When Things Don’t Go As Planned

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.

Resisting Sedentary Seminary

Remember the “Freshman Fifteen”? What about the “Seminary Several”? Perhaps you escaped the undergrad weight gain only to find that now seminary hits you with the one-two punch of entering your *ahem* shall we say, less than prime years, coupled with devoting an inordinate amount of time to sitting, studying, and consuming large quantities of coffee and Snickers bars. Jeff and I thankfully haven’t added the Seminary Several, but we have discovered that Seminary equals Sedentary, and after a life of sports and activity, these past three years of seminary have taken their toll on our fitness to say the least. So, this past month Jeff and I took a weeklong summer intensive course. Even though I committed to staying alert, focused, and purposeful in gleaning as much as I could from class, by 11am on the first day I was drowsy and guiltily clicking through Facebook to keep myself alert. By the time lunch rolled around I was ready to ditch my healthy brown bag in favor of French fries and a Caramel Macchiato.

The Lunch Run

But (!) I was fiercely determined that I was going to take the opportunity to get some exercise during this summer class. So, I decided that during the lunch hour each day I would go running. Fortunately the weather cooperated, and I had just enough time to go to the gym, change into shorts, run for thirty minutes, then splash some ice cold water under my arms, and get back to class a little red in the face but energized beyond what any Starbucks would ever be capable of achieving.

I was amazed at the results. I found it so much easier to focus during the afternoons (and I’m a morning person so I can’t blame it on that!). I found myself energized, positive, enthusiastic, and feeling motivated to eat my healthy lunch rather than ditch it in favor of the McLunch I would later regret. On the last day of class it started to rain, and since I’m a wimp, I forewent a run in the drizzle, and instead chose to explore the weight room of our campus’s gym. I was amazed! While not the most state-of-the-art fitness center, they had great equipment and free weights. And I practically had the place to myself. I realized that I’d been through three years of seminary without ever taking advantage of the free fitness facilities (Perhaps free is not the word considering the size of our school loans). How many days did I shuffle through my classes, unable to keep myself alert without shocking doses of caffeine, when I could have been taking time to exercise my body, relax my mind, and recharge for the studies ahead?!

Read, Ride, and Run

So it made me think, I want to tell Seminarians to take advantage of the free (”included with tuition”) fitness facilities available to us as students. Play “Noon Ball”, go for a quick run or walk, lift a few weights, sit on the recumbent bike while reading that theology textbook. Don’t neglect to exercise the body God’s given you in your quest for exercising your mind. Both are important in our service for Christ. And you might just be surprised how much easier it is to focus on Greek after running around the block for Jesus. Don’t let Sedentary Seminary lull to sleep. Instead, stay one step ahead of the Seminary Several.

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!

A Dizzy, Drained, and Delighted Seminary Student

So, I haven’t written a personal post in a while, so I thought I’d catch you up to speed.

HOWEVER, before I do, I have to express my amazement at the underwhelming response to the iPod giveaway. I thought for sure that we’d get a great response from the sweet prize list. At this rate, if you were to scribble goingtoseminary.com on a piece of paper and tape it on a classroom door in order to be in the top 3… snap a picture with your phone and you’ll have a commanding lead over everyone (for 37 seconds of effort). So, whatever, it is an easy win at this point.

So, yeah… I’ve been dizzy for the past several days. My head feels like it is full of water and every time I stand up I feel like I’m going to fall down. It’s been pretty crazy (though it has been a lot better today). In evaluating the situation I’m sure that it is a combination of diet, sleep, and stress. I’m doing my best to keep them all in check, but that isn’t always possible.

The reality is that I’m pretty drained. I’ve been up till at least midnight for the past several weeks and getting up between 5 and 7 in the morning. The kicker is that I don’t stop “doing” then entire time I’m awake. It is either school, reading, studying, family time, serving the church, or work. I can’t really remember the last time I just sat and relaxed for more than 20 minutes. So, it has been pretty draining.

Now, despite the fact that I’m dizzy and drained… I’m delighted. I’m delighted because God’s grace is sufficient. I look at my situation and I am so thankful that I have an amazing church that I can serve in. I go to an amazing school with amazing professors and I get to read amazing books. I have a job that pays great and allows me to work whenever it fits my schedule. I have new clients and projects coming from seemingly nowhere. I’ve made enough money on this blog to buy someone an iPod. And last, most certainly not least, I have a family that is supporting me 100% and on most days I get to see them way more than I did working my 9-5 the past 6 months.

Another thing that I just realized is that I kind of like it when I’m worn out.  I think it is in times like this that I am more aware of my need for God.  Surely, without his grace I would have no hope and be crushed.  Yet, I am strangely comforted by my weakness… knowing that it is his strength that sustains me.

I might be dizzy and I might be drained… but I am so delighted that God would not only allow me the chance to do it all, but that he would sustain me in it all.

Press on friends… press on.

Educational Debt Payments After Seminary

Sorry to post another dismal post about debt, but it is a harsh reality we need to wrestle with.

As stated before, this information comes from a survey conducted by The Association of Theological Schools (ATS). The survey questioned 5,113 graduates from the 2006-2007 school year, covering 130 seminaries.

Today, we look at what the Educational Debt Incurred at Seminary translates to on a monthly basis. Of the 5,113 seminary graduates, here is how much their monthly educational debt payment will be:

MONTHLY EDUCATIONAL DEBT PAYMENT
42.4% - None
15.9% - Less than $200
21.1% - $200 to $349
11.7% - $350 to $499
7.9% - $500 to $1,000
1.1% - More than $1,000

Now, something I failed to mention the other day was that this is STRICTLY educational debt. Who knows how much those payments will be if it were to include credit cards or car payments.

This is a big burden that you must truly weigh when you think about seminary.

Educational Debt Incurred at Seminary

I was reading the results from survey conducted by The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) this evening and was fascinated by some of the findings. The survey was conducted on graduating students from member schools of the ATS and included 5,113 graduates representing 130 member schools (so, yeah, a good sampling).

Over the next week I hope to post some of the stats that came out of the study. Don’t worry, I know we’re all busy seminarians, so I’ll break it down into bite sized nuggets.

Also, I’d like to say that this information I’ll post from this survey is pretty important to think through, especially if you are considering or just starting seminary. We have a chance to see and hear what people who are finishing this journey have to say… we’d be wise to listen.

Tonight’s post is on the stats concerning Educational Debt Incurred at Seminary. Out of the 5,113 graduating respondents, these are the percentages for the amount of educational debt they incurred while in seminary.

EDUCATIONAL DEBT INCURRED AT SEMINARY
46.4% - None
11.1 % - Less than $10,000
13.2% - $10,000 to $19,999
9.9% - $20,000 to $29,999
7.6% - $30,000 to $39,999
11.7% - More than $40,000

Two observations:

1. WOW! Almost 50% graduated with NO debt. THAT is great.
2. WOW! Almost 20% graduated with $30,000 + in debt. THAT is not great.

With the average Senior Pastor salary paying about $37,000 for pastors fresh out of seminary… $30K in debt is a BIG deal. Now, I’m not throwing stones at anyone who has a loan or debt (I have some). But you must be aware that vocational ministry is not a lavish position. Incurring large amounts of debt in seminary will add a huge amount of stress to a very stressful job… and if you don’t think being a pastor is stressful… then go talk to one.

Setting Goals in Seminary

So, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to this semester and trying to determine how I will know if the semester is a success. Is it a successful semester if I get straight A’s? Is the number of pages I read this semester a measure of success? Is going to class every day an indicator of a good semester?

Well, I’m still working on this list. However, I think this is a really good idea… to sit down and determine what “success” looks like for you this semester. Then, when the semester is over, you can pull out the list and have a good evaluation tool. Also, I think it would be good to review the list from time to time during the semester… to remind you of what is really important and what you are really trying to acomplish.

So, with that said I’ll share some of the items that I’m thinking of putting on my list. PLEASE, feel free to share the items that make your list. (Is there anyone who already does something like this? If so, is it helpful?)

Oh, and I decided to add some general categories for the evaluation questions to fall within.

Questions to determine if this semester in seminary was a success(rough draft):

FAMILY:

• Does Just a Gal feel loved, appreciated, and that you devoted enough time and energy to her and the kids?
• Were you home for dinner most nights?
• Did you pray and read scripture with the family?
• Did you consistently pray for your family?
• Are you paying the bills?

SCHOOL

• Are you more in love with Jesus because of your studies?
• Did you read, with reasonable care, most of your assigned reading?
• Did you maintain a “C” or better in all your classes?
• Do you better understand Genesis - Joshua, its storyline, and its implications on the rest of scripture?
• Do you have a functional grasp of the Hebrew language?
• Do you better understand the book of Hebrews, with specific emphasis on texts that previously confused you?
• Have you been able to transfer what you’ve learned in Hermeneutics into something that is more than mere head knowledge?
• Have you been able to think more clearly about educational ministry within the church?

WORK

• Have you given excellent service to all your clients by providing clear and timely communication?
• Have you met all your promised completion dates?
• Have you found at least 4 sponsors for Going to Seminary?
• Have you wisely spent your open work hours developing and creating your affiliate marketing sites?

CHURCH

• Are you serving the local church?
• Are you involved in a small group and developing meaningful relationships with people?
• Are you praying for those who don’t know Jesus?

HEALTH

• Does Just a Gal still find you sexy?
• Do you eat 3 meals on most days?
• Have you increased your fruit consumption?
• Do you get adequate sleep every night?
• Are you dealing with your stress in a healthy way (or building it up until you blow up)?

SPIRITUAL

• Do love Jesus more and more?
• Are you consistent in your devotions (or are you skipping them to write blog posts like this one)?
• Are you consistently praying?
• Is your walk with Jesus a treasure and delight?

OK, so there is my rough draft. Please feel free to let me know what you think and/or what is (would be) on your list. I really think something like this is good to help remind you of what you value and what is important. Without it I might just end up trying to get straight “A’s” at the expense of all the other items. However, it is the entire list that defines a successful seminary semester.

Money and Flowers

Strange how stressed we get about money… or maybe that is just me… right?

As Christians aren’t we supposed to look at the flowers of the field and see that God clothes them is splendor and be reminded that he will also take care of us who are of far more worth than a flower (Matthew 6)…

I think I need to plant some flowers outside my office window because I forget that fact all too often.

Budgeting Made Easy

I’ve spent years trying to find the best way for Just a Gal and I to manage our money. While I’d like to think that I had the noble motives of being the best steward of the gifts God gave us, the reality was that most of the time I was just trying to figure out how we could pay the bills every month and have money left for food.

When I first began I simply had some paper and a pen. I’d record expenses (which were very few early on) and kept tabs on where money was going and upcoming bills. As expenses grew this method became too time consuming and I transfered to an excel spreadsheet. I would manually enter our expenses and could easily generate some graphs, charts, and reports to help us see where money was going.

After about a year of using excel I realized that I wasn’t a very good programmer and that my formulas were typically wrong. I tried out Microsoft Money and a couple other computer programs. At the end of it all the one things I noticed is that none of them really helped us to create a budget and stick to it. Instead of helping me budget, all these programs helped me to simply see, after the fact, where all our money went.

It was around this time that I discovered Mvelopes Personal. What set Mvelopes Personalapart from every other piece of financial software that I tried was that it actually took your budget and helped you stick with it.

Here’s how it works:

First, you determine how much income you bring in each month. Next, you create a REALISTIC budget that keeps you under the amount of money you make (spend less than you make… what a novel idea). Each budget item gets its own electronic envelope. Now, whenever you get paid you take the paycheck and divide it up amongst your envelopes, funding them until they each get the amount you have budgeted for the month. Now, as you spend money throughout the month you simply mark the expense in the appropriate envelope… once the money is gone from the envelope, stop spending… it is that simple.

The approach seems so simple to me, yet I have never seen a program close to Mvelopes Personal on the market.

Mvelopes Personal will login into your bank and credit card accounts and automatically download your transactions… so, keeping up with your expenses is as easy as drag and drop. Also, it is all online, so you can access it from anywhere.

Now, yes, Mvelopes Personal does cost you money… but for me, I finally realized that I needed something more to help me make and keep my budget. Since we started using Mvelopes Personal 2 years ago we’ve been able to truly manage and steward our money.

If you’re interested, give it a shot… it is a free 30 day trial, so what do you have to loose?

Tough transition day

My heart broke today.

I walked into the kitchen to fix some lunch and saw my wife crying… enough said, right?

I walked up and simply held her.

“I’m sad,” she said through her tears. “I miss my friends.”

There wasn’t much to say except that I understood and that I wished I could make things easier… but I can’t. I can simply hold my wife, love her, and pray for God’s grace during this time in our lives.

The fact of the matter is that I’m sad too… Moving is hard, no two ways around it. We’ve left our best friends in the world hundreds of miles away and now we sit in a new house, new town, new church… not much is familiar… no walking into church and looking to your left to see ____ and ____. No knowing that when you go to the coffee shop you’ll likely run into ____. No calling up _____ and _____ to come over for dinner. It is tough.

I’ve spent time today dwelling on the Gospel and reminding myself that my King also had to leave the place he knew, a place he loved… he left the throne of heaven and came to live and die on earth. That has helped… staring at Jesus usually does… but it is still a battle.

I’d be humbled and honored if you could take a moment and say a prayer for my family.

My hope is built
on nothing less
than Jesus blood
and righteousness.

I dare not trust
the sweetest frame
but wholly lean
on Jesus name.

Edward Mote c.1834

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