Goodbye Summer...

Summer has always been my favorite season. I blame it on my upbringing in Brazil. I just love the sweltering heat. The approach of the end of summer loomed large this morning as Denver was blanketed in clouds and drizzle. We had a great summer though. This was Declan's first summer and he has been quite mobile. Naomi perfected her swimming which made our pool visits much more enjoyable. She was able to go on the big twisty slide, having met the prerequisite of swimming an entire link in the 'deep end'. I was so proud of her. Yesterday was Naomi's first day of second grade. I could tell when she got home that she absolutely loved her class and teacher. I hope I am able to help her maintain her love of school.

I have always loved school. I love to learn. I love to converse and dialogue with people. Amidst my slight anxiety, I am overwhelmed with excitement about starting school this Friday. Orientation Day at Denver Seminary is on Friday and my first official day of class is Monday. I feel like a child again... except I didn't get to buy new tennis shoes for PE. I'm going to try and make my old ones last until Spring since I run less in the winter.

I have several reasons for wanting to attend Denver Seminary which I haven't really mentioned to others yet but I feel I should write down. Hopefully when I look back at this I will be able to say that it met at least some of my expectations. I have wanted to pursue my Masters in Theology for quite some time now. If you had told me that ten years ago I'd have told you you're crazy. After all, I dropped out of Bible College 14 years ago, opting instead for a career in the Air Force. Funny how life sends you in circles sometimes. For a while I had been looking at various online degree programs since I am a stay-at-home mom and thought that would be the best option. But I soon realized, how much I would actually miss in studying and learning if I chose the less interactive course. And so I began to plan my life around physically attending class. I pondered moving to VA so I could study at Regent. I considered moving to CA to study at LIFE (I grew up in Foursquare and it is a denomination very close to my heart.) But I finally accepted the idea that God had placed me in Denver, and I was to be here for the next 4-5 years. So if I was to pursue a degree program it needed to be where He had me. That left me with Denver Seminary. Once I did some research and visited the campus I fell in love with it and its mission, not to mention being impressed by some of the highly reputable scholars that have come out of Denver Seminary.

At this year's Foursquare convention (I try to go whenever I can to spend time with family and see dearly loved friends) one of the speakers mentioned he wanted to see the denomination move forward in the area of ecumenical theological contribution. I thought my heart was going to burst when I heard those words. That is what I want to do! And so it is with this passion that I begin my sojourn into the pursuit of my MDiV and beyond. I know the road will be full of challenges, setbacks, revisions and the like, but I am excited to go through it all. I may not know the full extent of God's plan, but it is enough that I know He has a plan...and a hope, for my future. On that note... Goodbye Summer! Hello Fall!

My fall will definitely be interesting. Here's my list of classes:

Effective Biblical Interpretation
Engaging Early and Medieval Christianity
Introduction to New Testament Greek
Defending Christian Faith
Introduction to Christian Formation, Training and Mentoring
Introduction to Ministry in Intercultural Context

Pray for me!