http://spajde.targeteil.org:80/?q=node/83

It's not fashionable to include the Almighty or any variation thereof in discussions of scientific inquiry, unless, of course, like Steven Weinberg, you're using a discussion of scientific inquiry as a platform to propound your own atheism. Frankly, I don't care a pig's situpon for fashion. You can see that, though subtly, in my attire. I am not loud about my faith and doubt, but neither am I timid. And I'm as happy to enlarge on my acceptance of evolution when confronted at church as I am to assert my devotion to the Maker when challenged in school.

That said, let me get on with my story.

After some excrutiating soul-searching, and both earthly and divine networking, I've come to the conclusion that it was in God's design for me and those I will influence that I take two courses in the master of distance education programme through Athabasca University, fully intending to complete the entire programme, only to run out of money for it for almost two years and inevitably conclude that I need a degree in applied linguistics.

You see, having taken those two courses in distance ed, I've seen my way pretty clearly to achieving the personal goal of building an online language school--and for now that's about all I need from the MDE. When I saw myself as a distance educator, I did all kinds of heavy thinking about the Internet, particularly what I now call logue, the study of online asynchronous communication, and I've come up with some nifty innovations I'll make when I've learned to programme. Once I'd done all that, it was time to get back to my real vocation: scholar of tongues.

I used to think being a scholar of tongues meant studying and teaching languages. I still think it does, but for me the definition now includes studying the learning and acquisition of languages. I've had some nifty ideas in that line, too, of late.

So now I'm in between. I had to suspend the MDE for lack of funds, but my GPA was such that I was given an extra year to get back with the programme, so to speak, and that has meant that although I won't be able to start the MAAL for another nine months, I have the resources and time to get working on the review of the literature and other elements of my thesis on Phased Acquisition Theory.

Now, what do I mean by God's design? I am not one of those who believes that God goes around ordering everything case by case. What I believe about God doesn't affect him at all, of course; I am only explaining my view of matters so that adding my voice to those of the faithful does not add fuel to any fire that I wouldn't want to see burning. I believe in a personal God, a personage, and that we resemble him in some way, although I am not convinced that the resemblence is as complete as we tend to believe. I also believe that our purpose in being on earth is to become as like him as we can in mortality as a litmus test of our ability to become as like him as we can in immortality.

My beliefs are not mystical. Some aspects of God and our relationship to him are a bit beyond our scope at the moment, but I believe that his nature and powers are tied up with the universe, just like ours. I also believe that some of our ideas about him are a little off the mark, and will continue to be, however carefully we correct them, until we reach a point in our ability to perceive and think that allows us to see him as he is.

The main thing here is that God is conscious of us and is willing and able to act in our lives in accordance with our desire for him to act and his notion of the appropriateness of any action he might take. In my case, that means guiding and helping me to accomplish certain assignments. My part occasionally requires charging ahead and sometimes requires standing and waiting. The standing and waiting seems to take up more time, but one thing that fits me for the work I've been given is my inability to sit around twiddling my thumbs. When I'm not sure what I should be doing, that generally means I should be figuring myself out and doing something to make the most of what I find. Such is the case at present.

I have been priviliged over the years to receive very specific and clear guidance about the path I should follow and the deeds I should do. I have also been priviliged to be left to myself for long periods, sometimes in the desert with nothing but sand on all hands, sometimes in an oasis with enough and to spare but always with a sense that the desert is just out there and the next leg of the journey not all that long away.