Great Week

It is Saturday morning and I am reflecting on the fantastic week we just finished.  One of my greatest joys is welcoming a new group of students to the law school and seeing continuing students return. 

I like summer.  I enjoy the chance to travel and catch up on some things.  But a law school with no students feels awfully empty by the time August arrives.  So I felt real joy when I heard the familiar buzz of excitement--and a bit of nervousness--filling the law school atrium on Monday morning as the new 1Ls gathered.  Other joys followed:

• Listening to returning students share the successes and frustrations of their summer internships
• Introducing 3 outstanding new law profs to their university colleagues
• Celebrating alongside fellow faculty members at our professionalism service as 156 new 1Ls signed their names in The Book (gift of the '09 class) marking their entrance into the Regent Law community
• Walking alongside men and women and carrying boxes of food to their cars, carts, and even bikes at the Norfolk Food Bank during Friday's Law Community Service Day (I was just one of 150 students, alums, profs, and staff members who served at sites all over Hampton Roads)

I think my very favorite moment of the week, though, took place on Friday afternoon right after the community service outreach.  I sat outside with 7 or 8 new students as we ate pizza and shared stories of how we all ended up at Regent.  Every story was different.  But every story had the clear hand of a sovereign God who was directing us here at this place and this time.

Great week.  I can't wait to start classes on Monday!