Weekly Email: February 17, 2025
In Louisville, we experienced a weekend of heavy rain, followed by an unexpected one-hour blizzard that blanketed the area in snow. I hope you’re staying safe and well, wherever you are this week!
This week we're talking about reassessing those New Year's resolutions, a reminder about the Writing Center, and a faculty devotional from Dr. Roberto Carrera.
Student Tip: Reassessing Your Goals
As we find ourselves in the latter part of February, it’s a perfect moment to pause and reflect. The start of a new year often brings a burst of new energy. We set ambitious goals, perhaps refresh our daily routines, and feel invigorated as school resumes (or continues if you took a winter class!). Yet, as February turns into March, it’s not uncommon to feel that initial enthusiasm wane.
So, here’s a gentle nudge to help you regain that momentum. If you began the year with resolutions or new habits, now is a great time to reassess.
Think:
What’s working well for you?
What isn’t?
Even if your goals have shifted—and that’s perfectly fine—take a moment to acknowledge this change. Life evolves, and your goals can too.
So this week carve out 10 to 15 minutes, grab a notebook, and let your thoughts flow onto your paper. Write down everything that’s on your mind such as your current goals, what’s been effective, and areas where you might improve.
This mind dump can help you clear mental clutter and refocus.
Remember, the key is not to rigidly adhere to goals set in January but to adapt them to your current reality. This flexibility will serve you well now and into the future.
Program News: The Writing Center
If you’re working on any papers this semester, I highly recommend visiting the Writing Center. This is your quarterly reminder that our Writing Center is here to support you in becoming a better writer. Whether you need help crafting your thesis, want someone to review a rough draft, or are looking for ways to better organize your paper, the Writing Center is ready to assist.
You can easily schedule an appointment and meet with a person over Zoom. Simply submit your paper, and they will provide helpful feedback. This resource is designed to help you enhance your writing skills, which are crucial for your success as a student. As you progress in your ministry, strong written communication will be essential for effectively connecting with those you serve.
Additionally, remember that as a student at Southern, you have free access to Microsoft Office 365. Follow the link provided for more information.
Faculty Devotional
This week’s faculty devotional is from Dr. Roberto Carrera, Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies and Director of Online Hispanic Program.
As you see, the Lord has kept me alive these forty-five years as he promised, since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, eighty-five years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then. 12 Now give me this hill country the Lord promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the Lord will be with me and I will drive them out as the Lord promised," (Joshua 14:10–12, CSB).
In Joshua 14 Caleb approaches Joshua asking for land. His petition is based on the previous events narrated in Numbers 13 and 14. To recap when Moses sent the 12 spies into the Promised Land, the spies came back praising the land they had just seen. It was a beautiful land, flowing with “milk and honey” (Num 13:27). Yet the spies were afraid. They saw themselves as tiny in comparison to the inhabitants of the land (Num 13:28). The exception to this discouraging report was Joshua and Caleb who still argued they could conquer the land.
Based on Caleb’s faith, the Lord promised him to give him land when they entered Canaan (see Num 14:24 and Deut 1:36). Like Joshua, Caleb would not perish with the wilderness generation and, moreover, he would receive land.
Caleb models what it is like to act in faith in the promises of God. The text clearly reveals that the conditions for taking Hebron had not changed since the first time they spied out the land in Num 13. Hebron was still inhabited by the sons of Anak. In fact, taking this city was an especially difficult task, since Hebron was founded by Arba, “the greatest man among the Anakim” (Jos 14:15).
This is faith in action. Caleb was looking to the 45 year old promise and hoped that God would be true to his word and help him take the hill country.
Nowadays, we may not find ourselves in the exact configuration of events that Caleb faced. But we partake in a similar dynamic. Every day we are faced with a decision. Will I choose to look to God’s Word and trust what He says in it? Will I live in accordance to what the Bible teaches? Or, not? Caleb’s example teaches us that God’s Word, His character, and promises remain trustworthy. Let us be like Caleb who held on to God’s Word and lived accordingly. Let us be a people that can walk on the promises of God such that we can face today full hope, looking to Him. Our God is a promise keeping God and He is worthy of our trust and obedience.
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading and check in next Monday. You can find an archive of each week’s email here. If you’re looking for information on courses such as textbooks, course description, and what we have to offer online, check out the Course Snapshots!
