Politieke zaken

Yesterday the Dutch parliamentary 2nd chamber elections took place. See this article to get a pretty good idea of where Dutch politics are at. I got to vote online this year, it is an experiment from the federal governmenr, and according to me saves considerable time and money. The Christian union under leadership of Andre Rouvoet doubled in seats and is now at 6 seats in the 2nd chamber. First indications are that the Christian union might be involved in a three-fold coalition government. With the Christian democrats, the labour party and the Christian union who together would hold a mojority of 79 of the 150 seats. However, negotiating on this matter will prove itself to be very hard due to differences between the Christian democrats and the labour party.

Prayer

A few things about prayer.

Pray without ceasing

The 24-7 prayer room will be open for the rest of the semester, feel free to use it whenever you want, if you want to be sure of a spot sign up for a slot.

If you ever have any prayer requests, post it on this prayer blog, it is a blog for prayer in the Redeemer community, feel free to add your prayers.

The last month there was a focus on prayer within Redeemer, from chapel, 24-7 prayer, CITB, Leadership dinner to the fall entreat God told us about praying through many different people.

I would like to leave you with this piece of scripture:
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. - Mark 11:24

Pitching Tents

Steve showed me this one, I am posting it though... Poor pastor.

Biblical names

Everybody in my dorm has a biblical name, I don't...


Steve - Stephen
Ben - Benjamin
James - James
Nathan - Nathanial
Josh - Joshua
Matt - Matthew
Peter - Peter

Willem - ....

So Karen Shields decided to give me a biblical name.. - Barnabas

So from now on, please refer to me as Barnabas.

(That's Barnabas)

Impressions from SMC 2006

The Barn at night, heart of the SMC community, that's where the food is!

My favourite twins Dallis and Brook-lynn and Figi in the middleThe climbing wall on top of the hill....
The SMC 2006 teamThe Caledon hills, my home for 2 months
My horrible camper, however, you learn to love every camper deep down in your heart, especially this guy.Singing "we love you campers, deep down in our hears" after another week of camp

Reading break / 24-7 prayer

I love reading break weekend, especially this year! Thanks to all Christian school teachers who fill up Redeemer, so that we have to leave. Last year I was working for Food Services during reading break, making 1000 subs, it was quite the challenge... This year I went to Sarnia with Rachel to meet the rest of her family and see her hometown, it was quite the challenge... However, I loved it! My reading break was awesome, it was good to finally be able to spend some time with Rachel again, to meet her sisters, other family, etc.

The weekend was really relaxing and I am ready for school once again! Yeserday 24-7 prayer started. It is super exciting to see what God is going to do. How people just go in and pray for an hour straight and they wonder where their time has gone. It is awesome to see that only spots on saturday and sunday are left open at the moment. And I am sure they will fill up.

Well, I'd better get back to some school work.

11:35pm

It just feels like on of those times that updating my blog feels like the natural thing to do. Today, was a good day! I was mainly busying with studying for my midterm and finishing my essay in Sociology 241 Crime and Deviance. However, other events included buying a ticket for Tom and Sarah's stag and doe, having coffee in the morning with Rachel, reading a few blogs, and having the weekly prayer meeting with Church in the Box prayer team.

The weekend was a pleasant one, especially the saturday. In the morning my roommate Steve and I went fishing with Dean Schat, this was something I bought at the hobbies for hiltop auction last year. After an intense morning of wrestling with 30 pound fish (we didn't get even a nibble), we went back to Redeemer. I went to Toronto with Rachel for the rest of the day, she had no clue were we wer going I of course did. We had a great day, talking, walking, laughing and whatever else you do during a day like that.

Us in a small park within the Sheraton hotel.
Sunset as seen from the CN tower, I had not been up there since I was 8 or something like that. (those are not UFO's they are reflections of light bulbs inside the CN tower)

The weekend past and monday came into being. When I entered the school just after 11am in the morning, I was curious to see what the business was all about. It was the annual book give away, and I greatly expanded my collection. Among the books I got was the three part "common grace" series in Dutch (Gemeene gratie) bij Abraham Kuyper (in great condition, from 1988), three other Kuyper books, the autobiography of Malcolm X, the Democratization of American Christianity, and some other books. It was a very pleasant suprise.

Now it is time to do some reading, God bless, Willem

Willem needs

I think I don't have to explain this post, but I will anyways. I typed in "Willem needs" on google, and this is apparently what I need. I mean if Katrina can put it on her blog, so can I! So without further ado the 10 things Willem needs.

Willem needs another session (what for? I feel quite sane)
Willem needs help from SARA with running (Well, I am not an excelled sprinter, but Sara can come by anytime)
Willem needs her help rescuing the child of a vampire he has been guarding (That is just creepy)
Willem needs you (Yah, I need you!!)
Willem needs to get out in the world and realize what he has at home (Love you mom!)
Willem needs glasses (I have some already, but google is right, I think they might break soon)
Willem needs to have his face smacked in with a German English dictionary (Well, that is a concerning image)
Willem needs his coffee, d*mm*t! he needs it with sugar and creamer! (It is true that is how I drink my coffee)
Willem needs to renew his passport anyway (True again, my Dutch passport expires in December
Willem needs to take him in the back room and have THE talk with him . . . you know the one about " you never say this to a woman " talk (Ya, I guess I need to have that talk with someone, maybe with my roommate Steve)

In today's news

Check out this news article.

It was about the plane that flew into a luxury apartment complex in New York yesterday. A former Toronto Blue Jays and now New York Yankees pitcher, flew the plane into this building. What I found very interesting, scary and a whole lot of other feelings I can't describe is the fact that fighter jets were sent to patrol the skies over numerous North American cities. Including, Ottawa, New York, LA, Seattle and Washington DC.

I don't really know why it caught my attention, I don't really know what I think about it yet...

midterms, soccer,events

Well, this week was kind of crazy. First of all I think that Redeemer should never ever do another monday schedule on Tuesday. That out a lot of unnecessary pressure on things, such as my studying for my biology midterm. To be quite honest, I did not feel very prepared coming in to that midterm on wednesday, neither did the majority of the class. Luckily, it went a bit better than expected, and I am actually not that scared about it.

I am also still in anticipation about voter registration for the coming Dutch elections in November. Registration was due on October 10, I sent it on October 2nd, but it had to go through the Dutch embessay and everything, (bureaucracy!?). What I did get in my mailbox on wednesday was my ticket to the Netherlands. I was so excited and definately not expecting that yet.

Today the indoor soccer leauge I am involved in got started. We played 2 games already, the first game we lost 3-0, however, it was a good game. The 2nd game we wer all over the other team and we won 5-0. Eli Perrof was on fire, he scored several and assisted to. I think I got an assist in as well.

Afterwards it was a quick rush to be in time for Hot Spot, Nathan and I came in a bit late, but it was still an awesome time of worship! Tomorrow is friday, should be a good day.

That's about it for now. In Christ, Willem

Back to Holland!

July 26, 2005 I left Holland for Redeemer.

December 21, 2006 I will return and I will arrive in the morning of the 22nd.

In other words, I am visiting Holland for 2 weeks!! I'll be there from the 22nd - 3rd!

Lot's of people to visit, lot's of things to do. Hopefully I'll have enough time.

I am excited.

My flight there is Buffalo - Washington DC - Amsterdam
My flight back is Amsterdam - New York JFK - Buffalo

I'm so excited! (that's the 2nd time I said that)

If there are any request for shipment, Willem's unofficial business is know open. This works both ways of course. From Canada to Holland, and from Holland to Canada. I can't take very large amounts because I am going throught th US... The customs there think they are tough ( I agree with them)

Well, let's write a paper.

Psalm 103

We have so much to be thankful for. Today this Psalm was mentioned twice to me, by completely different people, in completely different places. It is a Psalm that fits with thanksgiving.

The words in bold print in the first 5 verses can be asked as question, try to think of them that way, verse 6 gives us the answer.

Psalm 103

Of David.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.

21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

- NIV