Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Ordination

Despite the ugliness of yet another day... It was a great day in the Rose household! I have to admit that I leave the TV on quite a bit during the day. For me it's a feeling of 'home' and 'adult conversation'... LOL but I've noticed that Isabella is paying more attention to it so off it went. I only watched (well watch is not exactly the right word when you're still entertaining a 1 yr old but you get the idea) one hour of last nights sitcoms. It was great and so freeing. We listened and sang tons of praise songs and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Isabella dance.

We've inherited this large giraffe from a family in the church and Isabella has just discovered the greatness of it. I (this definitely shows my SHAM traits... LOL) make it talk and play and she giggles so hard. Normally, I hide it behind the couch and while she's climbing on the couch, I play peek a boo with her. Today I brought it out front and she hugged this thing like there was no tomorrow. I wish I had gotten a picture of it but didn't think quick enough. She also discovered the telephone today and insisted on calling someone... so we called Daddy and how great was it to hear her 'talk' to him. She was so into the phone that I unhooked it and she carried it all over the flat.

The evening flew by as we met Daddy and ran a few errands before coming home. Next thing I knew, it was bath time and the dreaded bed time.

Mike's preaching this Sunday so he's busy working on his sermon... well... right now he's video chatting with some friends so I took advantage of that and scrapped! These are pictures from our trip to the Gold Coast Beach. It was a short trip but so worth it and I'm so looking forward to this rain stopping so I can go back!




Tomorrow's another Red Day so Mike's home again! Yeah... we're going to have lunch with some friends and then dinner with some friends! How's that for a fun day. LOL

Sunday Mike was a part of an ordination service at the 'Mother Ship' (as we call it) or the Kowloon Tong Chinese Alliance Church. We teased at first how boring it would be (as it would be completely in Cantonese) but Mike came home with a different attitude. I think sometimes in the states (at least with people I know) pastors look at ordination as a hassle. It requires A LOT of work and A LOT of time and often you are pressured into completing this within a year or two. I also think that the title 'Rev' is blown off as nothing important (well it may be important to them but they don't want others to know it. maybe a humbling thing?) Anyway... I remember what a challenge this was for Mike having to complete it in a VERY short time (like 6 weeks... yikes!) and how he hated the idea of being called a Reverend. But I was so proud of him and so excited to call him Rev. Rose! But Mike's always very humble and doesn't like to be called Rev because he feels like that's elevating him to a level he's not but he came home from this service proud to be ordained and aware of what an accomplishment it really is. I say all that to say... during our spring cleaning we found his Certificate of Ordination and we're both excited to get it framed. I was then and am still very proud of this accomplishment of his. He always down plays his intelligence and Godly wisdom and I'm excited to have this monument displayed to remind him that there are others who agree with me. LOL

On that note... we just got word from a friend who's completing this ordination service who shared his test scores for the written exam (there are both written and oral exams at the end). He comes from a very traditional district that probably puts more emphasis on ordination than any other district... (except maybe Central) yet he did so well that his oral exam went from a couple of hours to about 30 minutes! That's just so awesome and we just wanted him to know that we are so proud and excited for him that this process is finally coming to an end. May God bless your ministry Nate!

My brain has turned on again... just ask Mike as I tossed and turned last night in bed. I'm still dealing with the rights and wrongs of church politics and reconciliation but I've been really encouraged this week. I know many of you have been praying and your prayers have been answered. My spirits have been lifted and I am excited to be in ministry here. I will be having dinner with a TFC grad hopefully next week who has been teaching here but is on her way to India and the ladies (moms who live in the area) I met are working on a time for a playdate.

I'm still thinking through 'how do we prevent our hearts from hardening so much that we cannot see sin in our lives?' so if you have wisdom PLEASE SHARE!!!!!!!! I want to know how people become unwilling to change their ways and how we can break that. Is that enough to make you think? I wish I had all the answers but then I wouldn't have a need for faith would I?

Blessings for a great day to all!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I don't think I really have any "wisdom" to share, but I think this is why it's so important to have people in our lives that can be completely honest with us and hold us accountable to the sin in our lives.
If Mike is Rev. Rose does that make you Mrs. Rev. Rose? ;) My father-in-law blushes when we call him Rev too. LOL