some people need to get a hobby...

I first want to clarify that I have absolutely nothing against the 'Scripps National Spelling Bee.' In fact I think it is incredible and I watch the finals every year on tv. Those 13 year olds are genious; I watch the whole three hours, mouth agape with wonder at the words they spell.
Psychologists feed on this: I was and never will be a good speller, to put it bluntly I suck at it. I was always the first kid to sit down while competing in Mrs. Summers' spelling bees and the first one to strike out in Spelling Baseball with Mr. Postma. Maybe that is why I am so fascinated...

But when I read this article titled ' Protest urges simpler English,' I actually laughed out loud.

A group of English women formed a picket line yesterday outside the Scripps National Spelling Bee, protesting today's English language. Get this, they are from England, which means that they had to fly ALL the way across the Atlantic ocean to run this protest!!

The reason that they protest is because they think that the English language that has been inflicted across the rest of the world has been made unnessarily difficult. They use slogans such as "It's time to take the sting out of spelling," and "Let's end the 'i' in friend".
Clever?

One lady declared, "If spelling was made easier, more people would become literate and confident about writing and children would have more time to learn many other useful things - and to play."

Wow, that is quite the cause.
Maybe I should rephrase my title... 'Some people need to get a NEW hobby."

road trip

A bunch of friends are lounging in a living room (no one's in particular) and the option of driving to who knows where, for who knows how long comes up. There is a pause and then one zellous friend jumps off the couch and yells, "ROAD TRIP!"

The others soon join in and soon the room is buzzing with excitement.

This is the typical reaction to the opportunity of a roadtrip. No one stops to think about the fact that they will be crammed in a car with people - it doesn't matter - it's all part of the adventure, the fun, and you love these people. Sweet.

My family is sitting in the playroom, my mom and dad look at eachother in anticipation, my mom stands up clears her throat and announces that we are going to Florida. My little brother jumps up and starts running around the house, Mike smiles and nods, and Erika and I squeal with excitement and start dreaming about Walt Disney world - just like in the commercials.

My dad clears his throat and adds, "We will be taking the van."

Jeremy stops running, Mike stops smiling, Erika stops dreaming, and well I am still dancing in the fields with John Smith because I wan't listening.

For my family, the idea of a road trip was never met with excitement, in fact even as a write this I am getting an sick feeling deep within my stomach. I'm sure in the early days, when we were naive and the only place we went in a car was to church and Grandpa's house, they didn't seem so bad, but then again I was strapped in a car seat and my brother in his booster seat.

I don't know what it is... my family loves eachother, we get along (most of the time), we are happy people, but stick us in a vechicle for longer then 15 minutes we turn into the extremely irritable family from Gloomsville. Needless to say, road trips with the VandenBerg's are usually memorable, but for all the wrong reasons...

I think I am going to attribute this lack of love to all the bad experiences we have had on the road together. When we were kids we didn't have the option of having a tv to entertain us for the ride, instead we used eacother, or in other words Mike bugged the jeebers out of me - poking, tickle torturing, teasing, pulling my braids, anything really to get a reaction. I think I would give a satisfactory reaction by crying, screaming, scratching and complaining. Every now and then my mom would look back and firmly tell Mike to stop harrassing his poor innocent little sister. My dad would drive on, silently brewing, until my last wail would make him snap and he would veer the van to a screeching halt, gravel flying, to the side of the road and refuse to drive on. From then on the ride would be pretty silent, except for Erika's oblivious chatter with her dolls.

And then of course there is the fact that when you are on a road trip your family must give you your MUCH needed space. Before every trip we would draw imaginary lines on the seats that no one or nothing that wasn't yours could not cross. The second your space was violated, Mom was informed. "Mom! Erika's hair is on my side!" My mom was inventive and she came up with the solution of rolling up blankets and placing them between us to ensure that we wouldn't touch eachother. But for some odd reason this would only seem to make invading someones space more tempting...

I think it would be important to note that my dad is one of those guys who will never stop and ask for directions if we are lost. He will also never admit we are lost. There have been times where we have added at leat 3 hours to a trip going the 'scenic route.' One classic time was when we were going camping and we missed one turnoff. We kept driving until eventually we were driving down this cow path while my dad was muttering how people should take better care of their roads. My mom finally convinced him to ask directions at the next place we went by, which ended up being a dump half an hour away. All we met there was a black bear... my dad decided to turn around.

If we were to ever write a book called 'Road Trips From Hell - VandenBerg edition,' the main plot would be concerning the epic Florida road trip. 2 days + four siblilngs + bordom + a blizzard + traffic jam = torture. At this time Jeremy was just begining to realise that it is every little brother's duty to annoy the stuffing out of his sisters. He would sing, he would burp, he would fart, he would punch - Mom and Dad thought it was cute, while we were driven crazy. I think there was a time where I spent a good two hours thinking of ways I could throw him out the window without Mom noticing.

Last summer, my family tried it again... this time to Boston, Darian Lake. You would think that since we have matured it would be a much better trip. Well, 'maturity' kinda melts away in 34 degree weather, no airconditioning, and being stuck at the border for 2 and a half hours. Although, there was a time where we all laughed until we cried, which broke the ice (if there was any ice to break). We had the sliding doors open while waiting at the border and when my little brother slammed one shut my dad jumped, swore, and hit his head on the top of the van because he thought we were getting shot at.

Honestly, the only thing that got us through the many times on the road was the promise that we would stop at a restaraunt. Road trips were the only reason that I encountered Fast Food in my childhood.

A road trip you say? Who cares that you will be crammed in a car with people, it doesn't matter, it's all part of the adventure, the fun, and you love these people. Sweet.

it's like medicine

It has been just one of those nights... and these things, it's like medicine.

a great song plays on the radio while driving home
apple blossoms
the smell of lilacs
Chester welcoming me home with a slobbery kiss
listening to Erika play piano
a word of advice and encouragement from my dad and mom
playing guitar
memories of little hugs and kisses
chocolate chip cookies
a cup of tea with honey
star gazing

this one's for you

Robo, I read this in the newspaper and thought of you.
It gave me a good snicker.

it is well with my soul

And the greatest commandment is this:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

If I were to choose one thing that I have realised this past year about my walk of faith, it would be this: learning the implications of loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

I’m not even going to try and pretend that I have found the answer for this lesson, because I don’t. I have just begun this journey, and this past year was a testament to my ignorance.

At Redeemer you find many people who know their Bible and doctrine inside out. They seem so strong, so set in their faith, so secure. They know what it is all about, they have the answers to the big questions – so it seems anyways – I was/am fascinated by this. I am going to be honest here, I took catechism, but I didn’t take it seriously. I would love to be able to tell you that I know exactly what being Reformed is all about, but I can’t. Not something I am proud of, I see doctrine as being vital within the church and I can’t even begin to express how important it is to know and stick to it. I have experienced the implications of this within my home church.
I felt guilty, so I spent so much time concentrating and learning the nitty gritties about our doctrine. This is where the answers lay. I was going to finally understand Christianity better than I had ever before.
I soon became extremely cynical of the Christian Reformed Church, I thought we were going to the pits. We were not putting enough emphasis on doctrine. I sat through services picking everything apart and in some sick way I built myself up as I tore my church down.
It took one comment from my dad to snap me out of it. It was a Sunday night and I was having the weekly phone chat with the family. I was telling my dad about how I was so annoyed at church because they didn’t read the baptismal liturgy before the baptism and how I thought the CRC doesn’t take the Lord’s Supper seriously enough, oh, and I probably threw in the comment ‘there shouldn’t be any images of Jesus.’ My dad took a pause after my rant… was quite for a bit and then said, “What happened to you? This is not the Katrina I know.’
Now, I’m not saying that doctrine and being knowledgeable about your faith is wrong. I’m just sending out a caution. Don’t pull a me and take it too far. Once you start to think that you have the answers you become extremely ignorant.

I was heading down a very dangerous path; I needed to stop. I knew I was doing this all wrong, learning to love God. Then it was like a light bulb went on, yes like the cartoons. What do you usually love with? Your heart! Well then, that is what I was missing. This should be a much easier route, for I tend to give my heart a pretty big leeway in my life as is. I was going to take this seriously, I was going to do it right this time, I even bought a book called ‘The Ransomed Heart.’ It told me that the heart is central and that it is a tragedy for anyone to loose touch with the life of their heart.
I agreed/I agree. But since the heart is so central to our faith, to our being, I honestly think that it is where Satan sends his strongest attack.
Maybe this is just for me, but I have found that there is a danger with putting an emphasis on loving God with all your heart. The heart gets muddled so quickly. It is not concrete, it can get overrun with emotions, disappointments, feelings, relationships etc. God’s speaks to the heart, but how are we supposed to hear His calming whisper above the storm going on within a sinful and unsettled heart?
Frustrating. I wish I could love God with my whole heart, I wish I had a ransomed heart, but this is so hard because it is so vulnerable.

Last Sunday I was struck by something beautiful, something profound. Yes, that’s right, profound… I almost ran out of the service to go start writing my book. Good thing I practiced patience and waited five days. Honestly, it isn’t that profound, Calvin probably beat me to it. It just seemed that way at the time because God knocked me over with it using a 2 by 4.
We were singing ‘When Peace Like A River’
When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot thou has taught me to say, It is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed His own blood for my soul.

My soul. Solid. You know what I realised? Even though all my life I will struggle with learning to love God, through my struggles and triumphs, my failings and frustrations, I can be confident of this: It is well with my soul. Once God has a hold on your soul it cannot be tampered with.
The guy who wrote this song, Horatio Gates Spafford, lost all of his children when their boat sank in the Atlantic Ocean. His mind probably could not fathom the reasoning, his heart was broken, his strength drained, and yet he could say, "It is well with my soul,"
Your inner being, you soul belongs to Him, nothing can replace that, salvation is yours, depend on it, and through it find peace.

I’m slowly learning this. I will most likely need to be hit hard numerous of times as a reminder. Learning to love God hurts, but there is peace among the pain; it’s His promise.

oh summer employment...

What was the very first job that you ever had?

Think back, think hard.

Well, there was this time when I was about 7 when my Aunt Grace would pay us a cent for every fly that we would kill in her house... that was kind of like a job, there were a 'whack' of flies (no pun intended).

No actually my very first job that I ever had was being a cat sitter. Though at the time I didn't really see the need. I thought all cats were supposed to be wild and free, catching mice in the barn and running away from human beings. A nice friendly cat who didn't scratch was foreign to me. And yet I cat sat for my grade three teacher Mrs. Luchies. Though the job was tough I did prevail and made a whole $3 for the week. (I made her a cross-stich of her cat for her birthday the next month - extra brownie points!)

What was the very first thing you ever spent your own money on?

Well, other than the 1 cent candies at the corner store, I used my hard earned money on a Nano... yes that's right a Nano. I was one of those kids. One Saturday I rode my super cycle to down town Winchester to buy one, except it wasn't one of the cool Nano's cause they didn't have those in stalk. It was a cheap version of one and it was a dog. Too bad I lost it the next week when it fell into the cracks of the couch, never to be seen again.

In lue of this let me make a toast to being employed, minimum wage being much more than we used to work for, and learning how to spend our money 'wisely.'

french, winks, musicals and more

Fact: at this very moment two guys that I know rather well are going nutso because the Canucks just scored.

Bonjour mes amis!
I know what you are thinking, "Who is she trying to impress us with her knowledge of French?"
If I did impress you, neat, but I am actually just trying to make up for my embarassment this morning in the grade one french class. You see, I am doing my placement hours this week and I am helping out with the grade 1/2 class. This morning during their French lesson I had 9 grade ones all chime in together, "Comment ca va?" And all I could come up with is "Oui." Last time I checked 'yes' is not a satisfactory answer to the question 'how are you?'
So needless to say I crossed off the option of teaching french. At least I got a little chuckles and smiles in response.

Other than that, I have been loving these past days at school. It makes me quite excited for the 'someday.' It has been kinda neat to go back to my old grade school and see it from a whole new perspective. Although it has kinda been a blow to some of my memories, everything is so much smaller than I remembered it and those intramural games at recess that I would live for - not as intense as I made them.

Have I ever told you that I love kids, cause I do. Is it wrong to have favourites, cause I do. It has only been two days, but it is so hard not to loose your heart to a little 6 year old boy who always looks back at you with big brown eyes and gives you a little wink and smile or the 7 year old girl with pigtails who raises her hand to tell you about how many kittens she has at home.

Kids are pretty funny. Today there was a girl in my class who 'hurt her foot.' Apparently, she hurt it during her sleep and woke up and it was sprained. So the whole day she 'limped' around. Why would they pretend to hurt their foot, its no fun! First they have to go through the trouble of limping, second they can't play any of the games, and third its just ridiculous! I remember pretending to be sick... but that's entirely different, I think.

Also this week, we have been practicing for the musical that they are putting on this Thursday called 'Rescue in the Night.' It is based on Daniel in the Lions Den. It has been a treat to watch them practice. They get better everyday, Thank Goodness! The first day you would think that they have never saw or used a microphone in their life. They were constantly screaming into them, tapping them, and putting them too close together so their was a nice big screeching noise.
Kids + Microphones = Splitting Headache
Actually Im giving it a bad rap, those kids are good, especially my little brother Jeremy. He makes a fantastic King Darius. Oh, and also the Kindergartens are the lions and there is the part when they get to eat the three advisors, they kind of get out of hand and actually attack them full tilt. I think its awesome. Also it is so precious to hear them sing out their hearts while wearing tye dye.

Alright then... this is getting a tad bit long, so I'll stop.
Although I do just want to say one more thing. "LETS GO RAPTORS, VC SUCKS!"

That's a wrap.