Last Monday, I went to register for winter and spring classes, very exciting. I had my schedule all lined up – it was going to be great.

Then I went to apply for student loans. After 4 & 6 percent interest rates on our previous loans – they quoted me a 12% interest rate. Seriously?!?!?!?! After a call to the loan company, my husband and I were told it was nothing in our profile specifically, but that underwriting has changed, and rates are going up across the boards.

At first, I was pretty upset – freaking out – then I was just generally grumpy. I played through lots of scenarios in my head, stressing myself out as I went.

Things look brighter now. I’m admittedly still not loving the idea of taking an extra year to get through grad school, but I am seeing a couple of blessings in this – significantly less debt when I’m done with school, and another year serving at and doing life with the people I love at our church. Looking around me, I have a Savior who loves me, a wonderful marriage, a nice place to live, heat, food, and money to pay the bills. God has been so faithful in providing. His plans are always better than mine.

For now- (holding this with open hands) – I will probably take an additional year to get through school, and work a lot more in order to pay as I go. I will take only Monday classes next semester, and maybe one internet course. I would like to keep my job at Gymboree Play & Music, and I’ve applied to substitute teach. Hopefully that can be my second job.

That’s my update.
Peace out!

Some things I’ve learned this year from both successes and mistakes:

• You are God’s provision for your spouse; keep family priority over homework.
• Studying at home means I get to see my work-at-home spouse – ALOT!
• Do NOT schedule J-Term weeks back to back.
• Do NOT take an online class – especially a language class – alongside 3 other J-Terms.
• Do NOT work or go to class every day. Rest IS necessary. Do everything you can to schedule one day completely off.
• Schedule time for dates with your spouse.
• Schedule time for sleep
• Lecture rooms don’t always have enough outlets for the number of people who bring computers. Carry an extension chord and a power strip with your laptop.
• Living and working on a bus line will save you LOTS of money (add up gas, insurance, car payments, and maintenance) This has the added bonus of relieving financial stress on your marriage, as finances are one of the biggest things couples have disagreements about.
• TARC, the local bus service, has a trip planner, which will give you times and transfers. Stilz is the shortest street between Frankfurt and Lexington to walk down, if you want to catch a bus on Frankfurt.
• Shopping at Sams Club keeps major shopping trips to once a month. We can also make a list and price trips out in advance (which is great when you are on a tight budget).
• Meijer has the best produce in town.
• It works well to create a category for each seminary class, and a task for each assignment in Outlook, you can paste the assignment details in the notes field, and not worry about keeping track of paper syllabi.
• It’s essential to keep focus on why you went to seminary in the first place – what has God called you to do, and what you are specifically looking to learn and accomplish.
• Women, know what you believe about women in ministry – and expect to sit in classes where people are debating the validity of women doing what you feel called to do.
• Treasure the Fellows and Professors who take the time to give you detailed feedback on papers, they are rare.
• You may not get your papers back unless you ask, or attach a SASE.
• Keep a list of books you’d like to read later (during the summer or once you are done seminary)
• Keep a list of topics you’d like to study later (during the summer or once you are done seminary)
• Keep great quotes in a file somewhere for each book you read.
• Keep an annotated bibliography of everything you read.
• Keep a list of future application points. Many professors will ask you to do this as part of your papers… I know if I don’t gather it in one place, they will be scattered on my hard drive and never applied.
• Be serving in ministry while you are in school. Make the desire to serve known to the leadership at your church.
• Women, find a church where there is a woman in leadership in your particular area of ministry.
• Married women in seminary – whose husbands aren’t attending too – are RARE. Anyone else out there?

A few of my favorite classes:

• Ministry of Teaching – I took it this summer as a J-Term. It was a small class, with lots of discussion and participation, and I really enjoyed my professor (Shane Parker). Don’t let the 10 pg Augustine Paper due on the first day scare you away.
• Intro to Biblical Counseling – I took it as a J-Term in the winter with Dr. Powlison. I loved him as a teacher, and his 3 trees model for sanctification will stick with me.
• Systematic Theology II – I enjoyed having class with Dr. Allison. I also really enjoyed the State and Defend Assignments. Plus there was a project option to create visual or performing art based on a theological topic, instead of a writing a paper.
• Intro to Music Ministry – Very practical content on both philosophy of and administration of a music ministry. I particularly enjoyed writing a philosophy of music ministry and personal mission statement.
• Church Music and Worship classes generally – They tend to be of a smaller size, less than 15, so there’s generally more of a sense of community and more interaction. Plus they are the classes in my major. I love learning about worship.

HT:(John Ried)

1. What translation of the Bible do you like best?
* Depends on the day. Either my NET, or my side by side NASB/MSG

2. Old or New Testament?
* Both

3. Favorite Book of the Bible?
* Proverbs

4. Favorite Chapter?
* 31

5. Favorite Verse? (feel free to explain yourself if you have to)
* Philippians 4:13

6. Bible character you think you’re most like?
* Um, I’ll say Deborah, as she is one of the ladies who led worship & wrote songs. I’d most like to be more like lady wisdom from the aforementioned chapter in proverbs.

7. One thing from the Bible that confuses you?
* why God would come save us sinful humans… we are SO not worthy.

8. Moses or Paul?
* Both, but Moses gets cool points for Exodus 34:6-7. I love how God used his holy discontent with how things were to call him into ministry, and how much crap he dealt with from the Israelites and still stayed faithful to his calling. Plus the whole glowing face thing? Pretty neat.

9. A teaching from the Bible that you struggle with or don’t get?
* Let’s see… doctrines I haven’t dived into studying for myself yet…

10. Coolest name in the Bible?
* Jesus (DUH )

Now tag five people. Okay, Tag, you’re it!
Scott, Chris, Ana, Heather, Emily

NOOMAs are short video stories focusing on a single theme, only about 10-14 minutes long. I’ve watched two with my small group. I thought they were not stellar, and not bad, either.

NOOMAs aren’t meant to be the whole story, or a sermon, or to draw conclusions for people. They are supposed to get people talking. That’s why all of them come with a 32 page discussion guide, and packs of extra discussion guides are available.

Think of these as an extended sermon illustration. Does every sermon illustration contain the whole gospel? No. So why should these videos?

Story in any form is a way to begin conversation. It takes a person to share the gospel.

Preview clips from any episode, using links on the bottom of the NOOMA webpage, if you are so inclined.

HT: (Reviews on 9Marks, Vitamin Z)

Grudem lecturing through his own Systematic Theology Book, for the Christian Essentials class at his church. A long list of downloadable .mp3s is available on the class website.

In summary…

“Chapman’s reasons for giving appropriate love to others, his explanation of what speaking another’s love language does, his ultimate goal in marriage, and his evaluation of the significance of love languages are deplorable.” p.229

Why are love languages bad?

“A love language (or lust language) instinctively tends to look at all reality through the lens of “my needs.” I’ve found that one acid test of my heart is how I handle being misunderstood, caricatured, dissed – not how I handle being accurately known and loved! It’s when someone doesn’t speak my ‘love language’ that I find out what I’m made of, and by God’s grace begin to change what I live for. Desires for good things easily become imperial demands that would enslave the very people who might try to speak my language- or yours. The lust that perverts such languages sets up unholy law, by which to command and judge the performance of others in the eyes of an unholy king.” p.234

The list here was the kicker for me… ouch!

“You and I need to learn a new language if we are to become fit to live with each other and with God. The greatest love ever shown does not speak the instinctively self-centered language of the recipients of such love. In fundamental ways, the love of Christ speaks contrary to your ‘love language’ and ‘felt needs.’ Does anyone naturally say, ‘For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity for it is great’ (Psa 25:11)? Does anyone naturally say, ‘My greatest need is for mercy, and then for the wisdom to give mercy. I long for redemption. May your kingdom come. Deliver us from evil?’

God’s grace aims to destroy the lordship of the five love languages, even while teaching us to speak the countless love languages with greater fluency. Consider what Chapman’s five so often sound like in real life.

• Affirming words? I feel loved when the crowd cheers, and when you offer me flattering compliments, like, ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?’
• Quality time? I feel loved when you drop everything to focus on me, are completely understanding, give me unconditional love, agree with all my opinions, and never disagree with me, question me, or interrupt me.
• Gifts? I feel loved when you are my Sugar Daddy, giving me money, buying me lots of nice stuff, taking me on exotic vacations, and pampering me.
• Acts of service? I feel loved when you do exactly what I want, and don’t make any demands on me, and say, ‘Your wish is my command.’
• Physical touch? I feel loved when you go along with my kinky sexual fantasies and when you make me feel like the most special person in the world.

Notice how each of the five love languages often speaks with a dark and greedy growl.

Notice the black hole of insatiable demand when love languages call the shots, when the emotional love tank rules with an iron will or a self-indulgent smirk or a pouty tantrum.

…

At the end of the day, a book such as 5LL make some interesting observations. It can point out some details you might not have noticed. You ought to pay attention to the varied languages of human experience, your own included. It offers a few helpful tips that might help you love someone better. That’s good. But you’d better not buy the reasoning. 5LL speaks essential ‘unwholesome words’ (Eph 4:29) when it comes to identifying and addressing the real needs of the human condition.” p.236-237

You can access them here: http://www.desiringgod.org/library/onlinebooks_index.html

Buy Fair Trade… that might be one I can support. Buy American… I’m not so sure…