Interview Update

Hey all you faithful (but apparently silent) blog readers.

I thought I should let you know that I had a couple of schools get back to me asking about on campus interviews. I'll be headed out to New Mexico and to Michigan for interviews during the first full week of February.

I am still waiting to hear back from my "top 5", but these are both places that I would theoretically be willing to work. I suppose getting interviews is never a bad thing. Being away will make life a bit busier and more complicated as I try to keep up with my dissertation revisions and teaching responsibilities.

It is difficult not to get caught up in the whole process. It is so easy to be up and down emotionally depending on how the job search seems to be going. So much of it is out of my control, and I also find myself struggling with doubt and fear concerning God's providence and in knowing what I even want out of this whole thing.

It is easy to feel like this is such a big step: starting out on my "career". I suppose noone is ever really ready or really sure at the brink of big decisions and life changes like this. But it is in the stepping out into the unknown that we engage in the act of being and becoming who we were created to be. We meet God in that dark place where doubt, fear, and faith collide.

Keep me in your prayers, my friends.

Update

I'm back from San Antonio. Things went quite well at the conference. My 10 minute talk was excellent, and I had 13 job interviews. I've also had 2 phone interviews since I got back. I have heard back from most of the schools I applied to, but there are a couple of stragglers I am still waiting on. I may have to bug them over the next couple of weeks to find out if I am still in the running.

Now its time to sit back and wait for them to rank all of us hopefulls and schedule on site interviews for the top propects. Usually only the top 2-4 candidates are brought in for these, so if I get some, its a good sign.

I am also trying to keep rolling on revisions on my dissertation so that I can stay on schedule for defending in early March.

I'll try to keep you posted on my progress.

San Antonio

Hi Folks,

I thought I should write a brief note to let you know that I am back safe and sound form my time up in the great Northwest.

I spent Christmas in Portland with my mom and stepdad, and New Years up in Seattle.

I also had a fun night on the town in Seattle with my brother, little sister and both of their spouses. We saw the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at a really nice movie theater and had dinner at the cheesecake factory afterwards. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Now I'm back in Lincoln trying to get the new semester started out on the right foot, with moderate success. I'll be flying to San Antonio for the big annual mathematics conference. I'll be there from Thursday until Sunday. I've got about 10 job interviews while I am out there, and I am also giving a short talk. I'd appreciate your prayers for this time, is it may have a big bearing on my future career.

I am still in the process of trying to discern what the next stage in my life's journey should look like. It is a bit scary, but also exciting as the future begins coming a bit more into focus.