Summer Break

Well that's it! Our last class was last Wednesday, so the students at the Institute for Leadership in Ministry program are on a well-deserved summer break; or at least it feels well deserved. Although this blog is about the ILM program there will be no classes until next September, so I am going to do something different for awhile and although I'm not exactly sure what that will be I have a couple of ideas. For instance I plan to do some posts on the books that I've read for the various classes (and maybe some that I've read "just for fun"); that is if I can remember how to do a book report.

I think I'm doing a better job of condensing each class into one post and accurately presenting the instructors ideas, although sometimes it still feels incomplete. Transcribing my notes to create these posts and sharing what I've learned at the ILM program has been helpful to me as well. It reinforces the information from the lectures and discussions, and occasionally forces me to do internet searches to fill in the details on some handwritten note (or notes) that don't seem complete anymore. You can imagine that the five or six lectures per class haven't provided enough time to adequately cover each subject.

Everyone including the instructors would like to have more class time, although one person's suggestion to run the program year around seemed a little extreme. The program is well organized, the staff is professional (and friendly), and the training is exceptional. Evidently, the ILM program morphs into something slightly different next year, so stand by. I've been told that during the second year there are fewer lectures and more discussions, and if I understand correctly, more writing is required. Yuck!

Again, please allow me to thank everyone who is reading my blog; His blog, I hope, it's not about me, it's about the One who inspires me daily to be the person I am trying to be. I hope that you are learning something too or at least finding it interesting. My desire is to faithfully reflect my belief in Jesus' love for us, my witness of God's grace in my life, and my understanding of the Catholic Church in the world. Thank you for taking this journey with me, and thanks to those who have commented and assisted me with grammar, etc. I really appreciate the help!