Front foot leads the back one...

What a week already. I had my first seminary class Tuesday and after only two days, Dallas Theological is already living up to its promise of first-week "syllabus shock."

This is somewhat of a weird feeling for me, I'm in school, I'm going to classes, I'm doing homework and reading more than I have since Damon Akins' History of the American Frontiers class at OU. Only now instead of having one class demanding 1,000 pages of reading (literally), I have six. It's weird though because it doesn't quite feel like work yet. I know there will soon come a time when my tune will change, but I know that I'm learning to love God more.

This semester I'm taking an Introduction to Theology course, the professor tells us that we will learn to love God with our minds--an idea which excites me to no end. I'm ready to leave behind the ignorance of my former faith and embrace Jesus with my mind as well as my heart. I'm reminded of an image from one of Donald Miller's books in which Miller recounts a dream of his. In this dream, he is walking along a road toward God. God used to be distant but had now drawn so close that Miller could see the lines on His face. What I'm doing now is walking down that road, waiting for the day that I see God that way.

This is going to be a challenging two years but I know, Lord willing, I'll make it through. I've got a wonderful support system to help me, a beautiful wife, good friends, an awesome family that I know will always be there for me. This is the beginning of my journey and as such, I've felt a need to re-imagine what I want to do with this space. This blog is going to be about my life in the tension of school, learning to love God, love my wife, love my family and learning to fulfill my purpose on this spinning chunk of rock that we call our home for now.

-Caleb Williams

A new beginning...

School starts--again--in a little under two weeks. I've been going to school my whole life it seems, first because they made me (how dare they), then because I knew I needed to. Then I went to get ahead in life through college (look where that's gotten me, I'm 22, a college grad and unemployed). Now, I'm going to school to serve God.

That to say it's funny how our motivations change over time. Continuing school was one of the last things on my mind two years ago, then I felt the calling again. I'm seeking an M.A. in media and communication from Dallas Theological Seminary, hoping to use my skills in various media to promote the Gospel and promote Church unity.

How? I'm not entirely sure yet.

-Caleb Williams

And a year later...

I thought today as I was reading PostSecret that I would like to start blogging again. I know no one will read this but it feels good to write; to let my thoughts pour out into this little text box.

I've been looking for a job lately. Something, anything to contribute to this budding family Whitney and I have begun. I know something good is on its way but it's hard not to get discouraged, especially when you never get a call back and attempts to check in on an application are met with a cold shoulder.

I know I'm not alone in this, though. My wonderful wife is working her tail off to support us as we begin our lives together and I love and appreciate her more than I could ever let her know. She keeps me sane and is a constant encouragement to me.

I begin seminary next month. I ordered my first semester's text books yesterday and it looked like some heavy reading but I'm very much looking forward to it. For anyone who doesn't know, I'm seeking a M.A. in media and communication, an area that I am very passionate about. I have a few concerns but I'll get to those in a later post.

Until next year,

-Caleb Williams

Stop-n-go

I'm sitting in Oklahoma now, bored and I figured it would be fun to sit here and tap out a few lines about my thoughts. So far this semester I have been working for The Oklahoma Daily, the school newspaper here at OU and I have found myself busier than I care to admit.

I've let a lot of things slip away from me lately, things that are important to me that I just haven't quite been able to find time for. I actually "quit" working at The Daily for the semester a week ago today but I am still writing one more story for this week about what its like to be a pizza delivery boy in the bustling metropolis of Norman, Okla. Hard hitting stuff, I know, but it should be fun. I am planning on doing a ride along with him for an hour or so, just enough to ask my questions and watch him work to write out 15 to 20 inches and send it in to my editors.

Funny thing is that on the same day I "quit," I applied to be editor in chief for the summer edition of the same paper, a job that is tentatively mine, unless someone more qualified (and let's face it, who isn't) comes along. This summer will be interesting, if you can, come on up and visit for awhile.

-Caleb Williams

Oh, to be a Gypsy!

Now that I have finally succeeded in killing off any sort of hapless reader base I may have once had, it is time for another post.

Sometimes I wish I could have been a gypsy. I don't mean I want to be Romanian--although I would like to live in Europe for a while--I mean I want to be a gypsy in the popular conception of the term. Care-free and able to do as I please with only a small group of friends beside me. I don't want to have to worry about things, I realize that this is a sign of immaturity but my immaturity is something I need to own up to and move beyond.

I've been grappling with my future lately and quite frankly it scares me. I worry about money. I worry about finding a job. Contrary to what I know you think all the time, there isn't that huge of a demand for journalists these days. There are blindingly few high paying jobs in journalism. But I want to write news, opinion, fact, fiction, I like to write and that's what I think God has for me.

I've been less introspective over the last few months. Less, I don't know, 'artsy.' I hate the word "artsy" because it implies snobbish or rebellious and those kinds of things. I'm headed toward the mainstream and I don't have any idea when this began to happen to me. It kind of makes me mad to be honest. I guess everything gets swept away by the tides of conformity eventually and why should I be an exception?

I feel like Natalie Portman's character in Garden State, sometimes I just want to do something bizarre to break to monotony of time.

I talk a big game but I'm glad I'm not a gypsy.

-Caleb Williams