Happy Birthday To Me

My Mother...she turns 90 on Christmas Day!
My sisters, my Mom and my daughter...celebrating birthdays and family!

Me, opening a birthday present. Can you tell I LOVED it???

In my world, it just doesn't get much better than this...

I'm sitting at my sister's, savoring the warm memories of my birthday spent with a few of the special women in my life. We laughed, we cried, and we celebrated another year of LIFE!

Tonight we will attend a midnight Christmas Eve service and sleep over at my sister Karen's house.

Tomorrow we celebrate my Mom's 90th birthday. She's a real survivor and we are so thankful for her and all she means to our family.

Through the years, many people have commented on my Christmas-time birthday. It usually happens whenever I have to show someone my driver's license. Most people say something like, "Oh!! A Christmas baby!!" Or they ask me how I celebrate my birthday. They want to know if I actually have a birthday, or if it all gets jumbled together with Christmas. And then there are a few joy-killers that get the most anguished look on their faces as they exclaim to me, "Yuck! How H O R R I B L E to have a birthday at Christmas!"

Well, Christmas is all about a birthday, isn't it? A miraculous birth. I pray that each one of you have a wonderfully joyous Christmas...the best birthday party of them all!!!

Joy to the world, the LORD has come!

Computer Blues

I am sitting in Panera with my laptop, trying to get my "computer fix". Our computer at home is not working, and I have had to endure a whole weekend without the Internet. Lo and behold, I made it through! Truth be told, I actually had a delightful time catching up on my reading.

I have lots to write about, but will wait until I can enter some pictures. I took my morning students on a field trip to a historical park that is only 15 miles from our house. We are studying Colonial Days and this was the closest thing to Colonial that I could find.

On Wednesday we will take another field trip (can you tell I'm loving this time of year??). We read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. On Wednesday we will take a tour of the making of the Narnia movies. I think the exhibit even has items on display that were used in the movies. Today it was amazing to see their response to Aslan when it finally dawned on both of them the reason Aslan went in the tent with the Witch and why Aslan died without a fight. I could tell that they were ever so slowly making the connection between Aslan and Jesus...it was a precious moment to witness.

I can't believe I'll be in Chicago in just a few days. I fly in to Chicago on Thursday, Elise will pick me up, I'll stay in the dorm until she finishes her final exam, and then we will head for Grand Rapids. The two of us will spend almost two weeks with my mom and celebrate her birthday...hard to believe that she has bee blessed with 90 years. Her birthday is on Christmas and my birthday is on Christmas Eve. Elise and I can't wait! But I wish Bill and David could come with us...Christmas won't be quite the same without them. I'm already humming, "I'll have a blue, blue, Christmas without you."

Well, more later, when I (hopefully!) can write on the computer from home...it's kind of drafty here in Panera!

Just When I Thought I Was Out Of Ideas...

Have you noticed it too? I just don't write as frequently these days. There are many reasons why, one of them being the fact that nothing too unusual has happened. Until today...

Men might not "get" this post, so you men out there might want to leave now.

I have very dark brown hair. I have since the day I was born! Nowadays, however, the dark brown is being run out of town and and the grays are taking over. Actually, the gray hair has been visible since I was in my 20's. (Laura, do you remember helping me look for the gray hairs on our trip to Washington D.C.?)

Okay, with that little piece of background information, our story will proceed...

The past few years I've been trying to figure out how to make this dark to light transition a little easier on myself. First, I tried giving in and letting the gray take over. I looked and felt sort of "washed out" (aka made me look old and pale and anemic!) and "washed up" (aka made me feel like I was traveling at top speed over-the-hill and had no breaks!)

Next, I added highlights. This went well. The highlights helped the gray less noticeable. The bad side was that highlights can get expensive. So, in an effort to save money, I gave up highlights and colored my own hair. That's where I am right now. The problem is, my hair is WAY too dark! I buy the box that says, "Light Brown" and end up somewhere between "Way Too Dark For Your Age, Sista'!" and "Who In The World Do You Think You're Foolin'?".

Another problem with being so dark is that the grays are much more visible because of the contrast. This means I have to dab a little color on my roots quite often. I've also been experimenting with this whole root thing...trying everything from "Just For Roots" to mascara. The other day, I was in a beauty outlet store, and I happened upon something new...spray color in a can. I tried it in the store and the results were, well... miraculous! This stuff was amazing!!! Just what I have been looking for, so I bought it and had a smile on my face all the way home. No more ugly roots! From now on , all I have to do is spray them away!

Today I woke up and began my morning ritual of getting presentable for the day. Oh, no...ROOTS!!! Never fear, said I. I now have my handy-dandy miracle spray. One spray, and the problem was gone!

So, I went on with making the bed, eating breakfast, etc. One quick, final look in the mirror before I leave, and...hey, wait a minute. There's something on my face. I smile. I must have gotten a little "spray" on my face...nothing a little moist towel can't fix..and I'm out the door.

So, I teach for the next three hours, hop in the car, happen to catch a glance at my face in the rear view mirror and...WHOA!!! WHAT HAPPENED???? I have dark brown streaks coming down my face! On my nose, on my ears, all over my neck. How am I supposed to get this stuff off? Why didn't anyone tell me I was turning colors? Where are all the napkins I so faithfully keep in the car in case of emergencies?

I had another class to teach in 10 minutes. He's in high school. Hopefully he won't notice, and if he does notice, hopefully he won't care. After spending 90 minutes teaching about the periodic chart and chemical equations, I raced out of his house to the safety of my car. I looked in the mirror to assess any new damage. It looked passable. Until I held up my bangs!!! It looked like I had a good three years worth of mold growing on my forehead. How ironic, I thought. I just was teaching about chemicals, and here I was with some strange chemical reaction happening all over my head!

I raced home, determined to wash my face before my next teaching assignment! Finally made it to the safety and security of my own home, only to discover that there was brown spray all over my white counter top and sink! Urgh!

When I was all done with my workday, I was determined to take a shower, wash away all the mess on my head, and thoroughly clean the bathroom sink and counter. Ahhh...all clean again. My last laugh came when I put on my pjs. You guessed it...a nice ring of brown all aver the neckline. Needless to say, my "Miracle Spray" is going back to the store ASAP!

Jesus, I Am Resting

Last night in church, we had a mini hymn sing. Three people got to choose a favorite hymn to sing. The couple in front of us were selected...they asked to sing #139. Then I saw the wife tell her husband, "I don't even know this song! Oh well, we can ask for ours another time."I wanted to shout out, "NO! This isn't a mistake! This is MY song! I LOVE this song!!!"

There are two melodies to the song, but the words are the same in each version. I remember singing this song CONSTANTLY in my head the week my father was slowly transitioning from this world to the next. So last night we sang the song. And the words of the third verse seemed to come alive. So often I look for my joy to come from "things". My heart's desire is to find my joy in the fullness and the deepness and the richness of God's love. I want to see Him as the Lover of my soul! I want to be passionate about HIM! These lyrics say it best...

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus

I behold Thee as Thou art

And Thy love, so pure so changeless, satisfies my heart.

Satisfies its deepest longings, meets, supplies its every need

Compasseth me round with blessings...Thine is love indeed!

I hope the couple that "accidentally" selected this song last night ended up enjoying it as much as I did (d0!).

Walking In A Winter Wonderland!

Yesterday it snowed in Houston! As a former "Michigander", I found the response to this strange,cold, white stuff very puzzling. For me, it was wonderful, almost magical! For most Houstonians, however, it seemed to create high levels of anxiety...except for the children and the young-at-heart. Children took advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime experience by having snowball fights and building snowmen. So what if the snowman was only 12 inches tall...it was a SNOWMAN!!!!...in HOSTON!!!!

I found it remarkable that one or two inches of snow brought this city to its knees! Schools were closed, government offices closed, stores closed early...I was one of the few that ventured out after 6 pm and found the mall to look more like a ghost town.

I found all of this strange, until I started hearing some of the facts. In the past 15 years, it has only snowed 4 times! The city does not own any snow plows for the streets. The last time it snowed as much as it did yesterday was in 1973.

Another Houston blogger wrote, "It has only snowed on 39 days in the last 113 years in Houston, the largest of which occurred in 1895 with a record 20 inches! Counting those 20 inches there has been less than 50 inches (my math says 44.5) to ever touch the ground in Houston!!"

Today, the snow will exist only in our memories. The forecast says we will be back up to 58 this afternoon...well, it was fun while it lasted!!!

More Unexpected Family Time

Remember how much fun it was to have a kaleidoscope?

Elise left on Sunday, and on Monday morning I had the distinct privilege of driving my husband to the hospital. It was "Colonoscopy Time!!!" Those words bring joy to all of us over 50, don't they? (Elise kept calling it a "Kaleidoscope". Hence, the picture!)

If you have never had the thrill of having someone check your colon, you've GOT to read Dave Berry's account of this procedure. Cut and paste this address...it is hilarious!!! http://www.scribd.com/doc/4895047/My-Colonoscopy-by-Dave-Barry

I believe the last time Bill had this done, the kids were only about 5 and 9 years old. We were waiting for Bill to come home from work. We never heard from him. This was before we had cell phones, so I had no way of calling him. After several hours of waiting, I called the police to see if there had been any local accidents. They told me to call the hospital. Sure enough, there he was. He was very sick and they had him in the ER. Apparently someone had found him passed out in a parking lot. He had gone inside to pay a bill, but never made it back to his car...he just collapsed. The good Samaritan that found Bill called for an ambulance.

The kids and I piled into the car and made it to the hospital. Bill had been taking the "special" drink you must take before a colonoscopy, and I guess he just couldn't take it anymore!!!

That procedure was also scheduled during the week of Thanksgiving except that year he had to spend the holiday in the hospital getting all kinds of tests.

Thankfully, this time things went MUCH better. He was given pills to take this time around to prevent any symptoms like he had the last time.

Bill never ceases to boggle my mind. So, there we were, he was in his hospital gown, attached to an IV and I was holding his hand through the bars of his hospital bed. And what did he talk about??? The director of his latest CD!

You know that CD I just bought? Yes. Well, the director's name is Ashkenaz! Does that ring a bell? No. In Genesis 10 he is listed as one of the grandsons of Japheth, the son of Noah. Isn't that amazing how some of these ancient names still exist today? Yes, dear! (I was seriously wondering what they put in his IV drip!!) But sure enough, I looked it up...the name is there in Genesis 10!! My husband...what a guy!!!

Unexpected Family Time

Elise and David?????

Elise called last week. She was sick. Really, really S I C K!!! It's kind of a long, boring story, but this is an abbreviated version of what happened...

Elise needed to have verification of her last tetanus shot before she could register for second semester. Her last tetanus was in 2005, but we had no way to prove it. We all had to have a tetanus shot after Katrina because of all the debris. I, for one, stepped on a nail, as did many, many people because of all the devastation. A medical group came to our church and gave us our shots. The only bad thing was that none of the shots were recorded. Bottom line: Elise had to have another shot.

I warned her, ad nauseam, to tell the people at the clinic about her last shot. I was really concerned about overdoing a good thing. The nurse didn't pay much attention, gave her the shot and sent her home with a list of warnings to watch for. (No, I did NOT just end a sentence with a preposition!) Well, you guessed it! She woke up the nest morning and had ALL the warning symptoms except for hives.

She went to the nurse on campus. Elise had a fever, was wheezing, and had an elevated pulse and blood pressure. The nurse told her she needed to see a doctor, so Elise and her room mate drove to the ER. They told her she had a sinus infection. Next morning she was even worse. I was beside myself, and my daughter seemed soooooo far away.

So, what's a mother to do??? I can only tell you what this mother did...I prayed and kicked my speed into overdrive!!! I called our family friends, the DeJongs. All three boys (men) are now doctors and they were more than willing to see Elise. They gave her a chest x-ray, cough medicine (with CODEINE...gotta love it!!), antibiotics and told her she couldn't go to class all week.

I scoured the internet to see if I could find a cheap flight and Southwest came to our rescue. Elise flew home late on Tuesday night and was able to be sort of isolated on the plane. She wore a mask...even David wore one for the ride home since he was sitting next to her in the car. He said he felt like he was in some low budget George Lucas movie that ran out of money when it came to his costume!!! He did kind of sound like Darth Vader with that mask on!!

It was great to Elise home. I loved driving up to the house at night and seeing her bedroom light on. I loved sitting downstairs knowing Elise and David were both upstairs...it did my 'Momma heart" good!!!

Thanksgiving 09

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Today, in the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. It's a wonderful day to recall the many things that we have to be thankful for...it's also a wonderful day to spend with family and friends.

Today is also a special day for me. That's because of Gina, Leilani, and Laura. Gina (our daughter-in-law, married to Tim) and Laura (our daughter who is celebrating a milestone birthday!) were both born on the 26th! And our granddaughter, Leilani, had a birthday yesterday. Happy birthday to each of you!

I'll write more tomorrow...until then, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Phone Numbers and Punctuation

Today I found myself trying to memorize phone numbers! It started at church yesterday. Bill left our church lunch early so David could be home by 2:00. Then, Bill was going to return to church and pick me up. I stayed behind because it was our turn to clean-up after the dinner. A friend asked me where Bill and David were, and I proceeded to tell them. She said, "There's no reason for Bill to return all the way back here. Give him a call and tell him that we can bring you home."

It suddenly dawned on me that I do not know Bill's cell phone number. I'm just used to clicking on the icon that says, "Dad"! I then realized that there are very few numbers that I actually know...I just click! Me! The person that still remembers the phone number that I had when I was in second grade!! Oh the times, they are a'changing! Which leads me to this:

Have any of you seen this new punctuation mark? It's called the interrobang. Actually, it's not new at all. It first was introduced in 1962. Even Remington had a key on their manual typewriters for this mark. Not to be out done, today you can find an interrobang in Microsoft Word's Fonts. Go to Format, choose Fonts, then Wingdings 2. You'll find 4 different versions of the interrobang. Hit the ` ~ key, the ] } key, the 6 ^ key, or the - _ key.

The use for the interrobang is to enable a writer to express both a question and an exclamation at the same time. I think a good use of this punctuation mark could come at the end of this sentence: "Who forgot to put gas in the car." Just wonderin' if it will make a comeback...

Which brings me to my last thought...this time it's the "dash". Last week, on November 12, it would have been my Dad's birthday. He would have been 91! Lots of memories came to mind on that day. Like the time he could hardly walk without a cane and yet he danced with my youngest daughter at a restaurant. Or the time he drove non-stop from Florida to Mississippi just to be with David on his birthday. Or how he surprised me with a brand new car when I graduated from college. Many, many good memories.

But today, there is a marker in the cemetery that reads: Albert M. Rodenhouse 1918 - 2001

The marker clearly state his birth and his death, but it is only a "dash" that sums up the entirety of his life here on earth. A significant life, remembered by some as only a "dash".

That thought brought to mind the saying that is so true: Only one life, t'will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last.

Love you and miss you, Dad!

A Carrot, An Egg, and A Cup of Coffee

This isn't an original from me, but this is a little story worth sharing and passing along...

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee... You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Catch Up

Sorry...I haven't been very faithful with this little blog! I guess life has been either busy or stressful and lately I've been a little too content just "vegging out".

My morning job continues to be stressful, but lots of fun as well! I enjoy both of my students, but feel stressed because I am SO out of my area of expertise. Both of the children have learning disabilities and they keep me on my toes. The other day we were learning about the cash crops of the South (we're studying the 13 colonies). When they found out that they grew tobacco, quite a lively discussion began. O was mortified that they grew tobacco, while C said his family uses tobacco almost everyday. "Oh really?", I questioned. "Yup! We use it on a lot of our food. You know, that stuff that comes in the little bottle and it's red?" Um...I think he meant Tabasco sauce!!

David and Bill have both been sick and both are on antibiotics. Some things throw David into a "compulsive" state, and that is what this cold and congestion seem to have done. He would get the least little bit congested and HAD to get rid of it NOW!!! He blew his nose so hard that he broke an artery(?) that might need to be cauterized.

I've become enamored with my husband lately. I mean, I've ALWAYS loved him, but I am in awe of how much he knows about and how much he remembers. He seems to be the proverbial "walking encyclopedia"! Here are a few of our recent conversations:

• We drove passed a restaurant named "Einsteins". Bill, out of nowhere says, "One stone".

"Huh???"

"Einstein...it means 'one stone' in German."

Then he proceeds to tell me when in history we began to acquire last names.

"Some people thought it would be funny to state that they were not nobility. You probably know lots of them. Their last name today is 'Zondervaan' ".

• Last night he went to the symphony...alone. He gets these fabulous tickets for only $15 and he LOVES classical music. Last night he heard music by Rachmaninoff. When he returned home, I asked him about the concert. He then proceeded to tell me the story about when Rachmaninoff debuted the music. It was in Russia. Apparently, the symphony was horrible and the music opened to horrific reviews. It was devastating to Rachmaninoff and he quit writing for three years. And then, my husband begins to WHISTLE the first symphony!!!
• We've always been sarcastic when we banter with each other. The other day he was going on and on about something that I was not the least bit interested in, so I said, "You better save this to talk about with all your other girl friends."

"Well", he said, "you should be happy that I'm getting so old."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because now I'm down to only 80 girlfriends!" he says.

"Yeah, but who do you always come home to at night?" I ask.

"#81!"

• Tonight Narnia came up in our conversation. Don't ask me why, it just did. I innocently asked him about the story that proceeds The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and he prattles off the whole story of The Magician's Nephew and for some strange reason, I realize again, why I love spending time with my husband.

BIG Mistake!

Mistakes...we all make 'em! I never knew that there was a whole website about mistakes that bakerys have made with cake orders. Who knew? This site now has a cult-like following, has spawned a book, and even makes the rounds on the talking circuit! Hey, when is it MY turn?
(Oops! I hate it when my "thought bubbles" pop up and you can read my private thoughts!!!)

Here are just a few of the funny, whacky ways cakes taken a different "twist"....

I'm sure they picked this up and thought, "Pretty cake, love the color, BUT WHO IS LAVENDER!!!"

Okay, who are these people and how in the world do they get a job???

I'm guessing this was a cake for a graduate going to C N U

Too funny!

Aren't those mistakes a hoot? Then why isn't it so funny when the recipient of a mistake is ME???

Yesterday was pay day. I only had to work in the morning, so as I was driving home, I called the salon I always go to to see if I could come in for a quick haircut. Now, I knew my stylist was pregnant, but she was due in December. Imagine my surprise when they told me she had her baby early...VERY early! Okay, no problem, I'll check with a new salon that I've been wanting to try. Yeah!! They can take me at 3:00!

I arrive and I am greeted by these words: "Oh, I'm SO sorry! I accidentally booked you with someone that is not working today. But our owner, Gilda, is going to fit you in. Is that Ok?"

"Sure, no problem" said the innocent lamb that has no idea what is about to happen! So, Gilda starts looking at my hair and I start to feel very adventurous! "How about a new color?" I ask. I've been doing my own color for awhile and decide to try a few highlights again. "No problem!" say Gilda. She suggests carmel highlights because my hair is so dark. Hey, anything that is named after a food is ok in my book! She mixes the color, adds the foils (that always make you look like an alien capable of picking up signals from Mars), washes my hair, cuts my hair, and blows it dry. Houston! WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!

I start to see the carmel. It looks more like orange! Another food, I know, but I would prefer a carmel over an orange. I start to panic. Gilda starts to panic. Not because of the orange, but because she is now so backed up that she has three people in line waiting on her for their appointments! So what does she do? She has me walk through the salon with my half wet/half dry hair that looks like the next cover of Hair Gone Wild.

I'm am now placed in the competent, but puzzled hands of "Sammy". Sammy has me sit and wait while he finishes up his client. Time passes...and passes. Suddenly I am taken over by some evil woman inside me (hey, maybe those foils really do pick up signals from outer space!!) and I say to Sammy, "I look like cr%*!!! And now I've been patiently waiting for over an hour for you and you ignore me and keep moving on to the next client. Tell me what's going on!!"

I am obviously WAY too much for poor little Sammy to handle, so he passes me off to another person. She says she will just throw in a few more highlights and she trots off to the back room before I can open my mouth. When she comes back, I ask her what color THESE highlights will be and she looks at me like, "Lady, I'm doing you a BIG favor, so zip it and let me do my job!!"

But no, I can't zip it! I feel empowered. I feel strong and brave and courageous! And I open my mouth and...begin to cry! Yup! That's what we empowered women do! (And Sammy is looking at me like he is SO relieved that I am no longer his problem!!)

The woman says, "Oh what beautiful eyes you have! When you cry they really turn blue! Let's just cover up the oran...I mean, the highlights...and go back to dark brown. I mean, it is Fall, you don't want highlights in the Fall! And the brown will really bring out those eyes!" I'm guessing this is hairdresser code for, "Let's get her out of here as SOON as possible!"

She covers the orange, tries to finish the haircut and sends me off. When I go to the front to pay, Gilda apologizes and gives me a gift certificate for a free second visit...yeah, like that's ever going to happen anytime time soon! And that was my Friday. How was yours???

Five Seconds of Fame!

Holland has a wonderful program called "Hello. Good Bye." The crew goes to the airport in Amsterdam and watches people that are waiting for friends or relatives to arrive at the airport. If the person looks interesting, the cameras roll and an interview begins. Often an interesting story ensues and the cameras are able to catch the reunion on tape. Just add appropriately moving music in the background and they come up with a very captivating and emotional piece.

When Alice was waiting for me to arrive, the camera crew interviewed her. They caught our reunion on tape...tears and all. The sound tech ran after us as Alice and I walked off to get my luggage. The girl told us how moving our story was...how she was welling up with tears when she witnessed us seeing each other after thirty years...and would we please sign a release form , giving them permission to use our story. They tape in the spring and show the finished product in the fall.

Fast forward to the fall. Alice visits the States, returns home, and hears from friends that while she was gone, they saw her on tv! Sure enough, they showed us! But for only 5 seconds!!! If you can understand Dutch and want to patiently sit through the entire program, you will see us here: http://www.uitzendinggemist.nl/index.php/aflevering?aflID=10150495&md5=05673553150262bd6d07a0762c3a8b1d

And here are some pictures Alice sent me of our weekend at Trinity.

Steve Bird

Elise

Elise

Steve Bird, Steve Huizenga, Virginia Veldman Van Til

Helen Hoekema Van Dyke, me, and Daryce Hoff

Me, Alice, and Daryce

Alice and I

Me, Alice, and Daryce

Me, sitting at the memorial for our fellow classmate, Albertina De Groot Vander Weele
Elise and Alice dancing the night away!

WHOA!!!

Can you see him? The lizard on the windshield? This happened to me on the way to work yesterday. I had just finished a session with a student that is preparing to take his GED test. My mind was swirling with the many things I had to do:

• sew David's pants
• pick up drycleaning
• buy baking soda and vinegar for the volcano experiment
• pick up rolls for church dinner
• get home on time to bring David to work
• look for cheapest place to fill up with gas

And suddenly, PLOP!! Out of nowhere flew this little lizard and he landed on my windshield! He slowly made his way to the left side of the window and we had a few eyeball-to-eyeball moments. I sort of was hoping he would talk to me like the little green guy on the Geico commercials. When I stopped for a red light, he hopped off.

I couldn't help but think of how often our lives feel like that little lizard. We are just plodding along, going where we need to go to get done what we need to do, and suddenly....out of nowhere, we are swept off of our feet! It can happen with something as simple as a change of plans to something big like an illness or death, but the result is the same. We are suddenly doing something we NEVER planned on doing, heading in a direction we never planned on going, and hanging on for dear life!! Have you ever had that happen?

When it happens, it's good to know the driver of the car on whose windshield you land! I'm so thankful that while interruptions may seem like a wild ride, they really are controlled by a God that is Sovereign and in control of ALL things.

*********

Today I had a cute surprise waiting on my coffee table. I was dusting off a bowl of artificial fruit, when I noticed some teethmarks! I had to laugh. I knew exactly who had tried to bite the apples...my little friend, Mickalah

Here she is! She spent the night and I didn't have pajamas for her, so I put her in one of Elise's t-shirts. It was wwaaayyy too big for her and she kept pulling up the falling sleeves and reminding me that, "Elise's pink dress is too big Mrs. Joyce!!"

I love to hear her call me "Mrs. Joyce". She thinks that is my last name. She calls my husband "Mr. Joyce"!

As you can see, it doesn't take much to entertain her. She occupied herself for quite sometime with the umbrella.

Mick and the "way too big pink dress"

Child Protective Services

Want your heart to break? Go to the Child Protective Services website and look at all the children that are in need of a home.

I went there recently because a woman in our church was sharing with us the fact that CPS is now asking churches to help them. Because of the economic situation in our country, child abuse has risen, while the available homes for children has declined.

Did you know that when a child is taken out of their home because of abuse, if there is no available foster home, the child has to sleep in the CPS office until he/she can be placed? I was appalled! A friend of mine who has adopted several children from CPS said, "Oh, yeah! It happens all the time! The little girl we adopted was only 5 months old and had to stay in a car seat all day in her caseworkers office until she was placed in our home."

I am in the talking stages with our church to begin a small ministry to the caseworkers. If they get a call to take a child out of a home immediately, our church is a place they can call if they need diapers, formula, toothpaste, shampoo, p.j.s, clothes, etc.

If I could, I would take all of these children home to live with me! One little boy that is looking for a "forever home" had this write up under his picture: M longs for a family. He does well in school and loves sports. Despite the fact that all of the toes on one foot have been amputated due to abuse, M still has the will to play football with his friends...

Who would do something that cruel to a child? Please join me in praying for these children. Maybe you can think of ways you and your friends could be of help to these precious little ones and also to their caseworkers. The caseworkers have such huge work loads. I think there is a ministry in writing them, encouraging them, and praying for them as they go into a real life battle zone everyday!

God's love for his children...it boggles my mind. But even though I don't understand the depth of His love, much less the "why" of His love, knowing the love He has for me and that it is based on fact not feelings, gives me a depth of security that no one or no situation can take away.

Whew! That was a pretty long sentence! I think my writing must be getting too much influence from the Apostle Paul...I mean, seriously,have you ever really looked at that guy's sentence structure?

I digress...

When I returned to Michigan after living in Chicago for several years, I returned as a very confused young woman. The "boyfriend thing" that I wrote about a few days ago was a difficult time in my life. I returned to Grand Rapids feeling very lonely, very shaken, very uncertain about my future. It seems funny now to think that at such a young age I felt so "washed up", but that is truly how I felt.

Enter, John DeVries.. He was the pastor at my parents church when I returned home to live. I first met him in Chicago, where I had his oldest daughter in my class. John had a real love for words and poetry. I'll never forget the first time he recited all the words to this old hymn:

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell;

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled,

And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure—The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,

And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,

When men who here refuse to pray,

On rocks and hills and mountains call,

God’s love so sure, shall still endure,

All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

Often, John would use the last verse of the song as a prayer that concluded the worship service. As I sat under his teaching, as the thought of God's love for me began to warm and soften my cold, confused heart, my life slowly changed and took on a new direction.

Today I received the "ditty" below in an email from my sister Nancy. It's just a little part from a very long email, but this is the part that touched me...that reminded me again - and in a new way - the love that God has for His children. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Is it possible for someone to give 101%??? Think about this:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

Now, look how far the love of God will take you:


L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%


Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, it's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

Introducing Micca

I want you all to meet Micca. She is the oh-so-talented leader that I was privileged to have during the She Speaks conference this past summer. I have been wanting to write about the words from the old hymn, Jesus, Lover of My Soul. Until I am able to get my thoughts together on that topic, here is Micca's take on the infinite love our Savior has for us:

San Diego

Today was absolutely gorgeous...no humidity in the air, no clouds in the sky...only blue skies and fresh air! This weather put a pep in my step and a smile on my face! When I experience this kind of day, I call it a "San Diego" day. Those of you that have had the joy of spending time in San Diego will know what I'm talking about. The weather there always seems to be perfect. It's the kind of weather where the weatherman must have the most unchallenging job in the world simply because the weather is always perfect. If you don't believe me, check out their extended forecast for next week:

Thursday
Oct 29
Sunny
High 68°F
Low 54°F
Precip 0 %

Friday
Oct 30
Sunny
High 68°F
Low 55°F
Precip 0 %


Saturday
Oct 31
Sunny
High 67°F
Low 56°F
Precip 0 %

Sunday
Nov 01
Sunny
High 66°F
Low 56°F
Precip 0 %

See what I mean?

I first visited San Diego during the summer of 1975. How I got there and why I got there is my story for the day....

I had just completed my first year of teaching and in many ways, it was one of the most difficult years of my young life (I was 22 years old at the time). To understand why it was difficult, I have to go back even further...back to 1970. I am now 17 years old. I am a freshman at Trinity. I know no one and no one knows me. At the end of our freshman orientation, my RA walks into my room. She tells me one of her friends that she went to high school with had noticed me and wondered if I might want to go out. Why he didn't ask me himself, I never quite understood. Anyway, I told her I would think about it. I was dating my "high school sweetheart", and while we agreed we could and would date others, I wasn't quite ready for that to take place so soon! The next day "mystery man" introduced himself. He was 6'8", a star basketball player, and yes, I went out with him!

For the rest of the year, we were connected at the hip! We did everything together and when it was time for freshman year to end, I didn't know how my life would go on!! So melodramatic!!

During my sophomore year, at the ripe old age of 19, we were engaged to be married.

During my junior year we broke up. However...the very last day of school, he asked if I would like to have an ice cream cone. Icecream!!! He always knew my weakness!

We dated during my senior year, but it was off and on...and ended up being more off. I tried to move on and even started dating someone else. However, after graduation, mystery man seemed to be fixated on the idea that we were destined to be together. By this time, my feelings had changed quite a bit. But that did not phase Mr. Mystery. He called, he sent cards, he showed up where I worked, and kind of stalked me relentlessly. Finally, one day, he said, "Do you never want to hear from me again?" and my response was, "I think that would be a good idea."

Two weeks later I had a change of heart. I called him. His mother answered and said, "Don't you think you've done enough? Let him go. He just started dating a nice girl from church."

I remember thinking "Um...what am I??? A not "nice" girl???"

I never heard from him again. But during my first year of teaching, I heard ABOUT him all the time. I was teaching in the little Dutch enclave where his family lived. One day, when I had my class outside for PE. his little brother rode his bike up to me and said, "Hi, Joey! Did you hear my brother is getting married?" Insert knife...twist.

I couldn't seem to shake the thought of him marrying someone other than myself...I mean, contrary to what his mother thought, I was pretty "nice". Why didn't he wait for me?? How could he get married so fast???

Devastated, I did what any depressed woman would do...I drove to Trinity and talked to Dennis Hoekstra, the president of the college. He knew me. He knew mystery man. He knew how much we had loved each other. How could this be happening??? How could I go on???

His advice to me was to "get out of Dodge". Go away for the summer. Go some place I had never been before and meet new people in a new location. "Joey", he said, "my brother-in-law is in charge of church volunteer programs. I'm going to give him a call and see what we can come up with for you."

Soon, I found myself heading for San Diego, California. I was in charge of 6 high school students (from Chicago Christian High School) for the summer, and together we did volunteer work for a church in San Diego. We were in charge of youth group activities, Vacation Bible School, and getting out into the community so we could invite people to visit the church. First and foremost on my mind, however, was how I really needed to get back to Chicago as soon as possible and put an end to this wedding nonsense!!

What made it ten times worse was the fact that there was some really tall guy in this church, and I spent many a Sunday looking at this tall man and his family. His two youngest children were always squirming around him, and while he held the little boy in his lap and as his daughter laid her head on his shoulder during the church service, my mind was not focused on the sermon...my mind was focused on how that's what mystery man and I would have looked like with our "one-day" family. I spent many a Sunday with tears in my eyes!!

At the end of the summer, I returned to Chicago and continued teaching. Mystery man was living in Florida with his wife, while I was destined to be some old spinster!!!

My new friends from San Diego invited me to return the next summer. I don't remember the tall man from church, but I do remember his wife. She was very involved in the church and I got to know her better as I worked with her on VBS and sang with her in the choir. She was also the church secretary and when I returned to Chicago at the end of the summer, she made sure she had my address so that she could send me the church bulletins and keep me posted on what was going on with the families from the church that I had grown to know and love.

Years passed. The bulletins gradually stopped coming. I moved back to Michigan. By this time I was deeply entrenched in my life as a spinster. And then one day, out of no where, I receive a letter. It is postmarked from San Diego. How it ever got to me in Michigan, I never could figure out. Even my last name was spelled wrong on the envelope!!

Long story short, it was a letter from the tall man in church...the one with the four children...the one whose wife was the church secretary. He shared with me in his letter the sad news that his wife had passed away very unexpectedly. She had been in the hospital for surgery, developed blood clots that had gone to her lungs and heart and passed away. She was only 36 years old.

I felt deep sadness. I wrote back and shared my memories of his wife. And of all the things I remember of Dorothy, the thing I remembered most was her beautiful smile. Dorothy had a radiant smile!

Turns out, a few years later, I married tall man! And all four children were in the wedding!

It astounds me that God could take such a sad, troubled young woman, send her to San Diego, have her grieve over seeing this tall father in church because he reminded her so much of her old boyfriend, and know all along that someday - in His time- He would lead these two people together.

I have always loved these verses from Isaiah 61:

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor.

God gave me beauty for ashes. And every day with Bill is a "San Diego day"!

Thank you, God.

H1N1

As you can tell, I'm a little "obsessed" with this swine flu stuff that's going around. Last week I found out that the father of one of my students has H1N1. On Monday, another student called in sick. He went to the doctor today. The diagnosis? Swine flu! Another student just got over a stomach virus that swept through his whole family. And then, to top it off, I received yet ANOTHER asking me to cancel class. They just received a call from school telling them their daughter had to be picked up as soon as possible because of a fever. I feel surrounded by sickness...

As promised, I will share the "How I Met My Husband Story", but maybe tomorrow...if I'm not sick!

Happy Sweetest Day???

What is Sweetest Day and when did this "stealth" holiday surface? I honestly have never heard of it before. I was having breakfast today with friends and one of them wished me a "Happy Sweetest Day". I thought she was kidding. I thought she just made it up. When I came home, I googled it and, sure enough, it really IS celebrated and even Hallmark has special card to remember the day...who knew???

Well, truth be told, I celebrated this day long before I had ever heard of it. Exactly 27 years ago today, Bill asked me to be his wife! Happy Sweetest Day, Bill. And if you asked me again today, my answer would still be "YES"!!!! Maybe tomorrow I'll write about how we met...until then, enjoy this special(?) day!

The "Cliffhanger" Is Over!

Well, that was unexpected! After my last post, I fully anticipated I would be writing Jubilee: Part Two. But...I got sick and so did our computer! I'm glad to report that we are both back and raring to go!!!

Here is a brief synopsis of the rest of my wonderful weekend at Trinity...

Saturday, October 3

Elise spent the night with Alice and I and was NOT ready to get up and "seize the day", so the two "oldies" got dressed and took a walk. Alice and I walked to the Corner Bakery, had a delicious breakfast, and took our time strolling down memory lane. It felt wonderful to relax over coffee and tea and rehash the great time we had the night before.

Once we got back to the room, Elise was still in bed and it took some "Mama-sized" urging to get her rear in gear. We drove to campus and went to the new Communication Arts Center. Once again we ran into old friends. Dave DeJong asked Alice if "little Joycie Popcorn" was with her. Dave is the son of Dr. Alex DeJong, the first President of the college. Dr. DeJong and my father were best friends when he pastored our church in Grand Rapids. He renamed me "Joycie Popcorn" after spending a LONG time in the car with me when I was about 4 years old. I tagged along on a trip from GR to Florida and I guess I must have been a "handful" (that's what they called kids with ADHD back in the day!!!). It was great to see David and recall our childhood memories. When we were about 5 and 6, Dave stayed at our house while his parents were gone. My dad gave David a little doctor's kit and my dad truly believed that he was the reason David became a doctor! Actually, David is a medical doctor AND a lawyer!!!

The infamous Joycie Popcorn...looks pretty innocent...but beware!!

Next, we attended a "Last Lecture" series. Two professors, Dr. Seerveld and Dr. Mike Vander Weele shared with us what they would talk about if they knew this was their last lecture. Before Dr. Seerveld spoke, I shared a few moments with him. I told him the story about how our family went through Katrina. One day, when I returned to our "rumble", I noticed a spiral notebook. I picked it up and paged through it. It was my Philosophy 101 notebook from 1970! There I was, standing in a place that looked like a nuclear bomb had recently detonated, and amidst all the rubble and trash was my perfectly preserved notebook. As I read over the pages, I could hear Dr. Seerveld's voice, and I was reminded of the rich words he used he used in class - words like "gegenstandt" and "a priori" and "sphere sovereignty". He taught me to never teach in a box, in isolation. Because of him, when I taught high school students American Literature, I also reviewed what the historical times were like for the writers, what the culture was like. Why? Because those were the things that influenced the literature. When I taught about the poetry of the Puritans, I taught my students about the religious views that molded the writers. It baffles my mind that I could stand in a public high school in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and explain how these Puritan authors saw everything "through the lens of Scripture". I was glad I could share with Dr. Seerveld the fact thathe, without ever being in Mississippi, had left his mark on hundreds of developing minds in Pascagoula!

Dr. Seerveld doing what he does best!!!

ALice and I then ventured off towards our old dorm...which, by today's stands, really does look OLD! We knocked on the door, but everything was locked. Wait!!! Someone answered the door! It was the Provost and she graciously let us come inside and snoop around. She even unlocked the door to the suite that Alice and I shared in '73-'74. Today, these are offices for the professors.

Me standing in my old room. If those walls could talk...
The two of us in our old bathroom

Next, we took Elise and her boyfriend, Tommy out for dinner. We went to the restaurant that I worked at during my senior year in college and the summer after graduation.

Alice and Joey...just like in the good old days!

Elise and Tommy (the pitcher of the baseball team)

All four of us

On Sunday, Alice left for Canada to spend time with her family. I went to the Chapel service and heard Elise sing in the choir...beautiful! We hung out the rest of the night together, she slept with me at the hotel, and Monday morning I took her back to campus. When she was done with classes, we rode together to the airport and said our farewells...leaving me to savor wonderful memories.

Trinity's Chapel

My Mother and I after a day of shopping with my college buddies...standing in front of Dorm Two way back in 1970

Sunday Chapel Speaker