Passion Defined

So here's a brief school update...

Just two more weeks and I'll be finished with my bachelor's degree!  Two weeks ago, I finished the five online courses I was taking from Thomas Edison State College and I got A's in all of them, so my GPA will be a 4.0 when I graduate!  Right now I'm working on finishing my PLA (prior learning assessment) in Interpersonal Communications, which is basically a big writing project.  After that, I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to be doing, but I already have a couple of different job possibilities that I'm looking into and praying about right now.  I can't wait to see where the Lord will lead me during the next couple of weeks!

Hi friends and fellow bloggers!

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted just a random life update and lot’s has gone on in the past couple of months. Hmmmmm, where to start…?

School has been keeping me very busy lately! For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been enrolled in a program called CollegePlus! and it’s basically a coaching program that helps you complete your college degree, faster and cheaper, from home. In May I finished taking all the CLEP and DSST tests I needed and since then I’ve taken three TECEP exams, which are similar to CLEP tests, but they are tests made specifically by the school I will be using to finish my degree (Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey). The three TECEPs I’ve taken are Intro to News Reporting, Marketing Communications, and Public Relations, and I just got word from TESC that I passed the first one and I’m still waiting to hear back about the other two. This Monday I will be starting five online classes (Intro to Mass Communications, Elements of Intercultural Communications, News Writing, Managerial Communications, and Leadership Communications) which I will finish in October. I also have an Interpersonal Communications portfolio that I will have to write and I’ll finish that in November so at that point I’ll be completely finished with my B.A. in Communications! So yep, that’s where I am with school right now.

Over the past year I’ve been teaching guitar lessons to two boys in our church and a couple months ago the Lord provided four more students for me and I’ve really been enjoying teaching. It’s so fascinating to see the unique characteristics of each student and it really has given me an entirely new perspective on what it means when God says that each person is fearfully and wonderfully made! Soon I’ll be adding seven more students, and that’s going to be quite a challenge!

God has been working in my life in wonderful ways the past several months. I’ve been challenged in so many areas and the Lord has grown me greatly. He’s shown me so much about Himself and how He loves and is faithful in my time of need, which really is all the time! Here are some of the things He’s been doing the past several months: He’s shown His provision for me financially by providing in many different ways so that I can pay for my school without going into debt; He’s graciously shown me the blessings of being under the authority of my parents; He’s showing me what it means to be self-less and invest in the relationships that He has put in my life; He’s taught me more about what it means to worship Him and glorify His Name; He’s showing me how to invest in the relationships that He has given me and how to show His love to the people in my life; He’s shown me what it means to grieve over sin and deeply desire holiness and righteousness; and above all, He’s continually showing me just how much I desperately need Him.

This is without a doubt the richest season of life that I have ever experienced. Great and abundant are the joys of serving a King who guides me by His love and sovereignty! He’s filled my life with blessings, friends, challenges, and at times sorrows and struggles, but I can trust without a doubt in the promise of Romans 8:28, that the Lord works ALL things together for good for those who love Him, for those who are called according to His purpose! And I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for me in the weeks, months and years to come!

So yep, that’s what’s going on with me! For those of you who are new to my blog (thanks for joining by the way!) there’s a little bit about myself! :)

God bless you all as you seek the Lord and strive to follow His ways.

To an Audience of One,

Joshua

No, I'm not a relativist, and yes, I'm very well aware of the actual mathematical answer to the above equation! =)  But, there's a reason for it so just be patient!  This morning I took the very last CLEP test that I'll ever have to take!  For those of you who don't know, for a little more than a year and a half I've been taking CLEP tests to accumulate a significant portion of college credit much cheaper and quicker than going the traditional college route.  I've taken 20 CLEP exams and I've accrued 90 hours of college credit, hence the specialized equation (20 tests + 584 days = 90 credits) in the subject title! :-P  I started taking a few CLEP tests my senior year in high school and I took several last summer (09) between my senior year of high school and freshman year of college.  Then, during the fall semester of '09, I enrolled in a coaching program called CollegePlus! which has helped me take these tests at a much faster pace.  In the past five and a half months, I've been able to acquire 54 college hours, and today, I took the very last CLEP test required for my degree.  At this point, I have 3 more DANTES exams (very similar to CLEP) and once I complete those, I'll begin taking online classes from Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey to complete my degree, which will be a B.A in Communications.  It's really a weird feeling!  When I first stared testing, it seemed like forever 'til I'd be finished, but here I am with all my CLEPs complete and passed and only a couple more tests before I start the last phase to attaining my undergraduate degree!  I'm really pumped right now and so I just felt like posting randomly about the exciting achievement of my college life!  I'm so grateful to God for His grace and mercy.  There were several times when I can honestly say that it was by His grace and wisdom alone that I was able to pass some of the tests and it seems that through each test He taught me something new about the way He works in my life.  I pray that as I finish up the last couple of tests and courses that I would continue to see His faithful, guiding hand.  He has so richly blessed me and I can't wait to see what He has in store for me in the days ahead!  

To an audience of One,
Joshua

P.S. I'll soon be continuing with the salvation series!