Monday, 5/13/2013

Dear BI343 Proverbs Students

Good morning, and welcome to the first day of class. I trust this will be learning and growing experience; moreover, my hope is that this course will just be the beginning of a lifelong journey for you in the study and application of God-centered wisdom. Here are a few reminders, some advise, and a few things to enhance your course experience as you get started this week:

1.  Read through the preliminary materials at the top—this will help you to know what is going on, and will also point you towards some good resources for help in course work.
2. In those resources, there is a course schedule, I strongly suggest you print that out and keep it somewhere convenient for a quick reference (and look ahead, so you know what’s coming).
3. Each week there is a checklist for the week, always read that first so you can plan out the week.
4. Like most online courses, there is a lot of reading. I have one suggestion in how to make this a bit more useful. (Note: I really like the Steveson Commentary—some of you may have never read a commentary cover-to-cover before; if not, this is a good one to start with.) Here’s a hint to make it even more beneficial, try reading it for your devotions. I realize you may already have some very good things you use, and if so, fine. But if you want a change for a few weeks, or if you’re looking for something, I suggest this commentary to you. You can break down the reading for each week into daily portions. This will help you get your reading accomplished, and I think you will be challenged, nourished, and blessed in many ways.
5. You will notice my Twitter page embedded into the top of the course page. I have posted a daily Proverbs for several years (blogs, Facebook, etc.)—and in it, a link to the Proverbs chapter for the day. During our course time, I want to add some relevant and informative Proverb related quotes and thoughts, and I’d like your help. So, if you come across something in your reading, the course postings, your own thinking, project research, etc., that you think would be good to share with the world, I would like to Tweet it. Send it in an email (bhigley@bbc.edu), with the source (if the sources is online, send me the link as well), and if possible, I’ll put it up.
6. And finally, I want you to be a help and resources to each other. I’m not sure how I’m going to do it yet, but I would like to build a page where you can recommend good sources to each other. These sources can be books, articles, blog posts, internet sites, journal articles, sermons, devotionals, studies, quotes, etc. But in the end, I envision it as a grand list of Proverbs and Wisdom related helps to anyone interested in growing in their knowledge of Proverbs and wisdom study. Stay tuned . . .

Wisdom and Blessing to You

Dr. Bill Higley

BBC