“Oh Lord, It is said you created people because you love stories. Be with me as I live out my story”
(Ted Loder)

This prayer was shared by Dr. Bootsma at new staff orientation and resonated with me. After spending the last 10 years starting a family, a church and a business, my story has brought me to LC as the high school counselor. Stories matter. Each student, each staff member has a story.  Everyday our stories collide together to become part of the bigger Lynden Christian School story and the even bigger story of Redemption.

Every story has beauty.  In my short time as the high school counselor, I have borne witness to beauty in several ways at LC. The staff have been so welcoming and parents have sent me kind notes and emails.  But it is the students that have impressed me the most.

One of my highlights so far was attending the Senior and Freshmen Retreats where I watched students work together, play together and pray together.  Back in the hallways, I have observed students going out of their way to include others. Students have smiled at me and shown me around. I have witnessed students standing up for injustice. Students are trying new things. They are working hard in their classes.

Every story also has hard transitions. It can be hard for new kids, and students who are faced with the challenge of balancing homework, activities and social expectations. There is pressure to make decisions about the future and the struggle to find a place to belong is real.

My hope for this year is that students will know that their stories matter and that their stories are embedded in a much larger story. We are living out our stories together, and may God be with us this as we navigate the beauty and the hard