Crystal completed her Masters program just a few weeks ago, and here are a few pictures of the day!
Graduation Pictures
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Crystal’s Senior Testimony- Part II
Challenges: There have been challenges that have come along with the studies as well. A lot of those have to do with the fact that we really do not have more than 24 hours in a day and sometimes it seems as if you need much more than that. Juggling responsibilities has been a challenge. Most of all, God has challenged me on the way I look at challenges. I am learning to really see them as blessing from Him as it says in James 1 and Romans 8, in order that I may become more like Christ.
The biggest challenges throughout the last two years came from within me. I have struggled with wanting to give up when it is hard. I have struggled with why others can have big, beautiful homes and that will probably never be a reality in our life. I have struggled with why we need to spend so much money on education when we could lead an “easier” life and buy things for fun. God has challenged me greatly in these areas, helping me see beyond the earthly treasures to the thought of eternal treasures.
The great thing about coming to Central is that while I was preparing to help others, God has been molding me personally as well.
Crystal’s Senior Testimony- Part III
Gratitude to Seth: I am so thankful for the husband that I have. He is truly a gift from the Lord. He has been wonderful about encouraging me to become more like Christ throughout these last two years. He is a great example of loving others and how we ought to minister to others. He has been patient as well in spite of the many thrown-together meals and even sitting in the car studying while I was somewhere interpreting. He has continually reminded me that all of the hard work really is worth it. He has reminded me that the Bible is truth regardless of how I feel.
Gratitude to professors: I am also thankful for the professors from whom God has allowed me to learn. They truly love the Lord and display that in their passion for what they are teaching. They have experience in what they are teaching and want to see us grow in our knowledge as well as our affections for God.
Gratitude for CWF and professor’s wives: I have also been blessed by God’s provision to be in contact with godly women! I am so thankful that the Lord has allowed me to be a part of Central Women’s Fellowship where I was able to have contact with other seminary wives and the professor’s wives as well. Along with that, I learned an incredible amount in the Bible study this past year that was at the Straub’s house as we studied through “One With A Shepherd.” I was able to hear from Rebecca and other wives their experiences in ministry and how God has taught them so many things! I am also thankful that I have had the opportunity to be involved in a radio Bible study on WCTS 1030 AM. What a blessing to learn from godly women!
Future plans: Lord-willing, I will continue to teach Spanish and interpret. Seth will be continuing his education at Central. Our long-term goal is to be teachers on the mission field, preferably at the Bible college or seminary level someday. We are excited to see where God leads.
Crystal’s Senior Testimony- Part I
I gave a testimony in Central’s chapel at the end of the semester. This is some of what I shared:
How God led me to Central: I went to Pillsbury Baptist Bible College and majored in Bible and Missions. I minored in Spanish studies. I lived in Peru my junior year of college as a student and missionary intern. I started seeing the need to be able to be prepared to minister to others. God allowed me to finish out my degree at Pillsbury and marry Seth. During my last year at Pillsbury, the Bauders came (Dr. Bauder spoke in chapel and I still remember what he spoke about) and we ate with them in the dining hall. I was very impressed with their kindness. After graduation, we took a year to work and get married. Then went back to Peru for another nine months, this time to evaluate the educational needs in the Peruvian schools, institutes and Bible colleges. We were able to spend a lot of time with our dear friend, Pastor Evelio, the Peruvian pastor with whom Seth lived when we were in Peru the first time. We were able to be in many different schools, seeing needs there. We also were in Peru partially with the goal of seeing how else we should prepare for the ministry. One of the things that I heard over and over from the missionaries was that I should learn as much about counseling as I could because they were dealing with so many hard issues. God allowed us to see many of the needs of the people. At one point I was trying to help a young woman in Bible college who came to me for advice and I really had no idea how to help her. That cemented in my mind the need for further training.
Photo Scavenger Hunt
Mall of America + Teens + Cameras =
Paintball, the Good old fashioned way!
A while back we played paintball with some of the guys in the youth group. Because we had a big box of old paintballs we used wrist rockets (aka – slingshots) and fired away.
Lots of fun, lots of welts.
Done!
Just finished up the last final and papers yesterday at 12:45 p.m.
What a semester! There were definitely times that I didn’t think we would make it. Crystal is graduating tomorrow, and I don’t have to write another term paper for at least two weeks, so we are happy!
Survival
“The traditional church will survive and thrive if it understands that young people are leaving, not because of what we’re giving them, but because of what we’re not giving them” (Shaddix, 207).
and
“The traditional church will survive and thrive if it intentionally disciples its people with sound doctrine through the exposition of Scripture” (Shaddix, 212).
Dockery, David S. Southern Baptist Identity: An Evangelical Denomination Faces the Future. Wheaton: Crossway, 2009.
Get It Right
I am not a grammar Nazi nor a spelling guru, but this annoys me. “Peruse” does not mean to “skim quickly.”
peruse |pəˈroōz|verb [ trans. ] formalread thoroughly or carefully : the pursed lips of an auditor perusing an unsatisfactory set of accounts.• examine carefully or at length : Laura perused a Caravaggio.DERIVATIVESperuser nounORIGIN late 15th cent. (in the sense ‘use up, wear out’ ): perhaps fromper- [thoroughly] + use , but compare with Anglo-Norman Frenchperuser ‘examine.’USAGE The verb peruse means ‘read thoroughly and carefully.’ It is sometimes mistakenly taken to mean ‘read through quickly, glance over,’ as in : later documents will be perused rather than analyzed thoroughly, a sentence that technically makes no sense.
Can this really be possible?
Dawson has his permit and is doing a great job driving!