My life in 500 words or less

Twelve in12

Reading
Darkling ~ Yasmine Galenorn
The Saxon Shore ~ Jack Whyte
Uther ~ Jack Whyte

Finished
Mirror, Mirror ~ Gregory Macguire
Witchling ~ Yasmine Galenorn
Changeling ~ Yasmine Galenorn
Something Wicked ~ Catherine Mulvany
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ~ J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ~ J.K. Rowling
Myst: Book of Atrus ~ Rand Miller, Robyn Miller and David Wingrove
The Game of Kings ~ Dorothy Dunnett
The Other Boleyn Girl ~ Philippa Gregory

I’ve been working on my application for the Seminary, and I’ve come up to the part I hate most.  The Autobiography (250-500 words).  How exactly do I include everything I want in that little space?  How can I describe the long journey I’ve had to take that brings me to this decision.  The Origins entry I wrote used nearly 4,000 words.  And that was a Cliff’s Notes version!  This was the hardest thing I’ve had to write, and I’m still not totally convinced its what I’ll send in.  There’s another essay part to the application which deals more with my faith and beliefs.  That’s what I’m working on now.  But this is the closest I’ve gotten and I’m starting to look for a little feedback.  I’ve shortened the names for my privacy.

I was born into a Christian family, with a strong tradition of church leadership. As a child, my family attended ICRC, where my father grew up as a pastor’s kid. Both my parents were deeply involved in the church. Our house was always filled with music, from Charles Wesley to Beethoven. In third grade, my parents decided to leave Immanuel for NHRC, a RCA church in our town. Too young to understand, I resented their decision to leave.

Slowly, my parents and I found a place at NHRC. My father, a full-time attorney, is now the church organist and my mother, a public school music teacher, directs the Senior Choir. I became part of that family tradition, playing oboe, accompanying the choir and ringing handbells. Outside music, I became active in the senior high youth group. We sought to instill a Christ-centered focus for all our activities, including Super Bowl parties and youth retreats. A group of five of us wanted more and put together a bible study named CIA, Christians in Action. In school, I found my niche in the music department, playing oboe in the band and running chorus rehearsals. I learned how to serve Christ in everything that I did, from playing oboe to babysitting to schoolwork. Using my talents, I met a graduation requirement by putting on a concert at New Hackensack to benefit a local outreach program.

After graduation, I went to C College, hoping to figure out what God intended for me. Suffering from homesickness and extreme depression, I traveled home on my 19th birthday. I spent the next three years searching for God’s plan for me. I decided to pursue a performance degree on oboe. Exactly three years after I left C College, I traveled to SUNY. That fall, I was hired by SMLC as music director. A year later, I was asked to take a more active role by picking out the hymns and working with our transitional pastor. That spring, I organized a Cantata service with the Episcopal church which will be repeated this coming spring. During the summers, I have helped organize an alternative worship service at NHRC and organized, and led, Summer Ring, an instructional handbell program.

Entering into my senior year of college, I knew I had to make a decision about the next step in my life. I desperately want to please God and do his will, but could not see where he wanted me to go. Though a talented musician, I did not feel called into a life of performance. As I searched for ways to dedicate my life to God, I felt drawn to ministry within the church.

It was an off-hand comment from my father which rang true within me. I am a talented musician and teacher. Working the various jobs I have had over the years, I have discovered other valuable talents, in secretarial administration and organization. I finally understand where my talents and how to use them to serve God, as a worship coordinator. After intense research and prayer, I feel drawn back to GR, this time to CTS.