Malone it is!

Again it has been some time since my last blog entry, and I am amazed at the way the Lord works in my life. This time, it's about my seminary studies. Where to start...

It was fall of 2008, I had just completed 21hrs of the 36hrs needed in my Master's in Christian Ministry program at Malone. Only 5 classes left! Even though I was so close, I decided to take a semester off because Laurie was expecting Luci and there was a lot to do in preparing for baby #4. The plan was to start back up in the spring.

But during my time off, I was starting to reflect on my degree, an I felt that I was not getting enough of what I was craving, which was theology. I expressed this concern to several professors at Malone. They told me that they were working on it, but it would probably not happen in time for me.

That said, I was still planning on going back in the Spring. But then, crazy stuff began happening with my work schedule so I ended up skipping Spring semester as well. As I missed spring semester I really started to question what I would do. I felt like I needed a real Theology based degree.

So, in fall of 2009, with the advice of my Sr. Pastor, I decided to enroll at Liberty University and complete my degree online. I was ecstatic! I was going to complete a degree in Biblical Interpretation in the same amount of time as I would have at Malone. All I could think about was all those cool theology and hermeneutics classes. But believe it or not, I missed registration deadlines in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010.

Now I had had enough. I was absolutely, positively committed to starting in the fall of 2010. I was starting to feel like I would never finish this degree that I had already done so much for. I was not crazy about studying online, but I had to get it done.

So this week, as I called Malone for some unrelated transcript info, I had a conversation with the Dean of the School of Theology. He shares with me that they have just started offering a Masters in Theological Studies and if I wanted I could pick up in the program from where I was!! Seriously! So now I am registered starting in the fall to complete my MATS through Malone. I get my theology, my Greek and Hebrew, my hermeneutics, and I still get to graduate in just 3 semesters.

Looking back on it, what seemed like hurdles, frustrations, and setbacks was probably God telling me when and where was the right time to start and finish school. I pray this is it. I so want to complete school and move on with my ministry. I pray it all goes well and I cannot wait to get my new Malone student ID card!!