not one but two

Both of my computers died. Both were discovered dead in the same day (my desktop was probably damaged in transit from South Dakota to here, so I can't accuse it of having died in the same day as my laptop did). I was pretty upset about my laptop dying (even though it is being fixed for free) but by the time I discovered my desktop is no longer good for anything but taking up space in my closet, I just laughed. It doesn't matter, anyway. I've found that having a computer is a convenience, but no more than that. I am doing just fine without it - I just have to structure my days a little differently to allow for time on campus to write papers. And it'll be back in a few weeks...all is well.

I've been thinking a lot lately...I'm always thinking. Here's some of what I've been contemplating.

1) I think I'm going to continue my original plan of studying Modern Europe/Nazi Germany. I just couldn't choke down the thought of spending my life studying the Spanish Empire...and so I will go for it despite the potential obstacles. This means I need to study German hard core. I need to be as fluent in reading it as possible within two years. I'm considering whether or not I should spend money to actually take the classes, or whether it would be possible to teach myself if I find the right textbook (perhaps the 1950s "Beginning German" textbook I was using wasn't the best plan). Because the thing is, I am not required to take language classes here to pass the language requirements since I already took Spanish classes. German won't matter until I go on for my Ph.D. So, do I take the cheap route and gamble that it will be enough? I think so.

2) I've been reading C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity." Actually, this is part of a larger pursuit on my part of integrating my faith and learning (thank you, Northwestern?). There is a lot of stuff I'm reading in my history classes that seems horribly one-sided (on the side of atheism), and so I'm trying to read some other stuff as well. It has proved thus far to be incredibly rewarding. On a side note, I'm becoming more and more convinced that there is much to be said for a Christian attending a secular institution. There is so much less pressure on me to edit my belief system, something which I'm still processing... why is it that Northwestern and some of its professors seemed to encourage me more than my atheist professors here to question the validity of what I believe?

3) I'm going back to SD for Christmas, and I'm already planning out some of the things I will be filling my time with while there. I'm going to try to bring as many books back with me as my carry-on will permit, and I'm going to try to do some writing on what I discover about philosophy and apologetics. There is so much to be said about comparing the philosophies of someone like Marx to someone like C.S. Lewis - where do C.S. Lewis' arguments successfully put down the arguments of atheism, and in what ways do they fall short? (I'm not going to assume that C.S. Lewis is infallible...sorry...) To this end, I'm hoping to read more books by Lewis, as well as hopefully some of Bonhoeffer. I've read a few things by both of these authors, but I have never had the opportunity to read more, and I need to. After all, they represent the best of Christian apologetics and the challenge of Christianity in a modern world.

4) for now, I need to stop procrastinating and work on my paper...