And so it begins....

Well here we go.... let the essay writing begin! This was my desk the other night as I was working on my first paper for the Oxford Semester. What you can't see here, is that the notebook is full of notes from four other rather large books that I was not allowed to take out of the library and had to leave with only notes. My first paper, on the King Arthur stories, is pretty much finished, just needs some polishing! That right there is a good feeling! First paper down, only 16 more to go? Something like that....

I think I am starting to settle into this academic life at Oxford. Still getting lost in the libraries, but how can that be helped- they are huge! Still getting used to what is expected of an Oxford scholar, but I am gaining confidence that this is where I am supposed to be. At least for right now. I forget sometimes how much I love learning. How much I love applying myself academically. And as much as I am excited to be done with the academic world for a while when I graduate and move on to other fun things (I am sooo excited to be marrying the love of my life in little over a year's time!!) I am very grateful for this opportunity to be in the atmosphere that I am in right now. I am still very much missing home, and very mush missing my home University and the people there, but the longer I am here, the more I see that God has always been behind this decision and that this is the right place and time for me to be. I wish I could walk every moment of everyday in this kind of confidence, but the moments of clarity are very precious. There is so much for me to learn here, outside of the lecture halls and libraries, and I think that God is doing a very big thing in my heart and in my mind this semester. I am anxiously- excited about where he is taking me and teaching me...

Soo, that's my ramble for today. Wish me luck on the marks of this first paper! I am a little nervous as I am submitting it. Oxford standards= a lot of pressure!! But I hold to the truth that God's lessons for me here are not on a pass or fail standard, there isn't even a letter grade waiting for me at the end of term. I have been faithful so far, and will be faithful still to the best of my ability, and that's all I can ask of myself. =)