I am Indigenous
Article in Christian Courier: The parallels between indigenous peoples, like those in Canada or northern Holland, are significant. Up until a century ago, most lived modest, simple lives. They were people of the land, in tune with nature. They were industrious, sophisticated (for their time and place) and spiritual. They
City on a Hill
Article in Reformed Journal: Try as I might, I cannot relive Amiens Cathedral. In spite of having spent time there last summer, loitering long within its cavernous space and taking a great many photos, the experience has receded to the realm of recollection — a meagre substitute for the real
Full Circle
My father (1932 - 2004) had no idea that his granddaughter would become a Christian Reformed pastor in 2017 or that he had generations of 'dominees' in his family, as far back as the Dutch Reformation. But recent work with My Heritage has uncovered five centuries of faithfulness and a
Young and Old Alike – AACS/ICS family conferences
On the Square Inch website: For me, there’s a string of pearls stretching back from 1991 all the way to 1970. The first AACS (now ICS) August long weekend Family Conference was held in Niagara (Fort Erie) fifty years ago this summer. Along with the ever-increasing number of families taking
ICS Conferences
Article in Christian Courier: It was 50 years ago this month that the Institute for Christian Studies (ICS) held its first Family Conference in Niagara, Ontario, on the August long weekend. Beginning in 1970, the ICS, originally the Association for the Advancement of Christian Scholarship (AACS), gathered Reformed folks together
Family History
It was a privilege for me to delve deeply into the lives of ‘Opa and Oma’ van der Laan in 2019, while editing and assembling the various writings and photos for the book "The van der Laan Venture" -- memoirs of my grandfather, but also of his wife and several
Exhibit ‘A’
Article in Christian Courier: When mom died I had the idea of taking the familiar objects that decorated our home and lifting them to another level, just like mom. That would strike a chord!
The Nature of Things
It is now already five years since the Christmas of 2016 when we last gathered fully as family in Niagara, some three months after Stiny de Jong's funeral. We were drawn together to hang on to that sense of belonging that only a matriarch can supply. We gathered for a
A place in the heart
Laura's repost in Reformed Journal: Perhaps my father was lucky. There is a place in the world that he called his own. It's a wonderful place that he could visit and remember and which never lost its essence throughout his own variegated life. That place is Terschelling
Terschelling – A place in the heart
Perhaps my father was lucky. There is a place in the world that he called his own. It's a wonderful place that he could visit and remember and which never lost its essence throughout his own variegated life. That place is Terschelling