And so it begins...

We were in Pasadena for New Years and I got to walk on the main campus of my new school. It was a great time for me because none of the hard work or worries of studying in seminary had begun yet and I felt like I was walking on air--as if nothing can stop me now!

For years I have written in my journal that a part of me has been standing off to the side, waiting her turn to emerge. She waited through the raising of a family, through the work I have done as a volunteer and through the crazy career attempts I have made in areas that didn't suit me at all. She stepped up a bit while I was serving as an elder, but even then she had to be patient with the "course marked out" for me as an elder. That role didn't fully call upon what (she and) I know I do best. Meanwhile, she keeps appearing in my journals as my desire to teach, write inspirationally, help people fall in love with their Bibles and inspire them to a vigorous, exciting walk with the Lord.

She is the part who argues when people say, "But you are already a Bible teacher, you already know how to write." She is the part who says, "No, I am NOT fully qualified yet. I need to be tested and challenged, I need to earn my way and get credentials that demonstrate that I am for real, a scholar who can be trusted with the Word of God".

She is the protester in me that will never give me rest until I get the degree I long to have, and until I have proven to myself that I am not just another person who THINKS she knows what the Bible says.

I revere scripture too much to be satisfied with what I know so far. I want to learn how to think critically and I want my theology challenged. I look forward to being taken apart and forced to give up my weak suppositions. I want to know, once and for all, whether I have what it takes to really learn what the Bible says and thus become a good Bible teacher.

This is not to say that I think that only people who go to seminary can know or teach the Bible. I don't think that at all! I have been taught by too many non-seminarians over the years not to respect what God can do with committed lay persons who faithfully study the Bible.

What I know is that I will never be satisfied that I can teach well until I have gone to seminary.

The picture above is the part of me that has been standing in the wings now throwing her arms into the air in pure joy. On December 31, 2008, standing under that sign at the Fuller campus, I felt myself integrate into being all of who I really am. All of the parts of me have come together at last.

I thank God that I have lived this long.

I thank God every single thing He has done in my life to bring me to this point, including the miraculous experience of being married and raising a family. Nothing in life could have prepared me better.

Psalm 119:68:

Lord, "You are good and what you do is good.

Teach me your statutes."

Scone Recipe from the Thompson Tea Rooms

While Melody was home at Christmas time she used my classic scone recipe to make scones for breakfast one morning. As usually happens, hers were better than mine have ever been--even using the same recipe. She is gifted and talented in the kitchen!

Here is that recipe, in case anyone else wants to give it a shot:

Currant Scones
2 cups of unbleached flour
1/4 cup of sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2/3 cups currants (or raisins or dried cranberries)
5.33 oz. can evaporated milk (or measure out 5.33 oz. of buttermilk in a glass measuring cup that shows ounces)
1 egg
Sugar for sprinkling on top

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; blend well. Using pastry blender of fork, cut in margarine until mixture is crumbly. Stir in currants. In a separate bowl, mix evaporated milk and egg together; add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

On well-floured surface, knead dough gently 5 or 6 times. Press into an 8-inch circle, about 1 inch thick; place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cut into 8 wedges; do not separate. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with butter, marmalade, raspberry jam and cream, etc.

Have fun and enjoy!!

PS The scones in the picture were made with a round cutter, not cut in wedges ;- ).

Sister-Love for a lifetime!

Dear Daughters, Please watch this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4qwVLqt9Q

Love, Mom

Playing Tag

5 Things I want to do before I die...

1. Finish my Master of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary

2. Teach the Bible at a small Bible college

3. Be a loving Grandma to at least 4 grandchildren (!)

4. Go to England, live there for 6 months with my husband and have all of our family visit us

5. Fly first-class to China on someone else's money



5 Things I can do...

1. Make a home

2. Help sick and hurting people feel better

3. Make a garden

4. Make children laugh when I read a book

5. Charm strangers into conversation, especially lonely ones



5 things I can not do...

1. Play the piano like Nancy Grueneveld <: (

2. Dance (please don't try to tell me otherwise!)

3. Snowboard

4. Speak another language fluently

5. Listen to BevMo commercials--they get on my last nerve



5 things that attract me to my hubby

1. His soulful English eyes

2. His rock-solid, inviolable integrity

3. His selflessness

4. His love of books, music and all that's new and interesting in the world

5. That he prays with me, real prayers, filled with faith



5 things I say Most Often

1. "I expect that_____is going to turn out just fine".

2. "Thank the Lord!"

3. "Hang in there!"

4. "I am so proud of you" (which tells you how many kids I have and how often I talk to them)

5. "I'll pray about that with you" (ditto the above)



5 Celebrity Crushes

1. Hugh Jackman

2. Michael Tilson Thomas

3. Brian Brown

4. Jack Black

5. George Clooney



I tag...

1. Megan Voos

(Everyone else who reads my blog has been taken)

Cardboard Testimony

What a difference a day makes!

Fuller Theological Seminary

I'm in.

I got the phone call a few minutes ago.

I am sitting here filled with disbelief, crying and laughing

and glad that the Lord and I are alone together

while I absorb this news.

Years and years of longing and prayers are being fulfilled.

I am going to study, learn and prepare to teach the Bible.

I am overwhelmed.

I know a lot lies ahead.

There will be hard times and challenges,

it's going to be a huge faith venture...

but nothing can ever take away this moment.

In this moment one of the greatest hopes of my life has been fulfilled.

I will always treasure the memory of this very moment.

__________________________________________

Thank you, Lord.

You know how much and how long I have wanted this.

I know you will see me through.

__________________________________________

I Thessalonians 5:24

"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."

Thanksgiving Greetings!

If you came to our house for Thanksgiving this week, here is what would greet you at the door. We want you to know that we give thanks to God for all of our blessings at the Thompson home...and you are one of our blessings! We thank God when you come to see us.

We also thank God for you when you are far away.

When we miss you and are thinking about you, here is how we pray:

"We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

"We ought always to thank God for you, [family & friends], and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing."

I Thess. 2:2-3 & II Thess. 1:3

Happy Thanksgiving, Pilgrims!