A New Year - Excited!

I suppose that today should be a day of reflection and a day of looking forward. Instead I slept late and then started scrubbing things down. We have VERY old appliances here at the cabin and at some point it just became nearly impossible to keep them clean (stove/oven and fridge). I could barely stand it! So, I attacked both of them and they're much better.

What better way to spend New Year's Eve and New Year's Day than cleaning, right? I had Star Wars playing in the background. I know those crazy movies so well that I don't need to actually watch them. I see the action happening with just the sound playing. Every once in awhile, I'll glance at the screen because I love a scene, but for the most part I like the noise.

I am really looking forward to 2010. You see, I turned 50 last year and didn't like it. I don't feel like I am half a century old (well, that was an ugly phrase) and I hate the idea that I probably have less than 50 years ahead of me to accomplish all of the things I want to do. With that reality staring me in the face, though, I figure that it is definitely time to make changes.

Last fall I started with a couple of classes through University of Phoenix. Since I hadn't been in an organized learning environment since 1981, I was quite worried about how I would handle that situation. I did fine. Which gave me the courage to explore further learning opportunities. One of the things I have regretted is the fact that I never advanced my education. No Master's Degree, no doctorate. That was a bitter regret.

I have applied to Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky to get my Master's of Divinity. No, I'm not intending to be a pastor.

Actually, that's almost funny. When I was growing up there were two vocations that I never wanted to have anything to do with. I didn't want to marry a man who was a farmer (those women worked way too hard) and I didn't want to marry (or be) a pastor). I was pretty adamant about that.

I obviously didn't marry a farmer and I'm still adamant about the whole pastorate thing. But, the MDiv will propel me towards the doctorate and I'm hoping that as I move through the program I will be able to identify exactly what it is that I will do when I'm finished.

Asbury offers me the chance to do 2/3 of the degree online. I'll be glad to hide at the cabin to do this. I will have plenty of time, peace and quiet to study and work, while hopefully continuing with the study and writing that I enjoy doing for myself. There will be intensive weeks of classwork on campus, but this degree can actually work for me.

The application is in - every piece that I needed to deal with is finished. I had to write a personal history using their guidelines that took me much longer than it should have taken. But, it's finished and submitted. Now I simply need to wait for their acceptance into the program and work through financial aid.

In 1984, I had intended to leave the job I was in at the time (Christian Ed and Music Director at a UM Church in Spencer, Iowa) and head to Asbury for my Master's Degree. Life took a rather strange turn when I opened a printing business instead. I am so excited about the fact that I am finally moving towards getting the degree that I've always dreamed about.

Yes - 2010 is going to be an interesting year!