The End of One Chapter and the Beginning of Another Part One

These past few weeks have been pretty big! One significant chapter in my life closed while another one opened.

First, the one that closed. Last week I graduated with a Masters in Theological Studies from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. I did not attend my ceremony but I graduated all the same. I began my Masters in the Fall of 2006 and managed to cram a two-year program into four years. When I began in 2006 I was a somewhat still newlywed, full-time youth pastor, with no kids, living in a small apartment and driving a 1995 Ford Escort. (God bless you Naomi wherever you are!) I failed my first paper (seriously failed not like I got a "C"), and was ready to bow out before ever really getting started. Within my four years of seminary we've had two kids, bought a house, worked with four different senior pastors, left our jobs to pursue church planting, raised support, moved again, picked up some part-time jobs, and yes I had to find a different car to get my butt to school (thank you 1979 Impala and 1995 Honda Oddyssey with 218,00 miles).

All of this to say...it has been quite the journey with a few twists and turns along the way, and due in large part to the grace of both God and my wife I am finished, having never bombed an assignment since, with a 105 page thesis and no added debt to show for it!

So while I didn't walk in a cap in gown last week I did still practice the spiritual discipline of celebration. What I thought was going to be a nice dinner with Bekki ended up being a surprise gathering of friends, both old and new. We ate a ton and had a blast and I again can't believe that I get to live this life!

To conclude I share these words from the acknowledgement section of my thesis:

My deepest gratitude is to my wife and boys. Thank you Bekki for your outstanding love and support throughout this process. You were my biggest cheerleader and I love you dearly. It is now my turn to support you in whatever endeavors you wish to pursue. To my boys Noah and Wil, thank you for letting dad go to school and do his homework. I will return the favor in a few years. Thank you to my Creator and Sustainer who continues to enact transformation in my life, further calling me to bear the image of God in my community and world.