Education

My diploma arrived in the mail this last week.

What diploma, you might ask? I've been asked many questions over the course of my studies, so let me clarify exactly what I've been working on for the past three years.

I've completed my Post-Baccalaureate Diploma of Education. Quite a mouthful, isn't it? It's a 30 credit hour program meant to be taken as professional development after a Bachelor of Education. It's not the same as a Masters Degree, but rather it can be viewed as pre-Masters work. This program can be tailored to fit your professional learning needs. I ended up taking courses in inclusive special education because, at first, those are the courses that fit into my schedule, and at the end, because they actually interested me. I earned my Post-Bacc, as well as my Special Education Teacher certificate from the province.

It doesn't mean a whole lot. I definitely know more than I did before. I will get a slight pay raise because completing my Post-Bacc puts me in a different salary classification. But ultimately it's a sizeable amount of work for rather moderate gains.

So why would I bother? Why should anyone else bother? Especially when a person is living their life with eternity in mind, knowing that this life is such a brief and passing thing. Why would it matter how much education I obtain when Heaven will be a restful, relaxing place where I won't need to know much?

There's a few fundamental beliefs that I hold that answer those questions for me. First, I believe that you don't lose any knowledge when you pass from this life into the next. Therefore, everything that I learn now will not disappear. Secondly, I don't believe that Heaven is just a relaxing, churchy, sing-along kind of place. I believe that God has great plans for us. He intends for us to inherit the Earth and to rule it along with Him. He has lots for us to do. I believe that all of the knowledge and wisdom that He gives us here and now are for purposes that only He can anticipate. That excites me :)

Of course, formal education isn't everything. God has a lot to teach us from His Word, our experiences, and the wisdom of others who have walked this path before us. All of these weave the tapestry of who we are, and who we are meant to be, not just now but forever...

I don't know if I'm done studying yet. I could take another Post-Bacc and I could also take my Masters. I'm going to take a bit of a break for me right now. I have to admit, though, that there's a small amount of panic inside of me. I don't like to be not busy. I started my Post-Bacc the summer after Mom was gone to help fill the time and being busy has been a wonderful coping mechanism of mine. The panic fades quickly though, because I know that God has a funny way of taking my "breaks" and filling them with other things. I'm okay with that. It's always exciting to see what He has planned next.

Oh and for the record, I'm pretty sure that my Mom is stinkin' proud of my accomplishment right now :)