Purpose – A Writer's Daughter

On Travel Part Two

Not all rest stops are as intriguing as the artful, waterside, and panoramic ones I described in On Travel Part One. Sometimes the road weary must take what is available when a break is needed. Such was the case when my husband and I ended up in a small, dingy fast-food restaurant in a town that also seemed small and dingy.

This poster hung in the dining area. Sorry, Kentucky but honestly Virginia bears a very similar shape!

I don’t recall if it was fuel or food that demanded our stop, but we found few options as we drove through a depressed main street area. The town lacked charm and energy, but a reputation proceeded it in our minds. Hopewell, Virginia was where Rev. Tim Keller first pastored a church. Keller eventually became the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City, a renowned preacher, and a prolific author. I dedicated a blog post to his legacy last summer after he died of cancer at age 72. Since then, a new family member carries his name.

Hopewell was an odd placement for a man like Timothy Keller. He was a well-educated intellectual, a voracious reader, and able to comprehend, reason, and expound at very deep levels. He loved academic settings. Hopewell was a blue-collar town. As a young pastor there, Keller had to balance his brilliance in Bible teaching with pastoral care and connecting in community. The Hopewell congregation also “forced Keller to develop his skill for distilling difficult and complicated concepts in ways that Christians and non-Christians alike can understand.” (Hansen, Collin. Timothy Keller His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation, 2023). The Kellers lived and ministered in Hopewell, Virginia for nine years; their three sons were born in Hopewell. One of Hopewell’s congregants gave the eulogy at Keller’s memorial service .

You might wonder why my blog about travel took a detour to a small town, and a pastor’s first start. For me, the Keller years in Hopewell signify how God calls us to be faithful and obedient whatever the task, wherever the task. Sometimes, maybe often, our placements feel like a misfit. I would not extrapolate this to mean, start small so that God will do something big later. I don’t think ministry is ever about size. It’s about faithfulness in the moment.

Personally, I have been thinking about another small start. At my fortieth high school reunion, I reconnected with a classmate. We had not been in touch since the summer after our freshman year in college because my family moved away. Through tears my old friend recounted her memory of “that little church.” During our junior high years, she attended Wednesday night youth group with me. The youth program wasn’t flashy, but there she heard the Gospel, resulting in a lifetime of faith in Jesus for her. Wherever spectacular travels might take you this summer or especially if you remain in your routine place, abound in faithful living. “Therefore … be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15 v 58

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Someone enjoys a summer day in the neighborhood.

Providence

Once in a while a photo sparks one of my blog posts. Earlier this summer, I admired this photograph* of the tall ship Providence, sailing through the Wilson Bridge, in Alexandria, VA near Washington, DC. It brought to mind the idea of the providence of God. When I think of God’s providence, I associate it with His goodness toward us. God often protects and provides for us in generous ways and in ways we couldn’t earn for ourselves. I see God’s sweet providence to me when a neighbor brings me flowers, when an item I need is on sale, or when a loved one recovers more quickly than expected.

I have a funny story about the Wilson Bridge. When George Allen ran for governor of Virginia, I took the kids to a small campaign event at Reagan National Airport. Allen greeted each of us and upon meeting our son, he joked, “I’ll name the new bridge after you!” – it was under construction at the time, near the airport. That fall, Allen won the election and now you know our son’s name!

The American Dictionary of the English Language, a preferred resource by one of my family members, defines theological providence as “the care and superintendence which God exercises over his creatures.”** Maybe that aligns with my perception of its meaning as God’s good care of us. Some will challenge this view asking about those events that do not seem good, times when disease or tragedy strike. That leads me to the second term that I often pair with the thought of providence, and that is sovereignty.

Dictionary & clock: lovely shelf accents.

God is sovereign. He has the right, the authority, the power, and the responsibility to carry out His plan. Parts of His plan, at times, do not seem good but because God is good (Psalm 107 v 1), His plan must be trusted. This is difficult to always accept. Horrible stories cross our screens daily.

Typically, Christians lean on Scriptures that promise God’s goodness. Jeremiah 29 v 11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you” but it should be remembered that these words were spoken to a people living in captivity. Romans 8 v 28 promises that “in all things God works together for the good of those who love Him” but it must be noted that not all things are good, but for the good of those called according to His purpose. Isaiah does not mince words about life’s dangers when he writes, “when you pass through the waters …. when you walk through the fire” but he continues by speaking of God’s care, His providence, over those in danger (Isaiah 43 v 2). Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble,” which sounds ominous, but He adds, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16 v 33)

As my husband and I embark on an upcoming adventure, we pray for God’s providence, that He will superintend over all that we have planned, but friends are cruising in quarantine, experiencing God’s sovereignty over an unplanned outcome. You can wish us a bon voyage, and Godspeed to all of you too! See my blog post on “Godspeed”

* The photo may have been from the Facebook page “Visit Alexandria, VA” **Webster, Noah. 1828. Websterdictionary1828.com

Postscript – After drafting this post on Saturday afternoon, my pastor specifically spoke about God’s sovereignty and providence in the Sunday morning sermon. Coincidental? No, providential! And we concur.

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Welcome 2023 and Welcome Back Blog

As we step across the threshold of 2023, I also throw out the welcome mat to my blog, again. I last wrote a post on this blog in November 2022 and shortly after that I discovered my blog was no longer functional. My administrator privileges were not available to me and eventually I could not even pull up the URL address and my six years of content were gone!

I began attempting restoration; I reached out to the hosting site and the blog software. They were not coming through with support. Friends and family offered to help but we kept hitting the same dead ends. I don’t have an affinity nor an aptitude for technology, so I was lost!

About two weeks ago, I found an IT specialist who works on these issues. He quickly got absorbed in my case and spent hours to determine the problem and fix it. I am not fully clear on what happened and how, but my blog was hacked into, my credentials were changed, and content was hidden. With the expertise of the IT specialist, the hosting and blog software sites put my blog back together. The IT guy charged me for only one hour of his many – but he got a 100% tip from me!

I have written a few posts during the time my blog was down. Some of you may have seen them on social media. Soon I will re-post them on “A Writer’s Daughter,” but I am not sure that I can back date them; they may show up all at once with a real-time date.

As always, I thank you for reading my blog. I enjoy your comments. I pray that the site will stay secure. Its restoration is a gift from God and an answer to prayer. For the time being, I will be able to keep that proverbial pen in my hand, along with my coffee cup. Here is a prayer for the New Year and for this blog: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands.”

Psalm 90 v 17

Remembering the Faith of Queen Elizabeth II

I have a love of all things English, so my husband bought me a Queen’s commemorative teacup and saucer in London.

Many will be writing their two pence about the royal events of these last few days, but this is not my first royal post. On December 24, 2016, I posted a piece entitled “Royal Watching” on my blog. In that post, I shared that my mother’s Canadian heritage had fostered in me a curiosity and appreciation for the Royal family. So, with the rest of the world, I have followed the pathos and pageantry of the Queen’s death over the past eleven days. This came only weeks after a summer of festivities celebrating 70 years of the Queen’s reign.

Today’s events were impressive, full of the gilded rituals of regal traditions, in the places and with the people who are intricately part of royal life. In addition to the majestic formalities, especially those associated with Charles becoming king, an overtone of spiritual themes emerged. Death often leads to thinking about deeper things, things eternal, and this has been the case in the last eleven days.

Taken from my TV, the cross stands out above the coffin.

Going back to the coronation of young Queen Elizabeth II, her outspoken commitment was to serve as Great Britain’s sovereign with God’s help, for as long as God kept her in that position. She continued that course with that mindset until her very last days. It is what we admired in the Queen and what drew us to her: her deep, unwavering dignity and commitment to duty, a life of service to her people because of her understanding that it was God’s call on her life.

It was solemn when the crown, scepter and orb were removed from the top of the coffin and placed on the altar, but hymns sung at the committal service expressed hope: “All My Hope on God is Founded” and “Christ is Made the Sure Foundation.”

There is so much to say and much has already been said, so I need to be brief and maybe we can chat about it more over tea one day. I will close by sharing some of a PBS interview today with Rachel Treweek, a bishop in the House of Lords. Bishop Treweek reiterated that the Queen’s profession of faith was in Jesus Christ and because of Queen Elizabeth’s personal trust in the redeeming work of Christ on the cross, she now enjoys life eternal in the presence of her Maker. That verity is what was so beautifully and profoundly on stage in the glory and pageantry of today’s services and ceremonies.

“Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” John 11:25

The Flip Side of Blowing It

When I posted my last blog entry entitled “Man and Machine” (July 16, 2022) on Facebook, I quipped that the post might keep one from “blowing it.” The pun suggested that readers might avoid life breakdowns by following the Owner’s Manual. The blog anecdote retold the experience of a salesclerk improperly operating a machine for blowing insulation, that my husband was preparing to rent. The machine shorted out and they wouldn’t rent the compromised equipment to him.

The ’34 Ford had flipped doors, compared to the way today’s car doors open.

As I have continued to mull over the idea of following recommended guidelines for peak performance, in this case God’s life directives to us in Scripture, I realized there is a flip side. The flip side is that one can overemphasize rule following. It’s not that there’s too much obeying, it’s about misunderstood outcomes. The intended result is out of alignment.

I have seen this in the workplace. I have seen colleagues overperforming, creating needless projects (extra work for themselves and others), spending all their waking hours immersed in their completion. Since work was good and important, completing more of it somehow made you a better person, they rationalized.

Or in personal dynamics, extra ‘doing’ can be compensation for past relational failures. Being super sweet now or extraordinarily helpful makes up for a bad or foolish action of the past, one hopes.

Even in Christian living you’ll see someone volunteering to do every ministry or attend every church event, sometimes to the neglect of other responsibilities. The heart may have good motives, but the head may not understand God’s purpose for ministry activity.

Having a strong work ethic, trying to restore a relationship, and doing ministry are all upright and important pursuits, but rule following for the sake of rule following leads nowhere. Just heeding the Manufacturer’s Instructions does not put your relationship with God into gear. Only faith in Jesus’ work on the cross for us, ignites the engine for a full life in Him. And once your life is energized through His mercy and grace for you, it will be a delight to adhere to the Owner’s Manual. “But because of God’s great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved,” Ephesians 2:5. “We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands,” 1 John 3:3.

This is my husband’s hobby project, when he’s not blowing insulation or doing some other handyman job for us. I’ve always noticed the heart in the front grill.

How Not to Look Old – Part 1

How Not to Look Old is the title of one of the stacked books in my blog’s new feature photo. I updated my original featured photo of journals and calendars, to a random variety of colorful books. I took the picture around the time of our vacation so some of the books came fresh from my beach bag. I keep other titles in the stack out for easy accessibility.

I found the book How Not to Look Old at the library a few years ago and liked it enough to buy my own copy. The author, Charla Krupp, intended to help forty-somethings stay young looking, so I have missed that window of opportunity, but the book gathers many helpful fashion, make-up, hair, and other beauty tips from experts. I’ll take all the help I can get in these areas, though Krupp would categorize me in the “low to medium” maintenance group. In other words, I am not the type to take extreme or expensive measures to restore my youthfulness.

I ponder aging, my own growing older. I see and feel it every day, but my age and an awareness of my generation became acutely obvious to me when I returned to my career after being home to raise our kids. Maybe all fields are like this, but education particularly draws a young crowd. Many of my colleagues were recent graduates and brand-new teachers. I recall sitting in work meetings, realizing I was probably the oldest participant at the table.

Teaching has become very collaborative: lesson planning, classroom procedure and really everything is developed in teams. As I partnered with so many who were even younger than my own kids, I understood that I needed an honest approach. I was the ‘mature’ voice at the table. I did not have all the right answers, but I had decades of experience as a teacher and a parent to contribute. I leaned into that role as an older faculty member. I welcomed the excitement, creativity, and perspective of the newest educators. I got a firsthand view of millennial thinking and lifestyle. I limped behind their technology expertise but gained a few fun fashion tips along the way. At times, the blend was uncomfortable, but we took it all in stride and we produced strong instruction together.

The Bible talks about being the older generation. In ancient times, the elderly were revered; their voice at the table, albeit thinning, was respected and heard. With that kind of platform, God instructed them to tell their stories of God’s faithfulness to the next generation, to share all the remarkable things He had done in their lives and in the generations before them. Yes, it was an oral history to pass down, but it was also a legacy of personal faith to be shared. Though outlooks may shift, God’s Word says, “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty. … They tell of the power of your awesome works. … They celebrate your abundant goodness … “ (Psalms 145: 4-7) We are called to boast on God this way. It takes creativity and courage which we have since “He who called you is faithful.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

My friend Susan texted me this photo while I was drafting this post. I LOVE the contrast here: old and new? Message me if you’d like to know more about their photography.

Labor Day is New Years

Did you labor on Labor Day? Most of us didn’t birth a baby today but many enjoyed a day off from the job. That’s how Americans typically celebrate work, by getting a holiday. Labor Day also marks an end to summer vacation season and begins fall activity. As a teacher, the Labor Day holiday will forever mean Back to School for me, a sort of New Years!

The last day of vacation season made a good first beach day for us!

Is work really something to celebrate? YES. God gave us work. First, He modeled work as He created the universe. Then He tasked His human creation with work, the work of cultivating God’s garden and subduing the rest of creation. (Read about these events in Genesis 1 and 2) But then the events of Genesis 3 unfold, and the perfect earth is corrupted. Work is corrupted too. Work doesn’t become bad, but it becomes difficult. Mankind will toil and sweat to get things done.

We live in life after Eden: our work results in challenge, challenge beyond the physical to mental and emotional challenge. Work is still good and a gift from God, but it is hard.

Americans have historically valued hard work, understanding that it supplies needed income and provides personal satisfaction. Jobs keep us busy and are a wise use of time keeping us away from activity that is unhealthy or dangerous. Overworking, greed, and other sins including lying or stealing, beset some workers but God’s ideal for work is inherently good, just as His work in creation was good.

Excuse the pun, but the American work ethic may be shifting. Most of us have experienced the worker shortage. Entry level work and beginner wages are questioned or rejected. I think there are misunderstandings about achievement and prosperity and how success is attained. As employees or business patrons, we can encourage workers to strive for success and promotion. We can acknowledge a job well done and tip generously. Dream jobs are just that but visualizing advancement through career planning and training can open doors ahead. Talking with young workers helps them dream real possibilities. The Bible says, “The worker deserves his wages.” (1 Timothy 5:18) The truth is two-fold: work must be done and wages must be paid. Happy Labor Day!

Even entry level jobs can provide further education. Way to go, McDonald’s!

Five Years Later

Five years later, I am writing this blogpost from the screened porch of our new home, overlooking a North Carolina golf course on a beautiful August evening! From our home in Fairfax, I launched this blog in the summer of 2016, feeling nudged by God’s Spirit to share thoughts about life and its proximity to God’s timeless writing, the Bible. I aimed to write for those who might not read Scripture that often or understand its relevance to daily living.

Blogs vary greatly. “A Writer’s Daughter” allowed me to publish short articles on a public platform, but it wasn’t a focused dialog. As you may have noticed, I didn’t schedule posts. I contributed regularly enough for my readers to know that I hadn’t vanished from the earth. 2020 was my least consistent year of writing. The onslaught of deeply divisive controversaries last year, made it difficult to address lighter topics and this blog is not meant to take sides, other than to stand fully with God’s perfect Word.

Technology challenged me the most as a blog writer. My main difficulties and frustrations came from learning the software and preparing a post to finally publish. A few entries flopped from a posting and graphics standpoint, but I accepted those failures as a humbling process from the Lord. If this blog is His work, then He determines its success. Speaking of success, bloggers can track stats. I get a count of views for each post. At times, I sigh that I haven’t reached the “millions” that my friend Cynthia envisioned, but again, my goal is to follow-through with faith, not keep records.

I plan to forge ahead with blog-style writing. Sometimes my father asks me if I will write a book. For now, I will continue these short posts and leave authoring a book to another inspiration. I thank each of you for reading “A Writer’s Daughter.” I love your comments and welcome your suggestions. With five years behind me and a new coastal locale, I am hoping to update my theme colors and feature photo. Expect a new look next time “A Writer’s Daughter” pops up. And remember that my writing clearly trumps my photography and design skills.

May God continue His good work (Philippians 1:6). Godspeed to all as we journey on, Brenda

My feature photo from the last five years is of a stack of journals and planners I’d written. The design theme appeared in dark, woodsy hues. My new photo will be of a stack of books with a more coastal color scheme.

Vacation Trilogy: Part 2, Beach Salt and Light

Salt and light. That’s what vacationers hope for at the beach: plenty of salty ocean air, the therapeutic salinity of the sea, and lots and lots of sunLIGHT! All of these were delightfully plentiful on our recent vacation.

The motel owner puts families in the same unit every year: we’re # 3.

In Part 1, I shared that we have taken this same vacation for over 30 years. Many other guests at our moderate motel, and even others who rent nearby beach homes, have also vacationed the same July week. We have become beach friends for one week per year. With only a couple of exceptions, I don’t have contact with these folks outside of beach week. However, with years of sitting together oceanside, relationships have formed. We know much about each other, seeing the families grow with children and grandchildren, marking the milestones such as graduations and weddings, witnessing sad losses in families, and being spectator to the occasional drama!

I notice how life’s going for our beachmates. After a while, lifestyles and values surface. Family dynamics emerge in the week of togetherness. Priorities are evident. Though my best beach week is to get lost in reading, reading, reading under my big beach umbrella, I try to step into conversations and time with friends who also have noticed quite a bit about me and my family over the decades. It is never far from my mind that I am called to be salt and light to those around me, to the circle of acquaintances at our annual week at the beach.

Our family always spent an evening at the Jockey’s Ridge dunes.

Jesus said to his followers, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. “ (Matthew 5:13-14) He expounded on the metaphors saying that salt should be salty, potent; that light should shine, be bright and visible. Jesus warns that flavorless salt is useless and discarded; hidden light is ineffective.

Around East Coast beach towns, I often see a bumper sticker that just says, “SaltLife.” It’s a statement about a coastal state of mind. In the same stylized font, I’ve seen another bumper sticker that mixes it up a bit saying, “Be Salty.” Under “Be Salty” are the words of Mark 9:50: “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Again, this is Jesus’ charge to His followers, and to us who follow Jesus still.

Vacation Trilogy: Part 1, Beach Worship

For over three decades, we’ve vacationed at the same spot on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We visit with many of the same people and repeat favorite annual activities, yet each year is unique. For only the second time, my husband and I went alone on this year’s vacation: no kids, other relatives or friends joined us this time.

For quite a few years, my husband has attended Beach Worship early on our first morning, Sunday. I haven’t tagged along, preferring to visit with those who were staying with us. But solo this year, I decided to attend church on the beach with him! He managed a couple of chairs, and we biked the easy mile down the road.

About two dozen folks were gathered on the open public beach. The church team was in place, greeting us, handing out song sheets, testing the sound system. The service began with a brass quintet playing a hymn anthem. What a joyful sound drifting over the ocean, almost better than the praise bands of contemporary services! My husband commented that this was new and a big improvement from canned music of previous years. The beach-going congregation then sang two songs, led haltingly by an amateur volunteer. Finally, the pastor delivered his brief message which seemed prepared and Scripturally sound. The service ended with a brass postlude, and we were on our way before the sun became scorching.

My husband and I have attended many flourishing churches and heard many great preachers. Comparatively, Beach Worship in Kitty Hawk, NC is tiny and simple. One wonders, what is its impact and purpose? The explanation is that God has called a man and others to do His Work, and they have faithfully responded to God’s challenge.

God is like that, challenging us with opportunities that may defy reason. Is God calling you to fully believe Jesus Christ, or to obey His designs for your life, or to serve and minister as you’re gifted? Listen for His call; take the chance on answering. Luke 16:10

This blog, “The Writer’s Daughter,” is now five years old and I will say more about that soon. Starting the blog and putting my writing out there was a response to God’s prodding in my life. It is simple and small, and one wonders at its purpose and impact, but I took the chance on answering the call.

Category: Purpose