Monday, September 7, 2009

A Post From the 2nd City

After many request (all by the same person and coincidentally our only reader, yes you Diane) we are finally updating our blog.
The last 2 weeks (and for the next 2) we have been living in Chicago (the medical district) while Jen does a rotation in Emergency Medicine. These weeks have brought there own share of excitement adjustment and as always stress. After the first couple of days Jen has felt more comfortable working in the ER here and has had the privilege of working with some great doctors. The stress of these weeks has largely stemmed largely from the process of completing Jen's application to residency. I personally have read her CV and Personal Statement well over 10 times. Which sadly is still probably not as many times as she has. Along with this process has been the stress of working with the right ER docs here to get a letter of recommendation as well as narrowing in on the programs that we(she but we ...it feels like i am applying i have been on ERAS so much) would like to apply to.

This "narrowing" has left us with 30 programs that will be graced with the presence of Jennifer Lee Lowry Erbes' Residency Application. Most the programs are in the Midwest(IC, Chicago, KC, Omaha, Indy, Twin Cities, and St Louis (shout-out to Luke at WashU) we have also applied to programs in Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, and Virginia.

I have been studying for the GRE to attempt to raise my score, to open up possibilities wherever we end up next year. I have also been taking Statistics through the University of Iowa. My comps for my MA our on Oct 31.

Other then that we have done a couple "Chicago" things namely; went to the Field Museum, Navy Pier, we have been running along the lake several times, we tried to go to a Andy's Jazz Club but Jen forgot her ID so we went to Gino's East Pizza which was fun, but slightly less Jazzy. We tried to drive downtown once that was stupid, we now take the L(blue line western stop). We also got to go out to eat in Oak Park at a really good wine and cheese place with my cousin Kristin and her husband Mark.

Over the next 2 weeks we hope to see more of the city maybe hit a Cubs game, and I may run a half-marathon.

I have taken a few pics but i do not have my cord to put them on the computer.

City life seems to come with a large number of both "pros" and "cons" weighing them is the challenge. Everything is close but takes awhile to get to... there tends to be a lot of people around. That said one of the goals of this month is to gauge whether we would like doing this for 3 or 4 years, I think we have both gone back and forth both coming to the conclusion that it could work if it is where we are led.

Sometimes it is hard having so many uncertainties(where are we going to live? what are we going to do?) with so much of it seeming out of our control. However becoming more apparent is the reality that we wouldn't know what we would do if we did control it.
Perhaps our curse is our blessing.

-Ben (&Jen <><)

Monday, July 6, 2009

Song for Jen

Here are the words for the song I wrote(with Lane Jahn) for Jen, that Lane and I performed at the wedding.

Today I stand before you
As you're sharing this with me
Our life becomes our memories

Here in God's presence
I can see
How the cross holds more love
Than the words we speak

So I want to show I love you
But I know
I'll have to wait til' life gives me a chance to prove...

That greater than the words I write
Must be the life I give you in peace and pain
After every trial that we face,
I'll thank God for you

Today I stand- With faith that he did choose you for me
Today I stand- The first step in thousands you'll take with me
Today I stand- With thanks for all that's in you...and what you see in me
Today We stand- with breath to form our union… and live…

How I want to show I love you
And I know
We'll both learn love through Christ alone.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Almost there.

It's been awhile since our last post, it has been a really busy month, probably one of the most challenging of our lives. I finished spring semester earlier today, Jen will be done with her surgery rotation on Friday. We are headed back to Ames this weekend for Luke's graduation, wedding preparation, and mother's day.
-pressing on

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Resurrection Sunday

I just spent 2 hours avoiding homework by making our new blog heading picture. We had a good easter, i volunteered Jen to sing with the worship band at church(which she loved;), what better time to sing in worship band for your first time then easter, new beginning right? Anyway she sang, i played some keys, it was fun, we are enjoying our church here in IC. Hope all is well.
night,
Ben

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

the beat goes on

We have been pretty busy the past few weeks I finished the 3rd quarter at school( a couple papers and a test) then had spring break spent in Ames, IC, and Chicago( the same as most any week i guess), I am already 2 weeks into the 4th quarter so only 6 to go. Jen finished her OB/GYN rotation, really enjoying the last few weeks of delivering babies. We managed to get to Ames to send out wedding invitations last weekend which was a lot of work, but a lot of fun with the family. Monday Jen started her Surgery rotation which will no doubt be challenging and a learning experience. 6 weeks until she is through that and I am done with Spring classes. The wedding is 81 days away which feels simultaneously to close and to far away, we settled on what everybody is going to wear, music, and cermony stuff, as well as talking with the flower people photo people (danny mac) ring people (lane) and the band... We also settled on a place to live next year(in the same complex Jen lives in now). Next weekend we will be heading back to Ames for a day for Brian Scott's wedding. I have about 1,250 pages to read over the next 5 weeks(7 papers to write and a test), should be fun....at least jen will be working 16 hour days during that time (balance sort of) thats about it i am heading to boston market... they still have those up here...

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

First March Blog

Its been a few weeks since our last post. Jen and I have been back to Ames the past two weekends for the E-free marriage counseling class and retreat. We really enjoyed getting to spend some time together learning/reviewing some important principles for marriage. It is an exciting time as we close in on 3 months until the wedding. Spring is always my favorite time of year and this year that is magnified. I finished up the 3rd quarter last week so i am on spring break this week. I will be staying in Iowa City working on wedding stuff/ taking care of some things to transition to married life. Jen is delivering babies the next couple weeks which is exciting for her(though the hours remain long). After the first day she was pretty confident i would not be able to stay in the deliver room if/when that time comes around for us. I almost fainted as she told me about it... We continue to try to figure out what the future holds, specialties/residency for Jen, and school/ career for me, it is a good reminded that life doesn't end on June 20th. Which is a good reminder to live for today, tomorrow will bring enough worries of its own (someone smarter then I said that).

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Wednesdays

Wednesdays are the days when we wonder how we are going to do all of this. How we are going to get through the week. How we are going to get everything we need to get done this semester/rotation. How we are going to get everything ready for the wedding that is 17 weeks away. How we are going to decide what to do with our lives, what specialty what profession. How are we going to get into residency and a doctorate program. Where are we going to live in a year and a half. Hopefully Wednesdays are also the days when we remember that we are not on our own. There is a purpose to all of this, it is not all for nothing or all for ourselves. For where we are called we will be provided for when we get there. Today is just a Wednesday, Wednesday is enough to worry about.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Mondays


Mondays are the days that Jen and I part ways, as i head back to Wheaton and she starts another week of rotations. This week Jen is starting OB/GYN which, along with Surgery, will make the next 12 weeks pretty busy/stressful. I have just 3 weeks left in the quarter so things will get busy for me as well as I am working on 3 papers, the first on Luther and the Pope, the second on on the platonic and hellenistic philosophical influence on the early church: Tertullian and Irenaeus, and for OT theology a paper on the Pneumatology of the Pentateuch.
Fun stuff, i guess. keeping busy and feeling blessed even on a Monday.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

the first blog picture.... BDT

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Masters Thesis

I have been thinking a lot this week about potential topics for a MA Thesis. It is a challenge to narrow in on a topic that will both be acceptable to the college and professors and will remain interesting to research and write over the next year. I have written a decent amount on imagination, myth, and metaphor in theology, so initially that seemed like a potential starting place. I am also intrigued by the thought of GK Chesterton both in his creative genius and his thoughts on distributionism and how that may relate to modern day liberation theology. Thoughts?

While I had my head in the clouds Jen watched open-heart surgery today.

thats about right,
Ben

Sunday, February 8, 2009

A Post for Diane

Hey Mom, We think you are the only who reads this so we thought we would write a post for you. Hi!
We talked to lydia tonight on skype she is good.
We may see you next week Jen's dress is in...
love
Ben & Jen

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

First Blog

This is Ben and Jen's first blog post. Get used to it.