Going to Seminary

I once thought seminary was an impossible dream. After four years of undergrad, I had a Bachelor’s Degree in religion—but I also had thousands of dollars in debt thanks to student loans. Looking for a job out of college was a challenge, and I was only able to take on two part-time jobs. My plan was to work for a couple of years after college doing what I could to save, and then to attend seminary when I had made enough money to pay for it. However, before long my loans were no longer in deferment, and I had a monthly loan payment that was nearly a quarter of my income. I was barely able to save anything, and it soon seemed that I was at an impasse. Seminary seemed necessary for me to find a job as a pastor, but it seemed I would never be able to afford to go.

Maybe you’ve been in the same situation, or you are currently. Maybe your desire is to go to seminary and grow in your knowledge of God’s Word and practical ministry skills, but it just seems impossible. Either the money isn’t there, or the timing is off, and you wonder… will I ever make it? Will I ever be able to go to seminary? While going through a trial of this nature is certainly challenging, there are great lessons to be learned. I found that my time between undergrad and seminary was actually a very valuable experience.

The first thing I learned was practical world experience. Going to a Christian college, it was easy to get trapped in the Christian bubble for four years. If I had gone directly to seminary, I never would have had the experience of relating to and working with so many unsaved people on a daily basis. During this time I learned how to be a bold witness and to look for ways to share the gospel with others at every opportunity. I also gained a new perspective on many things. It’s easy to get caught up in Christian quarrels over minor points of theology, and while theology is extremely important, I learned that eschatology and Soteriology aren’t exactly points of concern to the unsaved. My focus was no longer on debating theology, but on getting the gospel right and sharing it in an understandable way.

Possibly the most important thing I learned during the time I spent between undergrad and seminary was to trust in God, and to wait on His timing. This was my only option when things seemed bleak. I knew that while I had my hopes and plans, God was and is sovereign over all of His creation, and that His plan far exceeded my own in both goodness and perfection. When things are going well and according to plan, it is easy for us to rely on our own strength. It is in the difficulties of life, the trials and struggles, where we are brought to our knees before God and learn to trust in His unfailing love.

My story had a good ending: after a year of working and saving whatever I could, someone from my church stepped in and offered to pay for my seminary education. I am extremely blessed, and I never would have expected such a thing to occur. Would I ever have planned it that way? Not a chance. But God had a far better plan than my own. I wouldn’t trade the year I spent in the secular workplace for anything, as I learned many valuable lessons.

If you are struggling to find a way to make it to seminary, or if you’re wondering if you’ll be able to finish, take heart. We serve a great God, and with Him directing our lives, we have no reason to doubt His plan or to become discouraged. He will see us through, and more importantly, by the precious blood of His Son Jesus Christ, our greatest need has been met. We have been redeemed, and we can rejoice in the great God we serve, even in hard times.

Have you thought about sharing your seminary journey with the world? Perhaps you are interested in pontificating about how seminary could be better, or have questions that you’re not finding answers to regarding your seminary journey. Maybe you already have a blog, but not the readership you’d like to have.

Now is your chance to build readership, pontificate about seminary to your heart’s desire, or give blogging your first go around. AND, we’re going to give you your choice of an e-reader to do it.

Submit your 500 to 750 word article on whatever topic you like as long as it has to do with seminary. You must currently be a seminary student and the articles must be original work not previously posted or submitted to another website.

Out of the entries we’ll select the four winners. Those winners will then submit three more articles, one per month, over the next three months. At the end of those three months they will get their choice of the e-readers. A Kindle, a Sony e-reader, or a Nook. All four writers will have their choice! Or if a new ereader is on the market around the $259 price tag we’ll gladly substitute it instead.

To submit your article email it to justaguy[at]goingtoseminary.com. We’ll announce the four winners on April 1^st. And this is most certainly not an April Fool’s joke.

————Update 3/9/10———–

Submission deadline is 3/30/10

————Update 3/30/10———-
Thank you to all who entered. We’ll announce the winners on Thursday April 1. We had several entries in the last few days so it will likely be Thursday afternoon before we announce.

Cyber Monday, or everyday: The good folks over at Logos Bible Software are offering the GtS readers 25% [update 7/1/10] they now offer 15% off the latest Logos software. Either click here or use coupon code GTS1 when checking out.

iPhone users should check out their recently launched iPhone app.

It has been a while since we’ve shared a penny pinching tip around here (sorry about that).  But today I have a pretty good tip for you: Buying groceries online.

Now, the first time I saw amazon’s online grocery store, I was pretty skeptical.  For me, there is just something strange about order my cereal on a website and having it delivered to my house. However, my wife (the bargain hunter) noticed that there were often some really good deals (50% off section) at the amazon grocery store.  Not only were there good deals, but I didn’t even have to drive to the store!

The great news is that the savings can get even better! You can get 15% off your order PLUS free shipping using the subscribe and save feature.  Here are the details:

• Set a delivery schedule that fits your needs–every one, two, three, or six months
• Extra 15% discounts on our everyday price
• Free shipping on every order
• E-mail reminders of upcoming shipments
• The flexibility to change your schedule or cancel at any time–no risks, no fees

We’ve used subscribe and save in the past for children’s vitamins and other regular items we go though.  I’m telling you, online grocery shopping is a sweet tip.

Top off the good deals with good selection (they have a great selection indeed) and the amazon grocery store is a great thrifty idea.

The world has 1125 billionaires.  The most common search term that brings people to our website is “seminary scholarship.” You connect the dots.

I haven’t written a personal post in a while, so I thought I’d give you a little update.

A Quick Recap

Jennifer and I have been in Orlando for 7 months now.  It has been just about a year since I quit my job as a campus minister in order to go to seminary.  I’m not going to lie, it has been a tough journey.  We almost didn’t come because our house wasn’t sold only weeks before we were planning to move.  That obsticle was removed and we went into high gear trying to get down to Florida asap. Once here, things were good but tough.

Though not an entirely smooth transition, seminary itself was everything I had hoped it would be.  I loved every minute of it (well… except the minutes spent writing papers… I don’t like papers).  The professors were amazing and I was growing in my understanding of God and scripture.  Not only that, but I could feel myself being transformed.  It was amazing.

The Summer Sets In

The summer has been really difficult.  For one, I have WAY too much free time.  I’m taking two classes this summer, so there has been some reading and writing, but generally speaking my academic schedule is pretty light.  Along with that, business has been really slow.  While this has allowed me to work on some other projects and catch up on some things I’ve wanted to tweak on goingtoseminary.com, it has been a constant source of stress… no work = no money.

I also think that the summer has been tough on my wife because I am home all day, every day.  Since I am self employed, I work out of an office in my house.  I think there is an added stress in the house when dad is home all day.  Not just for my wife and kids, but for me too… I’m not used to being in my house 24 hours a day… so, I think that is starting to wear us all down.

The Money Well Runs Dry

As you might guess, the whole no work = no money thing is a big deal.  When we decided to come to seminary we made a step of faith that was informed by us crunching some numbers and thinking that we could make it for a year before things got really hairy (financially).  Our hope was that, once down here God would either begin to prosper my web business or provide for us in some other way that he saw fit.

With the sale of our home we were able to put a nice chunk of money into savings.  This money was designed to pay our rent and cover any monthly shortages (should we have them).  Well, as you guessed, we’ve had more than a few shortages and every month the savings disappears quicker than we had planned.  So, last night as I sat looking at course offerings for next semester I had to ask myself, “what do you do when things don’t go as planned?”

The Options

Well, since things are not going entirely as planned, here are some of the options I’ve come up with:

1. Have faith, register for classes, keep walking forward.
2. Have faith, register for only 2 classes, loose your scholarship, get a part time job
3. Have faith, don’t register for any classes, get a job
4. Have faith, move back to Richmond, get a job
5. Have faith, change from M.Div to MA in Biblical Studies, take out a loan, try to knock out all my classes in under 8 months
6. Have faith, play the lottery

Crunch Time

All six options have some merit and on any given hour I fluctuate between which one makes the most sense.  I do my best to remember that all six options require that I have faith.  I also try to remind myself that the challenges that we are facing are just as much a part of the journey and what God is teaching us.  Though this is not a course for credit, this is part of my seminary education.  Through these difficult days I trust that God is working in me and my family to shape us more into the image of his son.

That said, decisions do need to be made.  I do need to register or not register.  I do need to look for a job or apply for a loan.  I can’t simply hang out in the valley of indecision forever. So, it is crunch time.

Table For Two

If you’re in seminary or considering seminary, odds are you’ll be joining me at this table.  Now, your situation will probably be different, but from what I’ve seen we all face adversity of one sort or another while we are here (can I get an “amen” Terry?).  It is highly likely that things will not go as you planned.  In it all, just remember that God has not abandoned you.  He loves you and is work in you and through you… that doesn’t mean it will always be easy and comfortable… but have faith friend, have faith.

I haven’t written a personal post in a while, so I thought I’d give you a little update.

A Quick Recap

Jennifer and I have been in Orlando for 7 months now.  It has been just about a year since I quit my job as a campus minister in order to go to seminary.  I’m not going to lie, it has been a tough journey.  We almost didn’t come because our house wasn’t sold only weeks before we were planning to move.  That obsticle was removed and we went into high gear trying to get down to Florida asap. Once here, things were good but tough.

Though not an entirely smooth transition, seminary itself was everything I had hoped it would be.  I loved every minute of it (well… except the minutes spent writing papers… I don’t like papers).  The professors were amazing and I was growing in my understanding of God and scripture.  Not only that, but I could feel myself being transformed.  It was amazing.

The Summer Sets In

The summer has been really difficult.  For one, I have WAY too much free time.  I’m taking two classes this summer, so there has been some reading and writing, but generally speaking my academic schedule is pretty light.  Along with that, business has been really slow.  While this has allowed me to work on some other projects and catch up on some things I’ve wanted to tweak on goingtoseminary.com, it has been a constant source of stress… no work = no money.

I also think that the summer has been tough on my wife because I am home all day, every day.  Since I am self employed, I work out of an office in my house.  I think there is an added stress in the house when dad is home all day.  Not just for my wife and kids, but for me too… I’m not used to being in my house 24 hours a day… so, I think that is starting to wear us all down.

The Money Well Runs Dry

As you might guess, the whole no work = no money thing is a big deal.  When we decided to come to seminary we made a step of faith that was informed by us crunching some numbers and thinking that we could make it for a year before things got really hairy (financially).  Our hope was that, once down here God would either begin to prosper my web business or provide for us in some other way that he saw fit.

With the sale of our home we were able to put a nice chunk of money into savings.  This money was designed to pay our rent and cover any monthly shortages (should we have them).  Well, as you guessed, we’ve had more than a few shortages and every month the savings disappears quicker than we had planned.  So, last night as I sat looking at course offerings for next semester I had to ask myself, “what do you do when things don’t go as planned?”

The Options

Well, since things are not going entirely as planned, here are some of the options I’ve come up with:

1. Have faith, register for classes, keep walking forward.
2. Have faith, register for only 2 classes, loose your scholarship, get a part time job
3. Have faith, don’t register for any classes, get a job
4. Have faith, move back to Richmond, get a job
5. Have faith, change from M.Div to MA in Biblical Studies, take out a loan, try to knock out all my classes in under 8 months
6. Have faith, play the lottery

Crunch Time

All six options have some merit and on any given hour I fluctuate between which one makes the most sense.  I do my best to remember that all six options require that I have faith.  I also try to remind myself that the challenges that we are facing are just as much a part of the journey and what God is teaching us.  Though this is not a course for credit, this is part of my seminary education.  Through these difficult days I trust that God is working in me and my family to shape us more into the image of his son.

That said, decisions do need to be made.  I do need to register or not register.  I do need to look for a job or apply for a loan.  I can’t simply hang out in the valley of indecision forever. So, it is crunch time.

Table For Two

If you’re in seminary or considering seminary, odds are you’ll be joining me at this table.  Now, your situation will probably be different, but from what I’ve seen we all face adversity of one sort or another while we are here (can I get an “amen” Terry?).  It is highly likely that things will not go as you planned.  In it all, just remember that God has not abandoned you.  He loves you and is work in you and through you… that doesn’t mean it will always be easy and comfortable… but have faith friend, have faith.

Having kids can be expensive… especially when “fun” is involved. Being an Orlando resident affords us many fun activities, however many of them cost a LOT of money. A trip to Disney with the kids would cost almost $200. So, needless to say we haven’t visited the oversize mouse just yet.

So, what do we do on our tight budget for family fun? Well, here are a few things but feel free to add your own in the comment section:

• Public Library – With younger kids this is a real winner. Most libraries have a kids section and numerous events just for kids throughout the week. Currently my wife takes the kids to story time once a week and the kids love it. Even when there isn’t a story time the library offers lots of fun stuff for the kids.
• Barnes and Noble – Typically once a week we go to B&N after dinner. It is a good way to blow those couple hours between dinner and bed time when you want to get out of the house but the weather isn’t cooperating. The kids section is great and, of course, there is the Thomas the Train toys to play with.
• The Park – If you’re a parent then odds are you know where every playground is within 20 miles of your house. This is a great option because it affords the kids a chance to play with other kids their age. Also, it is a great way for you to meet new people. Now, if you’re like me, you live in Florida and you only go to the park in the winter when it is 78 degrees. The summer heat is typically a bit too much for the park on a regular basis.
• Mall Playground – Sadly, the malls in Orlando have crummy playgrounds. When we lived in Richmond the mall was a weekly destination for the play area.
• Family Walk - Again, with the heat, these have become less popular with the family, however, when the temprature was right we often took an evening stroll together.

Now, I’m sure there are lots of other ideas out there, so lets hear’em…

If you are in seminary, then you realize money is tight (that is why we have a Thrifty Thursday). If you are married and in seminary, then you definitely realize that money is tight. My wife and I are always searching for ways in which we can cut our budget. One way we did this was to transition to cloth diapers.

Now that you are over the “eww” factor, let me explain a few things. First, cloth diapers are not like they used to be back in the day. There are no diaper pins and there is no proper folding of the diaper as such. The cloth diapers I am talking about are just like the disposable diapers from all the major name brands (or not so major brands). Second, depending on which brand you invest it, you may never have to buy diapers again.

Brands

For example, the bum genius brand of diapers are made to grow with your child. Basically, it is a one-diaper fits all model. They are designed to fit newborns up to toddlers (7-35 lbs.). They are about $19-$21 a piece depending on where you buy them.

The fuzzi bunz brand are one of the more popular brands of cloth diapers (along with bum genius) but do not offer the one-size-fits-all model. They have sizes small-medium-large for the child. These diapers have an insert that you need to stuff inside the diaper in order to absorb liquids and such. They run about $18-$20 a piece depending on where you buy them.

Finally, the model my wife and I use are the Kushies brand. These are an all-in-one diaper in that there are no inserts to be added. They do come in various sizes from newborn (up to 10 lbs.) to infant (10-22 lbs), and toddler (22-45 lbs). I know you can buy inserts to help with absorbency, but they are not necessary as each diaper comes with an insert as part of the diaper. They run from $9-$10 per diaper depending on where you buy them.

My wife has found that the best (and cheapest) place to buy cloth diapers is Wal-Mart.com. However, of the three I mentioned in this article, you can only by the Kushies through Wal-Mart. If you are able to do Site-to-Store, then you do not have to pay for shipping and handling. The other two can be found at most cloth diaper stores (I had no idea there were stores dedicated to just cloth diapers!) or online.

How Do I Clean Them

Now, I am sure most of you are balking at the thought of having to wash poop out of diaper. Did you know that on the box of every disposable diaper there is a little note that says, “Rinse or shake baby soil into the toilet”? Most people do not know that, but it is true. I will wait while you go and look on your package of diapers. See, I told you. We have a kitchen sized trash can with a lid on it in one of our bathrooms. We also add a little bit of baking soda to the can to fight odor though it is not as bad as you would think.

If you are going to get started with cloth diapers, I would recommend getting 20-25 diapers to begin with. That is about three days worth and then they need to be washed. Given all that has happened to my wife and I regarding income and such, cloth diapers have saved our…er…butts a time or two. We do have disposable on hand for when we go to church or just go out, but not having to buy diapers once or twice a week has helped with the budget immensely. It is also a great way to “go green” if you are into that. Personally, I just find that it is helping me to be a better steward of what we have.

In a later post, I will show how to attach a kitchen sprayer to your toilet. This helps to not only clean the diapers but also clean your tub and or sink. A by-product of the sprayer is it makes a good conversation piece as well. I have actually used it to witness to a few friends about stewardship and God’s faithfulness.

Several months before we sold our house in Richmond our savings account balance dropped below our bank’s minimum requirement. The consequence was that we had to either deposit some more money into the account (not really an option at the time) or we needed to close the account. As I mentioned, adding money wasn’t really an option, and at the same time I didn’t like the idea of having no savings account. For me, I’ve found that having a savings account, even if it only has a couple hundred dollars in it, is a good idea. The main reason I like it is that I am much less likely to touch that money unless I really need it. So, I began to see what other options were available to me.

Enter, The Orange Savings Account. Great rates, no fees, no minimums. When I found ING I was pretty psyched because not only did they have a great interest rate, but there were NO FEES and NO MINIMUM BALANCE. So, I closed our other savings account and moved our money over to ING. It was all online and really easy to do. The bonus was that when we sold our house, we deposited our equity into the account and now, since the interest rate is so good, we’re getting a nice little return each month (nothing earth shattering, but every $30, $40, is a nice addition).

Now, some might wonder why we put our equity in this savings account and not something else (like a CD or as a down payment on a new house). Well, for us, we decided to sacrifice our equity in order to decrease our monthly expenses for one year (with the hopes that something would change financially after that one year). So, for now, we have a monthly draw set up in ING that transfers our rent into our checking account each month.

In all, I’ve been extremely pleased with ING and wholeheartedly recommend it as a great Thrifty Thursday idea. Not only do I like the savings account, I’ve been so happy that I am considering changing over to their checking account -> Electric Orange from ING DIRECT: 1.75% APY or more. Free ATMs. FDIC. Open online now.. With the checking, the free ATMs is pretty sweet since my current bank doesn’t have an ATM near by and I usually pay about $10 a month in ATM fees… So, I think we’re gonna change over soon.

Oh, and yes, if you sign up for an account Going to Seminary gets some money…