A New Chapter

Matt and I met the first night of orientation at Vanderbilt Divinity School, in August 2003. We were engaged by the time I graduated in December 2005, and married by the time Matt graduated, just two days ago, on May 11, 2007. So, we are now embarking on a new, Vandy-free chapter in our relationship, experiencing life as two out-of-school, full-time-working people for the first time.

My position as Associate Editor at Abingdon Press was made final 10 or so days ago, finally, and I am really enjoying my new job. My role is to be focused "with laser-eye-vision," as our Director said, on church leadership authors, and I'm working on several books now with pastors from Ginghamsburg UMC (the one I visited several weeks ago in Ohio), and a couple other titles as well. I've had a three-day weekend because of Matt's graduation, and I'm actually looking forward to going back to work tomorrow!

Matt's last Sunday at Crievewood is June 3, the same day we'll confirm three young ladies whom we've been guiding in confirmation class the last few weeks. We move to Clarksville in just over a month, where Matt will start his first full-time, solo pastorate with Bethlehem UMC, and I'll have to commute an hour each way. Changes are a'comin', but in the meantime, here are some pics of the graduation, good-riddance-to-Vandy event:

Yay for Matt, who, by the way, WON THE PREACHING AWARD AT GRADUATION--BRAVO, REV. KELLEY!!

And here we are, standing on the spot where we first met, in the Refectory of the Div School.





















Farewell, VDS!