News Update June 14th 2009
Well, I'm back and I finally recovered from exams. Yes, I know they were done on May 15th, but this time they were pretty strenuous. I am happy to report that I received an A in exegesis and B's in Polity and Theology. I'm not sure where that leaves my GPA yet, but I think it may have slipped to a bit below the 3.7 mark. And that is perfectly okay. I've come a long way from having panic attacks over B's. I'm not sure how I would react to a C at this point, but I don't intend to find out.
In the middle of preparing for final exams, I learned that I would also need to prepare paperwork to become a candidate for ministry in the Presbyterian Church. This is not a quick fill-in-the-blank exercise, they ask questions like: What does it mean to be Presbyterian? What is your sense of vocation concerning being a minister? Write a personal faith statement and analyze at least one theological point from it. This was the task that sent me into panic mode the week before exams because I needed to answer these questions coherently and didn't feel that I could even think coherently let alone write something down. The good news is--I did complete them and before schedule (by one day) and everybody was impressed with my answers. I must be doing something right. . . . .
I have met with my session (church leadership) and the CPM (committee of the presbytery/regional leadership) concerning the above paperwork and both have approved me for candidacy to become a minister of Word and Sacrament. Next I meet with the actual Presbytery to be interviewed and they will vote to officially accept me as a candidate. I think I might be crazy. Do you know what is involved in this job? Ahhhhh! Good thing this is about God and not me.
I am taking this summer off from classes (although I might audit a class just to stay in practice). My agenda is to take care of me and spend time with my family. The taking care of me part is turning into a full time job. With the routine physical turning into referrals to several other places, I don't know if I can handle taking care of me. The stress of seminary/moving/lost jobs/you name it is taking a toll on my health--not too drastically--but enough to be concerned. I am taking care of all that this summer and learning some new tricks on how to manage it moving forward. I am considering taking up Yoga just to learn to relax; I've heard that it's helps with stress related health issues. That should be fun.
The children finished school with a bang. Both have straight A's and exemplary behavior marks. No they are not perfectionist like me. I have tried not to pass that on to them, I encourage them to do their best. It turns out their best are A's. S will start 6th grade next year and B will start 3rd. Their summer is packed with several summer camps and a road trip to Ohio. Just about every other week there is something going on with one or both of them.
Last week S went to boy scout camp for the week--Sunday through Saturday. I'm not a normal mom, though, because I wasn't worried about separation anxiety nor was he. (Charles went up on Wednesday to volunteer as First Aide counselor for the remainder of the week, so S didn't really spend the entire week parent free.) He had a great time and Charles tried to steer clear of S while he was there so it was still authentic. It was good to have him home.
B had two sleepovers during the week. One in Atlanta and one in Charlotte--how cool is that? She was scheduled for Clay camp next week, but there wasn't enough interest so the camp was canceled. She was bummed, but not for long. I'm going to try to find some way to get her some experience with clay--she was meant to learn coil and slab methods. What she really wants to learn is using the potter's wheel. I have a friend that has a studio or access to a studio that I'm going to ask if we can use. Either that or I'll just get B some clay and show her some coil and slab stuff to get her started. I'm not sure her hands and arms are strong enough to throw a pot--mine weren't when I was at Queen's. I ached for weeks when I started throwing pots.
In two weeks we start our road trip to Ohio. We're going to travel to Charlotte first to visit with folks there for a day or two then head to Ohio to see Grandma and Grandpa and the extended family for a few days. Then we head back to Georgia via highway 75 and see some things along the way. Overall, it should be a well deserved vacation for all of us. I'll let you know how the road trip goes next time.
Once we get back, it is nose-to-the-grindstone for Charles. He will have had a nice break from all the corporate nonsense and it will be time for him to return to it. The funniest thing is that he has received opportunities for contracts in Charlotte, Seattle, Louisville, St. Louis and Jacksonville but not in Atlanta. Unfortunately, this lack of opportunities in Atlanta may mean that he will need to travel through the week and be home on weekends. Not much fun for any of us, but perhaps necessary for a time. There isn't enough stress in my life . . . .
Well, that's all for now. Please continue to pray for us as we discern what God is calling us to do. It is always a joy to hear from ya'll.
Peace,
Diane