So I had this idea....

My name is Jenna, and I love to read. Having spent the last 6 years in college and seminary studying to be a Youth Pastor, I've had the opportunity to read a lot of theology books. Now as I work in a Church ministering to students, I get to teach about what I'm reading.

In school, we'd normally have to write reports or papers on the books we read, and I have found that I really enjoy reflecting on the things that I read by writing about them. I graduated from seminary in the spring of 2012, and over this past year I've missed having the discipline of writing down my reflections on the books that I'm reading.

I'm probably one of the only people who misses having to write papers and book reports in school, but there you have it. I'm a little bit of a nerd. I'm also the kind of person who can't half-do anything. I like to dive all the way in to the things that I'm passionate about. For example, I ran my first 5k last September, and have already signed up for a marathon this coming October. Along the same lines, when I read a good book I can't just put it down and move on to the next one. I want to reflect on it, write a curriculum that uses information from it, talk about it with others, and get other people excited about it too.

That's where this blog comes in. Every Friday for 1 year, I'll write a reflection on a theology book I've read. It might be something I read at Ohio Northern (where I got my BA in Youth Ministry), or something I read at Methodist Theological School in Ohio (where I got my MA in Practical Theology), or something I've read recently. That's 52 weeks, and 52 books.

I think I'll start this Friday with one of my favorite theology books that has been quite formative in my understanding of faith: Dynamics of Faith by Paul Tillich. I'm a big fan of Paul Tillich, so you'll most likely be seeing reflections on several of his books over the next few months.

I've always loved being a student, and that doesn't have to stop just because I'm no longer in school. I believe we should never stop learning, so I'm looking forward to this new way of reflecting on the things I learn through theology books; and the ways I can share those lessons with my students, my friends, and (now with this blog) on the internet.

Anyways, God Bless and happy reading!

Jenna