MASTERS COMPLETED!

After I squeezed five semester into four, sitting through seemingly endless hours of seminar classes and gave thousands of dollars to Bethel College, I have officially completed my Masters Degree in Ministries! By no means have I "mastered ministry" but I have a degree that say's I am a little smarter and more wise than I once was.

I still remember sitting down that first day of class with Dr. Tomasino on Aug. 23, 2005. That was one of the longest days of my life. The Silver Hawks just ended an eight-game home stand the night before and I was already exhausted from that. Let alone the eight hours of class that day. I also remember thinking that there is no way that I am actually going to complete this degree. Somehow and in someway I managed to get it done.

There were certainly numerous times on this journey that I wanted to quit because that seemed like the more logical solution then pounding out another 10+ page paper for another class. However, quitting would have been the easy way out and I really don't think I could have lived with myself had I actually quit.

Being a student again gave me one incredible opportunity. Not only did I get to spend a summer in L.A. as an intern at Mosaic, I got three credits for it! What that experience taught me may have made the whole graduate program worth while to me. That internship will be a gift that will keep on giving.

At this point I don't foresee any future education but, then again, I never imagined that I would actually go back and get my Masters Degree either. Being involved in academia again was a great experience but I certainly could use a reprieve from that for an extended period. Believe me when I say that not having to look a syllabus for the first time in 2 1/2 years will be nice!

Going through the program helped me tremendously in my own spiritually journey with God. In many ways this degree doesn't make me "spiritually wiser" but it helps me better understand how complex yet beautiful a relationship with Christ can and should be. That is something you can not put in any paper, write on a tuition check or explain in a class room.