Another Excerpt from When Light Comes Unexpected

 

Another Excerpt from:

When Light Comes Unexpected

―Choices―

Taken from Chapter 9

By John W. Vander Velden

 

Nick watched as the afternoon’s light filtered through the branches above and shone on the creek as it flowed. The stream of water was forced to rise and fall by the stones it flowed over and around. A thought came to him as the stream remained within his focus. Matthew said, In life we have choices. Had he made the best choices? We can be moving forward, like the creek’s water, or we can be stuck in one place.

“Like a rock,” Nick spoke aloud as he finished Matthew’s words.

Matthew had told him that, the time he had found Nick sitting in this exact spot. But the man he had come to respect, more, had come to love, had told him something else. Something about the choices each person has to make. With the sound of flowing water, a music that always helped him, Nick remembered those words. And though Nick had often rehashed his past, he had wondered whether the words were true. But now, on this late Sunday afternoon, he reached out to those words and grabbed them like a lifeline. “We make choices, Nick,” the man’s voice echoed in the boy’s head. “We make choices, the best choices based on what we know at the time.”

Had he really? Had he, Nick Coulter, made the decision to leave Missouri, based on what he knew―then? Matthew had continued, “When we look back and say we ought to have done this or that, and feel bad about what might have been, we gotta tell ourselves that at the time, we done the best we could.”

Wishing he could believe that leaving home was best, his doubts had persisted. Was leaving beneficial for his sisters? For his mother? Surely the friction within the home would have decreased. No matter how hard Nick had tried, he and Tanner had not meshed. Nick couldn’t deal with the way his mother’s husband operated the farm. How Tanner abused the draft animals. The poor farming practices which, by now, would likely have the creditors at the door.

Nick bit his lip. Had it been a mistake not to take Mister and Missus’ offer to go home for a visit? Bending over, he found a pebble and tossed it into the water streaming before him. He watched the small stone sink to the bottom of the shallow creek. But that pebble did not come to rest on the creek bed. Rather the swift water caused it to tumble downstream. Certainly not as rapidly as the water’s flow, but it moved rotation, after rotation, until it was out of sight.

He sat there wondering, for that stone was neither the flowing water nor one of the stationary rocks. That pebble had become something unique. How would that bit of rock fit Matthew’s words, when the man described choices?

Nick stared at the stream, barely aware of the flowing water. The small stone may not rush headlong with the stream, Nick decided, but it still moved.

Life might push him along, but it was up to him, Nick Coulter, to decide just how much change it would cause.

“Yes,” he told the rushing water, “Matthew is right. It is up to me to choose. To think through each of those choices and then decide. I must move forward, but at the pace that is best.” And hopefully, he thought, learn from the mistakes he’d make along the way.

Yes, he would go back to Missouri, but not quite yet. If those kids from Illinois were coming, then Mister and Missus would need him for a time.

He gave himself a sharp nod.

(606 Words) 11-7-2025

 

An Excerpt from When Light Comes Unexpected

 

An Excerpt from When Light Comes Unexpected

Book 4 of the Misty Creek Series

 

By John W. Vander Velden

 

When the morning broke clear with an unusual coolness, the residents of Hancock’s Bluff had decreased by one.

It was at that moment Matthew had come to her. Perhaps he had heard the whispers, or perhaps the man who had bound his life with hers felt the need. The instant he entered, Elizabeth rushed to the arms of the man whose face reflected the sadness she felt. Within his embrace she melted, as if her legs could no longer support her. Matthew held her close as she wept. But the tears that fell were not hers alone, for Elizabeth felt her husband’s as well.

***

Those who lived in the wide-open places understood life and death better than some living in what might be called a more civilized world. The mud and blood of life was something each had dealt with. Mr. Welcome Morgan had built a box. A pine casket that he knew his friend would need when the time came.

The time had come.

Mrs. Schoff and another had dressed the dear woman out, and then everyone over the age of ten came to pay their final respects. Nearly all had said their goodbyes to Eloise before her passing, but that did not fulfill the need to pay honor to the woman who seemed to have always been there. Eloise lived at the Bluff before anyone thought to name the place.

It was mid-afternoon of another cloudless day when all was completed and everyone had gathered. Ben told her that it was time.

“No,” Elizabeth insisted.

“But…” he began.

“In the morning Ben. Early, while the dew is on the grass and the lark sings. That would be the time Eloise would want it done. She would want us all to experience the glory of the day’s awakening. To be surrounded by what she called the “wild opens.” The land she loved.”

***

They left the settlement known as Hancock’s Bluff before the sun had risen. Mr. Morgan had hitched his horses to a flat wagon, and the men—Matthew and Nick among them—had carried her out the store’s front door, down the steps, and slid the coffin gently onto that wagon. It was early, with only the gray dimness of the day, when Welcome Morgan eased his horses forward. The wagon was followed by the sad-faced preacher-man, holding his Bible. The pallbearers came next, and behind the six men, Elizabeth and a multitude of those that called the settlement their home. The procession went up the hillside, past the smoke stacks jutting out of the soil. The train of wagon, preacher, and the rest veered to the right, leaving the strips of dirt that passed for a road behind.

How far they had gone, Elizabeth wasn’t certain, but far enough that she found herself surrounded by the open prairie land. The place they approached was no different than other places she had seen on the prairie, except they followed the crest of the bluff. To her right she could see miles of open land, dotted by a sod house and barn here and there. Fields lay below the bluff as far as she could see. Perhaps further. They stopped, surrounded by the near waist-high, dew-covered wild grasses, the blades burnt golden by the summer sun. There was no fence, no row of markers, nothing to separate the featureless grassland from any other, save for the mound of earth and the place from which that soil had come.

A pink blush in the eastern sky caught everyone’s attention as they waited. The day was dead calm, so unusual for the open country. It felt to Elizabeth as if nature itself held its breath in reverence of the moment.

Ben took his place at the grave, here in what felt like the middle of the vastness of Kansas. The way grasslands had been before it was Kansas. A time before any settlers had come. The men set the casket at the side of the grave and Elizabeth, like the world around her, found herself holding her breath as the sheer brilliance of the first rays of the morning sun tore apart the sky.

9-24-2025 (710 Words)

 

 

A Bit of Light...

 

A Bit of Light…

By John W. Vander Velden

          The world around us seems a dark place. The news focuses on the pain and suffering near and far. How easily it is for us to become overwhelmed by what we perceive as a complete picture of present-day realities.

          Yet, what we fear society has become, is not completely accurate. Truth is there are good people out there. Folks that work for the best, even though their labors go unnoticed. Perhaps one way to describe them is to say they bring a bit of light to the places they go. Too often we do not notice these important flickers, that in truth are nearer than we think. But worse… too often we do not recognize that, in our own small way, we too can contribute to the battle against darkness. That each of us has a bit of light we can share with others, a way to make the dark less dark, even if it is in the life of one person.

          Fact is, it is not so difficult.

It begins by caring. Caring about the difficulties another person faces. Trying to understand the challenges of their lives. We focus on the veneer of the lives of those that surround us, satisfying ourselves that things for them are perfect, or in the least much better than the world we face. But what they reveal is seldom the complete view of the burdens they carry. But when we truly care, when we get to know them better, a time will come when the veneer slips enough for us to begin to understand a bit deeper about their difficulties. And in doing so we realize that everyone faces hard times, loss, illness, and disappointments.

          It is by caring we are driven to act. A listening ear, a gentle touch. Proving that you are willing to be there. Doing so offers just a bit of brightness, a contrast to the darkness they may be facing.

          The world can be changed by these small acts of kindness. It is up to you and me, to bring a bit of light…

 

 

Words Matter...

 

Words Matter…

By John W. Vander Velden

June 28, 2025

Some year ago, as I began to take my writing seriously, I was told that I needed some sort of internet presence. That a few posts on Facebook and Twitter just wasn’t going to cut it. That was early 2012 and though I had no idea what I was doing I began blogging. I honestly did not know what a blog was, when I set up my google blogger site. It was a time for experimenting.

But I did have a mental picture of what I intended my blog to be…something literary.

After much thought and preparation, I started Ramblings…Essays and Such…in March of 2012, and for years I generated new content each week. It had been my hope to offer something of merit and if I was fortunate a bit of name recognition would come of it. And though other writing demands have kept me from adding many new posts these last years, the Blog has, at present, 447 posts, most under 500 words.

There are among them a few that have gotten a steady number of page visits, such as Misty Morning and Hot Summer Afternoon, but most have only received fifty to sixty page views over the 13+ years. But there is an exception. Broken Teacup, first published December 31^st, 2015.

Yesterday, Broken Teacup surpassed 75,000 pageviews.

Even as I watched the view count approach that magic number, I found myself amazed at how those particular words have touched so many. I have received comments from all around the globe, and have been deeply touched by those kind words sent in my direction.

So today, I celebrate, that the gift God has given this often broken and mended man, Broken Teacups’ success. That the words within that blog post has achieved notice far beyond my expectations.

It is proof, you see, that words matter.

(320 Words) 6-28-2025

2024 Christmas Letter

 

2024 Christmas Letter

December 7, 2024

As the year rushes headlong to its conclusion, the time has come for Jackie and I to reach out to our friends and kin. I know that among you are those that are curious about what events have occurred in our household. I can tell you though each year is unique, 2024 may hold the record…for now.

To be specific, Jackie and I did not venture about far and wide this year. I will accept the responsibility for us not taking the road trip we had planned. Perhaps I should start at the beginning.

The years had not been kind to my knees. Fact is they have creaked since I was fifteen, and the forty-five years of labor on the farm didn’t improve things. So, I had to make a choice, replacement or I would likely need to purchase a wheelchair. A fall and an ambulance ride to the ER cemented the decision made to be best. The first knee became bionic in early April, and seven weeks later the other knee. What followed was months of physical therapy.

I was not cleared until mid-September.

Kinda’ prevented trips, don’t you think. But fear not, once released we went on a test trip north. Ludington, Michigan is not far, about a three-hour drive, but far enough. We spent five days going, staying, and coming. It was just a wonderful time seeing some of the places we love. From our base camp (hotel) the Sleeping Bear Dunes area was an easy reach. Glenn Arbor has always been a special place for us. We made certain to visit the lighthouses that dot the shoreline.

No, I was not yet fit enough for the two-mile hike along the shore to Big Sable Point Lighthouse, but next year, yes, next year.

So other than scheduling physical therapy and doctor visits, our lives continued in mostly normal rhythms. Jackie continues to cut back on her work obligations. A complete retirement enters frequent conversations. Cutting the last strands of the cord that has had such a major part of her life is not easy.

Nick is quite pleased about living in the Denver, Colorado area. He remains an engineer for ConMed. There is very little about his work he can share with us. Working in R & D means mums the word. He seems happy and could parents wish for more…

We now come full circle. What I have told you earlier made up a large part of my life. But not all. I have worked diligently on When Light Comes Unexpected, the fourth book of the Misty Creek Series. I expect, that is my best guess, the book will be released by June of 2025, the completion of four years of work. Soon I begin my next writing challenge.

As you can tell, our lives remain busy in ways not always expected, and that’s OK. But we look forward to the adventures that lie ahead.

This season is a good time to consider what Christmas means. To remind ourselves that at its center remains the birth of a child, born in the humblest of circumstances. But Christ’s birth is that and so much more, for the birth of that child was the proof of just how much God loves us.…for God so loved the world he sent his son…the symbol of ultimate love, to guide our actions…to guide our lives.

That is our wish for you, that all the joy and light of Christmas, fill you completely even to the point of overflowing. And may the light of this special season be reflected onto those you love, now in this special season and the year ahead.

 Merry Christmas!

                                                   

 

The Vander Veldens

 

 

The Blank Canvas

 

The Blank Canvas

By John W. Vander Velden

 

I awake each day and find a blank canvas. Over my life I have been given all the brushes and colors I need. As the hours pass, I cover that canvas with lines shapes and blocks of color, as I alone choose. If I do the task well, I will cover every square inch before my night’s rest.

You see it is God that provides that blank space. God provides the pigments…the bright colors…the subtle shades. God has given the tools I needed. But it is up to me to take those colors, use those tools to create my own artwork. To cover each blank canvas as I will.

So each morning, I face the new day…a blank canvas. I must do what I can with that slice of my life in a way that is best for me and those around me. I accept the gift, the time, the tools, and the bit of wisdom I have acquired to make my artwork worthy of the giver, knowing that, in truth, I am unable to fully satisfy the value of the gifts given.

But the Giver does not keep a tally of costs and rewards, and only hopes I use the gifts I have been given the best I am able. To take each day and use it to make some sort of difference. Positive acts, even the miniscule nearly invisible things matter. For you see, when today’s canvas is completed, God will add it to the others. That each canvas is but a part of the mosaic of my life. Every brushstroke matters in that collection of my days.

But that group of canvases never was meant to stand alone. The mosaic of mine is but a part of a much larger work. A portion of the grand work of billions of hands and hearts. A portion of God’s greatness…revealed.

And that knowledge has led me to recognize the grandest color I can use, the color that should be the foundation of each daily artwork…is love. Love of others…love for myself…and love of God.

So I am grateful for today’s blank canvas, and all those yet to be. I am grateful each day’s failings and successes are but a part of my artwork. The proof of my human strengths and weaknesses. I am grateful that I am not judged, for good or bad, by any particular brushstroke. For if I try…truly try to do my best…then I need not fear, for my artwork, the canvas given and covered, will be found acceptable.

I awake each morning and find a blank canvas.

What will you do with yours?

(446 Words) 12-1-2024

Page by Page

 

Page by Page

By John W. Vander Velden

 

There have been several things going on in my life these last months. It has been difficult to carve out the time needed to work on my writing project. But I do my best to attack the second editorial revisions of When Light Comes Unexpected the fourth book of the Misty Creek Series. For I know readers of the series await the next instalment, and I continue, page by page, to work on the near final draft.

I am handling this book differently than the three before it. Perhaps because writing these books has, for me, been a learning curve. So on this draft I will sift through these pages three times.

Step one: I am going over my editor’s comments, making changes when I feel best, but considering each comment she makes carefully. I agree with most of her suggestions, but not all. She understands me quite well, and that helps the both of us as we work on this book.

After I go through fifty or sixty pages, I begin step two: I print off three chapters at a time to be read out loud. I find that combination of verbalizing the pages and seeing them on a medium other than a computer monitor, helps me catch mistakes.

That leaves step three: After I make changes from step 2, I load those three chapters into my tablet and allow my electronic reader to read them to me. This is an important step I learned on my third book. The machine reads what is on the page not what my brain thinks is on the page.

So how far have I gotten into this task.

I have completed all three steps on 330 pages out of 518. That being said I have completed the first step to page 400. So you can see I have done the lion’s share of the heavy lifting.

But the work continues…page by page.   

(320 Words) 10-18-2024