I got an A on my presupposition paper.  I got a B on my midterm.  And I have so much reading to do to write a book report and then prepare for the final.  I have absolutely no time to blog let alone change my background image. I just spent two hours on looking at backgrounds.  I don't wanna study right now though.  Waaaah!

My new, cool background is salt.  Blogspot doesn't have a category for Christians, faith, religion, or even fundamentalists, fanatics, or Jesus freaks, so I found it in the food category.

I remember when I started going to a church I was at the pastor's house and they had purple grapes on a grapevine wallpaper covering the wall in the dining area with a scripture which made absolutely no sense to me.  I asked what it meant and the wife said, "You don't know?" and I told it must be from the Bible and she said yes.  She never did tell me what it meant.  I expect it was a passage from Galatians about the fruit of the spirit.  She missed a good moment to witness though.

For my Biblical Hermeneutics course, the final consists of not a usual exam, but three practicum papers.  A practicum is when you actually put your skills to work.  We are to list 30 hermeneutical questions each for Isaiah 65:24, and then Matthew16:13–20, and then Romans 12:1-2.  We don't have to write the answers.  We don't even need to know the answers!  But we better have very good questions.  I have received from Amazon a commentary for each book.  Our professor says we should not buy a complete set of commentaries all written by one author because the best commentaries depend on the book.  One author does not necessarily write the best commentary on every single book.  And we are to do as much study on a passage strictly on our own and go to a commentary last.  That was quite a lesson for me as I have always gone to a commentary first!

I am not sure if I'll take another class in January or wait till fall and take one class a year.  This week I'm going to put $1000 toward the principle on our mortgage so I may have to wait and earn some more Zumba money.

We have a cat who fetches.  If you throw her mouse she'll run after it like a herd of wild horses and bring it back and drop it on the floor.  She is so cute!  She's a Bombay cat.  Sounds very fancy, doesn't it.  She's just a black cat.  But her fur is very soft.  That's a common characteristic of Bombay kitty cats.

I'm trying to think of two sources to use to write a paper about presuppositions in the media.  I was thinking so hard and now here I am.  I could start on my paper if I could just think of what to write about.

My class is great.  I'm loving it.  Today I got my book by D.A. Carson called For the Love of God.  It's a devotional to guide you through reading the whole Bible - the OT once, and the NT and Psalms twice in one year.  I'm on day three.  Only have 363 days to go.  It's based on a system invented by a Scotsman who was born in 1813 whose name was M'Cheyne, pronounced "McShane."  You read one chapter from four different books every day.  If that's too much, you can read two per day and be done in two years.  I'm hoping my sis might do it with me.  I might tell my Bible class about it this Friday.  Maybe I'll present it as a challenge and see what anybody does.  There's a daily devo with it.  The devo is one page long and quite enlightening.  What I like about it is that it's very focused on the Bible, and on keeping the main story line in focus.  That story line would be the history of redemption.  The work Jesus did on the cross for us.  It's uplifting without being all about what God can do for me today.  It's online for free.  I bought the book because I can keep track of where I am better in a book than I can on a 350 page .pdf online.  http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/loveofgod/ or http://s3.amazonaws.com/tgc-documents/carson/1998_for_the_love_of_God.pdf

Church was fantastic this morn.  Pastor's grandchildren from California were here and they all play instruments.  Three of them play the fiddle.  They sang "That Long Black Train" and one called "There's a Stirring."  I enjoyed it tremendously.  It was so much better than the usual, dry, repetitive,  praise and worship.

I plan to restart the Bible study we were doing together last year.  I will be ready for one on Friday.  The topic I'm doing will be based on an article by Albert Mohler called "A Call for Theological Triage and Christian Maturity."  I hope it's well received on Friday.

My friend is on a hunting trip so I've led Sunday School with the teens by myself last week and this.  I thought they'd like to learn a song, especially since one of them sings in the choir, but they don't seem to be into it.  I don't know why.  Makes me what to pinch their little heads off!  Teenagers!  But I give them credit to listening well when I teach.  They have genuine interest.  We went over Joshua 3 this morning.  If they're not interested, then they fake it very well.  One young man had his phone out and I jumped up and sat by him and said, "What you lookin' at."  Bless his heart, his was looking at the Scripture we were doing.

Afterward, at home, I look at my notes, think about what I said, and always think I could have done a better job.  I need a do over and I could do so much better, I think to myself.

Work is good.  I hurt my back two weeks ago and it's all better now.

I JUST HAVE TO THINK OF A TOPIC FOR MY PRESUPPOSITION PAPER!  Oh nooooooooo!  I can't think of one!  Aaaaaugh!

They let me in!  Yay! SWBTS accepted my application into their Master of Theological Studies program.  It's perfect for me because I will be taking all the classes a pastor would take except for the actual pastoral classes.  In other words, it's a degree for the layperson.  I'm not qualified to be a church leader nor do I have the desire to lead.  But I do love to learn.  I have a lotta learning to do.  I'm all registered.  I'm taking just one class and will see if in the future I can swing two at one time.  My first course, one they recommend to all first year seminary students, is Biblical Hermeneutics.  I will be learning about principles of interpretation.  For example, (I learned this in a freebie online class) when we read Scripture was must consider three things:

1) The ancient/original audience
2) Universal/timeless audience
3) Contemporary/present audience

The Bible wasn't written to us.  It was written to people of another time.  But it was written for us.  Even after 2000+ years it is still sharper than any two edged sword; good for teaching, rebuking, correction, and training us to do what's right.

Next I pay $930 tuition.  I have until August 27 to cough it up.  How much will I need for books?  How many books will I need?  I don't know if I can ever qualify for any scholarship because I'm a grama working full time and teaching Zumba who will not be able to take a full class load ever.

They sent me links for email, for WebAdvisor and to Blackboard.  I spent two hours muddling through it to figure it all out.  But I better know how to navigate it before school starts.

Husband ran into cement structure at Walmart last week so truck is in the shop.  He was so upset. That'll be $2300 to fix.  My friend lent us her SUV for as long as we need.  She has such a generous heart.  She really saved us.  It would be $200 per week to rent a car.  Blah.

Son gave notice for his electrician's helper job.  The owner offered to pay for school for him to the tune of $15k and gave him a 30 minute lecture about the opportunity he's passing up, but son insists it's not what he wants to do.  He has chosen instead to do labor - fence building, - because it's more money.  What about security?  What about benefits?  What about college?  What about the future?  Ah, well, he's 18.  He's working in 100 degree weather.  He's doing it his way.  Our friends say he's smart.  Our friends say he'll have his own business one day.  Trying not to pull my hair out, but I am proud that he so motivated to work. He seems to never have a lack of work. My little sister was like that when she was his age. She'd get a job at the drop of a hat.

Big week.  I have my new iPhone 6 and husband bought me a beautiful camouflauge Otterbox for it.  He got me the one I wanted.  He drove all the way to Cruces and surprised me with it.

SWBTS (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) finally received my transcript.  Today.  Now I wait ten days to find out if I'm accepted or not.  Awesomeness.

Last night I went to bed at 6:45pm and slept hard all night.  It was end-of-the-fiscal-year inventory day.  The worst.  Worked from 8am to 5:30pm with only some short breaks to rest for five minutes at a time or eat.  My feet hurt.  My back hurt.  My head hurt by 5:30pm.  Horrible day.  We came up with 96% accuracy today which is not our best.  My boss said he won't complain about it, so I won't either.  What's the point.  It's done.  At least for the next 364 days anyways.

Life is good. 

My transcript still isn't in.  I called Cal Poly last Tuesday and they'll send it out again.  Guess I'll wait a few more days then, heck, request it and pay again.  What's wrong anyways?  I confirmed that I have the right mailing address.  If I have to order again I'm putting a name on it so it'll go to an actual person at the Office of Admissions.

There is lots of activity on Father Jonathan's Facebook page.  He has a good point that the US should now separate civil ceremonies and religious ceremonies.  I imagine plural marriage is on the horizon.  I wonder if we'll see churches give up their tax exempt status.  The fields are white for harvest.

Last Saturday I finished a very good book.  I give it five out of five stars.  It's called "Teaching to Change Lives" by Dr. Howard Hendrick.  I highlighted important passages so hopefully I can pick it up for refreshment when needed.  This week-end I'm reading "The Secret of the Universe" by Nathan Wood.  Ray Stedman said it was a life changing book for him.  That he found it in a dusty corner of the university library and it changed his understanding of the trinity.  I don't think I can finish it in two days though. It's heavier reading.

Everything is in to SWBTS except my transcript.  Cal Poly cashed my check for my transcript request in April but no transcript arrived.  I called last week and they've mailed another one so I hope this one makes it through.

My daughter-in-law said if I get a phone that receives photos she'll send me pictures.  So now I super want a better phone.  But unfortunately I want an iPhone.  The one I want is $750.  Phooey.  But if I get an iPhone then I can use the free app that Zumba offers that makes your music sound like DJ club music.  With no breaks!  But I have to pay my Zumba yearly fee this month and Zumba rent.  Then I have to pay my Zumba insurance in August.  Phooey.

It's so hot.  It's been over 100 degrees.  Today is the official first day of summer.  Happy summer!  My favorite season.

I sang in church last Sunday.  That is, I sang solo and a capella.  It was extremely edifying.  The sound of my voice filling the whole church was, was, well how can I find the words.  We sang "Brethren We Have Met To Worship", an old hymn, words from 1819.  The four of us lined up on the stage, mics in hand, then Susan looked at me and said, "Anytime."  I looked down, not at the audience for fear that fear itself might overtake me.  I let the quiet be very full then I took a big breath, looked forward and let the lyrics fill space to break the quiet.

We each have snapshots of time embedded in our heart and mind, like a handprint in cement.  For a few seconds I was keenly aware of my voice reverberating inside the church walls, all the people seated, listening to the words come out of my mouth.  I'll remember it a long time.  

By the end of singing the second line I sensed everything was going to be okay.  In practice we all had trouble starting a new stanza together, so finally  I told Susan we must look at each other and then we can start a new stanza at exactly the same time.  It worked.  We looked at each other and we all came in together and in unison.  There is an old shapenote hymnbook, hymnal, called "The Sacred Harp."  The "harp" is the human voice.  Did you know your voice can be an instrument?

So anyway, I got three more compliments for last week at church today.  I think I want to do it again.  I'm surprised, so surprised, that anyone might like my voice.  It's very good to be 55, 56 next month, and still having a brand new life experience.

There will be an election here on September 22 because we collected enough signatures for a referendum.  Today I fear we will lose the election though.  The seniors here are not motivated it appears, are not aware of the senior center takeover by the City, nor do many seem to care.  It's most unusual.  Usually seniors are highly motivated voters.  And the newspapers do not help.  Bias exists and is showing in the publications, and we're having trouble getting our side out to the public.  Well, I have to cheer up and be more positive and do what I can do.  I don't really want to speak at the commission meeting Tuesday.  The politics behind the issue seems to cause the worst in people to come out.

Dreaming of the future.  Dreaming of being a seminary student.  Wondering why Cal Poly hasn't sent my transcript to Southwestern yet.  They cashed my check in April.

On Saturday I went and practiced singing with the choir director and pastor's wife who plays the organ.  I loved it.  However, the choir director gave me a microphone for the last song.  Suffice to say, he didn't ask me to sing with him after that.  Hahahaha!  I was perspiring under my arms a lot!  I was a little embarrassed to hear my voice very off key a couple times, but what can ya do?  I just kept on singin'. After all, Scripture says to make a joyful noise. It doesn't say a thing about singing in perfect pitch.

I was going to wear my new dress to church Sunday.  With my new wedge sandals.  But alas, I was not prepared for the investment of time that dress wearing requires.  So I got in my usual jeans and cowgirl boots and went.  I was late.

But I was in time for choir practice.  We had no teenagers for our class so we went to an adult Sunday School class.  It happened that they were starting a new book and the subject was "Accept Your Leadership Role."  We talked about how everyone is afraid to lead and we read Joshua 1:1-9.  I liked it so well I am memorizing 1:7-9.  ...Be strong and courageous.  And we talked about how before you do anything, pray.  But of course we know that.  But, do we listen too?  Often we talk so much we forget to listen.  Much like giving a man directions.  He's talking so much about how he can find his way that he doesn't even listen when you're giving him the directions.  Well, it was all women in the group so it made sense to us!

Every obstacle is an opportunity.

And so I sang in the choir for church for the first time.  It was wonderful.  The Sunday School lesson gave me the extra, oomph, for encouragement I needed.  If God is guiding you to do something, why wait.

After Zumba tomorrow I'm going to the City Commission meeting.  I'm on the email loop with the ad hoc committee and they are exceedingly well prepared for tomorrow.  I do hope it goes well.  I think they ought to select another building to house a visitor center for the Spaceport, but the City has hurriedly chosen to "repurpose" the senior rec center.  We have collected enough valid signatures for a referendum.  It seems the City is going to say the petition is fraudulent perhaps.  We'll see tomorrow.  They may try to say that people didn't know what they were signing but they did know what they were signing.  The man who collected the most signatures is quite vociferous and it would be a stretch to say people don't understand what he's saying.  The owner of one of the two newspapers in this community is also on the county commission and she did a one page political ad in her own paper and printed the names of all 265 petition signers.  It's quite unusual.  I've never seen the like in all my life.  This is an interesting little town. And they are encouraging residents to write a letter requesting to have their name redacted from the petition, but I don't think it's possible once it's been filed.  Anywho, come what may, I would like to see the rec center not to be changed to a tourist bus center/visitor center.  I think having been built by the WPA 70 years ago it ought to  continue to be used by the community for recreation.  The City moved all activities to the Civic Center, but it's kept locked.  A City employee has to come and open and close it for anyone who needs entry.  It's the oddest recreation center set-up you've ever seen.

I read the book of Acts today. 

Why do I have to log into Google to get to my blog.  I don't like that at all.

I think I have my conversion experience written.  Whew.  It's about time.  I reread what I wrote a month ago for "My Specific Call to Ministry" and it sounds good still.  That one flowed out of me easily apparently.

Our youngest is 18 now.  Graduation was yesterday.  He missed the practice walk-through so he wasn't part of the graduation ceremony.  He didn't seem interested in graduation activities until the day of graduation and then his feelings about it changed. It made me feel so bad to see him feel bad.  But I didn't care about graduation ceremony or graduation activities when I was his age so I thought it wasn't important to him.  I guess I was wrong.

I'm looking forward to church tomorrow.  I haven't read my Bible at all for two weeks - unless you count reading the introduction in my new pocket Gideon's Bible to everyone I know.  I've just been in such a funk.  Hope it passes pretty soon.  I'm pretty tired of myself.

My the time flies.  We're soon going to be a quarter through the entire year.  Unbelievable.

My dad is in the hospital.  He couldn't breathe very well so he went to emergency yesterday.  They expect him to be released tomorrow.  He's had some bronchitis since December and they say now COPD.  No results from the x-rays or tests, so nothing is conclusive yet.  Our last telephone conversation he said he needs to explain everything to me because I'm a slow thinker.  He used the word "d*ck" while explaining to me about his daily use of the catheter.  I pray to God if I get old that I don't get mean. 

One time I sat next to an old gentleman on a plane trip who told me that his family paid his whole ticket, round trip, so he would go see them.  I could tell why.  Really I could.  He was a pleasure to sit next to and he was so genuine - he wasn't putting on airs.  I pray I can be like him someday.  What a blessing he must have been to his family and his family to him.  That is what I wish to be like.

I'm in the process of applying to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  I'm working on writing my testimony.  Been working on it three weeks.  It's not coming along because I have such a dull testimony.  I submitted my transcripts already so that part is done.  Check.

Our Friday Bible study is going well still.  I'm getting a leetle bit of Gospel of John lesson prep fatigue.  I might choose another topic for this Friday.  I'm leaning toward doing a short talk on order of doctrine based on an article written by Albert Mohler called "A Call for Theological Triage and Christian Maturity."

Did three new routines for Zumba Tuesday and class really liked them.

Boy, almost a whole month since I got the flu.  I still have a residual cough.

Bible study went really well Friday evening.  It lifted my spirit so much.  If it goes well it means the Spirit led.  If it goes poorly, I wasn't led by anything but the flesh.  To receive affirmation from members of our group gives me the greatest joy of all.  It encourages me tremendously.

I have begun to think that I'd like to get the Master of Theological Studies (MTS) offered online by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS).  It's a dream that fills up my mind a lot.  Perhaps the Holy Spirit has it as a plan for me.  I have to pray about it longer and see if God imparts anything more to me about it.  The MTS at SBTS is the shortest of any online degree - 36 units.  And it's for lay ministry.  I read it's good grounding for teaching which is right up my alley.  It's not the degree for ordained ministry and that's fine for me too.  SBTS  has excellent accreditation, including state accreditation, and that's a high priority for me.  I did consider a certificate of some sort, but if you're going to dedicate the time and effort to education, as I see it, you may as well attend a little longer and get a degree rather than a certificate.  What does God have planned for me?

Well, I'll keep teaching and leading our new little study/prayer group for now.  As long as women come, I will do it.  And I need to put money from Zumba into savings.

The city passed a motion to "repurpose" the senior center as a Visitor's Center for the Spaceport.  Is that spaceport a boondoggle as State Senator George Munoz says?  I wonder.  They closed the skating rink because the building became unstable and I had to move from there. Now there's no more senior center for me and I have to teach a civic center.  I'm afraid they're not going to cool it in summer and we'll be roasting come July.  Phooey.  It appears that they've broken some laws or statutes about not having a public forum prior to closing down a building that belongs to the community.  It's a law that won't be enforced, however.

I didn't bake a cake today.  I should do one tomorrow.  Husband bought me the cake mixer of my dreams.  It's super duper. 

Work is good.  My boss gave me an outstanding evaluation Friday.  He's such a good manager for me.  He's easy to work for.  He's not moody.  He's not mean.  He's generous - like when we had a cutback he took the brunt of the cutback in hours for our department.  I'm blessed to work with him eight hours a day.  Or, six and a half hours on Tues/Thurs.  Ha!  He's talkative and easy to talk to.  And for being a big, burly hulk of a man, he's sensitive too.  Really, he is.  He has a low, grumbly voice that I like.

Next month I'm going to see the dermatologist.

That's about it, I suppose.  The newest verse I memorized is "I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord, the one who was and is and is to be."  It's in a song and I accidentally learned it.  It's from the Book of Revelation.   It's not "Revelations."  It's singular.  The Book of Revelation.

I miss our eldest son and his family.

Chapter six of the Gospel of John is the best chapter in the book.  I've said that about every single chapter though.  Man, a carpenter from Galilee who lived more than 2000 years ago is in my mind every day.  Crazy.  God reached down to earth to save us.  All we have to do is accept, say yes, say we need Him.  It's contrary to all human thinking.  We think we need to do, do, do something.  But there's no doing, only believing.  We are justified, sanctified and one day we shall be glorified!  

I'm sick.  Have a head ache, low grade  fever, slight cough, sore throat.  Bummer.

Son sold one of his trucks for 4k and he's floating.  Husband went with him to Pecos, Texas, to sell it to a veterinarian.  And the guy went to college with the teacher from son's school that took his graduation portrait.  She's talented.  Good thing son waited for this guy to sell it to.  The previous person was trying to scam us on Paypal.  Wanted us to pay $800 Western Union to ship it.  Had a bad feeling about it because the guy was in such a rush.  What's the rush?  There's no rush.  So we cancelled out on the sale.  Guy said he was in the military.  I think he was in prison!

The man he did sell it to was super nice and generous.  They has beautiful plates my husband said, and real napkins, and dessert forks and salad forks, and the wife made a delicious chocolate cake and they were so Texas friendly.  If you've met down home Texas hospitality then you know what I'm talking about.  Husband also said the bathroom was utterly beautiful and perfectly spotless!

I have to be well next week.  It's just two of us as our stock clerk is on vacation all week long.  On Friday I'm doing half day alone because boss is going on a family Disneyland trip to California.  They're really excited and looking forward to it.  I hope they have a fantastic time.

I don't feel good.

Missed the memorial for Donna's mom.  And I'll miss church tomorrow.  I don't want to get others sick.  Actually, I don't care if they're young, but I'd feel terrible to make any of the seniors sick.  One sweet, sweet woman named April was in emergency last week while I was stocking the shelves.  I asked her if she wanted me to pray for her and she said yes, and then she prayed for me in the emergency room.  It was nice.  I hope they found out what was ailing her.

Our prayer group met without me because I was feeling puny Friday.  It's good for them to keep meeting even if I'm not there.  Even though I didn't do a very good job last time.  I was disappointed in myself last week and was sure Debbie wouldn't come back.  But she did!  God is so good.  I guess we are a good fit for her and she's a good fit for us.  It's a cherry on top when you meet other Christians you connect with.  I like Debbie very much.  It's not about me, is it.  It's about the Word and who can resist the Word?

I don't feel good.