Spring trip

 

Unexpected Spring Trip

“I thought that you were coming tomorrow”, said my friend whom I visited on the first day of my trip up north. The problem was that I misread my diary. Never mind.

The friend adjusted her diary. And we had a nice day in Wanganui...Next day we went to church because it was Sunday. A good sermon and singing made the Mass a real prayer.
That day it was terrible weather. A storm from Mount Taranaki with constant rain made driving more than funny. In New Plymouth I was told that I was expected the next day, the birthday of my old friend. But his wife said that her family were celebrated dad’s birthday that evening. So was unexpectedly on time. “He is a jolly good fellow...”
Next day on the way to Rotorua I got lost in a forest. My guardian angel knew the way out , so I arrived in Rotorua rather late, but a day ahead of time. The same problem as above. In a glorious day my friend took to places where I had never been before or at least a very long time ago. I discovered that I left my electric razor behind in the motel in New Plymouth. The manager would courier it to Roto.
The following day I drove to Tauranga, and also, as you expect, a day ahead of time.
I waited in the car, read a news paper, and fell a sleep, found a toilet and finished reading the new paper. The next day my car would not start, But the AA solved the problem (flat battery?). I was sent to Mount Maunganui to find the reason. I had to book in; had to wait for four days. Forget about it.
But as I was in Mount Maunganui, I went to my friends who I rung the previous day and told me to come in two days (funeral). They just arrived from the funeral. In that case I was again one day ahead, but it did not matter. We caught up with the memory of old friends.
Next day I went to Rotorua to pick up my electric razor and from there to Taupo for a
meal and a rest. After taking photos of this scenic place I travelled to Napier, also very scenic.
In Napier I stopped behind a bus stop. A guide told the tourists about the earthquake in 1931 which destroyed a large area of Napier. With the sun getting lower I finally arrived at my friends, this time on time. Hurray!
In the morning we went to Mass in the ST Thomas More Church. This church is a good example how the people had this church built according to their wishes. The sermon was excellent by a retired priest. After coffee I left for the next place, the Benedictine monastery of Kopua. Fr NIKO made me very welcome.
After the eight o’clock Mass, next day, I began on the last lap of my trip. Stopped in Carterton, but Father was absent and finally I wanted to visit Joy Cowley in Featherston. But, unexpectedly she was not in. Of the ten paintings I put in the booth of the car I left the last two behind the back door, hoping they would be found by her.

The Good Lord looked after me. Save and well I arrived home in Summerset Village. As I expected I found a whole lot of emails.
The moral of this story is, that even when you have not well organised you travel arrangements, your guardian angel will do it for you, because that is their job. Trust them.

I finish with one of my paintings, called SPRING.
The colours outside are Spring colours, because they have all the colours of the season. Enjoy when they are around.

God Bless , Fr John Heijnen, 01.02.0012

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011


Many of us live near a beach. In New Zealand you find on the beach beds of shells lying halfway between the tides, as neat a painting..
Some of the shells are turned up like the paua-shell very common on our beach. They shimmer and sparkle, reflecting Gods creation.

Now, a week before Christmas I see in the paua-shells the Christmas story, the nativity scene, the night sky filled with angels singing “Gloria in the highest”, sheep huddled by shepherds and a caravan of camels bearing wise men holding treasures.
And my painting is born.

A little baby hardly visible becomes the point of admiration. His parents are keeping a embracing watch in a cave with a donkey and an ox
The shepherds are surprised by a swarm of singing angels and leading their sheep to the cave.
A caravan sierra is slowly approaching the same cave. The wise men are preparing their treasures as gifts for the baby and his parents.

The colours become a kaleidoscope of the painting for you, with Christmas- wishes to everyone who is waiting for the birth of Christ in the world.
The paua-shells are turned up to the Light of the universe.
May your celebration of Bethlehem become the birthing of Christ within yourself.

Happy Christmas and God Bless
John Heijnen 18.12.2011

Brabant

Brabant

Tuesday morning is for me the time for painting. On the attic of an old Woolshed not far from here a group of my age or younger meet to paint, draw or pastille.
Seldom I know what to paint. Someone mentioned to me I should paint an old farmhouse in Brabant the province in the Netherlands where I grew up.
From memory I painted a farmhouse where I as a youngster of eleven years slept on the hay-loft. It was 1939 when my youth-group had a weekend camp. The leaders using white tiles made a cross on the side-wall of the farmhouse.
!n 1949 I stayed in the major seminary, not far from the farmhouse. For seven years I have been looking for the farm-house, but never found it.
In 2010, during a holyday in The Netherlands, I asked my brother to look for the farm-house and…. we found it. The white tiled cross was still on the wall.
The painting is from memory. Remembering the good time when I was young I told myself to put the story and painting on my blog, http://Summerset@Aotea,blogspot.com

quiet, peace,worry

 

QUIET

 

PEACE

 

WORRY



During heavy rain I went through different emotions of my life.
See the result of one morning of painting.
Enjoy
John

memory

 

Memory


Aotea Lagoon is near where I live now.Walking around I see the birds and animals that live there. They remind me of my early days of my life in New Zealand.
So I wrote a kind of poem called "Memory" using the style of "There is love".



THERE IS MEMORY

He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts.
“Do this in memory of me, because I love you”
The union of your friends here has caused Him to remain,
for whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name,
There is Memory. Oh there is Memory.

Oh, a friend shall leave his family, and his friend leaves his home.
They will travel on to where the two will be as one.
As it was in the beginning, is now until the end,
friends draw their life from one another
and give it back again and there is memory.
Oh, there's memory.

Well then what's to be the reason for becoming friends?
Is it love that brings you here or love that brings you life?
For is loving is the answer then who's the giving for?
Do you believe in something that you've never seen before?
Oh, there's memory. There is memory...

Christ is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts.
“Do this in memory of me, because I love you.”
The union of your friends here has caused Him to remain
for whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name
there is memory. Oh, there is Memory.


What I now remember since I moved to Summerset is LOVE.
Love is what keeps me here, love between friends.
A different lounge, bedroom, corridor and cafeteria are a challenge.
But many people everywhere are an invitation to love.
Making friends is for me a new dimension in my life.

Every Sunday morning we gather for Holy Mass and we
celebrate the presence of our common Friend,
Who said, “Whenever two or more are gathered in my name,
I will be there.” He is there in word and sacrament.
In communion we remember him. There is memory. Oh there is memory.

The Faith he gives us is passed on to our friends.
That faith has been passed on from time long time ago,
When he said to the woman with many wounds,
“Woman, your faith saved you. Your faith is great”.
There is memory, oh there is memory.

Where there is caritas and love, God is there.
Ubi caritas et amor Deus ibi est.
Latin is not our common language anymore.
So we communicate in our own language
What binds us together in a common bond of love?

People come into your life everyday; it's up to you to decide
Who you let walk away and who you let stay and become part of the fabric of your days.
During the Mass we may pray:.
Gracious God, bless all my friends in whatever it is that You know they
are experiencing Today!
And may their life be filled with your peace, hope, and love
As they daily walk with you.

Later, , during the week we remember.
There is memory. Oh there is MEMORY

Dutch living 1928

This is a living room in the South of of the Netherlands before the great War 1939-1945

Summerset @ Aotea

Summerset at Aotea
My new home for a new period of my life. Thank God.I shifted to Summerset because it was offered to me. My previous flat was quite comfortable and peaceful, close to the church St Theresa Plimmerton in a quiet street. Someone with name Gorden invited me to morning tea at Summerset. He showed me around and I was impressed, but told him that I was not ready for it yet.Then after two weeks I woke up from a dream in which I was encouraged to go for it.That day I went to see the manager and others involved and after a couple of days, ie 20th May I moved in. It took me another week to get everything I needed and I am now quit settled. The most important fact is that I meet dayly a lot of people in this retirement village and thus my life has given a new dimention. I enjoy it.On sundays now we, Fr John Card, Barry Edwards and I, we take turns to celebrate Mass for the people in the home. Thank God.

Fr John Heijnen, 27 June 2011

posted by Johannes @ 9:21 AM
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