wow a whole month!

I've been ignoring this blog intentionally as I didn't have anything I felt like sharing - didn't realize it had been an entire month though!

Jack had his visit with the cardiologist - he is perfectly healthy. He also has not had a reoccurance of the symptoms.

The youth at State Line had their spaghetti dinner and program last night. I got to spend about an hour alone with them as they all showed up early and with the weather I did not go home yesterday after service. They are an interesting group - since I'm not usually around teenage boys!! They did a very good job - they seemed comfortable with their lines, but in the three years I have been at this church not one play has been memorized! The music was beautiful - we have some very good singers.

I don't know how much they raised for their expenses, but I think they enjoyed themselves and they were really excited about the t-shirts. The girls had new clothes they were wearing, but the boys didn't change after serving and wore their t-shirts during the program!

medical update

So, I visited my family doctor today
1) There was no mention of my weight, my blood pressure, or my cholesterol level. All of which seemed to have been huge issues at the last visit!
2) The neuro-surgeon did not stress surgery in his report. So I am not going to schedule it. Will see what transpires after my physical therapy is completed.
3) I seem to have developed a eustacian deformity - for which he did write a prescription (or two!)

Now, we just need to see what's up with Jack and his chest pain. Background: He complained that his heart hurt on a Wednesday night - this lasted about 20 minutes. On Thursday, I received a call from the school nurse that he was complaining of these same symptoms and she was detecting a delay in his heart rhythm resulting in a drop in his O2 stats. A trip to the ER, did not show anything since the symptoms did not repeat while we were there. PS Jack loves hospitals!!
Friday, we saw our family doctor who did not want to discount what Jack felt and the nurse saw, so we have a visit scheduled with a pediatric cardiologist! Will let you know.

Stressed!?!

I am continuing the eschatological/Darby thread by working through Mickey Efird's book, Left Behind Question Mark. It seems to be going over well. and again God is in charge of the timing of my sermons - the Millennial Kingdom will be explored on Christ the King Sunday!

I had planned to do the ONE Sabbath a week late, but using it to kick off Advent, when I got a call to cover the early service at my home church. I decided that I will use the ONE material for them - as my current series will not travel as a one time sermon - and also I will then have my 12/02 sermon already written for my church!

So stressed? Maybe. But hopefully I will then be able to concentrate on the balance of Advent and Christmas Eve. I'm also going to talk to my doctor about the recommendation of the surgeon regarding surgery and will probably have to schedule that for January (between Advent and Lent!) and then explain to the DS and my bi-vocational SPRC the need for the surgery and the time off from the respective churches. HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!!

Reflections

I found out Darby didn't exactly bomb, but I have yet to get the congregation to understand there are times when you can speak during the sermon!!!

So I did the seven week religions series, last week was Laity Sunday - I have to write an actual sermon this week! It's very hard. I'm not sure if I want to do an outline, sticky notes in my Bible or a full fledged manuscript. I realize it's four o'clock on Friday and I'm at Leadapalooza tomorrow, but I have only done the first two so far and don't feel I have a complete handle on what I want to say. What's funny is I pulled up some preaching helps two weeks ago and ended up with last year's scripture (we did All Saints on October 8th to accomodate a snow bird last year) which includes a Revelation text! Looks like the Revelation series is starting early!!

Since last year was the first All Saints Day this congregation remembers celebrating in a while, I want to make each one different. This year we are celebrating Communion using the readings for All Saints and lighting the candles and ringing the gong before sharing in the elements. That way we will truly be 'in the company of the saints' when we partake. I'm a little concerned my message will not flow into communion.

Will let you know next week!

Darby bombs

Well, I did the sermon on Darby/dispensationalism/fundamentalism/end times theology and it flopped!! A couple times, I stopped the sermon to ask if they were with me and not one person moved. They were frozen (in terror/in confusion?)!

Joy, joy!

Darby

I'm finishing the series on World Religions by discussing dispensationalism and Darby and eschatology. My sole reference was Micky Efird's Left Behind Question Mark book, which is a direct rebuttal to Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.

What is so funny is:
Jenny saw my work and gave me a book by Dr. Bilezikian which appears to do the same.
Keith finished his two year overview of the Bible, by staying away from eschatology.
McIlweb cites Hal Lindsey (who is also reference by Efird) in his blog on Al Gore's Nobel Prize

It's everywhere!!!!

In November, I am sure that I will be up to the task of taking on Revelation itself using these materials.

It's going to be interesting see as my organist (who picks the music based on the scripture and my theme for the week) is excited to see what I have to say since she 'is a fan of Left Behind'. I don't have the heart to warn her the sermon is a rebuttal!!!

mormonism

I did the sermon on Mormonism. Hopefully, the congretation felt it was balanced and informative. I'm not sure I did a very good job on the beliefs of Mormons since I really didn't understand them myself and basically just read what I had found on line. Which made what happened before the service very scary. I lost my manuscript!! I had placed it on the desk while I copied the bulletin, then I went to the pulpit to pick music for next week as the organist is celebrating her anniversary and will not be playing. Well, sometime after she arrived one of the girl's had picked up the sermon and mixed it in with her papers. I had not really paid attention that she was by the desk and asked the other girl to help me look for it. Long story short, the second girl was very stressed and felt I had blamed her - I didn't and I think we straightened that out -- but I was stressed myself as I could do the history of the book of Mormon and the migration west from memory, but there was no way I could even attempt the doctrine and major beliefs!!! Luckily, the second girl checked the first girl's book bag during the greeting time and the service was able to proceed. Thanks Viv!

Lesson? Always take sermon directly to the pulpit when entering the building!!!

This week we'll finish with Adam Hamilton. Then on the 14th I plan on doing a bit on Darbyism from Eiferd's book Left Behind Question Mark. The 21st is Laity Sunday and Viv will be doing the message. The 28th is All Saints (for us anway). Then I think I might try to tackle the Apocolyptic Literature as a four week series leading into Advent -- have to do the research to see if I can pull it off!!

New Jerusalem

Does any one else out there struggle with constantly being bombarded with America being the New Jerusalem?
I remember the first time I got this impression - I was reading Revelation Revealed by Tim LaHaye, et al, and the dimensions were given as being from Boston to St. Louis, New York to Miami. For me, this put New Jerusalem on the East Coast!!
There have been other less vivid examples, but the ones relating to 9/11 are frequent.

Just last week at the District Bible study, we looked at Psalm 79. I realized I was reading verses 9-10 with the wrong eyes: Help us (America), O God our Savior, for the glory of your name: deliver us and forgive our sins (many, many sins) for your name's sake.
Why should the nations say "Where is their God?" (After all aren't we fighting Allah?) Before our eyes, (Americanized/Westernized eyes) make knwon among the nations that your avenge the outpoured blood of your servants (Where's Randy and his just war?)

Maybe I call myself an Old Testament Christian because I see America and us as the chosen ones?!!?

World Religions part 3

Well, Islam went over very well. We look at Judaism next week.

However, I have been asked to research Mormanism! Thank you God and thank you Randy Roda for your research!

World Religions part 2

Yesterday was 9/11, plus six years. I stayed away from the coverage.
Today I read Rodazone, a very fair and balanced blog that I think I will share with my congregation on Sunday as we look at Andy Hamilton's research on Islam.

I didn't plan this series around 9/11 (or any other date), but feel that God's hand was in it -- we will look at Islam after the news media gets through with the coverage and Osama's latest tape is discussed in depth. I think we will be ready to hear about Muhammad and his 'revelation' and retreat from the extremists of the Jihad.

world religions

Have preached on two of the four religions Adam Hamilton discusses in his book, Christianity and World Religions. We know now that Buddhism was birthed from Hinduism. The overarching theme from Adam's viewpoint is that these two religions have a lot to offer in the way of introspection, Hindus are seeking God, while Buddhists are seeking deliverance from suffering. We can start there and then offer them Christ which is the answer to both questions.
The sermons are longer than they are used to and I'm using a manuscript, there is no way I could keep all this information straight if I spoke straight up, but the interest appears to be there. We'll see after we do Islam this week, I've only briefly scanned the information so far, will be digging in later today.
ps I read to the congregation the paragraph where Adam Hamilton talks about the courses he took, the books he read, the sacred texts he read, the interviews with church leaders he conducted and we praised God for large churches with large staffs and time off for senior pastors to do sermon prep and study -- then settled in to use his material; properly credited!!

more

Well, it's about time I posted an update
1) grades came back I received 3 A's, but a B in preaching!
2) we have lost our new youth volunteers, but are pressing ahead with the people we have already in place
3) I wrote about my arm, however, the pain is not from my arm it's from my neck! The physical therapy is doing what it is supposed to - moving the pain from my arm back to the source. Right now it is in my shoulder blade and the top of my shoulder. It's actually much more bothersome than the arm pain, although I still get numbness and tingling down my arm if I sit for too long.
4) We have set a start date for the Discovery Kids program - September 24. That won't interfere with the church council meeting on the 17th and we will have finished one unit before we have to miss a week for the Swiss Steak dinner.
5) I started a sermon series based on Adam Hamilton's book "Christianity and World Religions". The presentation of the series seemed to go over well. Hopefully, the presentation of the four religions will go as well.
6) Maybe some day I will be as deep as my fellow bloggers (go Randy! love the new phase in your life)

dazed and confused?

Now that I don't have school to write about, I'm at a loss for words. I read my favorite writers daily -- look at mine -- sigh and log out!

There are some very good political writers out there, some deep religious scholars, I feel so out of my element in the blogosphere!

I'm back

I am back from school, just waiting for my final grades.

Decided the first order of business was to move the fish pond (a large planter) out of the shade and into the sun, only to pull the muscles in my lower back. I am still feeling the pain. It's mostly settled on the right side (I think it was aggravated by three days in Aurora's Pontiac).

Went to Darien Lake with Aurora, niece Lindsay, and Jack on August 1st. We had a good time. They did a good job with the sunscreen on my back, I however failed to do a good job on my shoulders and neck!!!!

Thursday we went to the Y so Jack could see his friends after five weeks before he actually returns to day camp. It was funny, there were three families of Y kids there and each one of them got yelled at for not having a t-shirt on! They have to wear them when they are at camp and the swim helpers didn't recognize that they weren't at camp that day.

I'll try to think of things to post. My regular life is rather boring what with work, family, and my church. I'll try to think deep thoughts and post them. Can't even come close to my favorite bloggers though!!

grades

Well, everything that I have received back so far (with the exception of the sermon) has been an A. I am so much happier this year than last!!

My OT sermon and update

I was so stuck on my OT sermon. I'm not sure why I couldn't get started. I knew where I wanted to take it. I did the research, I mediated, I prayed. I just couldn't get started. Yesterday, I decided to at least get my exegesis typed and that went okay.

Today, I reviewed some of the research. Then Barbara and I went to find Ev to return a book he had lent her and ended up staying there talking with he and his roommate for over an hour. I still had to read two readings for Sheryl's class tomorrow and so didn't get to my computer until after 9:30. We'll as you can see from the time stamp (10:53ET) I am up rather late for me. But......my sermon is typed. I am sure I will review and edit it tomorrow, but it is on paper!!!

Update on the week, today was our test in Christian Discipleship. It was two examples of how we will use what we learned in class in our churches. The first question was based on the eight intelligences and the second on the 'means of grace' (sort of like the celebration of discipline by Richard Foster). Then we had to write a letter to ourselves detailing what we will do in our churches when we get back. Alice will mail these letters to us in six months to remind us of our plan!

Tomorrow we get our take home test from Sheryl. Meaning it will be really hard and really detailed on some of what we had on the first test and then covering the church from the council of ephesus and those players up through St. Thomas Aquinas.

That just leaves a quiz in Hebrew Bible on Friday. Another t/f, matching, multiple choice. So far I have three A's and one B for grades. I'm feeling this year reflects who I am so much better than last year. However, next year we have Mickey Efird again, hello D. His material is wonderful, his tests are not. Everyone stresses so badly, he does weird stuff (if that's the right intro) like writing a test, giving instruction to read all the questions before beginning, then the last question says "Put your name on the paper and turn it in". Well, do you take that literally and turn in a blank test or do you assume he means to make sure your name is on the paper before you turn it in!!!!

Good night!

final week//finals week!

Well, I got a B+ on my sermon. He didn't like how long it took me to get to the scripture and that I didn't read the scripture before I started. I explained that I had struggled with knowing how to present the sermon so that it felt like a sermon, not a presentation that had a lead in explanation, etc. However, several people said they really liked it and one gentleman asked for a hard copy.

I've turned in my lesson plan for Hebrew Bible on Hosea and have my 2nd close read ready to turn in tomorrow. I also finished my exegesis for the OT sermon in Preaching, but I'm stuck on how to start the sermon. I have until Wednesday, I'm praying I'll get an inspiration.

Other than that, there is a final in each of the first three classes. Tomorrows in Formation for Christian Discipleship is open book, but most of the questions ask us how we apply what we learned to our devotional lives and will apply them when we get back to our churches. The Early Church History test is also open book/take home, but that just means it'll be much harder and indepth than the last one. We haven't asked too many questions about the Hebrew Bible test -- the midterm was t/f, matching, multiple choice. Don't know if this one is the same or not.

We went to Duke Gardens yesterday and last week I went to the Nasher Museum. We also have attended two local churches and Duke Chapel and we always go out to brunch after. That doesn't include the "Meet Me on Ninth" and the Bulls baseball game, the trip to Walmart and the grocery store, etc. The only thing I haven't done this year is go to the pool. I haven't really felt like getting wet.

Will update you as the week progresses.

My sermon

I presented my sermon today. And surprise, surprise, they thought I spoke to fast. I took this as an often-heard criticism, until my roommate reminded me that most of my classmates are southerners of the 'yall' persuasion. Anyone from the north probably would have received this comment.

The next criticism was that I didn't read the text prior to beginning my sermon. I had struggled with this, but decided that I was presenting my sermon not a presentation and the sermon would not normally have contained a reading of the text. But I'll remember this for year four.

Also, I had made the mistake of using you instead of we or us. For some reason I did not catch this in my proof reading, I had been on the look out for we's, but not you's.

I'll know tomorrow what grade I received and will have read the instructors comments.

Other than that, we are moving on with the workload.

Hallelujah

I just had to make a quick note while I'm printing between classes-----I got an A on the TEST!!!

God is good and so is Sheryl

test part two

We took the TEST today. It wasn't so bad. I was afraid I would freeze and not be able to make the connections, but they came. I may have taken her three sentence instruction for the vocabulary to heart and been too brief. My concern was if I went too long I would give an inaccurate fact.

I gave my presentation and the class seemed to enjoy learning to sign "Jesus Loves the Little Children" (even the back row guys!). One girl said she is going to use it with her kids.

I also e-mailed my exegesis on Hosea and my exegesis and sermon on 1 Timothy that I will be preaching on Thursday.

Than means....tadah...We're half way!! I have another close read, three final exams, another lesson plan (this time for adults on Hosea 14) and an OT exegesis and sermon. It's going to be another full week, but it feels like coasting!
Oh, but I can't forget I have my journal on Philippians. We were to do 1000 word reflections on each of the chapters - he's still deciding if we need to turn these in or if they were for our own growth. (I'm still betting he'll ask for them)

Update on tests

I got my History of the Bible test back. It was a true/false, multiple choice, matching. I got 100%. It's only worth 10% of the final grade, but every little bit helps. I actually argued and won on one point. The true/false question stated: Saul was the first king of all of Israel. I said false. He said true. I argued that I had always been taught that Saul did not have all of Israel, yes he had the twelve tribes, but David was the first king of all of Israel. He gave me credit!! Like I said that 2% of 10% of the whole!!

I have finished my first sermon and exegesis, this sermon will be preached on Thursday. I was assigned 1 Timothy 1:12-17. Then I need to start working on my OT sermon and exegesis. I chose the lectionary for the 2nd Sunday I will be back, Hosea 11:1-8.

I have finished my exegesis for the History course, this is 30% of the grade. I chose Hosea 14:1-8. I'm happy with my work on this. However, another 30% of my grade is on a presentation/teaching assignment based on this same text!! I may have a little trouble with this. I wasn't paying attention when this was discussed or maybe I would have chosen a simpler text. I certainly won't be doing a children's message.

Speaking of which, I have a presentation tomorrow for our Formation for Christian Discipleship class. I remembered how excited Jack was when he showed me how to sign "Jesus Love the Little Children" so that's what I chose for that class. We had a book report due the first day and there is a final exam in this class.

Now to the other course!!! We have our midterm tomorrow. The course began with the Hellenists and we just completed Augustine. 400 years of early church history will be on this test! Also the teacher is a grad student, so we are her first ever actual course. There's been some growth on both sides in this class. She made a comment one day when we were particularly rowdy that she thought we would be like grad students. We assured her we were more like 2nd semester freshmen!! Some of us have no college, some haven't been to school in 30 years. Others have college and teaching/church experience, but that doesn't exactly translate back into information of this depth. I feel I have a good grasp of the material, but coherently spitting it back in a testing setting is something else. I will update you tomorrow (not on my grade obviously, but on my impressions).

This test is a big deal in this class. We had a close read of an early church document (I chose Ignaseus and got an A) for 5%, this exam, a second close read (I'm doing Augustine's apology - haven't started yet), and then a final comprehensive exam. I think this exam will be a 'take home' and we'll have three days to complete it.

Well, I got an A on my close reading! It was a first try and only worth 5% of our total grade, so I'm thinking there was a lot of grace. However, her notes indicated she like my presentation and flow, but since I had such a grasp of what I wanted to express my opening and closing paragraphs should have been more indepth. I'll have to remember this for the second one. Our midterm has been moved back. We are having problems getting through the material on the early church from Ignateus through Augustine.

Tomorrow we have a test in our Hebrew Bible class. I don't want to be overly confident as I was last year in the Pastor as Interpreter class (which I almost failed!), but I do think I will do well there also.

exegesis - meaning lock yourself in the divinity school library and read pages and pages of text focusing on a single word of the biblical text

Yes that is how I spent my afternoon. I actually have two exegesis due for two different classes. I have a less formal exegesis for preaching class to go along with my sermon on 1 Timothy 1:12-17. I have a second extremely formalized (meaning long 14 pages plus) on Hosea 14:2-8. Actually, I am enjoying the research, it takes me back to the Jewish Roots course that Kathy taught. The problem is, I think in short concise thoughts. I'm not sure I can expound for 14 pages even on the imagery of Hosea's poetry.

I have yet to do a final read before print out, but I have finished my close read (paper) on Ignatius's letter to Polycarp, paragraph 2. I'm not sure if I have followed the instructions as to format, but I was able to give her the 3-4 pages with references that were asked for!

I will probably be headed to the library later today to begin work on the exegesis for my delivered sermon. If I were doing this passage (1 Timothy 1:12-17) for my church, I would be ready to go. However, I do not have enough material for the exegesis questions (it is a thirteen question format rather than a formal exegesis) also I usually do some more reading on how others (http://www.sermoncentral.com/) have handled the material. (That may not be appropriate for this course, so I am resisting the urge to go there.) This was especially helpful this past year when the lectionary did not use the familiar texts during the special Sundays. In particular, this Christmas we did not look to baby Jesus coming with all the pomp and circumstance (angels and shepherds, etc) rather we looked to the second coming of Christ and the apocolypse.

Also, I want to explore Duke's Divinity Library (as opposed to the school library which I have yet to enter) prior to preparing the more formal exegesis that is needed for the Hebrew Bible course.

Just so you don't think that I truly am only spending time working/writing/reading/researching, last night we went over to 9th Street a section of Durham directly off Central Campus that has many quaint shops and a vast array of restaurants. Everything from a corner diner, a pub and grille, a mideastern/southwestern (?!?) restaurant, a falafal house, a dessert/internet cafe, seafood, etc. There is a book store, an art store, a tattoo parlor, laundromat, two boutiques. It's quite the stretch. We ran into a gentleman who was panhandling, one of the pastor's offered to take him to dinner. My roommate and I left, so I'm not sure how that worked out. There was a duet of street musicians. And then of course there were all the different groups: underclassmen, the biker's, the workers coming in to the neighborhood pub, and then there was us -- the SCOS pastors!!! Actually it felt a little like bike night in Erie;)

exegesis

Well, today is the day I need to begin actually writing things. I have two exegesis and two sermons for preaching class. A exegesis for Hebrew Bible and a lesson plan. A short paper for Early Church History and something coming up for Pastor as Teacher.

It's going to be interesting to see how a sermon based on an exegesis sounds different than a sermon based on ideas plus scripture and expounded upon from the pulpit!!

plagerism, a real problem?

Well, I am here at Duke for the summer course of study program (year 2). It's been kind of overwhelming, especially because I did not manage to do all of the precourse reading.

We just got back from a one hour lecture on plagerism. What do look out for, what not to do, where the pitfalls are. Plagerism is anything that is not original thought. What I want to know is "is there really an original thought?" I'm sure there are thinkers out there who come up with something that is new or different (I'm thinking mostly in science), but don't we really build on what we know, what we have heard, what we have experienced? I know I have never had an original thought. I'm built that way and it was a problem for me in the business world. I was great with taking on a project and completing it, but do not ask me to come up with the project!!

It's going to be interesting how my papers come out this year. Last year I was so concerned with this concept (plagerism) that the one 'term paper' I had to turn in was only correctly cited quotations. I got points taken off because there wasn't enough of 'me' in there. Well, as I've already said, me is really everyone I've ever run into. I repeat things constantly!!

Getting Closer

Well, I've been sticking to my plan of reading at least a chapter/hour in each book for school. I'm making some progress. My mom called to say they were in Nebraska on Tuesday and would be picking Jack up on Friday evening. So we did laundry on Tuesday and started thinking about what he wanted to take for his month long trip. Yesterday it was so hot and sticky (I'm not sure the air conditioning is working properly at work), we went swimming after work instead of shopping for batteries. We figured we could do that on Thursday when we packed.

Well, I'd been stressing about what to pack all his 'stuff' in (a month is a long time to be away from your 'stuff'), so after dinner I went and got a box I had brought home for my husband to use in recycling the smaller cardboard boxes. I then put in the board games and cards, etc, and asked him to start thinking about other things when the phone rang. My mother called to say they were held up by the rain in Cleveland (two days earlier and only two hours away!!) and that they would be here in the morning! Well, we started to scramble to pack his clothes and his skateboard/equipment, and everything else. Plus deal with the 'it's really real' jitters.

So at 6:15am on Thursday, my mom and stepdad pulled in the driveway. It gave my mom and I time for a long visit, before Mike came home to say goodbye and Aurora came over to have breakfast and we got everything loaded up and at 8:00 by boy pulled out for four weeks (plus three days) at grandma's house.

Now, I just have to fininsh my reading plan, print out my report, go shopping, finalize my sermon for Sunday, and get everything packed and loaded for my month at Duke.

making progress

Well we are six days and counting -- I am so far behind in my reading for school that I am committed to one hour in each book between now and Sunday when I leave for Duke, which so far has amounted to one chapter per book!!!

I did write my paper, I just need to remember to print it off and take it with me!!! I also need to double/triple check the syllabus to find out if there is anything else I need to have ready to turn in on July 2nd.

I also need to contact the school and find out about my accomodations. I will need to contact my roommate to be sure she will be in the apartment on Sunday night when I get there or I will not have a place to sleep on Sunday night. Registration begins at 8am on Monday and then classes begin sometime around lunchtime.

Just so you know, reading these books about how the Bible came to be can make an athiest out of anyone. Having the authors show you over and over again how the Hebrew Bible is full of pagan rituals and responses to pagan history and nowhere do they say it is God breathed or God inspired or even that God is leading the people is just hard for me. I personally am an Old Testament Christian -- Jesus came and died for me and my sins -- but it's all about the Father for me and the way he related to the people of the Old Testament. We'll see how I feel in five weeks!!!!

Sermon Prep (or not!)

Well, I thought I had a good idea for a sermon. It would be based on historical quotes that everyone has probably heard except that they are actually Biblical. I wanted to show that our country (or at least its founders) were biblically literate. And expand it to include other popular sayings such as "Red sky at night..." which is also something that Jesus said.

But guess what....I don't have enough of these. I sent an e-mail to almost my entire address book and got some replies that included links to websites that were a little helpful or since I had used a Lincoln quote got more Lincoln quotes.

What I was looking for was "My favorite quote is _____ and then I found out that it's in the Bible!" Maybe those of you who have actually found this blog have a quote you would like to share so I can finish my sermon for 07/01/07 (would also be my July 4th/Independence Day offering).

God bless you all!

time's running out

Well, I just looked at the calendar and I am sixteen days from heading off to Summer Course of Study (SCOS) at Duke University/Divinity School. I have at least two books to read, a paper to write on a book that I actually did finish, and reread five or six books of the Bible in the RSV. I need to really get into the syllabus for each course (there are four of them).

In addition, this week I need to take my five year old to the zoo - we haven't been there very often this year -- our schedule has been crazy. On the 22nd and 23rd, I will be in Cleveland for the Women of Faith (WOF) conference and preconference with Beth Moore. The after work on the 29th, I need to take my five year old to grandma's where he will be spending the month. This is in addition to the SCOS work, my day job, preparing a sermon for each of the next three Sundays (I'm leaving for Duke from church on the 1st!), keeping the household together and keeping up with my daughter who is at her dad's (just around the block) for the summer before heading to Edinboro for her junior year.

Last year I was not assigned a roommate so I had a lot of down time to study and read and nap, etc. This year I am rooming with one of my classmates -- it's going to be interesting to see the dynamics of that along with the fact that most people agree that the 2nd year is the hardest of the five years of SCOS.

networking/holy conferencing

I created this blog with the intent of deleting it immediately. I do not like to put things into writing. The written word can be used to uplift, to become historical or they can be used against you -- also with the age of the internet it becomes even more difficult to keep track of who knows your thoughts.

But I just came out of a meeting, that due to what could only be God's timing, I just gave an impassioned speech to the Bishop of our annual conference! I felt compelled to not shut my mouth and sit down when it was observed that he was on his way to join our meeting. (I did not actually direct these words at the bishop, but was okay with him hearing them)

Well, the bishop actually affirmed that what I had to say saying I had articulated a new or expanded viewpoint and then went on to discuss with the entire room his thoughts on the issue.

I may still not blog often or put too much of me in this blog. But I feel I have just made progress!! Please pray for me, that my blog will be honoring to God and the larger church as well as the community at large.

Getting Started

This is just a hello post - HELLO!