Starting a New Life

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And you stepped onto new ground...
Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life's desire. John O'Donohue

I still cannot believe that I am here, in seminary, the place I've dreamed of for so many years. I still walk the campus and tell myself; "This is not a dream, I am really here." The years of waiting have been worth it-- I am ready for this new stage of my life. The best part of orientation was when the campus spiritual director took us on a walk through a labryinth and read this poem. It was a fitting start to a new journey, to take time to reflect on what has brought me to this place and where I will go from here. I felt a powerful sense of the presense of God, cradling me in motherly arms as I start this new life. It has been over a year since I prayed; "I will trust you on the sea" and embarked on this new path and found each door open for me. And it has brought me here, to Episcopal Divinity School, on the other side of the country.

I am settled in the little room that will be my home for the next three years and am learning to use Boston's public transportation. I am happy that I will be substantially reducing my carbon footprint! And I am signed up for classes and very excited to get started studying liberation theology and the church and social movements. I seem to fit in very well at EDS and am so grateful that I chose this school!

This weekend, I have spent a bit of time touring Cambridge and Boston, so here are a few pictures of what my new home looks like...

The campus...

In the Boston Commons in front of George Washington, my new friends, students from Africa...

A park in Cambridge... The stone monument memorializes the Irish potato famine and says in the back, "Never again should a people starve in a world of plenty." Besides the memorial sleeps a homeless man.

Downtown Boston...