Month: April 2012

Six years of brilliance….

Tonight I am writing Isaiah’s birthday blog while the rest of my family is partying in 6-year-old fashion. They just completed bowling and I hope to Skype in for the gifts. I have opted not to share the flu bug as one of his gifts.

Isaiah has really come into himself this year. He is less shy and more true to his likes and dislikes. He is blunt and matter of fact in sharing his knowledge and very sensitive when it comes to being aware of others and their needs. He has a mind that never quits and is very interested in the hows and whys of life. He is a great conversationalist and enjoys one on one time. But being a bit of an introvert, he also likes to have his alone time.

Isaiah has a best friend who lights up his world. Josiah and Isaiah love to talk about animal facts and are respectful peers who marvel in each other’s knowledge!

Isaiah is a younger brother and younger cousin, but still will hang with Peter and Jean Marc any chance he gets. He has recently shared that it is hard work to be the younger brother because he has to run for the basketball and work hard to keep up, but even in his matter of fact reports, there is no resentment held.

Isaiah has earned a much more loved and respected spot this year in the mind of his little sister. Isaiah speaks to her kindly (most of the time) and to see them playing together is very sweet. I am impressed with how this six-year-old can adjust to the different relationships in his life. He is a connector in his own way and has recently really taken to running my Iphone music in my car and picking the songs to sing and assisting Johanna in selecting hers.

Isaiah’s goofy ways always bring a smile, his concerns for those struggling with health issues is always touching, his brilliance makes us shake our heads and his ability to read is impressive. We have recently nicknamed him Webster as he is into creating definitions. His favorite is what is a natural gas that escapes from the rear end and has a very strong smell? It is repeated with a smile on his face and a gleam in his eye.

Isaiah is persistent in shooting hoops into the garbage can since he is too short yet for the hoops, learning baseball facts or tackling something that interests him. He is a tiger fan, football fan, basketball fan, knowing team names, players and scores of games.

At this season in his life Isaiah loves to learn. I hope he is happy with his animal encyclopedias, National Geographic for kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Zoo Books Animal Anatomy, Bear Poop candy, bright orange Crocs, new guinea pig and a few other things. It must be fun to be six and I am sure this six-year-old will do six well!

I love you Isaiah Edward and look forward to your sixth year. I hope we can shoot lots of hoops, sing lots of songs,  swim lots in the pool, count the many teeth that will come out, laugh and make up definitions. I look forward to you teaching me about animals and sports. And I will always cherish the times we visit with those you love who will struggle with illness. You have a heart of  gold and  a sharp mind. You will bring joy to many people. Have fun being 6!

 

The mystery of life….

Today I feel keenly aware of the mystery of life…

It started when I awoke to these words this morning….

Gerrit Jon Baas

January 20, 2001 – April 18,2012

I used to babysit Gerrit’s mom and now many years later, I have followed Gerrit’s story since October of 2010.

Their story is marked by many highs and lows….

Perhaps this picture will communicate some of the amazing bond this family shared:

They have walked the journey of brain cancer with incredible faith, true adventure, gripping honesty and much love!

And now, while trusting in God’s sovereign plan, they continue to wake up every morning and go to bed every night, deeply missing their amazing son and brother.

I realize that my day-to-day life feels complicated sometimes by trivial things. They don’t feel trivial in the moment they are occurring, but Gerrit;s story has taught me to remember what is important. I want to live like Gerrit did: full of joy and courage, walking through the difficult days with perseverance, and a commitment to live life fully!

Life is a mystery and I believe in God’s sovereign plan….for the Baas family and in my own life as well!

 

 

Spring sights and smells….

I wonder if you have noticed the smells of spring, even in the cooler weather….

I wonder if you have heard the wind, the rain, felt the warmth of the sun, seen the beautiful sun rise and sun set on these spring days…

Tonight I realized that soon these days will be gone and the summer season will be upon us. There will be different sights and smells to delight in with summer….

But tonight I am marveling at two pictures I have from this week. Both seem to fully embody Spring!

I wish the smell of the lilac’s could come with this post….but I have not yet seen scratch and sniffs for blog posts! 🙂

And then as I was coming home for lunch the other day, I walked right up to my tree and snapped this picture. I think it may become one of my favorites.

I hope you are taking time to marvel at the smells, sounds and sights of spring….

I hope you are marveling at the beauty of nature, at the miracle of creation and at the presence of God….

Breathe deep and enjoy the smells, open your eyes and find the many hidden wonders and allow your senses to fully delight!

 

 

Never stop skipping….

Sometimes I am surprised what thought is resonating in my mind from the day as the day comes to a close.

Tonight, the thought I can’t seem to shake is never stop skipping. 

It crossed my mind today as I was trying to find the lightness in step and skip across the gym floor during my workout…

I was trying to figure out if my body had lost its lightness and wouldn’t skip or if it was a mind battle.

I believe that the struggle to skip is a combination of my mind and body. The beautiful thing is I can do something about both of them.

I am choosing to remember the lightness of skipping and to change the negative thoughts that I pop up instantly when my trainer Abby says, time to skip…

I am working to lose my extra weight and increase the bounce in my step, both when I walk and when I skip!

I invite you to start skipping again. It is something I plan to start and never stop.

The beauty of a wind chime….

I had a great weekend in Denver Colorado this past weekend.

But I must be honest, there was a full range of emotion experienced, including sadness and sorrow!

I often try to imagine the pain of losing one of my sisters and I can’t quite imagine the ache that must stay deep in one’s heart. This is an ache my Mom and her siblings know all too well.

I can not imagine the reality of losing my Mom or Dad, and yet my cousins have already had to say good-bye to both their parent.s

And so, a part of our visit to Denver was to ensure we took time to remember Aunt Sim and Uncle Ben.

As we got out of the car, I was struck by the silence. We were the only ones in this section of the cemetery. I had just heard the story of how Uncle Ben carefully selected this spot when Aunt Sim died. One thing he really liked, was the wind chime tower.

And so, as we stood in the silence, I noticed how clearly I could hear the gentle sounds of the wind chimes. As our tears fell, I found comfort in the depth and spontaneous rhythm that quietly filled a very large void.

I wonder if you have a memory you associate with wind chimes. I must say that my love for the wind chime grew deep roots this past weekend. Uncle Ben was a very thoughtful and creative man. I am touched by his selection of where to entrust his wife’s body to the ground. This weekend we talked about the irony that in some sense, it matters not where we call our final resting place, and yet, there is some comfort when the place chosen reflects something peaceful. I believe Uncle Ben selected this spot for Aunt Sim with much thought and consideration. If he was standing there with us, I would have said, well done Uncle Ben. And I especially love the wind chimes!

 

 

 

 

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig…

Home again….

I ran into a friend the other day who said I travel more than anyone she knows….

I smiled and agreed that my traveling seems more frequent in the last year. I consider myself very fortunate to have many people to go visit!

Home from Denver tonight and I have much to write about….but it will wait till tomorrow since I have a full day tomorrow and it is late yet again!

One image I took home from Denver is the number of homeless people I saw on the sidewalks. I know that homelessness is real everywhere. When I see the people holding the signs, I wonder if begging is their only option? I wonder what their stories are…..

But tonight as I come home and settle into my comfortable space, I am saying an extra prayer for the homeless….

But tonight as I come home and hear the rain and see the lightning, I am saying an extra prayer for the homeless…

But tonight as I come home and feel the comfort of my bed and pillow, I am saying an extra prayer for the homeless…

And as I marvel at home again, I am asking God to show me where I can change to support those who are homeless…

I am not sure what that will look like or where or how I can make a difference, but I am grateful to be home and pray I never take that for granted!

Enjoy your homes and ask God to increase your concern (and willingness to be involved)  for the homeless…

 

 

A day without a plan…

I am traveling with my Mom and my Aunt and we came to Denver to surprise my cousin at her CD release party tonight. So, we woke up in Denver this morning, flying under the radar, and without much of a plan. After meeting our family friends for breakfast, we headed for a drive. We found beautiful scenery and had a fun time navigating our drive to no where.

I did comment more than once on the beauty that surrounds the land of Denver. 

And on our way back we stopped at 1300 Ogden, the home where my Aunt Sim and Uncle Ben used to live. Aunt Sim died at a young age 15 years ago and Uncle Ben about five years ago. Tomorrow night I hope to blog about that, so I will share my stories for later, but it was a true gift and adventure to stop there today.

After a few hours of fun swimming, playing scrabble and enjoying a deli dinner in our hotel room, we headed out for the 9pm CD release party of the Duke Street Kings. 

It was a night of great enjoyment which started with the true  surprise of our presence, pure joy in listening to Tica sing, laughter and fun in being at the bar with my Mom and Aunt until midnight and being present for an event that would have made my Uncle Ben and Aunt Sim so proud.

And now, as it is pushing 2 am in Denver, I can say, this day that started with out a plan has ended as one that will be unforgettable. I am amazed how sometimes it is best to let the day unfold. Living free and spontaneous today created a day of true wonder and delight. Tomorrow will begin with breakfast and end with a plane ride home….what happens in between, remains unplanned for now!

An old friend….

Tonight I only have a moment and so I am going to keep this blog very short. I am just back from having dinner with a dear old friend. It has been more than ten years since we have seen one another. We talked about so much and honest and delightful conversation was abundant. I have pictures I would like to share, but tonight my camera is not cooperating with my computer.

I want to encourage you to consider if there is an old friend you would like to reconnect with. Consider making a call or sending an email this weekend and inviting a conversation to begin. In this friendship the busyness of life and the physical distance between us prohibited reconnecting. I am curious what has kept you and your old friend apart….

I am calling it a day and am so thankful that my heart is full….

 

 

Waiting Expectantly…

Tonight I was leaving my house and my two young friends across the street were sitting at the edge of the driveway on wooden stools. I wish I had stopped to take a picture, but at that moment, I did not realize our conversation would impact my heart!

It went like this….

N: Hi Miss Trish, where is Dutch

Me: Dutch is at her friend’s house for the weekend.

N: She is so lucky she gets to have a sleep over.

Me: Dutch is really lucky. And how are you tonight N? It looks like you are waiting for something…

N: We are waiting, we are waiting for the ice cream truck.

Me: Really, even when it’s this cold the ice cream truck comes?

N: I don’t know for sure if it will come, but I sure hope so….

And I drove away with my heated seats on and windows up, seeing in my mirror two very happy girls waiting expectantly, money in hand, for the ice cream truck!

I began to think about what I am waiting for and if I position myself with such great expectation.

I love the picture embedded in my memory…

I love the hope, the anticipation, the preparedness and the way they brought a seat to wait on….there was no question that they knew they would be waiting!

I want to wait with great expectation, ready and hopeful and willing to wait…. believing that when the music sounds, the results of my waiting will be beautifully sweet!

I wonder what you are waiting on tonight….

I invite you to join me in following the lead of a child…and wait expectantly and with a joyful heart!

25 years ago….

I was a senior at Holland Christian High School….

I am now on the planning committee for our 25 year High School reunion….

Life had its joys and complications then….

Life has different joys and complications now….

So much has transpired and even though we spent many many days together over many years, we are now different people.

I am looking forward to reconnecting with the people who I went to High School with….

I know we are all in our 40’s but somehow when I knew people who were going to their 25 year reunion, they seemed much older.

I am curious about how the weekend will go. This Holland Christian reunion is not just an evening, we are planning a whole weekend together. I look forward to the different conversations that will unfold over the weekend. From the White Caps to a golf outing, from a dinner to a Worship service….

I am thankful for the journey….I am thankful for the people I have met on the journey…I am thankful for the opportunity to reconnect and marvel at how time really does mature High School seniors to very interesting adults!