Seasons of Change...

I love the Fall. I have finally decided that it is my favorite time of year. One can enjoy the comfort of long pants, yet still wear a T-shirt. It is also a time of winding down. All summer is a hurried, mad dash to enjoy as much outdoor goodness as physically possible before the snows come to dust our doors once again. And Winter is a huddled misery of waiting. The Fall is an in-between time. It is neither blazing hot nor freezing cold on a consistent basis.

This fall is reminding me of my life and the seasons of change that I have and am going through. I am currently in a program called CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) - it is part of my seminary education, but also counts toward national accreditation as a chaplain. This is a VERY intense program of professional and personal development. As part of this program I have an internship working at Porter Adventist Hospital here in Denver. I meet people from EVERY walk of life three days a week. I am learning how to engage a total stranger with care and sensitivity. It is truly a blessing, honor and privilege to be in this position of trust both with the hospital as well as patients.

Everyone suffers loss and grieves. So have I. This fall I am thinking a lot about loss and the resulting hope that eventually can come of it. Loss makes room for newness - not necessarily newness that we would have wanted, but none the less, newness that we eventually get the opportunity to choose back.

God willing, I will be graduating from seminary and continuing the journey toward Army Chaplaincy this May. The feeling of transition is strong in me now - loss (or change) of the good things I have gained here - professional and personal friendships, a stable place to call 'home' - and am facing both the grief of that change and also preparing to open myself to the new opportunities and friends that are waiting to be. Please keep me in prayer - love, Ter