Julie Halitzka » Personal Updates

The National Expirer: 2009 Edition

Julie — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:10:13 +0000

Check out our 2009 Annual Newsletter.

Headlines

Louisville Couple Arrested for Gross Cheapness During Recession
Julie Spends More Time at Gymboree, Claims She is Paid to Play Around
Halitzkas Share Honeymoon Suite to Celebrate New Year in Style
George Does More Writing in 2009

Semester Update

Julie — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:25:52 +0000

So far my semester is going wonderfully, but busy. I ended up taking Applied Ministry, Integrative Seminar, Oratorio Chorus, and Intro to Christian Philosophy. For the most part I am enjoying my course work. (NOTE: I’ve just updated the previous post with the final revision of my Applied Ministry Goals, if you are interested.)

Applied Ministry involves volunteering 9 hours per week at my church, loving every minute of that. Add that to substitute teaching 1-2 days per week, teaching 15 Gymboree classes per week, volunteering at Southern Seminary’s Attic (like Goodwill but free to give and recieve), co-leading a new small group bible study with my husband and another couple, and teaching the new believers class, and that makes me a BUSY woman this semester.

My piano and guitar skills are coming along, I have gotten into a consistent practice routine where I am doing 30-45 minutes on each every day. Sometime soon I will add a worship repertoire list to my seminary portfolio in order to track what I’ve learned and can play.

One week from today I will be at the Vineyard Worship Leaders National Conference East in Asheville, NC at the Ridgecrest Conference Center. I’m very excited for that.

Blessings!

Applied Ministry Goals

Julie — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:47:19 +0000

On August 17th the Fall semester officially starts. I will be taking Applied Ministry, Integrative Seminar, Oratorio Chorus, and one online class; hopefully New Testament II. (provided there is still room – I cannot register for online classes until the 17th)
I’ve got another 2-3 semesters to finish up my degree.

These are the goals that I have set with Lee Anne for Applied Ministry this fall.
(NOTE: This was edited on September 10th to reflect the final revision of my goals)

Continue to develop musical skills used in leading worship.

Develop skill on guitar and piano adequate to lead worship with an instrument, both solo and with a worship team. Put skills into practice during Sunday services. Meet weekly with Lee Anne Turner for lessons and goal setting. Create and add to a repertoire list evidencing songs prepared on each instrument.
Write at least four new worship songs, with coaching from Lee Anne Turner, as well as other worship team members.

Coordinate worship services.

Participate in creative service planning for special services, as well as Sunday morning services. Communicate with staff about sermon topics and how they relate to music preparation. Attend staff meetings along with worship director on the third Tuesday of each month, and special meetings as needed.
Assist in scheduling the worship team for Sunday morning services. (Team of 15-20 members including singers, instrumentalists, and sound/media personnel.)

Grow in knowledge and experience of technology that helps to support corporate worship.

Set up and maintain a planningcenteronline.com account for the Highland Vineyard worship team (Create user accounts for team, add charts and mp3 links, use for scheduling and generating service orders.)
Run live sound and projection for church services and team rehearsals as needed when not leading musically. Become familiar with equipment needs and budget.
Assist Media Director, Rick Mathley with video production and other media projects from week to week.
Experience a recording studio environment during the Fall Worship Team CD project. Learn the software program Sonar, assist producer as needed.

Another Semester Completed

Julie — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:25:45 +0000

I am happy to report that I have made it through another semester. I now have 70 credits completed – including lessons and pre-requisite courses. I have 33 credits more to finish my MDiv Worship.

Musically it’s been a good year, I have progressed – I have led worship from keys while singing – both solo and doing rhythm piano with a praise band. Lee Anne (worship leader/mentor) has also agreed to teach me to play the electric bass over the summer, and hopefully I will take drum lessons sometime in the next year.

My goal is to finish up my music courses in 2008-2009. I have six more theology classes to complete the year after, which could be done either online, or on campus. I am not taking any classes this summer.

My hours at Gymboree Play & Music have greatly increased, which means I get to enjoy spending lots of time getting paid to play with the 0-5yr old set. I’m very happy to be there more. I also will be volunteering at The Attic at Southern (like goodwill as far as donations go, but FREE to shop, for seminary families), and will finally complete training and start volunteering regularly with Home of the Innocents.

George has also created a Character Education Program that we will be performing together at local camps and YMCAs.

Next fall I will be taking Applied Ministry and Integrative Seminar, alongside Music since 1900, and an ensemble. I am doing Applied Ministry at my current church, Highland Vineyard, which is sweet! I will be able to keep almost all of my hours at Gymboree, and will substitute 4-6 days a month in order to pay for classes.

On another note, this site will probably get an overhaul at some point – streamlining and rearranging, mostly. It is turning out to be more a website with some blogging than a true blog. And I still really need to fold my music into everything.

Here is our Annual Newsletter for your reading pleasure

Julie — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:43:18 +0000

I posted this on facebook already, but have been way behind on blogging. So you may have seen this already. If not, here is a link to our Annual Newsletter.

Personal Goals for 2009

Julie — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:33:32 +0000

It’s been a slooooooooooow beginning to my new year. But I think that’s been good for me.

Personal Goals for the new year:

Feast on God’s word daily. Savor every bit of it. Slow down, and take time. Not just skim, or read for information. Allow all of my life – the way I live every moment – to be mastered by the text of scripture.
Care for the body that God has given me, so that I can have maximum effectiveness in ministry. Specifically, do a 30 minute aerobic workout at least three times a week.
Steward my gifts well – practice and spend time songwriting. The latter has fallen off way too much, mainly because I haven’t been taking the time.
Care for orphans. Specifically, I will volunteer at Home of the Innocents, they are within walking distance of my house.
Identify and eliminate meaningless time wasters – such as excessive web surfing and internet tv and movie watching, among other things.

Just Because: Why I love my husband

Julie — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 02:13:15 +0000

God has blessed me with a wonderful man. I just wanted to take this opportunity to publicly encourage him. He is a man of noble character who loves God and loves me. Just a few reasons why I love my husband so much and am blessed to be his wife:

He loves God, and he loves me.
He knows the word and spends time in it daily.
He prays with me daily.
He has the courage to step out in faith to follow God’s call for his life, forsaking material security for obedience.
He is a good steward of our finances.
He is humble enough to apologize when he knows in his heart that he is wrong.
He is teachable – he asks for advice and feedback from church leadership on questionable matters.
He protected my purity when we dated – and reserved ‘I love you’ until we were engaged.
He saved himself for marriage. (as did I!)
He uses his gifts to encourage me and continue to show his affection – writing stories about a Bear and Bee, and their adventures, that personify our relationship.
He supports me in better preparing for my calling – and regularly encourages me to use my gifts.
He will tell me what he is thinking – I never have to guess.
He will speak the truth in love, when I need to hear it.
He shows me grace and patience, daily.
He tells me that he loves me, a couple dozen times a day.
He gives himself up for me daily in the ways that he protects me, cares for me, and makes sacrifices for me.

I love you George!!!!!

[ Wives, have you told your husbands lately how much you love and respect them? Now would be a great opportunity. ]

Year One Wrap-up

Julie — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:32:47 +0000

Summer semester is nearing a close, I’m in my final push to finish assignments. Looking back on my year I’m pretty happy with how things have gone. I completed alot… 44 credits in the last year (including J-Terms), which should bring my total to 50 credits. I’m about halfway (88 for my degree +9 credits worth of prerequisites, plus 1 credit each for music lessons which mostly don’t count towards my program). I will NOT finish early, but I will be able to lighten the load in my last year.

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.

Summer and Fall Classes

Julie — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:34:12 +0000

It’s officially April 28th, (right after midnight) so I was able to register for summer and fall classes. Here’s what I’ll be taking.

Summer 2007-2008

29250, Survey of Christian Ethics, Magnuson, 6/2 to 6/6
45400, The Ministry of Teaching, Parker, 6/23 to 6/27
40080B, The Ministry of Leadership, Stinson, 7/7 to 7/11

Fall 2008-2009

22400D, Elementary Greek, Vickers
27700, Biblical Theology of Worship, Ware
41085, Introduction to Hymnology, Crookshank
51660, Instrumental Transcription and Arranging, Smith
40230, Leadership in Contemporary Expressions of Corporate Worship, Stam

I may add Elementary Hebrew via the Internet over the summer if there is room by the first day of class. I will take at least one, maybe two lessons in the Fall, but I’m going to wait and add those when it gets closer.

Anyway, back to my last week and a half of Spring Semester.

One Year!

Julie — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:44:50 +0000

Today is our official one year anniversary!

One year ago, we took our vows:

I love you. Today before God and these witnesses, I take you to be my best friend, my lover, and my spouse. For the rest of my life, I covenant to place you and our marriage first, above all things on earth.

I promise to respect you, to encourage and support you, to dream with you, to work alongside you, to savor every moment of life with you. Knowing that God works all things for good when we love Him, I will never leave or forsake you.

When we disagree, I promise to speak the truth in love, to be willing to listen, and to admit when I’m wrong. As we begin our journey together, I thank God for placing you in my life, and I can’t wait to see what He has in store for us.

I love being married, and I love my husband very much! He is a handsome and talented man who loves Jesus, and I am blessed to have him in my life.