Study Room, a Work in Progress

My study room is a work in progress. My book shelf came in good time yesterday just before I headed to church to record my Sunday sermon. I packed about 200 books into one large shelf. It was the biggest there was in the furniture shop and if I buy another one, I may just fit everything into it. I hope to clear all clutter in my study room so that I have a nice place to work in. I have realised long time ago that it would not be cheap to maintain a scholarly life. It is not a matter of buying books which I don't do often nowadays. As Scripture says, "buy the truth and sell it not". Education is not cheap and a degree anywhere in the world besides one own country can cost up to no less than $500,000 ringgit. If you take it to the doctoral level, you are easily looking at spending MYR1 million. Is it worth it? If I count it in monetary terms and rewards, then it is not worth all the money. But it is the knowledge gained that matters. A University degree may not be essential but it is a modern vessel for knowledge in the last days in the world.
When I was praying about my PhD scholarship award, I almost applied for a downgrade to a Masters, but I had the inner conviction when a voice came that I needed more time, much more time that a 1-year MTheol thesis afforded me to learn about the book of Revelation. Now I am counting the cost with gratitude to the Lord to lead a scholarly life. I have a large enough study room to easily fit at least 1,000 or even 2,000 books. I have all the gadgets and laptops I need though they may be not the latest and the greatest but given the circumstances, there is much to be thankful for. I used a small laptop in the pulpit to look at my note and PowerPoints. I have a tablet nearby to access Scripture. And yesterday I recorded my sermon on my handphone with a stand which I bought few days ago. Now I am learning to deliver courses online or record video over powerpoint slides. With Microsoft Windows' new Office apps, things are becoming easier. I would not have found out if my MacBook did not break down. Every two or three years technology advances exponentially. Though I may be a couple of years behind, it is not good to be too far behind the learning curve given the current crisis of Covid19 that forces almost everyone to work from home. And at home, a conducive study room is gold standard and I am planning to improve on it from time to time.