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January 30th, 2011

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December 9th, 2009

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May 26th, 2009

10:01 pm - Big Daddy Well, I'm going to be a father!!!!! Just call me "Big Daddy"! Our baby is due December 11, which is 2 days before my birthday and right in the middle of Finals week. We go for our first visit this week and hope to get to listen to the baby's heartbeat. :) Fall 2009 will be my last semester as a full-time seminary student (12 hours). I'll have 75 credit hours under my belt which means i'll be 3/4 finished. The rest I'll spread out over 2 years, taking 2-3 classes (6-8 hours) per semester. I was on the 3.5 year plan anyway so this just means I'll add one more semester and end up on the 4 year plan. That's good, because it gives me more time to figure out where to go after seminary and time to apply with different mission agencies, look for ministry positions, etc. Life's been one wild ride for me since I moved to Charlotte for seminary and now the ride has just been extended. It's gonna be crazy and different, but it'll be fun and worth it. :) Current Mood: bouncy Tags: baby, seminary

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May 23rd, 2009

09:57 pm - My Frustration This has been bothering me the past few days so this is my catharsis to let it out. I have a history of having great friends. I had a great group of friends in high school, college, and church. I've been very blessed to be surrounded by people who enjoy my company and whose company I enjoy. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened at seminary. I found that to be ironic. Of all the places I would think I would find accepting people who want to be friends, I would think that would be seminary where people study for the ministry of the Word of God. Yet, that has not been my experience and it is very frustrating. I know I'm not 24 anymore and am a little older than most of the people in seminary, but it's not like we're in completely different generations! Yet, I'm excluded and I think to myself, "who the hell are they to decide who's in and who's out?" What gives them the right to form cliques? I know you can't be friends with everybody. I know you can't do everything. But still, for this to happen across the board is ridiculous. I say this having been on the outside in the past (middle school, college) so it hits close to home for me when it happens. Yet, I was part of a group, even if it was the "outside" group. I'm not saying I want to be part of the "cool" crowd or the "in" crowd, but I like friends. I'm a friendly person, and so it frustrates me when people don't want to be friends. This was not my expectation going into seminary and quite frankly I am having a hard time dealing with it. It's quite ridiculous when seminary people who are your neighbors will invite people they only see at seminary over, but not you. Oh, they'll be nice to you at the seminary, but I guess it's only because they have to be around you. I can't figure it out. What makes seminary like this when it wasn't like this in my high school, college, or church? I've loved and love the education I'm getting at seminary. I wouldn't give it up for the world. I'm disappointed and frustrated with the people and that is one of the reasons why I can't wait to graduate. Not that I'll escape it, but hopefully there'll be a place where at least some people want to be friends and have true, meaningful relationships; not relationships that go no deeper than sports, weather, music, and movies (although I enjoy all of that myself). Current Location: home Current Mood: frustrated Tags: frustration, seminary

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December 8th, 2008

05:09 pm - Culture Change? In the aftermath of a disappointing but expected loss by Alabama to Florida in the SEC Championship, numerous reports came out about how positive the Bama faithful were in spite of the loss. Here's one such article: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20081207/news/812060245&tc=yahoo What is this? Alabama loses, yet the fans are proud, encouraging, hopeful, etc. I didn't even take the Florida loss as bad as I've taken losses in previous years. What is up with this? Is the climate changing for Alabama football fans? In the 80s, Ray Perkins went 32-15-1 and was fired after 4 years. After that, Bill Curry goes 26-10 in 3 years, yet he is let go because he can't beat Auburn. Our demands and expectations were high in the decade after Bear Bryant, who brought us 6 national championships in 2 decades, retired. Then comes the 90s when Alabama wins it's first post-Bear Bryant national championship in 1992, but the downslide wasn't far behind as Mike Dubose came on the scene in 1996 and creates all sorts of scandal and Alabama football falls into a state of disrepair amidst NCAA sanctions. We've had 4 head coaching changes in 8 years of this current decade. One coach didn't even coach a single football game because of a pre-season scandal! So now, we've come full circle. Nick Saban has restored Alabama football to national prominence, yet the season wasn't 100% perfect with a national championship. Yet, Alabama football has been so low for so long now, that Alabama is thankful for a double digit win season.  Instead of the 80s where 10 wins despite losing to Auburn wasn't enough, now we're thankful for a 12, possibly and probably 13 win season (Utah!? really!?). Yet, I'm afraid that after a year when expectations were moderate at best, that this unexpected season will return Alabama fans to unrealistic national championship expectations every year. I'm afraid we'll return to an atmosphere where we'll fire successful coaches if they can't beat Auburn or win a national championship. Well, Saban's done the first. He came awfully close to achieving the 2nd thing. Hopefully he can accomplish that in the next year or two and establish a string of national championships, otherwise we might start the vicious cycle all over again and not have any national championships to show for it. Current Location: home Current Mood: blah Current Music: "Feel Good Drag" by Anberlin Tags: alabama football

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December 2nd, 2008

09:42 pm - wowzers Today was the last day of class for the Fall Semester and I breathe a HUGE sigh of relief!!! This was the past 4.5 months for me: 12 hours of graduate school church internship about 12 hrs/week working in admissions working as a Teaching Assistant for one of our OT/Hebrew professors adjusting to being newly married done a butt load of reading and left quite a bit of assigned reading unread This semester has probably been more difficult than in the Spring when Jag and I were planning our wedding! It's been crazy and only now do I feel I'm able to come up for air. I've got Finals starting in 2 days. I've got a final for Hebrew 1, Preaching 1, Pastoral Counseling, and Gospels. This has been a crazy year for sure! 26 hours of seminary credit, planning a wedding, getting married, moving, moving my wife, taking care of a sick wife, traveling to Mobile, attending a Missions conference, working at the church, adjusting to married life, etc. etc. Jacqueline thinks I have a good singing voice so we're singing together in our church choir for the upcoming Lessons and Carols service. It'll be my first time singing in a choir and singing in public. I turn 29 for the first time on Dec. 13th! ROLL TIDE! I would have thought it a successful season if we'd won 9 games so I'm ecstatic that we went undefeated in the regular season and will play in some BCS bowl game. Of course, it'd be nice if it was the National Championship game, but even if not, what a great year it's been! Current Location: home Current Mood: relieved Current Music: "Tale of the Runaways" by Maylene and the Sons of Disaster

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July 23rd, 2008

02:16 pm - Wishing I Had More Time to Post a More Substantial Entry I will keep this brief and I hope you will see why after reading this. 1. Internship flare-up was just a big misunderstanding and miscommunication on all sides. I've started my church (and seminary) internship as of this month. I actually just started teaching Sunday School this past Sunday. I'm walking through Galatians. I'll be finishing up the book (due to being gone 2 sundays) at the end of August. I put in about 5-10 hours studying Galatians a week and I also put in hours printing the church bulletin for the week and folding them and straightening up the hymnals, going to session meetings, etc. It is enjoyable and definitely keeps me busy. 2. Jacqueline and I are going to the ARP Missions Conference (World Focus) this weekend to start networking and making connections to see where we might fit in overseas with our desires and the work that is going on. We're also there as members of our church to see how our church can get involved with mission opportunities going on in the denomination. 3. Classes for the Fall begin August 21. I'm taking 12 hours--Hebrew 1, Communications 1, Pastoral Counseling, Gospels, and Sanctification. 4. We're still trying to get our apartment settled and unpacked. Finally getting rid of Jacqueline's single bedset, at least for the time being. A friend will have it set up in her house on loan until we can do something else with it way on down the road. So life is crazy. I work about 20 hours a week, put in about 10 hours for the internship, and continue to adjust to married life and getting things done pertaining to the apartment and marriage. I finish with a quote from Luther that I really like and just read as I sit here studying Galatians: It seems to reason unlikely that the Holy Spirit is received only by believing what we hear and that there is nothing else required of us but rather we must set aside all our works and give ourselves only to hearing the Gospel. The human heart does not understand or believe that such a great treasure—namely, the Holy Spirit—is given only by believing what we hear. We reason that forgiveness of sins, deliverance from death, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, righteousness, and everlasting life are great things, and therefore we must do something that is great if we want to obtain these inestimable benefits. The devil approves of this idea and makes it grow in our hearts. So when our reason hears that we can do nothing to obtain the forgiveness of sins but must only hear the Word of God, it immediately cries out, "Rubbish! You are making the forgiveness of sins too unimportant a matter.” The inestimable greatness of the gift keeps us from believing it; because this incomparable treasure is offered freely, it is despised. But we must learn that forgiveness of sins, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are given to us freely, simply by believing what we hear preached, despite our horrible sins. We must not think about the greatness of what is given, nor about how unworthy we are of it (for if we did that, we would be terrified); rather, we must think how it pleases God to give us this unutterable gift freely (Luke 12:32). If he wants to give it, I must not consider my own sin and unworthiness but only his fatherly goodwill toward me; I must receive this great gift with joy and gladness and be thankful. Martin Luther, Galatians. Current Location: RTS Library Current Mood: good Tags: internship, life, missions

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May 19th, 2008

03:59 pm - The past 4 months of my life 12 credit hours of grad school- $3900 15 hours of work study per week-$2205 planning a wedding- $5000-$6000 4000 pages of reading- $150 60 pages of writing 4 Finals 14 weeks Moving sanctification: priceless Current Location: Jacqueline's apartment Current Mood: exhausted Current Music: "Carry Me Down" by Demon Hunter

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March 19th, 2008

03:08 pm - why i haven't posted in a couple of months Greek Exegesis paper on Gal. 1:1-5 (12-15 pp) Prayer in the Bible paper on Jonah 2 (10-12pp) Genesis-Joshua paper on compare/contrast Gen. 49 with Deut. 33 (15-20 pp) Pastoral interview on evangelism (4pp) Advanced Biblical Exegesis paper (7-10pp) All of that due in a month and half PLUS wedding planning PLUS work!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!  **pulls hair out** In other news, 8 days ago I "came under care" of my presbytery which is the first step toward ordination in the ARP (Associate Reformed Presbyterian) denomination. We also have put a deposit down on an apartment--our first home together! WOOOOO  Oh yeah, that also means that next month I'll be trying to move in while trying to get all those papers written!!!!   AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  **pulls more hair out** Mark is half-way bald now. And this is supposed to be Spring Break! Fortunately, we're going to Montreat tomorrow evening and coming back Saturday. Our first getaway out of Charlotte for the semester. I sure could use some prayers. :D Current Location: work Current Mood: stressed Tags: ahhhhhhhhhhh

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January 29th, 2008

03:20 pm - wowzers what a month In one month here's all that we've been able to get accomplished toward wedding planning this month: 1. church for the wedding ceremony 2. reception site 3. caterer and cakes (bride/groom) 4. musician to play piano during ceremony 5. ministers to perform ceremony 6. wedding dress 7. wedding rings 8. invitations ordered (ordered them last night) 9.  guest list is 99% complete 10. photographer for the rehearsal dinner/ceremony/reception On top of that, I also took a week long intensive course on Acts & Romans. I've written a 10-page exegetical paper on Romans 5:12-21 and now I'm studying all this week to take the final next Monday. On top of that, I've been working 20 hours a week! Needless to say, I need another vacation and the spring semester begins Feb 5!!! I am excited about my spring schedule: Greek Exegesis, Advanced Biblical Exegesis, Genesis-Joshua, Prayer in the Bible, and Evangelism. We also became members of our church--Ballantyne Presbyterian Church (ARP). It's crazy all that has happened this month, and the 7 months I've been here in Charlotte. Sometimes I barely have time to think and process events of the day and/or the week. Current Location: study lounge at RTS Current Mood: busy Current Music: "Readyfuels" by Anberlin Tags: school, wedding planning

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