If you’ve followed this blog over the last few months, you know that I’ve had a lot going on. I moved back from Europe, moved again into an apartment with my wife and kids, embarked on and returned from a five-state tour, and decided not to return to Europe. My wife and I have been employed nearly full-time helping my in-laws, with my father-in-law in the fight of his life recovering from his second surgery for brain cancer. Oh, and I started a new/old job.

Amidst all the turmoil and the painful decision not to return to LCC International University for the time being, God has still allowed me some time for reading, studying, writing and teaching. As I was finishing off a book review for RBL and two sermons in June, I received word that my dissertation had been accepted for publication by T&T Clark in their Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies series (the successor to the JSOT Supplement series). I’m hoping to complete the revisions they requested by January, and if I stick to that timeline the book should be in print next fall.

Revising the dissertation is a big project, but a welcome one. First, it’s a tremendous honor and a step forward in my career to be accepted into such a well-known series. Second, it’s rewarding to go back over research that was substantially completed nearly two years ago (Oct 2013) and see that it “holds up”: I still think what I was working on is pretty fun, unique, and useful. I hope that doesn’t come across as improper pride, but rather as deep satisfaction.

I’m also preparing two papers for the annual meeting of ETS this fall: one on Samuel and Chronicles which is mostly written, and one on the LXX, MT and the OT canon. I honestly hadn’t expected to get two proposals accepted, but so it goes. The LXX paper brings together ideas that are scattered in various posts at THTW over the last few years, and I’m eager to get some feedback from the conference participants.

I’m still getting to do some teaching, as well. I’m supervising one LCC student who is taking Greek 1 by independent study during August. In addition, just this week I was invited to teach a freshman-level OT Introduction course at Eastern University this Fall. I’m scrambling to rearrange my schedule, choose textbooks, and outline a course syllabus. But I’m very grateful for the opportunity, and I’m hopeful that it will be the beginning of a longer relationship with Eastern.

These tasks feed my soul and keep me moving forward–always learning, always helping others learn. I’m so grateful to my wife for seeing the value in my work and encouraging me–even through this difficult time for all of us.