It is Sunday and I just got back from my field church. We are celebrating an ordination there on Wednesday evening. One of the members of the church just graduated and got his first call. Everyone is very excited. I am looking forward to going. Everyone was happy to see me back after being home last week for break. They offer out a small scholarship for a seminarian each year and they awarded it to me. That was so great. It is a memorial fund for a young man that got sick and died before he could get to seminary, even though he had been accepted. What a great way for his name to live on. I am so appreciative of their generosity. The great thing is that of all the people I know in the congregation, (remember they don’t wear name tags), I probably know this couple and another couple that are good friends with each other the best. That makes it extra special.


I know at Faith they are dedicating their building this weekend. Deb lets me know that it has been a great Friday evening and Saturday so far. I imagine that Sunday will be nothing less. What a great thing, a blessing that the Lord has given that congregation. Now they need to use it to minister to the community as I know they are working towards. It is a beautiful building with lots of room for youth activities. Open the doors, here they come.

I did get to hit the tennis ball around Friday late afternoon. It felt so good to get out and hit again. I could only manage about 45 minutes, but I did get out and hopefully started working my way back into playing again. I have to tell you though that my hips are so sore! My legs are a little sore, but the hips, whoa. I have been working out for 6 weeks to get to this point. I guess I didn’t realize just how out of shape I had become.

Studying for two tests on Tuesday. Intro to Bible and Greek quiz. Studying for Intro to Bible is coming along pretty well. Greek, I still have some work to do. After these are done things start to get heavy with papers. I did get my first paper back and got an A. This was an easy one as it was our understanding of the world in AD250. No bibliographies, footnotes, etc. They start to get longer from here on out and incorporate all those things I haven’t used in maybe over 30 years. At least I got by with writing my understanding. After having written for business and speaking I was not too sure how academia would look upon my style. So far so good.

I am starting to get just a little hint of a thought that things are going to be ok here. I will get past being on probation since I don’t have my degree and I will be ok going forward. It’s a little hint of a thought that has started to pop up in my head the last week or so. It would be nice to develop it into a full blown thought and from there a concept and a confidence. I will take it as it comes, as the Lord gives it to me.

Beautiful 48 degrees this morning. Should be 72 today. Come on Florida, I saw your high is only supposed to be 82. That is cool for down there. Probably a beautiful day also.

Back to the books, since I just finished lunch. Sermon today was on forgiveness. “Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Psalm 32:1-2 NRSV Remember to pray for your enemies for you cannot hate someone for whom you pray.