[Who wrote the second tablets - Moses or God? (Friendly debate)]

While God Himself wrote the first set, I'd say Moses wrote the 2nd set as per Ex 34:28. Cheers!

[Thinking about Applying to Seminary - Help!]

Aloysha. Wow! I will try to share my opinion. No right or wrong answers.

1. First you may need to exactly Identify what you want to achieve in life. Kind of like Mission Vision Thing. If you were given just one opportunity to do the one thing that in your perspective would change the world in the best way that only you alone know best how to do it. what would that be? Colleges receive many applicants and they want to give opportunity to only those persons who are already focused on extaclty what they want to become and also know how they will make maximum use of the courses.

2. What is your calling? I can see you are juggling between Literature professor and religious educator/chaplin. So I assume that you are more into imparting training to others.

Have you contributed in any significant or small way/obtained some achievement in any of the areas of your interest? Such that the college can see flashes of your interest in these areas right from your early years even if its at a very low level like Sunday school teaching?

3. Many Schools mention that there is no minimum GRE score. But I think a high score will definately be helpful if its the only common denominator that will end up differentiating between two similar candidates for one position.

4. Utilise the previous links in this religion forum. I recommend the one entitled. 2011 Theology Application Results!!!

All the Best as you try to figure out exactly what you want.

Cheers

Uncle Sam

[2011 Theology Application Results!!!]

I understand the debt situation. It's bittersweet to get in and not be funded proper, but at least you were accepted! I don't know if I can ask my wife to quit her job and "come follow me" to Atlanta especially if I don't get any decent funding. Without Leadership Candler, I can't hope for decent funding. I'm not a Methodist either. The only "pull" for the school is that I wanted to do my PHD at the GDR and maybe, just maybe they'll notice me. That's a big time commitment and a lot of "ifs" though. There's a powerful scene from LOST season 1 where John Locke pounds his fists on a buried hatch in the jungle and cries out, "I've done everything you ever wanted me to do -- so WHY did you DO THIS to ME?" That's how I feel right now. Four years of graduate work for naught. I can't get a job with an MA and MTH in Hebrew Bible. I could surrender my MA and finish an MDIV at my current school, without funding, of course. But what's that worth? Apparently not much to HDS. OR any of the PHD programs that I applied to.... What am I? Too bourgeois for them? It just totally blows to get rejected by 7/9 schools so far....there's no greater hurt than realizing that I did OK as an undergraduate, pulled myself out of the depths of Sheol for four years to get stellar grades in graduate school, and still, STILL am not as appealing a candidate as a young sprout who is fresh out of a BA program.

There's no greater hurt than the life-canceling capacities of an admissions council.

You are brave to have tried out the application process at the risk of being rejected. Even though the response did not materialise as desired. But over the 10 years I have unsuccessfully applied for these courses I have come to learn that all things somehow work out together for good despite the outcome. One of the greatest advantages of going through the application exercise is that it made me to sit down and really think about who I am and what matters to me most and to also to seriously think about my mission and vision and role in this universe. You may have concluded that HDS or YDS was the best vehicle to take you from your current point A to a future desired point B. The dissappointment of the regret letter from the admissions committee may have hit you with such a bombshell to the extent that you felt that your dreams have been shattered. But thats not the case coz HDS & YDS were just mere vehicles, they were not the ultimate destinations. Now pick urself up, dust urself, and Make the most out of this temporary dissapointment by making the loss count for something great. In the next task that your hand finds to do, do it with such excellence and be the best in your field. win awards and prizes if you can. and if HDS or YDS gets so impressed 20 yrs from now and decorates you with a honorary degree. Accept it with humility! cheers. Uncle Sam