About me: Toni Rypkema

 

About Me: (A Bit of My Testimony)

I’m an Arizona girl who moved to NYC in 1981 to persue a career of theatre and dance after time at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I was young, immature, insecure, vulnerable, and angry in heart.

I had an eating disorder as a result. 

This brought me to a desperate place where I was willing to admit, “my life had become unmanageable.” I grew in my “understanding” of God as I began to read the Bible and commited to a group to help me overcome my eat-binge-work-out-starve- cycle of craziness. 

Long story, short, I met my future husband, Mike Rypkema in NYC at the Harvest in Manhattan, (a Calvary Chapel offshoot of Greg Laurie) under pastor Mike Finizio.

God got a hold of my heart and life and healed me of my eating disorder. Mike and I married and lived in NJ where we fellowshipped for 23 years at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge, (Pastor Lloyd Pulley). 

Mike and I trusted God with our family. (No comments please.) We had all the children. I also lost 4 in miscarriage. 

Chris, Jared, Carolyn, Nick, Jonathan, Emily, Liz, Grace, Dave, Anneliese, and Matthew were gifts from the Lord we never deserved. Each an increadible and unique, gifted treasure to us and all who know them. 

God was, (and is) beyond good.

We home-schooled twenty-one years. English, Math, Science, Social Studies, History, Art, Music, I really got smart!

I speak openly, our family was put on a pedistal, sort of speak, and the Lord brought about a move (because of NJ taxes doubling again)! We moved to SC to grow in the Lord. We grew through much brokenness and loss. 

Which is a good thing. There are many blessings in brokenness. It made us look up and grow in grace and understanding of the Lord and desire more of His Spirit in our lives. (Or, we could have become bitter.)

In past tense, we suffered, we prayed, we hung to the Word of God, we kept moving forward, as best as we could in weakness with the Lord’s support.

In present tense as well, we choose to fight and grow better by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Cancer was only one of the hardships. This is when I started to write. To encourage myself. 

Today, I hope to share notes of praise and help put a song on hearts as they read. But also, my heart is to share the sound of children singing the Word of God to inspire kids and families to love the Word and find joy in singing Bible songs:

Bible Songs Alive 1 is my first compilation of ten original Bible songs with kids to be a resourse to families, missionaries, schools, churches. Do you have children or grandchildren who need to have a good song on their heart? 

Open up Bible Songs Alive 1 and begin learning the Bible through song:

 

“Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” Psalm 34:3. 

 

Evolution of a Writer, 2021:

“Slow and steady wins the race,” is a picture of my writing journey. In these “dark ages” in whcih we find ourselves today,  I pray to publish God’s true and living Word of hope to bring light and life to my readers. -Toni

After 10 years:

I finally realized, I write to help us clothe our hearts in praise to God, the Creator of everything beautiful we adore, the seen and the unseen. He is our “strength and our song,” (Psalm 118:14, Exodus 15:2 , and also Isaian 12:2). 

I desire to bring the old songs to light and frame them with the beauty and hope, majesty and power of meditation in God’s Word which transforms and renews us for each present moment. -Toni

About me: 2015, After a lot of survival. 

What if today was my very last day on earth?

I would want my family first, to know that even though I failed much in so many things, my heart continually desires to remain faithful to God, no matter what!

Even when life doesn’t make sense. To me, God is a present help. He’s my 1st love. The word “worship” means “to turn to kiss.”

Oh, yes.

So, to be “as a child,” so to speak, and practice to “turn to kiss my King,” and worship Him, is my heart and desire in everything.

Trusting God is sweet and treacherous all at the same time. His grace and mercy never fail to follow us through the hurricane winds of life.

So, today, the day in which I have right now, I want to “drink in the rain” of God’s Spirit and all He is.

I want to abide through it all—a branch to the Vine, through the scorching heat, the pestilences, the drought.

I want to daily get rid of those weeds of fear, doubt, pride, and procrastination—together, that we might “all partake of a blessing from God,” and bear fruit of joy and love.

“For the soil which has drunk the rain that repeatedly falls upon it and produces vegetation useful to those whose benefit it is cultivated, partakes of a blessing from God” Hebrews 11:7 Amplified.

 

See God’s Hand and letters of hope, are the beginning, and have moved to tonirypkema.com.

Thank you for following me at my WordPress site.

I hope we can all continue to grow and magnify the Lord with greater capacity as we carefully think on things that are of a good report and noble. May the Lord’s face shine upon us as we “occupy” in ever-growing faith and love “until His return.” 

If you’d like to contact me for music updates or individual sessions, please fill out the short form below

The First About Me:

The Beginnings, 2010

My son Jared helped me start up a WordPress when I told him my interest to share what the Lord put on my heart. The earlier writings are rough, to say the least, but I believe that God will use my humble beginnings to encourage “would-be” writers to “be writers.”

A paragraph about me from my son Jared from the beginning in 2012:

Toni Rypkema is the mother of 11 beautiful children and mother-in-law to 2 (almost 3) beautiful more.  She lives in Lexington, SC with her husband, Mike, and still too many kids. She is a writer, children’s worship leader, guitar teacher,  swim-team parent, breast cancer survivor, mother of the year award winner for 25 years running, (now 31 years), best meal in under 5 minutes award winner, and should probably change this about paragraph because it’s been hacked by one of her children! – we do love her.

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I wouldn’t want to change anything about this “About Me” page except for one word, “too”Yes there are many kids, but not “too” many. Children are gifts. Are there ever too many gifts?  I am thankful to God.

I write about the One who loves perfectly. He is Creator, God of the Universe. He’s in control.. He has a hold on us. I enjoy pulling old words out of Treasure books and Old Hymns out of Hymnals. I enjoy bringing to remembrance people who were victorious in their faith through rough challenges. I enjoy putting a song on the hearts and minds of all us weary travelers on our journeys.

The Painting of God’s Hand? Here is what the artist wrote concerning this piece:

“My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, (2010), and it came as a shock to my whole family. Through these struggles the concept of this piece was discovered. The hand formed by waves is symbolic of the presence of God and how He is there with you through hard times, whether it may be sickness or the loss of a loved one.” -Jonathan Rypkema

Visit her Facebook page to connect and see pictures.