Author: Trish

Firmly Rooted

One of the things for which I am most grateful during this time is the sense of “rootedness” we feel in Santa Barbara.  Our family relocated to the Santa Barbara/Goleta area only one year ago and I’m struck by the fact that we easily could be facing this family crisis feeling a bit isolated and alone as it does take time to make friends in a new community but that is not our experience at all…I feel so surrounded and supported by our friends in Santa Barbara – as if we’ve lived here for 20 years!  A big hug of gratitude goes out to the families at La Patera Elementary School, my sweet bible study and our community of friends associated with the rescue mission.

We moved to Santa Barbara after living in Los Angeles for 17 years when Rolf accepted a position directing the work of the Santa Barbara Resuce Mission.  One of the sweetest blessings in making the move is that the rescue mission has become more than a place of employment for Rolf but, literally, a “home away from home” for our family AND the staff and residents there have become part of an extended family to us all!!!  Our family lived at the mission a couple of months before we found and moved into our house last fall and we continue a family tradition of having dinner at the mission every Thursday (Pat and his team cook much better than I do!). 

It is such an amazing place to me…a place where miracles are in the making every day…a place where the homeless in our community are provided with hot meals and clean beds and where men and women make a courageous choice to submit themselves to a 12-month residential recovery program as they confront their addictions to drugs and/or alcohol.  These men and women, in particular, and the staff that walk along side them and facilitate their recovery are my heros!  The residents because they persevere in a life and death battle every day that is unimaginable to me and the staff because I’ve never seen such professional excellence wrapped in such compassion and love – all a picture of God’s, truly, amazing grace.

I was blessed this week by the women in the program…the residents and staff of Bethel House planned a time to pray for our family and celebrate Rudy.  It was a wonderful afternoon…the women used their creative talents in art, music and writing to honor me and Rudy,  we had an uplifting time in prayer and enjoyed the yummiest carrot cake I’ve ever had!  As I sat there watching all their plans unfold, I was struck by how very rich my life is and how very thankful I am that as I prepare to leave for LA in a couple of weeks and prepare to support Rudy in his life and death battle, I have this amazing circle of heros that inspire and encourage me.

I just had to share with you a poem one of the gals at Bethel House wrote for me and Rolf…precious!

AND SO HE CHOSE YOU

One glorious morning not long ago God was surveying His stock

Of all the not-yet-born boys in His Heavenly flock.

     He was looking for a particular boy for they had a job to do.

     It was “Parent Picking Day” and Rudy hadn’t a clue…

As to whom to choose for parents and whether he liked it or not.

Though he’d get some help from God, the choice was up to the tot.

     “Well, I know what I don’t want,” said Rudy with a sigh.

     “I’ve got no previous experience so I can’t really tell you why…

“But I don’t want parents who are Doctores or Lawyers or PHDs

“And Heaven help us stay away from the Psychologists PLEASE!”

     “Whoa there, little fella,” said God with a tender smile.

     “Don’t be dissin’ my professionals and looking down with your nose.

     “There’s always a chance you’ll grow up to be one of those!”

“What I want,” continued Rudy with some determination

(His thoughts were gathering steam, now, and he spoke in affirmations)

     “My dad must be kind and patient and very, very strong

     “My mom must be gentle and loving – within her heart a song.

“My parents should be leaders, teachers of Your word

“Shouting out Your praises, your verses to be heard.

     “My parents should be well loved by their fellow man

     “People coming from all around by their side to stand.”

“Hey, little man, that’s an awfully tall order, you’veput some thought in this

“Are you sure there’s nothing else – something you may have missed?”

     God decided to tease the boy and asked him “Perhaps you’d like your father to play professional golf?”

     “Oh No!” said Rudy disarmingly, “That’s why I choose Trish and Rolf!!”

A Friend’s Gesture…

Dear Loved Ones,  I’ve attached below an email from a friend who lives in Nashville, TN.  She is one of the most creative people I know.  It’s funny because we’ve actually never met in person but have enjoyed an email/letter penpal friendship for over 15 years!  She and her husband have a connection to Rolf’s Stanford circle from way back.  Anyway, she offered to make a blanket for Rudy and wanted to include sentiments from our friends and family.  Please don’t feel obligated to participate but if this is something that strikes your fancy, her information is below:

 

Dear friends of the Geylings,

I am writing to enlist your help.  I am planning on making a special blanket for Rudy.   Here’s what you can do to make it special:

Please write a prayer or blessing for him or find a poem, song or quote that you would like to share with the Geylings to welcome their little boy and to surround them in prayer as they await his arrival.  Then send it back to me in an e-mail by October 5, 2008.

I will then write your words in permanent marker on a little square cloth that I will sew under some shapes for a  blanket for him.  In this way, Rudy will be wrapped up in all of our prayers!  I will also type up the prayers and include them in a special book so that they will know what you all are praying for them.  Please keep a copy of your prayer as a reminder to pray for them as they prepare to become a family of six.

Thank you so much for your help with this!  Don’t hesitate to email me or call with any questions.

Joyfully,

Emily Huff

emilyjasonhuff@aol.com

(615) 298-4863

 

What’s in a Name?

Shakespeare posed this question in “Romeo and Juliet”…”What’s in a name?  A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”  I think there is a lot to a name.  I love names!  I love the stories behind names!  When someone has a new baby, my first question is “What’s his/her name?” and then “Why did you choose that name?”.  We chose to go with family names or variations of family names with all our kids…Wilson Thomas, Maximilian Rixford, Olivia Johanna and now Clinton Rudolf.  I LOVE our kids’ names…they don’t always appreciate the uniqueness of their names but I do because I know the stories behind their names and all the thought that went into choosing them.  Rudy’s is no different…Clinton was my grandfather and Rudolf was Rolf’s great grandfather. 

Rudolf was a painter and stained glass window maker in Austria…I am reminded of him every day as we have a few of his paintings in our home.  One in particular is this huge painting of a knight talking with water nymphs and one day a few years ago, Rolf took it out of the crate we store it in (we’ve never had a wall in our house big enough to display it) to make sure it was storing well and Wilson, who was 5 or 6 at the time, came up to Rolf, studied the painting and said “Daddy, is that a good knight or a bad knight?” to which Rolf replied “Oh, he’s a good knight!”  Wilson thought again for a minute and said, “Then why is he talking to naked ladies?”  I don’t recall if Rolf had an answer to that one (Ha).  Regardless of Wilson’s first impression of the knight or his painter, there is a rich, family history to the name.

Clinton was a farmer turned grocer in western Kansas.  I didn’t know him personally because he died when I was just a baby but to this day I love my grandfather.  In part because my grandmother and mom loved him alot and I trust their judgement and also because he made one simple comment about me that has encouraged me all my life.  Shortly before he passed away, my mom and I made the trek from Chicago to Quinter, KS to help my grandma and see grandpa as he had suffered a couple of heart attacks and wasn’t well.  As the story goes, my grandma left me playing on my grandpa’s lap for a minute and she left the room.  While she was gone, my grandpa lifted me onto the floor and was down on all fours crawling along with me as he towered over me.  When my grandma came back into the room she scolded Clint for being out of his chair – he was supposed to be resting!  Ignoring her rebuke, he sat back on the floor and said “Aw, Babe, isn’t she the sweetest thing you ever did see?”.  My grandma loved telling me that story and I loved hearing it.  Now, I’ve had alot of love expressed to me over the years by alot of different people but for some reason whenever I felt down on myself or doubted myself in some way while growing up, my grandpa’s comment always came to mind.  How wonderful it was to know there was someone out there who thought I was the sweetest thing he ever saw!!!!

In my book of baby names, Clinton means “honorable, just” and Rudolf means “resourceful, courageous”.  Given the fight he has ahead, I think we picked the perfect names!