Last 100 meters... er... 10 days

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

I handed in the last of my "short" papers, a Marxist close reading of Barefoot, by Zaharia Stancu. I enjoyed writing it very much, especially since I was applying a theory just recently learned in my Literary Theory class. It's always encouraging when one can apply learned material immediately. I didn't think I would agree with Marx as much as I apparently do, especially considering his [unfortunate] ties with communism. But his theory is shaping much of me perception of the capitalist consumer society in which I find myself, and it was a great exercise to apply his theory to one of the novels I read.

Looking toward the future, I have ten days to write my final paper: I'm halfway through my research/annotated bibliography and have a tentative thesis. So the next couple steps are rereading the novel and verifying my thesis, creating an outline, pulling evidence to prove my points, drafting, more writing, and final editing/revisions. All in the next 10 days. *whew* But it will get done, as it always does, not because I'm incredibly intelligent (you'd think that after four years I would have learned to start these papers sooner), but because God is incredibly good. All the time.

I'm also getting excited about my senior seminar paper. Researching Sadoveanu has opened more doors for reading about Rebreanu and his works, so I look forward to further exploring different approaches to The Uprising.

Until then, I'm reveling in the freedom Christ has purchased for me. As Dr. Brown said in chapel today, "Guys, we're free! Why do we mope around as if this world holds us captive? Christ has secured our freedom and the victory will soon come!" So... yes, I'm physically tired, mentally drained, and emotionally ready to move on with my life, but those are not the things I want to focus on today. Today, I celebrate the freedom for which Christ has set me free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened by a yoke of slavery. May the joy of the Lord dwell richly in our hearts today.