For two and a half years I’ve been involved in taking one online class per semester from Columbia College’s eChristianEducation program in pursuit of certification as a Christian educator with the United Methodist Church. I am half way through the final semester and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve begun work on my final paper which is due the second week of May. Four more conference calls and two more units of online work and I’ll be submitting my application for certification designation to the UMC Global Board of Ministry!
Also, for a year now I’ve been taking two on-site classes per term at the Tyndall Air Force Base extension of Troy University in pursuit of a master’s degree in counseling and psychology. I recently registered for my next to the last term and for the comprehensive exam and filed my “intent to graduate” form. In July I’ll be done with the required work. There are a couple of additional classes I’d like to take, but I don’t feel any rush to get them right away.
I’ve spent countless hours on a paper for the current class on theories of psychology. I’ve also had to do a month long behavior modification project. In the other class I’ve had to conduct various psychological interviews and a mental status exam and had to write an assessment report on a “client”.
I’ve put my best effort into the work toward both educational goals and feel good about what I’ve accomplished. There is still significant uncertainty about how I’m going to proceed, career wise, but options are becoming a little clearer. In the next few months, as I move toward that summer completion date, I expect to get better focus on what I’ll be doing with what I’ve learned.
Sometimes when attainment of a goal is close at hand, I think it’s appropriate to take some time to just bask in the feeling of achievement without immediately moving forward toward setting the next goal. So, I’m just going to spend the next couple of months finishing the work at hand and not look much farther down the road. All that has happened in recent years has confirmed for me that God is directing my path and I trust that when it’s time for me to see around the next bend, the view of the road will become clear.
There are times when the best decision is to withold making any decisions for the time being.