Hi, my name is Curtis…
There is much to be said about me, and I don’t say that to be prideful; it is a statement that is true for all people. People are complex and come with interesting stories and passions. In this context, much of who I am is not necessary, so I will offer a simple and contextual summary. I am a son, I am a husband to my bride, and a father to our five children. I am a student studying for my Master of Divinity at Calvin Theological Seminary, I am a preacher, currently preaching in local churches while studying, and I am a wanna-be hobby farmer. All these vocations make up part of who I am. However, the most important is that I am a Christian. I desire to follow Christ and be obedient to Him because I am grateful for His love that was displayed on the Cross at Calvary and purchased my redemption from sin and death.
Why subscribe?
Subscribing to Dominie Hands will simply put you on my mailing list. This will function as a newsletter to keep our dear friends and family up to date about our life and adventures. It will also serve as a place to write for passion projects and perhaps post the occasional sermon or paper that I have prepared in my ministry or studies.
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Why is it called Dominie Hands?
I had wrestled with what to call this Substack for some time. We live on a dairy farm in the North Okanagan of British Columbia, and I help on the farm occasionally with milking and other odd jobs. We keep a few goats as pets and have a flock of chickens in our backyard. We enjoy the rhythms, smells, sounds, and views of farm life. However, I spend most of my hours holed up in my basement studying, reading, writing, attending Zoom meetings, listening to lectures, and doing student/pastry-type things. It is an interesting combination of lifestyles.
In early 2023, my in-laws visited the Netherlands for vacation. My father-in-law works on the farm that we live on. He jokes with our kids that he doesn’t need gloves because his hands are so calloused from work on the farm. When he was in the Netherlands, he commented to a relative that his hands were going soft from not working for two weeks. The relative commented, “Ah, you are getting dominie hands.”
A ‘dominie’ is a Dutch word often used for minister or pastor. Living in the Dutch Reformed tradition all my life, I appreciate the roots of our Christian Reformed heritage. A few seniors every Sunday still call me ‘Dominie’ as they shake my hand after the worship service. And, that is what my hands are: Dominie Hands. I live on the farm and enjoy farm life, but my hands are more accustomed to turning the pages of a nice book and plucking away at my keyboard than milking cows or welding something back together.
So here we are, at the beginning of an adventure, full-time studies, farm life, a busy family, and a place to write.
For the Glory of God alone,
Curtis Meliefste
