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...

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).

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.

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.

the first blog picture.... BDT

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

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