CPE Day 2

Today was a better day. We had a more specific orientation to what we are doing as well as a chance to tour the hospital with one of the staff chaplains and a tour of pre-op with another chaplain. After lunch, they printed off the rooms of people who needed initial visits (Baptist has chaplains try and visit everyone) and we were each given part of the lists and off we went. The first few cold calls I did weren't very good, I was way nervous and anxious. The visits got better as I did more of them. That is more what I will be doing for the summer.

CPE has begun

Today I started my 11 weeks as an intern hospital chaplain at Baptist Integris in Oklahoma City. CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) is an intense 11 week time period in hospital and crisis ministry. We start door to door cold visits tomorrow (day 2) and continue with orientation and beginning to work on learning goals for the summer. This will be a time of growth and introspection as I discover more about who I am and continue to live into who I am as a pastor.

Growth is often a painful process and I became aware that I have once again entered the wilderness. It'll will be a bumpy ride.

I'm going to have to change the name of my blog...

Now that I am a seminary graduate, I am going to have to come up with a new blog name. Baccalaureate was fun since I got to play trombone alongside my dad. It was special for him too. Graduation day there are several monetary awards that are given out during the proceedings, but alas, I did not receive one. I did however receive a gift from 3 of the professors. They decided that for all of the "stuff" that I did around the seminary and was involved in that I deserved the "MVP" award. So I received a hat with MVP on it, Dr. Suess's "Oh the Place you'll go" along with a Dr. Suess type poem in the front of it, Godiva chocolate, Mozart CD's, Indigo Girls CD, pen, magnet, bookmark, all in a beautiful bowl. To get a gift like that from 3 professors who I respect very much means more than any monetary award. Very cool.

I am back in Oklahoma with a few days off before starting a clinical rotation as a hospital chaplain (CPE). It will be an interesting summer living at home. It was really hard to leave Austin, and especially to leave all the people who have become my family over the last 3 years. So I am home at least until August, and still in the process of searching for a call. I have had some conversations with a couple of churches and now we play the waiting game.

Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doot, doo, doo, doo, doo,doo

That is the Jeopardy theme incase you didn't recognize it!

It's almost official

Picked up my graduation regalia this morning. All that is left is to be approved by the faculty.
It is weird to think that I am about to graduate. I'm not sure where the time went.
Exciting and terrifying all at the same time.

Now to keep packing.