My schedule for Fall 2007:

M-W-F
8am Biology
10am Art History
11am Psychology
1-5pm Work (Graphic Design for External Affairs at Hillsdale College)

T-Th
8am Biology Lab (Tuesdays only)
9-12pm Computer Graphics
1-5 Work (Tuesdays only)

And this doesn’t include the various and sundry meetings for all manners of clubs/organizations: KKG – 7:30pm Mondays; SAI – 9:15pm Thursdays; Yearbook – ubiquitous; Hillsdale Photography Club – spontaneous

But, as a wise woman once said, “The more you do, the more you can do.”

I’m back. The return may be short-lived, but at least for now it will be a suitable form of verbal release. The following post is a summary of yesterday’s sermon.

Genesis 18:1-19
12 Principles for Influencing Your Grandchildren
(100 Years from Now…)

1. Believe that the people of God have a future on this earth – a victorious and glorious one, at that!

2. Believe that God has entered into a covenant with His people in Christ that will endure down through the generations.
(Genesis 17:7)

3. If you are within childbearing years (and married), have babies! If unmarried, pray that God would lead you to a godly spouse and give you many children.
(Genesis 35:11, 47:27; Leviticus 26:9; Genesis 1:28, 9:1&7, 15:5, 22:17-18. 24:60)

4. Create a material, spiritual and intellectual inheritance for your children’s children.
(Job 27:13)

5. If at all possible, purchase land and keep it in your family
(Matthew 5:5)

6. Obey God’s Word on how to raise your children! (Genesis 18:17-19)

7. Give your children a distinctively Christian education and teach them to do so for their children. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

8. Pray for you children, grandchildren and descendants…often.
(Job 1:5)

9. Work hard to reconstruct this evil culture in which we live so that our children, by God’s grace, will live in a less evil culture in their own time.
(Genesis 1:28; Matthew 28:18)

10. Guide your children regarding whom they should marry.
(Deuteronomy 7:1; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Nehemiah 13:23)

11. Teach your children to think and live with a focus on the future.
(1 Corinthians 3:21; Proverbs 12:7, 14:11)

12. The more the church in this world is renewed by the Holy Spirit and reformed by the Word of God, the more we will be able to influence future generations face to face. (Isaiah 65:19)

Home again…. and missing Italy. It seems I will never be happy in one place because I will always be missing the other. I feel split up into several different parts — a part of me was left in Italy, part of me remains in Hillsdale, a part of me will always reside in Georgia, the list could go on… Is it better to let go of those parts and constantly renew the sense of familiarity that goes along with feeling at “home”? Whether it’s better or not, I would rather be spread thin with the wonderful places I’ve seen and people I’ve come to know than to leave them behind in search for the next great thing. I think this might mean a constant ebb and flow of bittersweet memories, but more often than not they will be pleasant and worthwhile for the heartache that may succeed them. Either way, what I have to look forward to is many (or perhaps just a few) new “homes” in the future and the memories, both good and bad, that will ensue.

Well, I realize it’s been a while, so sorry for the delay (again).

Everything’s still going fairly well here in Italia. Aside from some slight artistic nervous breakdowns, I’ve little to complain of at this very moment. Still battling the ubiquitous cold (how can you avoid it? this dorm should be quarantined!) I’ve spent the last week or so preparing for our exhibition which is coming up this weekend (Nov. 10-11) and finishing up final projects. Having such a short semester makes this time particularly stressful, but we have our ways of coping. It’s nice to be around folks who are going through the same things… there’s always someone who can sympathize!

The weather has been getting progressively colder but, like Michigan, it decides to switch it up every other day. One day freeeezing, the next pretty mild. Makes things fun. This coming weekend will be our last in Cortona (a very sad thought…) and it’s apparently going to be a big one, what with the show and getting things ready to depart. Last day in Cortona is the 17th, after which we will head to Naples for the last couple days of the program. Can you believe it’s gone by so fast?? Me neither….

 I have gotten so used to being here, so comfortable with my surroundings, so familiar with the faces, names, and personalities I’ve come into contact with. It’s the complete opposite of when I came and I like to think that the process of going from one extreme to the other has taught me a lot. I’ve enjoyed this time so much and it’s changed me in ways I may not even fully recognize right now, but I know that I will always keep the memories of this amazing time in Italy close to my heart. I could give detailed narratives of all the experiences, stories, escapades, jokes, dramas, breakdowns….but it will have to wait because frankly, Xanga is not the best medium for it. Wait for the pictures and the stories will come too. Until then, I’m going to enjoy these last two weeks like they’re never going to end…

Updates da Italia:

– No longer sick (yay!)
– We finally have HOT SHOWERS in the dorms! This is truly a reason for rejoicing.
– Fall weather has set in here with a vengeance. It’s been drizzling steadily since yesterday afternoon
– Getting “midterm reports” is not fun… even in Italy
– Officially 31 days till I’m “back in the States” (new favourite phrase )
– My goal for next semester is to work out a schedule as similar as possible to the one I have now: classes only on Monday and Thursdays, which makes for three days weekends and lots of time in between to do studio work.

Now that I’ve been here for two months, I think I’m finally starting to really like this place called Italy (not to mention Europe in general).

More soon…

Just a few things to note:

Internet has been fully restored to our facilities here in Cortona, including wireless in the common room and auditorium (yay!).

Still sick and I’ve lost my voice… sounds like a) I’ve been smoking for 50+ years b) I’m a pre-teen boy in the midst of a vocal shift c) I’ve got one of those throaty, sultry voices that jazz singers crave. I’m leaning towards choice (c) .

The weather here is still simply gorgeous. I hear there’s this thing called snow going on in Chicago and Michigan… crazy. I’m much farther north and living on a mountain and it’s still in the 60’s (20’s celsius) here and not supposed to snow until November!

Almost finished with my most recent painting — the portrait. Decided on a still life set up for the next one and am almost ready to start it.

Going to a “Friday the 13th” party tonight at the discoteca. Exciting.