Back in the Seminary Saddle Again…

Ok, enough slacking off… Spring Break is over and it is back to the grind. I hope everyone enjoyed the guest bloggers this past week. I know I enjoyed having the time off. But, now it is back to work.

I’d have to say it is a bitter-sweet return. For one, vacation was great. I actually read NOTHING and did NO work the whole time. It was such a blast to just hang out with Just a Gal, Little Man, and Sweet Pea. Of course, I took almost all my books, but soon realized this just needed to be a vacation. So, that is the sweet part… And it is also the bitter part because I really could have used the time to catch up on some reading. But, nothing I can do now.

Well, just wanted to say “I’m back” and, again, thanks to all those who filled in while I was gone.

A Working Schedule to Get Things Done

This post was written by Jake of cafe de soiree. Jake attends Reformed Theological Seminary and, among other claims to fame, made this Going to Seminary commercial!

I took a year off after college before I started seminary, and so I thought I was ready for it. Within two weeks, I was wondering what I had gotten myself in to. Seminary consisted of the same sorts of assignments as college—papers tests, reading—but I was not at all prepared for just how much of it there would be.

I soon realized that I needed a system or a routine to make it all work. It takes a careful juggling act to get it all right. A friend of mine shared his system with me, which I implemented with good results. Here’s what I do. I try to get up between 5-5:30am each morning, and first spend some time reading my Bible and beginning the day with prayer (this is essential). My earliest class is at 8am, and so I know I can get in about a solid hour of reading or studying before I need to get ready to go. My wife usually sleeps until 7:30 or 8 anyway, and so I get some very quiet, undisturbed, and productive time.

What I do throughout each day varies depending on when classes are, but the key is to not waste time. In college I majored in wasting time, and I always had to cram for things at the last minute, which meant 4am nights fueled by the strongest coffee I could get my hands on. Unfortunately I’ve had to fall back on those methods once or twice here in seminary, but I try hard to avoid them. There is plenty of time for me to get things done during the day. My wife works a steady day job, so I am home alone. I turn on some quiet classical music, and set out a pile of books in front of me. If I need a change of scenery, I opt for going to Panera Bread (free coffee refills!) or the seminary library.

Properly using your time should allow you to free up your evenings, for the most part. If you are married, this is key. You need time with your spouse. If I make full use of the schedule I have developed, I am able to quit working at dinner time, and keep the evening free for spending time with my wife. We are usually in bed by 10, and as a result, getting up at 5 or 5:30 is not an issue. That gives me plenty of sleep.

Full time seminary studies require discipline. It is not just something you can coast through. The demands are much higher. But a working schedule can help you keep it all in check. Prioritizing and developing a solid routine are important. Make sure you buy yourself a day planner of some sort, and map things out. There will be a learning curve, but you will start to figure out how long it takes to read certain things, how much time you should allot for papers, and when you should schedule the most intense things.

And I put it in parentheses above, but here I mention it explicitly: rooting your day in prayer is essential. No schedule will work properly or be effective unless it is hemmed in by prayer.

Transitioning one’s soul to finish the day well

This post was written by Jeff of deTheos. Jeff is married to Kari and they have a son, Dutch. Jeff is currently attending Multnomah Biblical Seminary.

This year marks five years of marriage for my wife Kari and I; and three years in seminary, as students together. We have enjoyed every season of it, yet at times the various schedules of work and seminary life have collided to create a holy anticipation of rest.

Last summer we moved closer to school and family (in with Kari’s parents for a season), while I commuted 90 minutes each way to work. The plan was to leave my career in construction management in mid-August, allowing for a week or two of rest before Fall semester. But after giving five months notice at my job, we entered August without a replacement and no plan for a transition. Wanting to serve my boss and friend well to the very end, I stayed on part-time after Fall classes commenced. Sixteen graduate credits, added to 20-30 hours a week of work, added to being an intern with our church, and oh yeah, being a husband (of a seminary student too) and father. Something had to give. Praise God my part-time duties at my former job only stretched into the semester two months, and we were able to breath a little bit. While I was exhausted, it was probably hardest on Kari and our young son Dutch.

I had been using up every one of the 5,400 seconds during my commute home each night returning calls, processing the stress and strain of the day’s projects, and often listening to part of an audio sermon and worship music. Each night I arrived home emotional spent, and was ready to simply check out for the evening. But Kari and Dutch deserved so much more! He was growing up while I was away each day; Kari was clamoring to hear any news from the outside world (as we lived then and now with her parents). I simply gave her my mental left-overs.

In the middle of this season I read a quote from a book by pastor C.J. Mahaney. In Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God (pp. 49-50), he writes about transitioning one’s soul during the commute home from work. It struck me as powerful, practical, and very effective for being essentially a small thing. Seeking to do this has had great impact on our home life, and it is easy to tell when I haven’t paused and calmed my soul to be “all there” at home after a long day in class or at work. Let’s strive to be better husbands and fathers. Here is Mahaney’s story (emphasis added):

“When our first two children were still quite young, I realized that my commute home in the evening was functioning as little more than a review of my day. As far as I was concerned, by the time I got in that car, my responsibilities were pretty much over until the next morning. I saw my home as a refuge, a place where the emphasis, for me, was on being served rather than on leading and serving with Christlike love.”In God’s mercy, he showed me the selfish motivation I was bringing home each evening. I saw that my commute could be best utilized as a time of transition, so that I might be prepared to finish the day by loving and serving my family well.

“So I made a practice of pulling the car over a few blocks from home so I could take a couple of minutes to make an effective transition in my soul. There on the side of the road, I meditated on Ephesians 5 as well as on some other passages. I confessed to God my sinful tendency to be selfish and sought to prepare my heart to serve my wife and children when I arrived home. In this way I learned to see my home as the context where I have my greatest privilege and opportunity to serve. This practice had a transforming effect, allowing me to walk through the front door with the mind and heart of a loving servant-leader. By God’s grace, I found it an excellent help in building a loving marriage, enjoying my family, and minimizing regret.”

There I find a practical, everyday example of being a selfless husband, rooted in the theology of Christ. Even now when my commute can vary from 10-60 minutes, the last part is best served to calm and transition my soul. That way I am better able to walk in the Spirit home and give Kari and Dutch much more than the left-overs of the day. Praise the Triune God for His patience with us.

Two Cent Tuesday - Dream Vacation Spot?

Well Gang, I’m still on vacation so the magical wordpress robots are pushing this post live to you. While I’m gone, I hope you are enjoying all the guest posts that our contributors are pumping out.  Since it is Two Cent Tuesday and I’m on vacation lets make this one light… where do you wish you could be on vacation right now?

See ya on Thursday.

Making the most of your time in seminary

This post was written by Jon of Live.Work.Play. Jon is married to Grete and is a small group guy.  He’s currently in Chi-town during Fuller Theological Seminary quarter break. (Hey Jon, grab a slice of this while you’re up there!)

I’ve decided that woodworking and ministry have a lot in common.

I’m serious.

Here’s the deal. My uncle is one of those jack-of-all-traits types. He decided to pick up wood carving a few years back. Now he carves everything from those wooden ducks that look just like the real thing to wooden chests and wooden bowls. You name it, and I’ll bet he could make it. But what’s interesting to me is how he got into the woodworking hobby. He didn’t go take a class or buy a book. Instead, he invested in some great tools, found some people who knew what they were doing that he could learn from, and spent a lot of time practicing.

I’m always surprised when I talk with seminary students who are frustrated with the education they’re receiving. I’ve attended two very different seminaries so far, and the complainers existed both places. So I’m guessing this is a universal thing.

Most of the time they don’t feel like their education is fully preparing them for ministry. They may say it’s too theoretical. It’s not practical enough.

But honestly, I think they’re expecting too much.

When my uncle set out to learn woodcarving, he did three things – he grabbed the right tools, he found some good mentors, and he began to practice. Seminary is an important part of ministry preparation for many people. But it’s not the entirety of ministry preparation.

Here’s what I think: Seminary can do a great job filling your toolbox, but it’s up to you to find mentors and to dive into ministry.

I definitely don’t have this thing figured out, but there’s one thing I do know. Some of the most valuable experiences I’ve had so far in seminary have been because I’m working in ministry while attending school. It’s caused more stress. It’s meant less time on a few papers. But there’s something about learning about the doctrine of the Trinity one hour and then sitting in a small groups planning meeting with a tennis coach, a pharmacist, and a retired teacher the next that puts things into perspective.

I guess what I’m learning is that sometimes we expect too much from one piece of our lives. Seminary isn’t a machine that spits out perfect ministers. It’s one part of our pursuit to know and follow God. In the end, it’s up to each student to take the box of tools we’re gathering in classes, find some great mentors who can walk through this thing with us, and dive into the messiness that is ministry.

Paul’s Going to Seminary

This post was written by Paul of The Long Way Home and Reform & Revive. Paul recently got accepted to Westminster Theological Seminary and is currently in his last semester at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Hello world, my name is Paul. Just A Guy asked me to help out while he was gone on vacation. Why me? Well, I represent a potentially significant portion of the visitors to the site that may seem underrepresented - the unmarried undergrad about to go into seminary. Just a couple of weeks ago I received my acceptance e-mail, phone text message, and letter from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. I am hoping to earn my Masters of Divinity in Pastoral Counseling there and then return to Richmond, Virginia (my current home) and help with counseling services in my church.

I only have three points in this post (I’m already getting my preaching experience in, huh?): an introduction, a story, and an exhortation. Seeing as the introduction has already occurred, a story is now due. I grew up being the guy who had such a passion and zeal for God it annoyed others, but nevertheless knew he was not called to be a pastor or hold any real office in a church. God made it very clear my entire life that He had not called me to that, while everyone else around me said otherwise. Then it happened. I don’t know when, exactly; I don’t know why. All I know is that about a year ago, God slowly started stirring something in me he hadn’t before. Nothing external in my life changed, He just started moving and changing me.

I see now God works in this way, and I’m okay with that. He never lied to me or deceived me, He simply had not called me yet. He allowed, ordained, and desired for me to develop under this assumption, because it caused me to hone skills, knowledge, and abilities to engage an unredeemed culture that I otherwise may not have. I realize now that God’s will is first and foremost what He works in and out of us, not where we go to school. We often see what He works in us as means to effect the environment around us. I see now quite the opposite is often true. The externals are the means to accomplish God’s primary goal, which is your sanctification. To work in You something that otherwise would be lacking, eternally preventing you from enjoying God in all His fullness and splendor. He is committed to not letting this happen, thus He will do all it takes to work those things in and out of you.

So now the exhortation. I’m moving north in a few short months. I have no place to live, no money for a place to live, no friends, no church, no support, no nothing in Philadelphia. Not only that, I’m terrified about the effect seminary will have on my spiritual life. I’m already “intellectual” and “theological” enough to easily make those things idols. I’m terrified. I’m scared. Add to that the reality of God’s preparation for all of this including a purging of my soul in such a way I’m seeing parts of myself I never knew were there. Parts so dark and depraved I wouldn’t be able to live apart form the grace of God that accompanies these “insights.” But you know what? For one reason or another it’s okay. Not because everything is going to work out with a nice ribbon on top. It may, or it may not. It’s okay because of who He is, and because I know that if this whole thing weren’t so difficult, I wouldn’t need Him, and it’s in my need I have Him most.

That’s the strange mystery of this whole Christianity thing: in the end, the goal is not anything that happens to you. The goal is a man, Jesus Christ, and so it is to that end that He works in and through and for and in spite of us daily, that we might look a little more like Him at the end. That is why, brothers, this whole ministry thing can not and should not be simple or easy. It should ruin us, crush us, drive us to our knees to taste the dirt falling from the sandal of our Master. Praise God there’s regeneration, that changes us so even dirt falling from Him taste sweeter than the finest pleasures and satisfactions this world has to offer. So be diligent, persevere, repent always, and know that you are more sinful than you could ever dare imagined, but more loved and accepted than you ever dared dream. To God alone be the glory. Thank you for you time in reading this.

Lord, let humility reign, truth remain, and set our affections upon You. Amen.

Time Management and Sabbath in Seminary

This post was written by Chad of Outside is Better. Chad attends Asbury Theological Seminary and works 3 jobs… that’s right… THREE!

Ever since I have entered into ministry I have been a Sabbath geek. Some accuse me of just making sure I “get a day off”, but to me the idea of Sabbath is so much more than that. Spend some time in Hebrews 4 reading about rest and think about how that may affect our view of heaven. Sabbath isn’t just a time of laying around, and not doing anything. But it is the kind of rest that rejuvenates our being. Last week I spent a rainy Friday sloughing around the Abbey of Gethsemani (home to Thomas Merton), and while I am sure I lost weight, I know that my soul rested in God that day.

Sabbath is our time to put ourselves back into God’s time and rhythm. That’s why we should treat it as holy.

If you are a seminary student, you will also know how important your time is. I work three jobs and keep a full load in school (and unlike college, I do good). Sabbath rest is something we need to learn to fight for. If you are feeling burned out in school, let that serve as a warning that you can get burned out in ministry.

Time management is also something I geek about. I work in media, doing freelance and working for the seminary I attend. I also serve on a team that plans all of our chapel services at Asbury Theological. Besides those two jobs, I work as a youth minister at a small church. I can’t afford to forget things, so I had to get organized. The biggest thing was time management, because I am so good at doing nothing I could win contests. One day I added up everything I need to do each week and to my surprise found out that I still had almost 35 “surplus” hours each week. This was after adding work, school, homework, and a full 24 hours off for Sabbath.

So I got good at time management. What this allowed me to do was to set time aside each day for “mini” Sabbath, and full day each week, and some extra time to just spend with the wife. I try to get away for longer that a day every 6 weeks or so, and I am planning to start taking a week-long retreat each year as well. This time alone allows us to get ourselves back into this idea of rest as a deep, personal time with God. I don’t just go through a devotion in this time, but I try to really stop and “be still and know”.

So when I need to go for broke I do it. The thing about Sabbath is, you need to work as hard as possible for six days a week in order to full appreciate this time. I have learned by sticking to my own personal method of organization (a modified version of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done”) I can be responsible with my time in order to do the best job at everything I do and to also devote time to Sabbath and not worry about things hanging over my head.

Love and Marriage in Seminary

This post was written by Terry of Diary of a Seminary Student. Terry is married and has 3 sons. When he’s not blogging on his site, he also writes a weekly post on Said at Southern Seminary. He, as you might guess, is attending Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Not only was I honored when Just a Guy asked me if I would like to write a guest post for him, but I think I agreed almost before I thought about what to write. However, as soon as I hit the “send” key, I knew immediately what I was going to write about. I humbly submit the following post about love and marriage to Going to Seminary’s readers.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
–Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

When my wife and I began to pray about going to seminary, we came to the conclusion that this is what God definitely had for us. As moving day approached, there were many unresolved questions that we left up to God to resolve. As I look back at last July and August, I see how the above Proverb is so true. We had a plan and we knew what and how it was going to work out. We watched God literally clear the path for us to move to Louisville with our two boys and a third on the way. I watched as God granted Krista an amazing peace about leaving home (the St. Louis area) for the first time in her life.

When we moved in, everything was going well. We had enough time to get our apartment set up and get ready to face a new school year. However, God had other ideas. Ten days after we moved, we were told that the job that was promised to her was not and could not happen. I was unable to find any employment and the whole ministering position never materialized. The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

We didn’t panic. We just found ourselves believing that God had us in Louisville for a particular purpose and that He was going to show His glory for our unbelieving family. From August to November, the only real income we had was my working for a golf course at minimum wage and working for dining services on the campus of the seminary. Even combining both salaries, I was unable to pay our rent for the month.

Krista and I prayed together. We read Scripture together. We sought God together. God answered us by giving her another position at another university doing exactly what she would have been doing—and they were not even looking to hire someone! We watched God provide through the giving from others (Christians and atheists) as He supported us through these months. The heart of man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps.

Now, we have three boys under the age of four. My wife has a full-time job working from home. I am able to work a couple jobs supplementing the rest of what is needed all the while attending seminary full-time. That pastoral position never opened up, but it seems as though God has ever plans for ministry as well.

I give all that background information in order to say that you, husband (seminary student), or you, wife (seminary student) cannot make it on your own. You will need each other now more than ever. What is more, you will need to make sure that Christ is at the center of your marriage. Satan can and will use this time of theological education to wreck any ministry you may have now or in the future.

Husbands, we are charged with the spiritual well-being of our families (Eph. 5 and 6). It is your responsibility to make sure you are taking into account the balance between work, school, and family. Even if it is the wife who is attending seminary, the husband needs to keep all of this in mind. Sometimes it is best to take a C on a paper if it means showing your children that you are there for them.

I realize that some days, there is not enough time in the day to do everything. Currently, I am in the middle of mid-terms and 10-page papers. This is the two stretch of the semester where my wife understands that I need to focus on school work. However, I need to not make an idol of my school work. There is a balance that must be struck, and we are not capable of always maintaining that balance on our own. We need to lean heavily on Christ and our spouse.

Every night, my wife and I sit down with our older sons and we read Bible stories (might I recommend “The Big Picture Bible” and “The Jesus Story Book Bible”). After reading those, we talk about the story and then say prayers. This shows them that Christ is at the center of all we do. It also gives the family a time of worshiping our Lord and Savior outside of church.

My wife and I sit down each night after the two older boys are in bed for a minimum of 15 minutes to do a devotional. Lately, I have been writing them up myself as we read through the Bible together. We decided to just do a chapter of the New Testament each night so that in 240 days, we will have read through the entire New Testament together and have answered a few questions per chapter. The importance of that 15 minutes each night for her and I cannot be explained. It must be experienced.

I do not write these things to show how great a husband I am—believe me, I am a lazy human being. I share this with everyone here in order that they may learn what I learned before God takes away your comfort and forces you to have faith in Him. After all, “The heart of man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Going on Vacation

So, after sprinting full speed since mid December it is time for a little vacation. Starting Friday the family and I are heading off for some MUCH needed rest and relaxation. I’ve already cleared my work schedule and plan on only taking a couple of my school books. I have decided that I am simply going to go and relax… no pressure to get things done or obligations to fulfill. Now is time to rest.

Now, I know what is going through your mind right now… “Just a Guy, how am I supposed to make it through my week without the sage-like wisdom, insight, and life changing articles that you write every day?”

Well, fear not my friends, I leave you in good hands. Last week I contacted some of the seminary bloggers who frequent goingtoseminary.com and asked them if they would cover the shop while I was out. Not only did they say yes, but they’ve written some really great stuff. So, starting this Friday and going through next Wednesday we’ll be running articles written by our guest bloggers.

Be sure to show them the goingtoseminary.com love and comment on their posts and I’ll see you next week!

Logos Finally Goes Mac - Seminary Students Rejoice

I’m a mac geek and it makes me mildly ill to have to launch windows on my mac in order to run my bible software, Logos. However, I am happy to announce that Logos has opened their Alpha release of Logos for Mac to the public. Now, the catch is that you already have to have a version of Logos in order to get the free download, so everyone who doesn’t already have it, I’m sorry.

For the rest of us, you simply need to go to www.macbiblesoftware.com and download the file. Once you download and install libronix you need to install your version of Logos (instructions are on the site). Once you have it installed, simply insert your original Logos disk and copy all your unlocked resources into the resource file… then you are rolling Logos in true Mac style!

Oh happy day! Any other Mac and Logos users out there?

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