Light at the end of the tunnel

I apologize for not posting more often.... yes I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and no, it is not a train coming at me!

Seminary will be over for the semester this week. I am almost done with my 1st of 2 degrees. In the fall, I will be taking three classes (two are to complete the current degree that I am almost finished with - Master of Arts in Theology with a Biblical Studies emphasis - MATBS -- one course is for the Master of Divinity-MDiv -- that I will finish once I get the MATBS) Sound confusing?

Basically, I started working on the MDiv in 2002. You technically have 5 years to finish the MDiv. I was at my fifth year with at least another two to go. After prayer and consultation, I decided to drop back into the lesser degree of the MATBS, get that degree, then apply those credits and the work I have already done to finish the MDiv (96 hrs). Lord willing, I will graduate with the MATBS in May of 2008 and the MDiv in May 2010 or sooner, depending on how I progress.

I have also entertained the idea of seeing what will be available for ministry positions once I get the first degree. It would be nice to get a ministry opportunity if possible (locally) while finishing the MDiv. We will see what happens there.

My work schedule will change once seminary is done for the semester which will allow me to be off on Friday afternoons, which I enjoy, my wife enjoys, and my son Joseph will hopefully enjoy having dad around a little more than usual.

Hopefully, I will be a bit more disciplined to post here more often.

What are in the two piles on my desk

I always seem to have book piles or stacks on my desk. Right now, several things are going on. We are getting ready to move, so half of my books are already packed in boxes and in a large plastic bin (we move on 2/23) I hope I do not need any of those books before then!

The other half of my books are still sitting in the bookshelf (for now) and I have two stacks on my desk. One stack is my reading stack that I try to have read in between semesters of seminary.

In that stack, I have the following books.

1)Jim Cramer's Mad Money - a Christmas gift from my infant son Joseph. Almost done reading this one.

2) Created for Community by Stanley Grenz - have not started this one yet, so it will have to wait until May.

3) Reviewing the Movies by Peter Fraser & Vernon Neal - I wanted to start this one right about the time all of the theatre debate was going on, but did not get to it. Another book that will wait until May

4) From Sabbath to Lord's Day by D.A. Carson -- I finished reading another work about the Sabbath and wanted to read this one, but again, did not get to it.

5) Mentoring Leaders by Carson Pue - started but have not completed.

6) Margin by Richard A Swenson - a great book -- about 1/3 of the way through and I started this one on Sunday night after church. This one will get finished before the semester starts next week. A great book about time and how we live. I should write a more thorough review when I finish it.

Now to the other stack to my left -- this is the stack of books for my two classes that I will be taking in seminary this semester. Remember I am only taking two classes

1) A Complete Guide to Sermon Delivery by Al Fasol

2) Putting the Truth to Work by Daniel Doriani

3) Preaching to a Postmodern World by Graham Johnston

4) The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text by Sidney Greidanus

5) The Church in God's Progam - Robert Saucy

6) Maranatha Our Lord, Come! by Renald Showers

7) Christian Theology by Millard Erickson

8) Polity by Mark Dever

Looking forward to an interesting and intellectually stimulating semester!

We are also looking forward to moving. The Lord has blessed us with a larger apartment about 9 miles north of where we are currently living. We are going to be paying $20 less a month in rent for more space. It will be nice to get done with the actual moving task itself, but I realize that there is a lot of work involved in packing and purging,etc.

A Tribute To My Mother (1939-2006)

My mother passed away on September 20, 2006 -- these are the remarks that I made at her funeral yesterday.

Roles that my mother fulfilled in her life

1. Mother - she loved her children and her daughter in law very much.
2. Grandmother - she was a grandmother for only five months (she passed away on the same day that Joseph turned 5 months old), but she was very excited from the moment she found out and also did a tremendous amount to help us get started on our journey to parenthood. She was there for Joseph's birth and when we buried Jonathan back at the end of July.
3. Encourager - she alawasy knew what to say or what to do to encourage me or others. Whether it was a phone call, a card, or even sometimes an e-mail. She was a very good writer and good at expressing herself through the written word.
4. Provider - she provided well for us when we were kids and even into adulthood she was always looking to do things for us to help make our lives just a bit easier. She did everything in a sacrificial manner.
5. Teacher - she taught us to work hard and to do our best.
6. Friend- she had many friends and was faithful and loyal to them and that is evidenced by those of you who are in attendance today to honor her life.
7. Colleague/co-worker - most people her age were either already retired or thinking about retirement, but she was still working full-time until her illness. She knew her job and did it to the best of her ability and was able to mentor and teach others by her example and work ethic.
8. Caregiver - not only did she care for Sabrina and myself when we were growing up; she also cared for her own mother (until her death in 2000); she also cared for both of her aunts (Norrie - died in 2002; Jeanne - died in June, 2006).
9. Fighter - she fought as hard as she could knowing that the prognosis was not good. This was undoubtedly that hardest trial that she faced in her life and she fought it with grace and dignity until the very end. She died peacefully and my sister and I were with her when she passed away.
10. Christian - Mom was a follower of Jesus Christ. She became a Christian in 1993. She was not ashamed of her faith (Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:8,9)

Mom lived a full life and did the best that she could for everyone, she was not a perfect person as none of us are, but it is now the responsibility of myself, Sabrina, Heidi and Joseph along with each person whose life she touched to live out what she taught us both verbally and by her example. We loved her and will miss her very much.

With the Lord and cancer-free

My mother passed away on September 20, 2006 at 8:50 pm. I am very thankful that I was able to be here when she died and that I was able to talk with her also before she died as well.

She died very peacefully and without a struggle.

Cancer is a cruel, debilitating disease. It can take a person and make them into nothing. It ravages the body with such unbelievable force and cruelty and in such a short amount of time.

The medical community has made a lot of advances in cancer research and treatment, but there is still a lot of work to do in this area. Losing my mom to cancer has been a hard thing, but it has also increased my awareness to the disease as well.

Her funeral will be Monday afternoon at 1:30 pm. I have written a short essay that I will deliver at the funeral. I will post it here afterwards later in the week.