It has been quite a while since my first post. Much has happened since that first day. We have struggled with illness these past few weeks, first Max, then Maggie, Aiden, and finally Scott all week last week. We are all healthy now and waiting for this baby to arrive. Kate and I are more and more feeling it will be a boy.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and we thought it might best describe how we're adjusting here. One of the first things we did when we came to Kentucky was go to the pool. It has been a muggy month and the kids love it.

Another new feature of this house which we never had before was bunk beds. They not only conserve space but they are fun climbing up, or down in the middle of the night in the dark.

This week we went to Monsters in the House at Southland Christian Church! Instead of Vacation Bible School, this megachurch held a three night event to help families and kids get the monsters out of their house. The monsters are Jealousy, Deception (or lies), and anger. This family friendly worship expereince was fun and Aiden thought it was neat.

In addition to the activities that we do as a family, the kids and all of us have enjoyed the instant community of living next to eleven other families going through the same program as Scott is. We live in townhouse apartments (3 bedroom and 2 bath) and their are four apartments per "house". Our "house" has 13 kids in it, most of them all our kids age. The first week and ever since we have been here, the kids go over to each other's houses all the time, ride bikes together, play in our kiddie pool, and have a great time. Both Aiden and Maggie learned how to ride their bikes without training wheels the first week we moved here because they rode them so much.

Max and Aiden have been reading regularly, with books on Bioncles, Hardy Boys and other series.

Schoolwork

My first month is about under my belt. We spent the first week doing orientation, getting to know each other, and understanding what this year involves. It is more work than I thought and it keeps getting bigger.

My first week of class was the class "The Spirituality of Leading". The purpose of this class and the reading is to cement us to God as spiritual leaders. We cannot take our congregations to where we have not gone ourselves. My primary insight from this class is how intentional and vigilent I need to be in maintain and growing in my relationship with God. If I am not growing, I can't speak with spiritual authority.

My second class has been to prepare for my dissertation. By the end of March, I need to have written 3 of my 5 chapters of my dissertation. As I thought of my passions and experience, I am planning on doing my dissertation on becoming a discipling church. Jesus commanded and commissioned his followers to go out and make disciples but I don't know many churches that do that well. Most encourage people to come to programs, which is good, but many (even after years in the church) can't articulate their faith and aren't growing as they should. I plan on not only looking to the scriptures but looking at different discipleship churches out there and learning from them.

During the month of August, I will be continuing my class in preaching with Dr. Kalas, go to the Willow Creek Leadership Summit in CHicago where lead singer Bono (among others) will talk to us, and take a theology of ministry class with Dr. Steve Seamands.

I plan on trying to update this blog wtih pictures and commentary as often as I can. You can check out some of the other blogs of my classmates posted above. God bless.