from Rick Warren, a great New Year's Thought

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body--but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ's likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something
bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence.

He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third , we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism?
Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD

Our Family Costco Excursion

So we decide it will be nice to all accompany Jaron to Costco, as he wants to buy some thingy that plays music. We pile into his very cool Nissan Pathfinder (I think that is what it is called) and head through the snowy neighborhood as if we were in a speed boat. Upon arrival at Kirkland Costco, we all seem to split up (that always happens at some point in our Costco excursions). I decide to go to my first place I always go to - the jewelry cases. As I am standing there, with my cart, and my purse neatly placed in the carry basket, Jaron comes BOMBING...and I do mean bombing, from nowhere, grabs my purse, and continues to run full speed ahead. About five rows down he decides to peel to the right - I could see him banking for the turn, but from my viewpoint, he banked a little too far to his right....his goes down, feet close together just barely out of the main aisle. He is OK....and the two jewelry people were shocked, dismayed, terrified, then laughing hysterically once they realized what had happened.

Joseph and I split away from the 3 boys, hoping they can behave themselves while we leisurely shop the aisles, checking for the very-hard-to-locate-Flax meal.

While Joseph goes to get eggs, I find the three boys (supposed to be men) reclining on the reclining couch. People are looking at the couch, checking it out, and Jaron says "it is a very good price - I would sure buy it - and it is very comfortable" They looked like store "plants".

They spy Joseph, with his eggs and a case of Spam, and get that twinkle in their eyes. Jason, being the most mature of the three, stays near me while we reunite with Joseph. As we steer towards the check out, Jordan and Jaron BOMB in from nowhere, hitting Joseph with rolled up rugs. (it did not hurt, but made a very loud noise as if it DID hurt) We were all laughing. Suddenly, a man in a red vest with a name tag on it comes directly, with eye contact, to ME! He says "I am about to ask that you ALL leave this store" To my horror at the thought of being falsely accused I quickly plead "I didn't do anything!" - while my boys are all still laughing. We walk sheepishly to check out (well I was the only sheepish one) and get out of there.

So I am almost flipping out on the way to the car - and there I find out "the rest of the story". Jaron was on the Stair Master, seeing how fast he could go (Jaron is really really fast) and that man told him to get off. Then he told Jaron to please not ride the bike. He followed the three around the store and would not let them out of his sight. (He DID miss, however, when Jaron rode the moped)

So - in the end - MOM is the one who gets blamed! We moms are never safe.....never let your guard down - ever.

Christmas Poem to our Children 2008

CHRISTMAS 2008


To our Children
Jason, Jordan, Jaron, and Julianne

Be it now, or ever after
Our family is always filled with laughter
This past year was very hard
But we pulled together (in spite of the yard)

The blessings of God are always near
Unless you have no ears to hear
But when He opens up your eyes
He gives you power to see through lies

Christmas gifts can come and go
But we really want to show
You mean more to us than money can buy
Truly, truly this is no lie

We could get you "things" and "stuff"
That you use and get enough
But nothing is a greater treasure
Than spending family time together

You children are such a blessing
We come to you confessing
To our Alaska cruise we go
Not alone, but with you fo'

So clear your dates and pack your bags
July 21 we get sea legs
For seven nights to cruise at sea
Please join us gleefully!

Oh Holy Night! NW Boychoir, plus Alumni

BAD video from sitting in audience, but just close your eyes and listen -

HAHAHAH FA LA LA LA LA

So, we have three tickets to Benaroya for the Boychoir Lessons and Carols. Jordan takes his own car because him and Kris are going to hang out afterwards. Just as we pull into the parking garage, Jordan's car = dead. The alternator went out. SO, we go to the concert and enjoy it anyway, figuring out what to do with the car. WELL,after the concert Kris told his mom to go ahead and go home since he is going with Jordan (not knowing HIS car is dead). Kris and Jordan get a ride to our house with us in our very cool Astro van.....joking the entire time how their night sure turned out "not so grown up" - hahah and Will WAS going to join them, but his mom picked him up after the concert. HAHAHA we sure got a laugh. Family - great stuff.

SO, tomorrow morning is our family progressive breakfast beginning at 9AM, probably ending around noon - after which WE were going to finish up our shopping - but alas! Joseph now has to go back to Benaroya to replace the alternator in Jordan's car. HAHAHAH FA LA LA LA LA

Ya just gotta laugh - HAHAHA no alternator can be located today - so the car must stay in Seattle until the day after Christmas.... fa la la la la

12/18/08 SNOW!

Surprises are FUN!

Joseph and I flew to L.A. Friday to surprise Jordan for the Biola Christmas Concert. We waited until intermission of the show, where he was in King's Men outside singing - and I walked up in front of them and took their picture - he caught sight of me and the look on his face was "HUH? WHAT?" but he kept singing.

The second half of the show was excerpts from the Polar Express - and he sang the Aerosmith song "Rockin on Top of the World" with the jazz band, dancing all over the stage. BUT he was having pants problems - apparently his waistband broke inside his tux pants before the show, so he borrowed a safety pin to make them stay up. Well, into the fourth bar of the song the safety pin came undone. He had to sing, dance, jump on and off the stage, all the while holding his pants up. I kept wondering if he had Jingle Bell Boxers on just in case.

The next day was spent finding new pants plus suspenders for the Saturday night show, Throat Coat Tea, AND...............we met up with a friend whom we knew in Hawaii in 1980!!! She lives near Biola with her hubby and two children. Her daughter Emily is beginning Biola next year, so we will see her more next year! Small world.


It was great- I am always amazed at how fun and wonderful college students are. We met many new people, and especially Amanda and Rachel, who have become our link to Biola through their Vlogs - long funny story.

After the concert, we joined a brood of students at a Vietnamese restaurant which stays open until 3AM! Had to get up early to catch a 7AM flight home (The night was so short, I could still taste the toothpaste from my nightly brushing on my teeth when I got out of bed)

Great times - God is good and people are awesome. I love life~

HOLIDAY TIME!

No snow - yet! I am so excited for Christmas time. I love the lights, candles, goodies, yummy drinks...but the most wonderful thing about the season is family! I have a whole new huge appreciation for FAMILY. FAMILY - it is something we get stuck with, go through hard times with, get angry with, have a blast with, make memories with, encourage each other, admonish one another, support in hard times, cheer in successful times, and can't leave out ~ make fun of.

There are grandparents, aunties, uncles, in laws, cousins, nephews, nieces, um....is there more? oh yes! haha sons and daughters, moms and dads. As children, we don't choose who our family is, but we choose to remain with them - or - the unthinkable - leave them.

I am so so thankful for my family - my parents Gene and Shirley Vanderhoff, sisters Judy and Janice, brothers Del and Earl, (By choice, my husband Joseph), sister-in-laws Susie, June and Agnes, brother-in-laws Todd, Jeff, and Dick. Sons Jason, Jordan, Jaron, and daughter Julianne. Nieces Jill, Paige, Stacy, Katie, Jody, Jessi, Dolly. Nephews Adam, Andrew, Ben, Andy, Tim, Charles, Luke, Ryan, Drew, Jeremiah, Josh. There are niece-in-laws Maki, Cheyenne, Esther, Shirley, Terra, Rose...and nephew-in-laws Ethan, Jared, Dave, Bryan, Jeremy. We cannot stop there - the grand nieces are Sophia, Lydia, Annie, Arisa, Erika, Hannah, Georgi, Ruthie, Olivia, Anna - grand nephews are Isaiah, Devon, Ben-Ben, Abraham, Gideon, Chandler, Jake, London, Will, Jaxon.

Wow - this sounds almost like the genealogy of Jesus!

Merry Christmas to my dear family. May God bless each and every one of you!