Final Countdown

Welp, when I last wrote, it was the beginning of the semester.

Now we are one week from finals.  I really don't count finals as school, mostly because that time period isn't really like you are here at all, you are just studying.  So, really I'm a week away from the end of my college experience here at Baker University....

I'm already starting to tear up writing this.

Tonight started off the goodbye festivities.  I had my last radio show and last Speech Choir class.  Both of these things were very difficult for me, and both have made me want to change my mind and be a Baker student forever.

I knew that, more than likely, Dr. Emel was going to have her senior goodbye for me during Speech Choir today.  What I didn't know was how profound it would be on me.

Each senior gets a "roast" from another Speech Choir member on the night of their last class.  There are three people in Speech Choir that I knew could give a roast for me that would bring me to crying.  She picked one of them.  Kyrie Bair, if you are reading this, thank you so much again for your words.  They meant the world to me, and I will never forget them.  Kyrie is a person whose friendship I cherish dearly, and  I feel so blessed to have her as a friend.  The nice words she had to say for me, were, beyond anything I could have expected, and it makes me feel good about being here.

Then came Dr. Emel.  Dr. Emel always gives her seniors a parting gift.  She got me hot chocolate and a chocolate bar from the fair trade organization that UMCOR supports.  I'm actually making some hot chocolate with it right now as I type this.  She also gave me a book called Craddock on the Craft of Preaching by Fred Craddock.  Hey, what can I say, she knows me well!  It is taking everything I have not to crack it open now and read, but I know when I start, I won't be able to put it down.

More goodbyes and tears will come later, as I still have my last ZX meetings and last Loud Noises shows coming up (the two activities I have done all four years at Baker).  Once those are done, my blog posts will start taking a different approach.  For those of you that don't know, I am the Director of Youth Ministries at Stilwell UMC.  I am enjoying my time there, and will continue after graduating.  I am taking some time off so I can take some more time and learn more about ministry from this awesome oppurtunity I've been given and so I can take a rest from formal schooling.  Of course, I would by lying if I said that I'm also looking forward to still being around since there is a certain blonde-haired Baker student that still has my heart here ;)

The plan right now is to live in Olathe.  Myself and a roommate have applied for a rental in town, and we are hoping to hear back soon.  I will be taking a lot of time to read (starting with the Craddock book) and do ministry at Stilwell.  My blog posts will probably be more numerous, since I will be hopefully reading more, and really counting down until seminary.  There might still be some big life moments before then, but that is the next step.   Baker University has been a step towards my goal, and completing my schooling here is just taking another step towards that goal.  I am ready for what lies ahead.  I know God goes with me, and as I said at the beginning of the semester:

That is all I need to know.