Family Photo

My brother and sister-in-law from Krasnoyarsk, Siberia are here for a two-week visit. This past Wednesday my sister and brother-in-law and their two youngest kids came up and we had a great day together in Holland.

Meditations on a Summer Afternoon

It’s been several weeks since I’ve updated the blog - weeks filled with finishing things up from the school year and beginning my summer “to do” list. Who said summer was a time for relaxing?

The last two weeks have been spent on outside projects - power washing and staining/painting the deck and patio, weeding and thinning out the garden, planting flowers and laying out mulch. All very physical labor; quite different from my schoolwork. And my body can definitely tell the difference: I think every muscle aches. But I found working outside gave me time to think and reflect on God’s work in my life.

Power Washing

Power washing a deck is slow, tedious work. You need to pay constant attention to the hose, making sure to hold it close enough to spray the dirt off but far enough to keep from damaging the wood. My tendency is to rush through, spraying quite rapidly back and forth. I found, however, that when I rushed I ended up missing quite a bit of the dirt and had to go back over those areas again. And when I moved the hose closer to the deck to get at the dirt, little flecks of wood chipped off. Gradually I learned the best height and angle to hold the hose. As I spent most of the afternoon cleaning the deck (yes, it was quite dirty), I was thrilled to see the dirt slowly disappear and a sparkling clean deck emerge. Later I also power washed the deck furniture. I found a sharper stream of water worked better in this case in order to remove the dust and insects accumulated through the winter. This short blast was much quicker and required less patience but would not have worked on the deck. Power washing reminded me of the way God works in my life, “power washing” away my sinful habits and tendencies. He knows when I need a quick, sharp blast and when the slow but steady pressure and flow will work best to draw me closer to Him and away from sin. Although the pressure can be painful at times, it will cleanse me so I can sparkle for Him. This week I’ve been praying that God will pressure-wash me and make me more like Him.

“Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:2

Pruning

I have two rose bushes that thrive in the sunny backyard near the house. Thankfully they bloom year after year without much extra care from me, but I was amazed at how tall and spread out they were this spring. I realized I needed to prune them before they took over the entire garden. As I clipped branches and reshaped the bushes, a Bible verse came to mind:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2

Although I’ve heard these verses before (and even had my students memorize verse 5), they came alive in a new way as I looked at my freshly pruned rose bushes. Instead of looking wild and sprawling, they now are a highlight of the garden and I can’t wait to see the next group of blooms. And, along with power washing, I want God to continue pruning me, working in my life so I can bloom and bear fruit for Him.

Festival Grand Rapids

Since I spent most of Memorial Day weekend working on report cards, I decided to take advantage of today’s nice weather and spend a couple hours in Grand Rapids at the annual Festival of the Arts. I’m so glad I did.

Although there was a threat of rain (“liquid sunshine”) all day, the weather was actually beautiful - sunny and warm, but not too hot. It became cloudy later in the afternoon, providing a little relief from the sun. (And it actually rained back in Holland after I was home - hope the rain stayed away from GR.)

Festival is food, music, and art. The various smells of 20+ food booths permeate the air as you walk along the street. Although busy, the lines weren’t terribly long and it was difficult to choose. I love the food at Festival because there are always such a variety of ethnic dishes to sample. I went the Middle East route this time with a Lebanese shawarma and a falafil; both were delicious. I stuck to traditional American for dessert - nothing can beat a waffle cone with Mackinac Island Fudge and Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. It’s definitely summer time!

There’s a lot to see and do at Festival. I remember attending Festival each year as a child, beginning in either 1974 or 75. I loved the “Paint-In” and “Glue-In” kids’ activities, and I smiled this afternoon as I saw them - still here and filled with kids creating their masterpieces. Hmm, I think all my “masterpieces” must have ended up in the trash.

I also love the variety of music and dance available to see at Festival - all for free. This afternoon I enjoyed a dance performance, an acoustic band, Sam Stryke - jazz pianist, Edye Evans Hyde - a great vocalist, the River City Improv - so good, and the Schubert Male Chorus. Oh, as a bonus, there was also a skateboarding dog - not on the official entertainment schedule, but on the sidewalk near the Art Museum and entertaining people anyway. His owner would set the skateboard on the ground and the dog would run up to it, grab the edge in his teeth, and then hop on and ride down the sidewalk. He even pushed off the ground with one back leg when it slowed down! Maybe I should buy a skateboard for Tosca?

It was also fun to just sit and watch the people. As with the food, art, and entertainment, there are such a variety of people. I think of how different we all are, and yet we can come together in one place and simply enjoy the city and this event. What a fun afternoon.

A Lost Farewell

It’s now been over a week since the final episode of Lost was broadcast. Although I don’t watch much television, I have definitely become a Lost “fanatic” during the past six years, going as far as re-watching the season episodes during summer breaks and spending hours online reading various discussion boards. It truly was hard to see the show end, although I was very satisfied with the final episode. I felt it provided closure while also including enough of the show’s trademark ambiguity (and plenty of opportunity for tears!).

After spending much of last week watching interviews and reading reviews/discussion about the show (and yes, kind of “mourning” the end), I’m now ready to “let it go” and move on to real life again. But I’ve also tried to determine what it was exactly about Lost that made me enjoy it so much.

The primary reason Lost captured and kept my attention was the character development. The theme of the show revolved around a plane crash on a mysterious island and the lives of the crash survivors. During the first season we learned about the lives of these survivors before the crash (via flashbacks). Each character was featured in an episode, although we also found connections between characters in their lives before the crash (ex. one character owned the company that another character worked at). As each character became more developed, we learned of their flaws and their strengths. During the following seasons we saw these characters’ personal, and sometimes spiritual, growth. This strong character development (and superb writing) made the characters seem real and brought about a certain sympathy toward even some of the villain-type characters.

The other reason I loved Lost so much is because of its thought-provoking nature. The show dealt with broad themes, such as good vs. evil, faith vs. science, destiny vs. free will, redemption, love, and sacrifice. And later seasons even flirted with the idea of time travel, asking whether it’s possible to change the future. These types of deep philosophical questions are certainly not typical T.V. fare, but even more intriguing is the fact that the show didn’t present these issues as simply polar opposites. We were never really quite sure who the “good guys” and “bad guys” were; eventually we could see a little good and evil in everyone. I loved the tension between destiny (fate) versus free will discussions on the show, and I admire the writers for their willingness to speak of religion and faith. In fact, one major character changed from being a man of science at the beginning to become a man of faith by the end. I loved the way the show made me think about what I really believe about God and life and living together in community.

Lost also provided a sense of mystery with new questions to wonder about during each episode. In this sense the show was both entertaining and educational. As we learned more about the mysterious island that had special electromagnetic capabilities, we wondered about the others who lived there, the powerful smoke monster, and the many scientific hatches located on the island. The writers began hiding little clues in the episodes and also incorporated classic literature and names of noted philosophers and scientists. I read several of the books mentioned on the show and also researched some of these real-life people as well as ancient Egyptian life after several episodes.

But all good things eventually come to an end, and Lost has now ended. So I say a final farewell to Jack, Kate, Hurley, Sawyer, Ben, Claire, Rose and Bernard, as well as to Jin and Sun, Sayid, Charlie, Michael and Walt, and John. And a special farewell to good old Vincent, the dog who proved to be man’s best friend at the end.

Any show that features a dog has to be pretty good.

A Spring Sunday Afternoon

A beautiful light-blue sky with wisps of puffy white clouds ...

the chatter of birds mixed with the buzzing of distant cars ...

a gentle breeze rustling the growing leaves ...

a dog lying contented on the grass, watching for stray squirrels to wander by ...

the sunlight streaming from the sky ...

freshly planted impatiens adding vibrant pinks to the subtle shades of green in the garden ...

a feeling of peace and calm ...

the presence of God.

Blessings

"The Sun Will Always Float"

The title for this post comes from a poem by Kevin Kammeraad that appears in the children’s book The Tomato Collection. This is a great collection of poems, which my students enjoy reading each year, but my favorite is the poem about the reassurance that the sun will always be in the sky. The poem describes various occasions when we feel worried, sad, or scared, and each verse ends with the reminder that “the sun will always float.” It reminds me - and my students - that God is always in control and with us. You can read Kevin’s poem here.

Last week my second graders wrote their own verses for this poem, which we displayed in our hallway on colorful, sponge-painted “suns.” They did a beautiful job and I’d like to share them with you as a reminder that, no matter what your circumstances are, God is in control.

When I worry about scary movies, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m afraid of climbing high in a tree, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m sad because people are mean, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I worry about a school test, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m afraid of nightmares, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m sad because no one wants to play with me, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I worry about being stung by a jellyfish, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m afraid of thunder and lightning, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m sad because I hurt my friend, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I worry about kids teasing me, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m afraid of wars, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m sad because my friend goes to the hospital, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I worry about the world ending, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m sad because somebody hurts my feelings, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m sad because my sisters don’t want to play with me, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I worry about what’s going to happen, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m afraid of the dark, I remember, the sun will always float.

When I’m sad because no one wants to play with me, I remember, the sun will always float.

Communion

Communion is a sweet word. It evokes a sense of shared experience with others and the joy of celebration. When I have communion with someone, I participate in their life; we have an intimate connection with each other. I love the communion I have with my family and friends, but even more special is the communion we can have with God.

At church this morning we celebrated our communion with God by sharing bread and juice during the Lord’s Supper. This is always a special time for me, but occasionally I have the opportunity to serve the elements as a pastoral care elder. Each time I participate in this way I am so blessed.

In our church people come forward to receive the bread and juice. Elders and pastors stand together in pairs at the front of the sanctuary; one carries a platter containing small pieces of pita bread while the other holds a large wooden goblet filled with grape juice. As people come forward, they take a piece of bread and dip it into the juice and then eat it.

As I stood at the front of church this morning and watched the overflowing aisles, I was filled with a sense of joy for God’s love. I don’t know everyone’s name or the circumstances in their lives, but God does and He invited them all to come and participate - to have communion with Him (and each other). It was such a privilege to look directly at each person that came to me, touch his or her arm or shoulder, and give a personal message from God to them: “The blood of Christ was shed for you.” People reacted differently: some saying “Amen” or “Praise God” while others just nodded their affirmation. A few didn’t maintain eye contact and just looked down, and one woman looked like she was about to cry. People of all ages came forward and I wondered how God has worked in each of their lives. I felt a deep connection to each as I smiled at and spoke to them; I felt like a conduit, channeling God’s love to His people. It was a holy experience. Making it even more special was the fact that over 30 middle and high school students professed their faith this morning and enjoyed this special communion service for the first time.

I’m so thankful that God desires to have communion with us. The fact that he sent his son, Jesus, to die and pay the price for our salvation is amazing. That He wants to be intimately involved in our lives is comforting. And the way He uses the service of Communion to further develop communion between himself and other people is oh so sweet.