Well all mid-terms and papers have been completed and turned in, and so far everything is looking good. We have also made it through our second research week, where class is not in session but we are given a lot of work to do and the opportunity to catch up on things we fell behind one (such as reading assignments). This time around research week was a little bit easier, as I had less studying to do but a little more reading. Accomplished last week was:
Read 2 Samuel - 2 Chronicles 19 (for Old Testament 2)
Read Pages 306-502 in Old Testament Textbook
Wrote a Paper on The Angel of the Lord (for Old Testament 2)
Read and wrote a report on The Five Love Languages (for Christian Home)
Translated 14 sentences from Greek to English, and 2 other Greek assignments
Read two chapters in Biblical Preaching (for Homiletics)
Developed a 15-20 minute sermon (for Homiletics)
All in all, it was a very productive week. The week we got back to classes (this week) I had a Greek quiz tuesday and a Homiletics test Wednesday. Thursday is another Greek quiz followed by an Evangelistic Message test on Friday.
Outside of class life is going very well. Danielle has been a bit sick this week, and Haden has been getting 2 molars in at the same time, but other than those two things life has been wonderful. We have loved walking to the church from where we live now and we have been having weekly get-togethers with friends from school and church. Over Thanksgiving my parents came down and spent a few days with us, and we had a few more people over as well for Thanksgiving lunch. A great time was had by all and we truly enjoyed having the company.
So life has been, as usual, very good to us. We are so blessed to be able to be here and able to learn and grow in so many ways as both a family and as individuals. We thank you for all of your thoughts, prayers and support and we wish you nothing but the best of everything!
Sincerely,
Jared, Danielle, and Haden
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Almost 1 month
Well I must apologize for the lack of updates. For reasons explained below, I am only just now getting back the blogs. :-)
Before we begin, I would like to say that classes, while extremely busy, are also going very very well. You learn so much so fast here that I'm actually kind of surprised at how much me (and everyone else) seems to be retaining.
On October 24th (the first weekend after classes began), Danielle and I moved closer to the school. Whereas we used to live around 15 minutes away when driving, we now live 5 minutes away on foot. It's actually faster to walk now than get in the car, drive, and park. This has been a tremendous help in getting Danielle and Haden back and forth from school, and it saves a ton on gas money. Oh, did I mention that it's also bigger than the last place we lived? And cheaper? Yes, it was a really good move. On top of that, we had so much awesome help from our friends here that the house was mostly moved and set back up in about 5 hours, and pretty much completed within the 1st week of living here. Yey!!
If you're wondering how an average day goes, it's something like this:
7AM: Wake up
8:15AM - 4:30PM: School (Nap at Noon)
4:30PM - 9:30PM: Family Time / Church / Dinner / Friends
9:40PM - 10PM: Nap
10PM - 2:30AM: Homework / Studying / Reading / Occasional Free Time
2:30AM - 7AM: Sleep
It's been pretty fun so far. We have (as I'm sure I've said before) loved being here so far and we are so thankful that we have been able prepare for our future this way. We are also looking into the possibilities of mission work in Zambia. At this point we are simply at the information-gathering stage to see if it would be a good fit, and if it is, whether we would be most effective long-term or short-term. It seems the mission mindset here really does infect you and make you think about what's really important and what you should really be doing.
Well, It's getting towards the end of my night, so I should wrap it up here. I will try and be better about post regularity (every 2 weeks, as originally planned), so that you and anyone else interested can stay updated on our progress.
As I say every post, but mean with all my heart, thank you for your support, be it in thought, prayer, financial, or any other way.
Sincerely,
Jared, Danielle, and Haden
Before we begin, I would like to say that classes, while extremely busy, are also going very very well. You learn so much so fast here that I'm actually kind of surprised at how much me (and everyone else) seems to be retaining.
On October 24th (the first weekend after classes began), Danielle and I moved closer to the school. Whereas we used to live around 15 minutes away when driving, we now live 5 minutes away on foot. It's actually faster to walk now than get in the car, drive, and park. This has been a tremendous help in getting Danielle and Haden back and forth from school, and it saves a ton on gas money. Oh, did I mention that it's also bigger than the last place we lived? And cheaper? Yes, it was a really good move. On top of that, we had so much awesome help from our friends here that the house was mostly moved and set back up in about 5 hours, and pretty much completed within the 1st week of living here. Yey!!
If you're wondering how an average day goes, it's something like this:
7AM: Wake up
8:15AM - 4:30PM: School (Nap at Noon)
4:30PM - 9:30PM: Family Time / Church / Dinner / Friends
9:40PM - 10PM: Nap
10PM - 2:30AM: Homework / Studying / Reading / Occasional Free Time
2:30AM - 7AM: Sleep
It's been pretty fun so far. We have (as I'm sure I've said before) loved being here so far and we are so thankful that we have been able prepare for our future this way. We are also looking into the possibilities of mission work in Zambia. At this point we are simply at the information-gathering stage to see if it would be a good fit, and if it is, whether we would be most effective long-term or short-term. It seems the mission mindset here really does infect you and make you think about what's really important and what you should really be doing.
Well, It's getting towards the end of my night, so I should wrap it up here. I will try and be better about post regularity (every 2 weeks, as originally planned), so that you and anyone else interested can stay updated on our progress.
As I say every post, but mean with all my heart, thank you for your support, be it in thought, prayer, financial, or any other way.
Sincerely,
Jared, Danielle, and Haden
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Term 2 Incoming
The second term is now upon us, and starting tomorrow. Classes this time around include:
Old Testament History 2 (Judges - Esther, I believe)
Interpretive Reading
Introduction to Homiletics (Preaching)
Christian Home
Greek
Evangelistic Message
Of these courses, the only one I actually fear a little bit is that one called Greek. It's also not Greek as we know it now, but the study of the Koine Greek that a lot of the New Testament is written in. We have daily (daily!) homework, and a *lot* of memorization to do according to the syllabus.
That being said, I'm still looking forward to classes this term, as it will definitely help with my studies and planning for lessons in the future.
In other news, we are moving! We've found a place for less money that is about 2 blocks from the school. This means that I will be able to walk to school everyday, saving money on gas as well. We are very excited about this move because it will make it much easier to get back and forth for all the things going on at SIBI. The new address will be:
3715 32nd
Lubbock, TX 79410
There will likely be a post next Monday as well (maybe even this week) about how the classes look and what we will really be studying in them. Until then we wish everyone the very best and thank you for everything!
-Jared, Danielle, and Haden
Old Testament History 2 (Judges - Esther, I believe)
Interpretive Reading
Introduction to Homiletics (Preaching)
Christian Home
Greek
Evangelistic Message
Of these courses, the only one I actually fear a little bit is that one called Greek. It's also not Greek as we know it now, but the study of the Koine Greek that a lot of the New Testament is written in. We have daily (daily!) homework, and a *lot* of memorization to do according to the syllabus.
That being said, I'm still looking forward to classes this term, as it will definitely help with my studies and planning for lessons in the future.
In other news, we are moving! We've found a place for less money that is about 2 blocks from the school. This means that I will be able to walk to school everyday, saving money on gas as well. We are very excited about this move because it will make it much easier to get back and forth for all the things going on at SIBI. The new address will be:
3715 32nd
Lubbock, TX 79410
There will likely be a post next Monday as well (maybe even this week) about how the classes look and what we will really be studying in them. Until then we wish everyone the very best and thank you for everything!
-Jared, Danielle, and Haden
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Papers, Tests, and Notebooks, Oh My!
Apologies for being a week late with this. There has been a lot going on and I just didn't get around to it last time. School is going very well, and next week is finals, followed by a Break Week where there is nothing to get done and no classes to go to.
This term has really opened my eyes to a lot of things that I hadn't paid very much attention to in the past. The historical reliability of the New Testament comes to mind immediately. The facts surrounding the New Testament as a historically accurate document, and the proof which surrounds it, is not something I was taught growing up, and indeed none of the 15-18 people in class with me, from all over the country, had been taught about it either.
Spiritual Disciplines is another class where I explored areas of our faith that were somewhat foreign to me, though less so. From meditation to fasting to spiritual gifts, just to name a few, and their place and effectiveness in our lives today, has opened up an entire new world within my faith for exploration.
These courses are just a couple of small examples of what I learned about and experienced in this first term at SIBI. I'm planning another series of posts where I talk about each class a little more in depth so that people can get a more accurate picture of life in the classroom here.
The workload is really something else too. Reading several books of the Bible, writing exegetical papers (what stuff means), more than a couple of books, and studying for tests is something that I had to get back in the swing of. I'm pretty sure I didn't have to do as much in college, but then again that was a completely different type of work. Meeting new people, making friends, and spending time with so many others all looking to become what they need to be for the work of Christ has really been a blessing and contributed much more to my own growth than what I could have thought.
Life is good, school is great, and hey, even my grades are quite a bit better than average. Once I have them (sometime after Break Week, I'm sure), I'll post them all up here. The first part of the journey is almost over, but it's also only just begun.
As always, we love you all and thank you for the support of all types that we have from you.
-Jared, Danielle, and Haden
This term has really opened my eyes to a lot of things that I hadn't paid very much attention to in the past. The historical reliability of the New Testament comes to mind immediately. The facts surrounding the New Testament as a historically accurate document, and the proof which surrounds it, is not something I was taught growing up, and indeed none of the 15-18 people in class with me, from all over the country, had been taught about it either.
Spiritual Disciplines is another class where I explored areas of our faith that were somewhat foreign to me, though less so. From meditation to fasting to spiritual gifts, just to name a few, and their place and effectiveness in our lives today, has opened up an entire new world within my faith for exploration.
These courses are just a couple of small examples of what I learned about and experienced in this first term at SIBI. I'm planning another series of posts where I talk about each class a little more in depth so that people can get a more accurate picture of life in the classroom here.
The workload is really something else too. Reading several books of the Bible, writing exegetical papers (what stuff means), more than a couple of books, and studying for tests is something that I had to get back in the swing of. I'm pretty sure I didn't have to do as much in college, but then again that was a completely different type of work. Meeting new people, making friends, and spending time with so many others all looking to become what they need to be for the work of Christ has really been a blessing and contributed much more to my own growth than what I could have thought.
Life is good, school is great, and hey, even my grades are quite a bit better than average. Once I have them (sometime after Break Week, I'm sure), I'll post them all up here. The first part of the journey is almost over, but it's also only just begun.
As always, we love you all and thank you for the support of all types that we have from you.
-Jared, Danielle, and Haden
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Research Week
This week is what is fondly (and terrifyingly) known as "Research Week". We have no classes, this week, but rather have a break from classes in order to get caught up and get papers written, books read, and tests studied for. This is a list of what is getting done this week:
Reading:
Exodus 1 - Numbers ch. 17
Pages 74-206 of an Old Testament textbook
A 180ish page book on Spiritual Disciplines
40ish pages in a book on the historical reliability of the New Testament
Due next week:
Old Testament History Midterm
Life and Teachings of Jesus Midterm
2-3 page paper on "Discipleship" in Luke
5-8 page book review on the 180ish page book above
5-8 page book report on a book on Cline Paden (the founder of Sunset)
So that's pretty much the schedule for this week. I'm managing to stay on target with the goals set to have all these things ready, so that's a good thing. After Tuesday of next week I'll have a little bit of a respite from the load before I write the next 5-8 pager paper on 2 Thess. 2:3 (the Man of Perdition).
Oh, and please don't misunderstand. I'm not complaining about the work load at all. Just thought I'd give you a little glimpse into my world at present. I'm learning many great things and I'm extremely grateful to be able to delve this hard into these subjects.It is a little scary, to be sure, but it's great as well.
Here's to learning!
-Jared, Danielle, and Haden
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Thank You
All,
I do not have words enough to thank you for your support. It is absolutely, incredibly amazing. I won't get all wordy here or anything, but I just had to say thank you for all that you have done and are doing for us.
-Jared
I do not have words enough to thank you for your support. It is absolutely, incredibly amazing. I won't get all wordy here or anything, but I just had to say thank you for all that you have done and are doing for us.
-Jared
Monday, August 24, 2009
Gettin' Good
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
So we are 2 weeks in and school is going very well. The classes, while full of information, are set up in a way that I'm able to keep up very well and even be ahead on some days. I've actually just completed my first paper on the purpose of Jesus' ministry as we read about in Luke, and also had my first test on the historical reliability of the New Testament. All in all, the classes have been really full of great information and learning. I'm feeling very confident already that while I am not where I need to be yet, that by the time I reach the end of school I will have all the tools (or at least the vast majority of them) needed to start my life in ministry.
I've also learned that having been through college helps a lot with knowing how to handle work loads, study, and generally keep up with everything going on without too much problem. The program is intense to be sure, but it is advantageous to be able to know most of my strengths and weaknesses going into the program so that I can adjust more easily when needed.
Most importantly, I'm becoming able to defend my faith in ways that I had never considered before. From being able to strongly defend against those who say the New Testament cannot be historically reliable for whatever reason to the young/old earth theories in the creation story of Genesis that Christians discuss, the introduction of this information is not only exciting to me, but to everyone that I am in class with. It's amazing the things you find and learn even in a single class.
Well, this is where I will draw this post to a close. It's 2AM, which means it's time to get to bed so that I can be bright and ready for the 'morrow.
All the best things we wish upon you.
Jared, Danielle, and Haden
So we are 2 weeks in and school is going very well. The classes, while full of information, are set up in a way that I'm able to keep up very well and even be ahead on some days. I've actually just completed my first paper on the purpose of Jesus' ministry as we read about in Luke, and also had my first test on the historical reliability of the New Testament. All in all, the classes have been really full of great information and learning. I'm feeling very confident already that while I am not where I need to be yet, that by the time I reach the end of school I will have all the tools (or at least the vast majority of them) needed to start my life in ministry.
I've also learned that having been through college helps a lot with knowing how to handle work loads, study, and generally keep up with everything going on without too much problem. The program is intense to be sure, but it is advantageous to be able to know most of my strengths and weaknesses going into the program so that I can adjust more easily when needed.
Most importantly, I'm becoming able to defend my faith in ways that I had never considered before. From being able to strongly defend against those who say the New Testament cannot be historically reliable for whatever reason to the young/old earth theories in the creation story of Genesis that Christians discuss, the introduction of this information is not only exciting to me, but to everyone that I am in class with. It's amazing the things you find and learn even in a single class.
Well, this is where I will draw this post to a close. It's 2AM, which means it's time to get to bed so that I can be bright and ready for the 'morrow.
All the best things we wish upon you.
Jared, Danielle, and Haden
Monday, August 10, 2009
First Day!
Well, the first day of school has come and gone. It went very well, and we are all still alive after being informed of just how much work is involved in the program. :-)
The day started at 6:30 with us getting ready and feeding Haden, then eating some breakfast and leaving for the school at about 7:50. Chapel today was a special one, with a flag ceremony and the reading of the Great Commission on probably 20+ languages.
The rest of the day was spent in orientation, with another round of it tomorrow. We've so far gone over classes, gone through registration, and learned the in-and-outs of how the school works. We also got to meet a lot of new people, and found out that we are the only first-year couple with a baby, which is unusual for the school, but you do what you can I guess.
We also discovered that on average there is 3-4 hours of work and studying to do every night, which means that it's a very good thing that I sleep polyphaisically. Polyphaisic sleep is where you sleep a small amount at night and supplement it with scheduled naps during the day time. Currently I sleep from 2 AM - 6:30 AM with two 20 minute naps, one during our lunch break and the other at around 10 PM. I've been doing it for several months now and have much more energy than I did when I slept monophaisically (the normal 8+ hour sleep that most people get), but now I am totally off topic.
Haden did very well today in the nursery. He laughed and played and only got really angry a couple of times. When I went to pick him up at the end of the day he saw me and gave me a really huge grin, which made my day.
My course schedule is as follows:
Chapel daily at 8:35 AM
Mon/Wed AM: Christian Evidences
Mon/Wed PM: Confident Preaching and Old Testament History
Tue/Th AM: Spiritual Disciplines
Tue/Th PM: Confident Preaching and Life & Teachings of Jesus
Friday AM: Introduction to Ministry Studies
In 4 weeks we will have a Research Week, which we can use to catch up on whatever we are running behind on, and after the 9 week mark we will have a free break week to rest and renew ourselves. Following the break week, there will be a whole new set of classes to take, at which point I will update with a new course schedule. The classes, while short week-wise, are extremely intense and count for full college credit. By the end of these 2 years, I will have 128-132 credit hours. Kind of scary, but I am looking forward very much to having the tools needed to enter the ministry.
Well, this post has gotten rather long, so I will end it here. The next post is scheduled to be on Monday the 24th, so look for us then! Until such time, we thank you as always for all you do for us and wish all the best blessings upon you.
-Jared, Danielle, and Haden
Monday, August 3, 2009
Preface
Welcome, everyone, to the Kemp's blog about attending the Sunset International Bible Institute. With this blog I am hoping to keep everyone up to date with everything that is going on while we are in Lubbock. The posts here pertain almost exclusively to our experience at SIBI, but if you want to keep up with our personal lives (mainly having to do with our son Haden), feel free to use the link on the right to get to our family blog, Here Be Monsters.
As I'm sure you have heard many times before, thank you so much for supporting us in any way that you happen to be, whether it be monetarily, in prayer, thoughts, or commenting on the blog. The plan right now is to update every 2 weeks on Monday night, but depending on school that schedule may change, and I will make a note of it.
Danielle and I are so blessed to have met wonderful people at the Sunset church. We are thrilled (and a little nervous!) to be here and to begin school and begin preparing for the journey ahead. It is an honor for us to be able to be in this situation.
I plan on doing a special "first day of school" post next Monday, when things really get going.
So thank you for taking the time to catch us on the blog, and we hope that everything is the best that it can possibly be for you!
-Jared, Danielle, and Haden
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