California Roll

I'm going through old blog posts in preparation to close down this site. I'm moving my personal writing to a free venue: californiarollcarol.wordpress.com. For a month I'll keep this site up to allow people to learn of the movement.

Some of the old and popular posts will be transferred to the new blog. Others polished more and posted CarolPark.us Others are being deleted. Others stored and filed in a NeoOffice category I've created as I consider them worthy of being revisited and included in something larger some day.

Eight years worth of writing I am surveying. Eight years that include Mother dying, collegiate daughters graduating, and new territory of my own--a Creative Writing program, as well as seeing oldest marry and give birth two years later. Fortunately, I'm in the ideal location for this trip into the past.

Stepping outside, I see round green hills spotted with yellow flowers. If I walk three blocks I'll see seascape of rolling waves and miles of empty sand. Within my friend's cozy cottage, I look out on colorful succulents and across the street to the second floor of a white house. From its balcony, railed in white, stands a modern 2-D sculpture, perhaps of resin or plexiglass. It's a purple dog sitting upright on a bike with rainbow-colored wheels. A touch of humor alongside the beauty greenery and sea--all soothes me as I confront my past and evaluate my words (some good, some bad, some I wish I'd never typed).

Behind me my husband fingers a keyboard too--working on his second blog post. Soon we'll go out to visit a small shop and find hand knit bed socks to warm my cold feet. Then we'll walk and dine by the sea A good place indeed.

An Unexpected Gift

Here's some family news, of interest to those of you who know our 18-year-old daughter, Jenny, and perhaps of interest to you who have teens and wonder how you will finance their college education or help them navigate through making a decision.

By three days ago on Monday Jenny had to decide to which college her National Merit Scholarship monies would go,  So last week she visited Stonybrook, a State Univ. of NY on Long Island; the week prior she visited Grinnell, a top-notch small liberal arts college Iowa. When she visited Grinnel, it moved to the top of her list. When she returned from NY, Stonybrook and Calvin College in Michigan (visited last year) were the top contenders.

Stonybrook offers her purposed major, linguistics, plus a completely free ride!  They've offered to pay not only tuition for four years, but also room and board. Still, it's a far cry from a small, liberal arts college in the mid-west, Jenny's original criteria. Yet, with the cost being some $30,000 to $40,000 less than the two mid-west, liberal arts colleges she most liked (MacAlster in Minnesota, Grinnel), she reconsidered. 

Collin prefers towards Calvin because in every classroom Jesus is not excluded from the classroom (see Collin's posts at: 
1. http://collinpark.blogspot.com/2006/02/academic-freedom-and-calvin-college.html
2. http://collinpark.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-is-college-for.html

Calvin would do more than expand the intellect, but nurture the soul. It provides a distinctively Christian framework while still encouraging students to look at alternative points of view and a high standard of academics, including anhonors college. He'd been there and dialogued by e-mail with friendly professors about how Jenny's needs and interests could be met.  Its price was considerably less than the two mid-west colleges I mention above.

On Sunday, the day before a decision was required, Jenny still vacillated. She asked Collin and I to
stage a debate with Collin advocating Calvin and I Stonybrook.  I think neither of us "won," but our opposing viewpoints freed her up to recognize what she really wanted.  The factors?  Stonybrook's honors
college program looks good and she doesn't have to do many prerequisite classes and at Calvin she could only minor in linguistics. Plus, she wants to save us money and see those dollars go to a better use!

Thanks to you who prayed. When Jenny said after our debate, "I know what I want, but I don't know what God wants," I told her, "Many people are praying for you.  I'm trusting that God has turned your heart towards what he wants."

We're thrilled not only that Jenny received the honor of a great offer at an excellent college, but that her first thought about the money not expended was, "Could we send that to World Vision so they could drill a well in Africa?"  (Many in Africa have to walk 2.5 hours each way to get good, clean water; many die of water born diseases.)

I'm happy that at Stonybrook a Christian faculty works with the InterVarsity chapter there. InterVarsity was key in my growth as a person and in leadership and vision. The Stonybrook IVCF website shows many Asian faces among the leaders there.  Much nicer for Jenny than the nearly all white mileu of some midwest colleges.  Plus, at Stonybrook there's a  dining hall in the new Wang building that's devoted to various Asian cuisines!  I think she'll be happy there for many and various reasons.

I never dreamed when we decided not to worry about college expenses, for me to keep doing what I feel called to do - write, ministry and grow healthier - that Jenny would be given us a good gift!  Thank you God!