Thoughts & Updates

Yesterday, a fellow student in the astronomy class I’m taking at State, said, “I’m getting nervous about the exam Tuesday.” Tests, papers, and grades add up to stress and anxiety. At Grace, we remove the stress, allowing you to focus upon the joy of learning, and it is joyful.

 We naturally want to learn. It’s part of our DNA. Humanity wouldn’t have survived and thrived if we didn’t. People get excited when they learn something for the first time, when they have an aha moment. The process of learning opens up new worlds to us. Of course, at Grace, we’re not learning just for the sake of learning. We’re learning about the most mysterious and exciting reality in the universe: God.

Help Our Bahamian Sisters and Brothers

“It looks like everything went through a wood chipper,” said an NPR commentator about Abaco island after Dorian. The devastation of the two northern most islands in the Bahamas was epic. Abaco was hit by 220 mile an hour wind. Dorian parked over Grand Bahama pummeling it for more than 48 hours.

Although I have never been to the Bahamas, this tragedy feels personal. Fr. Franklyn and Jennifer are from the Bahamas. Franklyn messaged me, “Abaco is family, my ancestors….” Ivamae, who worships at Grace when she visits from the Bahamas, emailed, “The damages in those two islands is beyond comprehension. Can u imagine 65% of the homes and businesses demolished and the 35% compromised in Abaco.” Ivamae’s sister lives on Abaco. She’s not sure when she’ll go back. The death toll in the Bahamas has risen to forty-three. Thankfully, Fr. Franklyn, Jennifer’s and Ivamae’s family are safe.

Yesterday, when I got back to my car after my 8:00 a.m. class at NCSU, I looked for my driver’s license. When I couldn’t find it, I thought I’d misplaced it in my red backpack, or perhaps it had fallen down beside the driver’s seat, as happens sometimes. I became concerned when I got home and still couldn’t find it after looking again through my backpack and the car.

Later that morning, I got an email from Allen, a postdoc research scholar, who had found my license on campus. It had fallen out of my backpack while jogging to get to class on time. Allen had looked me up online, first, calling the church. When he didn’t get an answer, he searched for my email address. This morning, when Allen met me on campus, I thought about the Good Samaritan. He was mine.

This summer I’m taking an 8:00 a.m. class at NCSU. As most of you know, I love to learn. I park on a street near State and walk to class.

On my way through the quiet campus, I’ve been thinking about the many blessings of our area. In addition to great colleges and universities, we have excellent medical care. When they go there, our members give Clayton’s hospital great reviews. We also have Clayton’s wonderful charm, the Triangle’s many amenities and an easy drive to North Carolina’s beautiful beaches and mountains. We are blessed to live in a great area in a great country!