The result....

I have been tested by fire and I have survived. I entered my interview at the seminary with many nerves and sweaty palms. After 90 minutes on the grill I was asked to step outside and about three minutes later they brought me back in and said that they would recommend me for certification. It was a big relief to be done and I didn't get myself into too many tough spots. I did get into a bit of a jam but one of the interviewers threw me a rope and saved me. I am sure I will have more to say later but right now I am in a bit of a fog, just happy to be done. Tonight we are going to Lenten service with some of the profs. and that should be great. I will be up early to get to the airport and will be back in SoCal just in time for class tomorrow night. Well that is about it for now. Talk to you later....

The Seminary

Greetings from beautiful Clayton Missouri. I am in a Panera Bread establishment (actually the Saint Louis Bread Co. but the same thing) they have free wi-fi so here I am. The manager just told me that they are closing in 15 minutes so this will have to be short. I am here for my theological interview at the Seminary tomorrow. I am a bit nervous but think I will do OK. My interview will be at 1:30 PM Central time so your prayers will be appreciated. I got to spend some time with family yesterday that live in the area. I stayed with my folks and had dinner with my brother and his family and my grandparents came over as well. The weather is very nice. It was in the 50's today and won't get too cold tonight either. If you have never been to the seminary in St. Louis I highly recommend it. It is a beautiful place and it would have been neat to study here but that was not part of the plan. Anyway, I head back home on Thursday morning and am back in class in CA on Thursday night. No rest for me. Check back tomorrow for a longer post and an update on the interview. Until then...

Happy Birthday

Today my youngest turned 3.  She has been waiting for this day for a while now.  She has been so excited to tell everyone she is 3 and has been practicing holding up 3 fingers.  It is so cute.  Today when she woke up we brought her two presents that she opened.  She got a new pair of sunglasses and a new Barbie.  She also got some cards in the mail which she opened.  Of course she wanted to have cupcakes for breakfast but settled for yogurt.  She said she had fun at school and came home with a great birthday crown.  We went out to Ruby's for dinner tonight and she got her favorite- Mac'n Cheese.  She also had some chocolate malt for a special treat.  Over all it was a good day.  I proudly say that today I am the father of two three year olds.  Now that will change on Monday when my oldest turns four but it is kinda fun to say that at least for a week.

In other news.  I am off to St. Louis next Monday for my theological interview at the seminary.  I have some serious butterflies because no matter how much you prepare you never really know what direction things will go.  It freaks me out a bit to sit in a room with some seminary profs who don't know me and I don't know them and what happens in that room could make or break my future.  I would feel much more comfortable if the professors that actually taught me and know me would do the interview but that won't happen.  For the past few weeks I have been pouring over my preliminary questions and rereading a few books, but I know I won't feel good until it is all over.  I will get a chance to see some family when I am out there and I am looking forward to that.  Of course this could not come at a worse time because I am preaching the next two weekends and am still taking one class and Easter is right around the corner.  Anyway, I covet your prayers for safe travel and that my brain works next Wednesday.  I will give you an update in a few weeks.  Have a great week...

The Scorecard...

So I am digging out from the avalanche that was last week.  If you have not read last weeks post you may want to scroll down before you continue today.  I will give you an update by the numbers from last weeks list.  Here is the scorecard:

#1- Got an extension from the professor and am about 80% done with my project as of today.  One more day and it should be good to turn in.

#2- Done...not done well but done none the less.

#3-  Wow!  Way behind on this one.   I have 16 questions to answer and I am on #5...not good news for me.

#4- Done, and it looks pretty cool.  I will put it in the mail to the Seminary in St. Louis by the end of the week and hope for the best.

#5- Done, and I felt pretty good about it.  I have received more email about these sermons than any other I have delivered.  I will be honest and I really just modified my morning sermon for the evening service and did not write a totally new one.

#6- All the music went well.  I am always leery when the Sunday night service is the Seth show, meaning I do the music and the message, but it seemed to go well (until I kicked my guitar over after the last song.  It would of been cool if it was a Who concert but it was church.  Oh well...)

#7- Things are going quite well for chapel, but I did find out that I will be out of town on the day that I am supposed to be leading chapel so now I have a bit more work to do to make sure the students can do it on their own.

#8- The presentation went well.  There were a lot of people there and we gave out all the applications we made and then some.

#9- Got a good start on my reading and we are on Spring break this week so no new reading until Monday.

#10- One down, one to go.

#11- Yikes!  Got to get this done this week, not much time left either........

#12- I did get to spend time with Jill's brother for a while, but did not do everything I wanted (Jill took him to The Getty, I worked all day, I loose on that one.)

#13- I tried to be home to tuck the girls in each night and see Jill while we were both awake.  I reached my goal.

#14- Did some good sleeping...and napping.  But need to do more so off to bed for me.  

Over all I give myself about a B- for the week.  Not great, but not a total failure either.  I still have a lot to do.  So back to work and I will see you next week...

The avalanche is coming....

Today is Tuesday.  Before the end of the week I need to:

1.  Write a three part Bible study as the final project for a class

2.  Start and finish a paper for school

3.  Finish my questions for my Theological Interview (more on this in another post)

4.  Finish my ministry portfolio

5.  Write two sermons for Sunday

6.  Practice music for this Sunday night

7.  Work on the day-school chapel that will be in a few weeks

8.  Develop a presentation for the mission trip to Alaska

9.  Do reading for my next class that starts on Thursday

10.  Visit with my two Confirmation mentees (is that a word?)

11.  Set up some meetings at Long Beach State

12.  Try to spend time with some family that is visiting from out of town

13.  Be a dad / good husband at home

14.  Sleep

So enough said, I am going to bed and try to knock a few of these off the list tomorrow. Talk to you next week.

Steroids

No, this is not a rant about Barry Bonds or the allegations lobbed toward Roger Clemens. This is not going to be an opinion piece on major league baseball or professional wrestling. No, this is about my youngest child….she is on the juice…well not the juice, the cream…no, not the cream but the puffer. Our little girl is pumping up the puffer to combat asthma. It would be nice if we were grooming her for a lucrative career in professional sports, A.K.A. “daddy’s retirement”, but we are not. Our youngest can’t get through the night without having some major coughing fits. If you are a regular reader of this blog you already know that when our youngest starts coughing it usually ends up as a street pizza, a technicolor yawn, calling Ralph on the big white phone, a…you get the point. So to have something that will quell these spells is quite welcome in our home. We are three days into the steroid era at our house and I will let you know how things are progressing. So far no asterisks on the floor. 

btw- the image on this post is the actual chemical makeup of the steroid that is in my house (Yeah, I'm a nerd)  Talk to you next week...

The Dentist

I do NOT like the dentist!!  I have had a few very bad experiences in the past with the good folks who spend their days with their fingers in other peoples mouths.  When I was in high school I had a procedure that hurt so bad I didn't go back to the dentist for about 12 years.  Some of you might be saying "EeeGads, really?  Twelve  years?  Your teeth must have been a mess!"  Well sorry to say, they were fine.  No cavities, no problems nothing, just a good cleaning, the admonishment for not flossing and a check up card for six months, which I promptly forgot about and waited another few years before having to go back because of my wisdom teeth.  Now I do not have time to tell that story but let me tell you, it is a doozie.  The short version is, only a local pain killer and four hours later I stumbled out of the office.  NOT FUN.  

So my oldest had to go for her first trip to the dentist and the guy at the appointment center asked me, "So what about you?  When can I schedule you in for a check up?"  I almost said, "No thanks, I'm good." But something inside said, "O.K., how about next week?"  So today was the day.  I got there at 1:30 for a 2:00 appointment knowing I would have some paperwork and was seen promptly at 2:00.  Twenty-two x-rays later the dentist poked around and said he wanted some more detail of tooth #14 (left side, top, near the back).  Four more x-rays and he dropped the bomb.  "Well, I think you need a root canal."  "WHAT?!?!?  I was just here for a check-up and some fluoride and a chastisement for not flossing.  This is not what I was expecting."  My heart began to race and then it got worse... "I can get you in today."  I sighed, and relented, three hours later and after six more x-rays I walked out of the office not being able to feel one side of my mouth and freaked out a bit because I peaked at some of the tools that were going into my mouth, not to mention the cost after insurance (NOT CHEAP!!) 

 

So here I sit, hopped up on Vicodin, and dreading going to sleep.  I even have to go back in a week and a half to get a permanent crown.  Well, I hope the worst is over, and it is probably for the better that it was done now and not later.  So, the dental profession is still on my bad list but at least I have my teeth.  Talk to you next week...