Seems like I have fallen off the edge of the world!

Yikes! it was brought to my attention by a very good friend (you know who you are!)that it has been a substantial amount of time since my last post. The thing is I keep meaning to post something and then I get swept up in the rapture of reading Isaiah and doing what seems like ten thousand different things. I am a total squacker when it comes to blogging.
However.....to make up for it I am including a link so you can see pictures of a service we had at the seminary when the National Bishop Susan Johnson was visiting. Check it out: http://thelorax.smugmug.com/gallery/3473425#P-1-15
Bishop Susan was here for the Board of Directors meeting on the long weekend of November. Bishop Elaine got quite the razzing from the other bishops as most of us from MNO synod were in the library on Saturday when they were meeting. Elaine took it in good sport!
Anyway, that is all for now - I am trying to get seven projects finished up in the next two weeks - wish me luck!
hugs - me

Memories of Carrots

Is it true what they say (whoever they are) that the amount of love you had for someone is based on the number of memories you have of them? I don't believe this. I think those who believe this are completely misunderstanding the concept of love and the relatonship love has to memories. Does the fact I don't have a whole lot of memories of my Dad mean that I did not love him much? I don't think so.

While I don't have memories of lots of interaction with him what I do have are memories of things associated with him. Such as garden sweet carrots, freshly washed and drying on newspaper under the train layout. My memory takes me back to a time when Dad taught me how to plant the carrot seeds and cover them with enough soil (but no too much) and to care for the living plants in God's creation.

I am sitting in what used to my Dad's study. Mum, Alan and I have changed things around so it is more conducive to Mum's and my liking, but sitting in this chair I am reminded of all the hours Dad used to sit in it. Dad used to write me letters when I had lived away from home. Knowing he took time out of his busy day to write me a couple of lines and include a "little something" meant the world to me. So, letters remind me of him.

Thanks Dad for the memories of sweet garden carrots, trains and letters.

Snapshots of the beginning of Seminary 2007

The Pictures here are of President Ogilvie and myself leading opening worship at orientation. Grapes from Mum's backyard. The three angels of seminary!!! and Theology 431

Sinners Breakfast Club

Thursday is the day we sinners get together in true Lutheran style: up early (at the crack of dawn) sharing a good cup of coffee and stimulating conversation over a meal. This is our Sinners Breakfast Club and it happens every Thursday at local restaurants around Saskatoon that are open at the crack of dawn to feed hungry theologians and sinners!!!

Summer pics

Alan and I goofing around at the Explore! Manitoba pavillion at the Forks
Picture #2 Loreen and Barbara checking out the handpainted wolves at the Forks. They came for a visit on the August long weekend. Picture #3 Loreen and Jenn enjoying each other's company. Picture #4 The three amigo's!!!!!

pictures - test

OK. here is a test of an uploaded picture.

Not sure what to call this......

Well, here we are at the end of week two. My head is swimming with Dogmatic's, trying to figure out how to explain the Holy Spirit, Isaiah, and exegesis!!!! I am ready for a quiet weekend of reading and writing.

This evening before I came home I attended a talk by the missionary from the Etheopian Lutheran Church on the place of women in the church of Etheopia and Female Genital Mutilation, a huge problem in that country, and other harmful traditions and how they are working with government leaders, pastors and health workers to educate the people and turn the tide on these harmful traditions. Very interesting to hear how things are in her culture and also to hear the discussion between her and the men from the Sudan in our class. I had heard of FGM from a National Geographic article some years ago. The images in the article still haunt my memory.

I hope you are all well and settling into the fall routines. I will try and get some pictures up on this site by next week to show you what is happening and what has happened here at the seminary and in my life.

Peace to you......

It's Official!!

It's official folks, our cross cultural immersion trip for 2008 is taking us to Madagascar. That is so amazing and terrifying all at the same time. We leave from Saskatoon on January 3rd and arrive in Antananarivo on January 4th. This is so exciting. I am looking forward to experiencing something like I have never known before.

Our first week of classes has finally come to a close. Only 11 more to go in this term, but who's counting!! We are trying a new thing in chapel this year with the introduction of International Vespers on Thursday. This week we had African Vespers, next week is Asian, the following week is South American and then it is North American followed by a pot luck (how lutheran!). I had hoped to share with you some photos from this frist International Vesper service but I am trying to figure out how to resize them from such a huge file to something a bit more managable for the computer. Bear with me, I will get it figured out sooner or later.

Blessings!

My apologies to Larry

Well, yes here I am on my knees.....it has been qutie a time since I have entered a post. To you Larry, I apologize. What can I say except that well I dropped off the edge of the world! But.....I am back. It is a new year of seminary; one filled with many opportunities for growth.
I am now in second year - or middler as we are known here - and it is interesting watching the entering students find their way and greeting the returning interns who are both glad to be back and wishful for this year to be over. I wonder if that is how I will feel when my turn comes.

Summer was good, although I found that I pushed myself to hard. I was trying to do a reading course and recouperate from such an eventful first year. By August my body and mind gave up. My Academic Advisor here calls it a delayed reaction from Dad's death. All I know is that I burned out, well that in conjunction with an impacted wisdom tooth that required surgery and large doses of antibiotics all set me back. But, grace abounds here and for that I am grateful.

Yes, it is a new year and as Arnold Schwartzneger (I am not really sure how to spell his name) says......" I'll be back!"

We are almost there!!!

Hoo Whee!! I can't believe this year is just about over. It is incredible. I feel like the year has just begun in so many ways. I feel like I am just getting into the groove of seminary life. It has been an interesting year and a life giving one too.
Right now I am trying to finish up a theological brief for Theology 1 and then it is on to a paper for Narrative Hermeneutics and finally a paper on the Sacrament of the Altar (my favorite subject). With the end of the year so close it is hard to focus on what I need to do - thoughts of going home permeate my brain quite often!
Only 6 more days and I will be back to my home and my man...oh yeah and the furkids too. I can't wait!!! Anyway must go and write.

Are we there yet?

Well, i realized that I haven't been keeping up with this blog and my humblest apologies goes out to anyone who checks this on a regular basis - that would be you Larry.
I am dumbfounded that the end of school is fast approaching. I can't believe it!! I am procrastinating working on a theology paper becasue I keep finding much more interesting things to do. I can not wait for term to be over.

It's an interesting time right now at the sem. Emotions are really high as people are realizing that life is changing for them. The fourth year's are preparing for graduation and calls to parishes, the second year's are getting ready to go on internship, and we first year's are readying ourselves for CPE placements or finding jobs or taking the summer language classes. In our Friday morning Narrative Hermeneutics class the presenters were all emotional as they (myself included) were coming to terms with the impending changes. My biggest change for next year is I am moving in with my mother. She gave me an offer I couldn't refuse and besides, I like my mother - we get along well and understand each other. Now, telling my friends that I had change plans on them was a different matter. They were understanding saying I had to do what I had to do but really I felt bad that I had let them down because we had been planning to move in together for a whole year now. I hope that somehow they will forgive me. So this is my public confession.

Anyhow, I am looking forward to returning home and resting in May. If I don't post until I get home please don't think I am lazy or stupid - I have 5 more big assignments left to do in two weeks - so go easy on me eh?

God's Beauty in Creation

The other day I was struck by the beauty of the hoar frost on the trees. So being the shutterbug I am I took some pictures. Enjoy!

Mardi Gras in Toon Town

Well don't we look divine!!! We at the Seminary celebrated Mardi Gras on Tuesday. It was a joint celebration between the three seminaries on the U of S campus.

We had tons of fun - great music (complete witht the chicken dance!! My friend Jim was the King of the Chicken Dance - he put in moves I never knew existed!)
dancing, laughing, good food and drinks - a great way to start off Lent.

We have one more week to go of classes and then we get a week off for reading, rest and relaxation. I can't wait to be back home!!!

The silence is broken!!

I realized that I have not posted for about two weeks now. The silence of no voice seems to have affected my typing skills too!!
But good news!! My dr. says that I am able to resume speaking - albeit gently and to ease into singing. I am so happy as is my voice teacher and choir director at the seminary. I hope all of you are well and have not succumbed to the winter nasties.

Classes are well under way. This term is really hard - yes that is a good word for it. It has shown me just what all I don't know. Humbling to say the least but good opportunities for growing.

I have been asked by our Dean of Chapel if I would consider taking on one of the sacristan positions. I accepted and am looking forward to my new job. It doesn't pay but it is well worth the experience. Understanding how Altar Guild works and what is needed to keep the house in order is important incase you have to do it yourself in the real. Besides, I really enjoy doing altar linens and polishing silver - I don't think its for everyone but I enjoy it.

We are getting ready for the LTS annual open house this weekend. It will be great to meet the potential incoming students for next year - my girlfriend Amber from Winnipeg will be attending - she and I plan to live together next year. I am looking forward to that :) The open house gives incoming students a chane to meet the profs, current students, and see what the lay of the land is.

The following week will be the 1st Annual Mardi Gras party at St. Andrews Campus here in town. We share classes with the St. A's students and it seemed only right to have a party together. Anyone else having a party???

Well, I think that is all the news for now. I get to see Alan for a few hours this weekend. Woo hoo! I really miss him and all the silly daily stuff of life. I can't wait for this term to be over so I can be back home.

Until I write again,
J

First week is done

Well, the first week of our winter term is through. I am really looking forward to this term - several of us are calling it the 'meat and potato' term - we are such praire people aren't we?!! I am taking four classes: The Lutheran Confessions, Theology 1, Intro to the New Testament and Narrative Hermeneutics.

You may ask what on earth is Narrative Hermeneutics ( I know I did)!! It is simply understanding what is happening when a story is being told. Pastors tell stories - biblical or otherwise - the key is fully understanding what is happening when you tell the story that makes an impact or a connection to people. A very effective tool for ministry.

My story telling is rather limited right now as my laryngitis has come back with a vengance. My dr. put me on some strong antibiotics. I don't usually like taking things like that but it just wouldn't go. The hardest thing is is that I am also on complete voice rest. No talking (very limited c. 5 min per hour) and no singing in order to allow my voice to heal. So February will be a silent month. Maybe that is good in a way. Sometimes I think (forgive me if I sound bit philisophical here) we place too much stress on filling the silence of our lives with noise. We are uncomfortable with it. We are not sure what to make of the silence. What do you think?

Peace to you all.
silent sam signing off for now.

Heading Back to Saskatchewan

Today is a bittersweet day for me. I find leaving my husband, home and pets and returning to Saskatoon hard, but it is filled with anticipation too. Such mixed feelings....sigh. I have enjoyed my time at home immensly! It was good to reconnect with people either in person or on the phone. I remember when I would go home to Mum and Dad's for a break at the holidays, invariably I would end up being sick...poor Dad would say "You only come home so we can look after you!!" ummm...YUP! that is how it felt this holiday. I battled from some sort of virus that Alan and I kept sharing. I lost my voice (which I think ALan secretly enjoyed!) and did enormous amounts of sleeping and reading. Come home to be looked after?? ummm.....YUP!

So tomorrow is the first day of classes for the winter term. I will look forward to hearing about the adventures of Peru from my classmates who went on the cross-cultural trip Jan 3-20th. I am also looking forward to hitting the books again. This term we are getting into the 'meat and potato' of our faith. A good meal for sure!!

Thanks again for all your prayers and support. It means the world to me. Blessings.

Here it is!

Well, like I said in my opening I finally decided to get with the tech age and create a web log!! Woo hoo! Maybe now I can loose the moniker of 'technopeasant'....big smile...I really wanted to create this for you, so I can keep you up to date on my life at LTS.

Alan gave me a digital camera for Christmas and I thought I would use it to share events in my life. That way, even though I am many miles away we can still remain connected.......Now all I have to do is figure out how to down load the pictures from my camera onto the computer and we will be all set!!!
Until next time....Peace to you.