It Was Cold This Morning

Something very nice has happened since last Friday.  Somewhere in the week I realized I feel like I am hitting my stride this semester.  On top of this I realized I am having more fun this semester.  I think the later is because this semester is more about learning and forming our theology.  I only have one class with tests, Hebrew and they are a quiz twice a week with midterm and final, but both are take home.  We are getting into some great topics and discussions this semester and I am really enjoying it.  I have preached my second of three sermons, the funeral sermon.  I believe my grade will be pretty good on it after my review with my professor, so I guess I am back into passing status in that class.  It was so beneficial to preach my first funeral sermon in class with other students doing role play to give us feedback.  I guess this experience might have the benefit of several in the parish as we got honest hard hitting feedback that I doubt people in the congregation would be willing to give to the pastor after the funeral.  Most of it is in realizations of where people are in the process of grieving and trying to achieve balance between eulogizing and preaching the gospel during the sermon.  What a gift to get the opportunity to do this in school. 

Deb has been doing better.  She seems to have stabilized on her new medicines and that seems to make all the difference.  She is back in the department she was hired for at work, which is good because she was in a different department that she didn't like as much.  Her blood sugar is the lowest it has been in years and seems to be stabilized at this level.  Things are looking up. 

I have my endorsement interview with the Florida Candidacy Committee representatives and my student advisor in about 10 days.  This is the interview to be approved to go to internship.  I have put my application in and we are restricting to stay in Columbia with the challenges we had health wise with Debbie during this transition.  That should save us two moves.  That is a blessing.  We may still move away from campus into an apartment or rental house but that will be local and much different.  Everything else in our world will stay the same.  We still have first call coming as a game changing move, but hopefully things will be better at that point. 

Things are pretty good right now, which kind of has me looking over my shoulder to see where the next one is coming from.  But until it shows up I am going to enjoy this feeling as long as I can.  God bless you on your journey with our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.  Steve