"My Heart Is Filled With Thankfulness" My heart is filled with thankfulness To Him who bore my pain; Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace And gave me life again; Who crushed my curse of sinfulness And clothed me in His light And wrote His law of righteousness With pow'r upon my heart. My heart is filled with thankfulness To Him who walks beside; Who floods my weaknesses with strength And causes fears to fly; Whose ev'ry promise is enough For ev'ry step I take, Sustaining me with arms of love And crowning me with grace. My heart is filled with thankfulness To him who reigns above, Whose wisdom is my perfect peace, Whose ev'ry thought is love. For ev'ry day I have on earth Is given by the King; So I will give my life, my all, To love and follow him. Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend Copyright © 2003 Thankyou Music .

Thanksgiving Memories

This digital slideshow created with Smilebox

Tribute to Andrew and Johanna on their Wedding Day ~ May 18, 2012

Born on Aug 24, 1988; the exact date he was due! His birth was not as normal as anticipated...he came into the world upside down! The stress of his birth created some anxiety when he didn't start breathing on his own, and his little blue body was whisked away for some special care by the doctors and nurses, but our God was gracious and Drew was soon welcomed by his overjoyed and thankful parents and family.

Drew was always an easy, happy baby, very content to sit and play for hours. His playpen became his favorite corner..... We would leave one side down and he would crawl in and amuse himself or just simply fall asleep!

Did I say crawl? Um yes... That's what he did, as a matter of fact that's all he did until he was 18 months old! Then he finally decided to try out his legs.

As a matter of fact he was into encyclopedias before he started walking... And as he grew up he used our encyclopedias as entertainment for hours at a time. Many a morning he'd be sitting in the hall outside our bedroom door with an encyclopedia open on his lap. And they were always with him in the bathroom, he'd read them every time he'd sit on the toilet!

Drew, I'd love to pass those books on to you, I just don't want to pay for shipping!

At 3 years old he showed some interest in our computer. His Dad bought him a game for the computer, which consisted of a floppy disk that had to be put into disk drive. Then it had to be prompted by several DOS commands, c:\, and then typing the name of the game. His dad bought the game the night before and Drew had only seen him start it one time. Next morning he asked his Mom to start up his new game, but Mom couldn't figure it out. She went  back to her vacuuming and when she turned around, he had figured it out all by himself, after seeing his Dad do it only once.

Well, as you can all see, Drew has grown up to be a fine young man, who we are very proud of! We have watched how God has directed his ambitions and desires in a way of service to the Lord. Drew, we appreciate your sincere desire to be walking as the Lord teaches us to do in His Word. We have seen your integrity and humility,  from the way you chose your friends, to your work ethics and the activities you chose to be engaged in. We are thankful for your love for the church, and the years you helped our home church by running the sound system and assisting in the sermonaudio distribution.

We knew that Drew was praying for a special girl to become his wife... He was not interested in just any girl. And in Gods remarkable providence that girl was the one and only Johanna de Haan! We do regret that this means your future life will most likely be spent in Ontario, and wish you could be much closer. But we know that the God you both love, is everywhere and He will never leave you or forsake you if you cleave to Him and commit your life in His Hands.

On this day our thoughts go back to April 5, the day that you were in Calgary and in Gods divine providence, you were able to visit Opa Slingerland on his deathbed... Your Opa was also praying for both of you and rejoicing in your future together, he rejoiced in God's choice for your wife, but he knew he would not physically be here.

We want to welcome Johanna into our family; thank you Johanna, for taking on this responsibility of becoming Drew's helpmeet! We're very happy that Drew probably won't have to eat Sidekicks 4 or 5 times a week anymore!

May God bless you both, and may you have many safe journeys to the West Coast! We love you!

Dad, Mom, and all your brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews of the Den Hertog clan!

 

May 2, 1957 - 2012: My 55th Birthday!

Yes, it's true! And although it's hard to believe, I have reached my 55th Birthday! We can only look back and say: Where have the years gone? Days, months, and years seem to fly by faster all the time. Yet we may say that God has been faithful and so GOOD for us... We are still able to enjoy good health and the ability to care for each other and the farm as well as many other things which we enjoy.
The day began with one of the worst jobs we have every year around my birthday: training young chickens to find their feed and water after moving them from the pullet barns into the lay barns where they will soon begin their work. It's a tough job that leaves me totally spent and exhausted. But we managed, and were able to do the rest of our work that day as well. During our morning coffee time we were able to Skype with Joyce and her girls, who sang Happy Birthday to me. In the afternoon Brian and Anne-Marie stopped in with their children, who also came to say good-bye as they were leaving on their cross-country trek the next morning.
I missed my Birthday call from my Dad...
The best part of the day was that we were hosting our prayer meeting that night. We had a small group but our discussions and the prayers were inspired by the Spirit of God which we felt was among us. I was brave and read a meditation that I had read a few days earlier from Spurgeon:

April 27, 2012 "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope."Psalm 119:49

"Whatever your especial need may be, you may readily find some promise in the Bible suited to it. Are you faint and feeble because your way is rough and you are weary? Here is the promise--"He giveth power to the faint." When you read such a promise, take it back to the great Promiser, and ask him to fulfil his own word. Are you seeking after Christ, and thirsting for closer communion with him? This promise shines like a star upon you--"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Take that promise to the throne continually; do not plead anything else, but go to God over and over again with this--"Lord, thou hast said it, do as thou hast said." Are you distressed because of sin, and burdened with the heavy load of your iniquities? Listen to these words--"I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, and will no more remember thy sins." You have no merit of your own to plead why he should pardon you, but plead his written engagements and he will perform them. Are you afraid lest you should not be able to hold on to the end, lest, after having thought yourself a child of God, you should prove a castaway? If that is your state, take this word of grace to the throne and plead it: "The mountains may depart, and the hills may be removed, but the covenant of my love shall not depart from thee." If you have lost the sweet sense of the Saviour's presence, and are seeking him with a sorrowful heart, remember the promises: "Return unto me, and I will return unto you;" "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee." Banquet your faith upon God's own word, and whatever your fears or wants, repair to the Bank of Faith with your Father's note of hand, saying, "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope."

When I read this, it reminded me vividly of an incident that happened some 27 or 28 years ago... and I was able to share this with our prayer meeting group. It happened on a day during the time that I was

really struggling... I wanted to know that I could live my life in a way that would please God, but no matter what I did and how hard I tried I felt like I was falling deeper and deeper into despair and finding no peace or hope. Then my doorbell rang, and there stood Mr. and Mrs. A. Krul Sr. They had come to deliver an envelope from my parents, because they had visited them in Alberta. They were very observant, and asked if they could come in. So we sat at the kitchen table, and Mr. Krul managed to get me to open up and share what was burdening me. After giving me some encouragement they left, but later they came back to give me a photocopy of a portion of a sermon by Ralph Erskine: SERMON XXXIV "Faith's Plea Upon God's Word". To make the long story short, this incident was one of the moments that made it possible for me to finally see the LIGHT! It was part of a long line of happenings that changed my life forever. I have always remembered Mr. Krul as one of my mentors who led me through the desert of my life and taught me to find the answers to my struggles in the words of Scripture...
 

Romans 8:1-2

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

 

In Loving Memory of my dear father...

On April 7th, 2012, the Lord took Dad to be with Him in glory...

God saw you getting tired
and a cure was not to be
so he put his arms around you
and whispered,
"Come to Me"

With tearful eyes we watched you
and saw you pass away
and although we love you dearly
we could not make you stay.

A Golden heart stopped beating
hard working hands at rest.
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best.

 

As many of you know, my father became suddenly ill last week Thursday night (March 29, 2012) and it now appears he had suffered some strokes. He was cared for in hospital but we saw him decline and then rally again somewhat, so that after being there for almost a week and observing some hopeful signs of recognition, we decided to return home. Chris had come home on Tuesday already because it was so hard to tell how long he could live yet. On Wednesday afternoon Adam and Annie, Marty and Jess (with little Jonah) said their good byes to him, and he did respond in recognition, also when Marty read the Bible and prayed and spoke to him, he seemed to want to say something. Wednesday evening Andrew (our son from Ontario) came from Calgary, where he had been working for 3 days. Providentially he was able to get a ride with his cousin Caroline, so he was able to sit at Opa’s bedside and observe him, and say goodbye. Thursday morning I brought him back to the hospital at 6 am so he could have a few more moments with Opa, and then he returned to Calgary with his cousin again. I stayed there at his bedside and couldn’t bring myself to leave the entire day except to go down to the cafeteria for coffee or something to eat. He had been more awake for longer periods and he had longer moments where we knew he was recognizing us, so it was good to just sit with him. All the other brothers and sisters came and went as we had been keeping a 24 vigil at his bedside in 2 hour shifts, but it was starting to become routine to leave and expect to see him the next time… He was soundly sleeping during the evening but I knew the nurses would be coming in to reposition him as they had been doing every 2 hours or so. They came in at 10 pm and he did wake up. Three of my brothers were with me, and Wim said to my dad: “Judy wants to say goodbye because she’s going home to Chilliwack tomorrow.” He was looking directly at us, and then at me and he puckered his lips like he wanted a kiss… I kissed him and said goodbye… and thanked him for all his love, his prayers and guidance and told him I would miss his phone chats and letters… he was emotional too, though he had a hard time but we could tell by the way his lips quivered and his Adam’s apple was moving… after I left, he fell asleep and that was the last time that he showed any response or recognition to anybody. This morning my sister Jannie (from Holland) and my oldest niece, Meta, were with him and they noticed his color change, they called the nurse, and then he was gone already. He peacefully fell asleep… to wake up in eternal glory!

We have lost a praying father, and a Godly patriarch to our large family circle. It has been a wonderful week in the sense that so many of the grandchildren spoke of the place Opa had in their hearts and lives, and the saintly influence they will always appreciate having in their lives. Our loss will be his gain. We mourn but not as those without hope… “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” (an email I sent to several friends...)

We experienced peace and loving fellowship throughout the preparation for the funeral and burial. Of the 76 grandchildren, all but 9 were able to be at the funeral and at the reception that followed. Opa would have been so pleased to see the large gathering of his children and grandchildren together. The funeral service was done by Rev. Sonnevelt, who loved Dad dearly and he shared in many touching ways what he knew Opa would have wanted to say to them. God was with us as we celebrated the legacy of our Dad, who was a sinner saved by grace!  The funeral service can be heard here:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=581205774

"The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green!" Psalm 92:12-14

Lianne



Lianne loves to play with dolls 

Our precious baby grand-daughter, Lianne, turned 2 today! We got up a little earlier this morning so that we could Skype as soon as we were done breakfast, and sure enough, there she was waiting to say Hi to Grandpa and Grandma. We are told that she loves to see us on the monitor and it's so adorable to hear her calling out to us. She is so sweet... our only dark haired, brown eyed little doll!

It's so hard to believe that she's already had 2 birthdays... and it's left me feeling rather melancholy all day today, just thinking of all the birthdays we have already missed and will likely miss in the future. That thought added to the news I heard last week of another grandma, wife and mother that I knew when I was growing up in Alberta who passed away last sunday, suddenly and unexpectedly at only 56 years old makes me realize how precious each day is. How we need to be focused on what is most important and how much I need to make the most of each day, each hour, each moment. It makes me realize how blessed I am and how much I have to be thankful for. There is no place or time to be feeling sorry for myself... God has given me all these wonderful, loving children and grandchildren that mean the world to me.

Those story times were so precious...

Lianne and Grandpa - she LOVES him!

God bless you, little Lianne! We love you SO much, and wish we could spend a LOT more time with you!!!!

Grandma's Story - Chapter Two

My Mother

My Mother with her only Canadian sister-in-law, Tante Jannigje (and me)

My mother's name was Hillegonda Dina Verduyn. She was always a very busy farmer's wife and mother. As I was one of the younger in our family, I have no memories of her as a young mother because she was an Oma a year after I was born. But I know from all the stories I've heard from my father and brothers and sisters that she was relentlessly hardworking. And that is how I remember her as well from my earliest recollection of daily life, her hands were never idle. Her favorite saying was that "idle hands were the devils tools" so I was taught to keep busy at a very young age. Having ten brothers living at home most of the time made for a lot of chores, and it was my job to peel a large bucket of potatoes almost every day. I also learned to iron all the white sunday shirts every week, plus a huge roll of aprons, tea towels, handkerchiefs and what ever else there was to iron. Once a week I had to polish a whole row of sunday shoes as well and then there was the never ending piles of dishwashing and drying. Of course I was stuck in the house with all the mundane boring housework chores while I jealously watched my brothers run outside doing all the "fun" work. I have very vivid memories of my mother using every possible moment to knit a few more stitches, even while my father was leading the family in Bible reading and devotions, which I found very disrespectful.
My mother was a stickler for cleanliness and routine. Every spring the entire house had to be scrubbed top to bottom, inside and out, before May 10 which was my father's birthday. In the fall it all happened again before thanksgiving day.
What I appreciated most about my mother is how determined she was to see that we understood our advantages of having a biblical upbringing and that we learned to live out what we were taught to believe. She was especially firm in teaching us the value of our infant baptism and our covenant privileges.
My mother LOVED doing needlework, and she produced so many pieces of beautiful cross stitch wall hangings and crocheted doilies and tablecloths. She made many articles as gifts for her children and grandchildren, and even more for the yearly sales for missions or school fund raisers. She also knit hundreds of pair of socks, and I don't even know what else. Apparently she did knit and sew a lot of clothes for the oldest of my siblings, but not as much for me anymore. She taught me to knit when I was about 6 years old, and I hated it back then, but she was very persistent and she had me sit down to knit 10 rows each evening so my first project, a scarf, took about a year to finish. Eventually I did start to like all kinds of needlework and I am so glad that she taught me. She also taught me to sew, my first projects were patches on my dad's and brother's blue jeans. It didn't take me long to figure out how to sew new clothes for myself so I had a real advantage in Sewing class in grade 7. I often think of her when I'm busy with my needlework projects and wish she could see them.
My mother passed away 6 years ago, in 1995 at almost 89 years old. She had her first child on Ocotber 30, 1938, and her youngest son was married on October 28, 1988, which means that she had children in her care and in her house for two days shy of fifty years! She had fifteen children, and fourteen are still alive and well. One daughter, my sister Judith, passed away just before her fourth birthday, and was buried in Holland. Two years later my parents moved the family across the ocean to begin their new life in Canada. One year later I was born and according to dutch family tradition, I was given the same name as my sister.