This summer, we have been hearing about the adventures of all sorts of SEBTS women. Today's post is from Katie Mercer Jordan, a 2-time SEBTS grad and the wife of one of our SEBTS staff (an alumnus himself), Brandon Jordan.  Read her post to find out what life is like after graduation while Katie and Brandon wait to see where the Lord will call them.

Where can you find me this summer?

Brandon and I live locally in Raleigh.  The summer has taken on a new feel for us since we are both out of school.  We definitely still look forward to summer, but our routine doesn’t change too much.  What does change is the routine of those around us-this matters because we work with youth!!

What are we doing this summer!?!

With the exception of a few trips (to the beach and to Maryland with my family) we will be local to Raleigh this summer!  We try to stay local on the weekends since we believe in the importance of local community at church.  One of the ways we serve at our church (Christ Covenant Church…a.k.a. fantastic!) is working with the youth.  And not just any youth; we work with MIDDLE SCHOOLERS!!!  This has been a blast for us and also definitely a lot of work!  

Summer provides a great opportunity for us to minister since all of our students have vacation time, and we don’t have to worry about it being a school night!  This can also be tough, however.  We have to teach the kids the importance of church and that it is not something you need a break from.  We are trying to help them better understand commitment and community. BUT, there is nothing we would rather be doing!  We have a great youth group and love working with them!

Other than that, we are just working!  Work has been a wonderful opportunity for me. I work for a terrific company that is a lot of fun to work for, but it is also definitely a place that needs the Gospel.  As I work hard but characterize it with a Christian work ethic, I have had some wonderful opportunities to be culturally engaging.  I have been put into some great situations which have allowed me to not only share my faith, but also to display that I live a different life than my coworkers do.  While at SEBTS, I worked on campus in a variety of jobs.  Though I would not trade that for a million years, it is also very refreshing to be where I am now!  I feel that my time on campus prepared me very well for engaging people and being a part of their lives.

Katie is from Annapolis Maryland, but would consider Raleigh, North Carolina her home!  After graduating high school, she went to The College at Southeastern and then decided she just couldn’t get enough so she stayed around for her masters!!  While she had a ton of great experiences at SEBTS, the best was meeting her husband Brandon!!  She graduated with her M.A. from SEBTS a year ago and since then has been working in the Raleigh area.  Brandon just graduated with his MDIV in May and the two are looking for where the Lord would have them go next!  While waiting, she works for Ashton Woods Homes and Brandon is the assistant director of Financial Aid at SEBTS!  They just celebrated one year of being married and are having a blast!

Today we will hear from Laura Hahn.  Laura graduated last Friday from the College at Southeastern.  We in the Women's Life Office love Laura, and she has such a servant's heart. College gals, glean from her today.  You'll be glad you did.

If you missed yesterday's post, please click here.

I’m a real college graduate!!!

Oh my, the whirlwind of emotions that comes from graduation. I’m leaving a place that I have come to love. I’m leaving my school, my workplace, and my apartment. I’m leaving all of it at once. However, I keep remembering that my memories will not disappear, and the lessons learned will be in my back pocket for future reference. As I prepare to leave, I am excited to give you a glimpse into what has happened in my head and in my heart during my time here at Southeastern.

When I look back at my time here at SEBTS, I have a variety of memories made and lessons learned. I remember taking Greek my first semester and learning hundreds of words of vocabulary, and then taking a freshman introductory class my last semester. I’ve lost intramural basketball games, had my heart broken, made friends for life, traveled overseas with professors, and made a million other memories.

The College at Southeastern is definitely not what most people would label a typical college experience. There are no wild, drunken parties or 300 person classes with rampant cheating. However, there is the occasional late night Sheetz run and last minute procrastination on 12 page papers. We may not have Division 1 sports, but intramural football does get pretty intense.

Yet there also are many things that stay the same no matter what college you attend, at least for the girls. We still talk about boys and get overly excited about a first date. We still obsess about what we eat and then get on work out tangents. College girls still have the same problems whether you went to a bible college or a state school. But that is where the importance of SEBTS comes in and why I am so thankful to be graduating from this institution.

There are two primary lessons I have learned from my time at SEBTS.  These two lessons actually tie into each other:

1.     Follow God in obedience every single day, and He will provide everything I need.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:19

This verse and this promise require complete surrender. I’ve become an expert at the prayer, ”Lord, I give you control of my future.” However, I’ve had to learn that giving God control of my future means following Christ on a daily basis. Imagine that, right? I’ve learned to trust Him with the big picture, but it was rare that my actions and worries actually reflected that. As I say to myself, and I say to you: follow your sovereign King everyday and do as He commands.  The result is this: He will provide everything you need.

2.     Do not lose your awe of God.

“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!” –Psalm 33:8

It is easy to let your understanding of God be simply intellectual, but my challenge to myself and to you is this: let your knowledge of God draw you close to His face and His presence so that you may stand in awe of Him.

My main advice to underclassmen:

While grades and GPAs may not be the most important thing in the world, what you are learning is! I don’t want to get on my soapbox, but this is so important: Do not ever use the excuse, “But it isn’t about grades” to justify shoddy work. Instead, tell yourself, “I will use what I’m learning to further my ministry and my capability to share the Gospel more fully.”

Yes, I understand the power of the Spirit and how important it is to let him lead you in ministry. But at the same time, God called you here to learn at Southeastern to learn about Him and prepare for that ministry.

Your grade, 9 times out of 10, reflects how hard you worked and how much you actually cared. Laziness and complacency should not define your time here at Southeastern. Let your time be marked by working hard and yearning to know how to do your job well! This means understanding theology, worldviews, New Testament book outlines, and what Old Testament poetry means. And yes, it might even mean comprehending Nietzsche and Freud’s works.

Start the habit now of getting things done on time and doing them as well as you can. Don’t let complacency rule your life. Do your best out of obedience to God.  Stand in awe of Him.  He will guide your life, and He deserves your best!

So with that:

Work hard, give God the glory, and worship him with all that you have. You won’t regret it!

Laura Hahn is a graduate (as of Friday!) from The College at Southeastern, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies with a minor in missions. She has been a member at Open Door Baptist Church for over two years and enjoys participating in Spanish Fellowship. She enjoys spending time in the outdoors, preferably the mountains, and reading a good book. This July  through December, Laura will be in the Philippines with the IMB doing church planting and discipleship among an unreached people group. As soon as she return Laura will be applying to nursing school at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Over the next week we are going to hear from some of our graduates.  Our guest contributors will include a seminary graduate, college graduate and a graduate of our BWI program.  You will not want to miss out on these posts! 

Today, we are going to hear from Mary Ann, a seminary graduate.  Take a minute to see what she has to share with us.

It’s interesting to know that a race has just one line. That line serves as both the starting point and the finishing point.  I crossed that line about four years ago to begin seminary.  I thought I had signed up for a 5k only to find that seminary is actually a full fledged marathon! Now, here I am again with my toes on the line. 

Graduation is here and I must say that the feelings are bitter sweet. 

One thing is certain: I am NOT the same person that I was four years ago.  So as I reflect upon my time in seminary, I would like to issue two challenges. (Stay tuned for the challenges; they are intermingled in this post.)

The things that shaped me the most were not books or papers.  I did learn more than I ever thought I would, and I will always be so thankful for my time in the classroom.  BUT, I found that God has changed me through two specific avenues that I would like to share.

Avenue Number 1: God’s Word.  I have learned to LOVE God’s word.  I have found that a true and deep study of Scripture leads to a full and immense love for God’s word, God’s character, and his purposes in the world today.  I have been a Christian for many years but have just recently learned more about the STORY of the Bible.  Challenge 1: Take time. Make time. Steal time (from TV, from extra sleep, whatever) to read and meditate upon God’s word.  It will change your heart. And oh how we need to change. 

Avenue Number 2: Community.  In seminary, I learned what real Christian community looks like.  I was not looking for it.  Sometimes I was not sure I even wanted community.  Yet I formed friendships here where I could finally be honest and vulnerable.  I found that true confession of sin to real human beings that cared for me was life changing.  No one wants to tell others where they have fallen short.  It was terrifying.  But it allowed God to work in my areas of weakness.  No longer could I justify my sin, but rather I was held accountable! It is such a blessing to share with someone the wickedness of your heart and have them continue to love you.  It is a picture of God’s grace.  I would not trade it for the world.  Challenge 2: Find community.  Create community.  Live out the gospel in community!!

Ok, so maybe these two things are not mind blowing for you.  That’s alright.  All I know is that God used his Word and his people to work in my life while I was attending seminary.  Now, as graduation approaches, I can only look toward the next challenge.  The finish line (graduation) will now be the starting line for a new ministry as my husband and I answer the call that God has placed on our lives. 

I mentioned that graduation is bitter sweet. Bitter=leaving the community with which God has blessed me.  Sweet=never writing another paper, taking another final exam, or reading 200+ pages a week. Praise the Lord for He is good!!!

Mary Ann is from Douglasville, Georgia.  She spent four years at SEBTS and earned a Master of Divinity in Christian Ministry.  She and her husband serve at Refuge Church.  Mary Ann works at Building Blocks Learning Center and volunteers at First Choice Pregnancy Solutions in Wake Forest. She loves doing anything outdoors!