February, The Key to Seminary, "Pro-Life," and Seinfeld

This happens every year, but I can't believe how fast February goes! One day you're looking for Punxfarhodabfxzdfdl;fatawney (sp?) Phil's shadow results and the next you're getting ready for March Madness brackets. Yesterday we got something in our seminary mailboxes that said, "80 days until graduation!" That's absolutely crazy! I keep forgetting that I'm graduating/that it's so soon! It's both very exciting and sad at the same time. What will I do without all these wonderful people? C'est la vie.

I know I make reference to this often, but one of my favorite things about seminary is having Fridays off. Thursday's the new Friday!

I think after my three years in seminary, I have figured out the key to success at North Park Theological Seminary: layers. You should always dress in layers when coming to the seminary because no matter what time of year it is, it may be 86 degrees in your classroom, or it may be 58 degrees; it doesn't matter if it's July or January. If you are not prepared for the classroom elements, learning will suffer. Cardigans are a great optional piece of clothing in this setting.

I signed up for the Illinois Marathon in Champagne! I'm running it with Greg Johnston and Cooper Gillan in late April. This marathon has two great advantages: 1) it's in April. The thought of running the Chicago marathon is tempting, but the thought of doing all my longest runs in the humid heat of Chicago summer is not. Anything over 75 degrees, and I wilt. I'm a delicate flower...or a piece of lettuce.... we report, you decide. 2) It's on a Saturday. I won't have to take a day off of work to do it, which is obviously good. So, I completed my first double-digit mile-run along the lake last Friday, and I'm feeling good about the endeavor. We'll see if that keeps up.

It's hard for me to take "pro-life" Republicans seriously when they not only want to cut funding for Planned Parenthood but also to cut $747 million from WIC, make cuts from headstart, and de-fund Title X, which provides funding for contraceptives, HIV/AIDS testing, gynecology exams, etc., for mostly low-income women and families who also are uninsured. Title X also states that no funds can be used, "in programs where abortion is a method of family planning." That's absolutely not pro-life. When you are pro-life, you have better be committed to taking care of children after they leave the womb. If you don't, it's simply hypocrisy and certainly cannot be labelled "pro-life." That's my political rant for today.

Thanks to Earl, I'm borrowing seasons 1-3 of Seinfeld. I sometimes forget how many of my jokes or common phrases have their origin in a Seinfeld episode or how great it is to end a day watching an episode and de-stressing. Here's a good top ten:

Okay, off to lunch!