Good News!

I'm going to be a doctor! That's right, folks. I have been offered a spot in the 2005 entering class of the Indiana University School of Medicine. I have accepted the offer, and now I'm waiting to see if they want to pay for me to go to their school. In spite of my great excitement about this news, I have not yet decided where I want to attend medical school. I can accept offers from multiple schools for now and see how things play out over time. But the good news for now is that whatever happens, I now have at least one option for medical school. Thanks for all of your support up to this point, and I covet your continued prayers as this process continues.

what's it worth?

i went to hear a man speak last weekend at a presbyterian church here in town. his name is Ray Vander Laan (RVL for short). he talked about discipleship, and what it means to really be a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Man. side note: Jesus liked to call himself "Son of man" a lot - do you think that was just his own reminder that he was human? i know there are greater prophetic implications carried by the title, but you can't help but wonder what God thought every time he referred to himself as Son of Man. anyway, discipleship...
so it turns out that being a disciple doesn't mean leading a good life, going to church regularly, and throwing some church vocab into your everyday language now and then. rather, to be a disciple, a talmid, is a radical commitment not simply to following your rabbi, but a commitment to become like him in every way - the way you think, the way you act, the things you say, the causes you commit yourself to - in every way. and a disciple doesn't just try to do this because he has to, because after he finished college and had a degree that couldn't get him a better job he decided to try out this discipleship position. no, a disciple has an intense desire, an overwhelming passion for becoming like his rabbi. and for a rabbi to call a disciple, to say "follow me" is for the rabbi to say "i think you have what it takes to be like me."
so Jesus calls us, still today. "come, FOLLOW ME. my yolk is light and my burden is easy." and for those of us who respond to this call, he says further, "go and make DISCIPLES, baptizing them and teaching them everything i've commanded you."
first, i'd like to just say thanks to RVL for the education, and also for the challenge. because, if we take this thing seriously, you can't deny that it's quite a challenge, to say the least.
so now all i have to do is figure out how this whole discipleship thing plays into my plans for med school and a life as a physician. don't get me wrong, i mean, i want to be like Jesus, but i have plans, important things to do... plans. so i'll just have to figure out how this new education about the call to discipleship can fit into my plans, right? any suggestions?