Education, education, three bags full...

I am a student of many disciplines but a master of none.

I foolishly thought that after receiving my bachelor's degree that my formal education would be over. Then came my meteorological post-graduate work. Three full years of toil later those requirements were satisfied and that familiar feeling of accomplishment tricked my heart into educational contentment.

Now, I'm contemplating finishing my third and very pricey paper on my wall by taking only two more college courses. Even after that is behind me, I know there will be more ahead. Thankfully, I'm okay with it now and am picking up more areas of interest to study. Here are a few.

Over the last several months, I've been spending some of my down time searching for nice, printable copies of both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence that we can keep at home. Through talking with a few friends including Dr. Cameron Clark and reading the writings of Nathan McIntyre and others, it has become increasingly important for me to read these founding documents very carefully especially as we, the people come closer and closer to a new Presidency.

I went out and bought 24 lb. gold resume stock and printed both of these writs of liberty. Slowly and deliberately I've been calculating every word. While I am no law scholar, I've found (re)discovering these words almost thrilling (if I may geek out about them a little)! I'm truly excited to dive deeper into what some very passionate patriots had in mind for our country and to share with others how we might be able to bring their American dreams to fruition today.

I used to think that I had the teachings of Christ and the ideals of proper corporate worship pretty hammered out but I've since realized that what I thought was confident knowledge was really a sickening mix of blind Pharisaical ignorance and pride. There are ceremonies in today's church services that I've often found unnecessary and in many ways non-Biblical but I'm discovering what the heart of worship truly is and what my worship has been missing.

I encourage you to take a step away from what is familiar and concentrate on the condition of your spirit. You may just find that what is demanded of you legalistically is honestly unsavory and repulsive to the Father. Then again, you might not but one thing we all need to remember is that worship is not about you, your spouse, or the guy sitting in the pew in front of you.

It is not about us! None can judge your worship but He who is being worshipped.

Since becoming one, I'm learning daily what a husband is and how to be a better one. This is more fun than I thought it would be although sometimes my rough corners are smoothed by some very unpleasantly course sandpaper. But I know that what I'm experiencing will make my relationship with my wife tightly bonded, deeply loving, and better equipped to stand the tests of time.

She is also learning how to be the wife and friend I need her to be and, boy let me tell you, it is much easier to do that when you spend time together. Being married to an elementary school teacher means you have to sacrifice some of your together time for many months out of the year but when summer comes, your reward is returned to you five fold!

I'm not sure what I'll do with my new knowledge in the founding documents, spiritual truth, and the shared life of matrimony but I do know that I'll be learning about them my whole life.

I'm okay with that!