Steve and Jenny Valentine

So it's official, Steve has enrolled in his first seminary course! He got an email a few days ago from RTS saying that summer classes are now open for enrollement online (which he needs to take one class in the last summer term in order to be ready for his fall semester that starts at the end of August). His class will be August 3-21...hello Greek I, goodbye wife! I say that with a hint of joking, but also with a sense of reality! After talking to other wive's of ministers/seminary students, we know this is going to be a great time for him but also see the reality of the time it will take for him to study, especially Greek! It's an exciting time and as we've said before, we look forward to each phase of the journey. Jenny

The soft music plays stirring the emotions inside. Words slowly appear on the screen speaking of the injustice and sadness in the world. Then for the climax of the commercial, sad pictures of young children suffering, malnourished and living in garbage. These commercials are quiet common in America, so common that I think we are even a bit calloused to them and the injustice and suffering in the world. The other night though, as my wife and I sat down to watch a program we heard the soft music began in what we thought would be another one of these advertisements. Then it got interesting. It was not an advertisement for the helpless and downtrodden people in the world but for cats and dogs. With an eerie likeness to the commercials we see about suffering humans, we saw one solely for the rescue of animals. The soft music, the words across the screen speaking of death and abuse, the sad pictures, then the plea for just $18 dollars a month to save an animal. It was so much like the commer...

It has been a busy few weeks around here! We had my brother and his family in town a few weeks ago staying with us and then after they left, Steve's brother and wife were in town for baby showers and such. On top of that, Steve has been pressed to the max at work and it doesn't seem like it will let up until the end of May. So last week we attempted to lay low so that we could both recoup from the previous week's hectic schedules. Rest is important for your soul. I feel like I've recouped mostly, however, Steve still seems a bit burnt out and since work doesn't look like it's going to slow down for him anytime soon in the upcoming weeks, I have suggested that he maybe take a day of vacation so we could get out of town for a weekend...so he can get away from the stress of work and find rest. I really hope we'll be able to do so! As far as preparations go for Florida...because it's been so busy, we really haven't thought much about any details much...

I will be as straight forward as I can from the beginning of this post, my intent in this blog is to provoke thought on something that caught me off guard recently. Not too long ago, I was reading "The Call" by Os Guinness. It's a great book that breaks down what it means to be "called" by God Biblicly. In the book Guinness attempts to destroy some long held ideologies about ministry and works to develop a new framework in which to think about Biblical calling. Early on in the book in a chapter titled "Let God be God", a statement is made about how God needs to hold His right place in our lives for us to understand our calling. As we search the scriptures, we find this idea about God holding His right position in our lives many times. Guinness begins to devolop his point by sharing a part of George Steiner's novel, "The Portage to San Christobal of A.H". In this classic novel by Steiner, the fictional story of Hitler plays out with Hit...

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV) Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. I’ve always been the type of person that has a plan. I keep my “planner” close at hand in case something comes up throughout the day to plan a time and date. I plan all day long in my job… I plan meals for dinner… I plan how bills will get paid on time… I plan the budget… I plan the best way to get to there from here… I plan my day and make a checklist… I even plan how better to plan! I think you get it…I’m a planner! I’ve come to learn that being a planner isn’t a bad thing, especially when it's not your spouses strength…we complement each other well. Steve has the ideas, dreams and pursuit; I have the plan on how we are going to get there or get it done! So it’s not a bad thing, HOWEVER, I have learned that my interesting intricacies that God has placed within me, can be a drawback as well. Especially in light of what Proverbs 19:21 tells us. I can make al...

I’ve really been learning the importance of and joy that is found in the Truth of God’s Word lately. Not that this thought hasn’t ever occurred to me before, but something seemed to stir my affections for the Lord the other day about God’s Word. I was sitting in church and the pastor said something that stuck with me. He said we need to be “preaching to ourselves daily about the truths found in God’s Word”. This thought really changed the way I read scripture in the days following. I’ve known the importance of God’s Word for a long time and have thought that I need to be in the Word, studying the Word, meditating on the Word and saturating my life with the Word…BUT…if I’ve made a point to do that, how come in certain times of difficulty I say things like, “I know God is faithful but…”? If I truly did understand His promises that He talks about in Scripture, would I doubt Him and follow that statement with ‘but’? Most likely, as human, I would doubt at certain times in life…but ...

A few days ago a friend of mine asked me if I would help him change the oil on his car. Its been a while since I have done much work on a car but I figured that a simple oil change wouldn't be to hard. I was all in and a bit excited to be able to work on a car again.  It might sound strange, but working on a car can be quiet relaxing for me. After a rough week at school, the idea of relaxing and working on a car was sounding great. I met up with my friend Will at his place and found out that we would be headed over to one his friend's apartment so we could use his set of car ramps. As we pulled out of our apartment complex (Will and I live in the same complex) and headed north, I quickly noticed the change in scenery.  Our apartment complex is tucked in a nice little area just north of Downtown Dallas. We are actually less than 5 minutes from a very upscale mall and many fine dinings, such as the Cheesecake Factory and Magiannos. We truly live down the street from million...