Merry Christmas.....and Ben's Lengthy Thoughts

Happy holidays to everyone!  I write this post from California, where we are visiting Sarah's California family.  We flew here yesterday and will be here through Thursday morning.  It is great to be with family during this time, and we feel blessed we're able to do so.  I have had a myriad of thoughts whirling through my brain lately.

Perhaps most appropriate to discuss first is how awesome it is to stop and think about what Christmas, the Incarnation, means to us.  Growing up, we are taught that the true meaning of Christmas is that God sent His son to earth, where he would eventually die for our sins.  We hear this from everyone (family, church, friends, etc.), so much that at times it becomes repetitive to the point of banal.  Please do not take banal in its normal negative connotation.

In no way am I saying that this fact is trivial or to be overlooked -- it is very important!  Christ is sent to earth to die for our sins!  But I also think there is something more to be reflected on and thought of when it comes to this.  Incarnation, in a theological sense, refers to Christ coming to earth and taking the form of a man.  Inherent to this doctrine is a fact that deserves, dare I say demands, our deepest appreciation and awe for the Lord.  The holiest of holies, the perfect Creator of Heaven and earth, the omniscient and omnipotent Savior, took the form of a man.  He gave up his Heavenly throne and took the form of a lesser being -- humans.  How loving, how selfless, how humble.  While I'm sure many of you, myself included, have already reflected on this, I still feel that it is a point worth stating.  Let us never forget it.

One of the other big ideas whirling 'round my brain lately has been the result of several hours of self-reflection.  I have come to realize just how many interests and passions I have, so many subjects in which I have a strong and genuine interest.  Almost five years ago, I felt my strongest interest was in Science, so I declared Biology as my major.  This was not a mistake by any means.  I love the subject, and I loved Taylor's Bio department.  Moreover, I think I have found my niche at Ball State.  I have enjoyed my first semester there, my assistantship duties included.  I love Biology and Science; that's what I want to continue to study in grad school, and it's what I want to teach someday.

But I love other things, too.  I would have definitely declared a minor in general studies in college, until I discovered that no such minor existed.  I therefore decided to take full advantage of Taylor's general education program and live vicariously through my gen ed classes -- I enjoyed almost all of them.  I have spent the last few months trying to devise a way to continue pursuing my non-science interests.  I have listened to and written reviews of music, I have read books on theology, and I have tried to write as much as I can to satiate both my desire to write and my passion for English.  This very blog, in fact, is one of those efforts.  I even read a book on how to write non-fiction.

At this point, I have realized that God has given me copious interests, and I should embrace them and use them.  But how?  I think English is my second passion, just behind Science.  Music is probably my third, followed by theology and philosophy.  If I could, I think I would try to study all of these at the university level.  But real life and a vocation call my name.  I cannot be a student in the classroom forever.

After considerable pondering and prayer, I think I have arrived at a possible solution -- I keep doing what I'm doing now.  I finish grad school with a doctorate in Biology, I become a Biology professor, and I pursue my extra-science interests on the side.  This seems to be a viable life plan, and one I'm excited about!  You may be thinking to what extent or even how I will pursue my extra-science activities.  My solution: I will write a book!  Easier said than done, of course.

But honestly, what a great way to fulfill my desire to write.  The next question I face is what the topic of this book should be.  Considering that I probably won't even start this book until after grad school (which is still over four years away), the choice of topic seems to not be a pressing issue at the time.  My initial thoughts are that I should just write about my other interests, but we shall see.  I think if I had to choose a topic for this book right now, I would end up writing a series of treatises on different topics, an exposition on various parts of this wondrous lifestyle.  And I would call the book: Treatise on Life.  No, I don't know what I would call it.  What I do know is that given my strong interest in English, it would surely behoove me to write.  And given my passion for science, I am certain that science will be a topic of this future book.

These are my thoughts so far.  I think I am officially making "book writing" one of the items on my bucket list.  It's not like I will write this anytime soon given the business of school and how long it takes me to express my thoughts in words.  I have spent about 90 minutes on this blog post alone, but thank you for reading it.  Who knows, this post -- a not-so-brief attempt to coalesce all my recent thoughts -- may end up being the introduction to this future book.  And if this book does take the form I am thinking -- expositions on various topics -- it would be not unlike a blog, separated into different posts.

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.  Blessings to you all.

Ben

It's Over!

Hello there.  The semester ended today!  I actually only had two finals -- one take-home final and one in-class final.  I'm now off for three weeks.  We will be visiting family over break and then going to Michigan over New Year's for a wedding. 

Sarah is off from the 24th through the 2nd, and will go back to work on the 3rd of January.  My classes don't start until the 10th, though, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do the week of the 3rd.  I'll probably start working on my thesis proposal.  I'm not sure what I will be working on for my thesis, but I think it will be in the realm of biotechnology and recombinant DNA. 

Merry Christmas!

It's Been a While

Sorry for the lack of updates, folks.  Sarah and I have both been pretty busy since mid-October.  Sarah continues to work full-time at the Grant County Growth Council doing a lot of public relations and secreterial duties.  My program is going well, but I am ready to dive into a new batch of classes next semester.  I've been working hard this past week and just finished my massive lab report for my recombinant DNA class.  It's about 23 pages and 5,100 words! 

I'm off now to finish a few more assignments for tomorrow.  Sarah and I both eagerly await for next week and the relaxation that will come with it.  I am off Wednesday-Friday, and Sarah is off Thursday and Friday.  We'll be going to my parents house in Indiana and also to Illinois to see a lot of my fam.

Till next time,
Ben 

Quick 2 cents!

Hi everyone!

Drop your jaws. Yep, it's Sarah here and I'm here to give you a quick hello. Ben doesn't even know that I'm posting this, so he'll be happily surprised I'm sure. :) Ben is definitely better at keeping in touch and following through on posts! I wanted to be able to write a little myself today. I actually keep people updated here and there with photos while Ben writes on our blog, so we compliment each other, I'd say. You can always check out our "Married Life" album on my facebook.

As Ben stated in the last post, there was a recent announcement of Echelon Furniture, here in Gas City, Indiana. The mother company, Munire (w/ an accent on the e) Furniture, creates baby furniture. The amazing and wonderful parts of the furniture are the quality of the pieces and the timeless usage of the furniture. Check out the two photos in the facebook album mentioned above. They are the same two pieces of furniture. You purchase the crib for their infancy, then as they grow up, all you need to purchase are additional frame pieces and the mattress. So if you think about it, for at least the first 18 years of their life, you only have to spend a few thousand total for their bed. And seriously, I was in the showroom, and their wood quality and manufacturing is so beautiful, and strong. I feel like a salesperson! Needless to say, I'm going to be convincing my husband to invest in these pieces in the far future...

I am now full time! It hasn't been too hard to adjust, only that I have to wake up earlier and stay at the office later. Dinner will be interesting to work out since I get home at about six. The third organization I've signed on with (I work for three different non-profits as one full time job) is the Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) in Marion. For them I'll be doing projects related to social media. I have three positions in a way...the Economic Growth Council (EGC) and CVB are similar while the Cardinal Greenway folks are definitely different to manage. More time consuming at times and a bigger need for self direction. 

I didn't say anything really new since Ben's last post, but I wanted to let you all know I'm existent and things are going pretty well, trying to adjust to working full time as an adult, learning how to manage time differently. I've attached a photo of Angie (my co-worker/friend/former Taylor colleague), the Governor Mitch Daniels, and me.

Love you everyone! Hope all is going well!

Sarah 

More Updates

Sarah is now full time!  It was a good first day of full-time work for her, as she and her co-workers attended the grand opening of Echelon, a new furniture manufacturer in Gas City.  It was a big grand opening with many people in attendance, including Mitch Daniels -- governor of Indiana!  Sarah was able to get a picture with him.

It is hard to believe I just finished the sixth week of class.  Midterms are two weeks away; fortunately, I don't have any midterm exams.  Most of my work is actually in the form of lab reports and take-home exams.  I just completed my first take-home exam this past weekend -- it totaled fourteen pages and 3500 words.  Needless to say, there wasn't a whole lot of free time last weekend.

I have a rough draft of a term paper due in two weeks; I've chosen to write about Cri-du-Chat syndrome.  I'll be covering everything from its effects to its history to the genetic abnormalities of those who have it.  This is for my Human Genetics class.  My other class focuses on Recombinant DNA.  We are nearing the end of our first cloning project.  We have been cloning the gene AKT, which may play major roles in cardiovascular health.  It also tends to be overexpressed in cancer patients.  Research that focuses on methods for suppressing AKT is therefore important for possible ways of suppressing cancer.  Once this lab is complete, I will have two write a major lab report.

My students turned in their lab reports this week, so most of my weekend will be devoted to grading those.

Ben & Sarah 

Speaking of brevity...

Just a quick update to say that Sarah will officially be going full time on October 1st!  She will also be moving from an hourly pay to a salary pay.  It'll be nice to have that consistency in our income.

We have reached near record-high temps these last few days, and the rain today was a nice change.  My classes continue to go well, and my teaching duties are starting to increase.  I wrote and gave my first quiz today, which was exciting for me.  My students will be turning in their first batch of lab reports next week, so that will give me plenty to grade. 

Take care,
Ben

The Weather's Changing!

I've noticed a significant drop in temperatures at night, and even this morning it was really chilly.  Autumn is upon us, and it has always been my favorite season, so I'm excited!

Not much new stuff to report.  We were finally able to get Sarah's car fixed.  It's now going to sit in our apartment parking lot for a while until we are able to add it to our insurance plan.  But at least it's fixed!  It's been over a month since we've moved, and the dust is finally starting to settle.  We are still eagerly awaiting for October to arrive so that Sarah can go full-time.  That will definitely be a blessing.

Things are really starting to get busy for both of us -- Sarah is involved with several projects at work, and my classes are getting busier.  I also am balancing classes with my teaching and grading duties.  But I'm very grateful for the opportunity...and the stipend!

I'm really enjoying one of my classes where we are currently cloning a gene.  It's a multiple-week process for sure, but so interesting. 

In our free time, we have been going to different places in Muncie and seeing friends when we can.  We have been able to see our friends Dan and Cait a few times this past week, which has been fun.  We were also able to see my parents in Indianapolis last Wednesday night.

Hope all is well with everyone!
Ben

We are currently listening to...

A Copland Celebration, a collection of some of the greatest works of the composer Aaron Copland.  I just wrote a review of this collection for iTunes, where I commented on his vast composing ability: his ability to capture all ranges of human emotion.  One of his more famous compositions does this most powerfully: Appalachian Spring Suite, a fourteen-movement piece lasting thirty-two minutes.  It is his best piece, in my opinion.  Ah, I love music.

In other news, life continues.  I am getting in the groove of things at school, and Sarah's job is going well.  Her boss told her that she will soon be promoted to full-time, which is a blessing.  She is also getting busier, but she is enjoying the work. 

We just had a relaxing three-day weekend where we did a lot of laundry and some general housekeeping.  My good friend Corey was able to come visit us on Monday, which was great.  We hadn't seen each other since the wedding in May.

We are visiting different churches every Sunday in our continued quest to find a new place of worship.  So far, we have liked all of them in different ways.  We will continue to visit other churches in the next few weeks.  We pray that God will make it clear where He wants us to be.

I have finished a second draft of my curriculum vitae.  I have expatiated on some of the sections in my first draft, and I have added a few new sections.  It's coming together pretty nicely. 

Take care,
Ben

A Few Updates

Ben Here.  Not too much to report.  I have a new desktop computer!  It is a college graduation gift from my parents, and I'm very grateful!  It's so fast and awesome.  I'm using it to type this right now, as you probably have guessed.

I am sitting in the apartment, and I have the window open.  Over the music that I have playing from my computer, I can hear the cheers and screams coming from the nearby football stadium.  Tonight is the season opener.  It's good to hear those cheers.  I feel that one of the big events I missed out on at Taylor was being able to attend sporting events with thousands of students screaming and shouting with fervor and passion for their home team.  Taylor has sports teams, but that excitement for sporting events was never really present. 

Here, on the other hand, the elation and passion are quite audible from where I sit, a quarter of a mile away.  The excitement is almost palpable.  But I digress...

Earlier today, Sarah helped clean parts of the Cardinal Greenway trails in Gas City and Jonesboro.  She previously organized an outing for Taylor freshmen to come out and help her as part of what Taylor likes to call Community Plunge.  This occurred today.  Community Plunge is an annual event at the beginning of the school year where freshmen perform community service.  From what she told me, it went well, but it was hot and tiring. She, with the help of her fifteen or so freshmen, were able to trim and carry away hundreds of excess branches. 

Well that's about it.  I just finished a rough draft of my curriculum vitae.  Once this draft has been polished and is final, I will use it in the spring  to apply to several summer internships.  I hope to procure one in either the Muncie or Indy area for next summer.  A summer internship is a required part of my Biotechnology Certification. 

I will leave you with a quote from the late pope John Paul II.  I just recently found this quote when I was perusing through some expository essays, and I feel it summarizes very well the crux of my worldview:

"Science can purify religion from error and superstition;
religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.
Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish."

Blessings,
Ben

One week down!

Hey all,

Thoughts about grad school, having completed one week so far: fosters independence, forces one to manage time well, forces one to be organized, not nearly as scary as I was expecting, manageable, and believe it or not...fun. 

I'll elaborate on my aforementioned thoughts.  Grad school definitely fosters independence.  A new grad student has to seek out professors who have research interests similar to those of the student.  I was able to do this several months ago, through visiting campus and a series of emails to a few different professors.  Grad school also fosters independence because one's thesis project must be the student's own idea.  As of right now, I have no clue what my thesis will be.  Fortunately, I don't have to decide this until later next semester. 

Managing time and being organized are skills that I tried to practice well in college.  Being a graduate assistant requires that I teach two different labs sections, one on Wednesday and one on Friday.  Organization is a must when teaching two lab sections of twenty-five students each.  Managing time is also a must since I am balancing teaching plus taking my own course load. 

Grad school is not nearly as intimidating or scary as I had built it up to be.  I actually think it will be pretty manageable.  None of my courses appears too challenging.  I looked through the syllabus of my recombinant DNA class, and it will definitely be a lot of busy work, but it doesn't look like it will be difficult.  My human genetics class will also be a good amount of busy work, but not that challenging.  It looks like Taylor prepared me pretty well.  Grad school will be manageable for sure, and definitely not too overwhelming.

It might be hard to defend that school is fun, but I'm having fun in my classes and in the office with other grad assistants.  I've always enjoyed any type of academic setting.  As a side note, my office mate is also a Master's student in Bio.  We were talking the other day, and I discovered that he lives in Upland because his wife is a Master's student at Taylor!  That was definitely a God thing.  Of all the grad assistants I could have  been paired with, I am placed with the one who now lives where I just spent the last four years of my life.  Definitely a blessing!

Here's Sarah to tell you about what's going on in the workforce.  

Hello all, Sarah here. Well. Let me begin by saying that I have quite an interesting position, definitely one you would have within a smaller community. My job is located in Marion, so I commute about 35-40 minutes daily. I am only part time right now, until my third title comes into the picture. By title I mean that I will work for three...not one, not two...but three different non-profit organizations, all part of my one position.

My "home" work base is with the Grant County Economic Growth Council, and Tim Eckerle (the director), Angie Lindahl (my former classmate and now co-worker), and I help manage the organization, which help job retention and creation within Grant County. I do a lot of secretarial and administrative items as Director of Operations. Tim is a great boss and likes for the public to always be questioning who is actually in charge among the three of us. :) But he is the brains behind it all, while Angie and I are the organization and designing behind it...for the most part. We put on events throughout the year, help disperse loans to different business so they can provide more jobs, etc. In the process we meet with many different businesses and local elected officials, like the mayors and representatives.

My other title is Director of Cardinal Greenway of Grant County. There is a network of trails that are built from old CSX lines. Each county has their own steering committee to help maintain that county's portion of the trail, which stretches across a good portion of Indiana. Again, I do a lot of the administrative work, but what's different here is I get to do a little more of everything. I am the only paid person of the steering committee, and also, I basically have a lot of freedom to choose what I want to do for the Cardinal Greenway of Grant County. I've used a lot of my previous producer skills to bring this section of the trail into the community more, and I'm attempting to get them more volunteers, as that is an dwindling area. I could go on but I'll stop here.

The third organization is the Convention & Visitors Bureau within Marion. Once I enter work there, I'll be full time. I'm meeting with a head person there with Angie this Wednesday. 

Both of these organizations are very much small own but I've been learning a lot and I think it will be good for me to work here for a couple years until I feel the calling to move on to bigger things, possibly with my desire to work within film, like Heartland Truly Moving Pictures in Indianapolis, and organization that presents seminars and a festival throughout each year.

This is what my work experience has been in a nut shell. It's been really nice to have a break from school work and classes! But every so often, I do get a little bored. I miss the media department from Taylor University but it's a nice thing to still be half an hour away from them so that Ben and I can visit fellow colleagues and former professors. That's about it! Love you all!

Getting Settled

I had a mandatory meeting on Friday where I met the people I will be working with for my assistantship, and I got to see my office for the first time!  Not too big, but definitely all I need.  I have an office mate, and it looked like he might be a second year because there were already books on the bookshelf and stuff on the other desk in the room.  I guess I'll meet him sometime this week.  I also learned that I'll be assisting in teaching one lab section and independently teaching two lab sections of Bio 111.  I'm looking forward to it!

Yesterday, Sarah and I sat down to make a list of churches we plan to visit in the next several weeks.  We started with visiting one this morning that we both really liked.  We'll definitely visit again as we begin our voyage to find a new church home. 

There is a picnic today outside the main office of our apartment complex, so we hope to meet some of our neighbors and make more connections.  Tomorrow is a big day, as Sarah goes back to work, and I begin my first week of classes and working. 

Check back often!
Ben

Let the Grad School Begin!

Sarah and I now reside in Muncie, IN.  Following a relaxing summer, we moved on Tuesday, August 10th.  We are living in university housing: Scheidler Apartments.  We have a two-story apartment that feels a little tight occasionally, but I think it is just what we need. 

Sarah will continue her job in Marion, IN at the Growth Council.  It will be about a forty-minute commute, but it is a good job and definitely worth the commute.  She will probably be there for another year or two before looking for another job in the Muncie area. 

For those who are wondering, I will be completing a two-year Master's degree in Biology.  I am planning on simultaneously completing a Biotechnology certificate along with my Master's.  Biotechnology is fun (at least to me) and contains many of my interests.  I have essentially secured a thesis adviser, as long as I perform up to her expectations in her course this semester.

My course load is nine credits: two main three-hour classes and three minor one-hour classes.  You may need to read that again.  Here it is in numerals, in case some of you think mathematically: 2 3-hr classes and 3 1-hr classes = 9 credits total.  My main classes are 1) Intro to Recombinant DNA & RNA Techniques and 2) Human Genetics & the Problems of Humankind.  My three other classes are seminars and discussion clubs.  Classes officially begin Monday.

Yesterday (Wednesday) was the Grad School Orientation for all new grad students.  This included a tour of campus, greetings and advice from the dean of the graduate school, and a time for a panel discussion.  I did learn some helpful tips, but overall I wasn't too fascinated by the events of the day.  What was more exciting was when I ran into Taylor alum after Taylor alum, and by the end of the day I had ran into eight fellow Taylor alumni.  I did not know any of them that well, but I knew them well enough to recognize them and say, "Hey, you went to Taylor," right as they spotted me and thought the same thing.  They are pursuing graduate degrees in disciplines ranging from psychology to music to creative writing.  What a nice surprise it was to run into them.

This morning was the Biology Dept. orientation for all new Biology grad students.  This was much more interesting, probably because I was surrounded by nerds of all ages, of which I am one.  We learned about the department's facilities, met some fellow students and faculty members, and some of us learned about our duties as graduate assistants, of which I am also one.  The orientation concluded with some advice about courses....followed by free pizza!

As I wrote above, I am serving as a graduate teaching assistant.  This means that I help teach a lab section of an undergraduate Biology course.  In exchange, the school waives my tuition and pays me a biweekly stipend.  I still have to pay student fees, but these fees are minimal when compared to tuition charges.  I learned this morning that I will be teaching and grading for the lab section of Bio 111, Principles of Biology 1.  I share a small office with another grad assistant.  I am required to work a total of twenty hours a week, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.  Some of those hours will be office hours, some will be time spent teaching in the lab, some will be spent grading, and some will be spent meeting with my superiors.  I think it's going to be a great experience, both in making connections and in gaining experience for the future. 

Upon completion of my two-year MS degree, I intend to begin a Doctorate program also here at Ball State.  That will take an additional three or four years; some of my Master's classes will carry over to that program, abating the number of credits I will need to complete in the Doctoral program.  It therefore looks like Sarah and I will be in Muncie for the next five or six years, most of those years probably spent in our current apartment. But I definitely need a doctorate so that I can be a professor.  Let it begin!

Tomorrow, we're going to run some errands around town as we begin to get into the swing of things as the school year sets in.  There are several orientation activities on campus this weekend.  Most of them are geared toward undergrads, but we may still take advantage of a few of them. 

Either Sarah or I will try to update this regularly, so check back often!

Au revoir,
Ben