A new beginning. Again.

It seems I am in a cycle of renewal.  They tend to come through once every couple of years.

Last year was a banner year for milestones: 40 years old, 30 years as a Christ follower, married 15 years, 10 years working for one company, 5 years in management.  Oh, and I became a pastor.

This year, it’s all downhill. Numbers that end in 1 or 6 just don’t have the same ring to them, do they?

So when I received word today of my acceptance into the doctoral program I applied for, I realized some changes are going to be necessary.  Much like my Master’s degree program, it’s a time to reflect and prepare for a new season of formal learning. And being one not incredibly disciplined to sit still and read thoroughly, it will probably be one of the toughest challenges of my adult life.

I’ve been very, very good at getting by without requiring a significant depth of technical expertise in any domain.  I’m a quick study, I understand concepts well, and can analogize the hell out of them. I can also put them into a larger context and give you three salient points on why “it” is important to you, to me, or to society.  And probably all of them.  I can even give you a spiritual spin on why something matters (ask me about how your problem is not your problem sometime).

This degree program will undoubtedly test me like nothing else has. And so it’s time to get some stuff in order to be ready.