Two Cent Tuesday - Staying Organized

We have a huge variety of technological aids at our dispense to help keep us organized.  From PDAs to Blackberrys to online calendars, our lives can be organized at the tip of our fingers.  I’ve never gotten into those methods.  In fact, I don’t even use those small agenda books can you throw in your backpack.  I try–I always buy one at the beginning of the year, but give up on it by mid-January.  I prefer keeping things organized in my head.  That method has only failed me once (if you would like to know that story you can take me out for breakfast sometime and I’ll tell you about it).

Still, I need to have things organized.  If there is clutter around the house, I get stressed out (just ask my wife).  Things need to be in place, and I operate by keeping a routine.  And especially as you get farther in your studies, the balancing act becomes more and more difficult and you need to have a way to keep your life organized.  I’m working on getting better with writing things down, but I want to know how you do it.  What are some of your methods of keeping everything organized?  Do you have an efficient system that you think would help us?

When Ministry and Seminary Collide…

The family seems to always lose!

This week, the first week of classes, has been an extraordinarily busy week. For many seminary students, I am sure this is a true statement. For seminary students who either work in a secular job or a ministry at a local church, this is even more of a true statement.

This week, my church hosted a mission-intensive week we called “My Jerusalem Week.” We worked on our own facilities as well as worked around the community. We had something going on from 8 am to 9 pm each night from Monday through Friday. In addition to this, I had to continue to focus on my own area of ministry with the forthcoming church “school” year fast approaching.

As I stated earlier, this was also the first week of classes at Southern Seminary as well. I am taking Baby Greek which meets four days a week. I now have homework every night which has not happened in over 14 years! Plus, the class is at 7 am which is far too early to be learning a foreign language if you want my opinion.

I remember I wrote a post here at GtS back in March about how to avoid losing time with your family. Well, I must confess that I have failed miserably since June when Krista lost her job…again. This week it was made abundantly clear to me that my family must take priority over ministry and school. However, there is a season in both ministry and school where your time is demanded over your time with family. The problem is when both of these occur in the same week. Perhaps Paul was talking about just this situation when he wrote 1 Corinthians 7:25-40.

My challenge, to myself and to you, is to maintain a proper balance in life. Devote your precious, fleeting time to your family whenever you can. Yes, your relationship with God is of the utmost importance, but your time at the office or in the classroom should not affect your relationship with God. If you fail with your family, then I believe you will not have much of a ministry.

My question is how do you strike a balance? I know how I sometimes strike a balance, but I also know I fail regularly. Please, I would love to drink from your well of knowledge and experience in this area.

Starting Seminary Year 4 of ?

For the last couple years I’ve been blessed to be a teaching assistant for first-year Theology at Multnomah (actually co-TA, as Kari does most of the paper-grading). Once or twice a semester I get to fill-in for our prof and teach (preach!) on Soteriology, Ecclesiology or some other section in our unit of systematic theology.

Inevitably, my intro includes a reminder to proofread their papers (Please, I beg you!), mentioning that my aim in life is for the Gospel and being a faithful husband and loving father, and the little caveat is that while I am an MDiv student teaching you today it is likely that some in the room may graduate before me. I am totally serious.

This week marks the start of our fourth year in seminary, out of only-God-knows-how-many. It is formally known as the first term of Fall classes at Multnomah. On Tuesdays I have Preaching in the morning, Greek in the afternoon. The Hermeneutics/Bible Study Methods class on Friday will include most of those same students that I’ll be grading papers for in Theology. That’s technically a first-year (first semester) course, but I’m just getting around to taking it in my fourth year. Yeah, the Registrar knows me by name, always taking classes out of sequence.

Detour: When the Journey Twists and Turns

Ryan has chronicled his 6-7 year journey to arriving at seminary here and here, and first day in class about seven months ago — back when we all knew him as “Just a Guy.” He is especially encouraging as he (and family) can empathize with enduring trials and disappointments.

Come what may, one thing you can bet on is that things will not go as planned. Since you’re in seminary it’s probably unwise to bet ( = gambling), but perhaps we can all relate to the setbacks to flying through our graduate training in the Word. When we look on page whatever of the course catalog we normally don’t notice SF 101 The Triune God Rocks Your World. Spiritual Formation (seminary-speak for ‘growing like Christ’) comes in all shapes and forms, and God the Spirit will use any means necessary to form us into the image of the Son (Romans 8:28-30; Colossians 3:10).

Yet these trials are minor and brief and certainly not strange (1 Peter 1:6-9). Christ suffered and endured in infinitely more ways that we ever will, and we get to taste a bit of His love in the midst of following in His steps. (And let’s never forget that suffering comes before glory — Romans 8:14-19.) For the Apostle Paul, sharing in the sufferings of our Savior was the height of all Christian experience, knowing Christ (Phil. 3:7-11).

Pausing and Restarting

So, I better wrap this up. Actually, for me this is more like year 3.2 of seminary. After our first year, we were had our first big surprise: first baby on the way! So I continued working full-time in a construction management/engineering career, but dropped my classes for the year — seminary was on pause. Had to forfeit my scholarship for the year (which I later found out was given to my best friend; God knew He needed it more.) That was 2006-07, perhaps my best year of ’school.’ During that year as ‘not-enrolled’ I was able to devour a stack of books waiting to be read, reflect on the Word more devotionally, take a summer course, and began to see my job as a mission field and not just a means-to-an-end. When our son was born, Kari took a full year off in there too.

This Fall is her last in-class course, and I’m gearing up to grade papers of students who may yet still graduate before me. As we embark as a family on “year 4″ — pregnant with baby #2 — so grateful for Christ’s sustaining power, the fact remains that the Object and chief end of our journey is HIM, not us. That is why the process is so vital.

Oh, that the life and character of Jesus would be formed in us!

Finding That Productive Study Environment

Another semester is approching quickly, and that means it won’t be long before books will have to be read, papers written, and tests will have to be taken.  If you are like me, you cannot just study anytime, anywhere.  You need the atmosphere and the environment to be right.  To be sure, every environment will not work for everyone.  You need to find your own.  But it is important that you do, because that is key to being productive.  And if you’re one of those who can study anywhere, anytime, you are lucky and I am jealous of you.  Nonetheless, here is what I need.

First, I don’t work well in silence.  I need music.  But not just any music.  I can’t study with Van Halen crankin’ in the background.  Classical music is my choice for studying.  I have quite a bit of classical on my iPod, but it got to the point where I had heard the same stuff over and over again and I would begin to notice that.  So after some searching, I finally came across Radio Swiss Classic, which is a radio station broadcasting from Bern, Switzerland with an internet stream available for free.  The station is fantastic.  It plays a great variety of stuff, and only occasionally has a brief verbal interjection to mention the title and composer of a piece (in German and French).  I highly recommend it to you.  Set the volume low, and let it play all day.

Second, location is important to me.  When I still lived in Ontario, I had a very specific spot in the Mills Library at McMaster University that I loved to be at.  I also liked the library at Redeemer University College, where I got my degree from.  But I do not like the library at here at RTS at all.  I find it far too small and confining.  One of the best places I work here is at the local Panera Bread.  It’s relatively comfortable, plays classical music, and has free refills on their coffee.

Finally, I work much better on a cloudy, rainy, and cool day.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen much in Florida, and I can’t control the weather.

But the point of this post is not to tell you what I need.  It’s to encourage you to find an environment where you study well.  This is important because seminary comes with a lot of work, and you need to be able to put yourself in a situation where you can work, concentrate, and be productive.  Find the place that works for you, and find it soon.  If you have already got something that works well for you, let us know.   What are your ideal study environments?

Starting Another Seminary Semester

It is that time of year again.  For many seminaries, this will be the first week of classes.  It is an exciting time for most.  For some of you, this will be the first time you step into a seminary classroom.  I remember my first class like it was just… six months ago. So, I thought this morning, in honor of the start of a new semester, I’d share some advice.

For First Timers

For all you guys and gals who are just starting out, have a great time.  Seminary has its challenges, but keep your eyes on Jesus and it will be amazing (not easy… but amazing).  You might meet a few seminarians who want to rain on your parade with the “realities” of seminary… for now, just ignore them.  You’ll experience the realities yourself. For now, just soak it all in.  Have fun.  After my first semester I remember sitting in a chair, talking to a friend and saying, “It was all I hoped it would be and more.”  I  hope that is what you say at the end of your semester.

For Regulars

For others of us, the start of a new semester is just one more notch on the belt.  For all of you, same advice as above.  Keep your eyes on Jesus.  It is easy in seminary to grow weary and fall into the rut of simply going through the motions.  My advice, find one of those bright-eyed newbies and instead of crushing their joy with the harsh reality of exams, papers, and stress, why not just sit down and be reminded of why you came to seminary as you listen to the passion they have for the journey ahead.  Don’t be cynical… try to rekindle some of that zeal.  End by praying for these new students.

For Finishers

Finally, there are some of you where this semester represents the final leg of your seminary journey.  The finish line is in sight.  For you, same advice… keep your eyes on Jesus.  Yes, you’re almost there.  You might be worried about finding a job when you’re finished this semester.  You might be just trying to cruise through this semester so that you can finally hold that piece of paper that says you did it.  You might be thinking about the next school you’re off to.  Whatever the case, don’t forget what all this is about.  It is about knowing Jesus and being transformed more into his image.  Take a moment and remind yourself why you’ve gone through seminary… why you invest all that time and money.  Maybe you need to sit down with one of those new students as well…

For Me

These are just a few thoughts that crossed my mind this morning.  As for me, well friends, this weekend I made the decision that I will be sitting this round out.  As I’ve mentioned before, things aren’t going as planned around here.  I’ve decided that I’ll take one class that meets on Tuesday nights and I’ll try to get a job-e-job.  My advice for me… keep your eyes on Jesus…

Seminary Social Media Sound-off

This afternoon I upgraded GoingtoSeminary.com to WordPress 2.6.  Along with doing that I added a social networking feature that allows you to share articles on a couple social media sites (please share the love).  After doing that I started playing with some of these social sites and got to thinking about how amazing the internet is.  While, sure, it can be a big distraction during those long seminary classes… and when your writing papers… and when you supposed to be reading… and… yeah, it is always a potential distraction.    That said, how amazing is it that you can get stay in touch with people all over the world with the click of a mouse.  Not only that, but think of all the people you’ve met online!  Heck, of the people who write for this website, I’ve only met 1 in person… I’ve never even heard these guy’s (and gal) voices before… CRAZY.

Well, that all said, I thought it would be a cool experiment to have everyone share their social network connections in one post so that we can connect on other sites.  That said, leave a comment below and link to your social connections.

Here are mine:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• StumbleUpon
• Delicious
• Plaxo
• Digg
• YouTube & YouTube
• Flickr
• Technorati
• LinkedIn

Thrifty Thursday - Win a Free ESV Study Bible

According to our current Two Cent Tuesday poll, you folks are pretty big fans of the ESV.  That being the case, I’m sure that you’re planning on picking up the new ESV Study Bible when it gets released in October.   Amazon has the list price at $49 and $31.49 as their offer price.  That’s a nice little chunk of change… Wouldn’t you rather just get it for free?

Well, if you want to give it a try, Best-Bible.org is giving away a free ESV Study Bible. All you have to do is leave a review for something on the site and/or link to the website.  The more reviews you leave the more entries you get in the drawing.

Potentially save $30 while helping people learn about Bibles… sounds like win/win if you ask me.

Top 5 “secret” tips for your first semester.

There are plenty of resources on the net about how to write good papers, take the right classes…you know that sort of thing.  Here are is my Top 5 “secret” tips (in no particular order) that will help you out in your first semester.

1.  Get a job on campus.
If you live on campus, you may be trying to do this already because it means you don’t have to commute to work.  But this is a great option for any student.  I have two (sometimes 3) jobs on campus and it has allowed me many opportunities that the average student would never have.  I work in the office of Community Life and I lead the Worship Design team, a group of students that is responsible for planning the three chapel services a week.  Through my jobs I have worked with all of the Vice-Presidents of Asbury, had lunch with our President, interacted with our Board, had countless individual interactions with some of the professors that most students would love to have, and many other cool things.

I would not be as involved with so many things around campus if I didn’t work on campus.  I would say that as much of my learning has taken place in meetings and planning sessions as has in the classroom.

2.  Go to chapel.
At Asbury chapel isn’t required.  This surprises many of our prospective and incoming students (I know many Christian colleges require chapel, but do any other seminaries?), and just that barrier being down makes chapel more meaningful to some people.  It is possible to just go through the motions at seminary and not involve yourself at a spiritual level, but this is the biggest mistake that you can make.  When you become a part of the worshiping body at your school, you instantly have a time to let the “minister” in you take a back seat to your primary role as a worshiper.

Different school’s chapel services look different, but no matter what, becoming involved in yours will make a big difference in your life at seminary.

3. Find a hidden place in the Library.
I go to the library at least 4 times a week to study.  I have joked with friends that work at the library (let’s make that a sub-tip, make friends with the library workers) about how full the library gets before mid-terms and finals.  We all know why it gets so full, but it is wild to see how many people don’t utilize the library except for the computers.  I know of several “hidden” places in our library where I can go and be completely uninterrupted.  Your school may allow you to check out a carrel for the entire semester (I wish Asbury did).  I don’t know how my friends claim to get work done at home.  I can do it for an hour or so, but spending 8 hours writing a paper is impossible at home.  I can do it easily in the library.

When you go to the same place session after session, your mind gets into “study mode” when you sit down.  This allows you to concentrate on your work and fully pour yourself into it.  Our time here at school is an act or worship, so why not try to offer God your best.

4.  Make friends with the students about to graduate.
Within a month at Asbury I met my friend Isaac.  Isaac and I worked together for two years until he graduated and it is one of the best relationships I have had while here.  There are several reasons why our relationship was so important to me.

1.   The academic level:  Isaac and I came from the same situation, preachers kids who           didn’t have religon degree’s from undergrad.  We were also both under-achievers in           college.  Isaac had already navigated through some rough waters in seminary and               passed down so much to me.  When I was thinking about asking a professor for a                grade change, Isaac walked me through it.  I used Isaac to figure out what teachers           to take, because we both were interested in similar developments in theology and             biblical studies.
2.   The personal level:  Isaac and his wife were just a few years older than Meredith and        I.  There have been so many pieces of advice he has given me that have proven to be        golden.  Seminary can be hard to navigate for the first year or so, and having a friend        that had done it successfully was a huge help.
3.   The Spiritual level:  I had accountability in Isaac.  Asbury tends to be an immersive            academic environment with the professors sometimes turning a five minute                       pre-class devotion into the full blown lesson for the day.  Learning how to connect          personal devotion to academic excellence is a common discussion.  When I was                struggling through rough theological decisions, Isaac had been there before.  When         Meredith and I were trying to make decisions regarding our denomination, Isaac had        been there before.

Why not have a friend that is farther along the journey than you.  This will prove to be one of the best moves you can make at Seminary.

5.  Make friends with a lesser-known professor.
Your school probably has at least one teacher who is known at a large scale.  We have several at Asbury and their classes always fill up quick.  Everyone tries to get office time with them, and crowd around them after they speak at chapel.  I don’t want to encourage you to never take their classes, but you should investigate other professors.  More often than not, the professors that don’t publish yearly aren’t sub-grade scholars, but are more active in their church communities and other areas.  I have two professors that I enjoy spending time with that have mentored me along my seminary journey.  Both of them are brilliant and have taught me tons.  I have learned about what a pastor-scholar looks like through both of them.  When I need help with something, I can go to them.

Building a relationship with a professor or two who has more time under girds you and better prepares you for the ministry.  While you can try to do this with the most popular professor, it will be more profitable if you are able to be mentored by someone who has more time for you.

These are just a few tips that have greatly bettered my time at seminary.  I hope that they are helpful to you too.

Two Cent Tuesday - Bible of Choice?

I spent most of last week working to launch a new website (www.best-bible.org).  The site is designed to help people understand the differences between Bible translations and offer some resource suggestions, like Bible software, Bible mobile applications, and other Bible resources.  Since the project was pretty big and I didn’t have time to build the site and write all the material, I hired a freelance writer to help me out.  Not only did she do an amazing job, but her articles on all the different Bible translations were actually quite helpful to me… I mean, I could give you a rough idea as to what each translation was all about, but now I feel like I have a much better understanding.  So, if you’ve ever wanted to know what the different translations were all about, go check out the site.  Also, keep it in the back of your head for the next time someone asks you why we have so many different bible translations.

So, as I was finishing up the site I thought, “hey, this would be a great Two Cent Tuesday question.”  So, here ya go, “what is your bible translation of choice… AKA, what is the best bible?”

Also, if you visit the site, please leave a review under the Bible you use as it will  help future visitors… oh, and link love is always appreciated!

Starting the Off Week Right

My son recently got his first calendar.  It was an excellent way to explain important and fun dates that are coming up in the future without having a constant “when are we going to grandma’s house?” every 5 seconds.  Every night before bed he gets his marker and Xs out another day.  It has been really fun.

So, with calendars, did you ever notice that Sunday is the first day of the week?  Yeah, I’m sure most of us have, but have you ever really let that sink down into your soul?  Sunday is the start of your week.

How do you start? With work or worship?

I’ll admit, while I knew that Sunday was the first day of the week… my week really began on Monday.  To me, Sunday was the day of rest that came at the END of a, typically, long and stressful week.  I saw church and fellowship as the culmination of all that had transpired the previous week and, to me, it was the capstone.

For me, if I were honest, the week began Monday morning.  The alarm would sound (aka, I’d hear my kids outside my door) and I’d look at my phone, “yup… its Monday.”  I’d drag myself out of bed thinking, “Here we go… another week… I can do it…” and I go off about my business.

Then, a couple weeks ago something happened.  I was in Church, I think it was nearing communion, and it dawned on me… THIS is the start of my week.  The first thing I am doing this week is gathering with the body of Christ to celebrate in worship and communion.  WOW, that was an eye opener.  Since that day, Sunday has been the first day of my week.

What does it matter?

Well, I guess in technicalities, it really doesn’t matter.  The apostle Paul tells us that it isn’t important that we honor one day over another.  However, for me it was a big deal. For the past several weeks I’ve woken up on Sunday and reminded myself that the start of my week belongs to the Lord.  My first act will not be to worry about web projects or term papers… my first action will be to gather with the saints and worship our King.  I will declare that the first fruits of my week are holy to the Lord.

Now, I’m not saying that my weeks have been magically different since I’ve flipped this mental switch.  However, I will say that throughout the week I, for some reason, keep reminding myself that I started my week on Sunday and have found a very interesting bit of peace in that thought.

So, what about you?  You ever thought much about this or am I just slow?

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