Graduation prep

It has been a busy week; I haven't been blogging much either. Nevertheless, I am happy that I managed to meet most of the goals, which I said I should meet, at the beginning of the past week... all by God's grace of course; otherwise I would have yielded to the temptation to procrastinate and dawdle.

With the MBTS graduation 2011 drawing near, I've had to immerse myself in the procedures required for graduants... and so, I drove to MBTS on Thursday. Braved myself for the graduation photoshoot despite my bad hair day, mega-bloated face and puffy eye-bags. Blearrgh. I felt like my own hero after that! *Pats own back*

Mortarboards try-out day at MBTS for graduants. Photo credits: Pamelyn Teh

Photo credits: Pamelyn Teh

I just felt a little awkward (and embarrassed) that I am going to graduate so soon. Sometimes, I don't feel like I deserve my MA in Christian Studies... because I still feel like there is so much that I haven't learned/mastered - but perhaps this is my perfectionism speaking. For me, learning should be always on-going. One can never learn too much in life. There is always place for personal growth, improvement, new knowledge, etc. I am never satisfied. However, I have to remember that there is a time for everything...and that God makes all things beautiful in His time. This season for full-time, formal theological studies has come to an end. Perhaps, there will be another season like that (sooner than I expect) - and if so, I would be ecstatic about it. However, I will now need to take a break from working on seminary assignments/papers and let God grow me - heart, mind and soul - through the experiences of work and ministry, other part-time studying I will be taking up, motherhood (not so soon but a definite feature of the future) as well as greater commitment to my roles as a wife, friend, daughter and sister. A quote by the late missionary, Jim Elliot - who was just a year older than me when he was martyred for his love for Christ and obedience to God - will continue to be my life motto: "Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." There is even no need to strive to be who I am not, for the sake of visibility, fame, reputation or man's approval, but I just need to excel in being faithful and authentic ... and most importantly, balancing out my "limps" by leaning on God. I live not for myself, but for Christ...and by doing so, I am assured of the greatest fulfillments in life. I desire to live the abundant life Jesus came to give (John 10:10).

Well, glad I ain't doing it alone...

And therefore... let me look forward to graduation.