To grade or not to grade.

So I recently received all my grades for this semester...and I believe i did not do bad considering i was taking 6 classes as a graduate student...yes..yes...I officially have a 3.67 GPA...this is after getting 4 A's, B, B+....I was hoping for 5 A's but....I really can't complain.

So for this intermission ...I plan to work and work...and work.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone...blessings....

Finished...God bless

So its official...I just finished my first semester of graduate school. Yes...YEs...I am getting closer to being really edgamacated....Its nice to have some down time. I am really glad for that...My brain officailly hurts. I will post my fabulous grades...but not until I get them all...

I plan to post a decent blog over break...just give my brain time to relax....have a glass of wine...and life will be great.

Thanks..

Purposeful Relationships

In the past couple days I have had some really interesting conversations with friends and people i don't really know about my relationship with christ. The idea of loving your neighbor and having child like faith and being completely committed to that relationship is the overwehlming theme. So I need to share the most recent of those conversations.....

So tonight, like most friday nights I headed from Athens to work at On the border, by the mall of Georgia. I am tired and iritable because its the end of the semester and i have way to much school work to do and I really don't want to be working. But I realize that I need to do what I have to do....and do it with a smile or it will all back fire on me.

The night is slow and infact at times quite painful...but I grin and keep going...at some point in the night...I get frustrated and angry with some of my co-workers. ( Lets just say some lack a sense of responsibility.) I finally get myself situated around 10 pm with the hopes that i won't get anymore tables...an then i get one last table. Its a lone woman, she sits down with two books and the menu and as i approach her with chips and salsa, she looks up and says "hello". I go through my normal routine of greeting...and answer a few questions and then head back to get her drink. At this point I am just going through the motions. (little did I know Gods plan). I approach the table with her drink and notice a book by Henry Nowen. ( He is one of my favorite Catholic Christian writers...I think everyone should read "Life of the beloved" by Henry Nowen.) I speak up and say....I love that book, she looks up impressed and starts this amazing conversation with me abou t her relationship with Christ.

At this point I am blown away...completely taken aback by the books she's read, her theology, her understanding of what it means to be in relationship. She is not Catholic, but has a great respect and understanding for some great catholic writers that I abolutely cherish. As our conversation progresses she brings up books that I have not read in such a long time and reminds me of how important some of the practices and theroies in those books have helped me in my walk with christ. Then she says a couple words that are now simmering in my heart. "Denise remember its not just a relationship....its a PURPOSEFUL relationship with christ"

I think at this point I have stopped listening...because all I can do is here that word...Purposeful...wow...holy crap. In everything I do...I need to be purposeful...I need to be practicing the presense of Christ. My Relationship with christ has always been, personal and forward thinking, I acknowledge christ, I pray, I try to listen, but has it always been purposeful? I am not so sure of that. So I need to simmer a little bit longer on this... in hopes that is will enlighten me further. Its so simple, yet so complex....

For now...I want to thank that lovely woman, and personally thank God for using her as an instrument. For today, I feel blessed ......holy crap...