Living with the Great Tribulation

Recently, on Fox News posted this article about a website that would email your loved ones in the event of a rapture.  Of course, this service/ministry is not free, it costs $40 a year.  Not bad to save a few loved ones.

But, these people are being duped.  The church will be going through the tribulation.  So, I am going to start offering a chance for my fellow post-tribulationist a service to their loved ones.  The webiste will be called, “Living with the Great Tribulation.”  We’ll send emails for you to your loved ones as you sit in prisons because you won’t take the mark of the beast. Or, in the event you die, we’ll send them the emails that you have prepared for them previously.

Of course, we’ll undersale our counterparts and this service is offered for $35 a year.

Any takers? Because I need some gas money!

Why I haven’t Blogged Lately

I haven’t blogged lately because I don’t have time to do so.  I also feel that the time that it takes to write for a blog can be put to better use.  At least, with the subject matter I wish to write about.  From time to time I’ll pop back on here to post a few things that are going on…nothing more.

I do have a series of post that chronicle a few things.  My life of a Ph.D. student and another one that I have yet to reveal.  These two I will periodically post but nothing dealing with the OT or missions will surface here anymore.  I just think that it would be better to tighten up these things and submit them as articles to journals etc.

However, I am not leaving the blogging world.  Soon, I will reveal my newest blog.  It is a blog about where I grew up.  It will tell my history and, I suppose, my present circumstances as well.  I don’t know when it will be up, but I do hope to write at least a half a years worth of material before I post it.

The great thing about this blog, is I hope to open it up so that others can share the stories that they had growing up.  So, it will be a fun, easy blog to maintain.  I’ll post here when it opens.

 

Thanks for reading!

Dougald

The Life of a Ph.D. Student- Part whatever of a series that will end sometime

Today I had the pleasure of sitting in the Wake Forest Coffee Company across from Dr. Wayne McDill.  He is a preaching professor at SEBTS.  We talked a little about the Ph.D. program.  Overall it was a great conversation. I’ve always liked Dr. McDill, though his style of preaching is not mine.  He has encouraged me on many occasions.

I have to share just this one before I get to a little advice about the Ph.D.  I had just delivered the worst sermon I had ever preached (some you know about the Quadrinity lesson- don’t ask, but it was worse than that).  Anyways, he walked out after the lab was over and pulled up next me. I thought he was going to lay into me.  He put his arm around me and said, “You didn’t prepare for that sermon did ya?”  I said no.  His reply, “You can never slip it past them.”

I had one more sermon to deliver.  Dr. McDill was there for that one.  He said that this one was much better.  I heard learned an important lesson concerning sermon preparation.  I must show up prepared.

That is how the Ph.D. program is too.  We Ph.D. students sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of work.  I think, at least for me, I expect to write the best paper and the be the most thoughtful.  I can only be who I can be.  The secret-be prepared with whatever it is I have to contribute.

I cannot be omniscient.  Nor I be infallible.  Only God can be that.  I can just do my best.  This relieves so much of the pressure I have on myself.

So, if you are thinking about getting a Ph.D., just be prepared.  Don’t worry about being the best or knowing every little detail in your field.  And keep in mind this is a process.  As my mentor says, all you are doing is proving that you can do independent study well.  Don’t try and write your magnum opus in a seminary paper.

Well, those are my ramblings for this week.  I guess it is better for me to ramble here than in my papers.  Though, those who read my papers probably think I am rambling there too. 

Spot On!

You know, I never really heard anyone say “Spot on” a lot until I entered the blogosphere.  Even then I can remember the phrase being used very rarely.  Now, its used by everybody.  I even used it once (gasp!).  

So, why has this become such a big catch phrase in the blogosphere?  Or, am I just completely off on this thing?

McLaurin-Lite: Now with 50 less pounds

Milestones are not goals. But, milestones lead to goals. Today I reached a major milestone. I dipped below 223lbs. I actually hit 222lbs. That is officially 51lbs lighter than when I began working out.

Thanks for all the encouragement by many of you. I am enjoying my workouts as a great break between work and study. It helps to get me ready for hard work late into the night. And, now its paying huge dividends. Now, just 32 more pounds and I reach my goal.

Dougald

When Competition Walks Into A Place of Business…

Sitting in my new hang out called the Wake Forest Coffee Company  (Starbucks is so done) I noticed a group of people walk in.  Who were they, only the owners of the other coffee shop in Wake Forest, the Well.

One guy was trying to learn all things expresso.  Only after they left did we learn who they were.  It was kind of funny.

Well, I doubt I’ll be visiting the Well anytime soon.

Quote of the Day

Nothing ticks me off more than a missiologist who is ambiguous in his writing.  

But [the conclusion of Ecclesiastes] is manifestly unsatisfactory since it does not provide answers to all the primary questions concerning ones existence, life’s meaning, and the implications of physical death.  In this silence we confront the incompleteness of the Old Testament revelation. (The Word Among Us edited by Gilliland p48-49).

First, is he calling the Word of God unsatisfactory?

Second, What are the primary questions and who decides what they are?

Third, How does one go from saying Ecclesiastes in unsatisfactory to the entire OT canon being incomplete and then say nothing else about that subject? (Since you don’t have the work in front of you he says nothing in regards to that last phrase. 

Finally, how can he say that it is incomplete?  Jesus chastised the religious leaders of his day for not studying the scriptures because they spoke of Him.

Argh!  Just another reason for me to load both barrels for my paper this semester.

Wake Forest Coffee Company

There is a great new place to get coffee in Wake Forest.  In the downtown area just next to the spa is a new coffee shop.  Many of you have already experienced it I’m sure.  But, I really like studying there especially since it gets me out of the library.  So, swing by sometime.  I might be there.

A little work pays off & It is Break Week

When I stepped on the scales after my workout today I realized that I now weigh less than I did when I started working at the library.  Actually, I passed it a little while ago.  I weighed 225lbs this afternoon.  Boy does it feel good to be starring at my pre-surgery weight now.  I’m only five pounds away from that.

In other news, its break week and I’m getting to the busy point in my semester.  I will be writing a whole bunch.  I hope to post some things here, or at least some summaries of my findings.  However, that will be in the distant future.

 

The Life of a Ph.D. Student- An update

So, I’m now closer to the end of my first semester than the beginning.  Actually much closer than I would like to be. In my first couple of weeks I posted a few items about the life of a Ph.D. student.  Now, after almost a full semester I will post a few reflections from what I’ve learned. Also, check out Seminary Survival Guide for some other great advice on how to manage your seminary career.

1.  One of the first things I had to learn to deal with was the number of hours spent with my nose in a book rather than fellowship with people.  What did I do? First, I started going to coffee shops to study.  It allowed me to get out of my empty apartment and at least be around people.  It also gave me an chance to meet new people.  Second, I learned how to fight the desire to get to work when I was with people.  I set up days to hang out with people and let studying be the furthest thing from my minds.

2.  I stated that Ph.D. students need to listen to others and others need to talk with them about something other than what they are studying.  Well, for the first part I still believe I am correct.  But, I think I would use what I am learning to encourage brothers and sisters.  I’ve used what I’ve learned in my  missions and theology seminar to encourage others to think through a lot of matters concerning missions.  Second, we actually need to talk about what we are studying with other people who aren’t in that area of study.  It helps us work some things out and think through what we are studying.  I now use those to refine my argumentation, though I present it in a way that my interlocutor does not know I am refining things with them.  I also seek, as if I was writing a paper, to present whatever I am discussing as an important problem that needs an answer.  So far, these discussions have encouraged me in my papers so far.  And, I’ve actually had some people that have stated my argument back to me in a better more succinct way.  Then I usually steal the way they said it…of course I ask them if I can before I do.

The most important thing I’ve learned is approaching my study as worship (even if I can’t finish it all, which is actually all right). I can’t list the ways that I’ve grown personally.  Reading through Deuteronomy at this time in my life has revealed so much about my selfish heart.  Missions has challenged me in the area of sharing the gospel and being gentle with those whom I disagree with in the missiological world.  Indeed, it has revealed to me their concerns and that they are valid concerns.

Finally, it has shown me that I actually have the time to live life during my Ph.D.  This is probably why I have less sympathy for those in the MDiv. or college.  I’ve realized how much time I actually waste doing nothing.  I’m not talking about spending time actually encouraging friends and getting to know people and encourage them.  I’m talking about listening to my Ipod or driving around and things like that.

Anyways, if you have some things that you have learned, pass it along.