Readhead Reverend

We had a great district council this year. We were miraculously provided for. I was miraculously healed of an ear infection and sore throat. You can read about our provision on my hubby’s blog. He did a great job of writing about it, so there is no reason for me to rewrite it. So, check out Adventures in Asceticism. He’s written some other great posts about District Council as well. I will just add that generally, our church pays for all or most of our expenses. That has been a wonderful gift in the past, but this year was especially tight, so we took donations, but not even an official love offering. I was amazed at the amount we got that way, but it still wasn’t enough. Our personal finances have been really tight the past month as well, so we weren’t in a great place when we left.

Now, as for my healing, I get to tell that story! Sunday, Princess was complaining of a sore throat. I thought, “oh, great, we’ll all be sick by the end of the week!” I wasn’t wrong. I tend to stress out when we are going somewhere. I don’t want to forget anything and I have to pack nearly everything. I make Chris pack his own clothes is all. So, I usually do get sick at the start of a trip. I think I run down my immune system or something. Anyways, I got it Sunday night. My throat hurt just a little. I thought maybe I wouldn’t get the full-blown thing. But, I did. Monday morning, I was croaking out my sentences. Monday afternoon, my in-laws met us at the campground and we handed off the kids. We went to dinner and shopping with them, but the kids were stuck to grandma and grandpa. Monday night they slept on their bus while we slept in our hotel room.

Tuesday morning we headed off to DC (District Council). My head hurt and my throat was killing me, but it was still manageable. So we went to the ordination luncheon and the banquet that night. At the banquet, my ears started hurting. I didn’t even tell Chris because I was hoping it wouldn’t be anything. We went to the house that was lent to us. It was great by the way! What fun! At 2 a.m. I awoke with terrible ear pain. (more…)

Well, the big day is here! I will be ordained in about 5 hours! Yay! I can’t wait! District Council has gone pretty well. Right now I’m sitting in a seminar with Ed Stetzer talking about being a missional church. Good stuff! In an hour and a half, we will get pictures taken with our kids, go to dinner with the in-laws and then come back for practice and more pictures.

It has been confirmed that we are the first couple to get ordained at the same time in Michigan, at least for the past 20 years that our district superintendent, Bro. William Leach, has been in office. We succeeded in confusing the ceremony. But, having practiced, all should go well. I must be honest that it was rather fun confusing things.

Ed Stetzer is a great speaker. He talks realy fast, but what he has good church planting stuff to say. He is saying that just like missionaries who go to other countries, we need to prepare for our “mission field” where we are pastors. We need to be intentional about reaching people. Just like missionaries learn a new language and culture, we need to continually relearn the culture of those we are trying to reach. That might mean having church in a coffee shop or bar. It might mean going out to help a farmer plant his crop. Whatever the situation of the people, we need to associate ourselves with them in an obvious way. We have “engage the culture where they are.” He listed three things that we need to be do in conjunction with each other.

Good stuff!!! Well, I’m signing off for now!

If there are typos in this post, my apologies! I’m using Hubby’s laptop. Did I tell you that a 7-foot shelf with 20-30 vases fell on him and his laptop? I don’t think I did. I blogged about it on my minister’s network on ning.com, but never copied it over. I will have to do that.

This year has been CRAZY!!! I know that isn’t an excuse for my lack of posts, though. I’ve been feeling kinda unspiritual lately. I can’t really explain it better than that. Here I am a short week before ordination and feeling…blah spiritually. I’ve decided to take action! And I have. Hopefully my action will get me out of this funk.

So, yeah, my wonderful hubby and I will be getting ordained on Thursday, May 8th. I’m very excited! We have worked for this and I will be glad to have accomplished yet another goal in my life. I created an invitation using digi-scrap items. This is Shauna of Pineapple Plantation’s Fancy Pants kit. If you’ll be around Detroit, here is the invite:

I’m sure you’re wondering what I’ve been doing with myself all this time. I am too! lol! No, really, our family had the flu two time this year and that wiped us out for a good 5 or 6 weeks! In my free time, I have been diligently digi-scrapping. I just got into this whole new world. I really love it. I’m a huge fan of Photoshop and I never really got into paper scrapping because of the time, cost and space needed. I really love digi-scrapping. In fact, I am the lead moderator on a new digi-scrapping site. I love it at the Scrap Orchard! Here is a recent layout that I did. I think it’s my best ever! If you like it, click it and leave me some comment love! All of the credits are in the gallery.

What do you think? I was going for whimsical. I think I did it!

So, we are leaving on Sunday sometime to go down to the campground, owned by the Assemblies of God Michigan District, where we will spend a couple of R & R days and meet my in-laws. They are watching our kids for us while we are at District Council. Tuesday we will head to District Council. Then Thursday everyone, including my family, will meet in Detroit to see us get ordained. I’m super excited! Can you tell? One of the pastors in Detroit offered us their church’s missionary house to stay in, FREE of Charge, while we are there. Isn’t that awesome? We have the whole 4 bedroom house so our family can stay with us Thursday night. Yay!

God always provides for us even when we don’t know how he will do it! Praise the Lord!

Well, now you know I’m still alive. I do feel rather bad about not writing lately. But, I should have plenty to write about our ordination, so look for that in a week or so!

A new digi-scrapping site, Scrap Orchard, opened this week. Everyday they are giving away a mini-kit and having a challenge to go along with it. Today’s is “You’re A Peach”. The mini-kit was created by Kami of Ziggle Scraps. We were supposed to scrap about someone we admire. You can still get in on the action. Just click the link and go to their blog where they have the info and download. Here is my page, in honor of my hubby:

Click the image to see it enlarged and read the journaling.

So, Chris and I did our Lent sermon for Easter morning. It fit perfect. I don’t think I did as well this time. I was SO nervous. Maybe even more than last time. But, I insisted on a video if I was going to do it again, just for you , my loyal readers! It’s more audio than video because we just have the iSight in Chris’ mac. But, you can see a little bit and hear all of it.  Enjoy!