Moving Forward…

This morning was spent driving around to a couple of different animal clinics to inquire about a job.  Two of the three are hiring so I put in an application and my resume.  I have always had a special fondness of animals.  You could even call me Dr. Dolittle if you’d like.  Most likely I would get hired as a receptionist  based on my experience, but there is the possiblity I could become a vet tech – which would be awesome – if I get hired at all.  Working at an animal clinic would not only satisfy my obsession with puppies, it would give me an opoortunity to work with a team of people as well as meet a lot of new people in the Pasadena and Deer Park area.  That is a goal I would really like to accomplish in the near future.

Our friend pastor Bob also suggested a job as a technical writer for one of the plants around town since I have good writing skills.  I had never thought of techinal writing since I have no technical experience, but I do love to write.  Working at a plant would also be a good opportunity to meet new people and grow in my evangelism.  Bob said he would be checking with his plant and a couple of other places so there are some possible opportunities to come.

I have determined that one of my greatest desires right now, apart frome being a mommy (which I pray happens soon), is to go back to school and get my master’s degree.  I think going to Southwestern in the Spring with Jimmy could be a real possibility, depending on our financial situation and whether or not I’m pregnant at that time. 

Since I have begun reading a book called “Visioneering” I have started to develop a clearer idea of a vision I have.  The author says that every vision begins with a burden, seeing something as it is and dreaming of what it could be.  My burden for a long time has been this:  Too many women do not see themselves as theologians.  Too many women think that Bible scholarship and indepth study if something that only the men of the church do.  I think the idea of being a theologian and Bible scholar can be daunting, but I hope to encourage women in this area.  It doesn’t take a degree and many years at seminary to be a theologian.  Everyone is a theologian even if they don’t realize it.  Theology is thinking about God – and that is something we all do.  I hope to encourage women to go to the Scriptures, study deeply and start to think about and organize their thoughts, their theology.  We too can be Bible scholars even if we don’t spend years in the classroom learning systematic theology and church history.  We can come to the Scriptures with our minds and the grace and work of the Holy Spirit; we can come with tools that can be learned easily – tools that help us to dig deeper into the text, that help us better understand the words and sentences and structure and literature of the Scriptures.  And by doing so I believe that our time with the Scriptures will become richer and our knowledge greater.  I think the idea is much more daunting than the actual task.

Theology is not only for those who teach at or attend universities and seminaries.  Theology is not only for the pastor.  I pray, like Paul for the Ephesians, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you [and me] a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him…” (Eph 1) “asking that you [and I] may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Col 1)

This is my burden… for myself, and for others.  I never thought that I would want to minister specifically to women.  But my heart for my own gender is growing and this desire to teach is not dwindling.  And, since I still find myself at an impass with verses like 1 Timothy 2:12, I feel like the safest avenue for teaching and preaching is specifically to women until my study, prayer and research bring me to a clearer understanding of women’s roles in the church and world.

And so, I hope to go and earn my master’s degree so that I may be better equipped to teach… and maybe find a teaching job someday.  I hope to sharpen my skills and knowledge of Biblical Greek and Hebrew, hopefully arriving at a place where I can teach others these languages… perhaps those who cannot go to seminary or college for whatever reason.  I have often dreamed that at least general familiarity with Biblical Greek and Hebrew would makes its way into the church.  And, let’s be honest here, I just love school.  I’d be a professional student for the rest of my life if I could!

I continue to pray that God would grow and clarify my vision, as well as prepare me for however He will use me.