The Future Looks Bright

And I am not just talking about my future though I am excited as I begin my last semester of seminary this week.  The last three years have flown by, but I digress.  I am talking about the future in general.  As someone who is specializing in ministry to youth and young adults, the prime age of most in the military, I tend to work with those who will be shaping the policies and daily things in our lives over the next few decades.  What I have found interesting is how many people as they get to my age, but mostly those a few decades older seem to think that the younger generation will not live up to their own accomplishments.  I haven't been able to see much of a difference on a macro scale that others with more wisdom and age claim.  On the micro and individual scale I do meet many younger people that leave a lot to be desired.  I have also come to realize that my views may be a bit skewed due to my extensive work with youth and young adults that is long term in nature.  But it still doesn't prevent me from defending those who are coming into their own right now.  They have changed my life and will soon have that effect on others as they go forth in the world.  This weekend showed me that there are many bright spots out there beyond just my own circle of youth and young adults that I work with.

I had the privilege of interviewing a number of high school seniors this weekend for a highly selective scholarship at Georgia Tech.  I have never met or heard of any of these students before so they were definitely outside of my circle of youth.  And from what I heard from these students, the world is definitely in some pretty good hands.  They will not all go to Tech nor will they all get a scholarship there but they each have some great enthusiasm and energy to make their mark on the world and each in a different field and for different reasons.  There were a few that humbled me in what they have already accomplished at a young age and just how amazing they are compared to me now, much less when I was back in high school.  It was a pleasure to have a vivid reminder of just how amazing the youth that we run into truly are.  Sometimes I get used to the wonderful students that I work with and think that I get to work with all the good ones when in fact they are just a sample of the talent in the youth and young adults all around us.  Now if I can just figure out a way to make the church understand and tap that talent, I think things would be better not just for the church but for the world in general. 

Catching Up

Wow, it has been a while since the last post. It was a busy semester that is now done and I am officially 2/3 of the way done with seminary. I am so ready to get back to doing work everyday. I have learned that I am better off doing things than talking about them. At least next semester I get to do Clinical Pastoral Education at a local hospital and that should be a good balance to the talking of the classes. A weird thing happened this semester however. It was my busiest and most difficult semester but I got the best grades so far. I guess that was the submarine training in me coming out as I played up to the competition.

In other things, I am now officially a candidate for ordination as my presbytery approved me last week. Now I just need to actually buckle down and study for the ordination exams coming up in August. If I pass those I am just some paperwork and interviews away from ordination. Oh yeah and I have to find a job, but the Navy paperwork shouldn't be too difficult. I get to head to Quantico at the end of the month for 6 weeks of training by working as a Chaplain U/I with a company of officer candidates at USMC OCS. I am extremely excited about that and actually know a few of the DI's heading there and my dad knows a few of the candidates heading up that way.

But before all that I get to spend time cheering on Georgia Tech at the ACC Baseball tourney that is here in Durham for the next five days. Plus, Duke made the tourney and is in the opposite group so I can cheer for them both. The fun all starts tomorrow at noon. I think we are heading to two games a day including each 8pm game for all 4 days. It is nice getting a 1/2 off discount because of being a student. It is nice to actually get a significant amount of relaxation time this summer that I didn't get last year.

Football and Family

I know this is almost a week late in talking about Thanksgiving, but I was busy typing papers and such for the last few weeks of class and didn't have much time. I am constantly amazed by the sense of community and family in the military, especially the Navy. On Thanksgiving, my parents and I flew into Seattle for the weekend to visit my brother on Whidbey Island. When we arrived, he had arranged for us to have dinner with the family of another member of his squadron. We were welcomed with open arms and met that guy, his wife, his parents and two other P-3 types. There was no feeling of intrusion as it has been my experience that you truly look out for each other in the Navy. I remember hosting many open dinners on the holidays at my home when I was active duty and am glad that it is more than the submarine force that extends that kind of hospitality. It is something I have missed and am trying to model for others while here in seminary. The church seems to fail miserably in hospitality and is one thing of many they can learn from the military. (That might be a good dissertation topic for anyone interested in a PhD)

As for the football, it is nice to see my Yellow Jackets are going to a great bowl game this year. We finally benefited from the +/-1 win rule this year and got the best selection of the non-champions. Typically we fall all the way down and get stuck with some West Coast bowl game no one can get to. This time we are playing in Atlanta and I should be there rooting them on. I am assuming my ticket request gets through, especially seeing how I am tagging onto someone else's request who has higher priority than myself. Hopefully, they play fare better than the last few games, especially the narrow loss I witnessed in the Gator Bowl two seasons ago. It is nice to see them continually going to bowl games seeing how they went the two years before I attended, missed all four years of my school time and have not missed a bowl since I graduated. Coincidence? Probably.