Going Back to School

Two years ago I started working on my Master's degree. I am taking classes online through Crown which is one of our denominational schools. I love to learn. I am the kind of person who looks at life and wants to soak it all in. I took a class 2 years ago as a "trial" and found I really enjoyed it. All the classes are online and I never thought I could do it. If online classes had been available when I was in college I would never have had the discipline to do it. I proved that when I did an independent study during my senior year and did EVERYTHING during the last week it was due. Somehow, I have moved beyond hat to some level to actually be able to do this.

Since that first class I have also taken several classes at Western Seminary on coaching. (The life kind, not the sports kind) I am now taking my second class and I am super excited about it. It's called Spiritual Foundations Leadership. There are some great books to read and interact with that I am really pumped about. I am not the most academic person in the world, but I do consider myself I life long learner. Anything that will move me forward in who I am as a person and follower of Jesus is something that I am a fan of. If it makes me a better pastor, worker, husband, father, son, brother, Christ follower, etc. I am in!

I never really thought I would get my Masters. It seemed to academic for me. When I graduated from college all I wanted to do was to be a youth pastor. I had some friends that went straight to seminary to get their Masters and I thought they were crazy. I love actually DOING the work of God and not just reading about it. I had also been to school most all of my life at the time and I just needed to be done. Now that I have been "doing" for 16 years or so I am glad I am back to reading and learning in n "official" way.

So here we go. Back to school. The timing may not be the best, but then it probably never really is. Where can I get a cool new back pack and a neat trapper keeper?

Almost Done...and I got Canker Sores

As you may be aware, I have started my Master's through Crown. My first class is Leadership & Culture. I am absolutely loving it. I am also almost done. I have to watch 4 video clips from Remember the Titans and then respond to some questions about it. The last two weeks I have been working feverishly on my final project. I had to do an ethnographic study on a people group of my choice. I decided to do my study on youth pastors in churches of 1,000 people or more. We had to do a survey, do a bunch of interviews and over 10 hours of observation.

This was a tough group to do all this with, as they don't all work together. I got 37 to respond to my survey. That was HUGE! Thank you for all who were part of this. I then had to write a 5,000+ word paper on my findings. Then, part way through the class we were given a new option that has never been offered for this class. We could do the paper with only 2,500 words and then do a PowerPoint presentation and an audio file to go along with it. I was in!

I ran into a problem. My hard drive fried. I had to get it replaced and lost files, etc. It was gone for a week. I fell behind on getting it all done. I was up till all sorts of hours of the night. I fell wayyyy behind in my TV viewing. haha. I got 3 canker sores. I haven't had one in quite some time. I usually get them when I am stressed. Of course, lack of sleep is a kind of stress on the body. So lack of sleep and really wanting to get this in on time and done well I was stressed. I got it done. I GOT IT DONE! I actually did over 4,000 words! The only problem was the audio file wouldn't upload. Still won't. Working on it.

I am tired, but this has been really good. I have learned a ton and am looking forward to keep going.