Image Training

I wanted to write about my recent trip to New York following a very, very stressful year at Seminary.  (I think the NYC write up will just have to wait a day or two).  Instead I'm going to construct a little projection, as was suggested to me by a classmate from Korea (Joseph), while in Pastoral Counseling.  Now I know that Pastoral Counseling seems far from the insanely driven performer who couldn't stop flirting, but this course (a one-week intensive with an instructor from a dear former pastor of mine) has been not only mind opening, but convicting on several levels.

Joseph told me how he's able to project images of himself into the future, and he does this on a regular basis.  To be honest, the terminology threw me off ever so slightly, but I guess the basic idea is to PLAN YOUR FUTURE, and this is something I've always struggled with.  Part of the question has always been "Does God leave me to figure everything out on my own?  Or do I just sit here and pray, and let God do everything else?"  I think the answer is yes and no.

I wasn't planning on answering this question here, I just wanted to get to me... thinking about my life... I suppose "examine thy self" comes in quite appropriately doesn't it?  But before I can even begin to look myself up and down, haven't I got some questions to answer?

• On what basis am I examining myself?     - perhaps a question of values
• Where is my state of mind?                       - a question of emotional state
• Am I portraying myself accurately?          - a question of motivation

I guess that's enough for now.  I might start going in circles.  Still, I feel this is necessary because I feel called to do ministry of some kind in this broken, hurting, and confused world.  In one sense, I would say I'm not even ready to do "ministry" but when a friend calls me up and says they're having a bad day, or someone has a question about who to date, or someone is frustrated with a mutual friend's disrespecting of an individual and want's advice - all of these are areas where ministry has happened for me in the last year.  So there you go!  I'm not perfect, never will be - but I'm striving to correct things in my own life to give other people counsel and advice, or just a listening ear when they need one.

Part of the "image training" then is looking into the future while taking what I've experienced or done in the past and putting the two together, to see myself living, using my gifts and talents, and asking myself "Where can I serve?  How can I be a benefit to someone else?  Who in this world is hurting that I feel called to help?"  

It's funny, (now that I have paused), I feel quite good writing all this out, but in my heart/ head/ mind - I have NOOOOO idea what the answers are.  I'm okay with that.  Maybe it's the ADHD.  I'm okay with not knowing everything.  Writing down those areas which I see myself doing something is important though because it gives me some vision or perspective on who I am and what I want to do before I die.

Let us see where it takes me!

Now that I have one more (just ONE MORE!) day of Pastoral Counseling, I look forward to posting more.  

In the meantime, here are some photos I took after a short ride from my apartment to Jeffrey's Neck in Ipswich (MA).  Enjoy and keep living.  Take one step at a time.  Breathe.  Smile.  Laugh.

I suppose you should imagine this as a tryptic.   

Nobody's perfect.  ^_^

Call it "image training."