Paper Writing!

I actually like writing papers. And when one of your professors decides to make the main research paper due before thanksgiving, to “lighten the load” after thanksgiving, that seems like a brilliant idea. But when three of your professors do that? Then the idea doesn’t seem quite so brilliant anymore. Alas, that’s what happened to me this semester, and so here I am, with a weekend full of reading and writing in front of me, all due on Monday and Tuesday.

Of course I saw this coming, and so I tried to get ahead and get started on my research a couple weeks ago. And to a certain extent, I did. At least I know what I’m writing about! But it’s hard when you still have the normal workload of all your classes to keep up with. So my “getting ahead” mostly consisted of securing two large stacks of books from the library.

So here I am with stacks of library books, a fresh pot of coffee, and my two study companions (see pic), ready to tackle a day of research and note-taking. I realize this probably sounds like hell to some of you. But if it doesn’t—and if researching topics like 1^st century conceptions of resurrection, atonement theories in Luther besides forensic justification, and Isaiah 56:1-8 as an alternative vision for the reconstitution of the Judean community after the exile sounds interesting to you—then maybe you should be here!