Certified Candidate! The adventure continues!

Today I had my interview for Certified Candidacy in the United Methodist Church with my District Board on Ordained Ministry (dCOM).  The meeting went very well.  It sure didn't hurt that I was so pumped up with the Holy Spirit from last night's Crossfire Worship Band concert at church!  I also spent time this morning attempting to center myself and attempting to remember that since I have asked God to be in charge of my journey, then all I really needed to do was to walk in faith, trust, and obedience.  Yeah, well, knowing that and doing that are slightly different.  But I did it.  I went.  I met with the group.  I shared.  I answered questions.  I left the room with my mentor so they could discuss things and we stood out in the hallway for a few minutes before being beckoned back into the room.  We sat down and the results were given:  they voted to certify me as a candidate.  Whew! ☺  Relief and excitement. ☺ 

This isn't the end of the journey, by any means.  This is simply another passage-way along it.  The next big step will be "provisional membership".  Meanwhile, I will keep on keeping on..... taking my seminary courses, learning and growing from my Academy sessions, attempting to listen and discern daily what God might have me do, and then the "be" part.  Taking time to "be still", to be still and know.... Working on my relationships with God and others....

This adventurous journey is by no means over, nor is it only beginning.  But, it has ramped up a little bit.

It's like getting that call from SUNY Stony Brook and learning that I've been accepted into their Master's program and then hearing that I've also been accepted to be a T.A. (Teaching Assistant).  Who would have thought that would have worked out?!?!?!  Obviously some of my professors at Georgia Southern College who saw teaching potential in me.... and they were right.  I'm a teacher.  It fit me like a glove. 

Much like I really couldn't see for myself that I was a teacher until I looked back over the tapestry of my life to see the threads woven in place, I imagine that it won't be until down the road and I look back and see these threads woven together to really understand that I'm where I'm called to be, living into my uniqueness.  I look forward to looking back.... and I'm grateful for all of those in the present who see it more clearly than myself and for supporting me to this point.  I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, both living and deceased.  I have thought of many of those today.

Thank you to the many who pray for me and support me on my journey. I am blessed to journey with each of you, even those whom I haven't met but only share the journey through the pages of these posts.

Blessings on your journey!

~Debra