Weekly Email: July 21, 2025

Weekly Email

Jul 21

In this week’s email:

Student Tip - Navigating disappointment in seminary
Program News - Pastoral Counseling Workshop October 27–29

Student Tip - Navigating Disappointment: Choosing the Path Forward

My son’s seventh birthday was this past Friday.

If you’re reading this, it means I’m finishing up edits this (Monday) morning, just before I send this out. As I’ve mentioned before, sometimes these tips, insights, and encouragements I share are more aspirational than practical. I’m not perfect either. Even as I write about managing time effectively, I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking I’ll magically find time during the week without scheduling it into my calendar.

Sometimes when reading advice online, it’s easy to assume everyone else has their act perfectly together. But even the most put-together people have their behind-the-scenes struggles. If you’re a preacher or teacher, you probably relate to this: teaching something you aspire to live out, even when you haven’t fully mastered it yourself.

The Weather Decision

Anyway, back to my son’s birthday. Louisville weather this week has been filled with unpredictable thunderstorms that shift from 30% to 90% chance of rain by afternoon. For the past several years, my son has loved having his birthday party at a splash pad next to a grassy field to play soccer and baseball. But this past Thursday night, with storm predictions sitting at an unhelpful 50%, my wife and I made the tough call to switch to indoor options. We presented three alternatives to our son. He was disappointed and cried, which is entirely appropriate for a seven-year-old. But after expressing his feelings, he looked up and said, “I think going bowling with my friends will be fun, but I’m still sad about not being outside.”

This disappointment made me think of three separate emails from students this past week. They each shared how they had overcommitted, underperformed, and were disappointed by their results in summer courses. Some even feared failing and felt unsure how to move forward. I’m guessing many of you have felt something similar.

It’s common to reach weeks six, seven, or eight in a course and realize you didn’t achieve what you’d hoped.

Two Paths Forward

When faced with such disappointment, there are generally two paths you can take. The first is a path of defeat. Allow this setback to negatively color your outlook and future performance, likely leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of continued struggle.

The second path involves pivoting: acknowledging your disappointment and failure, assessing what went wrong, and committing to necessary changes.

I experienced this firsthand during my MDiv studies. Some semesters ended with unmet aspirations. But the semesters I grew most were the ones where I chose to reflect, recalibrate, and press forward, rather than sinking into discouragement.

Choosing the Harder Path

So this week’s encouragement is simple: when disappointment hits (and it inevitably will), acknowledge your feelings, then intentionally choose the harder but ultimately more rewarding path forward. Reflect, pivot, and plan your next steps. This applies not only to your academic pursuits but to life more broadly.

Watching how my son handled his birthday disappointment filled me with pride. He instinctively practiced what we strive to teach: acknowledge the pain, sadness, and disappointment while accepting the situation, and thoughtfully pivot to the next best option, all while honoring his initial feelings.

I’m happy to say that Saturday ended with much joy and laughter.

Program News: Pastoral Counseling Workshop

The Pastoral Counseling Workshop (October 27–29, 2025) is a unique event specifically designed for men serving in counseling ministries. Attendees will learn directly from esteemed Southern Seminary faculty, including Dr. Jeremy Pierre, Dr. Robert Jones, Dr. Colin McCulloch, and Dr. Matthew Haste.

Participants will experience ministry-focused lectures and interactive discussions, structured within a refreshing retreat atmosphere. Attendees will enjoy shared meals featuring mentoring sessions and extensive networking opportunities with fellow ministry leaders and faculty.

The workshop fee ($700) covers complimentary lodging and all meals. Current master's students can earn 3 hours of course credit (35077 Studies in Biblical Counseling) by attending and completing additional assignments, along with three nights of provided lodging.

Spaces are limited, so register early to secure a spot.

If you think your pastor or someone in your church would benefit from this workshop, please pass along this information to them personally.

Learn more here: https://www.sbts.edu/counseling-workshop

Quick Reference of Upcoming Term Dates:

Current Week: Summer, Week 8 (July 21–27)
Fall 1 Term Begins: August 4, 2025
Fall 2 Term Begins: October 6, 2025

Thanks for reading! I’ll check in next Monday. You can browse past emails in the archive or explore Course Snapshotsto find textbooks, course descriptions, and details about what we offer online.