On our way to....

Having a Home

I've been baking and cooking up a storm to get some things frozen before classes start. Pulling whole wheat bread out of the oven yesterday made me realize we really are staying here. Until then, it just felt good to be baking again after all these weeks without a routine. I guess life is kind of sweet and sad at the same time for us these days. Maybe I should make some sweet and sour chicken to commemorate the feelings!

Now about the kitchen...every home has it's little quirks! When we first moved in, I wondered what idiot architect would put a set of doors on a kitchen. I mean who would want to have to open and close a door to the kitchen? Now I know.

Our little kitchen is either very well insulated or has no ventilation. Yesterday I made lasagna and a huge pot of chicken curry. Even with our air conditioning on, the oven and stove were soon heating our whole house. So I closed the doors. Of course then it was about a hundred degrees in the kitchen, but thank goodness I didn't have to stay in there the whole time. Every time I had to check on something, I would just take a deep cool breath before walking into the blaze of heat, and then escape back into the house as soon as I could. This little kitchen quality should come in handy in the winter!


Being Poor

We registered for our classes Monday. In order to register, we had to pay all our tuition up front. As we walked back to our car after writing the tuition check, Jonathan commented, " We are now officially on our way to being poor!" It was really kind of exciting!

Here's the run down on our course load for this Semester. I am taking a class called Educational Foundations. It covers basic assumptions and theories of Christian Education and is the prerequisite class for all the other classes in my Masters of Educational Ministry (MAEM). Jonathan and I are both taking Covenant Theology and Spiritual and Ministry Formations together. In addition Jonathan is taking Beginning Greek and the intro to preaching class, called Preparation and Delivery.

Yesterday we went to Sam's Club to get stocked up on things around the house. It feels a little uncomfortable to be spending all this money, especially as I don't have a job yet. I must admit I'm a little stressed about it. I'm advertising my desire to teach piano lessons in all the Christian and private schools around here, which is a staggering number. So far no bites, but it has only been two days.

Today I interviewed and was signed up as a substitute teacher in an private elementary school. I'm hoping this will be a good income source during school hours if I can sign up in a few more schools.

Please join me in praying that the Lord would put the right piano students in my path, or guide me into what else he would have me be doing to provide the other income we need to be here.


Getting Humble

As part of orientation, Jonathan and I had to take a bible content exam. It's purpose it to allow stellar students to test out of 6 credits of Bible overview classes. Jonathan, lucky MDiv student that he is, get's until his last year to pass the test, with as many tries as he wants. I only got one shot.

I went into the test fairly confident and a little nervous because of all the warnings we heard from everyone about how hard the test was. (Apparently 80% of the students fail it their first try) But I thought, "I've had Bible classes from kindergarten through my senior year of college, surely I must know something about the Bible by now!" And I do! I know 32.3 % ! Let's just say I will be enjoying those 6 extra credits of remedial Bible content before I graduate. Until then, please refer elsewhere for your six-point outlines of Isaiah!