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| Back in the saddle again -- and with big news to share! I recently was offered and accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Classical Languages at Wheaton College! In Wheaton, IL! A suburb of Chicago! I'm excited about using exclamation points!  
For those who don't know, Wheaton is a distinctly Christian liberal arts college -- and what is most amazing about it is that neither its Christian character nor its authentic liberal arts atmosphere is diminished by combination with the other. What an incredible opportunity to serve God at a place like this, and what an answer to prayer this has been. 
I didn't communicate this well, but one of the main reasons I haven't used this blog since last Christmas was my job search -- someone gave me the really good advice of keeping a low profile on the web during a job search so that search committees doing Google searches for candidate's names wouldn't turn up recent blog entries. They could have turned up my older ones of course, but I didn't want to completey deactivate the blog, so there you have it. But the search is over, I have a job, and now comes the daunting task of finishing what is left on the dissertation, getting ready to pack up everything for the move, facing the excitements and anxieties of the future and its uncertainties, etc. I have been both really excited and really nervous, but mostly just excited. God has been shaping in me a vision for glorifying His name in higher academia for some time now, and I can't wait to dive in to a place like Wheaton and start building into the community, both in and outside of the classroom. Please be in prayer for me! Obviously, there have been countless other interesting and/or noteworthy things I could say about the past 6 months of my life, but THIS is the big, life-changing news, so I thought it was time to make the announcement! I hope to reassert my Xanga presence more regularly now...hopefully. Take care everyone! | | |
| This is now the Christmas season. What does Christmas mean? The song listed above sums it up: God came down.
Here with us. Let the implications of that sink in. * * * * * Tonight (Sat, 12/1) I had a very good time over at a friends, where we ate dinner and played games for a few hours. Friends are beautiful. Sometimes I think of the many millions of people in the world who do not have many or maybe any friends. I can't really empathize, not really. Well, there was this one time in elementary school when for about a month all of my friends decided not to play with me or talk to me on the playground. But then suddenly, randomly it was over and everything went back to normal. I wasn't even upset at them, cuz I was too relieved to bear grudges. Anyway, I don't bear grudges. Thank God. Life's hard enough without holding on to things in the past you can't change. I have lots of problems in life, but grudges aren't one of them. I also got to hear after the fact about Missouri's beat-down at the hands of Oklahoma. Sadness. 
Earlier today I literally spent 25 minutes chipping my car out of ice. We got this major winter system that moved in last night and covered everything in ice. Now it's all rain, and the temp is rising believe it or not, so it shouldn't all freeze over again tonight, which is good. Driving back from church music practice this afternoon was terrible!
I also got to sleep in today, which was GREAT. This past week saw the beginning of yet another Cornell class, this time another section of Latin 101. At least the subject matter is the same, but it's so fascinating to see how different the feel of each class is. Really, the experience of teaching this class the same subject matter is like a night/day difference. Hard to explain. It's not like one class was great and the other not, or that one class got the material and the other didn't. It's just that they're so different in personalities. Like different children or something. So far I love this class, and I'm looking forward to leading them all in a special Latin Christmas caroling event I'm organizing--hee hee. We're all going to sing carols in Latin in the student Commons right near the dining halls over lunch. So great! I LOVE being a teacher, especially one in an environment where this sort of thing is seen as a great idea. * * * * * But enough about that: I still owe all of you faithful readers (including whoever it is from France that keeps showing up in my footprints...seriously, who is out there?) my updates from the last couple months. So without further ado, let us continue the gripping tales of high adventure... 2) Getaway Weekend - Campus Crusade for Christ In October I went along on the annual fall "Getaway weekend" with Crusade to a nearby Bible camp out in the middle of nowhere, Iowa. I love being out in the countryside, and unlike last year when it dipped below freezing, this year it was unseasonably warm! But aside from the weather, it was a great time of community and sharing and visibly seeing the redemptive power of Christ-centered relationships. I can't put it any better than that. If you are a Christian and reading this (or even if you are not), the best advice I can give you is to find Christ-centered people and build deep relationships with them, and you will see God's love and power at work. Awesome. Here are a couple shots I snapped: 
As a good friend of mine pointed out, the grass in this picture is whithering too. Nice object lesson. 3) Missouri State Homecoming!!! Background for those who don't know: I attended college at Southwest Missouri State University, known as SMS. Recently it has dropped the "Southwest" from it's title and is now, more appropriately, known as Missouri State (now MSU). I have enjoyed going back once every couple years or so either to visit friends still there or what-not, mostly at breaks like Christmas or summer. But I was almost never there when school was actually in session where I could see the normal bustle of activity that I was so used to.
I wasn't sure I'd ever actually go to Homecoming for my undergrad alma mater, but this year the inimitable Jaimie ex-Greene now-Trussell decided to set up a slate of extra-special programs just for former Presidential Scholars. Thank you Jaimie. When the notices went out, a number of us who still keep in touch decided that this would be a great opportunity to actually go back and do the Homecoming thing for once, and this gave Josh an opportunity at long last to show off his alma mater to his wife, so we made the plans and off we went! It was a gorgeous weekend, which made the 7ish hour drive down to Springfield, MO very pleasant actually. After a nice but somewhat chilly bbq picnic outside the old dining hall that I used to eat all my meals at for five years (95-00), those of us who went down all reconvened and had loads of fun reminiscing about events and memories. That Friday night, in particular right before bed, Josh, Mike, and I gathered in a bedroom at Mike's parent's place and looked at all these pictures that are now 7-12 years old and brought back to life all these cherished memories, and we just whiled away the time reliving these great moments as if they had only happened yesterday. It was one of those timeless moments when you actually achieve perspective on what that time in our life really meant. I do not think I am going to far to say that our college years really were/are/will be among the best times in our life, made so expressly because of the friendships we had. And the best thing about it is that at the time we knew the community and friendships we had then probably wouldn't ever get better than those years together in college. We recognized it, and told each other. And thus far we were right. That's what was so beautiful--we knew it and took advantage of it and invested in it and cherished it, right in the midst of actually living it out. That was a gift. The campus looked, well, better even than I remembered it. Here's Carrington Hall: 
We enjoyed the Bear Pride Homecoming Parade Saturday morning (complete with Jaunita Fajita Chiquita across the street.......only a few readers will know to what I refer  ). Honors House, where we lived--and where so many cherished memories were made--was located directly across the street from the gray building you see here, one block further down on my side. 
And we couldn't leave without going back to the very room where I met Josh for the first time that August day in 1995. That's right, Hammons Hall 511. We knocked on the door to see if we could go in and see if the fabled Black Vortex was still in our old room, but alas nobody answered. 
We attended the football game and then wandered around campus in a nostalgic haze for the rest of the afternoon, finally pausing for a last shot in front of Bobo McDuff, aka the Bronze Bear on campus in front of the Student Union. (for posterity, the name of Bobo, which has in fact appeared in official university print media in the past, was invented by yours truly, and McDuff was Nigel's contribution while at the same dinner in the same restaurant, oh so many years ago) 
* * * * * Up next: so what kind of place is this Cornell College that I teach at? I'm glad you asked... | | |
| Well, my brother asked me today, "Oh, so you have time to update Facebook but not your Xanga page?" Err...guilty? Okay, so without further ado: * * * * * Ho ho ho, merry happy Thanksgivingmas! Ho ho gobble! Who can tell what holiday it is anymore, at least the way that stores have been decorating their festive halls this past month? But now that Thanksgiving is over, it's definitely time to look forward to Christmas--definitely my favorite time of the year. There is a real magic to Christmas, a magic that lies underneath the surface of Black Friday shopping sales and sappy made-for-TV holiday movies and in-your-face commercial silliness. I can't wait! Christmas music has definitely come alive in the Thorneland. My Thanksgiving was very nice this year. Normally our family always travels to my Aunt Betty's in Kansas for Thanksgiving with all my mom's side of the family, but due to my dad's bad back combined with my older brother's return visit from Orlando, we stayed here in St. Louis this year. I miss seeing the extended family, since anymore I only get to see them once or twice a year, but this year's Thanksgiving was still a good time -- two days worth of formal meals (Christopher and Amy couldn't come over until Friday, so we just ate another Thanksgiving feast, awesome!  ) and two days worth of playing games that Aaron brought over, and I won at least a couple times. I'm sure of it. For those who haven't played Illuminati before, hehe, it's something else.  Tonight, Aaron took me to the St. Louis Blues hockey game, played tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, and HOORAY we WON! It was a load of fun -- watching live hockey is really great entertainment, and the Blues played well enough tonight to keep the crowd into it most all the game. Very exciting moments. Plus there's "Towel Guy" who appears out of nowhere in the upper deck every time the home team scores and literally leads the entire arena in shouting out the points scored thus far. Fun times. Speaking of fun times....
LSU LOST! Which means that tonight's game MISSOURI <> KANSAS is EVEN BIGGER!!! I can't wait -- I have called Missouri home for 20 years (yes, as still "home" while living in Iowa), but both my parents are from Kansas, my dad attended Kansas 2.5 years for college, many of my relatives went to Kansas, and so forth. Down here in Missouri and Kansas lands, this is HUGE. Fun times. * * * * * So that's the update for this weekend...but what on earth has Mark been doing these past 6 weeks since last I updated on Xanga?? It's fairly simple: I've been teaching Mythology and then Latin at Cornell College, and after all the prep, travel to and from campus, endless grading, and actual teaching, I've spent most of the rest of my time writing job applications. Yes, dear readers, it is time for me actually to graduate. Let's read that again: graduate. Oh, such a powerful word. Because it means that I have to finish my dissertation by May/June. Whoah. Lots of excitement and looming stress and doors to unknown wrapped up in all of this. Only God knows where I'll end up. I'm applying to Classics positions at colleges and universities all over the country, with most in the midwest, south, and northeast. Some are small liberal arts schools, some are large public universities, some are in between. It is very exciting to wonder where I'll be teaching this time next year. God has clearly led me to this point, and I am confident that in His timing and in His way, a door will open. Job interviews take place at our annual professional Classics meeting in January, this year in Chicago. At least it's close enough to drive, that will take some of the stress of flying out of the equation. But some of you might be asking, "Hey...wait a minute: surely Mark hasn't turned into a total recluse, has he? Not the fun-loving goofy guy we know and love?"
(Okay, maybe none of you asked that, but just play along for dramatic purposes, okay?)
I'm so glad you asked!! I have traveled to and seen some fun things and shared them with some great people since last I updated, so without further ado here is the first of two installments of my briefest of overviews of Mark's Oct/Nov adventures!! 1) Mark's First and Last Annual Fall Hike Extravaganza!! I love the fall colors, even more so in the past 4 years since I have gotten more seriously into photography. Two years ago, my brother Aaron came up to visit me in Iowa near the end of October, and we took this amazing hike amongst these trees that were vibrant yellow, with some reds and greens and browns mixed in for good measure. This year, I decided to gather a jolly group of fellow adventurers and boldy forge into the wilderness to find that same forest. The result? Success! 
2) To be continued...
(...took a little drive down southways...cuz my nourishing mother was a-callin'...) | | |
| In interrupt this blog to report that I still exist. Details at Ten. * * * * * I started teaching at lovely Cornell College last Monday, October 1st. Classical Mythology. My life has been CRAZEE BUSY ever since! Agh. Cornell (the one in Iowa, NOT the one in New York) works off the "students take one class at a time" system, which means every class lasts 3.5 weeks. That means for me that every single day I have to do the equivalent of a week's worth of teaching, class prepping, assignment reading, and grading. When do I sleep? I'm not really sure anymore. AND I'm supposed to be getting another chapter on my diss done this month...hmmm... I'll take prayer on that last aspect. From anybody. I love the class, I love my students, but I don't love the lack of sleep. Alas, that is the price to be paid for getting to do what I love. I have one student in particular who [mysterious content of relative clause censored for dramatic effect]. Can you believe that?! True story. Last weekend, to add to the crazy schedule, I attended the fall retreat for Campus Crusade for Christ here at Iowa. We convened at East Iowa Bible Camp, out in the stix that goes by the name of Deep River, IA, in a frankly lovely little rural spot, with some rolling hills and a pond and some imminently forgettable meals and a bunch of non-insulated bug-infested cabins for the guys (and a newish lodge for the girls, so typical... ). But that's not the important stuff. It was an amazing time of hanging out with God and being a part of a vibrant community of believers. It is so refreshing to witness the redemptive power of genuine, Christ-centered community. God is real, and He was definitely sharing His grace, redemption, and love with us this weekend. And we get the privilege of sharing that same reality of God's grace and love and redemption with others! I mean...who doesn't want love? It's kind of a no-brainer. Here are some pics I put up on Facebook if you're curious: http://iowa.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2196626&l=c9ec7&id=14825517 | | |
| Yes, friends, I am in California -- the John Muir Lodge in Kings Canyon National Park at this precise moment actually. I thought it would be good to give an update of my crazy adventures. I'm out here on a vacation (two this summer!! woo!!) with my older brother Aaron. We've had tons of fun cruising the windy coastal highways, walking through groves of towering redwoods, standing on rocky bluffs that soar hundreds of feet over the sun-lit Pacific Ocean as it pounds against the beaches below us, hiking through truly amazing scenery time and time again, meeting people from England at a hostel in parklands north of San Francisco, visiting the world-famous Monterey Aquarium, laughing at the too cute antics of adorable sea otters, watching from a boat as a humpback whale launched itself out of the water and trumpeted loudly, driving into the wide-open majesty of Kings Canyon, standing next to our mountain-top cabins on a moonless night and watching the entire Milky Way roll silently overhead, and last--but not least--drinking smooth and rich Henry Weinhard's Root Beer. In other words: NICE. To which we can only say: Thank you God! Pics will have to wait (and I've taken them, no worries on that score!), but here are a small handful that stand as microcosms of what we've seen. 
I've been kind of thinking...how do you respond to all this majesty and beauty in the natural world that continually surrounds me? The best response is, I think, expressed in a song that keeps coming to mind when I'm in places that leave me speechless -- and I've been in those places almost a dozen times this past week. Facebook friends of mine can listen to the song on my profile, but for everybody, I'll leave you with these words tonight. * * * * * How Great You Are -- by Philips Craig and Dean A thousand sparkling stars upon a midnight summer's sky
The majesty and wonder of the ocean's endless tide
And the more I see, the more I can't explain
How the One who set the world in place
Could even know my name... And I'm amazed...so amazed... How great You are
How small I am
How awesome is Your mighty hand
And I'm captured by the wonder of it all
And I will offer all my praise
With all my heart for all my days
How great You are, How great You are --
How great You are A million snowflakes gently fall, yet no two are the same
The colors fill the canvas of the seasons as they change
And everywhere I look, I see Your hand
Why You would love someone like me
I'll never understand And I'm amazed...so amazed... How great You are
How small I am
How awesome is Your mighty hand
And I'm captured by the wonder of it all
And I will offer all my praise
With all my heart for all my days
How great You are, How great You are --
How great You are! * * * * * For "surely the heavens declare the glory of God..." | | |
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