It has been an interesting day. This morning my cat let me wake up on my own, rather waking me up herself, though I woke up about 15 minutes after she normally gets me up and as soon as she realized I was awake she let me know that I had to get up right then. Several hours latter I went into town and spent around four hours or so at the library, and then as I looked out the window saw that it had gotten very nice out and so left the library and took a short walk before my ride arrived. I went to dinner with my parents and one of their friends at a nice Mexican restaurant After getting home I changed shoes and got ready to walk my parents dog.
The past week or so since the weather started getting nicer, (the dog usually refuses to walk in the rain), I have been walking her at least once if not twice a day. Typically in a day we walk 2-3 miles sometimes a bit more or a bit less. Once in a while she will want to run for a block or two. Today we just went on one walk as this morning it was raining and as I said she doesn’t like to be out in the rain that much. (How can you be an Oregonian and not be willing to be in the rain is beyond me.) After returning home from dinner though I took her out on a walk as it was nice. After walking about 1.2-1.3 miles she started to run, thus making me run at a nice slow pace with her. She has done this a couple of time on our walks, though typically only keeps it up for a block or so. Today was a bit different, we ran together all the way home, just over 1/2 a mile from where we were. About 1/2 way through the run she actually picked up speed, and thus I along with her. It is a little odd running with a leash in your hand, but it works.
I was a bit surprised that this little dog (she’s a miniature dachshund) had so much in her. I was also pleased with the way I felt. The past year has resulted in me getting way out of shape as I physically was unable to do much. Today after this walk/run I could tell by the way that I felt that I am starting to get back into shape. I still have along way to go, but I felt good, and felt like I could have gone further. The main problem with the run portion of this walk is though I had my running shoes on, I was not dressed for a run. I think from now on when I take the dog on a walk I will try end ensure that I am wearing shorts and a t-shirt just incase this becomes a habit. Hopefully I will be able to get my self into a daily running retinue along with the walks with the dog.
On a slightly different note, I am thinking of applying to a different grad school. The school that I am looking into is in Ohio near Columbus. I need to get a few references together and send my transcript to them, as I have already filled out the application. If they accept me and the finical aid package is such that tuition + housing+ food… is equal to or less than STM that I will transfer over. STM is a great place, but ever since my senior year of HS I knew the NW would always be a home to me but was not where I was suppose to be in the world. If I do make this change when I finally get my degree I will have attended at least three different theology graduate programs with different backgrounds. I may also still try and get a few classes through Community of Christ Seminary, thus making it four schools.
I still am unsure what I will do when I am done. Though the financial situation is improving for Community of Christ, we are still looking at having to reduce the number of paid ministers for the denomination at the end of the year and cutting back some programs, just not quite as dramatically as first projected but still sizable. Thus job wise the outlook is not as high as it could be for me, but then again in 2-3 year when I am finally done with grad school, at least for a while, things might be different, and there are always people who will retire or decided to move to other ways of serving.
I still wonder about my call, as I still have a sense of a new call to a different office, but I do not know when that will be. If it is to any of the three offices I think it will be, it would be nice if the time for it was soon. As that would open up one more possible door. It is a door I am unsure of, a door that would be challenging and different, but one that if the situation was right and it was what I was suppose to do I would be willing to try. Though even if I was called to the office and my denomination was okay with me serving in that role, The past year could be a hindrance… Well enough about that, I’m off to bed I think.
Take care one and all,
— Lyle II