As the School Year Begins

"It's six a.m.  I'm so tired.  The alarm sounds a new day begins. Before I go and disturb this peaceful moment, I look to you.  I wanna say a prayer before my feet can hit the ground.  Lord I give this day to you. Breath in. Breath out. Breath in.  And watch the day begin.  I want to watch the day begin."  - Audio Adrenaline, This Day.

When I wake up early for morning class, this song comes to mind.  As I have been reflecting on the beginning of the school year, these words come to mind.  We could change the words “a new day” to
“a new school year” and the words “I give this day” to “I give this school year.”

Some of us were at the ADC Retreat on Friday, Nov 13th, and we had the opportunity to give this school year to the Lord.  For those who were not able to make it, I encourage you to take a few moments right now and give this year to God.  Perhaps it is something that you will continually need to do, and that is ok.

When the school year begins, a new schedule forms.  It always takes me a couple of weeks to adjust.  Some students get on track right from the get go, but most of us need to adjust to the new schedule and might even find ourselves lost at times.  Thankfully, there is a great tool to help us procrastinators or those of us who have a hard time adjusting (which does not mean you are a procrastinator).  Everyone can benefit from this tool, even if you are the most organized and scheduled person.

This tool is our very own Danny Zacharias' e-book, Surviving & Thriving in Seminary: A Practical Guide for the Wide-eyed and Mystified.  I read it over the summer (a quick read), and I need to read it again.  It was motivating and gave great practical tools that will help me throughout the rest of my studies.  It might seem as though I am putting a plug in for his book... well, I am.  Why?  Because a lot of us students would benefit from reading this book and applying its wisdom.  If you don't believe me, check out this interview with Danny or reviews on Amazon.  It will be the best $3.14 you have ever spent.  That's less than a vanilla latte at Starbucks or Just Us! Coffee.  How can you not invest in such a great tool?

There is even a chapter on becoming a Ninja!  A reading Ninja, that is.  He even tells you to take naps!  Short naps, but still, naps!  He admits to napping in his office.  It helps with productivity.  I decided to put it to the test this summer at my office job.  I put my head down and napped for 20 minutes.  It made a big difference in the rest of my day. I wasn't sluggish for the rest of the afternoon like I normally was. This is just one little nugget that you will find in the book, along with a chapter on finances, preparing your relationships, taking charge of your education, equipping yourself with the right tools, and more great tools for surviving and thriving in seminary.  He also gives links to a variety of online tools that are practical.

What makes this book so great is that it hasn't been that long since he has been a student (actually, he still is a student working on his doctorate), and he knows what it is like to juggle school, work, and a family. Danny has learned the ways of seminary and he has made it easier for us by putting it all in an e-book.  What a great guy.

I don't know why you are still reading this post and haven't gone to Amazon to purchase this fantastic book.

After you read it, come back and share your favourite chapter, quote, or tool from the book!

*Back to School photo by nuttakit at freedigitalphotos.net