Greetings All,
Today is a historic day in the Amlin family. Taylor, beloved son, begins his college career at the University of Dubuque in the Flight Operations program. I haven't started my senior year yet (technically) so Taylor is a freshman before I'm a senior. I think he's looking forward to this new page of his life story, I'm excited for him and hope for the best in all that he does. Flight, particularly helicopter flight, is important to Taylor and it's great that he's on the path to fulfill his dreams for a career.
In other news, Lorice and I are currently discerning how to complete our paperwork for the February draft, er, um, I mean "Assignment Process" which determines where we will land following school. Of course we'd love to get back to Florida, but we are also trying to decide how to complete the other two options for requests. We can select three preferences for assignment, it doesn't mean we'll get any of them, but we can at least have some voice. Please pray for us and for Taylor too!
- Paul :o)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
On to the final year of seminary....
It's hard to believe, but I'm now ready to enter my fourth and final year of seminary. Internship was awesome and the people of Lost Nation and Oxford Junction Iowa are some of the finest you'll ever meet. They gave us a fine send off on August 10th and we loaded into our vehicle and pointed it back to Dubuque one last time. If you ever get a chance to visit Bethlehem Lutheran Church or St. Mark's Lutheran Church, I think you'll agree that there are some mighty fine people there to greet you.
Right now I'm taking a few days to rest and recreate before doing some writing for Fall classes and the approval process. Approval is the next and final step to being included in the assignment process in the Spring. It won't be long before I'm assigned to a region, and then a synod, in the ELCA.
Thanks for following my progress and thanks for your support through prayer and your financial contributions to my education at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA.
- Paul :o)
Right now I'm taking a few days to rest and recreate before doing some writing for Fall classes and the approval process. Approval is the next and final step to being included in the assignment process in the Spring. It won't be long before I'm assigned to a region, and then a synod, in the ELCA.
Thanks for following my progress and thanks for your support through prayer and your financial contributions to my education at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA.
- Paul :o)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Nearing the end of internship....
Here is the content of my final newsletter article for my internship site. It's hard to believe, but it's now less than three weeks until I take my leave and return to seminary for senior year.
Leave Taking with Gratitude…
Intern Paul Amlin
It's hard to believe that a year has nearly passed since I began my internship with Bethlehem and St. Mark's Lutheran Churches. I recall the first Sunday that my family and I worshipped with all of you and I recall the warmth with which you received us as a part of your extended church family. I still feel that same warmth as I have conversations with you following worship or as we meet at other times during the week. This warmth of welcoming will continue to serve you well as new worship guests join your ranks in the months and years to come.
During our internship briefing our professors and contextual education staff members told us that one of the most difficult things would be our leave-taking at the end of internship. I can confirm that it is a difficult piece of my internship year and one that is being undertaken with the utmost respect and personal regard for the people of Lost Nation and Oxford Junction.
Lorice, Taylor, Uncle Stevie and I would like to extend to each of you our gratitude for all you have done to support us during the past year. We thank you for your kindness, for your gifts, your prayers, your support of all kinds, and your prayers as we move forward in the process of candidacy.
You are officially invited to mark your calendars for Sunday, May 17, 2009 which is set as the day I will graduate from seminary. You should all know that my internship with you has helped to shape who I am and will be as a pastor in Christ's church. Your ministry to and with me will carry far beyond the walls of these churches and into the lives and churches as yet to be revealed in years to come. Each time I call on a shut-in with communion, each time I preach in worship, each time I teach confirmation or a Bible study, there you will be with me.
It takes visionary leadership and a Spirit driven congregation to commit to helping the church to raise up leaders. You may count yourselves among these special folk now, and perhaps one day soon you will have another among you who will go to seminary, or perhaps you will have the chance to walk with another intern. Once again, I thank you for your commitment, your help, and your walk with me toward ordained ministry.
May God's face shine on you and may you be filled with the love of Christ now and always.
Intern Paul, Lorice, and Taylor Amlin, Uncle Stevie
Leave Taking with Gratitude…
Intern Paul Amlin
It's hard to believe that a year has nearly passed since I began my internship with Bethlehem and St. Mark's Lutheran Churches. I recall the first Sunday that my family and I worshipped with all of you and I recall the warmth with which you received us as a part of your extended church family. I still feel that same warmth as I have conversations with you following worship or as we meet at other times during the week. This warmth of welcoming will continue to serve you well as new worship guests join your ranks in the months and years to come.
During our internship briefing our professors and contextual education staff members told us that one of the most difficult things would be our leave-taking at the end of internship. I can confirm that it is a difficult piece of my internship year and one that is being undertaken with the utmost respect and personal regard for the people of Lost Nation and Oxford Junction.
Lorice, Taylor, Uncle Stevie and I would like to extend to each of you our gratitude for all you have done to support us during the past year. We thank you for your kindness, for your gifts, your prayers, your support of all kinds, and your prayers as we move forward in the process of candidacy.
You are officially invited to mark your calendars for Sunday, May 17, 2009 which is set as the day I will graduate from seminary. You should all know that my internship with you has helped to shape who I am and will be as a pastor in Christ's church. Your ministry to and with me will carry far beyond the walls of these churches and into the lives and churches as yet to be revealed in years to come. Each time I call on a shut-in with communion, each time I preach in worship, each time I teach confirmation or a Bible study, there you will be with me.
It takes visionary leadership and a Spirit driven congregation to commit to helping the church to raise up leaders. You may count yourselves among these special folk now, and perhaps one day soon you will have another among you who will go to seminary, or perhaps you will have the chance to walk with another intern. Once again, I thank you for your commitment, your help, and your walk with me toward ordained ministry.
May God's face shine on you and may you be filled with the love of Christ now and always.
Intern Paul, Lorice, and Taylor Amlin, Uncle Stevie
Monday, April 21, 2008
Preaching in a New Place and Fun On the Farm
Sunday, April 20th was a fun day for Lorice and me. Our day started with a foggy drive to Oxford Junction where I facilitated an adult education forum. The topic of the day was the Holy Spirit and the Church. We had a wonderful discussion. Then it was time to dart over to Lost Nation, IA for a preaching engagement. The fun thing about it was that I was to preach at Union Presbyterian Church for the first time. We arrived right at the time I thought we might and entered the church to discover that they had finished the rest of the service and were waiting for me to preach! I walked from the front door to the pulpit and began to preach. A very nice group of folks welcomed Lorice and me and made us feel right at home. I'm glad we had the opportunity to be with them, though we missed being with the folks at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
After worship ended (shortly after my sermon) Lorice and I headed back over to Bethlehem for an internship committee meeting, a quick change of clothes and a visit to Bill and Ellen Pithan's farm. You can see some photos here. Just prior to our arrival, the last mama sheep lambed here triplet babies. They were adorable and we watched as mama cleaned them off and they found their legs under them for the first time. Lorice enjoyed holding some of the slightly older lambs and trying to talk to the grown sheep (they just stared at her). Finally we hit the outdoors and Lorice climbed into a tractor for the first time in her life. Ah, the simple things are what make life fun, aren't they?
We celebrated our fun day of ministry and farm visits with a lunch at the Hy-Vee in Dubuque. Good times.
After worship ended (shortly after my sermon) Lorice and I headed back over to Bethlehem for an internship committee meeting, a quick change of clothes and a visit to Bill and Ellen Pithan's farm. You can see some photos here. Just prior to our arrival, the last mama sheep lambed here triplet babies. They were adorable and we watched as mama cleaned them off and they found their legs under them for the first time. Lorice enjoyed holding some of the slightly older lambs and trying to talk to the grown sheep (they just stared at her). Finally we hit the outdoors and Lorice climbed into a tractor for the first time in her life. Ah, the simple things are what make life fun, aren't they?
We celebrated our fun day of ministry and farm visits with a lunch at the Hy-Vee in Dubuque. Good times.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Record Snowfall!
Dubuque has set the record for snowfall in a season at 76.2 inches.
I think that says it all, don't you?
peace,
Paul :o)
I think that says it all, don't you?
peace,
Paul :o)
Sunday, March 23, 2008
He is risen!
Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
These are the special words that accompany Easter each year, as they have for many years. This morning at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and St. Mark's Lutheran church [my internship sites] we spoke these words again and it was great to begin the Easter Season anew. I pray that your Easter season will be filled with celebrations of the risen Christ and that you will feel the very real presence of the Spirit with you in your daily life.
Look for a new sermon on the Podcast page soon, I preach again on Sunday, March 30, 2008.
Grace and peace to you,
Paul :o)
These are the special words that accompany Easter each year, as they have for many years. This morning at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and St. Mark's Lutheran church [my internship sites] we spoke these words again and it was great to begin the Easter Season anew. I pray that your Easter season will be filled with celebrations of the risen Christ and that you will feel the very real presence of the Spirit with you in your daily life.
Look for a new sermon on the Podcast page soon, I preach again on Sunday, March 30, 2008.
Grace and peace to you,
Paul :o)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Is it Spring yet?
So, I'm thinking to myself "is it ever going to stop snowing and show us a little Spring?" Yup, it's snowing again in Dubuque. This is nothing new, we've had record snowfalls in Dubuque this winter with a few snow days of many inches.
I'm going to cheat Spring a bit by traveling to California, Anaheim to be specific, for the ELCA Youth Ministry Extravaganza. This is a fun Annual event that brings together those involved in youth ministry, seminary,specialty organizations and such. It's continuing education, fellowship, networking and interaction under one roof. It would be neat to meet YOU there, but if you're not going, just know that I intend to wear a pair of shorts outside and laugh at Dubuque winter.
On yet another note, it seems as though the little kitten we have been fostering since early November may be working on us to adopt him. He's had major health issues, so much so that some at the Dubuque Humane Society thought he should be put down. Happily we won the day and kept nursing him to health. He still has a little bit of an eye issue, which he may have for the rest of his cute little life, but worse than that, he's REALLY LOVEABLE and I'll be danged if I can resist him. He's a munchkin of a kitten, just now getting to the 2lb. mark that his little friends reached in mid December. We'll see, if you are on Facebook, you can pet him (virtually of course) and see his picture.
That's it for today, this week we are battling more snow and the arrival of the flu at the Amlin Ranch. Say a little prayer for us, won't you?
Peace,
Paul :o)
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year [an obligatory reflection on 2007]
Happy New Year Everyone!
I thought I'd take advantage of my early wake up today (New Year's Day) to publish a blog post about the past year. I haven't been very good about blogging, deferring to time spent on my own web site, I hope you've enjoyed following things there, and listening to my Podcasts of sermons I've preached on internship. So, here it goes..
Last January I went to Seattle for a J-term course on the emerging church and what it means to be the church in a new, post-Christian environment. It was interesting, made more so perhaps by the group of people participating. January gave way to February rather quickly, and I got to visit my home and friends in the Tampa Bay area. I was there for the ELCA Youth Ministry Extravaganza and got to spend some quality time with friends. (of note, this February I'm off to Anaheim, CA!) Lorice and a friend from work joined the trek to Florida and a highlight for them was visiting Shamu at Sea World.
February also brought more Hebrew language. Aaaaargh! Need I say more? I have been humbled by a language, but I still passed [cue celebration music here]. Spring semester went by incredibly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for me to tackle CPE [Clinical Pastoral Education] and I spent my summer commuting back and forth between Dubuque and Davenport with a new, good friend named Adam. [he's currently serving as an intern in North Dakota - OUCH DUDE!] CPE was a very formative experience for me, challenging and fulfilling all at once. Next, time for my pastoral internship to begin! I'm serving a two-point parish in rural Iowa. I entered internship wide-eyed and wondering what it would be like. Shortly after I arrived, the Associate in Ministry [Barb, who rocks!] took a medical leave to have surgery, what was to be 6 weeks turned in to an extended absence, she won't return until March. This has been good for me in as much as it has allowed me to preach more than I would have otherwise.
Family wise, Uncle Stevie has started working for Goodwill, he's still going to school each Monday morning, and he's learning what it means to "live" for the first time as an adult. Taylor is a senior in high school, I told him at the beginning of the school year that his senior year would go by very quickly, just the other day he agreed. Lorice has been busy working and has had an interesting year serving as the executor of her great aunt's estate. Clearing out her aunt's house was a whole story in and of itself.
At the end of the year we got back into fostering kittens. We had done this in Florida for several years, but only just got the chance in Dubuque. Cute kitties (what else would you expect of kittens who are a couple of weeks old and need to be fed by a bottle!). That litter went back for adoption, but the bonus kitten we got a week in to the other litter, is still with us. He's a little guy, a midget among kittens if you will.
He's gonna be tough to part with, aaargh!
I'll keep my web site updated, and I'll keep posting sermons as I preach them. I look forward to hearing from all my friends in the coming months and I pray you all will experience a blessed new year.
I thought I'd take advantage of my early wake up today (New Year's Day) to publish a blog post about the past year. I haven't been very good about blogging, deferring to time spent on my own web site, I hope you've enjoyed following things there, and listening to my Podcasts of sermons I've preached on internship. So, here it goes..
Last January I went to Seattle for a J-term course on the emerging church and what it means to be the church in a new, post-Christian environment. It was interesting, made more so perhaps by the group of people participating. January gave way to February rather quickly, and I got to visit my home and friends in the Tampa Bay area. I was there for the ELCA Youth Ministry Extravaganza and got to spend some quality time with friends. (of note, this February I'm off to Anaheim, CA!) Lorice and a friend from work joined the trek to Florida and a highlight for them was visiting Shamu at Sea World.
February also brought more Hebrew language. Aaaaargh! Need I say more? I have been humbled by a language, but I still passed [cue celebration music here]. Spring semester went by incredibly quickly and before I knew it, it was time for me to tackle CPE [Clinical Pastoral Education] and I spent my summer commuting back and forth between Dubuque and Davenport with a new, good friend named Adam. [he's currently serving as an intern in North Dakota - OUCH DUDE!] CPE was a very formative experience for me, challenging and fulfilling all at once. Next, time for my pastoral internship to begin! I'm serving a two-point parish in rural Iowa. I entered internship wide-eyed and wondering what it would be like. Shortly after I arrived, the Associate in Ministry [Barb, who rocks!] took a medical leave to have surgery, what was to be 6 weeks turned in to an extended absence, she won't return until March. This has been good for me in as much as it has allowed me to preach more than I would have otherwise.
Family wise, Uncle Stevie has started working for Goodwill, he's still going to school each Monday morning, and he's learning what it means to "live" for the first time as an adult. Taylor is a senior in high school, I told him at the beginning of the school year that his senior year would go by very quickly, just the other day he agreed. Lorice has been busy working and has had an interesting year serving as the executor of her great aunt's estate. Clearing out her aunt's house was a whole story in and of itself.
At the end of the year we got back into fostering kittens. We had done this in Florida for several years, but only just got the chance in Dubuque. Cute kitties (what else would you expect of kittens who are a couple of weeks old and need to be fed by a bottle!). That litter went back for adoption, but the bonus kitten we got a week in to the other litter, is still with us. He's a little guy, a midget among kittens if you will.
He's gonna be tough to part with, aaargh!I'll keep my web site updated, and I'll keep posting sermons as I preach them. I look forward to hearing from all my friends in the coming months and I pray you all will experience a blessed new year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
