As usual, there are many different things going on around here. It has been a while since I listed them off. Here goes…

In the Studio:

  • For the past couple months I have been working on a big project for The Discovery Church Children’s Ministry in Denver. I used to work with the Senior Pastor at Central Christian in Vegas. It has been nice to work with their team as an illustrator. Yesterday I finished the sixth and final banner. Each banner will be 40″ x 80″ and will hang in their open area to indicate the different age-level children’s areas. I’ll post the banners when I get permission from the church.
  • There is a constant stream of Gift Caricature commissions coming through. Funny story…a couple weeks ago I received a Facebook message from a friend that said she walked into her pastor’s office and saw a caricature I did of him that had been commissioned by another parishoner. What a small world.
  • The Piggery has ordered another batch of pigifications. I will be doing Mike Ditka next.

Writing:

  • Amo is currently with my editing Angels. One of them has completed it. One is mostly done, and I have heard nothing from the third. The reports have been generally positive. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to work on any major revisions this summer, given what is happening in other areas of life.
  • I try to consistently post on the blog, just to keep fresh.

At the Church:

  • Pinch hitting for Pastor Mark in the first communion class this morning.
  • The final night of Sunday Evenings @ Grace is this Sunday. This round of the Overflow Class has been wonderful.
  • May is Confirmation month, so our team is hopping trying to get all the preparations together for the all-day retreat on the 30th, Pastor interviews, rehearsal dinner, and the big event on May 15th.
  • The last night of Catechism is coming up on April 27th. The next week we have a party, and then it’s over.
  • The High School Missions Trip is doing a lot of fund raising events. Today we bag groceries at Cub Foods.
  • Holy Week next week: I’m playing Jesus in the Living Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, doing live charcoal drawings through the stations of the cross on Good Friday, and probably doing the Opportunities portion of the four Easter Services.
  • I’ve taken over the supervision of the Children’s Ministry, so now we officially have a Spiritual Formation “department” that consists of Children’s, Youth, and Adults.
  • I’m in the early phases of searching for a Director of Senior High youth to work with me and Tom in Youth Ministries.
  • Working with a team to pull off a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament for youth on June 18th.
  • I’m preaching on May 1st to Kick off the Easter Series: Hope Alive.
  • The Synod moved me to the “endorsement” status of the ordination process. Now I need to fulfill some Lutheran requirements that are still to be determined. All the while, my “bish’d” status remains and I have been granted permission to preside over the sacraments. This allows Pastor Mark the freedom to take time off when he needs to.

The PhD:

  • I was accepted into the PhD program in Congregational Mission and Leadership at Luther Seminary. This is a full fellowship (scholarship) plus an annual stipend.
  • I have to let them know by Wednesday if I will accept this offer. (for those who have been tracking this, I received another extension from yesterday since the dean did not get back to me until yesterday)
  • Pastor Mark has been out of town on an emergency, so we haven’t been able to discuss the latest developments. We have some serious decisions to make by Wednesday. If I don’t accept this now, then I have to go back to ground zero and reapply with a whole new group of candidates. The dean said some very kind words to me yesterday and indicated that the faculty is very excited to have me in the program and wants to invest in me. That is always nice to hear.
  • If I do say “yes,” then I will have to take a German course this summer to bring my first language requirements up to speed. I will also have to study for the entrance exams that happen at the end of the summer.
  • I’m trying to balance my commitments to Grace in the short-run with my overall commitments to Grace in the long run and how the PhD will impact that. There is also the time and money compensation issues at play. God is already working behind the scenes, so, as usual, the cloud is moving in strange and wonderful ways.

Well, that is a quick sketch of my professional life. My personal life is wonderful, robust, raw, real, and a constant source of joy, frustration, laughter, and tears. Just like everybody.

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