Thanksgiving Eve

About fifteen minutes ago, I put on my coat and shoes and, mitten-less, I clutched the ten pages or so in my hand as I briskly walked the five minutes over to the DeVos building. I kept my eyes on the lights still on in the building, hoping it was open despite that campus had pretty much cleared out for Thanksgiving break. I stepped through the doors with ease, and with a surge of energy hiked up the stairwell and down a long hallway to that professors' office. I slid the completed project into the box on her door, double-checked again that it was in fact her office, and turned on my heel to head home.

Feeling a sense of relief that I haven't felt in weeks, the rush of cold air actually felt refreshing. For the first time I noticed the beautiful sunset. I noticed the stars peeking out through the seams of the dark sky. The sight summoned gratefulness out of my heart.

This poem by e.e. cummings suits the moment perfectly. (I found it on another blog recently. I happen to love e.e. cummings, and this poem actually makes "sense" compared to others! ;)

Enjoy.


who are you

who are you,little i

(five or six years old)
peering from some high

window;at the gold

of November sunset

(and feeling:that if day
has to become night

this is a beautiful way)


- ee cummings

A pause.

It's days before Thanksgiving; just like every year, I'm swamped with things to do. Kind of unfortunate that it works that way because it makes the holiday seasons even more stressful. Thanksgiving Break is often just the gulp of air before going back under to get everything else squared away.

That's why, even though I have a phonetic transcription to finish before Wednesday and a hundred or so more literary terms to learn and a nine-week-syllabus to finish designing, I'm pausing from it all to write a bit here. (I promise this is different than procrastination! Procrastination was when I suddenly had a strong desire to load the dishwasher instead of sit down with my transcriptions. Ha.)

Because it does happen to be Thanksgiving this week, and I have more than enough to be thankful for to warrant a day off to celebrate them. At this particular moment, I'm feeling warm, well-fed, clean and happy. I'm sitting in my favorite chair, which faces the large slider doors and the falling snow outside. And I'm listening to my favorite Christmas album (City on a Hill: It's Christmas Time) which I've had since middle school --and highly recommend.

And even though it has been a pretty stressful semester, 17 credits and all, but it flew by. I can't believe I have just ten days left of class (and three more of exams)--and then six weeks off! :) Yay for no interim requirements! The MCC Rehoboth, NM trip is right around the corner. A long week of sunshine will surely be a welcome relief after a bleak midwinter.



By the way, I almost forgot to write about the baptism that I witnessed this past Sunday. It was a unique baptism because the little girl's parents requested that water be poured over her while she stood in a metal tub. When I first heard this was the case, I wasn't sure how well it would "work," and it was pretty funny to see her stripped down to a bright bathing suit as one of our pastors described why we celebrate baptism.
But as little Ruthie stood there in the basin, supported by her parents holding each of her hands, head bowed down as the lukewarm water poured over her, it was like seeing baptism for the first time. It was just stunningly beautiful. When she lifted her little head and looked out at us with bright eyes, not making a sound or even looking remotely upset, I wanted to capture that moment.
Pastor Amy stood behind her and gave the blessing, and then her parents wrapped her up in a blanket, and all of her family and friends surrounded them with presence and prayer. Beautiful.
(You can imagine that it wasn't difficult for us, the congregation, to promise to help Ruthie grow up in the Lord! She won all of our hearts!)


Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
OH, and if you haven't, be sure to look at the video posted earlier on my blog! Let it be an inspiration for a relationally-based holiday season. :)


Betsy

Advent Conspiracy

What is YOUR Christmas giving going to look like this year?

Try relational giving instead. Spend less money, but give MORE in other ways. :)

Betsy

Some thoughts.

I wish I knew how to write letters. You know, the kind of letters that they used to write; Jane Austen, Shakespearean-type letters that don't just ramble on about the weather. Letters rich with metaphor and emotion. I wonder if our technology age has deprived us from that-- We're in such a hurry to communicate that we don't take the longer route. I wish Calvin had a letter-writing interim class. I can just see it: examining famous letters (letters from wars, love letters, persuasive letters...), discussing what makes them work and writing a few of our own. It would be interesting as well to consider a few of Paul's letters as what they are-- not specifically as biblical scripture, but as actual letters. Would that/could that change (or deepen) our understanding of what his message is?

The reason I bring it up is because a friend from California tried to call me, but seeing as how his phone died and the three hour difference doesn't help much for convenience, before the call got dropped he asked me to write him a letter and quickly gave me his address. Since then, I've been trying to figure out how to approach this whole letter-writing business. I want it to be conversational, but my form of conversation is deeply affected by instant messenger. Can't help it. (And I'm even one of those people who still uses whole words spelled correctly with proper grammar and punctuation!) At any rate, I'm going to keep trying. I want to believe that the letter is an old, rich art form that is worth reviving.

In other news, I'm busily wrapping up another semester of school (can't believe how quickly it flew by!) and anxiously preparing/looking ahead to student teaching beginning in February. I'm also eagerly anticipating a missions trip with MCC to Rohoboth, New Mexico. It's just around the corner in January but I can't wait! :) Welp, I better finish up my reading for my night class. I would recommend The Saturated Self, actually, to anyone who is fascinated by the way language and lexicon affects society.... Not that you all think about it as often as I've been thinking about liguistics lately! :)

Blessings.

Betsy

Thoughts?

No legacy is so rich as honesty.

- William Shakespeare

White as Snow

White as snow, white as snow
Though my sins were as scarlet
Lord, I know, Lord, I know
That I'm clean and forgiven

Through the power of Your blood
Through the wonder of Your love
Through faith in You
I know that I can be
White as snow


These words have been going through my mind all day. :) We sang them at church yesterday. I love Sundays. I can hardly wait to go to church every week! Can't get enough! :)

It was so beautiful earlier today, and instead of taking a walk I ended up napping instead--for over two hours! I was tired! But talking to a couple of my friends in California was so worth it. I miss Samia and Jen so much. They are such good friends, even three time zones away. I want to go and visit so badly! But money is a huge issue.

I feel like I've been at Calvin forever. I'm ready to be off campus next semester by student teaching and living at home. It'll be interesting, at any rate. There are a lot of people I'll miss, of course, but no one stays put forever. I won't be far from the educational scene, either, being a teacher. What I love about schools in general is what I'll always have.

I'm going to get reading the next novel-- probably about the 8th one I've read this semester for Adolescent lit! Gotta love being an English major...


Betsy

November.

Four years ago today was my dad's burial and memorial service.







Miss you, daddy.