The SMP Life

And yes – I know the ellipsis are not understood by the youth of today. However, they do still have a place in grammar and as such, I will continue to use them. 😉

I realized the other day that I have not posted anything since late July. Ouch. I have a couple drafts sitting around, but they never made it past the half-baked stage. No excuses. Life just stacked up and this slid to the bottom of the pile for a while.

But a lot has happened since then.

I finally wrapped up my entrance exams. Three of them. Doctrine, New Testament, and Old Testament. I honestly thought Doctrine would be the big one, so I tackled it first. Somehow I passed on my first try. Barely. But a pass is a pass and I celebrated that one.

The other two were a whole different story. I used every attempt I was allowed. All three tries on both tests. Six swings total. The Old Testament one came right down to the wire. I took it on my last try, on the last day, in the afternoon. Reformation Day, no less. When the screen said I passed, I stared at it for a long time before it sank in. I was convinced I had aged out of making this cohort. God had other plans.

After that, all I could do was wait. Spring cohort or fall cohort or maybe not at all. I had already made peace with being bumped to fall since I finished testing so late.

But God surprised me again.

On November 4, 2025, I opened the email that said I was officially admitted to the Spring 2026 SMP cohort. Even better, another gentleman here in Spokane was accepted too. I cannot tell you what a blessing it is to have someone local to walk this road with. Praise God.

Since then, my mentor and I have been checking off pre-orientation work. I still have a little more to wrap up before 1 Feb, when we fly to St Louis and make our way to Concordia Seminary for a week of orientation and the start of classes.

I keep saying it to myself, trying to make it feel real. I am actually starting this journey. God has guided every step, even the ones where I felt stuck or slow or unsure. A year ago, this felt impossibly far away. Now it is right in front of me.

I promise I will try to post more often. For now, thank you for reading, praying, cheering, and walking alongside me.

May God bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine on you, be gracious to you, and give you His peace. In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.