{"id":2044,"date":"2018-12-12T10:56:51","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T16:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/?p=2044"},"modified":"2018-12-12T10:57:42","modified_gmt":"2018-12-12T16:57:42","slug":"trust-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Trust the Process"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cTrust the Process\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n

By Andy Burns<\/span><\/h3>\n

In 2013, the NBA\u2019s Philadelphia 76\u2019ers began a rebuilding process marshalled by a brand new general manager Sam Hinkie. \u00a0At first, some questionable moves left some fans feeling uneasy about the future of their beloved \u201cSixers.\u201d It was during this time of rebuilding and uneasiness that a new phrase in \u201cSixer\u201d culture was born. \u00a0Interestingly, the catchphrase continued to be the team\u2019s mantra even after Hinkie\u2019s departure and has since escaped the sphere of \u201cSixer\u2019s ethos\u201d becoming a cultural phenomenon. That phrase? \u201cTrust the process.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As of this writing, I am three classes away from completing the MACM program via distance education. \u00a0Perhaps it is natural when coming to the end of a long process or the end of the year (or beginning of the year for many Christians) that one gets a little reflective. \u00a0Perhaps there are other reasons. At any rate, I am in a reflective mood and have been thinking about my experience at ACU in this \u201cprocess.\u201d As I reflect approaching the end of \u201cthe process,\u201d I am impressed with a few words of wisdom that I wish I could have told myself at the beginning of \u201cthe process\u201d and they all are in the orbit of \u201ctrust the process.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

To my younger self, and to new students alike, trust the process.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Your professors are intelligent and dedicated to your formation into the image and likeness of Christ. \u00a0Never doubt that. When their decisions seem irrational and their judgments appear unfounded, give them the benefit of the doubt and trust the process<\/em>. \u00a0In the beginning, I remember being so irritated by proper footnoting and bibliographic style. I could not imagine why the margins on a paper should subtract from my work! \u00a0And the reading? Do they know that I am not a speed-reader? Now, I am only irritated with my former self. Trust the process.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Try not to think about your program as a means to an end. \u00a0I am often asked, \u201cWhat are you going to do with your degree?\u201d \u00a0When I began, I thought I would be acquiring new skills and better information to make me better equipped to do some job. \u00a0Now, I really have no idea. I think a better question might be, \u201cWhat has your degree done with you?\u201d If \u201cthe process\u201d is not forming you in to a better human then you have missed the point. \u00a0The beautiful thing about ACU, and the Christian perspective for that matter, is that we believe that better human form is in fact the form of Christ. If you can allow yourself to be worked with, amazing things will happen. \u00a0Trust the process. <\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Everything is an invitation to prayer. \u00a0Each class, each interaction, each assignment, each email, and each paper you write is an opportunity to be drawn into an eternal conversation with the living God. \u00a0In the beginning, I organized my thoughts like a scheduling planner. I mean, I had so much to do and so little time! I just did not have time to pray! Now, I realize that it is all about prayer and I missed so many golden moments along the way because I did not trust the process<\/em> of prayer. \u00a0There will be times when you do not feel like praying or cannot even imagine what to pray about when a 30-page paper is staring you down. However, even this is an invitation to prayer. Trust the process.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Though I can only speak for the MACM program at ACU, I am sure the same applies for any program one might choose. \u00a0It is a process. A long, difficult, arduous, wonderful, rewarding, and beautiful process. It is worth your time (even the late nights), your money (even if it leaves you strapped), and I would recommend it to anyone who was interested in a theological education. \u00a0On the cusp of my graduation, I simply want to remind us all to look forward through reflection and encourage each of us to \u201ctrust the process.\u201d<\/em> To all those people who made the \u201cprocess\u201d possible, I pray we are always able to represent \u201cthe process\u201d well.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/b><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    About the Author: <\/b>Currently, I live just outside Huntington West Virginia and, in some place or another, I\u2019ve lived in West Virginia all my life. \u00a0During the school year, I attempt to teach middle and high school students about Mathematics alongside my wonderful wife who teaches in the classroom next door. \u00a0Together, we have four children, two grandpuppies, and an appetite for travel. In my spare time, I forgot what that feels like, I like to spend time in my wood shop making furniture. \u00a0I usually tell people to never take me too seriously unless we are talking about God, wood, or Star Wars.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u201cTrust the Process\u201d By Andy Burns In 2013, the NBA\u2019s Philadelphia 76\u2019ers began a rebuilding process marshalled by a brand new general manager Sam Hinkie. \u00a0At first, some questionable moves left some fans feeling uneasy about the future of their beloved \u201cSixers.\u201d It was during this time of rebuilding and uneasiness that a new phrase […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14982,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[171219,64074,188367,50562],"class_list":["post-2044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-students","tag-christian-ministry","tag-distance-education","tag-theological-education","tag-trust"],"yoast_head":"\nTrust the Process- ACU Graduate School of Theology Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On the cusp of my graduation, I simply want to remind us all to look forward through reflection and encourage each of us to \u201ctrust the process.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trust the Process- ACU Graduate School of Theology Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On the cusp of my graduation, I simply want to remind us all to look forward through reflection and encourage each of us to \u201ctrust the process.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ACU Graduate School of Theology\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-12-12T16:56:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-12-12T16:57:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Andy Burns\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Andy Burns\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Andy Burns\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/person\/57bd4e7cec25ddb5335f9c1441e94e80\"},\"headline\":\"Trust the Process\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-12-12T16:56:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-12-12T16:57:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/\"},\"wordCount\":801,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"christian ministry\",\"Distance Education\",\"theological education\",\"trust\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Students\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/\",\"name\":\"Trust the Process- ACU Graduate School of Theology Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-12-12T16:56:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-12-12T16:57:42+00:00\",\"description\":\"On the cusp of my graduation, I simply want to remind us all to look forward through reflection and encourage each of us to \u201ctrust the process.\u201d\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Trust the Process\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/\",\"name\":\"ACU Graduate School of Theology\",\"description\":\"Join us as we grow in knowledge and understanding, in greater service of the church.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#organization\",\"name\":\"ACU Graduate School of Theology\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2017\/12\/GST-Logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2017\/12\/GST-Logo.png\",\"width\":1422,\"height\":703,\"caption\":\"ACU Graduate School of Theology\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/person\/57bd4e7cec25ddb5335f9c1441e94e80\",\"name\":\"Andy Burns\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3de18f090f8e5c19ca7669254da3fcde4f41ebdebc37d77a53899788c04d0d?s=96&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3de18f090f8e5c19ca7669254da3fcde4f41ebdebc37d77a53899788c04d0d?s=96&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Andy Burns\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/author\/bmm16d\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Trust the Process- ACU Graduate School of Theology Blog","description":"On the cusp of my graduation, I simply want to remind us all to look forward through reflection and encourage each of us to \u201ctrust the process.\u201d","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Trust the Process- ACU Graduate School of Theology Blog","og_description":"On the cusp of my graduation, I simply want to remind us all to look forward through reflection and encourage each of us to \u201ctrust the process.\u201d","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/","og_site_name":"ACU Graduate School of Theology","article_published_time":"2018-12-12T16:56:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-12-12T16:57:42+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Andy Burns","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Andy Burns","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/"},"author":{"name":"Andy Burns","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/person\/57bd4e7cec25ddb5335f9c1441e94e80"},"headline":"Trust the Process","datePublished":"2018-12-12T16:56:51+00:00","dateModified":"2018-12-12T16:57:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/"},"wordCount":801,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg","keywords":["christian ministry","Distance Education","theological education","trust"],"articleSection":["Students"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/","name":"Trust the Process- ACU Graduate School of Theology Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg","datePublished":"2018-12-12T16:56:51+00:00","dateModified":"2018-12-12T16:57:42+00:00","description":"On the cusp of my graduation, I simply want to remind us all to look forward through reflection and encourage each of us to \u201ctrust the process.\u201d","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2018\/01\/IMG_0926-1-e1516228076382-368x490.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/trust-process\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Trust the Process"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/","name":"ACU Graduate School of Theology","description":"Join us as we grow in knowledge and understanding, in greater service of the church.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#organization","name":"ACU Graduate School of Theology","url":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2017\/12\/GST-Logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/files\/2017\/12\/GST-Logo.png","width":1422,"height":703,"caption":"ACU Graduate School of Theology"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/person\/57bd4e7cec25ddb5335f9c1441e94e80","name":"Andy Burns","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3de18f090f8e5c19ca7669254da3fcde4f41ebdebc37d77a53899788c04d0d?s=96&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3de18f090f8e5c19ca7669254da3fcde4f41ebdebc37d77a53899788c04d0d?s=96&r=g","caption":"Andy Burns"},"url":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/author\/bmm16d\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14982"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2044"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2047,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044\/revisions\/2047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/acugst\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}