Growing up can be fun

Yesterday was a very important day for my family. My youngest sister, Rebecca, turned eight and recieved her first communion. On the same day. A little chaotic for our family, but boy, the celebration was well worth it.

I couldn't help but think of a mini-bride when I saw Becky walk out in her dress and veil. I have often found myself comparing first communion to a wedding day. I told Becky that she was getting married the day she recieved Jesus into her body- so why not dress like it?

Lizzy, Becky, Stephanie and me. Doesn't Rebecca just look

like a little bride? Jesus is waiting for us at the alter, not only

on the "wedding day" (first communion) but every day.

Becky was the last of the Andersen clan to have this special day. All of us older kids were feeling awful nostalgic, thinking about how our own days of recieving the sacraments. I know this is wrapping up the childhood days- Rebecca is youngest. Pretty soon all the toys will be cleared out, and she'll be more concerned about her hair and clothing than playing with dolls. Mom and Dad only have a few years left with kids at home- Two more will be out by the end of this summer, and I'm starting college in the fall. Wow. My house will seem pretty empty soon.

Thankfully for us, we have close friends/relatives who have younger kids. The Andersen household may not have anymore little ones running around, but I know some folks who do. And they sure wouldn't mind my inviting myself over to play with their kids.

For example, my cousin April's twins (whom I talked about in my last post) are going to be growing up and causing trouble. Those girls are so cute and cuddly, it just makes your heart melt. The Andersen girls are always ready to speed over to the Burris house in time of need and take care of the cutey twins. In fact, just this morning, my mom, sisters and I watched the two babies so the Burris family could go to the oldest daughter's first communion. It was great fun... and great exercise. Sometimes it takes quite a bit of bouncing (or dancing) to make them happy!

Me (holding Hope) and Lizzy (holding Clare).

Today we fed, burped, changed diapers, bounced,

and soothed tears. Good preparation for motherhood

if you ask me!

A good friend of mine once said, "Childhood was great, but I can't imagine that it was greater than being a teenager." What strikes me in his statement is that our lives should just get better and better as we get older. God calls us to move forward in our lives, whether we like it or not. So even though I feel nostalgic about getting older and becoming an adult, I realize that God is calling me to new adventures in my life. Adventures like ministering to my twin baby cousins, who will grow into young women of God by example. Adventures like loving my siblings where they're at without judging them, even if they make mistakes on their journeys. Adventures like being a friend to the hurting and suffering who need help and comfort.

As I look at my list of adventures, I realize I am already living it. Jesus has already started my ministry. He has equipped me. He has called me. And He's waiting to call me deeper into His Heart. I'm ready to look ahead to the future with excitement.

"There are far, far better things ahead, than any we leave behind." CS Lewis

More than roses

Two weeks until prom! It sounds dumb coming from a homeschooler, I know. And no, I am not having prom in my living room. Every year, the homeschool group in Tricities puts on a Prom for the teens.

This will be my third year attending the spring dance, but it won't feel as fun this time. The past two years, my friend Gabbie and I have danced our socks off together. But this year, Gabbie is moving to Idaho, and she will be busy that night with something else. Even worse, the night of the dance is the night before she leaves. I was super bummed, but Gabbie encouraged me to go to the dance without her because I had already made previous commitments to go. I will miss Gabbie's beautiful face, but I think everything’s going to work out. At least I hope so!

                                         Homeschool Prom 2012
                   Top (l to r): James, Gabbie, Lizzy M, me, Lizzy A, Danny, Noah
                   Bottom (l to r): Zach, Joe, Rachel
                   (there were probably at least 100 more teens at the dance, including
                    several other friends who, sadly, weren't in the picture)

High school prom can be the best time of your life. Or the worst. Some people look back on high school dances and recall the wonderful memories with friends, smiling at the cute dress and shoe choices. Others look at photos and shudder, exclaiming how "I can't believe I did my hair like that" or wondering "Why did I go with that guy I didn't even like?"

Fortunately for me, I've never had to deal with "going with guys I don't like" because, frankly, most homeschoolers in Tricities won't date. Not even for prom. Rather, a group of guys and girls will usually meet for dinner beforehand, then head over to the dance.

Even though no one "officially" takes a date to the prom, it doesn't mean there aren't some of those who single out the person they like... You know the type. They aren't allowed to date, so they go in a group and then spend excessive amounts of time together. Sometimes you just want to shout, "Just sit at your own table, you lovebirds!" But these people are your friends, so you don't ;)

Yes, I admit it. I make fun of twitterpated people, as you can see from my last post. I get the biggest kick out of googley-eyed, drooling couples. People in love are so oblivious. Why not make the most of their absent-mindedness? Needless to say, my friends and siblings put up with a lot of teasing from me.

Philip tells me he can't wait until I get a boyfriend. I smugly assure him that I'll never act so head-over-heels as him and Steph do. But they both just laugh at me and tell me one day, I'll understand. Then they can get back at me for all the times I posted cheesy pictures of them on my blog.

Oh, I get my share of teasing too. But no one ever knows if they've got it right... I'm very reserved about my feelings, so nobody can tease me too bad because they can never figure out what's going through my head.

It's all funny now, but what about when it's actually time to get serious? When I open myself up to being in a relationship, it's not going to be a joke. When I fall in love for the first time, I think I will be scared to death. And I don't want people poking fun at that.

But so far, I haven't met that special someone, even though I've been prodded to "go get a boyfriend", and specifically told "a great place to find guys is at the mall". It used to bother me to spend Valentine's day, proms and dances without a guy. But I would rather be alone than do the dumb dating thing. When I give my heart away, it's going to be for real. And my love is going to last way after the prom.

A great example to me of true love is my cousin April and her husband Jon. April just had twins five months ago. The couple spent weeks in the hospital because the girls were a month premature. In the middle of the night, April gets up to feed and soothe whenever they cry. Jon helps as much as he can until he goes to work and then when he comes home after work.Those two feed, change, bounce, and cuddle those girls without relenting. Throughout the exhaustion and frustration of parenting, the love radiating through them is unbelievable. April homeschools her three other children and manages the whole household, while still comforting kindly and keeping all the kids in line. That kind of sacrifice radiates true love.

When you sign up for marriage it is NOT bubbles and dandelions. It's planning a wedding with dramatic extended family. It's raising children together- snot, diapers, tears, late nights. It's intimacy, trust, going through trials together. Real love is not neat and tidy. But it's rewarding.

That's why I won't have any high school dating, not even for the prom. Because the boys my age are not capable of the kind of love I'm looking for in a relationship. And it's unrealistic to expect it from them, especially at such a young age. So until us teens are at a maturity that we can understand true love, I don't think it's wise to enter into a relationship. Because I believe love is more than roses.

Love is dying on a Cross.

"He could give me diamonds, but You're the treasure that I seek. He could whisper sweet nothings, but You're the voice in my dreams. He could sing me a song, but You're the melody. He could give me a home, but You're my safety. He could give me roses, but You're the earth, the rain, the Son. He could kiss me softly, but You're the maker of Love. He could give me his heart, but You're the beat in mine. He could lay down beside me, but You laid down You're life. Nothing compares to You." 

Danielle Rose

First trip to Lynden!

Today wrapped up a four day expedition across the state to visit a tiny little town most of the world doesn't even know about: Lynden, Washington. What could possibly bring me to the countryside to spend my weekend? Philip Vander Veen. My sister's fiance.

If you are a mathmatician who understands the Law of Syllogism, or perhaps just a bright person in general, you would put two and two together. Philip lives in Lynden. Stephanie is marrying Philip. Therefore, Stephanie will live in Lynden. I hope I didn't make anyone feel stupid, but hey, who remembers high school material anyways?

Stephanie has been with Philip for a year, and for some reason, I have never had enough time to make a trip to visit her future home. Most often, my schedule was so jammed, there was no way I could fit an out of town trip on my agenda. As much as I wanted to experience the small town wonders, one thing after another prevented me from coming to Lynden.

Around ten on Friday morning, Stephanie randomly asked me, "Do you want to come to Lynden with me this weekend?" Rather stunned, I realized that this was the only weekend before her bridal shower in May that I was available. I had nothing planned, which is practically unheard of. And of course I consented, kind-of in shock. It was a miracle if you ask me.

What is even more of a miracle is how I got ready in time- I had an hour and a half before departure, and no clean clothes. Somehow I managed to wash and dry a load of laundry, pack (some of my clothes a little wet), shower, do my hair (still wet), make-up, and prepare mentally. The place I had heard so much about would finally become a reality for me.

We drove away a little after twelve. While it should've only taken five hours, we hit some traffic coming out of Seattle, which really set us behind. If only my bladder would've behaved, maybe we would've made better time. I think it's hilarious how we always buy a coffee on the way out of town. That's just asking for trouble. I can't complain, though. Sometimes it's a wonder how sisters never run out of things to talk about!

We arrived in Lynden around dinner time. We passed beautiful country side before we entered the historic downtown area. My first thought was "Whoa... I didn't realize it was going to be this small." But I found out later there was a whole section of town we hadn't passed through. I didn't know it at the time, but by the end of the week, I would be in love with Lynden. When we got to the house, we greeted Philip and immediatly headed out to pick up some pizza and a movie. It was so relaxing. And Philip was so kind as to give up his house so we could stay there. Unfortunately, I was always too tired to take advantage of the empty house by having late night "girl" talks. I think we got enough girl talk on the way over ;)

Saturday, Philip made us a delicious breakfast, then we set out to explore.

There was one place in particular that I absolutely wanted to go: John Deere. I've never particually thought of myself as the farming type, but something about those green tractors is mesmerizing. Even though it was hailing, I got a picture up on one of the tractors. OH, if only I could've driven that thing!

My beautiful green tractor

Me and Steph

The best souviner I ever got- John Deere sweatshirt. Philip has one that he wears around the house, and I found a matching one in the store that I LOVE. He, being the sweetheart he is, bought it for me. We had quite a fun time inside that store- trying stuff on and looking through all the merchendise.

Bringing some of my city side into the country- making John Deere a fashion trend.

After we went to Tractor Heaven, we stopped by Woods Coffee, which is basically the equivalent of  Dutch Bro's in the Tricities. Great smoothies. Then we went to Foxxy Brown's Consignment and I got some cute stuff. Gotta love shopping.

After lunch, Philip and Steph took me to a (mostly) unoccupied parking lot to teach me how to drive a stick. Rather stressful for me, but they were both super chill about it, always encouraging me when I killed the car or accidentally revved the engine. I just told them I was preparing them for teaching their own kids one day. Hopefully, they will all be as good of drivers as me ;) JUST kidding.

Hanging out at Philip's house (did you notice my John Deere sweatshirt?!?)

Afterwords, we grabbed some ice cream and went to Philip's parents house, where I recieved a tour of the barn and got to see all the farmland. After some games of ten-to-one, we all headed back to the house for burgers. Later that night, we watched some Mr. Bean episodes and laughed really hard. Oh man, that guy is funny.

Sunday, after Mass, Philip and Steph took me to Bellingham Bay, which is where the Puget Sound meets the ocean. We had a nice walk, even though it kind-of smelled like fish. Figures.

Hanging out at Bellingham Bay

For lunch, we went out to the Nuthouse, which is a resteraunt where you throw your peanut shells on the ground for the waitresses to walk on. I have to admit, I was a little mischevious- there were a few times I threw my peanut shells a little too close to the people in the booths. But what the heck- I was using a full windup ;)

One of the messiest sandwiches EVER at the Nuthouse :)

Later that night, Philip's parents picked me up and we went over to Philip's sister's house. Their family has a daughter my age, so we ate dinner and hung out. I had a great time, as I love spending time with my new family!

Philip and Steph at this point were on their one-year anniversary date (can you believe it?!? One year ago they met!). So by the time I got back, it was pretty late. Nevertheless, we watched more Mr. Bean, and soaked up our last night together before we had to head home.

This morning, I was sad to leave. Lynden is the one of the greatest places I've ever been. My experience was phenomenal, and I would not hesitate to go back. In fact, I can't wait. I'm excited that my sister will be living there, so I can visit often. But more importantly, I am excited about who she'll be living with. Philip is such an amazing and kind, funny and gentle person. And I know that if they live in Lynden or Timbuktu, he will take good care of my Stephanie. And yes, sometimes I make fun of them for kissing in front of me or for the twitterpated way they look sometimes. But I truly think their love is beautiful.

Steph and Philip's "twitterpated" looks ;) Look at those cheesy grins!

The gracious and welcoming people I love made my first experience in Lynden wonderful. And I can't wait to go back and make more memories with the Vander Veen families. Although they may not legally be my family, they will always be my family in my heart.

“Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” Anne of Green Gables

*Special thanks to Stephanie and Philip, Fred and Anne, Paula and Erik, Claire and all the other kids- Thank you for making me feel welcome in your homes and excited to come back again.

No Greater Love

"Greater love has no man than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

John 15:13

 After hearing a comment in one of my classes about protecting women, I started thinking. How many men do I know would actually lay down their life to protect a woman?

In a culture full of feminism and women’s rights, it’s difficult to receive protection and help from a man. It seems as though women are striving to prove they can “do it themselves” without seeking help from others. As Susan B. Anthony once said: "Woman must not depend on the protection of men, but must be taught to protect herself." I don't think that's very fair. But even so, I’ve noticed men are more frequently stepping back and letting the women take over and have at it. I understand why: I for one wouldn’t want to get in the way of a woman on a mission!

I can't say I'm completely blameless on this matter, though. For years, I have been in denial about needing a man's protection. Growing up, I didn’t want to face the fact that I was weak. My mentality was “Only the strong survive.” If I allowed myself to be protected by a man, then I would be putting my vulnerability out in the open. And that was NOT something I was willing to do with my family situation.

Listening to my classmate speak about the men in his household hit me like a smack in the face. Didn’t see that one coming. Kind of like, say, an emotional airbag.

What he said wasn't profound, really. But it had an impact. I just about fell out of my chair when I heard him talk about protecting his mom and sister. That's not something I hear very often. In most cases, the daughters and wives need protection from the brothers and fathers. But here was a guy who was taught from a young age to risk everything to protect the women in his family.

I don’t doubt the guys I know would protect me physically, but there are few males who I could imagine protecting my dignity. Our culture is so saturated with naughtiness that it seems nearly impossible to be protected from it.

I remember going to the fair one night with a group of girls a few years ago. There was one guy with us. After the rodeo, a drunk man approached us and tried to socialize. Before I had time to be nervous, the guy with us quickly ended the conversation and herded all of us girls to safety. We all laugh about it now, but I’ve never been as grateful for his actions as I am today. Because now I realize the importance of letting myself be protected.

As I’ve thought about it, I realize I DO have men in my life who will protect me, no matter what the cost. I feel so blessed to have brothers, cousins, doctors, and friends (like the guy at the fair) who will defend me and show me that I am valued enough to be protected.

Most importantly, I realize that God’s protective hand is always on me. I’ve looked back on some areas of my life, and shudder at what could’ve happened if Jesus hadn’t been with me. I’ve found myself in some scary and potentially dangerous situations, but He is always beside me.

He's ready to fight for me.
 

Hey everybody!

Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog!
Before I go straight into heartfelt discussions or sharing silly mishaps, I'd love to explain my blog name.

At the 2012 CHM Women's conference in Florida, they played a song which is now one of my favorite worship songs. The song describes how unconditional God's love is, how nothing could ever separate us from His strong Love (the song is called "Strong Love", ironically :-)

This song reminds me every time I hear it that God's love for me is real and tangible and will last forever. One line in particular states: "Your love is written on my heart and there is not a flood that can quench this love." His love IS written on my heart, which gives me the ability to love unconditionally even when I would rather make a snide sarcastic comment or blow a fuse at an annoying person.

"Strong Love" reminds me that I have no excuse to store hatred and unforgivness in my heart. Freely I have received love, so freely I must give love.

Hopefully, hisloveiswrittenonmyheart will remind me and all you readers every day of the wonderful love Jesus has for us, the love we are called to share with the world.

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.