April 2008
Hello Lord of Love!
Well, the long wait for internship assignments is over and the discernment process has just increased twenty-fold!! I am excited that I have been placed in a parish in the Twin Cities which means that David and I will not have to move. So, we will remain in our current apartment for yet another year. For those of you who don’t know, David and I moved once a year for the first three years of our marriage so staying put feels really good right now. On the other hand, the longer we stay where we are, the more settled we are and it feels like the idea of moving back to NE after seminary gets pushed further and further away. It is interesting to me how making a move forward in this process should make me feel like I am getting closer to my goal, but instead, it makes me more aware that it’s not that easy.
One thing I can say for certain is that I am excited to be coming up on the last three weeks of classes. As I am writing this, I have three weeks and two days of classes left. These two years have gone by in a flash and as of May 14 my status as a student will be changing from Middler to Intern. I have many papers to write between now and then and I often wonder why I feel like I have so little time to do things. It’s just hard to fit everything in! Classes, reading, reflecting, writing, working, going to chapel, text study, church involvement, my husband, my dog, friends, Survivor… J
It has been a fun month around the seminary. The snow has finally melted – three times – and the grounds crew is getting the lawn cut, the flower beds cleaned out, the driveways repaired and it is truly beginning to feel like Spring. There are also a number of events that begin to pop up this time of year. My favorite was the Silent Auction and Variety Show which happened on April 1st. Few opportunities arise to see our professors and administration singing and dancing and poking fun at themselves and this is definitely a great one! I got to witness the seminary president and his administrative cabinet sing about their favorite things, my two preaching professors singing and dancing with pink boas, and my New testament professor as the devil in a deal or no deal skit about intern placements. It was a fun night and it raised money, too! We’ve also had a bunch of potlucks and free meals for a variety of reasons. Free food is always a bonus in my book.
Personally, I had an opportunity to attend a Dismantling Racism workshop over a weekend and get credit for it! This workshop was so wonderfully run. Of course, racism is still a sensitive subject and the presenters handled it with great care and integrity. I certainly have some more tools in my toolbox for future ministry and am thankful for that.
Thank you to all of you for being so welcoming in letting me occupy the pulpit for a Sunday. I enjoyed being able to preach at Lord of Love and, as always, feel so encouraged in my call whenever I have spent time with you. Thank you also for the benevolence that has come my way. I was able to get books for the semester and pay a portion of my tuition and your generosity and support is greatly appreciated. I thank God for you and pray his blessings upon you as you have been a blessing to me.
Peace, Paula
