2010 Year in Review

Year-end Christmas and New Years greetings from our house to yours. What a privilege to be getting your cards, letters, and electronic greetings once again this year. God has been good to us and it is way past time to respond and report on what we have been up to.

We closed out the year 2009 over the Christmas/New Year break by making the grand tour from Michigan to Maryland to North Carolina and then back home visiting all of our family along the way, arriving back home on New Year's Day. Much of that trip was in blinding snow storms and crowded highways. That is the reason we have chosen to stay put this Christmas and prop our feet up in front of the fire and enjoy a few weeks at home this holiday season. Some of our reading around the fire these days includes finishing our year-long reading goal of reading our way through the Conflict of the Ages series. Last January we started reading a chapter a day in Patriarchs and Prophets. When we finished that book we continuing on through Prophets and Kings, The Desire of Ages, and Acts of the Apostles. As it stands now we will easily finish The Great Controversy before the year ends. This has been for us, a wonderful journey through history and a huge personal faith building blessing. We enthusiastically recommend these books as an authentic record of God's love for us and how that love has impacted human history for good.

January
During January in Michigan we generally do lots of snow shoveling, snow blowing, but also plenty of cross country skiing. Here, Lynn is catching her breath on a bench along the expertly groomed cross country ski trails in our "back yard". That's our house behind her. Our home borders the Love Creek County Park with 5 or 6 miles of nicely groomed ski trails that we frequent during winter and often jog when the snow is gone. We are blessed to live here in paradise.

February
Most of the Steen family gathered at the home place in Candler, NC to celebrate the 90th Birthdays of both Claude and Elizabeth, David's parents. We spent a delightful few days together ending with a surprise party for all of Claude and Elizabeth's friends in the area.

The Family that gathered to celebrate

March
As one of several team couples, we presented an another session of the long running and highly acclaimed Adventist Engaged Encounter. This preparation-for-marriage weekend runs twice each year. We ended the last session for 2010 on November 14. The next AEE weekend is the first weekend in March 2011.

David's Dad, Claude Earl Steen Jr., MD was selected as an honored alum of Loma Linda University so once again the family gathered to celebrate. We enjoy being together at any time but especially when

Four sons and spouses celebrating Dad's life of service at LLU's Alumni Banquet

 there are special events to celebrate. Since we were already in the west and it was spring break, we stopped off in AZ to be spend some time with Lynn's brother Larry and his wife Nan and of course to see Lynn's Mom who winters with them in Yuma. The rest of the year she lives with us here in MI.



April
Mom returned to MI in late April - just in time to be here for the big surprise.


May

During the Andrews University spring graduation on May 2, David was awarded the J. N. Andrews Medallion for his contributions to Andrews University in scholarship, teaching, and service. Because Lynn had advanced warning, she secretly arranged for the family to gather for this surprise presentation. The surprise was a total success.

    

before the surprise award

AU president Andreasen
presenting the surprise

Following the AU commencement, throughout May and most of June, David did little else but write. At the request of the Review and Herald Publishing Association, he is writing a book of daily devotions targeted for use during the year 2013.

June
We traveled to Atlanta to spend the week at the world gathering of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's General Conference Session. David worked daily at the Andrews University booth. Since this was a world gathering, we saw thousands of people–a priceless opportunity to see so many friends in one place. For example, Shirley Thoresen was there from Oregon. Shirley and her late husband Asa were long times residents of Berrien Springs. Asa was Chair of AU Biology for many years and spent several years before retirement teaching with David. Erling Odel was Lynn's 8th grade teacher so long ago. Atlanta was wonderful for renewing contacts with friends.

Shirley                                     Erling

July
Together we joined about a dozen other bikers to enjoy a ride down the Blue Ridge Parkway on our motorcycle. Thirteen days living out of saddle bags and covering 1900 miles with the wind in your face made for a memorable vacation.

Riding the "Tail of the Dragon" over Deals Gap on the TN/NC border . . . . . .  and  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . our 10 state route

Soon after we got back home, Joel & Lacey stopped by on their way to RAGBRAI to pick up Trent who bicycled across Iowa with them - their third RAGBRAI. As you can imagine - this was a wonderful adventure for Trent. Joel and Lacey live in Laurel MD where Joel runs his own computer company and Lacey is a social worker.

Trent, Lacey, and Joel - catch a self portrait during RAGBRAI

August
More writing. It takes a lot of writing to make a book. As August ended, the Fall 2010 term began at Andrews University. This is David's 25th year of teaching here at Andrews University and we marked the 2nd anniversary of Dad Bicknell's passing. We miss him and look forward to seeing him again on resurrection morning when we will be "caught up with him in the clouds" What a blessed hope that is for all who believe.

Traveling to Grand Ledge MI is something we do frequently as Lisa and Kevin live there with grandsons. And David's help with their ongoing home remodeling project is something they appreciate as well. Lisa now works as an OR nurse and Kevin works for UPS and runs his own lawn service business during the summer.

Lisa and Kevin Van Knocker

September

Justin on the job at Walmart

Our eldest grandson, Justin (22), came to live with us to have some stability in his life as he works toward a bachelors degree in information technology. He quickly picked up a cashier's position at Walmart where he has gained a reputation for excellent service. Justin has a quick, perceptive mind and a kind and caring heart. And besides that he is very good at computers. Late september found us back in Grand Ledge to watch youngest grandson Tucker (13) pitch for his Waverly Little League baseball team. Good baseball pitchers make it difficult for an opposing team to hit any of the pitches. Waverly won by a score of 13 to 1. Gage (14), Kevin's son and our most recent and tallest (6' 4") grandson is a pleasant and amiable young man still working his way through school. We love all these guys dearly.

Tucker and Gage

October
Lee Venden brought his "Its All About Jesus" revival seminars to Andrews University on the 40th anniversary of the most powerful revival to affect this campus. For more than a week PMC was packed out every night as Lee detailed the blessings of a close friendship with Jesus. Just before this series ended, Lynn and Mom traveled to TN with the St. Clairs to attend the 89th birthday celebration for Uncle Lewis, one of Dad's younger brothers.

Dad's living siblings (Betty Donesky, Geri
St Clair, Leonard and Lewis Bicknell)

Trent & Ashley

November
Trent (17), our second grandson, is in his senior year at Great Lakes Adventist Academy. We were blessed to attend his "Senior Recognition" and a performance by the school's Aerokhanas Gymnastic Team. With his tall muscular physique, Trent is an excellent base for building towers of gymnasts as well as an able catcher to catch the flying bodies as they do their routine.



December

Mom headed back to Arizona. Here she is in front of the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the lobby of the Howard Performing Arts Center. Once the leaves and the snows start falling in Michigan, she can't wait to get away from the cold and once again bask in southern Arizona sunshine.


With this blog we enter the blogosphere for the first time. Our wish for you is that you may have great peace and joy knowing that the Christ who came as a babe will return again. Our fervent prayer is to know him as he really is for "to know him is to love him" as friend and redeemer.


You can find both David and Lynn on Facebook and most of our photos on Flickr