. I still find it amazing that from a specific, ordered sequence of only 4 nucleic acid structures DNA can be created, and that this simple structure can create a humble bacteria that can ravage the human body. I still can not put into words the wonder and joy that I experienced each day when I realised that the same God who created all the complex organs and structures I studied knew me before I was born and cares enough about me to send his only Son to die for me so that I can be restored to a relationship with him.
This perhaps has been one of the greatest gifts of my education, a renewed and deepened love of my Creator.
2. I definitely can't always see the path ahead but that doesn't mean that it isn't there. Who would have thought that a flyer posted on the bulletin board the week before my undergraduate graduation would lead me to pursue a degree in a field which I feel called to. Many things big and small have lead me to where I am today, far to many to write down here. I am constantly amazed to look back and see how events unfolded.
3. At age 24 I can no longer pull all nighters. Needless to say in order for this to be a lesson I learned it would have to be something I experienced. There is nothing like watching the clock tick by as a 15 page paper becomes due in a few short hours. An experience never again to be repeated and one which threw off my body for weeks.
4. Life is short, take time out for the important things like hanging out with friends. I've had the great privilege to meet some incredible people during my time here at school. A highlight of these last two years have been the weekly gill and game night get together in the summer and holiday themed dinners. You know you're in good company when a game about an end of the world pandemic is a big hit. It was also really nice to be able to go home for weeks at a time and hang out with my friends back home. I'll miss being able to take entire months off to go home.
5. Studying is important, sleep is over rated, and money- who needs it? This point is kind of self explanatory. I really didn't get to much sleep for the last two years. As far as money goes maybe the government will bail me out because I've been operating with a fiscal loss each year. Studying, well lets just say I'm not going to miss not having a weekend.
So now you may be asking what next? Truth is I have no idea, I don't have a job yet but I'm think that if God can make DNA align then he most definitely is capable of providing for the next step.
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