Be the donkey...

Graduation: What does that mean? Quite literally it means moving from one level to the next. It is, in the academic sense, the completion of a degree and having it conferred for the world to know. In just about every sense of graduation, academic and otherwise, there is this inherent notion of moving up, success, becoming better or greater than before...

On graduation day we had the opportunity as students with our families to attend a chapel service. In that service there was a story shared about the desire to graduate from a little colt to a great, mighty, strong, and beautiful horse... often times that is our hope in starting a degree program...to come out on the other side a great, well educated person that people look to for wealths of information. Quickly though, we were reminded it was a donkey, not a horse, that Jesus rode into Jerusalem. There was fanfare from every angle, but it wasn't for the donkey, it was for Jesus.

Graduating to become pastors, teachers, and leaders we must become the donkey... going out to be a part of this new church plant, I must become the donkey. My hope, nothing more and nothing less is to be someone the Lord can use to advance His message, His kingdom, to the world. Will you be a donkey too?

Final Class Today

I just got home from my final seminary class. Don't be fooled...I still have a TON of work to get done before graduation, but there was just something cool, special and weird about actually sitting with my friends in class today. My last day of class was actually in one of my favorite seminary classes yet. It's call number is PR/WO 700 titled Creative Preaching on the Sacraments. Dr. Lester Ruth teaches this class. It's truly been an awesome semester in an intimate class of only six students. We are better known as the Ubersight Team... If you want to know what Ubersight is, just ask :)

I have posted our class picture and a picture with my buddy Chad from this class. If you're at Asbury and you have the opportunity I highly recommend that you take this class. More seminary memories sharing and celebration to come as graduation nears!

Prayer Requests:
Endurance for the week ahead
Housing in Chapel Hill, NC
Employment for both Jeanine and I
Good transition from Wilmore

Jesus Still Speaks Today

Really He does...


Check out the Asbury Reader online. We have journeyed as a community to read scripture together as a practice of the means of grace.

Also here is a link to Matt and Sarah LeRoy

And check out the NC East District of the Wesleyan Church

Peace

41st Anniversary of His 29th Birthday

Today our family is celebrating my grandpa Barney's 41st Anniversary of His 29th Birthday. (His 70th birthday but don't tell him.) Jeanine and I got to spend the day with him yesterday riding the waves of the New River...he's the only one in the family that didn't flip the whole day. Check out this short video of some whitewater fun with Barney.



To the man who always picked me up for church, taught me to fly airplanes, always tied my ties, and taught me to do the same, taught me how to paddle a kayak and the man who's socks I'm wearing even this morning as I get ready for church (I forgot to pack mine) - Happy Birthday, I mean anniversary! Thank you! Love you, Grandpa Barney!!

Loan Forgiveness...

We are all in need of forgiveness... Some of us on multiple fronts. In light of our last post here on the blog, we're about to be staring many thousands of dollars in student loans in the face. Depending on your view of debt, my looking for forgiveness may be a little deeper. Really though, the federal student aid department has recently released information on a new student loan forgiveness program for those who work full time in the public service realm. I was talking with two my buddies tonight Keesling and Cocoa Crisp about this new, fairly unknown, thing.

Anyway, the basic idea is that if you work full time for 10 years in a public service job and pay on your student loans through that 10 year period (at least the minimum payment) then the remainder of your debt will be forgiven. Obviously this is really only good if it's going to take you more than 10 years to pay it off anyway. Some of us will have at least that. So the questions that jumps up is "what is a public service job?". Well you can find a list of public service jobs here. It of course includes public safety, emergency services, and public education, but it also includes tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. Here's the thing...most churches are setup as 501(c)(3)s. Anybody out there thinking what I'm thinking?? I have some serious doubts that the federal government is going to be forgiving the debt of pastors, but a guy can dream, right? Is there hope? Anyone out there have more information on this? I would love to hear from you if you do.

Check out more information on the Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Employees.