First, my candidacy examination is finally over, and I passed! HOORAY!!! 22 pages of writing, a portfolio, and 2 hours of grilling by my committee members- SO GLAD it's over, and relieved that I don't ever have to experience this torture again. Shout out to my family and friends for their support and wishes of good luck. So touched!
That's slightly less than half of the books required for my exam.
Time to lug them back to the library.
The first thing I did after my exam? I came home and took a long nap. I am mentally exhausted, and now that it is over, I'm happy but it's also, well, anti-climatic, like "Congratulations, your exam is over. Yeah! Now the research and writing really begins. Sorry sucker, you still have 2 more years."
But inasmuch as it is a minor accomplishment, my celebration is dampened by the tragic news of the earthquakes in Nepal. As the death toll rose to 1,900 over the weekend (it's now 3,000+), I was struck by how much my prayers to God sounded like I was whining over trivial "stuff." There I was, anxious and pleading for divine help to pass an exam, while thousands had lost their homes and livelihood in minutes.
It was a sobering reminder of what matters most in life. Yes, my heart is full of gratitude that God helped me through this difficult exam, but I'm also thankful that I even have the opportunity to be in graduate school to take this exam. And I can't thank God enough for keeping me and my family safe.
For those of you who would like to help, here are several organizations in need of donations. My friend, Erin Moore, has also created a "Go Fund Me" page to raise a $1,000 among her Facebook friends, which she will donate to CARE. Her page is HERE if you would like to contribute to her efforts. Erin was a friend from BYU who lived in India and visited Nepal (more details on her Go Fund Me page), and is a wonderful person with a kind heart. I hope that you will support her efforts, or at least donate to other organizations!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting on my posts- really appreciate it! I apologize in advance if blogger deletes your comments- I have no idea why it does so but please post your comment again. Thanks!