Floccinaucinihilipilification

VBS Stories

2011-06-20T21:50:00.003-05:00

After "writing" these stories for the Z's, Mrs. Z suggested I post them where they can be used. Feel free to borrow or use any of them; they're there for any means that will glorify God.

The theme was the miracles of Jesus, with a broad focus on legalism vs. the Law of Love, and the amazing Deity of Jesus.

Jesus Turns Water Into Wine
John 2:1-12
Have you ever been to a wedding? It’s a happy, joyful event isn’t it. So many smiling people, all dressed in their best. That beautiful bride standing with her new husband. Fathers and mothers watching with mixed emotions. And after the actual marriage comes the feast. There is music and speeches and of course FOOD! Lots of it! You can picture the tables piled high with sweets and treats and steaming chicken biriyani, palak-paneer bursting with flavour, delicious dahl, channa, roti and nan... Too much good food to mention! And there’s chai tea, lots of it! Some people seem to think that the food is the MOST important part! That’s not true, of course, but it IS an important part of a wedding.
Back in Jesus’ time, food was pretty important for weddings too. It was the bride and grooms’ way of saying, celebrate with us! We are so happy to have you here at our marriage! Weddings were quite a bit different back then. Their feasting lasted a looonnnng time: they would celebrate, eat and drink for seven days in a row. Imagine that! And all the while, the guests would be eating and drinking. Food was important, but so was wine. God doesn’t want us to drink too much wine so that we can’t control ourselves, but the Bible does not forbid drinking a little. Wine in that culture, as in many, was a celebrative drink. So if you were a Jewish person at a wedding back then, you would drink a little bit each day. A little bit of wine over seven days for a lot of people? That’s a lot of wine, isn’t it? Think about that as you listen to this story about Jesus.
Jesus, His mother and disciples, were invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee. There was a lot of dancing, feasting and drinking, but by the third day, something really bad happened. The bride and groom ran out wine! Only three days into the week-long feast, and they had already run out of wine. Can you imagine how embarrassed they must have been? At that time, it would be like saying to your guests, “We don’t think you’re special enough to give you enough wine for the whole week.” The bride and groom must have been so sad. Jesus’ mother Mary soon learned of the wine shortage. She found Jesus and said to Him, “They have no more wine!” Jesus said to her, “What does this have to do with me? It’s not my time yet.”
What do you suppose He meant by that? Do you think He didn’t care about the embarrassment of the bride and groom? Does Jesus care about little things like that? And yet Jesus DOES care, as we’ll soon find out.
After Jesus said this to Mary, she said looked around and told the servants, “Do whatever Jesus tells you to do!”
There were six massive stone jars in the building, meant for holding water for washing. Jesus told the servants to fill the jars to their very brims. He then said to the servants, “Take some to the master of the feast.” (he’s like the MC.) So the servants brought a cupful to the master of the feast. The man lifted the glass to his lips, and do you know what he tasted? Not water, but delicious, AMAZING wine. It was SO good that the MC called over the groom and said to him, “Usually people serve the best wine first. But you have kept the best wine until now!” The wedding must have continued after that with more than enough wine: after all, they had six huge jars full. Jesus saved the bride and groom from embarrassment.
But this story – which is the very FIRST miracle Jesus did to show He is God – shows just how big our God is. Who can change water into wine? That is a miracle, isn’t it? It takes the hand of the Creator – the hand of God – to change something from one thing into another. When the disciples saw this, they believed Jesus.
But even though Jesus is SO big and powerful, He still cares about the “little things” that we care about. (No one was going to die from not having enough wine, were they?) Not having the wine sure meant a lot to the bride and groom, and Jesus understood that. That’s because He is both God AND a person. He knows what it’s like to be embarrassed, to be sad or scared or even hurting from a cut knee. And He hears our prayers, whether they’re about big things or very small ones.

Jesus Walks on the Water
John 6:16-21 and Matthew 14:22-38
Imagine a thunder storm: think of the clashes of thunder that bang through the air. They come all of a sudden, again and again, and fill your bedroom. You can’t imagine anything louder than that crashing thunder! And the lightening! It doesn’t stop. It streaks across the sky. It lights up your bedroom and your frightened little brother’s face. And it shows how WILD things are outside! The trees are bending so far, they look like they’re going to snap! It feels like the whole world is out of control. That thunderstorm is sooo scary. It’s so wild! Is there anything more terrifying than a thunderstorm? Is there anything bigger than a thunderstorm?
That must have been what Jesus’ disciples were thinking one night. It had been a long day for them. Jesus had just fed five thousand people. He had told them to get in their boat and meet him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, while He went up to the mountain to pray. The disciples were experienced fishermen, and weren’t scared of crossing the sea by themselves. So in they got, and set out for the other shore. But when the boat was in the middle of the sea, the weather began to change. Dark clouds filled the sky. A wild wind came and whipped up huge waves all around the little boat. The little boat tossed around in the water like a leaf. The disciples did their best to row towards the land, but the wind was directly against them. All night they fought the waves, trying to get to shore.
Then came yet another, scarier thing. There across the waves was a man. He seemed to be walking on the water, and He was coming toward them. The disciples screamed out in terror, “It’s a ghost!” But immediately, a loving voice called out to them, “Don’t be afraid! It is I!” Who was it? It was Jesus, walking on the water! Can you imagine how relieved the disciples must have felt? But you know what, those disciples STILL weren’t sure. Was it really Jesus? How can a Man walk on water? Have YOU ever seen someone walk on top of water? He wasn’t just skittering across a sandy patch of sea. He wasn’t skating on ice. He wasn’t swimming, or surfing, or any of that. He was walking in a wild, crashing sea full of waves. And He was walking on TOP of those waves! So the disciples couldn’t believe Him when He said He was Jesus.
Peter had to test Him. Peter said, “Lord, if it really is you, tell me to step into the water and come to you.” And Jesus said, “Come!” So Peter stepped out of the boat. He put his feet onto the water and began to walk on it! How amazing and strange that must have been! Peter walked toward Jesus, but soon he began to look around himself. He looked at the pounding waves, the wild wind stronger than anything he knew, and Peter became terrified! His feet began to sink into the water, and He screamed out “Jesus! Save me!” Jesus reached out and took Peter’s hand, pulling him to safety. Jesus said to Peter, “Oh Peter, you have SO little faith! Why did you doubt me?”
Think about that for a minute. Why did Jesus say that to Peter? Peter had faith (or belief), right? He had enough faith to step into that wild sea in the first place. But when did he start to sink? Peter started to sink when he began looking around at the waves. Peter stopped looking at Jesus, and started thinking that those waves were far more powerful than anything he knew. More powerful than anything... even Jesus. Is that true? Is a massive storm bigger than Jesus? No, of course not! You know who made those waves in the first place, right? God did! And if God created the sea and the waves, do you think He has power to control them? He sure does. God is far bigger than the sea. He can swirl up an ocean storm easier than you could swirl up the water in a glass with your pinky finger. God makes storms, and He ends storms. All that thunder and lightning: every jolt is planned and sent by Him.
And who is Jesus? Jesus is God of course. So He had that storm totally in control.
That’s why Jesus rebuked Peter. He was reminding Peter to trust Him, because He was completely in control.
Jesus and Peter walked over the waves and back to the boat. As soon as Jesus got into the boat, the wind stopped instantly. The disciples worshipped Jesus, saying “You really ARE the Son of God!”
Remember that thunderstorm we talked about at the beginning of the story? I asked you if there’s anything bigger than a thunderstorm. Is there? Of course there is! And just like Peter, all we have to do is pray “Jesus, save me! Keep me safe tonight!” And we’ll know that God Himself is looking after us. But it gets scary sometimes, doesn’t it. Just like Peter, we can think “Wow that lightning is so much bigger than me!” That’s when we have to stop looking at the waves, and keep looking to Jesus.

Healing at the Pool of Bethesda
John 5:1-18
Our Bible story today takes us to a very special place in Israel. It’s called the Pool of Bethesda and at the time of Jesus, everyone would have known about it. It’s a large pool, sort of like a swimming pool. There are five huge pillars around it, each holding up the roof. Between the pillars and around the pool lie many, many people. Are they enjoying the sun? No. In fact, most seem to be very sick. There are blind people, with rags tied across their grey, unseeing eyes. There are deaf people staring straight ahead, in a silent world of their own. Some people have twisted legs, or legs that are completely missing – these are the lame. Some are paralyzed and haven’t been able to move by themselves for years. But most of these sick people have healthy friends with them. Everyone sits and waits... They look eagerly at the pool, eyes lit in excitement. They’ve been waiting for days, weeks, months, maybe even years! What could they all be waiting for?
If you asked them, they’d be happy to tell you. Why, this is the Pool of Bethesda, what people call the “house of grace and mercy!” On certain days, a very special thing happens. An angel of God comes down and stirs the water. Whoever gets into the pool first when the water is being stirred comes away completely healed! What an amazing thing! No wonder these people watch with such anticipation. The sick people have strong and healthy friends with them, ready to help them be the first one to get into the pool.
Jesus was walking here one day. He walked among the invalids, all waiting their chance to leap into the water. But look a little closer. There among the crowd is an older man, all alone. He’s been there a long, long time. In fact, he has been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus walked up to him, knowing his long, disappointing wait. He asked the man, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered, “But Sir, I have no one to help me into the water when the angel is stirring it! Every time I try to go into the water, another person gets there first!”
Jesus looked at that man with mercy and said to him, “Get up! Take up your bed (mat) and WALK!” And immediately that man was better! He grabbed his bed and walked for the first time in thirty-eight years. Can you imagine how happy he was? He must have jumped and run, trying out his strong legs again. What a feeling of freedom, to be able to run after years of lying in bed!
But that day was the Sabbath – the day of rest for the Jews. God had made this so that His people could rest and focus on worshipping Him. But the Jewish rulers –the Pharisees—said they were not allowed to do ANY work on Sunday: not even carry a bed or walk too far! They made many detailed rules that the people had to follow. These rules ended up being a huge long list of “do’s and don’ts”. This was the Pharisees’ way of showing how holy they were. But that did not make them holy. It was just a way to make themselves look better.
Well, the man was still carrying his bed when he walked past the Pharisees. And what do you suppose those Pharisees said? Did they say, “WOW! We’re so happy that you’re walking after lying sick in bed for almost forty years!?” or did they say, “Who made you better, so that we can see Him too?!” No, they didn’t. All those Pharisees did was frown and growl, “It is the Sabbath and you’re not allowed to carry your bed!” But the man who had been healed answered, “The man who healed me told me to carry my bed and walk!” So the Pharisees said, “And who is He?” But the man didn’t know Jesus’ name.
A little later, Jesus found the man in the temple. Jesus said to the man, “See, you are better! Don’t sin anymore, and nothing worse will happen to you.”
After this, the man went to tell the Pharisees that it was Jesus who had healed him. Then the Pharisees started persecuting Jesus, trying to catch Him and put Him in prison. But Jesus answered, “My Father and I are working.” By this, Jesus meant that He and God were working together as equals. Then the Pharisees hated Him even more, because He claimed to be as strong as God Himself; because He actually is God.
Do you think those Pharisees really cared about the sick man?
They didn’t at all, did they. They weren’t happy he’d been healed – they were only angry that he was breaking one of their many little rules.
Do you think they cared about God?
God’s rule and commandment is to love – to love God Himself first, and also to love everyone around us. But those Pharisees sure didn’t show love to the man who had been healed!
Instead, the Pharisees cared most about themselves. They made all those rules, not to love and serve God, but to show how good and holy THEY themselves were. And God hates this.
But Jesus shows us love, both for God and for people.

Jesus Heals the Man with Dropsy and the Man with the Withered Hand
Luke 14:1-6 and Luke 6:6-11
What does it mean to obey? Look at this quick story for a minute: suppose Mom tells Jimmy and Joey to each go and clean his room. They’re not allowed out until they’re done. Joey doesn’t care much for the job, so he wants to get his done as fast as possible. He works very hard, throwing dirty laundry across the room into the hamper, making his bed neatly and quickly. His stuffed animals fly through the air and land with a bump in their places... For Jimmy, it’s the same – he also doesn’t like cleaning, and works to get it done fast. Mom is in the backyard and the boys are busily working when BANG! their little sister Sarah has a big fall. Sarah starts to cry. She’s very hurt. What should those boys do now? Joey thinks to himself, “well Mom said I wasn’t allowed to leave my room until I was done!” So he keeps working hard. Jimmy thinks, “But poor little Sarah is hurt! And Mom’s not around! I have to go comfort Sarah.” So Jimmy leaves his room to give Sarah a hug.
Who was obeying? Do you think Mom would be pleased that Joey stayed in his room while Sarah was hurt? Don’t you think Mom would care far more about comforting little Sarah than about not leaving the room?
In some ways, God’s commands are like that too. He says, “Keep the Sabbath day (today that means Sunday) holy and don’t work on that day.” But above all, God commands us to LOVE: love God Himself, and to love those around us. We love God by keeping His commandments. We love the people around us by caring about them and showing love. Love is the whole reason behind every rule God has given us. You see, we can obey all God’s rules, but if we’re not showing love, we’re missing the point altogether. In the next story, watch how Jesus follows this by showing love. And watch the Pharisees: will God be happy with their obedience?
One day Jesus went to eat at a Pharisee’s house on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was the day when people weren’t supposed to work. The Pharisees were watching Jesus carefully. They were hoping to catch Him making a mistake and breaking the Sabbath. A man with dropsy came into the room. Dropsy is sort of like epilepsy: it means that the man had fits and his body broke out in spasms. Jesus knew the Pharisees were trying to catch Him sinning. So He asked them, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath or not?” The Pharisees didn’t know what to say. In their hearts, they knew it was good and LOVING for Jesus to heal. But they really wanted to catch Jesus breaking the rules. So they didn’t say a word. Then Jesus turned to the man with dropsy and healed him.
Jesus turned back to the Pharisees and asked them, “If your son fell into a deep hole or well on the Sabbath, or if your cow fell into a deep hole, would YOU just leave them there?” Again the Pharisees had nothing to say. They knew that they would show love and care to their own son, or even to their animal. So how could they be against Jesus showing love to a sick man?
But do you know what? Those Pharisees didn’t learn their lesson at all. On yet another Sabbath, Jesus was preaching and teaching. There was a man there who’s hand was withered, weak and useless. These days, a weak hand is a sad thing, but back then, a man who had a weak hand could hardly even make a living. He might even have to beg for his food. It was a very serious thing to have a useless hand.
The Pharisees were looking very carefully at the man and at Jesus. Do you think they were hoping Jesus would help the poor man? No, not at all! Just like last time, they were hoping Jesus would heal the man so they could say that Jesus had broken the Sabbath! Yet again, they were trying to catch Jesus! But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” The man came to the front. Jesus turned to the Pharisees and asked them, “Is it right to do good things on the Sabbath, or to do bad things? Is it right to save a life or to kill?” Jesus looked directly at them, but no one answered. Then Jesus looked at the man with the withered hand. There was the hand, fingers curled up in a tight, useless ball. Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” And that claw-like hand opened and became healthy and whole! Think of what that must have meant for the man: suddenly he could work, now he could feed himself, now he wouldn’t have to beg! What a loving thing for Jesus to do!
The Pharisees must have been so happy that the man was healed, right? But no, they weren’t at all. They were terribly angry. They plotted against Jesus, wondering what they could do to stop Him from these acts of kindness.
You see, the Pharisees followed all the rules God laid out in the Bible. They kept the Sabbath day, and didn’t work on that day. They were EXTREME in their obedience of God’s rules and law. But they missed the big point, the real point. What do you suppose they missed?
They missed God’s command to LOVE. They didn’t LOVE God as they should have, and they certainly didn’t love the people around them. But Jesus showed love, didn’t He? He sure did! He healed the man with dropsy and He healed the man with the withered hand.
So what is obedience? What does it mean to obey? Like Jesus’ example, obeying is following God’s commands – like keeping the day of rest, a day meant for worshipping God. But to really obey God’s commands, we have to do more – we have to obey out of LOVE. Because obedience without love is totally empty.

Jesus Heals Legion, the Demon-Possessed Man
Luke 8:26-39, Mark 5:1-20
If you were living in the Gerasenes, near the Galilean Sea at Jesus’ time, there would be one place just outside of town that you would never, ever want to go to. Frightening and mysterious stories must have been passed around about that area, because there was a wild man there. This man had no home, but took shelter among the rocky tombs there. He wore no clothes either. Several times, the townspeople had captured him and bound him with heavy chains and iron shackles. Yet each time, he would break those heavy chains as if they were just string, would snap the huge shackles in half, and would break free and run into the desert. Even when he was closely guarded by armed men, this man would STILL break away and run. He was a wild man. The mountains and tombs echoed night and day with his wild cries. Even the strongest men in the town must have shuddered at the sound of those screams and howls.
Why was he like this? He was overtaken by many, many devils. These devils are Satan’s helpers, and they kept that poor man in the worst kind of imprisonment. There were so many devils in this man that he was called “Legion.” Back then, a legion was the number for a thousand. That meant that the man Legion had more than one thousand devils living in him. The devils filled Legion’s mind with terrible and frightful visions. They made him cut his body with stones. Maybe sometimes, Legion would come to his right mind and would be very sad and ashamed. Day in and day out, Legion’s life was a long nightmare.
One day, Jesus came across the Galilean Sea to the Gerasenes. As soon as Jesus set foot on the land, Legion saw Jesus and came running up to Him. The wild man threw himself at Jesus’ feet, and cried out in a loud voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?! I beg you, by God Himself, do not trouble me!” You see, it was the devils in Legion who were saying this. They knew who Jesus was, and they were trembling in fear before Him. And how could they not? This was Jesus, the very Son of God! He could send them all to hell with one small word! This was Jesus, who commanded all of heaven’s angels! He could snuff those devils out with a lift of His finger! No wonder they were terrified. The devils knew that they couldn’t possibly fight Jesus, so their only chance was to plead with Him.
Jesus looked at Legion and asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “My name is Legion, for we devils are many.” Then the devils began to beg Jesus not to send them out of the country. On a nearby hillside was a huge herd of pigs. The devils begged Jesus to send them into the herd of pigs. Jesus gave them permission, and the devils entered the herd. The pigs immediately went wild, rushed down a steep hillside and all drowned in the sea. Do you know how many pigs there were? More than two thousand! And all those devils had been in Legion!
The herdsmen who had been looking after the pigs ran into the city, telling everyone what had happened. The people came out to see. And do you know what they saw when they found Jesus? Can you guess?
There they saw Jesus, and sitting with him was Legion. But it didn’t look like Legion at all! There he was, sitting with clothes on, cleaned up, and in his right mind. He wasn’t wild or crazy anymore, but was perfectly peaceful, sitting with Jesus. We can’t call him Legion anymore, because Jesus had won the victory over the devils that had filled him. There wasn’t a devil left in him.
Suddenly the townspeople were very frightened. Those who had seen how Legion was healed told everyone about Jesus’ great power. Who was this Man, whom even the devils listened to? But those people didn’t realize that even though Jesus is someone to be feared, He is also the One to be trusted. Instead of worshipping Jesus, the townspeople begged Him to leave.
Jesus walked down to the sea again. As He was getting in the boat, Legion followed Him. Legion begged Jesus to allow him to come with Jesus. But Jesus said to Legion, “Go home to your friends. Tell them how much the Lord has done for you! Tell them how He has had mercy on you!” So Legion also went his way, telling everyone how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed.
That’s a beautiful story, isn’t it? It shows the peace Jesus brings to people who have lived in total darkness and fear. In some ways, we’re like Legion. Satan can put fear and hatred in our hearts. Satan and his devils are so much stronger than we are and we can’t hope to win against him alone. Yet Jesus, Ruler and Creator of everything, has complete power over Satan. The very name of Jesus holds power: it’s enough to make every devil run in fear.

In-depth Theology With our Youngers

2009-05-09T09:57:00.004-05:00

It definitely has been a long time since I've looked at my blog. Time plays a large part in this, of course. But the old question comes to mind again; some things are too amusing, too ironic or too good to forget. And what better way than through writing it down?

We've been trading stories about kids and theology.

From Aunt Mary:

Holly was teaching two-year-old Andrew about the miracle of the Red Sea crossing, and how Moses made it all the way across, completely dry. Andrew was fully impressed; “Wow! Did he wear underpants too!?!”

From Daniel & Raewinn:

While teaching his four-year-old about the Bible, a pastor had focused primarily on Jesus and His mercy. The full result of this came to light at a spanking; the boy was screaming, “Have mercy, have mercy! Would Jesus do this?” From then on, the pastor knew; hell and damnation first, mercy after.

Long ago, when Phillip was just learning to talk:

“Look, look Phillip! A wood-pecker!” “Wood-whacker?” “Yes. He’s pretty isn’t he?” “Nooooo...” “No?” “No. He perfect.”

And more yet...

2008-10-28T20:04:00.006-05:00

There, done at last :) Hope you enjoyed them!

More Tamarack Pictures...

2008-10-28T19:56:00.003-05:00

Late-night cabin shots :)

Cooking in Bulgaria

2008-09-26T14:34:00.009-05:00

I just finished typing up our Bulgarian journal. Here's a blog post I made in Bulgaria but never posted...

At the Bombadils, we had the opportunity to "return" some of the wonderful hospitality we’d received by preparing dinner for the family. That was easier imagined than done. Finding all the ingredients for our meal was the first challenge: shopping in a foreign store is no joke! Thanks to our trusty translator, George, though, we got some of what we needed, and lots of what we didn't need.

Then came the challenge of preparing the "substitutes", "innovations", and "make-dos". Fixing up whole shrimp was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We've created a handy guide for your own future endevours:

The Lou-ru Guide to Preparing Shrimp
1. Decapitate the creature by twisting its head off. Mind you don't let the green and orange gushy stuff (is it poop? is it brains?) spray in your face. Also, be careful to avoid looking into those pouting, pleading eyes –Precious Moments couldn't have made them better.
2. While grasping your shrimp, wrench its hairy legs from it. Retrieve the legs from the floor and the shrimp from the top of the refrigerator. Pull out those red and pussy veins.
3. Gently slide your manicured fingernail beneath the shell, and while maintaining a death-grip on its tail, slide the shell off. Retrieve the shrimp from the floor. Rinse thoroughly.

A bowl of carnage, 2 seriously queasy stomachs and an hour later, you'll find a handful of nicely cleaned shrimp such as you could purchase in Canada for about $2.00.

The Final Menu:

Coconut shrimp avec le salsa kiwi
Pizza (chicken, hotdog :S, mozzerella, feta, pepper, olives, shrooms, hot peppers)
Fruit salad & special Bulgarian cream

Tamarack 2008

2008-09-23T21:46:00.007-05:00

Because I can't stand Facebook's Foto application...
A LITTLE excited for the week :D The spirits of Harvey and Eomer live on... (Tamarack '07)And have already captured the heart (and mind too, apparently) of one maiden.

And who doesn't have a picture with Louise cross-eyed and Leah with her tongue out :P

Ooooooh, sour plums!

Prince Charming?

Or the one that got away... :)

And more to come, when I get around to it...

Sometimes The Answer Couldn't Be More Obvious

2008-09-04T20:51:00.003-05:00

Camp Tamarack, August 2008

August 18, 1970.

2008-08-19T17:11:00.005-05:00

August 18, 1970. A lovely and beautiful bride was married to her dashing prince. His name was Clifford, hers, Henriette. Many were there to salute the happy day, and many toasts were made for a long and wonderful marriage, including...

two of their kids? Take a good look at this picture: it's got so much in it. That really is Dad & Mom's original wedding wine, which just demonstrates how long a Dutch couple can hold onto something (they've even got a piece of wedding cake!). This is 36 years after the fact, which also goes to show how long a couple can hold onto a good thing...

And look closely at the source of the wine -a little ironic?!
God is faithful. Congrats and all our love, Dad and Mom!

A Bulgarian Legend

2008-07-12T17:08:00.013-05:00

The following story is thoroughly "doctrinally unsound" :) but it gives an
excellent description of Bulgarian countryside and people.

"Why is Bulgaria so beautiful?" from a Rodopian
perspective. Our story-teller is Tinka :)

"After God created the earth, he gave each nation a special gift. To Austria he granted a piece of the Alps. To Australia he gave the rough and rugged outback, to Canada, a generous portion of ice and snow :P, to Greece he gave a gorgeous Mediterranean coast... etc, and so on. But behind each country was creeping a devil. After each country had received his gift, the devil stole the best portion of the gift and put it in his bag. At last, it was Bulgaria’s turn to receive his gift. Alas, Bulgaria was the last country, and there was no gift for him! "Who took Bulgaria’s gift?" said God. Then he looked around, and saw the devil with his bag. God seized the bag and gave it to Bulgaria, and that is how Bulgaria came to have the best of each country in the world."

Bulgaria Report, The Unabridged Version :)

2008-06-19T10:01:00.004-05:00

There's also an earlier update available at Louise's blog...

So, after we’ve said “we should really write an update” literally a hundred times, here we are, sitting, typing and doggedly punching an email out to you. If this gets to you, we’ll have succeeded :) The truth is, nothing short of a lifetime has passed, and the thought of putting that all on paper is daunting indeed… There’s so much to tell about!

Ahhh… now Louise is back and is asking “Now, where do we start?!!” We know this is horrendously long: it’s the unabridged version of an email –sorry!

Todor & Daniella’s, Pomorie --Ruth
After the Bombadils’, we moved to Pomorie on the coast of the Black Sea. Here we met Todor & Daniella, and their four (!) children (four kids in Bulgaria is almost unheard of… it made us feel like we were back home in the Dutch community :) Dariel is the oldest; he’s the boy that wrote us before our trip, declaring that he enjoyed having “salutary” conversations (and no, we certainly didn’t know that word before our ESL student taught it to us ;) He enjoys books like Narnia and LOTR (which seem to be universal in Bulgaria), has a glint in his eye which reveals his love for fun, and was a most appropriate wise man for our play, (despite his short 12 years of life experience :). Then there’s Debora (not “Debra”, but Deb-o-ra, as she was careful to correct me), who’s 11. Debora is one of those people who take a little while to get to know, but are well-worth knowing when you do. She likes creating things, being artistic and the apartment was full of her creations. The small apartment was also very full of her little sisters, who were always close behind or around their big sister. Jessie is a five year old with big, beautiful eyes, and Becky (3) is a bundle of energy that was always popping around some corner and calling out a cheery “HELLO!”
We may have mentioned something about the way time works in Bulgaria; it, well, sort of doesn’t work. The truth is, Bulgaria has a time zone all of its own: a slow and meandering one, where the sun is the only thing that really regulates things and prevents Bulgarians from squeezing in 25 or 26 hours into each day, as they’d like to. We really felt (and enjoyed :) that at Todor and Daniella’s. Each night found us cozily in their kitchen, talking until 2 or 3 in the morning. Todor and Daniella spent 10 years volunteering abroad for Youth With a Mission (a Christian outreach organization), and the stories they have to tell are truly amazing! They really experienced the meaning of “God will provide” as they traveled about with 4 children in tow! This email is getting long, though, so I’ll stop here. We have some of the stories safely secured in our journals.

Yordan and Kalina, Pomorie – Louise
Okay. Get ready for the love chapter. Ha! got you worried, didn’t I? ;) we’ll tell those stories later… ;) but for now, we want to tell you about this special family; they were particularly demonstrative in their show of affection – I hope the following memories and descriptions are not too sappy! J love, love, love; I love love, do you love love? hehe :)
From the moment that we entered Kalina and Yordan’s home, Ruth and I were wrapped up in love and welcomed as part of their family. Upon our first meeting with Ralitsa (12) and Mariela (7), we were welcomed with such wonderful, heartwarming hugs as I’ve never experienced before – hugs which were more than those momentary ‘flash hugs’, hugs which one could sense more than words could say. Their home was happy and fun filled, full of singing – singing ALL the time! during our time there, we taught them various English songs including “There was an old woman…” but oh, we never wanted to hear about that old woman again! we must have sung that song a thousand times! yet they never tired of singing these songs over and over again J Kalina instilled in her girls a love for music and song; they’d even all listen to music together with Yordan over Skype. Just 10 days before we arrived at their home, Yordan had moved to Finland, where he and his family are hoping to emigrate as soon as the conditions are right with his job and community. It is very hard for each of them to be separated from each other; there was more than a few tears shed for his absence. It was so touching to hear Kalina talk about her husband and to hear the delight in each of their voices and to see it in their eyes when they heard his voice. From what we heard about Yordan, he is a wonderful family man, a romantic husband, and one who cares so much for the environment that his family grows up in. Yordan and Kalina decided to move to Finland to seek a better future both for their children and themselves; they’re both quite fed up with Bulgaria, especially with the Communist history and post-communist mindset and the immoral culture.

For lack of time (and possibly by this point, interest on your part ;)) The memories from our time at Kalina’s house are much to special to let them pass by unsaid, and yet there’s so much to write about. And besides which, Rome is waiting outside our door, yet here we are, typing, typing, typing away….) so point form will have to do.

* Kalina: petite, young-looking (and young :) mom who is “one of the girls” and every bit as spunky and fun as a young person. We enjoyed many talks with her after our late night dinners, extending into the wee hours of the morning.
* 1AM walks on the beach by the moonlight
* singing ALLLLL the time – silly songs, happy songs, Christian songs, fun songs
* searching for sea shells by the Black Sea shore; exclamations of the girls on the beauty and design of each one
* creating a picture/design with sea shells and rocks that we had found
* I got to play piano here! it was so delightful… I just can’t wait to get home and play my piano again though…
* learning about all sorts of things in our various ‘classes’ when we were going through their homeschooling lessons
* listening to the girls play piano and practice for their concerts and recitals
* We were a little dumbfounded at the girls’ love for bacteria and spiders and fungus – it seemed slightly out of character, considering that their home was the most UNFRIENDLY place for such creatures. Their home was always incredibly spotlessly clean, due to the tireless efforts of Kalina, who took great delight in making their home as neat and clean as it could be.
* their impeccable manners – each of them was an amazing hostess, always asking us first and checking if we needed anything, or if we needed a nap or tea or something to eat etc etc.
* their pet history: while we were there they were taking care of a rooster named Chernovsky “blackie”, and a turtle (forgot his name). They had also had pet pheasants, pet rabbits, and parrots/love birds… this family looooves any living thing!
* Kalina takes care of a sweet little 3 year old Jacqueline; she’s almost like their adopted sister… we had fun getting to know her a little bit
* some quotes from the girls: “I am sooooo happy right now”… “I love you so sooo soooooooooo much!” [while giving us vigorous and lengthy hugs] “I’m going to miss you”
* goodnight kisses/hugs
* going out for dinner to a nice restaurant in Nessebar, an old town/fortress on the coast, with Iavor, Jishka, and Kalina, and spending the majority of the evening in religious debates…
* going to church in Burgas and meeting the wonderful people there including
- Iavor (the pastor), his wife Jishka and their 1 year old son Javor
- Maria, 20 years old, sweetest girl ever, whom we convinced to visit us in Canada
- Meetko and Yanny, the 2 guys in the youth group; both were so sweet and friendly; Meetko had been to the States before, and will again going when he gets his visa ready
- Julia & Mishu and their 3 year old daughter, our next hosts
- Meetko & Elena, a sweet young couple, recently married; Meetko runs a hotel and Elena’s an opera singer
- Lily, a professional piano player/ music teacher
- there’s others too, but this is all I can do for now

One last memory to segue into the next home: during our stay at Kalina’s, I got sick with my second sinus infection EVER – for 2 days straight I was trying to turn the faucet of my nose ‘off’ but it just kept running and running until it was raw… not a fun time… and then poor Ruth got it too (we’ve been sharing everything else on this trip, why not share the germs too? :P). However, Ruth’s version of this cold went straight to her chest, and such a nasssty cold/cough it was! poor girl… she got lots of sympathy – but having a cold made for a difficult time at the next home we stayed at (Mishu & Julia’s). Both of us were still drained from being sick.

Mishu & Julia’s, Bourgas --Ruth
Perhaps Mishu & Julia best illustrate just how excited and committed Bulgarian Christians are to homeschooling. It really has affected their entire home. Their daughter Lily is just three years old, and still mastering Bulgarian. Despite this, they were quick to take part in every opportunity available: they were excited to host us and to glean English from our conversations, and Julia and Lily faithfully attended the final conference in Pomorie. Mishu & Julia are teaching Lily English as well as Bulgarian, so that she will be well prepared for the English homeschooling programs. Lily is a bouncing, pig-tailed little girl who likes to learn. Her 3 year old rendition of the ABC song is something else :) Mishu works for AVG anti-virus, and “all that sort of thing”, and his computer speals were interesting but quickly went over our non-techy heads :) Mishu met Julia in university, where they both studied together. She enjoys translating Reformed/ homeschooling materials into English.

Hasovitsa Conference --Ruth
On May something we set out for Hasovitsa. The curving, twisting road followed a meandering river, and Lou’s ever-responsive stomach reacted accordingly. Of course, car-sickness is bad of itself, but when you have two car-sick little girls draped across you, one gets a double-dose. Thus we greeted Hasovitsa with varying sighs of relief, the loudest coming from the turmoiled depths of poor Louise. We stepped into the “Rodopian Region”.

The Rodopian Region, for anyone who likes Geography/ History --Ruth
The Rodopian mountains span much of Bulgaria. In many ways, the region is a nation of its own. It is entirely different from the westernized Bulgarian coasts and plains: it is old Bulgaria, or Bulgaria as it once was. The landscape is different, for one: Hasovitsa is a little village perched on the edge of a mountain. Towering evergreen forests alternate with alpine meadows that always made me feel like running to the top of the mountain. The village itself is filled with authentic “old-ness”: old men and women walk about the streets dressed in knit sweaters & shawls, embroidered skirts and traditional wear (and no, this wasn’t a re-enactment for tourists!) They tended goats and brown cows, but the chickens and geese ran loose through the streets. This is all quite useless; we’ll have to show you pictures of the place because words can’t describe the village aura.
The Rodopians have a saying, “The mountains bear people and the valleys bear pumpkins.” LOL, coming from mountain people, it sounds a little assuming, doesn’t it? The history of the region, though, reveals its truth. When the Ottoman invaders came and conquered Bulgaria, many people stayed behind in the cities and valleys. They capitulated and “converted”, and still today are known as half-Turks. On the flip side many people chose to remain Christian; the dissenters fled to the mountains and established another, true Bulgaria. These are the Rodopian mountain folk, the “people” (or non-pumpkins) of the saying. Today there remain duplicate villages: there will be a lower village peopled with former “half-Turks” and a mountain village established by those who fled. This history, perhaps, explains the pervasive Rodopian pride which they mix with humour. It’s always good for a laugh: their word for fork, for instance, is “forkalitsa”, which they like to joke is the root of the English word, not vice versa. Same with “potatnik” and “potato”, and even “Shapin” (or something close to that), which is an ancient Japanese (!!!) title :) Hmm, it was so interesting… and there are so many more stories to tell, but we also have those securely locked in a journal :) (Oh, one other thing: this isn’t necessarily 100% accurate, my memory and notes aren’t always that great!) And those are the real “people” of Bulgaria :)

Back to the Hasovitsa Conference --Ruth
The villa we slept in was as picture-perfect as Hasovitsa itself. It was heated only with fireplaces, built of concrete, block and tile, and could sleep 20 people in BEDS! (Have you ever heard of such a place?) We were heartily welcomed by our two hostesses, Zlatka and Tinka. The two ladies are sisters who live with their extended family in a huge house in the nearby city of Smollyen. Zlatka is a computer programmer and Tinka is a home-maker. They were so incredibly unique! Both had a hilarious sense of humor, a warm heart and vast knowledge of mountain herbs. There was hardly a day when they weren’t collecting something from the mountain-side, whether it was pine sprigs for pine honey (mmmm…) flowers for juice (!!!), or the like. LOL, they even pointed out the source of Viagra :) Zlatka has a sweet imp of a boy named Bobby (6 years). Bobby wore a wily, smily look about him and always had “a trick!” or knew “this trick!” We’re pretty sure he’s going to be a magician when he grows up :) Ninka (8) is his sister and the daughter of Tinka. When a girl is as sweet and kind as Ninka is, it’s a bit hard to describe her. She was a bit quiet, and obviously treasured every moment spent with friends. When Louise and I remember Ninka, we are also most encouraged by what God has enabled us to do for our Bulgarian friends. At one point in the week, an English friend of hers (Cindy) spoke to her mother. Hearing the English conversation, Ninka exclaimed, “Mom, Cindy speaks Bulgarian!” The truth is that Ninka wasn’t used to understanding English! That was SO exciting to hear :)

Elian & Radoslava --Ruth
I haven’t mentioned one of the main organizers of our trip yet: Radoslava. Before traveling to Hasovitsa, we stayed a few days at Elian & Slava’s house. They have two wonderful and lively daughters, Teddy (8) and Vicky (5). Teddy likes surpass the boys (she’s a confirmed tomboy), and yet she likes to dress up and dance. We’ve established her future career to be a lion tamer :) Vicky is constantly singing –in fact, due to her 5-year-old English skills, this was one of the main ways we got to know her. She loves to hold hands or hug. She’s also got an eye for fashion, and we’ve set her out as a future fashion designer, in the classic style of frilly flouncy dresses. Their father Elian works with computers as well and works admirably hard at his and Slava’s small business. By the end of the trip, Slava felt like a very close aunt for me. She’s a historian, and has a unique story or saying for every little custom or site one comes across. It was so sad to leave her, her girls, her wisdom and stories behind.

Jivko and Iliana – Louise
Jivko and Iliana have three children: Stephan (5), Gabbie (3) and Sammy (1). Jivko is a computer programmer and has his own business. We didn’t get to know him very well, because the only time that we had to talk to him was when we went out for dinner one night with his family and Elian and Radoslava’s family. The majority of the evening, their heads were huddled close as they debated and discussed the latest technology. During their deep conversations however, Ruth and I were able to talk with Iliana and Radoslava and get to know them. Iliana studied a total of five years to become a speech therapist, after which she promptly became a secretary for her pastor. Sometimes it’s strange how little we use our degrees and diplomas in our professions! Eventually she met and married Jivko (their love story is sweet and quite funny as well). Each of their three children are the sweetest, bubbliest, most giggling children you ever could meet. Their ability to speak English was low, yet they understood a lot more than I thought they would. They went absolutely berserk when we’d tickle them; it was hilarious to watch their antics when we played the ‘tickle game’ with them.

More Hasovitsa Happenings (because we know this is WAY too long already!) --Ruth
-Enjoying coffee with cow-fresh milk (after fishing out all the floaties, of course!)
-Delicious Rodopian cooking: potato banitsa, croissants Bulgarian-style, flower tea, etc. etc.
-Feeding the multitude with pizza and quesadillas, thanks to the integral part of the ladies…, also made Terra Tor (a cold soup of cucumber and yoghurt) and Banitsa R-rr-rrruttt! (“Ruth” Bulgarianized –be sure to roll the “r”)
-The late nights continued… lots of planning, knocking our heads together to gather “lesson” plans or game plans for the next day (there’s a pun in there for you, Dad ;)
-Lots of late night talks over tea: telling ridiculous stories, jokes, past experiences… We learned the “Ruchenitsa”, a traditional Bulgarian wedding dance (no worries Mom, we don’t expect to put that to use ;)… Practising the chicken dance (some fun pictures from that :P)
-The crafty Tinka teaching us how to say “I want to be a Bulgarian bride!” :)
-The never ending songs of the children… every time the first words of “My God is so Big” were shouted, we would groan internally, grit our teeth and exuberantly (aka dutifully) join in :)
-Seeing lines of children holding hands, walking along a mountain path and singing “My God is So Big” because they wanted to…
-Walking along mountain paths... hmmm, beautiful
-Meeting Elena, the daughter of Tinka. At 14, she discusses the Scriptural references of CS. Lewis and Tolkien with her strongly atheist teachers! She was sweet, intelligent, always questioning the reasons behind concepts, always looking deeper. In two short days she became a good friend.
-Walking 3 km to the nearby village of Pisanitsa (or “Pizzanitza” as we joked with the kids) to buy ice cream. When the shopkeeper was nowhere to be found, we walked to his nearby home/ hotel, and from there received a ride back to the shop in a very old, sputtering Mercedes Benz that looked as if it would like to shoot off the mountain side
The week in Hasovitsa is definitely precious among our memories of Bulgaria!

So that’s a small snippet of our experiences in Bulgaria. We hope to update you on the continuing adventures of Lou and Ru :P upon our return (internet access has been difficult!) God is blessing us and keeping us safe. We thank those of you who have been praying - we’ve really felt the Lord’s protection and guiding hand throughout the entire trip.

Education, Phillosophically Speaking

2008-04-18T21:31:00.005-05:00

with Guest Lecturer, Phillip John

Computer Technology: People are all confused about computers. I always see the family stuck to them, scowling & grunting, sometimes even howling. Odd, I tell you! Computers are really meant for showing pictures of Holly and baby animals and "bus-ducks" (thanks Google Images), and for the fascinating games of "Car-Car". (Co-author's note: it is regretful and necessary to point out that, at the tender age of 2, Phillip already shows signs of addiction to computer games, owing to the sad influence of father and uncle.)

Spelling: Is not my best subject. Things started out poorlly with my dear grandma's counsell to Dad and Mom to spellll Phillip "properlly": with 2 "LL"s. I think I'llll ask my grandpa about this one: he's a speciallll ed teacher.

Health: Everything feels better after Mommy kisses it.

Driver's Ed/ Physics: It doesn't matter: everything, even car crashes, can be fixed with a kiss. (Experience based on dinky cars...)

Home Economics: My favourite subject. As my extensive experience has shown, mothers and grandmas aren't too pleased when you shut everything --like the dishwasher, fridge or dryer-- behind them while they're still using it. But they do like help making salad, doing dishes, and that sort of thing. Oh, and sometimes aunts or uncles need motivation to clean their rooms: picking your way through the mess and saying "baach" (Dutch for "disgusting") will do just that.

PhysEd: It's good to run on the spot or in circles around the house, but make sure you do it with the appropriate huffing and puffing noises (even if you're not really out of breath --then you sound like Daddy). And as my other uncles/ aunts have schooled me, "hockey is fun."

Science: Woodweckkkers (better known as woodpeckers): they're not "pretty", not at all. "They're perfect."

Phillosophy: Life is great when you're the only nephew on one side, and you've got doting uncles and aunts on the other :) It'll be even better when there's another baby on the way... Can't wait for "Baby Funner"!

We miss you Phillip!

The Next Few Months... Bulgaria Trip

2008-04-08T22:31:00.003-05:00

For the past month or so, I’ve been telling the same story over & over again, so now I figured I’d get it all done and over with here :) On May 1, DV, Louise D. and I will be heading out to Bulgaria for two months! Bulglbu-what, you ask? Is that some sort of disease? Nope, it’s actually a country in Eastern Europe. Louise & I hope to help in schooling some of the families out there, teaching them English, etc.

There’ll even be a little time at the end for a quick, adventure-filled scamper around Europe. Of course, teaching English to children who enjoy having "salutary conversations" will be an adventure all of itself. (Dariel is the salutary young man: at 10 years old, he’s using English words I have to look up! Now Paul, who’s 2 and knows the letter "A", he’s more at our level :) We’re definitely looking forward to it!
If you have any questions, I’ll answer them by message/ email :)

A few facts about Bulgaria:

Location: South-eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey
Terrain: Mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast
Religions: Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other Christian 1.2%, other 4% (2001 census)
Language Groups: Bulgarian 84.5%, Turkish 9.6%, Roma 4.1%, other and unspecified 1.8% (2001 census)
Occupied by the Ottoman Empire until 1885
The town of Sapareva Banya has the hottest mineral water spring in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria has around four thousand mapped caves.
Varna, on the Black Sea, was a trading centre in ancient times. A cemetery, found in 1972, contained many gold and copper artifacts from around 4600 BC to 4200 BC.

Sources: http://www.propertyshowrooms.com/bulgaria/guide/bulgaria-facts.asp%20http://www.worldinfozone.com/facts.php?country=Bulgaria

Quote of the Day

2008-04-03T20:31:00.005-05:00

"Never before has so little work been done in so much time." --my wise Father, regarding work on computers and the devices in general.

So true, in so many ways... Dad & Mom exploring the baffling intricacies of computers and email and "maximizing" and "minimizing" and "files" and "folders" and "Argh, I just lost all my work!!" and "Oh, that actually matters?" ...And also true, unfortunately, in my essaying. Which, incidentally, I hope to be finished by Saturday :)

Of Mackerel Tails, Banana Fries and Octopai Eyes... And a little sanity as well

2008-02-20T22:16:00.006-06:00

What could that be, swimming in the cooking pot?
Just a continuation of the cooking habits of my sister's family...Not to blame Laurie, of course, but that truly was the inspiration behind a tasty dish of octopai.
The menu for the evening (with renowned chefs, Boyar-Curt and Ruthie Crocker):

Fried mackerel --the "only redeeming feature of the meal" --Mom
Melon/Papaya smoothie (spiked with plenty of vodka to drown out the papaya taste)
Rice with fresh melon salsa
Boiled octopai avec les onions et les tomates
Fried plantain banana with coconut milk (optional)

Just thought I'd warn you to look closely at your next plate of salad served up at the VD household --we've found a nice recipe for tarantula.

And speaking of tarantula, I've got some more relevant news. Matt is back on the blogging world, reporting from Honduras. Be sure to check up his update.

Also, my bestest friend Louise has a blog as well :)

2008-02-18T22:10:00.003-06:00

Like all good adventures begin, this was indeed a dark and stormy night. The wind was howling, the trees swayed to a ghostly rhythm, the stars had long since disappeared into swirling mists, and the rain filtered through the trees... spssshing, freezing, creating a treacherous transparency across all. Two cars set out from the warm house of their hosts to make the trek to Orangeville (cue scary music :)

A ditched car marked the beginning of the dangerous leg of the journey. They progressed with care, but despite all, each hill proved to be worse and worse.
Pushing the cars up the hill –note Tim on the front of the car and everyone's Sunday clothes :)

With no way to go but down, there was little choice but to knock on the door of Tim’s neighbor. It was dark without lights, and the place looked sinister indeed.
But after a long wait, the door soon opened to reveal the warmest grandparentish people one could desire. They outfitted the distressed children with ashes and plenty of advice, and soon they were ready to go –in one car this time. ‘Twas a little squishy at times...

Much running alongside the car, scooping/ swallowing ash, pushing, and praying, and they were back on the main stretch, headed homeward.

‘Twas an adventure from start to finish: howling coyotes, sinister hermits turned friendly folks, doughty companions, some heart-stopping moments of fear and a warm and welcoming home at the end of it all. Thanks to God for keeping us safe through it all!

2 Easy Steps To Contentment

2008-02-15T20:31:00.007-06:00

"One goes into the forest to pick food and already the thought of one fruit rather than another has grown up in one’s mind. Then, it may be, one finds a different fruit and not the fruit one thought of. One joy was expected and another is given... [At] the very moment of the finding there is in the mind a kind of thrusting back, or setting aside. The picture of the fruit you have not found is still, for a moment, before you. And if you wished... you could keep it there. You could send your soul after the good you had expected, instead of turning it to the good you had got. You could refuse the real good; you could make the real fruit taste insipid by thinking of the other." –C.S. Lewis –Perelandra

Hmm, so the title is a bit of a misnomer –there is no "easy" path to contentment. But Lewis puts the whole thing into such simple terms: God sends us gifts, and we face the option of happy acceptance or sour (and futile) rejection. Life is a gift, then; an endless series of "goods". Awesome... Simple, and yet I make it so difficult to translate into real life. LOL, I guess even this late-night essay that stares me in the face is a gift from God. Time to seize it with two hands :)

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17

History Bloopers

2008-02-13T22:13:00.004-06:00

"I believe it is peace for our time." Neville Chamberlain, September 30, 1938, describing the Munich Agreement.

"...His eyes impressed me most of all. There was a liquid quality about them, which indicated keen perception and profound sympathy."... "I wished him well in his efforts to help mankind." MacKenzie King, June 29, 1937, describing Herr Hitler.

Hmmm, the irony. Couldn't help but laugh out loud at that one! And can't help but wonder if we're following a blind sort of appeasement in the area of Islamic terrorism... Nobody sees, nobody knows.

If Life Were a Drama

2008-01-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

Dramatis Personae

Matt: First appears on-stage as the grudging IT of anyone who can claim relation or acquaintance of any sort. He's got a ready, slightly crooked smile, older-brotherly advice, and offers companionship when it is most needed. He's also just a little too smart for his own good --"Does anyone want to play chess with me?"

Jeremy: Once the child who "only like[d] cheese on Mondays," not much has been lost with ascent to adulthood. His latest harebrained schemes include evading campsite fees by pitching a tent on an 11-foot inflatable raft (how about that sleepwalking?), and planned decimation of the nearby carp population, thereby reaping a triple profit (financially, environmentally and angling-ally.)

Curt, Jen & Phillip: The "tenants" of the house who are soon revealed to be much more. They're a ready support group for distressed students, advisors in all areas of life (the essentials, the practicals, and the frivolous), and always ready for a culinary adventure or late-night talk. Phillip is quite obviously the live-in comedian: his impersonations & suggestions ("can we put socks on the fishy?") and even his speech (how does a seminarian's son say "truck"?) will bring laughter no matter how down you can be.

Steve, Laurie & Co.: the family who's distant geographically, but close in every other way. Laurie's quick wit, rapid thinking and unending activity leaves the watcher with the urge to rewind and replay her in slow-motion. Steve and she possess a whole family of little gremlins/comedians (the pictures I could post! :)

Jonathan: Of course you've heard of the superhero "Margarine Man"? That's him. He's also Jalopy Jon, the Jungle Jop who devours live and flipping fish. He's the energizer bunny who zigzags the road others struggle to finish, and the foreign correspondent who's epistles are much appreciated (hint hint!)

Mother: Well, she's just that: motherly. Still preparing tea for breakfast, brown-bag" lunches and made-from-scratch suppers, still scolding about messy rooms and socks left inside-out, the way she pampers these kids one wonders if her children ever really grew up?

Dad: A former third-grade teacher with an affinity for third-grade humour and hinkpinks". Also an avid naturalist with an encyclopedic knowledge of birds, trees, and the "smaller" wonders of the universe. He's got an open ear, a wonderfully absorbant shoulder, and an overflowing fountain of wisdom.
So there you have it: the people God's put in my life. The more I get to know them, the stranger they get... and the stranger they get, the more I want to know them :)
Love you lots!

Public Safety Announcement: Mango Poisoning

2008-01-08T17:11:00.001-06:00

Well who could have guessed that something so lush and sweet, the very essence of "tropical beauty" itself could leave in its wake an dermatological disaster? Chrissy, Abby and I certainly didn't as we slurped it in our delicious smoothies... nor did I the next few days as I had a daily mango, even though small and menacing bumps began to appear around my lips. However, when Sunday brought hampered speech and the complete inability to smile, it was apparent that something was up. I did a little research, the findings weren't terribly encouraging...

"A red, itchy and often blistering weeping rash develops."

"The resulting horrible rash kept me in my apartment for a week"

"Without giving you too much info, I have nasty puss dripping blisters on my face (okay, maybe a little too much info)"

So here are the facts for you. Mangos are in the same family as poison sumacs, poison oak and poison ivy. Apparently it's the mango skin that causes reaction, so wash your hands after preparing it, and don't eat it!

Still, I'm thankful for frank friends and relatives who don't bother to soften the truth with tact "Have you gotten a lip job? Botox or collagen?" but cast it all in a humorous light "Circus makeup? You missed the upper half of your face!"

Life in the Zoo

2007-11-28T23:37:00.000-06:00

Wild things are happening at the VD house. You think I'm kidding? Well here's a shot of the primates cage...

With the biggest monkey ever right in the middle :)

Warning: this is thoroughly disturbing

2007-11-27T15:44:00.000-06:00

Heard today in class: "There has been widespread speculation that human matter was used to make soap during the Nazi regime. The claims are probably false, but the concept is horrific." --my professor

Said today in class:"Let's not forget that human matter IS used in many cosmetics, even today: aborted babies may be present in the very shampoo you washed your hair with this morning."

Utter silence... let's just change the topic.

PS. To avoid these products, look for "collagen" or "collagen-enriched" on the label --you can read all about it here, or simply google "aborted baby cosmetic" Maybe it's time to graduate from a mere "not tested on animals" cosmetic campaign to a "baby-free" cosmetics campaign!

2007-11-25T11:09:00.000-06:00

Winston... Your comment made me laugh twice over :)
Thanks for the picture, definitely! I guess I should watch my use of Google Images :)
As for the survey, let me caution you to "always read the fine print" --the study was conducted on one woman, namely myself. I am hardly "some good ol’ boys group" popularizing the barefoot and pregnant housewife!
I am, however, thoroughly disgusted with the feminism that has permeated every part of my education at my college. It seems to be the secular gospel, and its evangelists are cunning, determined and, ironically, thoroughly intolerant of any alternative views.
I couldn’t help but notice this when a paper of mine was docked for an off-hand statement that "women in general possess less physical strength than men do". Of course, silly me... That’s as ridiculous as saying "caucasians tend to be lighter of skin than African-Americans."
Academic antics aside, while I don't actually suffer from an "irresistable pull" towards the kitchen, I do hope to be married some day... with a child... and yes, even in a kitchen. But make no mistake; it will be no imprisonment but the highest calling a woman could pursue.

Feminism Debunked

2007-11-19T17:51:00.001-06:00

Feminists have long promoted the belief that female domesticity is purely a result of cultural conditioning. They also maintain that, given the chance, most women would choose education over and above home-making. However, a recent, groundbreaking study in female behaviour has the potential to expose these claims for the myths they are.
The results are nothing short of earth-shattering. Among the most notable statistics:

100% of those surveyed would rather cook dinner than engage in educational duties
Even menial jobs like cleaning washrooms, scrubbing showers and changing dirty diapers (!!) are "way more fun" than composing essays
All surveyed persons reported an "unnatural and irresistible" pull away from their books towards the kitchen

Demographics: ages 18-24, attending post-secondary educational institutions.
Number of women surveyed: 1

As usual, creativity flows away while there are essays to be written... in the opposite direction of course. Back to the Maoist Era...

CUT TO:

2007-11-18T22:24:00.000-06:00

THE DARKNESS BEHIND THEM. It's hard to see; the moon is behind clouds now. But the wind whistles. And the waves pound. And suddenly it's all gone ominous.
INGIO, FEZZIK, AND VIZZINI squinting back, trying desperately to see. At this moment, they are all holding their breaths. THE DARKNESS BEHIND THEM. And there's still nothing to be seen. It's still ominous. Only now it's eerie too. Then -- The moon slips through and -- Inigo was right -- something is very much there. A sailboat. Black. With a great billowing sail. Black. It's a good distance behind them, but it's coming quickly, closing the gap.

INIGO, FEZZIK, AND VIZZINI staring at the other boat.

VIZZINI (explaining with as much logic as he can muster) Probably some local fisherman out for a pleasure cruise at night through eel-infested waters.

...Hehe, good times! This is from a loooong time ago, but it's well-worth the memories...

Today.

2007-10-16T02:00:00.000-05:00

Today I am illiterate. I stare at a blank screen and, in an effort to fill its void, I babble and froth and spew forth useless nothings. I step back, look at my work in hopes of finding a reality happier than its experience, but find the opposite has happened... I actually wrote that? But here, at the near-end of the ordeal, suddenly the words tumble out.

Today I was surrounded by little faces, young faces... faces that changed as the weather did; a little sunshine here, a few clouds there, a clap of thunder and then a radiant light... And I fought to ignore them and turn to my work; a hopeless task really. But how awesome to have those shining faces...

Today I felt the flowing love of an awesome family. And throughout it, the love of an awesome God. He is good.

But this is all quite futile, because "today" is now yesterday, and the actual "today" looks to be a long and tiring one.

If I’m illiterate, there is always the shoulders of others to lean on.
"This good day, it is a gift from you. The world is turning in its place because You made it to.I lift my voice To sing a song of praise On this good day." –Fernando Ortega

Do It Anyways

2007-08-08T20:59:00.000-05:00

By Mother Teresa (although no one is quite sure of the real author)

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

2007-05-07T21:06:00.000-05:00

Now no one can look at the sun, bright as it is in the skies after the wind has swept them clean. Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty. The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. Job 37:21-23

Presenting... Miss Emily to the Blogworld!

2007-04-26T19:25:00.000-05:00

Hello all! (or whoever checks this increasingly sporadic place :) Just wanted you to know that my very-favourite-eldest-neice (:P) Emily is now on cyberspace! Be sure to look her up and drop a comment :)

Job Searching: What Not To Do

2007-04-13T14:16:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven’t got any “do’s” to offer you, but I think I’ve got the “don’ts” covered!

Don’t ask your off-the-wall former manager for a letter of reference:

First attempt: To Whom It May Concern: You are about to embark upon the greatest risk of your life…

Then: We are still mourning the loss of our most controversial employee...

And: I am pleased to offer a reference of character for Ruth VD. Ruth worked as customer reception and service clerk for about 20 years (I know she only looks 22 or so)…

(for the record, he did pull through in his last draft –thanks Paul :)

Don’t apply for a job selling something you are fundamentally opposed to. Example: The irony of getting an interview at a cell-phone store. “Would you be interested in a ball&chain—I mean, a cell-phone?
Be sure to polish up on your grade 4 math skills. (Does ANYONE really understand long-division anyway??)
Don’t let Freudian Slips mess up an application form. For instance, while filling out the position applied for section, don’t think to yourself “wouldn’t it be ridiculous if I put “manager” down” because you just might find "manager" written in clear, indelible ink.

The search continues...

Regarding the Recent Non-Action on this Blog...

2007-03-28T12:10:00.000-05:00

Term papers. Enuff said.

PS. I get my life

back this weekend :)

The Case of the Re-Appearing Handprints

2007-03-16T16:02:00.000-05:00

Or “The Ongoing Saga of Renovative Disasters”

You might remember my earlier mention of the chaotic state of my room. I’ve been working hard to remove all traces of it; first came the scraping and scrubbing, then puttying up the –teethmarks??— and sanding. Finally, though, I had it all prepped and ready to prime. Well, those ghastly handprints keep reappearing!
Next step: super heavy-duty toxin-loaded oil-based primer :DA "friend" getting caught up in the spirit of the room... (no fears, this is not primer/fume induced)

Zwolle, Pennies and Dutchness

2007-03-16T11:48:00.000-05:00

Here's a little bit of history and a good shot of Dutch character... My mother was born in Zwolle, Netherlands. As such, she would be known as a "Blauwvinger", or Bluefinger, a legend that stretches back to time immemorable...

Once upon a time, Zwolle found itself in the mortifyingly awkward and thoroughly un-Dutch position of being cash-strapped. Their only recourse was to sell their beautiful church bells to the nearby (and rival) town of Kampen... and then the haggling began. Many days, words and curses later, a deal was arrived at: Kampen would purchase the bells at a steep price, but would be able to decide what the method of payment would be.

The payment arrived soon after, in wagonfulls of pennies! Zwolle was thoroughly humiliated, disgusted and (predictably) suspicious. They counted every last penny. The copper oxide from the pennies made their hands blue, hence the name "Blauwvinger."

Truly an honourable heritage ;)

The Catch-22 of Democracy

2007-03-06T13:09:00.000-06:00

“In politics, the question seldom arises to do the ideal right. The best that is generally to be expected is to attain a certain object, and for the accomplishment of this object, many things have been done which are questionable, and… could not be approved of.” –Wilfrid Laurier

Poor Laurier; he was a puppet, longing to go one place but maneuvered elsewhere by a determined people. He’s known as a compulsive compromiser, and compromise he did; usually at the expense of his principles. But how different is he from every other Canadian prime minister? In fact, how different is he than any democratically-elected politician?
Imagine, if you will, that the rare specimen, the principled politician, comes to power. He will soon be forced into a horrible dilemma; should he act according to his principles or according to the symbolic contract he signed onto? For “pure” democracy, that is, rule of the people by the people, demands that he follow popular opinion. Now, either road he chooses will be unprincipled.
Now, throw media and politics into the mix, and democracy quickly degenerates into a boiling cauldron of licentiousness, repression and tyranny (by majority or lobbyists, depending upon the degree of liberalism.) You see, democracy is doomed from its very start because it rests upon a flawed foundation; the supremacy of human reason. Hence, the need for a limited democracy, one that rests upon a biblically-based constitution.
--And now maybe I should get back to what this term paper is really about :)--

The Rest of the Story...

2007-03-05T10:23:00.000-06:00

Lest you all think of me as a great philanthropist, let me give you the ulterior motive for going down to SC; to see Curt, Jen and Phillip :) Phillip could be a trip in himself; he's such a character! He's in the mimic stage right now; if you're brushing your teethe, he's sure to be too; if you're shaving, doing pushups... driving (yes, driving! this little boy drives both toy and real cars!) Now I was going to do a post entirely devoted to Phillip, but Chrissy has done an admirable job of that. And I was going to post some pictures, but my capable sister-in-law has done that :) The blogging world is getting delightfully crowded with friends :)

This is Jen, me and a charming Southern gentleman we met in downtown Greenville. He was a bit chilly and had a steely manner, but they tell me he is a monumental figure down there ;) Actually, SC is known for its wonderful warmth and friendliness, and the reputation is well-merited. It may (hopefully!) be a result of the Christian tradition there; churches there are as common as our Tim Hortons! They even have minor traffic jams on Sundays and Wednesday nights.
What does this picture remind you of? Naturally, I thought of Tolkein's Old Man Willow. Way too predictable though; Curt knew I was going to say that before I did :)

And a memorable evening at the park --unfortunately the camera card was quickly filled :S
Many thanks for your hospitality, Curt and Jen! The delicious meals, wonderful company, and evenings of fun won't be forgotten :)

Down in Soowwth Carolahhhhna

2007-02-26T10:55:00.000-06:00

--2:30 am, Saturday the 18th: a fifteen-seater maroonish van quietly rolls out of a farm lane and heads south. The morning is dark, but one can just make out a balding gentlemen behind the wheel, and nine figures buckled into various seats. All is quiet; no one speaks, and the only sound is made by wheels sloshing through snow.
--4:00 pm, Saturday the 24th: a maroon van lurches down the freeway, rocking back and forth and bouncing on its axles. It pulls into Lona Station, careens down a farm lane and skids to a stop. Ten kids burst from the van, and a fire immediately erupts.
What caused this massive transformation? The answer lies across a week and 1500 miles...

Intrepid Mr. Westy was the brave chaperone/leader/chief hooligan of the group; the already scanty hairs may have dwindled a bit across those seven days.
The group was heavy on the Westy factor; Dave, Tim and Lydia came too. Then there were the Luit.s; Sarah, Kara and Derek. Mike VM, Scott K. and myself completed the party.
Here's a picture of the newly-purchased seminary building. It was built in the 40s, I think.
The guys' job was to surface-grind the mortar for re-mortaring.

The girls were to clean and rescue as many bricks as possible for re-use.
Things got interesting when we discovered that many of the bricks were set, not in mortar (as any sane builder would do), but in cement... eighty year old cement :)
A definite selling factor for working were the great JIG lifts... and whereas in Canada you might need special training to go up 10 feet, in SC the sky is the limit (figuratively speaking.)

More toys...
Our most valued worker there in the centre :)

All in all a great trip! Thanks to the Westys for their planning, driving and these pictures (some day I will buy a camera!) Sarah L. has many more pictures on her blog. And I haven't mentioned the other, huge motivation for my going down there: to see Curt, Jen and Phillip. More on that in the next post :)

Quaint Little Hometown

2007-02-14T20:26:00.000-06:00

As beautiful as Stefanie is :), I am definitely getting tired of the "no trespassing" discourse, so here's something to vary the scene; shots of my new little town...
It has quite the history, of which I haven't had the opportunity to delve into yet. For any historical info or local legends, you can get a wealth of information from my neighbor/ old classmate Jordan. He'll even add a few of his own, which are always more interesting than the bare facts :)

Mom and I took a look around "downtown" yesterday; it's got a great selection of snippety wine shops, high-falutent antique stores and even some useful shops... A little jazz-themed cafe called "Zooma Zooma"

And finally, the scene today: snow and LOTS of it :)

A Short Dissertation on Property Rights

2007-01-11T13:49:00.000-06:00

with Ms. Stefanie F. B.

Hmm, is that a no trespassing sign I see up ahead?

Never mind, someone has taken care of it.

And her parents have called me a bad influence?

2007-01-04T15:45:00.000-06:00

Sit back, children, and listen to the story of three intrepid explorers. Our story begins on, just after the first ice age, but not quite before the extinction of the great animal branta canadensis, the second day of the month December to be exact.

‘Twas bitterly cold, and the wind whipped the frozen waters into a roiling cauldron of foam, but that wouldn’t daunt these brave heralds of the west.

The first was Sir Ferdinand Magellan; the Jordanian Harbour was a mere stop from his trip around the world.

Under the commission of His majesty King Manuel of Portugal, Fearless Vasco DeGama was quick to follow.

Snorri Sturluson, native to these wild lands, was the historian and poet of three. [S]he wandered along, muttering strange words like “Gylfaginning” and “Skaldskaparmal”; perhaps it was the momentous creation of yet another myth.

Entering enemy territory

The three were besought with dangers:

Hostile natives

The great beast lay stretched across the shore; valiantly conquered, no doubt in some fierce battle. Our brave explorers tiptoed by with pinched noses...

'Twas desolate land they'd found; rocky and lifeless. The very wind carried whispers of death, and the waves echoed a ceaseless refrain of peril. The intrepids christened the place "Jordanian Harbour", and having pitched the flag for Spain, Italy and Portugal, happily continued their travels to brighter vistas...

The Changing Scenery

2006-12-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

Here's the two minute update on the last four months in the VD home: we've moved! The fair town of Dundas is left behind, and the vine-filled, watery expanse of Vineland remains largely unexplored.

A few pictures of the "Twenty Mile Creek" will give you an idea of the scenery. (Out here, every stupid store, street and creek is named after a number!)

I haven't included pictures of the nearby LAKE :) :) That will definately be nice in the summer, when we can swim to our heart's content.

The house is nice (a wee bit too nice in Dad's opinion :) The only downside is my room, which has been systematicly vandalized by a small child and a crazy adult. LOL, maybe there really was a disturbed person... There will be again, if we don't do something about it :S

This is a familiar scene for anyone who's ever moved...

As is this :)
Matt has a few pictures up on his blog too.

Same-Sex "Marriage": A Second Chance

2006-12-04T13:51:00.000-06:00

For those of you who aren’t aware, on this coming Wednesday, (Dec. 6) Parliament is holding a vote considering re-opening the same-sex marriage debate. RestoreMarriage.ca encourages you to phone or email your MP –you can find specifics here. As well, they have a petition that is filled out very quickly. Please pray for our nation’s leaders, that they may again be a terror to evil works and not good!

“Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
“Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.” Psalm 2:10-11

The Unthinkable

2006-12-01T08:40:00.000-06:00

Here's a quiz; which of the next four headlines is actually true?

Al qaeda Allies with the World Zionist Organization
Havana, Cuba Hit with Heavy Snow and Ice; Tourists Complain of Ice in Hot-tubs
Hilary Clinton Appointed Campaign Manager for Cheney '08
Long-time Anti-blogger Matthew V. Joins the Blogging World

It's a tough call, so I'll just give you the answer; my brother has a blog!!! Check it out here, and be sure to comment; I'm hoping popular demand (and a little blackmail) will keep him with us :) Oh, and ignore the URL --Matt's a bit dislexic :P And this just came in --Stefanie now has a blogspot blog.

Another “While I’m Doing Homework” blurb…

2006-11-21T16:49:00.000-06:00

So we’re in the middle of a move. And I’m head over heels with essays, exams and history and all that good stuff –couldn’t tell you what today’s weather is looking like, but I do know about the Orange Order’s activities in 1845. So practical for day-to-day life --what I’d like to know is; how does one make coffee within a scavenged house? It’s a big question…

It’s 3:30pm. Time for coffee! Amazingly, there are some lonely grounds at the back of the freezer. But alas, the filters are absent; and no paper-towels are to be found (no self-respecting Dutch household has those anyways). Toilet-paper? No thanks. But neither is there any instant coffee, and the urge is getting stronger. So I boil the water and pour the grounds directly in. But those grounds aren’t settling; they’ve formed a sort of mud. Ah, the answer I’ve been looking for: a clean dishcloth. I repour the coffee through that, but half is spilled across the counter –no problem, we can compensate for that in milk. Finally! A finished cup! I set it on the floor (no chairs left at home, of course) and reach for the half-can of cold Ravioli. It’s labeled Cheese Ravioli with Meatballs; but the cheese is dubious and the ingredients cannot claim a speck of meat. I’m hungry though, so I eat it with gleeful anticipation of that coffee. I stand up to toss the can, and promptly kick the coffee over… Back to the Orange Order :)

Conference Pictures! Well, sort of...

2006-11-10T17:04:00.000-06:00

This is thoroughly embarrassing; twice now I've promised conference pictures and yet they've never showed. The temptation crosses my mind to "forget" about it... but no, this draft won't let me.

And because nature sometimes needs some help... Before the dams:

And after: (Left half; girls', right; boys')

I have 1 picture of the girls, and 3 of the guys... yet somehow they've managed to flub up each one of them!

A Conclusion --well, sort of :S

2006-11-07T21:09:00.000-06:00

This blog ought to be called “While I’m ‘finishing’ homework :S” Alas, the subject is more interesting to me than my current term paper.
Once again, thanks all for your input! It’s amazing how all that you’ve said aligns so closely with what I’ve seen in the past few days, Coincidence? Rather, Divine Irony. I’m struck with God’s wisdom, timing and recurring humor :)... A few prime examples:

A continuing-long-past-closing-time conversation with a co-worker regarding Greg Koukle’s “Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air” –love the title, watch the presentation
A (relativist) friend of mine’s inability to declare murder immoral while remaining consistent with his personal beliefs
My professor’s admission that there is no liberal basis on which to prohibit polygamy (and consequently, other sexual sins including pedophilia!)

This is appalling! They’ve removed every ultimate standard (or possibility of such), have opened the floodgates of unrestrained immorality, while simultaneously acknowledging the consequences of such! One can see the results of this already within Canada:

The Government has winked at polygamy in Canada: witness “Bountiful”, a polygamous community in Creston Valley, BC, and the theory that “Canada’s law banning polygamy [is] unconstitutional.”
Attempts to normalize paedophilia is gaining acceptance in Canada (see theinquiry.ca). Or look at this site. A warning, it’s disturbing!

So, with your help, I’ve tried to dig up some rebuttals, as well as reputable backing for them.

Firstly, homosexuality is “natural”; as natural as sin is:

“Homosexuality… is not innate… Such an object choice is acquired behavior; there is no inevitable genetically inborn propensity toward the choice of a partner of either the same or opposite sex." (Charles Socarides, Homosexuality: Basic Concepts and Psychodynamics, International Journal of Psychiatry 10, 1972: 118-25) and more scientific proof

Homosexual marriage will harm Canada (as seen in “Marriage Under Fire” by Dr. Dobson):
1. The legalization of homosexual marriage will quickly destroy the traditional family.

Destruction of the sanctity of marriage
The ultimate goal of homosexual lobbyists IS to destroy marriage ie. “Abolish Marriage: Let’s Really Get the Government Out of Our Bedrooms.” Michael Kinsley

2. Children will suffer most

Instability; studies assert that homosexuals cycle through anywhere from 300-1000 partners in a lifetime
One dad and one mom is still the best –confirmed by more than 10,000 studies

3. The practical ramifications: indoctrinating schools, collapse of health care and social security, the end of religious freedom

Bible Believers offers a clear, blunt synopsis on the Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality.
But this post is becoming horrendously long... :S As Ralph, Ethan, Mark, and others have clearly shown; same-sex marriage is only a symptom of the greater plague –relativism, and ultimately the wholesale rejection of God. The onus is on relativists to provide a “replacement” for the standard they’ve discarded that they may limit the evil they’ve occasioned, the onus is on them to provide a foundation for “rights” when they acknowledge no wrongs. What is left for us to prove? God’s terrifying justice and His complete forgiveness.

The AntiThesis

2006-11-01T18:53:00.000-06:00

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Eph. 6:12

At McMaster, this battle is so clear. Monday especially highlighted this --it was a day of extreme opposites. To give a quick sketch;
My third class, Philosophy of Law and Government, dealt with two subjects; same-sex "rights" and feminism. Her lecture was simply a flood of liberal, amoral theology and our class sat by and absorbed, like a sponge soaks up scum.
That afternoon held a one-to-one meeting with my religion professor regarding my less-than-compliant exam. Despite earlier worries, I was happily surprised –she was helpful and understanding and I was even able to share my testimony with her! The meeting was challenging as well: she pointed out many faults in Dutch circles, and left me with the challenge to learn Greek. And yet, she is a progressive scholar and consistently questions the authority of the Bible!
On my way from the meeting to a lecture, I met up with a Jewish/Zionist friend from work. As such, he tends to have a hyper-phobia of anti-Semitism and often complains of discrimination. We had a minor disagreement over one of his company slogans “in Sod we trust”, and another lady started cursing me to him. They walked off together, the discriminated now exuberantly discriminating...
But the day ended happily enough in a blessed conversation with a friend of mine :)
Where is this all going? To today: I have had yet another reprogramming/lecture on homosexual marriage, and I cannot sit quietly by.

So, if you haven’t read any of the above (it’s awfully long, sorry :P) help me on this one; how is homosexual marriage wrong and destructive, both morally and socially? Some questions that I struggle with personally;

Canada is no longer a Christian nation. Is it right, then, to force Christian morals on a nation that doesn’t recognize the basis of the same?
Is there conclusive proof of the necessity for a one-dad-one-mom family?
How does one respond to the “it’s their right to choose” argument?

Win a Boy

2006-10-26T09:57:00.000-05:00

Well, you could spend the dollar... or you could climb into the vending machine itself and take your choice. And that is just what Robert Moore did today; you can read it at The Daily Mail.

This is all quite reminiscent of some most embarrassing situations my own mother had to face (by the creation of one family member, unnamed) of which include:

falling into the fountains at York Mall while reaching for the pennies at the bottom
getting his hand so stuck in a gumball machine that the store manager had to be called...

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree --my best wishes to Jen :)

Ah! Sweet Fraternal Love

2006-10-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

So Matt (my brother) and I were discussing Pythagorus tonight... Pyth. had this idea that everything; the world, objects, people, etc. is made of the abstract idea of "number". Matt says, "I know what your number is! 'Zero'; nice and round, with nothing in it..."

On blogging...

2006-10-19T21:55:00.000-05:00

"This is the personal and private property of Ruth V. It is where I pour out my private and most intense emotions... I hope you enjoy it."

Matt and I were talking about the ideosyncracies of blogging tonight... I hope no one ever thinks that this is indeed, an accurate reflection of my person. Why blog? I sometimes wonder the same :)

A Vision Glorious

2006-10-14T09:26:00.000-05:00

The church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word.
From heaven he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.

Though with a scornful wonder
we see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping;
their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.

Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation
of peace forevermore;
till, with the vision glorious,
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious
shall be the church at rest.

Samuel J. Stone, 1839-1900













Can't wait till that day!

2006-10-12T15:59:00.000-05:00

It was a beauorgeous, end-of-the-summer night. The sun dipped below the horizon, leaving a lamp-lit wonderland...

Ok, so we haven't quite mastered no-fuzz fotography

--haha, tree hugger :P--

There's lots of life along the lake... This was a bit funny; those are all ducks lined up, roosting.

This (trumpeter, I think) swan swam across the lake TOWARDS us --just a wee bit odd for a wild animal. Territorial? Or maybe just vain... would have been a male either way :P

And the explorers

Southern Gentleman Meets Western Cowgirl

2006-10-07T16:51:00.000-05:00

But neither has much to say... :)

These are the two littlest darlings in my life: Phillip and Holly. You can see the rest of the story at Curt and Jen's blog.

Struck by Viking

2006-09-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

I had the most fascinating history class yesterday –about Vikings. Can’t help but share it with you...

Our tale begins in 800AD, shortly after their infamous relatives, the Vikings from Vique, looted and plundered England and North Europe. Despite wealth gained from these escapades, Norway and Denmark still lacked the resources needed to maintain extensive herds of animals. Thus, another group of Vikings set out in search of brighter, greener pasturelands.

Over the next 300 years (800AD to 1000AD), the Vikings skipped from island to island, happily killing forests, trees, and anything else that happened to get in their way. The semi-final leap from Iceland to Greenland was almost accidental; a certain gentleman by the name of Eric the Red was banished from Iceland on the small charge of… murder. He discovered and set up camp in Greenland. But despite its wistful name, Greenland proved to be far from ideal, and Eric’s dear son Leif once again went exploring. He landed in L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland (another misnomer; the land was forested.) And here we have the historic first European settlement in America.

The “happily ever after” doesn’t apply to this story though; the network of settlements gradually dwindled to nothing. No one knows for sure why; some say hostile natives, climate change, and disease played a part. It’s too bad, really; I’d love to claim Viking blood :)

A few cool facts about the Vikings:
-They didn’t wear horns on their helmets :(
-The term “Viking” is widely misused (including this post.) Viking actually refers to the plundering Norse and Danish. The correct term for the explorers is “Norse Voyageurs”.
-Despite Christopher Columbus receiving widespread credit as the first European to set foot in the New World, Leif Ericson was 600 years ahead of him. Isn’t it odd then, that Columbus had such a time convincing his contemporaries the earth is round?
-The first Caucasian born in the New World was a boy named “Snorri”.

Soon I will be able to upload to my heart's content :) :) :)

2006-09-13T16:40:00.000-05:00

Someday in the near future (due to the insistant forces around me), I will be buying a USB stick and will therewith be able to post pictures... pictures... pictures. Until then, these will have to do. I thought they were splendiferously fun :)

Goodbye Kitty

2006-09-09T21:32:00.000-05:00

In the wake of the conference and all these fabulous accounts being posted I really ought to post something of the same... a bit of the dreamy aura of campfire, the gritty competition of the sports, the bond of well-treasured friendships... or perhaps, something of the beauty we found in NewYork. Not today though, and not quite yet. In the meantime, perhaps this will give you a bit of a laugh; it was sent by my dearest (and only :) sister, Laurie.

Five Days and Counting!

2006-08-23T22:50:00.000-05:00

So the conference is speedily approaching, and even as I write this post I smack my head and realise that most anyone who cares will soon be in the air and far from any internet connection. Whatever the case, there remains two working days till that certain plane arrives, and 60 hours to while away. I’ve wasted a bit of it looking at old conference pictures; here’s a few from Kakeka 2004.

Taken at the Enters’; 15+ people crammed into Steve’s little room, perhaps after a game of soccer even... lovely :)

Chaperone’s activity; the cardboard boat contest. We were the Green Gators’, pretty much the second from the bottom. Does anyone remember who the "fastest sinker" award was given to? ;)

And finally, the group picture; note the pernicious mullets. I’d love to post more (of the first Kakeka, for instance, or last year’s conference), but time and bandwidth do not allow me too. Here’s to a great Campfire 2006!

And while we're on the subject...

2006-08-12T19:14:00.000-05:00

I never did like BigBird...

Nemo, found

2006-08-10T20:15:00.000-05:00

Oh, this is cute, wrong and fun all in one --couldn't resist :)

Academia Schmacademia

2006-08-09T20:52:00.000-05:00

A new academic year dawns, and I’m faced with the most daunting task university presents; e-paperwork, or more specifically, registrations. I have a theory; it doesn’t matter what your grades are, the amount of dedication you present, or the efforts you exert; discard it all, because colleges actually filter their students through massive amounts of bureaucratic anarchy. And on the other side of that mountain of verbosity sits a ghoulish dean, laughing and gloating...
Oh, don’t worry; this dark mood of mine will pass. But have a look at some of the course options proudly offered by McMaster:
WOMEN WRITERS
SPECTACULAR BODIES
THEORIES; GENDER&SEX
FEMINIST UTOPIAS
I’m noticing a theme... Oh yes! Sign me up, I’d love to be indoctrinated!!!

On the Homefront...

2006-07-25T21:51:00.000-05:00

Hmmm, so it's been a bit since I've last blogged. Well, it's been busy here; changes are on their way. A few pieces of recent news. My brother Matt has up and left for Mexico; on a mission trip, to be exact. You can follow their trip at http://eternallifemissionteam2006.blogspot.com.

My brother Jonathan, returned from Suriname (above Brazil) only last week. (Here he's being
served "green eggs and ham", as per his request :)

Our new car; 2002 Echo; it's cute, quick, but green in colour :( I spent a good hour or two cleaning the upholstery, while Dad shined the entire engine compartment. Is this a guy thing? So confused!

After a long day's work...

Mortified. (môrt'-te-fid') verb, past tense

2006-07-14T18:24:00.000-05:00

1. Working at the Windmill, one quickly becomes accustomed to drinking Tim Horton’s coffees brought in by customers. This morning was no exception; with my coffee in one hand, I was helping out a customer when I moved to the other side of the counter to point something out. Having a dry mouth, I took a swig of coffee, choked on the strong bitter stuff, and simultaneously realized that it was not my coffee at all! The customer chuckled even as he pocketed the replacement $1.30 I offered and proceeded to finish “my” coffee off...

Summertime in Dundas

2006-07-11T23:30:00.000-05:00

I haven't quite mastered Blogger's photo up-loading... this picture refuses to centre :S The Day Lily grows wild here; it covers meadows and forest floors. Simply beautiful; but, each flower only lasts a day.

Oops :P

2006-07-05T23:24:00.000-05:00

Hehe, I was headed to work today when I pulled up alongside my co-worker Paul. After a short through-the-window chat consisting of “why aren’t you at work right now”, I arrived at work slightly after him. Then, I had the pleasure of hearing his colourful description of the affair: “Yeah, I saw this old, beat-up white Tercel pull out of the parking lot... It was going slow, so slow that the truck behind it had to slow waaayyy down, and I thought, ‘There goes some shaky old eighty-year-old-woman who’s liscense should be...’ Then I pulled up alongside the car and it was Ruth!” Eighty-year-old woman indeed!

Happy Independence Day, All You Americaneers!

2006-07-04T22:41:00.000-05:00

Photo credits to my sister Laurie, and the darling little model is my neice Holly. Oh, and not to forget my own vibrant patriotism... Happy Canada Day too :P

Quotables From This Past Week...

2006-06-26T22:49:00.000-05:00

Said by one team-mate to another, “You’re so good, you should be in the NHL of... er, soccer!” And shortly later, “Yay, we got a goal! Oh, wait, did we switch sides at half?”
In a rousing game of Balderdash, “Genio-phobia: the fear that if your parents didn’t have kids, you won’t either.” Genio-phobia actually means, “fear of chins.”
“Religion, like personal problems, should be left at home.” This was the attempt of my prospective employer to emphasize proffesionalism. Hardly an effective metaphore!
A co-worker of mine told me of an incident at Niagara Falls; while he was sitting awe-struck by its massive beauty, a man ambled over and began, “my Father made this...” (the picture is of Webster's Falls, Dundas... also applicable.)

Things Always Begin Small and Insignificantly

2006-06-21T23:33:00.000-05:00

Well, I’ve done it. I’ve said a thousand times I wouldn’t, and yet here I am... this madness can be only attributable to the late hour. Is insanity incurable? That remains to be discovered. Nonetheless, welcome to my blog; it seems to be the place to share photos, information and the like. I do hope you enjoy it!