June 27, 2012

Lots of walking today...yippee! Almost 10,000 steps. Life is good.

Mom and I walked into Downham Market. We went to several Charity Shops today, which we call thrift shops. Some fun things, but nothing I couldn't live without. I did pick up a couple cards. We had a very nice day in town and, even though it's been overcast, it has not been cold. Shorts were the order of the day and we did actually see the sun at least twice! We were spent from the walk into town, but were saved from walking home by an appropriately timed text that allowed Ruth to pick us up on her way home.

I have decided that a simple lunch, bread, cheese, soup, is delicious when you are sharing it with loved ones. It has been really comfortable hanging out here and I really like the family time with Nico and Ruth. After lunch we headed into Ely. Ely has a cathedral that I saw many years ago, but it was undergoing rennovation. It was nice to see it without the scaffolding. The cost to enter felt a bit excessive, so we just walked around the lobby and the outside. There was a symbol created by and artist for over one of the entries. It is called, "The Road to Salvation" and I was completely enammored by the visual. It just captured my mind. I did get a photo of it along with a postcard. There were pieces of jewelry with the symbol and, while I found them stunning, I also know I won't wear them (they were mostly gold and I never change my earings). Maybe I can get the symbol on something that I would wear. In Ely is also Oliver Cromwell's house. It was closing time, so we didn't take the tour, but did see the house and take some photos. I never realized it was in the same town, but maybe I just didn't know who he was the last time I was there.

Ruth, Mom and I walked down to the river to get a cup of tea. While we were walking down, we saw a sign for a bike path. My mom was telling Ruth and I about these large (5 meter) bicycles in the Netherlands along a famous bike path. She had seen and photographed one of these bike sculptures when she was last in the Netherlands. Mom had recently heard the story on the Dutch news about someone stealing one of these bike sculptures and how the news said a few days later it had been returned. After a moment, Ruth asked what the rest of the story was.

Mom: "That's all I know. I don't know if they caught them."

Ruth: "You don't know who took it then?"

Mom:"No. They just took it at night and it got returned."

Ruth: "Your nephew Jans took it. There's a video. Your brother Jans was also on the video."

When we got home tonight we looked it up. There is a big 4 day bike ride in the province my mom grew up in and they took it for the event as a prank. They posted the video on YouTube (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Me2coXVUgB4) and then invited the other mayor over. The video in town takes place on the street my mom grew up on. My uncle is in these videos and my cousin is in the first one. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=XOKB_HzklhE) National News theft and my family was responsible.

We had a great dinner with Nico, Ruth, and Hannah. It was fun to try to explain the family to my 21 year old cousin. Last time I was here, she was 11, so it's fun to connect with her as an adult. My mom told lots of family stories and she was surprised by lots of the stories. It's good to connect.

June 26, 2012

Today was truly a vacation day for me...sleeping in late and hanging out with wonderful people.

We slept in and when we got up it was almost time for lunch. Ruth was already home from work and was working on lunch for us. Even a simple lunch is wonderful in a new location. We had bread rolls with "the best" chutney, meat, cheese, or a homemade spread create, prepared, and sold by Uncle Nico's students. Delicious enough, but for dessert we had fresh strawberries with double cream. Perfect.

After lunch we headed into Downham Market to exchange some money. The bank we went to had an ATM machine labeled "Hole in the Wall." Don't know if they are all called that, but I did find it funny. We actually ended up changing money at the local travel agency.

We headed out in the car for a drive and ended up at a place called Norfolk Lavender. This outdoor garden/lavender distillery had many products from the plant and lots of gardening items for sale. They were in the process of collecting every variety of lavender known. The small fields were beautiful and it smelled delicious. When we got there the police were there trying to catch a crook who was passing counterfeit bills and they were searching the place for his wallet, which they hadn't found yet. While we were there, they had to call an ambulance for a kid who was bit by a goat in the petting zoo part...it was a dangerous day!

We stopped in Burnham Market for a spot of tea and had a nice chat. It was warmer weather than they had had here for several weeks, but it was also a bit rainy and so we sat under the table umbrellas at the restaurant. This is the "vacation home" place for the English jet-set. Johnny Depp has a home there, along with several other TV/movie stars. It's just like being in LA, only not as warm, sunny, or pretentious.

For our last stop we went to Wells-next-the-Sea. There is a Dutch tall ship that got "stuck" there about 10 years ago. It was a beautiful ship that reminded me of the tall ships I used to sail on to Catalina with the kids. Because it was a Dutch ship, they served Dutch food, so in addition to a British hard cider, we had pannekoeken (Dutch crepe-like pancakes)! Mom went with cinnamon and apple, but I had spinach, cheese, and boiled egg! Life is good on the food front!

This evening, Mom gave Nico and Ruth a quilt she had made out of tea towels. Several of them were from England, but many were also from other countries they had visited, like Australia.

Travel: Past and Present meet

2012 is supposed to be the "end of the world" by the Myan calendar, so it is time to get some traveling in before the end. My mom is turning 70 this year and, at her request, she and I are traveling back to "the old country."

It's a return trip, so to speak: with my mom back to the Netherlands and England to see her brothers. She still has 2 brothers in NL and one in England. We are currently over the Atlantic on the way. There's also a rundown of numbers coming across that probably have some significance, if I went for that sort of thing, but are at least interesting:

70-the age my mom will be this year

60- the age my uncle Nico is turning this year

50-the number of years my Uncle Gerrit and Aunt Gre are married

30-the number of years Uncle Nico and Ruth are married

On January 1 of 2013, it will have been 50 years since my mom emigrated from the Netherlands. She traveled on New Year's Day because that was a day that her parent's store was closed. She landed in Detroit Airport and was picked up by Ben and Jerry (really), but they refused to stop for ice cream (not really). She had come through New York first. On that initial flight to New York, she was sitting next to a man from South Africa who spoke Afrikaans. He helped her fill out the paper work in English because he could translate from the Dutch. He then proposed to her saying that they really needed women in South Africa. She decided to take the plane to Detroit because her brother and brother-in-law were waiting for her. Good thing cell phones weren't an option for

changing plans;-)

Yesterday was a long travel day. I left LA and went through Minneapolis to Grand Rapids, MI. I was picked up by my mom and her sister, Alice. We passed through Kalamazoo to do some luggage exchange and then mom and I headed to Detroit for our flight. We got to our hotel at 1:45am and got a couple short hours of sleep before we took off this morning. This flight was via Chicago and we'll land in London Heathrow tonight to head to Uncle Nico's house.

We're now in Downham Market and planning on sleeping until we're done!

It's been a while...

It's been over a year since I've blogged or had a "proper" vacation.  It is time to remedy both.  School is almost out and then I am off on an adventure.  For those of you aware of my last 2 international trips, I'm hoping it's not THAT kind of adventure.

My mom and I are traveling back to the Netherlands to see her two of her brothers' families. We will also be going to England to see her youngest brother's family.  My mom will be 70 this year and it is a good time for us to travel together and celebrate her life and her-story.  I'm hoping for lovely and uneventful trip and that I come back looking better than my current passport picture!

I will also be in Michigan with my family and starting a one-year graduate fellowship program.  Traveling, learning, and meeting new people...it may be the PERFECT summer!

 

December 2010-Annual Reflection

‘Tis the season for reflection…

I try once a year to summarize what I’ve learned in my journey of life. Some years it’s exciting, some years it’s succinct, some years it’s a stepping stone to what is next. I don’t yet know what this year is, but it has

been a time of internal change and new relationships with others.

Consistency: Christmas’ past

Some things have mostly stayed the same. I still live in Pasaden

a in a wonderful and comfortable home. I am joined in that home by my adorable pug, named Xiao Nu, and on the property by my co-owners. We’ve now owned our home almost eight years…it doesn’t seem that I’m

old enough for that! Xiao Nu has lived there for most of those years. My co-owners and I still feel like there is more work to do on the place, but it is very livable and we a blessed to have it.

Travel was limited, but still in my life. I began the year snowed in in Pittsburgh, PA and Dallas, TX within 5 days of each other…both places

encountering record snowfalls hindering travel home from conferences. I managed to get out of PA in time to get to TX, but still ended up stuck thereL. I’ve had a couple weekends away, including a

road trip to Monterey, and managed a personal retreat weekend, but there were no big trips.

God continues to reaffirm my

call to teaching and leadership within my roles at my school. I’m continually amazed by how much you LEARN as a teacher. My biggest lesson this year involved letting this amazing group of students go and staying out of their way. I

have been able to point them in a direction and then they have often surpassed my goals for their learning.

Change: Christmas present

My job has changed over the

past year. Last year was the first year for the Peace & Justice Academy, a secondary school that I co-founded. Because of the small number of students, I kept a consulting job with the school district I has worked with. This summer, the consulting job came to an end and I transitioned into a full-time position at the Peace & Justice Academy. I need to emphasize the “time” part of that. I am now teaching full-time, administrating full-time, working on admissions full-time, etc…if I could get back to the point where I was also being paid “full-time” life would be great! It’s an amazing calling and the students are simply amazing. The feedback we’ve gotten has also been great. We’re spending lots of time just talking to folks about the school. Our goal this year is “friend-raising.” There are so many amazing people in southern California to connect with.

My connections have also changed this year. One big change is losing my long-time housemate, Clare, back to England. This has left a big hole in the household. I could really use a new person to take up that space…walking past an empty bedroom has been no fun! In addition, some long-time friends have moved out of the area. It’s been a time of reconfiguring my time and connections to many people, including long-time community and church friends.

The biggest change of the year is how I see myself. I’m happier and more secure in who I am as a person than I ever have been. I’ve had wonderful new friendships come into my life this year, both sought after and spontaneous. There have been new and exciting relationships that have helped me discover who I am in connection with others. I’ve learned that the more you risk in relationships, the more you might gain. I’ve also come to re-appreciate some long-time friends who have consistently, quietly, and steadfastly walked beside me in my recent journeys.

Creativity: Christmas’ to come

Looking ahead is both risky and exciting. The Peace & Justice Academy continues to be a place for learning for me. The new connections I’ve made, and continue to make, constantly remind me of God’s faithfulness and that my welcoming should mirror God’s welcoming.

As I look ahead I hope I keep finding new answers to some of these questions:

What happens when I throw my arms open wide to the world? Surprises happen, I encounter myself in others, and God has a new space to be creative.

What happens when I tear down rules and restrictions that help me feel safe in the idea of “us” and “them”? I become vulnerable, reshaped, and aware that I am “them” and they are me. I become newly aware of God’s grace and how much I’ve received and often hoarded it.

What happens when I align myself and identify myself as someone many people in my life want to see as “them”? I am sometimes broken and hurt, but I am also sometimes a conduit of God to the new relationships around me. I also become aware again that God is faithful.

In this time of Advent, waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises, I pray we are all willing to be in the world, vulnerable and as conduits of love, just like the baby born as a gift from God.

Merry Christmas,

Kimberly

An insignificant summary of an amazing year

New Year’s Eve 2009
An insignificant summary of an amazing year

“We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it—and stop there.” Mark Twain

What a milestone year! Sometimes there are 1 or 2 changes and/or events that capture the heart of the year, but this year I feel like there have been so many things that I’m hoping to follow Mark Twain’s advice and just stick to the wisdom that the year has contained and “stop there.”

Every 40 years in the life of Moses, God completely shifted his path to a new and prepared path. I feel like Moses this year. As I was aware of turning 40, the circumstances of my life shifted to a new and prepared path. As 2009 started, it was being made abundantly clear by God that the path to starting a new school was being both cleared and prepared by God. It was also clear that I would need to maintain some type of part-time work to support myself. There were several options that I thought would be good fits for me at my current school, but those kept falling through. It came down to either keeping my job full-time or quitting altogether. As I prayed with my community for some guidance, a third option appeared. I have a consulting position with the school district 2 days a week that is funded by a grant I helped prepare the year before! I work with 9th grade teachers at the 4 high schools integrating technology into their curriculum. It’s a perfect fit and has combined structure and flexibility to help me be present at the launching of this new school.

The summer months were filled with preparation to open the doors of the school in the fall. There was new paint, new lights, preparing classrooms, preparing space, and then waiting. Randy (my co-director) and I had done everything we could to “build” a school, but the waiting was for God to fill the school. We were ready to start with 1 student in each of the 2 grades we prepared to open, but God blessed us and our preparations by preparing the hearts of 9 families to participate in the new path. We opened the school supported in so many ways by Pasadena Mennonite Church and Urban Village!

On 9.9.09 at 9am, we opened the doors to the original 10 students of the Peace & Justice Academy, the first Mennonite school in California. In spite of trying to start with just 2 grades, we were blessed with 4 and have been enjoying the challenges of that. We have spent the fall learning new things together and preparing our community to receive new students in the coming years. This is where the wisdom will have to wait. I’m daily learning so much from the students, the families, the community, and those involved that I’m overflowing. Words are not sufficient for the emotions and amazement I have that God has allowed me to participate in this new work.

With all the change, it has been time for God to change me also. I feel like I know myself in new ways and am amazed by all that has happened in my life to prepare me for this next stage in my journey of life, both professionally and personally. I have an increase appreciation and love for Urban Village, the intentional community in which I live. They are amazing folks and I feel like we continue to grow and learn from each other in new ways! The joys and sorrows of that community have been very helpful in preparing me for the new roles I have in the world.

I could go on, but I think it’s time to “stop there.” This year will be one I look back on for many years as one where I had the choice of new and prepared paths that were graciously provided by God.

Blessings and love in the New Year!

Teaching the Kingdom Not the Culture

This was a sermon preached by me at Pasadena Mennnonite Church on April 19, 2009 for Mennonite Education Sunday based on Acts 15: 22-35.

 

            I was reminded this week of the scene in City Slickers between Jack Palance and Billy Crystal.  In the scene, Jack Palance, the old, peaceful cowboy is riding with Billy Crystal, the high strung "city slicker" in a mid-life crisis.  Jack Palance explains as they ride that "there's nothin' like bringin' in the herd at the end of a ride."  Billy Crystal says, "See, that's great. Your life makes sense to you."   Jack Palance chuckles wryly and Billy Crystal says, "What's so funny?"  Jack Palance says, "You city folk spend 50 weeks of the year getting knots in your rope and then you expect 2 weeks out here to untie them.  Do you know what the secret of life is?" "No, what?"  "This" (raise finger)  "Your finger?" "No, one thing" "What's the one thing?" "That's what you need to figure out."

            As we look at the scripture for this morning, we notice a historical precursor to Jack Palance's speech.  The Jerusalem Council has just met to discuss and reach consensus on what cultural rules all these new Christians need to follow.  What was the "one thing" that they needed?    These were new Christians that God had decided to call, not the original Jewish Christians.  These were the outsiders, the Gentiles, US.  As the council meets they decide to simplify the rules.  Even though they couldn't get to "one thing" they did take the 160 Jewish laws and distill them down to 4 things. 

            Thinking about our life together as a congregation, I'm pretty sure many of us could say the "one thing" in our lives is Jesus Christ as a redeemer and model for our lives.  I am grateful that this is true.  It is the reason we celebrate Easter and live the way we do. How we focus on that "one thing" is something we need to discern for ourselves through the input of the community.  But as a community today, I'd like us to look further.  If our "one thing" is Christ, what distinctives make us followers of Christ? What do we have to offer to the world as Christian Anabaptists at this time in history? 

We have been asked and have asked ourselves many questions as we've worked to launch this school.  But one of the main ones is: "Why a Mennonite School in Pasadena?"  Randy and I have both been convinced that this is what we are called to, but let me give you a context from the scripture this morning and some thoughts on PMC that I hope will continue to lay a foundation for further answering that question for our larger community—"Why a Mennonite School in Pasadena?"

I'd like us to look at "Three things" together in an attempt to answer that question: 1) the treasure of our Anabaptist & PMC traditions, 2) our call to be the Kingdom of God, not the Mennonite Kingdom, and 3) a word about staying focused on that kingdom.

            First, let's look at the great treasure of our Anabaptist and PMC histories.  Over 10 years ago, I was at a PMC retreat.  As I remember it, were doing visioning and, in one exercise, we had to go to the value that was the REASON we were at PMC.  It had become clear to me that the Anabaptist values that were present at PMC were Kingdom Values.  They were a treasure that I had finally found in my spiritual quest.  As I went to the card that read something like, "The fact that PMC is Mennonite/Anabaptist," I realized that the other 4 people, standing with me in this minority position were all what we refer to as "ethnically Mennonite."  You also need to realize that, at that time, there were only 4 "ethnic Mennonites" at the church!!  I believe more of us now would identify with being Mennonite either because we attend this Mennonite church or because the values that have been preached, taught, and lived together are values that we consider a treasure. There are many things that have drawn us to PMC, some of which have been brought up on the list serve this week.  Others include: the community, times of prayer and sharing, a place to heal, the vertical and horizontal relationships that are formed, and, I'm sure, many others.  PMC is unique in the Mennonite world in the US, but we still hang on to those rich traditions of peacemaking, community, simplicity, and public witness.  Our world is hungry for these values and we have this treasure to offer.  This is part of the reason for starting the Peace & Justice Academy.  It is a new way to share our treasure with the world.  We see people looking for these values in the emerging church.  We see a new monastic movement that is based in urban centers.  We hear these values coming through in the voices of Shane Claiborne, Greg Boyd, and other young prophetic voices, including many in our own congregation.  But as the world is searching for the values that we see as Anabaptist, we need to show them that we don't live this way because "We're Mennonite" but because Christ calls us to.

            This leads us to our "second thing"-- our call to be the Kingdom of God on earth.  We believe in the treasure that we have not because they are "Mennonite Values", but because they are "Kingdom Values."   Look with me at today's scripture.  We see the "original Jewish Christians" figuring out how to catch up with God's plans to expand the Kingdom.  Previously, in Acts, God had sent Peter to Cornelius, out of his comfort zone, to share the gospel and proclaim the coming of the Kingdom.  As more and more Gentiles heard the gospel, more and more decided that Kingdom living was for them.  Everyone celebrated God's decision.  Except for those who didn't.  Some of the "original' Christians decided that Kingdom living and Cultural identity living were the same thing.  They were open to anyone God brought in, as long as they became the SAME as them.  The Kingdom of God should look like Christ.  Christ's DNA should be in everything.  As we look at our lives today, what is in them that we don't think will be in heaven?  What will be in heaven that is NOT in our lives today?  According to Greg Boyd, author of The Myth of a Christian Nation, "If it won't be in heaven, get rid of it now.  If it will be in heaven, cultivate it now."  We need to focus our lives around the Kingdom of God, everything else is just religion.  In verse 31, we read the response by Christ's followers to the Jerusalem church's ability to let "religion" go and the Kingdom of God grow:  "When its members read it [the letter], they rejoiced at the exhortation."  In The Message, it reads like this: "The people were greatly relieved and pleased."  When you are finally accepted for who you are, without needing to change, there is always rejoicing and relief!!  How do we open space for people who are different?

            The "third thing" is looking at how we keep the value of the treasure without having the treasure itself become an idol for our community.  As we interact with the world, what things are we willing to let go of?  What idols is God calling us to let go of?  As I mentioned earlier, the world is looking for what we have to offer.  Historically, the Kingdom of God has been at its best when the world is at its worst.  As $2.3 Trillion has been lost in retirement savings last year, the world faces a global recession, personal friends, family members, and those in our community have lost jobs, education funding is being cut way, and countless other frightening headlines appear daily, isn't this a time when the Kingdom of God is both appealing and reassuring.  But it is not just a "security blanket," but rather a warning and a mandate to be different than the world.  If our security is in our 401Ks and not in the Kingdom, we are no different than the world.  It is time for the Church Universal, the Mennonite tradition, and PMC to be different than the world.  If we open our doors to the people in our community, we need to be willing to embrace the cultures of those people.  We cannot, as some in the Jerusalem church did, say you are welcome if you become like us.  Christian Unity is not cultural homogeny.  We need to discern corporately and individually which things are the Kingdom Values and invite people to those, but be willing to sacrifice our cultural values, our traditions, our comforts for the sake of the things that will be in the Kingdom.  What things in our congregation, worship, or individual spiritual disciplines have become idols to us?  What things are we holding on to at the expense of Kingdom Values?

            Our "one thing" should be loyalty to Christ and his Kingdom.  As we launch the Peace & Justice Academy, we look for discernment from the community for the Kingdom Values that we want our children and all children to have. 

So, why open a Secondary Mennonite School in Pasadena, when the many of Mennonite children in Pasadena are sitting next to you and most of them are too young for high school? I can only tell you the answer for myself.  As we evaluated and discerned with our community of faith, this is what it came down to:  We, as Christian Anabaptists, have a treasure that is valuable to the larger community.  I was personally convicted, and somewhat surprised, that this was the place and time for my long-held vision to become a reality.  I had always thought God was calling me to do this when I retired.  But the time is now. God's time.  She matched me with a partner in the endeavor that complemented the skills I had been given.  Randy jokes that I AM doing this when I retire…I'm just retiring 20 years early.

As Randy and I attended the Education Leaders Gathering in Pittsburg in February, we spoke with many other school boards.  We listened to other Mennonite Secondary schools talk about their Mennonite population "shrinking" to 60%; we were encouraged by the Holy Spirit.  The message of the meeting to be bold in our distictives as Mennonite Educators was the Word of God confirming our vision.  We realized that this IS a Mennonite School.  It is an opportunity to show Pasadena the treasure of over 6000 years of Judeo-Christian history and 500 years of Anabaptist history combined with modern educational research.  But we do NOT do this because "We're Mennonite."  We do this because God is calling us to.  In a congregation gifted with so many education professionals—both as students AND teachers--- isn't it great that God has called our congregation to open a SCHOOL?   Just as the Early Anabaptists were missional to Christian Nations, we pray this school will be a light for change in our city and our world. 

As we come along together on this journey of educating our children and the children of Pasadena, let us all hold fast to our "one thing." Let us use that "one thing" in every profession we are in, to call our city, nation, and world to being part of the Kingdom of God.