Dear Rose Park,

“Weddings are easy; marriages are difficult.” Eugene Peterson wrote this in his book Run With The Horses and it’s absolutely true. Don’t get me wrong, I love officiating and attending weddings. I love the pageantry, the flowers, the music, the setting, and the traditions. Every once in a while, Sam and I will reminisce about our own wedding and share lovely memories of friends and family gathering to honor and witness our commitment to each other and God, but don’t for a second think that the wedding is the hard part.

Dear Rose Park,

What brings you joy? Is it the laughter of your children or grandchildren? The long enduring friendships you’ve had since high school? The beautiful music we hear during the holidays? A quiet walk in the woods? The sound of the church bell signifying worship? Or even the collective voices in the sanctuary singing together on Sunday morning? What brings you joy?

Rose Park Family,

Many of you know my mother, Kathy, works in the music department at Hope College. She’s been the administrator in the office for over twenty years. In that time she’s worked with faculty and staff from all over the world, helped students navigate the halls and their classes, and even moved from their previous location at the center of campus to the current location on the corner 10th St. and Columbia Ave. This past week, my mom sent me a link to one of Hope’s chapel services being led by Assistant Professor of Music Instruction and Director of Choral Activities, Eric Reyes.

Dear Rose Park,

Last week Tuesday I had lunch with Arlene Wassink at Royal Park Place in Zeeland. Royal Park was hosting a luncheon for pastor appreciation month. I arrived a little before 11:30AM and met Arlene around the table with a few other residents paired with their pastors. It was a great time to chat with Arlene, get to know her and others a bit better, and then to share our gratitude around the table.

Dear Rose Park,

As I write this letter to you from my study, I am experiencing two polar opposite feelings. On the one hand I’m seeing a small sign on my shelf that says, “This is the day the Lord has made” which reminds me of all the blessings I have and the words “let us rejoice and be glad in it” naturally come out of my mouth. On the other hand, I’m looking out my window and seeing gray skies, hearing the wind whip, and even the sound of small hail/snow hit my window. I want to rejoice and be glad, but this particular day that the Lord has made isn’t very pretty.

Dear Rose Park,

Location, location, location. We often hear this phrase when it comes to real estate; reminding us of the importance of the location of a home when considering to purchase. However, this dynamic goes far beyond real estate; place plays a particularly important role to our growth and maturation process. Whether it’s your childhood home, your hometown, your high school campus, or even your home church place plays a foundational role as to who we are and who we grow to be.

Dear Rose Park,

Many of you are familiar with the story of Mary and Martha. It’s the story of how Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and Martha was too busy making preparations. We read and tell this story to remind people that our schedules, though important, are far less important than being in the presence of Jesus. This is absolutely true and it’s something I need to be reminded of daily; however, if we run with this idea too far we miss out on opportunities to serve and act.

Dear Rose Park,

I grew up at Calvary Reformed Church in Holland Heights. Read that sentence again, because I don’t mean to communicate that I merely grew up attending Calvary Reformed Church, I truly mean I matured at Calvary. It was the place where I first heard the words of Jesus Loves Me. It was the place where I learned how to love my neighbor as myself. It was the place where I was prayed over. It was the place that sent me off to college and seminary. I attended worship and ministries at Calvary, but my growth went far beyond attendance.

Dear Rose Park,

Yesterday morning I took my almost two-year-old daughter Winnie to the doctor. Winnie wasn’t feeling well, so just before 8AM we drove to Holland Pediatrics on the south side of Holland. We arrived early and were soon ushered back to our room. Unlike her brother Simon, Winnie doesn’t really like the doctors office. She got fussy and nervous when they had to check her eyes, ears, and throat. She got scared when she had to lay on the table with the crinkly paper. She even got teary-eyed when the doctor put the stethoscope on her back. When the nurse and doctor were finished with their exam Winnie looked at me, climbed into my lap and said, “Daddy keep me safe.”

Dear Rose Park,

My daughter Winnie loves the Curious George books; I know for a fact she isn’t the only one (right Charlie?) but Curious George seems to find a soft spot for a lot of people. Perhaps it’s the innocence of a little monkey, the friendship between he and the man with the yellow hat, or the clever hints to bananas spread throughout the stories. Now I don’t mean to be too dramatic when it comes to a children’s book, but I wonder if one of the reasons so many children adore Curious George is because, well he’s curious.