Graduating

This Saturday, I will be graduating from LCU with my M.A. in Christian Education. Today at a luncheon honoring seminary graduates, I had the opportunity to share how my time at LCU shaped me. I thought that it would be appropriate to share this on my blog as well since my time at Lincoln has been very important to me.

"For the last seven years, I have called Lincoln Christian University my home, four of those years in undergrad and the last three in seminary. I’m extremely thankful for the way that LCU has shaped me, especially in my time at seminary. I finished college not knowing exactly what God had in store for me, and going to seminary helped to me to better understand what my passions are. As I have progressed through my degree, it has become more clear where God is leading me and how he is shaping me for ministry. Through the Seminary at Lincoln, God has been equipping me so that I can equip others.

Through this process, I have gained a better understanding of myself. I understand my personality better and how I fit in God’s kingdom. This was one of my main questions when I finished my undergraduate studies. In a seemingly extroverted world, I wondered how God wanted to use an introvert like me. Now I better understand who I am, my strengths, the gifts and abilities that God has given me, and also the areas that I need where to be challenged. The seminary has helped to give me this self-awareness that will help me in ministry.

Seminary has also taught me the importance of study. This isn’t learning for the sake of having more knowledge, but studying to be a better servant leader. Even though I have completed my degree, my education is not done. It is important to continually study to better understand God’s word and the work to which he has called us.

For all of this, I just want to say thank you. Lincoln Christian University has played an important role in my life. It shaped not only my life, but the lives of my grandpa, my parents, and my wife. The education that I have received here will shape my ministry for many years to come. To all of the professors, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for devoting your lives to teaching God’s word with integrity. You make LCU what it is and I am exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to learn from you all whether it was in class, in chapel, at the Bible and Theology symposiums, or over coffee at the Estep’s house. I pray that the ministry of LCU will continue for many years and continue to positively shape the lives and ministry of its students just as it has shaped me."

quick blog update

I have deleted my second blog that I posted a total of two times on. It was a failed experiment in to how much time I had to actually be in the blog world (can that be called the "blorld", if it can and no one has thought of it before I want credit for that). I will instead relegate any and all posts to this blog.

Also, as a side note. I LCCS will now be known as LCU. It was a big day for Lincoln Christian now University.

August

Well, I almost let an entire month of the calendar go by without posting anything at all. It seems like the month went by pretty fast.

Like I said in the last post, I spent the last week of July at Little Galilee in Clinton, IL. It is a Christian camp and I am friends with the dean of that week. The week was wonderful and went very well. Probably the best part of the week was being able to spend it serving beside one of my great friends, Sam Davis. I love working with him. We spent the week making up new games and figuring out how to get campers with water balloons and them not expect it. I also spent the week teaching at the campfire times. The theme for the week was built around Gilligan's Isle. So every night I used a different lost on a desert island tv-show or movie. For example, I spoke about who you are when know one is around using Castaway as an illustration. The week went very well and a good time was had by all.

A few weeks ago, Lindsay and I went home to Indy so that I could attend the no man left behind conference and so that we could go to the state fair. It was a great weekend, I learned a lot at the conference and enjoyed attending it with my Dad and the men of the church that he serves. The state fair was HOT, but fun. We spent the afternoon with my sister and her family. It's always fun to hang out with nieces and nephews and that certainly was the case that Sunday.

It's been a long month and I'm almost ready. Before September can come, however, I'm going to be sentimental. Today was the very last day that LCC&S will be known as such. Tomorrow is the beginning of Lincoln Christian University. And so, I share with you a picture of something that will not be seen again: the entrance to LCCS with the signs for the two schools, in the future they will read, Lincoln Christian Univerity. And thus, I bid LCCS a farewell.