End of an Era

today was Ben's very last day of seminary, ever. he graduates on Friday night & after that we say goodbye to a crazy, hectic, stressful & sweet time of life. unless he decides to go back for his PhD, in a couple years, we will be done with the seminary student way of life. it is bittersweet, for both of us.

to say that i am proud of my husband, is a MAJOR understatement. he is a hard worker & i am thankful. he takes school seriously & he really gave 100% these past 3.5 years. i can count on one hand the number of times he complained about his school work. he genuinely loves the school, (most) the teachers & the friendships he developed there. in fact 2 guys, Job & Josh, are now his best friends, 2 of the pastors in our church plant & family. we are so grateful to the Lord for the wonderful people we have met through Mid-America.

Ben started seminary 10 days after we were married & was serving as a student pastor. on Friday he graduates, with a wife of (almost) 4 years, 2 kids & as pastor of Revision Church!! we never would've have dreamed that our life would look so different in such a short period of time! the Lord has blessed us beyond measure.

if you know anything about seminary students, you know they have little to no money! they go to school full or even part-time, support a family, most are bi-vocational & they are involved in some type of ministry. it is a different life. a definite calling. but the Lord has used our time in seminary to teach us so much. things that i doubt we would have learned otherwise.

we have learned how to trust the Lord. He has met all of our needs. there have been times of uncertainty & fear, but the Lord has always been faithful. we have learned how to seek Him for His will for our ministry life, marital life & parental life. we have learned more about His word & our deep need for its wisdom. we have learned how to lean on His grace & depend on His guidance. Ben has grown in his conviction, his preaching, his teaching & his character. He is more mature, more confident, more understanding & more wise. His prayer life is so much stronger than it used to be & His love for scripture is sound.

it has been quite a journey for me too. i have watched as my husband has stressed over school work. i have seen him juggle so many different activities. i have been so impressed with his ability to balance everything. the Lord has taught me how to be a supportive wife, to pray for my husband & to meet his needs. i have also made some precious friends. it is so nice to walk through life with people that understand your struggles.

overall, seminary has been a wonderful experience for us. there have been difficult days. but we are thankful. it has shaped our life & ministry. it has equipped Ben with the necessary tools to minister to a community, a church & his family. i'm not saying that men who don't attend seminary can't minister, i know that is false. but for us, it has been key in helping us to understand what the Lord wants for our life. we wouldn't trade our seminary days for anything.

thank you Lord for giving Ben the opportunity to obtain his master's degree. thank you for Mid-America & thank you for a wonderful, hard working, supportive husband. i am so grateful!!

we are looking forward to the next phase of our life: Revision Church launches January 9th & we are raising 2 beautiful children. Praise the Lord. He has done great things for us & we are filled with Joy!