A lot of mixed emotions right now...

Well, I got what I needed from my pastor. He signed his name to a recommendation form so that I could be a non-degree seeking M.Div student at Liberty University in their online format. I could tell he was a little ambivalent about the format of the form (he thought it was a little vague) but he went ahead and checked the "I can fully recommend..." and signed his name. I'm very happy that I can at least explore this to see where it leads (becoming a pastor is not a decision that should be made overnight) but at the same time there is a part of me that has a sense of wistfulness and yes, sadness, for the fact of what I more than likely must do: leaving the way that I was, my old dreams, even my old fears, as well as the fact that I identified myself as a person who taught school. I will miss my teaching career. Does that make me selfish? I'm not sure, but I have to also explore that it may not be God's will for me to be a teacher in the sole sense of the word. I did believe at one time that I was called to be a pastor, and if it's God's will (which I am exploring right now) then I believe that He doesn't change his mind. I need to lean on Him and do the best I can for Him in the pastorate when the time comes.

We Could Learn a Lot From......

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
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Although Mr. Carver was a very successful inventor and pioneer in the uses of the peanut, he was also very much a class act. The man had to overcome many great and personal obstacles to reach success. Growing up in a one-room at the close of the American Civil War, he along with his mother was originally a slave owned by a man named Moses Carver. Unfortunately, he and his mother were later abducted by the Ku Klux Klan. Although he would eventually be returned to his original owner, his mother was never seen from again. But Mr. Carver was also a man of great prayer, always asking God how he could be used of Him for the greatest good and success. He began work on the uses of the peanut and sweet potato and recommended that farmers plant that instead of cotton. This would also lead to another great trial in his life in that farmers lost a lot of money due to his recommendation that they plant peanuts and sweet potatoes instead of cotton. Did George Washington Carver get bitter? No he didn't...instead he cried out to God to show Him the proper direction and God led him back to his lab and he would go on to discover hundreds of practical uses for the peanut and sweet potato. So, he is a good example of not giving up and staying the course!