First Semester is Complete! Merry Christmas

     I have completed my first semester of seminary with the feeling of accomplishment, relief, exhaustion and giddiness.  Given the advice to write down on a calendar all the due dates of the papers and exams, the end of the semester looked pretty daunting.  I shared this calendar with my family, so that everybody would be aware of the times when I needed to study and buckle down.  I do believe that this is a habit that will continue throughout my seminary experience.  Speaking of family, mine are rock stars in all of this.  My kids say they don’t even realize that I am at school because their schedule hasn’t changed.  It has, they just haven’t noticed.  On the days where our school schedules didn’t mesh they went to friends houses which was a treat in their minds, but a life-saver to me.  I have a wonderful circle of friends willing to take my kids if there are last minute schedule conflicts.  I have a husband whose work schedule is flexible enough to be home with the kids when needed.  With this I say that God is good, all the time.

    I am feeling like I have made the right choice to come to seminary.  All of the experiences so far have led me to believe that this is the place I am supposed to be.    Through all of the hard work and frustration, finally getting to that ah-ha moment when things become clear is rewarding beyond belief.  Receiving encouragement from my professors has been a lifeline when I am not feeling so confident.  Feeling the camaraderie with my fellow seminarians gives me the energy I crave.  Witnessing authentic dialogue between classmates and professors feeds my soul and calms my spirit.  It is like I am learning to swim, and understanding the basics, I am now ready to move on.  Seminary is teaching me the life skill that I will need when I face the vast sometimes turbulent waters of life and am able to boldly swim with confidence and perseverance.

    I will not be taking a January-term class and am excited for next semester.  For now I am going to enjoy the holidays with my family.

- Sarah Kronkvist, MARL student