Week three of Greek!

Today starts week three of Greek which means only about 10 weeks to go!

It has been challenging, fun, interesting, but most of all exciting to be taking classes again! I love learning and love being challenged while I learn. It has been a little hard to get back into the studying routine and doing homework again, but that too is getting easier as the weeks go by.

January will take me to the seminary for two weeks to take two classes with my cohort. It will be fun to meet of them face to face.

No longer wondering how I am going to survive Greek, instead enjoying it as I wander from week to week building on vocab, grammar, and translations!

Just around the corner!

It has been a while since I wrote anything here. I feel like the whirl wind ended at the last post and now I have been in what has been used to describe a couple of current situations - in a holding pattern. All the paperwork is done, all the approving, inviting and accepting into schools, programs, classes and life changes is over and now I wait to start class.

It is official... I was invited to be a part of the DL cohort #4 at Luther Seminary. I am very excited. This all sure came together fast.

I start with Greek online on September 7th. I already have my books and am already wondering how in the world I am going to be able to do this.... Greek that is.

Well, it will be a great challenge and I am looking forward to it indeed! Can't wait. I keep checking the site for a syllabus and there is none... YET!

Well, this will be a good place to journal as I continue on this great journey!

Wandering through the last days of summer as I wonder how Greek will be accomplished online!

It's almost official!

I am so happy to write that I have successfully completed my entrance interview last Friday. It wasn't that it was difficult in a way that I didn't do well or know the answers, but more so in that it was well, difficult in a way that was not what I expected. It was emotionally tough as I sat there as the committee laughed and make jokes at my "emotional barrier" as they described it. I thought that after about a week had gone by I would be over it, but the more I think and process it all, it was just plain weird. It was a really odd experience.

The bright side of it all is that overall it went well and I received a verbal recommendation as being a "strong candidate"!! I guess you could say I passed.

I will wait for the official paperwork that declares the approval with a list of areas to work on and grow in. The basics... find a spiritual director, study the Bible daily, keep an open mind, etc...

I am thrilled to have this step in the journey done with!

Last Friday I also received my acceptance letter to Luther Seminary and their MDiv program. I am still waiting to get accepted into the Distributive Learning program, but do not anticipate any problems with that approval.

I am ready to register for my first class on July 8th. Greek here I come!

two down two to go

I have completed two of the four interviews needed to make the entrance into candidacy and seminary a reality!  The over the phone interview for the DL program at Luther is complete and went well.  I also met with a member of the Synod's candidacy committee on Monday.  We had a nice chat for about an hour.  It went well.

These interviews are a lot of me talking about myself.  I am not very comfortable talking about myself!  I guess I will just have to get used to it, because I will be telling my story and talking about myself a lot over the next six - ten years!!

My next interview is in a couple of Monday's.  I have to head down to the Cities for a three hour "conversation" with a psychologist.  I completed several inventories on interest and personality.  It will be really interesting and I hope FUN to learn about myself.

The last and most important interview will take place mid June.  This is the entrance interview with the synod.  I really don't expect any kind of surprises and or a rejection, but you never know.

I feel pretty clear about the call to ordained ministry for me and my family.  I am really looking forward to the growth that is before me.  I am looking forward to being open to not only this process, but where this journey will bring my family and I.

I wonder where we will find ourselves wandering over the next months and years as we travel together down this road that is less traveled?

initial interview tomorrow!

Tomorrow will be the second a several interviews I will be taking part in over the next 5 weeks.  I already had the phone interview for the distributive learning program at Luther.  Tomorrow will be the initial interview with one member from the synod candidacy committee.  I am not really nervous, just really don't know what to expect.

I can only imagine that I will be telling "my story" a lot over the next months.  That is ok.  It isn't old yet and kind of fun to tell.  Especially to people who are interested in hearing it!

After this interview, I will be ready to head to New Brighton on the 24th for the 3 hour visit with the psychologist.  I completed my inventories and they will be sent out to be scored.  During our visit, I will see what the inventories tell about who I am.  This should be interesting!  I am looking forward to it.

The Ministry Center won't be able to get my report done in time for the June 2nd interview with the Synod candidacy committee, so they have set me up for an interview on June 15th.  I am so thankful they committee was willing to come back together for this otherwise I would be delayed an entire semester.

I am starting to get really really excited to start Greek!  That probably sounds weird, but I love learning and going to school!  Can't wait to start using my brain again!

Things are all coming together!  What a great way to start a journey... everything is lining up.

no longer wondering...

Well, last week I sat here and wrote and wondered how long it was going to be before the process of more paperwork, interviews, more paperwork, more interviews and other baby steps were going to start.

I know longer wonder... the remainder of the paperwork is close to being finished.  All interviews are either done or scheduled and the most important of them all - entrance interview with the Synod candidacy committee is scheduled for June 2!!  I am sooo sooo sooo excited!

These steps that really can be dragged out for months and months, has literally taken place for me in a few weeks and start to finish will be about 5 weeks!  Praise God!  I guess there are times when you answer God's call there is no stopping it!

I am looking forward to two more inventories.  An initial interview next Monday with a candidacy committee member.  A three hour appointment with the psychologist, and then finally the entrance interview.  I already did the interview for the distributive learning program and Luther and won't hear anything until the Synod makes a decision and recommendation.

Looking forward to wandering through the next few weeks!

Wondering how long before the next step...

Well, I got almost all my paperwork completed and turned in today.  The application to Luther Seminary, check (waiting for the official transcript to arrive, and a couple more letters of recommendations), entrance application to the candidacy process for the ELCA, check (sent off to the Synod office!)

This is all a great relief to have done!  I am really excited to start the next steps, which I believe is an entrance interview with the candidacy committee from the Synod.  I will need to have an interview for the Distributive Learning program at Luther.  I will wait for my acceptance into Luther.  There are psychological exams that I have to go through.

Now waiting and wondering how this will all play out.  I hope to have everything come together so I can at least register for Greek Fall Semester.

Happy wondering and waiting!

Paperwork...

Working on finishing up my paperwork for both entering the candidacy process and Luther Seminary.  The only task I have left to do is finish my 4 - 6 page paper on addressing my faith journey and the discernment process thus far for the candidacy paperwork.  The application for Luther is fairly simple, just need to ask a few people to write some reference letters.

I really hope that by mid week these papers will all be in the mail awaiting delivery! 

Here's to wondering if I can get it all done this week!?!?

Not quite a Seminarian....yet....

Well, I can't exactly call myself a seminarian yet.  What I can say about myself is that I have finally made the decision and am taking the steps to very soon be able to call myself a seminarian!  

YEAH!  I am soooo excited about finally making the decision to take the journey towards ordained ministry!  I have had all my paperwork 90% complete for a while now, just didn't send it in.  Over the next days and weeks I can blog more about this process and the journey that has led me to this point!

For now, I start this journey with my first ever blog and look forward to see where we can wander and wonder together.