Clean Sweep

Starbucks named last Monday, the Mondayest Monday of the year. To help us through, the chain offered free brewed coffee to all who stopped in. Yours truly partook with pleasure! I assumed the “Monday, Monday” got the tag due to the cold, gray month and impending Hallmark holiday. The winter blues and/or uncertainty about Valentine’s Day does send some into the drearies but the worst Monday identifies something else. The Mondayest Monday is so named for Super Bowl hangovers: too much junk food, too much alcohol, and entertainment or team letdown. But that is all behind us now and we will have to pay for our Monday coffee fix.

What is also behind us is January, the new year month. It’s the month of resolutions, of fresh starts, blank slates and a clean sweep. The human heart and mind seek to move forward and give life another go. We are still in that fresh window of 2025, and I have a literal opportunity for a clean sweep.

Two years ago, I saw an ad in the post office for a broom sale sponsored by the Lions Club. I needed a broom for outdoor sweeping, so I called the advertised number but never heard back. Again last year, I saw the promotion and a quick text had a broom at my door in two days for $15! I also found out that the Lions Club corn fiber brooms are made by blind and visually impaired, supporting employment and education.

As pictured, I enjoy sweeping the front walkway, and our screened in porch is always in need of a clean sweep. When I sweep outside, I think of my parents-in-law. They were always intrigued that in the Polish (actually Ukrainian) section of their town, the women swept their sidewalks. Not having a sidewalk on their road, it seemed strange to them. As their daughter-in-law of Ukrainian descent, I smile when I grab my Lions Club broom to brush up our outdoor entries.

Now I’ve taken you readers from hangover Mondays to Lions Club brooms made by the blind, and Ukrainians who like to sweep, what is the conclusion? Clean sweeps are a good thing. We must live with our past and take responsibility for our choices, but with God, we can always claim a fresh start. As we push through the last days of the shortest month, which sometimes feels like the longest, we can lean on God’s promise that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3 v 22-23), that we are not what we were (1 Corinthians 6 v 9-11), and that those who know the power of salvation through Christ Jesus’ work on the cross are a new creation: the old has gone, the new is come (2 Corinthians 5 v 17).

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Tragedy on the Potomac River, Again

I had in mind to post an end-of-January piece focused on a fun photo of me. With this week’s horrific air collision in Washington, DC  I won’t write so lightheartedly. News of the deadly crash hit hard when I heard it late Wednesday night, not just because I don’t like flying but because it reminded me of a previous Potomac River air disaster.

Until my husband and I relocated to North Carolina four years ago, I had lived in the DC metro area my entire life, except for college. Over those decades, I recall several airplane tragedies. During my high school years, a passenger jet crashed into a small mountain in bad weather on approach to Dulles Airport. All 92 occupants died in the accident. Most recently, prior to this week, all are very familiar with American Airlines Flight 77, originating from Dulles Airport, which terrorist hijackers slammed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The crash killed the 64 people on board and another 125 people in the Pentagon. It was an intense experience being in the Washington area during that time. My husband had occasional work meetings in the Pentagon, but he was not there that day; we knew folks who were. The next day schools were closed, and I remember driving to a  meeting with my kids, seeing black smoke still spiraling from the crash site.

The more vivid memory I have, however, was the passenger airliner that crashed shortly after takeoff into the frozen Potomac River during a snowstorm on January 13, 1982. I was a young teacher living in the Maryland suburbs then. A family hired me to take care of their kids and home while they took a short winter getaway to Florida. There was news of a plane crash, so we turned on the TV. Live coverage showed a partially submerged airplane and heroic rescue attempts in blizzard conditions. In the end, five passengers survived but there were 74 fatalities, including four motorists who were killed on a bridge as the plane stalled out of the sky due to a deicing failure. Watching that disaster unfold in an area I was so familiar with left an indelible impression.

National Airport, as it was called then, was not far from the Arlington VA home where I grew up. My Dad’s journalist career required travel not infrequently. Usually, we dropped Dad off or picked him up from the airport as it was so close. A scenic parkway parallels the Potomac River and goes directly to the airport. Across the river is the iconic Washington DC skyline including the Washington Monument and the US Capitol. At the end of the airport runway is a riverfront park where folks gather to watch planes takeoff and land right overhead! I went many times as a child, and we took our own kids there too.

But this week that beautiful spot became the site of a tragedy again. We hear the stories of those on board who were lost, and it is heartbreaking. We lost three active-duty military too. As in all such tragedies, there is the ‘why’question, even why did God let this happen? I have no easy answer. Where I must rest when the incomprehensible happens is in the sovereignty of God. In His providence, God provides goodness and blessing that are above expectation, but in God’s sovereignty there comes that which is tragic and unfair. I do not think we will understand all that God allows this side of eternity, but I try to view it as Job did, “Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” (Job 2 v 10, Amplified Bible).  Jesus left us with this promise, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16 v 33

Gravelly Point is a riverfront park at the north end of the runway at Reagan National Airport. We enjoyed the amazing experience of planes landing or taking off overhead. This is my husband at that spot.

 

Our God Is A Consuming Fire

As footage of the devastating California wildfires filled our screens these last two weeks, these words of Scripture came to mind: “Our God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4 v 24  and Hebrews 12 v 29). Thinking of those Biblical words, one might think that God is burning up California for some reason, possibly judgement. It is true throughout Scripture that God judges sin and disobedience, but we cannot confirm God’s intent in this natural disaster. The statement “Our God is a consuming fire” must be considered with the entire text of the Bible, Scripture’s whole counsel.

The Bible is a long book, a collection of sixty-six books actually, written over a lengthy period of time by men inspired and directed by God to encode His Word. One (or two) verses isolated without context and without the study of related Scriptures can lead to erroneous conclusions. It is equally important not to dismiss a Scripture, tossing a truth out as irrelevant when it seems misplaced. Both are dangerous extremes. So how does a reader of the Bible understand its right meaning? See my blog Pages tab, How to Read the Bible, for suggestions.

So, what about God and fire? Fire can be, as I mentioned earlier, God’s judgment of sin. God also used fire as a protection against cold and danger (Haynes). God’s powerful glory sometimes manifests itself in a blaze. Eternal separation from God, hell, is a “lake of fire.” Burning is also a cruel form of persecution, from New Testament times continuing even today. God’s word promises “when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned” (Isaiah 43 v 2) but Christians were torched in Roman times, burned at the stake in more recent centuries, and today are burned out of their homes or bombed during worship services. Martyrs lose their earthly lives but gain eternal glory in Jesus’ presence. It is a reality I struggle with, but we should be aware as Scripture warns: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you” (1 Peter 4 v 12).

We visited the Martyrs’ Memorial in Oxford, England honoring three ministers burned at the stake in 1555.

The loss of life and property in California saddens us, as did Hurricane Helene’s destruction in the eastern US last fall. We know the winds “obey” God as they did for Jesus on the Sea of Galilee. Therefore, we lean into His Sovereignty in disasters with compassion and generosity.

Haynes, Clarence L. “Why God is a “Consuming Fire”? The Meaning of Hebrews 12:29.” BibleStudyTools.com  October 13, 2023.

Open Doors (opendoorsus.org) and Voice of the Martyrs (www.persecution.com) are excellent Christian resources to keep abreast of current persecution.

The Man from Plains

The late summer that I began my freshman year at Wheaton College, Jimmy Carter was the Democratic nominee for President. As the family station wagon headed off to take me to Illinois, we stopped at National Airport, now named Reagan National, to pick up the first copies of my Dad’s new book, The Man From Plains – The Mind and Spirit of Jimmy Carter. My Dad had quickly drafted the book in the spring of 1976. I remember his research and investigative trips, including one to Plains and to a news conference in Chicago, where I had the privilege of accompanying him.  The book was published in time for the final months of the election. We excitedly flipped through the new book, and I came upon the dedication: “To Brenda whose interests kindled my own.”

The dedication page.

In my high school senior year U.S. government class, we studied the election process real time. My teacher, Mrs. Laura Crites, was extraordinary for her expertise and passion for her subject. She taught with admirable dignity and stayed completely nonpartisan. One of our class assignments was to write a nomination speech for a candidate: I wrote a speech for Jimmy Carter. I do not recall anything about the speech I wrote, but what was happening at the time was a public fascination about a successful politician with down-home style, from the back woods of Georgia, who spoke openly of his Baptist roots and professed his faith in Jesus for life changing salvation. This was quite different from the usual staid, mostly Protestant, nominal church membership that most American politicians professed at that time*. Jimmy Carter, instead, was an outspoken Christian who continued to teach an adult Sunday School class when he could be back at his home church in Plains, Georgia.

The rest is history, as they say. Jimmy Carter was elected as the 39th President of the United States, for one term. Foreign policy challenges marked his Presidency. I finished a degree at Wheaton College over those four years, considering a political science major, but ended up with a degree in Elementary Education. My father never authored another book but continued his journalist career. His book had faced opposition by acquaintances who thought he should have written about the Republican nominee. I do not think The Man From Plains sought to endorse Carter as a candidate; it merely provided a study of his life up to that point, concentrating on the overt Christian faith Carter professed.

Jimmy Carter went on to found Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization “that helps families build and improve places to call home.” He returned to Plains, Georgia to live and probably to teach Sunday School. I had an encounter with him once, many years after his Presidency. He hosted a book signing at our local Walmart. I decided to go over to see if I could get my copy of Dad’s book signed by him. When the staffer handed former President Carter my book, I hollered out, “My Dad wrote that book.” He answered back, “Tell him to come see me in Plains,” and he signed my book!

Jimmy Carter’s signature in my copy  of  Dad’s book.

Jimmy Carter leaves a legacy of faith and service. From his open Christian testimony on the campaign trail, to his inaugural address based on Biblical text Micah 6 v 8, to his work for those in need of housing, he publicly expressed his faith, and its resulting personal transformation*. I believe his boldness helped the broad public, including the press, understand that knowing Jesus makes a difference in someone’s life.  For those of you who know me and my family personally, my father is facing a serious health diagnosis. We are grateful for his full life, his noteworthy career in journalism, and his legacy of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers.

*Based on content from Kucharsky, David.  The Man From Plains,  Harper and Row Publishers, New York:  1976.

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Even the Stones Will Praise

My husband and I enjoy listening to the news source/podcast, The World and Everything In It.  We especially like listening on Fridays for its features Culture Friday, movie reviews, Listener Feedback, and a closing Scripture with reminder to attend weekend worship.  Last Friday, December 27,  a listener shared his poem, “How Will A Stone Praise You?,”  based on Luke 19 v 40.  I’d like to share it with you here,  for New Year’s,  with full credit to Carlan Wendler and “The World and Everything  In It” (wng.org December 27, 2024).

How Will A Stone Praise You? by Carlan Wendler

Some birds can whistle, warble, call;
While kid and lamb bleat in their stall.
Colt and mare snort, whiny and neigh.
Calf and cow lo amidst their hay.
Frogs will croak while chirp the crickets,
And squeak the mice of field (and) thicket.
The bees they bustle, buzz and hum;
And lizards slither when they run.
Quacks and honks and cries and roars,
Creation’s praise mounts. It soars.
But how will a stone praise You?
Leaves can rustle, crumple, crack
And brushing branches veer and tack.
Rain can beat and drum and flow
While shushing is the fall of snow.
The waves they batter, lap or bash —
As peals of thunder clap and crash.
The rushing river sounds applause,
And glaciers grind and pop their flaws.
Howls the wind…or whispers near;
All things are heard to Maker’s ear.
But how will a stone praise You?
A thrown stone whizzes, a dropped stone clacks
With ruckus down a valley’s cracks —
Or finds a pond to plunk and splash
And gurgle, gargle, breathe its last.
Great stones groan and grate and grind —
While small stones gravel grovels fine.
Shifts sands will sweep and swish.
And lava grumbles with a hiss.
Yet You have chosen in Your grace
The human voice to give You praise.
And though you gave us great surrounds,
All You ask are grateful sounds.
So breathe again into this clay
And raise a note of joy today.
Replace with flesh this heart of stone
And let it beat a thankful tone.
We thank You for the gift of life —
For coming down amidst our strife.
We thank You for the Cross and Grave
And Path of Pardon that they pave.
We thank You for Your family’s name,
For Union though we’re not the same.
We thank You that the Son of God
Was hidden in an earthy clod.
So how could a stone not praise You?

What beautiful, creative thoughts based on Jesus’ own words, “Even stones would praise Him!” Luke 19 v 40

Happy New Year:  Praise the Lord!

The Lost Children of Britain

My cousin’s father-in-law, Alf, was one of Britain’s “lost children.” My quick on-line search revealed that Britain “exported vast numbers” of children to Canada and Australia during a 350-year period, ending in the 1970’s. The purpose of the forced migration was to relieve overcrowded orphanages in England and populate the colonies. In Alf’s case, it was 1930 and he was 14 years old. Alf’s mother died when he was three and eventually his father could not care for his large family so Alf and three brothers were put into an orphanage in England, where his father visited them. One of Alf’s older brothers was sent to Canada at age sixteen; a few years later, Alf was sent also. The brothers, separately, lived with families in the fertile  farmland of Southern Ontario.

Alf did not take to his first farm placement but fended well for himself and found other families in the area to stay with. I do not know if he was able to attend much school or whether being a farmhand required all his time. Alf eventually met a girl among the farm families, and they married. Alf and his wife raised a large family near Hamilton, Ontario. My cousin married one of their middle sons. On occasion, my family saw Alf and his family, and I recall him as jovial and energetic.

Now you’re wondering how Alf’s story has a Christmas connection. Well, I was thinking about the similarities of Alf’s life of loss and displacement with Jesus’ own life of loss and loneliness. It is commonly known that Joseph and Mary were displaced and temporarily relocated in an overcrowded Bethlehem, due to a Roman census regulation, when Jesus was born. Sometime later, his parents fled to Egypt with young Jesus because of Roman infanticide orders – political refugees. During Jesus’ ministry, the Bible tells us he was homeless with “no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Jesus was misunderstood and rejected by many people of His day.

But what comes to mind most about Alf’s story is my memory of a cousin evening a summer or two ago. We’d had a great meal and evening of reminiscing and laughter together but as our time came to a close, the conversation became somber over more serious issues. Under the deep Ontario night sky, my cousin’s husband, Alf’s son, announced with a wide, confident smile, “But I have hope.” His faith, like his father’s, gave him a guaranteed hope that it all comes out well in the end. The birth we celebrate at Christmas is this: “Our Lord Jesus Christ though He was rich (divine, perfect, enthroned in heaven) yet for your sake He became poor (displaced, orphaned, and lowly) so that you through His poverty might become rich (rescued, adopted, blessed) 2 Corinthians 8 v 9. AMEN

Merry Christmas!  Remember that posts are best viewed at                                  “A Writer’s Daughter”
See my previous Christmas stories.

This nativity is displayed in the chapel at Duke University, where I recently enjoyed a performance of “The Messiah.”

Two Early Gifts

This post is an early Christmas present to you, two songs to lift your spirits for the season: one from a book, the other a YouTube video. I hope to post my annual Christmas ‘story’ for you soon.

I discovered this first ‘song’ while reading Book Two of the Eliot Chronicles. I loved the happy lilt and could imagine the children performing it in the old inn for Yuletide:

Sing hey for the moon and the starry sky,
The river, the wood and the sea,
For the fish and birds and animals all,
And the grass so green on the lea.
But most of all for the fair Christmas rose
And the lights on the candled tree.

Sing hey for the chimney and roof-tree wide,
Sing hey for the walls and the floor,
For the warmth of fire on the glowing hearth
And the welcoming open door.
And most of all for the peace and goodwill
And the joy at our deep heart’s core.

Sing hey for the men, the hosts of this house,
Sing hey for the first and the last,
Sing hey for the guests who have gathered here,
Both tonight and in pages past,
And sing hey for the love between host and guest
That will hold them for ever fast.

Sing hey for the God who fashioned for us
This bountiful splendor of earth,
Sing hey for courage and wisdom and love,
For beauty and healing and mirth.
But most for the Child Who on Christmas Day
Took upon Him our human birth.

~ from The Herb of Grace by Elizabeth Goudge.                                                               I was so taken by this book that I have asked for an Herb of Grace shrub, also called rue, for Christmas.

And here is a song I heard for the first time the other day, Phil Wickham’s “Manger Throne.”    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN1cqABGM5Q

 

Sharing the Table

Meal planning is on our minds as the big Thanksgiving feast approaches. We might welcome overnight guests too, requiring even more menu arranging. It’s exciting to share a table with family and friends. At other times however, a shared table happens differently. Good food is planned and prepared and served but as a gift of ministry, when the recipients (those who eat it) are in a time of need.

A local friend of ours lost his 82-year-old dad this fall after a very brief illness. Richard’s father was beloved in his family and well known in a close-knit community. Following the hospital days and making the final arrangements, Richard set out fishing one morning to clear his mind. A close buddy called, wanting to prepare and deliver a meal. Much food had already been given so Richard told his buddy it was not needed, but reflecting on the water with the Lord and his fishing rod, he realized he should not deny his friend the blessing of giving a meal. He called the guy back and told him to go ahead.

What a feast Richard and his family received following the funeral! As he described it, “heaping platters” filled the table — jerk chicken, pork chops, fried shrimp, scalloped potatoes, squash casserole, strawberry spinach salad, and apple crisp. How’s that for Southern fare? True comfort food for sad hearts. Surely, the friend sensed the warmth and love that his generous meal conveyed.

At about the same time, a family member whose husband is deployed was approached by a friend at her church, wanting to help in some way. The friend offered a meal and a date was suggested. It was a thoughtful gesture; ways to ease the strain on military spouses aren’t easily found. As the tentative date came closer, no further updates came through. Maybe this meal would show up or maybe they would reheat leftovers. As the mom and her little ones returned from a walk on the proposed day, her church friend pulled up with dinner in hand. It wasn’t the lavish feast that Richard’s buddy prepared, yet a simple meal of a roast, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli blessed the lonesome family, conveying all the same warmth, love, and generosity of the funeral meal.

As a blessing of gratitude wafts over your Thanksgiving table filled with food and ‘framily,’ remember that God is always in the business of providing for us. Many Scripture stories tell us of how God feeds His people: manna in the wilderness (Exodus 18), the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17 v 7-16), and Jesus’ miraculous feedings of huge crowds*. David the Psalmist King wrote, “Thou preparest a table before me, my cup runneth over” (Psalm 23) and Jesus prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6 v 11) Delightedly, God sometimes lets us get in on His plan. Savor this pair of shared table stories and the Lord will let you know when.

Preschoolers explore grains as they learn how God fed a starving family through their estranged brother, Joseph (Genesis 45).

*Matthew 14 v 13-21 and 15 v 32-38, Mark 6 v 31-44 and 8 v 1-9, Luke 9 v 12-17, John 6 v 1-14

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Look Up

October was a stellar month for local sky watchers. There was a rare display of the Northern Lights this far south, a comet streaked across the sky, and October’s Hunter’s moon was a super moon! A super moon is when the moon orbits closer to the earth making it look bigger and brighter. The super moon’s proximity also affects ocean tides. The celestial shows delighted amateur astronomers and the general public alike, lighting up our screens with news clips and photos. Sky scenes look spectacular over ocean vistas!

The firmament draws us upward. It lifts us from the confines of earthly perspectives. The skies give evidence of God’s creation, power, and beauty. Its vastness and hint of infinity may be one of the closest approximations of God’s greatness and is unique in its access to mankind. Not every human will lay eyes on the ocean or the mountains, a desert or endless plain, but the glories of the sky are visible to the seeing from every vantage point on earth. Day and night, the heavens speak of the Divine, drawing our minds and hearts to God the Creator.

Here is the October super moon, as photographed by my friend Mark Gottlieb. While not an ocean view, this beautiful shot of our Nation’s Capital  seemed perfect for today.

It is not surprising that Scripture contains many references to celestial objects and skyscapes. God promised Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars he could see, and there must have been thousands in Abraham’s ancient, unpolluted night vista. David, a shepherd who spent countless days and nights in open fields, wrote inspired praises in response to heavenly sights.
LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8 v 1, 3 and 4 (NIV)

Again, in the couplet style of Hebrew poetry, God gave David these lines:

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world. Psalm 19 v 1-4 (NLT)

So, look up. Let the endless blue, the puffiest gray, or the deepest twinkling black, fill your heart and mind with God Himself. Jesus challenged his followers with these words, “When these things … come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21 v 28 (KJV)  That’s Jesus’expansive, saving love ready for us.

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*The abbreviations following Scripture quotes indicate the Bible translation used: New International Version, New Living Translation, King James Version.

A Happy Hamlet

The local bagel shop was uber (excuse my German) cheerful that morning!  Patrons and clients alike exuded a happy mood.  A school aged girl sharing a bagel with her mom noticed a wad of bills on the floor.  She picked it up and handed it to the manager.  The manager quickly realized which customer had dropped it.   A teen was happy to get his spending money back.  Later the manager rewarded the honest girl with a free cookie.

I guess every Eastern seaboard town has its English twin. This is the tea from ours.

As our breakfast continued, I observed another guy checking out with his order.  The cashier took his cash payment and reached out with the guy’s change, which was more than just a few ones.  The customer waved it off, giving it back to the worker as a generous tip.  “Thanks, man,” the cashier answered in surprise!

Not too few customers later, another man drifted by our table on his way out.  He cheerily offered that he was on his way to sell nuts and bolts and added that it was a job he loved!  He was especially happy that day to be headed to the Marine base in Jacksonville, NC.  He appreciated being able to do business with the military, he said.

We left the bagel shop behind a family of three.   The manager teasingly hollered to them, “Have a good drive back to Hawaii!”  All three of them were wearing t-shirts from Hawaii … but you can’t get there by car.  Hopefully, they smiled at the quip.

So, are things always this happy where I live?  Of course not.  Like any town in America or any place in the world there are difficulties and tragedies.  This summer our town experienced a family murder.  It shocks a community to witness that kind of tragedy: a young woman’s life gone; the rest of the family torn apart.  Every place eventually experiences the same.

The towns that I am currently thinking so much about are the hamlets and the hollows of western North Carolina.  Beautiful, rural mountain communities were ripped apart by rare flooding due to Hurricane Helene.  The loss of life is still being counted, property devastation is widespread, and the infrastructures of water, electricity, roads, and internet are still heavily damaged.  The ‘happy’ part of this, and I don’t joke or take lightly the deep loss and pain, is the way folks are coming together to help.  Big organizations and small are sending supplies and showing up to be involved.  Local ministries, churches, and schools and colleges in the mountains are also answering the call to reach out to their own, like Queen Esther, unexpectedly called “for such a time as this” (Esther 4 v 14).   Among them are Samaritan’s Purse, headquartered in Boone, NC, literally on the ground immediately; sister ministry, Billy Graham retreat center, The Cove, now housing volunteers and law enforcement personnel; and Excel College in Black Mountain, who have agreed to host Adventures in Missions Disaster Relief.  Our friends the Horvaths head up Adventures Relief and have committed to two years of disaster recovery in the Swannanoa Valley area.  They will soon move their family of six, in their home on wheels, to Black Mountain, NC.  You can follow their mission at Adventures.org/relief.

God promises to make “beauty from ashes”  (Isaiah 61 v 3).   We are witnessing goodness out of calamity.  And I love that this good movement is receiving positive publicity for many to see!  Jesus encouraged action of His followers, saying, “so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5 v 16)  AMEN

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