Smith Update

Hey Everybody!

Hello, from Torrance. We are now living with Marcie and Steve as we prepare for our trip to Boston. I am teaching summer school to a very cute bunch of soon-to-be third graders, and Geoff is finishing off his sentence at Crestmont. In two weeks we will begin our journey. Be praying for us as we leave. Hopefully, our trip will be safe and fun.

Yipee!! Well, good news is finally coming from the Smith household. We will not be living on the streets of Boston foraging for wicked good beans! We have achieved employment! I have been hired by the Newton school district to teach kindergarten. That's right, kindergarten. I don't know exactly how that is going to work, but I will enjoy the challenge of dealing with the little ones! We are now getting ready to move into Steve and Marci's for the month of July, and then on August first we will be braving the week long trip with my parents and the kitties. That's right, the kitties. We are very exciting and thrilled on all the blessings God has bestowed upon us!

Look at the picture

There are two phrases I hate: "mind you" and "what not". I just want to slap a person's face when I hear them say it. I'd much rather hear "um" or as my "bilingual" students like to say "what's it called". "What not" is the worst. What does it even mean? "I going to the store to buy milk and what not". Kill me now! Get a vocabulary, learn some words, and finish your freaking sentences!!! Sorry, massive exclamation mark rage. I just can't stand those two phrases. So, if you value your face, and your loved ones' faces, do not use these phrases around me. And, don't think your being funny and say it just to make me mad. Remember, think about how much you love your face.

Where are the Smith's?

You just might might be wondering, where are the Smith's? Where did they go? Did they already move? Are they lost to us forever? No, we are still here in cloudy (not sunny) California. Yes, can you actually believe it, Boston currently is experiencing warmer weather than Long Beach? What the heck am I doing here? All wondering aside. I am at the tip of finishing my Master's degree, and yes, I am struggling with the harlot of procrastination. She promises you good times unwasted on silly things such as a thesis, but in the end she takes your workable hours and energy, and leaves you screaming in despair. A bit melodramatic, but oh so true! I have three days to turn in the second half of my thesis, and of course already I've been so productive this evening. I started my laundry, watched the True Hollywood Story of Hulk Hogan, took a nap, and now am updating our poor neglected blog. Yes, I deserve to be a master. Master of procrastination. So if anyone has any tips to motivate me, send them on over. But, not graduating on time hasn't even worked!

Things are working out quite well

This week started sort of badly. Geoff and I went through all our clothes, and managed to come up with about seven trash bags full of clothes to sell. We decided to try and sell the clothes at our local Buffalo Exchange store here in Long Beach. Because I am such a clothes freak, we thought that many of our clothes would be wanted by the BE, and we lugged all seven bags down to 2nd street. Well, after waiting for almost two hours as one person went through our seven bags in front of us, we made the fine profit of seventeen dollars and eighty-five cents. Yipee! A little pissed, we have decided to renounce the BE, and never go there again. They're all a bunch of indie snobs!

Now for the good news. On Tuesday, I received an email from a school in Newton, MA (eight miles west of Bean Town), and they have requested that I come out for an interview! This is really good, because getting an interview is half the battle when applying for a teaching job. I hope it goes well, and I get the job. And, hopefully this means we will not be living in the streets as Geoff attends Harvard. It is a lot of pressure to be the main financial provider in a marriage. No diss is intended, but I have a lot of respect for people who support their spouses, for whatever reason. It is difficult to know that the success and wellbeing of your family falls squarely on your shoulders. This interview lets me relax a little, and feel more confident that we will be okay. I have a high need to be independent, and I don't like having to ask parents ( or anyone for that matter) for financial help, so having an adequate paying job is very important to me. I can't wait until Geoff is able to be more of an equal financial partner. It will take so much pressure off of me. I am feeling so blessed with this whole process of moving to Boston. It seems that God has it all under control, and is so obviously leading us there. I want to say thanks to all our friends and family that have encouraged and supported us. I especially appreciate all the people that have helped me to see this BIG change in a positive light. I have no doubt that Bean Town will be an interesting and freezing experience.

Ciabatta Burgers and Car Accidents

As I was driving to work this morning I had a frightening experience involving a left turn and a reckless radio advert. Midway through the turn, which was at a very busy intersection replete with jaywalking rail patrons, I heard sirens. I immediately panicked, accelerated, and widened the arc of my turn so that I would end up near the curb of the street I was turning onto. Because of the new radius, I came dangerously close to the swelling crowd waiting to cross the street. Before I could come to a stop, I realized that the siren was not coming from an emergency vehicle, but from a Jack-in-the-Box ciabatta commercial on the radio. Forgive me if the relationship between a lame burger and an emergency vehicle doesn’t come quickly to me. In an age of prohibitive cell-phone legislation and strict FCC supervision, how is it that a reckless and thoughtless attention getter like this could make it onto the air? More than reckless, this type of advertising is also ineffective. We have been programmed to pull over when we hear a siren, not open our pocket books. Imagine a teacher shouting “Fire!” to get the attention of his/her inattentive fourth grade class, or a pastor yelling “Look, the antichrist!” to end the meet-and-greet time. Such exclamations do not elicit the desired response. Instead of pulling into the nearest Jack drive-thru, I published these angry words for all to read. Not the desired response. If we want your product we will incline our ear at your description of it. A well placed siren will not change this fact. As an enraged consumer who was nearly pushed into a crowd of people by the greasy hand of a fast-food juggernaut, I am now protesting the purchase and consumption of this glorified sandwich!

Well, now aren't you so smart!

Before I knew what I was in for.

After reading Geoff's recent posting, I obviously look like the goofball of the two, and I guess I'm not far off. I will admit that Geoff is an extremely intelligent guy, but I am not all lollies and giggles. I guess the difference between the two of us is that I am a little sillier, and why wouldn't I be, I spend most of my time with eight year olds! But, I am also someone with a mind, and it is constantly challenged by the arduous task of being a teacher. I used to think that teaching would be so fun, the kids would love me, I'd teach provocative and engaging lessons, and the whole world would laud me as being the most bestest teacher ever! Well, maybe my dreams did not go that far, but I did think that being a teacher would be different. I do not wish however, that I had chosen another profession. As hard as being a teacher is, it is a job that I find pushes me to do my best everyday. I never thought I would be so constantly confronted by my failures, but the last three years have taught me that I can endure harsh criticism, unfavorable environments, difficult colleagues, and even more difficult students. There have been a few times when I wanted to throw in the towel, but I am always faced with the inevitable, this is what I was meant to do. I may not be the best at it, I may not know how to teach everyone perfectly, but I have never given up. And I honestly do love my students. My students draw a love from me that I do not quite understand. Even when they drive me crazy and I want to send them out of my classroom, I still care deeply for them. I believe that God gives me my concern for my students. With his help I am able to be compassionate and considerate, and I hope that I am able to convey to them that I really do care, and if they knew how often I thought of them, I think they'd be surprised. I hope I don't sound sappy or overly emotional, it's just how I feel.

Graduate School Process

As I was beginning the process of applying to theological graduate programs, I was surprised by the paucity of information available about these programs. I have never seen a scientific (Divinity school bashing, ultra-conservative Christian discussion forums not included) ranking of American theological institutions or even any published admissions statistics. Students who study God deserve rankings and stats just as much as Business or Engineering students. We need this information so that we can develop realistic expectations about our admissions chances, and gain a better understanding about the relative prestige of the programs. Out of this lack of information, I thought it important to share my experience for future applicants and anyone else who might be interested.

I was denied admission at UNC-Chapel hill (PhD with Bart Ehrman) and Duke (not divinity, terminal masters program). The thumbs up was given to me by Yale Divinity (MAR), Harvard Divinity (MTS) and Wheaton (MABE). Since Wheaton’s program was not exactly what I was looking for, I eliminated it early on. That left HDS and YDS. I was fortunate enough to have attended the theological education days offered by these schools last November. My advice to anyone considering graduate education is to visit the schools. Do not base your decision on the work of some clever web master with an eye for photo doctoring, or an episode of Gilmore Girls. Visit the school, talk to the students, meander through the library; it will make all the difference in the world. It did for me.

New Haven, the location of Yale, is not Stars Hollow. The economic heart of the town, a massive Winchester rifle factory, ceased beating years ago, leaving the surrounding area listless and decaying. Students told me stories of in home invasions and muggings. Though the Divinity school was quite impressive academically, my concern for safety muted my desire for self-actualization.

Harvard, on the other hand, is located in Cambridge, MA, one of America’s most charming cities as confirmed by the unusually high rent prices. Anyone who has ever visited this city knows what I am talking about. The buildings are well kept and the people are generally amicable. The concentration of colleges and universities in the Boston area (over sixty, I think), ensures a youthful and diverse population of intelligent people, injecting vitality into the region’s charm.

Harvard is also strong in my area of emphasis. I am interested in the ideas and theologies which permeated pre-orthodox (first three centuries) Christianity. Because the works of Eusebius, Tertullian, and Origin were written from an orthodox perspective and marred by rhetorical strategy, they tend to downplay the diversity of pre-Constantinian Christianity. Therefore, I will be spending most of my time studying the “Gnostic” library. These texts offer unique insight into the beliefs and practices of heterodox sects who considered themselves Christian. Karen King is one of the leading scholars in this field and I am excited to study under her.

I am looking forward to my time at HDS and I will regularly post updates about my (our) experiences.

The Happiest Day of my Life! (I mean the 2nd most happy day, sorry Geoff)

Emily here. The "fun, not as nerdy" one. Well, today has been especially joyous. For some reason I feel very elated and at peace. I think I just feel really excited about where life is about to take me (or should I say the Lord, David?). Moving to MA is very exciting, and I'm anticipating awesome times with new buddies. I just have to get a job to support my family first, no big deal. Yeah, right, I'm really nervous about that part. I'm also a little sad to be leaving my family. I'll definitely be missing my mommy. Life is good and very exciting. More updates later. See ya!

Back to the Ordinary

Now that we are back from Hawaii, it is time to return to normalcy. Jet lag and sunburned knees (yeah, just the knees) have only exacerbated the transition, leaving me lethargic and irritable. Nevertheless, I have donned my Oxford shirt and necktie and returned to work.

I have also returned to the reality of our impending 3,000 mile move. In just over three months we will leave Los Angeles for Cambridge, MA. Here are some of the details we are working on:

Emily has applied to, and is waiting to hear back from, thirty school districts in the Boston area. While Massachusetts' education system is notorious for its competitive job market, Emily's qualifications should give her an edge.

After looking at the options, we have decided that it is more cost effective to ship our belongings to Boston via U-Pack (a company like Pods) while we make the drive in our car, than it is to rent a truck. This means that we will need to fit all of our belongings in a 6' x 7' x 8' container. Any spillage will be sold, donated, or crammed into the car. Needless to say, we will be trimming and organizing over the next few months. Anyone need an aquarium??

Perhaps the biggest stressor has been the quest for an apartment. The "elite" staff of the Harvard Affiliated Housing Office have been curt and overwhelmingly useless. Apparently pet owners are not welcome in any of their apartments. Not yet ready to unleash these beasts on the world (see the pictures and you will understand why), we have been perusing craigslist.org and other online rental sites. There is plenty of time to find the right place, it is just a matter of patience. Settling on an apartment in the past resulted in us living in the heart of what was affectionately termed the "gay ghetto", next door to three paint-huffers who dealt in antiques and drugs. Believe me, we have learned our lesson!