Surreal

As the year comes to a close, things become more and more surreal. Guys that I have known for many years are being ordained, I have been in school almost 20 years out of 24 years of my life, in a few more months I will have another niece or nephew, and in a little more than a week I will begin a new summer assignment. This time of year is always a little difficult because of tests, cleaning our rooms out, moving stuff home or to a new room, etc. It also brings the joys of being done with classes and preparing for the summer. I have been looking at some books that I would like to finish and/or start over the summer.

The biggest help for me is consistency in my way of life. In college seminary we were always asked to set up a plan for our time away from the seminary; where/when am I going to go to Mass, pray, exercise, relax? There will be a number of men in Theology I in Sioux Falls doing CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) and I hope to spend time with them in the midst of a busy schedule for them. I look forward to getting some experience in areas that I was not able to in my last summer assignment as well. New responsibilities, new challenges, new joys to thank God for.