Hebrew and Other Lessons

I set my mind with a discipline of writing (via this blog) every evening before I went to bed. So, much for that. The reality is that I started an intensive study of Biblical Hebrew on Monday morning. Adjustment, homework, study, synthesizing what I'm learning and taking care of myself (i.e. finally sleeping) got in the way of writing. For me, that means not failure at a proposed discipline but finding balance. If I skip writing for a day or two or write at a different time, no matter, no problem. I have not abandoned what I want to hold dear. In the past few days, I've learned through myself and witnessing others many lessons in not only basic Hebrew and how I learn and what encourages me or discourages me, but thinking deeply in the depth and extreme messiness of life. All things I already knew but somehow forgot (as in what feels like continuously)....

1) Breathe, it all comes together in the end
2) Be patient
3) Believe in my own capabilities and what I have to offer
4) Competition can be fun but out of check can become disastrous and hurtful
5) Don't look to others for my self-worth
6) Relaxing, or putting things into perspective, does not mean relaxing my values or integrity
7) You don't have to know it all at once and have the right answer, see #1.
Bonus) God will put the right people in my path to help me along the way. It's okay to say no to the wrong people (does not make them bad or wrong) for me and trust God in all matters.
Bonus #2) My friend Anni gave me the best advice, in order to learn Hebrew, you must stay loose. That's true for anything. :-).

Funny thing is that in two days, I've come tremendously far. What I didn't know at the beginning of class, I learned with some confidence by the end. There will be days I don't do as well but there will be days I'll excel. I ran into one of the kindest students on campus that I connect with on a deep level, she told me that even though she didn't at the time realize it, learning Hebrew was a rare gift and one that should be appreciated. I'm packing that with me. I think that's true in all of life.

Last note, I received my final grades and I did well, not as well as my ego tells me (all solid A s). However, funny thing is, the class I just wanted to do the best I could and get through, I did the best in; and the one I was most gifted in the subject matter, I did the worst in. Note to self: Both I took seriously and worked hard, but one I let go and just asked for God's grace in the outcome and the other I expected a grade with certainty and no grace.