The Spring of my student teaching, I was interviewing for my first job as a bona fide school teacher. I was terrified and excited and hopeful and nervous. I had chosen to ask for a student teacher placement in Spartanburg, over an hour drive from Furman, because I wanted to work in Spartanburg school districts …
Part of being a minister is to bear people’s burdens and to walk beside them as they walk through life. And that burden can be a lot to bear, especially if you consider the number of people that a minister ministers to, but there is something absolutely mysterious about being invited to be there for …
On Being Asked to Be There for the Important Moments Read More »
I did it. I actually renewed my books before any fines were incurred. This sounds simple, especially since the options for renewing your library books are endless: by phone, in person, online. Why I haven’t been able to do it effectively is beyond me, but it has gotten to the point that my husband won’t …
My week this week has involved a couple of different hospital systems. Each time I find myself wandering aimlessly in the hospital halls, I inevitably run into hospital staff and doctors all of whom are extremely helpful. None of the people I encounter in the hospital doubt or question whether I am minister (although I …
I’ve recently gotten brave enough to ask some of my female baptist minister colleagues, who have been ministers much longer than I have, what the norm is for salaries and benefits and overall packages for female baptist ministers. Notice I said female baptist ministers, not baptist ministers because unfortunately the norms are not the same. …
The familiar anxiety crept into my stomach. It always happened when I ran into someone from my home church. I knew the conversation that was about to happen, I had engaged in it many times before: How are you? I’m great! How are you? Great, what in the world are you up to? Well, I’m …
For over a year, we have partnered with an apartment complex that helps adults with special needs who have transitioned out of government aid (they are over 21) to learn to live and work independently. The partnership started because the property manager was looking for a way for the residents to have Christmas. What we …
A week ago, I was privileged to attend Pam Durso’s ordination. As I sat there waiting in the silence for the service to begin, I realized this was the first ordination I had attended as an ordained minister, which brought my thoughts back to my ordination. Although I had read about the ordination process before I …
I want to go to church It’s a simple request and desire and one I received on Sunday morning last week. I wish I could say that for this young lady simply wanting to go to church meant she could go to church, but because she is an adult with special needs, she has to …
I remember standing in the cereal aisle of the grocery store. It was one of those rare occasions when either we had worn my mom down enough or the sale was good enough that we were able to get the mini boxes of cereal for our morning breakfast. As my younger brother and I stood …
