11:07 PM dilemma

Life is unrelenting, isn't it? Adult responsibilities, like pounding surf, just come at you wave after wave after thundering wave. Such is the reality we need to prepare our kids for. May they not only be braced for it, but be ready to find the joy in it.

So it's 11:07 when I first started, and I'm facing the same dilemma for the 100,000th time---do I stay up and push a little longer and get a little more accomplished, knowing that it's going to lead to greater fatigue in the morning and reduce significantly my chances of getting up bright and early and spending fresh time with the Lord through His Word----or do I trust what He says in His word that the Lord gives rest to his children? I will lay down in peace, says the psalmist.

My litmus test is becoming, "have I put in a full 18 hours? Did I give it my all for 75% of the day? If so, then it's ok to turn in. For tomorrow will follow shortly enough, with a fresh dose of pressures, opportunities, challenges, and issues. Another 18 hours.

Well, in my case, I've got 30 minutes left, and 15 of those will be spent blogging.

So anyhow, onto a totally different subject, I've been thinking a great deal about seminary again. Our church's inhouse training program is looking to take the final steps this fall in reaching full accredidation for an M.Div program. It's a HUGE step to consider, with countless factors that would need to come into place. I can already envision the checklist of questions my dear friend Joel Button is going to pose to me (love ya, Joel!). But I sense a stirring coming freshly from within. Part of my drive, no doubt, is to escape the secular grind in the marketplace.

But at the same time, it IS different this time (we first entertained the idea after my job ended at Wilson Learning last September). For one, both Erica and I are much more at peace about the idea. And the affordability of the TBI program is most definitely compelling. Finally, I am getting the strong sense that Jesus is NOT going to reveal His full, holy plan to me at the near side of seminary---he will reveal His plan as I go through the process. Little by little, bit by bit, piece by piece, day by day, class by class, semester by semester.

So who knows. First, we need to get my Mom moved into Assisted Living, and I need to get caught up on our budgeting and financial planning, we have a huge playset to move across town, my lawn is a mess, my daughters' bedroom needs painting, etc etc etc. And on top of that, I'm supposed to be learning Quickbooks so as to help with City Vision. I've got plenty upon plenty to keep busy with.