Could I? Why not? Maybe I will.

This summer has been an amazing adventure for me. Aside from all the training hikes I've embarked on, I've climbed Mount Saint Helen's, Mount Baker and hiked up to the base camp on Mount Rainier (Camp Muir). It's been a pretty amazing experience for me... and I've found that I love climbing mountains. I love being outside, stretching myself beyond what I think I can do, and reach a goal that not many people get a chance to do. The views are spectacular and the feeling of accomplishment cannot be replicated... not to mention that crampons are by far the most amazing thing in the world! 

That's why it was so cool to hear a co-worker - who is a legitimate mountain climber himself - tell me that if I wanted, I could seriously become a great mountain climber. Wow. Maybe it doesn't sound like a big deal to you... but it is. You see, when I'm on a mountain, I feel like a little girl who doesn't belong. I'm not tall with the long legs to carry me far. I don't have super big muscles to haul myself and a huge pack up there. I just simply want to be there and so I pretty much just tell myself to go. And so I do. Therefore, to hear someone have faith in the idea that I could be a mountain climber is not only humbling... but inspiring. 

And so, I think to myself, why not? And so, maybe I will. Maybe someday I'll be climbing all over the world. Maybe even guiding... who knows. Because let's be honest, this summer has been quite the adventure. And I don't want these views to end:

MOUNT SAINT HELEN'S - 8,363 ft elevation

MOUNT BAKER - 10,778 ft elevation

CAMP MUIR - 10, 112 ft elevation

And what's next you ask? Well, I'm already planning on climbing Mt. Adams and possibly Mt. Shasta next summer, along with St. Helen's and Muir again. We shall see where I go from here. It's pretty exciting!

Hosea 2

I have a new favorite chapter of the Bible. Hosea 2. I know its an obscure favorite, but seriously. It is remarkable. A perfect illustration of our sinfulness, God's jealousy for our hearts and His redemptive power to rebuild what we break. Truly remarkable. Hope filled. Humbling too. I urge you to read it.

Some favorite parts?

Verses 14-15: Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor [trouble] a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came out of Egypt.

Verses 19-20: I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.

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This chapter simply strikes a chord within me unlike any other. You see, the world has allured her. And she has prostituted herself to everyone and everything. And He is a jealous God who wants her heart - the heart He created for His glory.

And so she is stripped naked. Her path blocked. Unable to catch desire. She is exposed. Her celebrations put to an end.

And that is when He allures her... gently leads her to the desert.

There she confronts Hurt. The barren, rolling hills emanate emptiness and despair. Why here? There are no distractions. Nothing to run to. No way to hide. Her heart is laid bare and her mind peeled open to Truth and Understanding.

It is here that He speaks. Every so tenderly. Piercing her heart with Truth.

"You've come. I've been waiting."

And then emotion comes. A cry for help within her withered and broken soul pleads for deliverance from the heavy chains. No more hiding. No more running. The dam breaks free and washes everything away.

And then the rebuilding begins. Troubled lies are brought forth and the door of hope gives way to freedom.

And then she feels it happening. Her rusting heartstrings are replaced and re-laced with ones of fine gold. And she can't hold back. A song of joy and redemption is released from within her soul and she is free!

The names of the past fade from her lips. A new covenant is made. A betrothal for eternity... in righteousness, justice, love and compassion.

Adultery gives way to faithfulness as LOVE is acknowledged. And LOVE responds. A booming voice over all creation.

"I planted you here for myself. I will show you my love for you are mine and I will fight for you."

And out of the desert she comes. And she responds, "Yes, I am yours and You are my God."

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Incredible! He is so jealous for her heart and purposefully stripes her of everything... and instead of condemning and judging... he leads her to the desert and speaks tenderly to her!

Do you get it? God is jealous for our hearts. He wants us for His own. In our days of trouble, He will lead us to the desert where we may feel lost, confused, tormented by who we have become and the choices we've made in the past. But it is from the desert that He provides a door of hope and redemption. It is from the desert that He speaks tenderly to us; where He waits for our hearts to respond.

Will we open our hearts to Him? Will we respond to His grace and love? Or will we remain in the desert? Will we become comfortable and take up residence there? Will we ignore the slavery that constricts our hearts? Perhaps our slavery is indistinguishable... perhaps it has become the norm in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are slaves at all. But if we become comfortable in the desert we will only keep ourselves from being rebuilt and molded into who we were originally created to be. We will instead be lost forever. Never finding our way. Chasing after things we will never catch.

And so the question remains... will we listen to His tender voice? Will we be released from the bondage that so easily consumes? Or will we remain lost forever?

From In front of the village of Hees

I received an email this morning from my dad. He attached a document titled "Notes on the Life and Descent of Charles Smith Van Voorhis"... I now know where I came from...

"According to the Honorable Tenis G. Bergan, early historian of our early Dutch settlers, Coerts Alberts of voor Hees resided prior to the year 1600, in front of the village of Hees, situated about one half mile South of the Town of Runen, in the provence of Drenthe, Holland.

As the letters used as a suffix to proper name in the Holland language means "son of" we may with reasonable safety infer that Coart Alberts was the son of Albert of voor Hees.

Alberts first child, Stephen van Voorhees, eldest of seven children, was born about 1600.

The Van Voorhis generations, thirteen in number, average thirty-two years. Is it not reasonably safe to say, in view of all facts, that the Van Voorhis ancestral line extends at least to the year 1535?

The Holland word voor means in English "before or in front of"; van means "from." The meaning of Van Voor Hees therefore is; from in front of the village of Hees.

Steven Coerts of Voorhees, married Willemple Roeloffe, [sidenote - that is an amazing name! i just might have to name my first daughter Willemple...] who was born in the year 1619. He emigrated from Holland in April 1660 in the ship Bentokoe (Spotted Cow), Captain Pieter Lucassen in command with his wife and all his children except the oldest daughter, Merghir. He purchased on November 29, 1660, a farm in Amerafoort, now Flatlands, Long Island, NY, from Cornnelis Horgland, on which he settled and where he died February 16, 1684, his will having been dated August 25, 1677.

The family became numerous and widely scattered ----- There have been a number of modifications of the family name. There being at least a dozen different forms, some with, others without the Van.

Note the spelling in the following ancestral table.

Albert                                                          Born (?) 1535

Coerts Alberts of voor Hees                                   1567

Steven Coerts of Voorhees                              1600 Emigrant

Coerts Stevenese van Voorhees                            1637

Cornelis Coerts Van Voorhees                        Jan. 23, 1678

Daniel Van Voorhees                                        Dec. 17, 1701

Daniel Van Voorhis (Captain)                            Jul. 6, 1738

Samiel Newton Van Voorhis                             Jul. 10, 1774

Charles Edward Van Voorhis                            Oct. 8, 1809

Charles Smith Van Voorhis                               Apr. 2, 1839

Frank Lemert Van Voorhis                                Apr. 7, 1873

Reginald Frank Van Voorhis                            Nov. 4, 1902

Clemons Joseph Van Voorhis                             Jul. 3, 1927

Glenn Edward & Paul Earl VanVoorhis

Scott Alan & Brett Adam Van Voorhis   Apr. 15, 1982 & Oct. 31, 1983

Asher Van Voorhis                                           July 25, 2005

* Reginald Frank, Clemons Joseph, Glenn Edward & Paul Earl added by Grace Clemons, Alta, Iowa. May 5, 1961

* Scott Alan, Brett Adam & Asher added by Dawn Van Voorhis, Seattle, Washington. September 22, 2009."

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Family history. Its a pretty cool thing.

Oh, and if you look at the names in the table... my grandpa is Clemons, my dad is Paul, my brothers are Scott and Brett and my nephew is Asher. 

The Van Voorhis name lives on.

Officially Settled

Moving is always an adjustment of sorts. Unknown house noises, remembering where light switches are, figuring out where to put belongings... etc... you get it.

But, I can officially say today that I have finally settled into our new place. 

Even though there are STILL unknown house noises to get used to, 

Even though I STILL forget where light switches are 

and even though my belongings are STILL everywhere... 

Everything changed when...

... this morning I slept through my alarm... and woke up late... therefore... I am officially settled in to my new place... I'm comfortable enough that sleeping through my alarm has apparently returned to my life. Oh man. At least I wasn't late to work this time.