Random Musings from A Guy With Lousy Internet Service

Sorry the posts to this thing are so random lately. Before we moved here, we were told that we would be receiving free wireless internet service here in our townhouse. But, alas, the choice of location for the wireless hub is so far away, that we barely get a signal. Thus, the lack of posts, and a wife who is going crazy because she misses surfing the web.

Before I get started, here is my address for the next eleven months:

The Buchers
208 N. Maple #2
Wilmore KY 40390

For the foreseeable future, you might want to email me at bryan_bucher@asburyseminary.edu until I can figure out how to make my "real" address work on the Outlook on my new computer.

So, here are a few random thoughts...

• We are feeling very welcome here at Asbury. The staff at the Beeson Center has pretty much moved heaven and earth (save the internet service) to make us feel like a million-bucks (after taxes). One of the biggest surprises of the experience, thus far, is the design of the program. When you think about earning a doctorate, generally you envision a student, reading lots of books, writing lots of papers, and eventually presenting a dissertation defense. Generally, if the student has a family, they never see him, and the only time they have contact with the school is on graduation day, when the said student receives his or her diploma. Not so with the Beeson Pastor DMin program. The experience is designed for the entire family. Spouses have time together, listen to lectures, often travel with us on our adventures, and are supposed to live this life with us. They even make the families live close to one another so that the kids can play together each day. Programs and events are designed for the entire family, and the hope is that not only will Beeson Pastors learn a lot at school, but that their family will be strengthened in the process.
• I had no idea that this was the way this program was supposed to work. Who, in the world, ever heard of a doctoral program geared toward the entire family? Well, most certainly, not I. But now, after experiencing this after only one week, Aimee and boys want to stay all year, not just the first month (which was the original plan). This is making for much drama and sadness... so stay tuned as we figure out what to do.
• We received our new laptops (each Beeson Pastor gets a new laptop at the start of the process... I'm telling you man, this thing is first class!) yesterday, and promptly embarked on a two-day, 16 hour marathon training session geared toward teaching us how to use them. We spent this time on sessions with snappy titles (and I am not making this up) like "Using Microsoft Powerpoint", "Microsoft Word Basics", "Surfing the Internet", and (my favorite) "Combating Viruses and Spyware". Next Tuesday we learn how to use the library. The fun never stops!
• Looked at a motorcycle (a 2001 Suzuki Maurader) Monday night in Nicholasville (a bedroom community of Lexington about 10 minutes away - it's where the WalMart is). Am still on the fence about getting one (for financial reasons only), but the temptation continues to grow... especially given all the great places to ride down here. I was convinced that I wouldn't own a bike until next spring... now, I'm not so sure.
• Eli has been sick for about three days. Took me over an hour last night to get him to sleep by walking him in a stroller across campus (which brought back pleasant memories of me doing the same with Max when we lived in Bloomington). Originally, because he's getting a molar, we thought the fever was related, but now we're not so sure. Aimee is tried to get him into a doctor today, but they were booked, so it looks like we'll be making a trip to one tomorrow. Needless to say, we are seriously missing Dr. Eric. Given the quality of care he's given us, taking the boys to anyone else just seems wrong.
• I think all but two or three of us BP's are from the south, which is going to cause major problems come football season. Our pack is littered with fans of Florida, Florida State, UGa, Texas A&M (their mascot is a farmer... how lame is that?), an Oklahoma fan (didn't know they played football out there), and one poor schmuck who roots for Indiana. Let's just say that this would be a good year for OSU to win another National Championship.
• Oh, there are no Notre Dame fans here, which is kinda sad, because missing those "I can't believe we paid Charlie Weis upteenbazillion dollars to be our coach and we're 3-3" faces will be a real shame.
• Did I mention our townhouse is located a stone's throw away from a train track? 57 of them come through Wilmore every day. Yep, that's right... 57. I'm sure we'll get used to it. As an aside, you know what I like best about train whistles? Nothing. Nothing at all.
• Have read a number of good books already during this experience. Would recommend "Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box" (published by The Arbinger Institute - would recommend to anyone in a position of leadership or management) and "You Only Have to Die" (by James Harnish - a great book for churches and pastors in downtown locations looking for a new identity and life). Received about 20 new ones the first day I arrived, so I'm sure more recommendations (and a new pair of reading glasses) will be coming soon.

Hope all is well with you. I start my first class next Monday, so keep praying. Thanks to all of you who have been doing so already. In the coming days, we will definitely need it.

God Bless,

Bryan