 I was born in Holland, Europe. A Calvanistic country by origin. When I was 2 months old I emigrated to South America with my family. When I was seven years old, our family emigrated from South America to the United States; to Orlando, Florida to be exact. I still believed in Fairies and "Kabouters" back then...   At one point my eldest sister started attending church and I used to join her. Through those visits I learned about the Lord Jesus and our heavenly Father. Church was boring and seemed to last forever at that young age, apart from the collection part and going to Sunday School. When Summer came I begged my parents to go to the church's Summer Camp, where I learned the Bible verses by heart and earned my shiny ribbons and glued them onto the black pages of a photo album.
I also played the ukelele in a choir of children that travelled from church to church and visited homes for elderly people. I felt so special. Those were carefree and happy years.  Then we moved to another neighborhood, I wanted so much to belong there that I convinced the minister to baptize me. I was then ten years old and it was Easter. To this very day I consider that to be the true moment I came to be a child of God.  There's one woman whose face I cannot remember, but I do remember she had a station wagon and her name was Mrs. Smith. I thank Mrs. Smith to this very day for having had such a big part in the forming of my faith. Please, God, Bless Mrs. Smith! If it hadn't been for her unselfish hospitality (picking me up at home and bringing me back from church each and every sunday), I wouldn't have gotten the advantage of getting to know The Lord as well as I did during that period in my life. Something that was to sustain me and my family for the rest of all our lives. My father was raised Protestant and my mom was raised Catholic. They left the choice of religion up to their children to make. Thus I visited many churches from Baptists to Presbyterians to Scientologists to Nazarenes. It was this last one where I felt "at home" most. Alas, it wasn't meant to be, since we emigrated again, this time to the Caribbean Island of Sint Maarten.
There I went to a Catholic school, which meant attending Catholic Mass at Easter and Christmas and Religion being an actual subject on my report card.   While living in the Caribbean I was also confronted with Voodoo, to some also considered a religion. Two years later I emigrated back to South America where the Evangelists flourish. There I also learned about Hinduism, Jehova Witnesses, Budhism and Winti. Winti is another sort of religion like Voodoo. Again, however, I attended a Catholic school, being subjected to Catholic influences. At the age of nineteen I emigated to Holland where I went to live with my fiancé's family, who are Catholics.
Half a year later I married and because I was not Catholic, I had to promise to baptize and raise my children Catholic before being officially granted permission to marry in a Catholic church by a Catholic priest. And I did. That was in 1979.  When my second son was born, I felt I needed to practise what I was preaching (teaching) to my children and so I asked to be baptized Catholic along with my son. And I was, at 23 years of age. However, I've never truly felt Catholic, nor have I been able to embrace the Catholic faith as a whole. It took me years to learn to accept Maria as a holy person, and to this day I cannot condone the Pope, Cardinals, Bishops and Saints. I guess my own personal religion consists of deeply ingrained American Protestant influences with a bit of Budhism and Catholicism mixed in.    My Christian faith is of a childlike nature. Simplistic. I often sing songs like "Jesus loves me, this I know..etc". Or "Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world..." and I own several c.d.'s with gospel songs with which I sing along. If fills my heart with joy, love and contentment.  I earnestly believe in prayer. When I pray I make a cross with my right hand (Catholic) and starting out with the common prayers known to all. Then I talk to Jesus and/or God about what is on my mind. Only on singular occasions have I prayed to Maria. I have taught each of my 4 children the "Our Father" and "Hail Mary" prayers.
I am also a firm believer in the Holy Spirit and in Angels, both in Heaven and here on Earth.   As well as in Reïncarnation, Multiple Dimensions and that there's more between Heaven and Earth than meets the eye! The paranormal, extra terrestial beings, century old cultural traditions and customs handed down from one generation to another. I believe that the power of true Love and singularly strong Faith can accomplish anything! I believe in miracles and in (Healing) Dreams The NEXT button below will lead you to "My Testimony" to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I consider myself a very spiritual person and have re-discovered my faith through nature. While walking in forests or getting my hands dirty working in garden soil -or- standing in buckets of wet slithery paint and smearing it onto a clean piece of white paper -or- kneading slippery clay into fantasy shapes, playing with the lines and forms. Nature brings out my creative side, inspires and energizes me like nothing else can.     I'm also fascinated with Western and Chinese astrology. Born on October 27th I am a Scorpio with Leo as my ascendent. In the Chinese Astrology I'm a Metal Rat. I don't live my life according to what my horoscope says, but I do listen to it sometimes, marvelling at the "coïncidences" cloaked within the readings and charts.  and visit with Oprah Winfrey.For more Spiritual Growth and Self Empowerment -> be sure to visit THIS extraordinary web site:      I want to thank both Edda and Vera for custom making these beautiful backgounds and attributes! Simply out of the goodness of their hearts and without which this page wouldn't have been possible.   |
