Words – A Writer's Daughter

Time for February – Part 3

For the past couple of days, I have been thinking about how to end my short February treatise on ‘time.’ I researched some Scriptures on the topic, but nothing popped out at me. This morning, I received a Bible verse in a daily texting group that feels exactly right.

Second Corinthians 9 v 8 says, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things AT ALL TIMES, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” What struck me on first reading was the obvious abundance: the words “abundantly”, “all” used three times, “abound” and “every.” God promises lavish fullness, demonstrating His generosity toward His own.

A dear friend, Sandee, regularly texts a big group of us a pretty picture with a Bible verse. I received this from her this morning.

In Bible reading, context is of utmost importance. Chapter nine of 2 Corinthians is about giving. Believers in the Corinthian church were preparing to give a gift (likely monetary) to Christians in another region. The writer Paul is reminding them about their promise to give generously, as they were “blessed” and able to follow through on “every good work.” Paul then quotes Psalm 112 v 9 , supporting the concept of the righteous giving generously from another book of the Bible.

It feels odd to wrap up “Time for February” on an altered note, but I hope you can follow my track. While I was thinking of chronology in this month of numerical confusion, God’s Word brought my post to God’s goodness to us all the time, especially through Jesus our Savior, and our opportunity to live generously with good works all the time. In fact, doing so may help pass the time these last days of February, without a 29th day this year! AMEN

Time for February

The month of February defies time. It is the shortest month of the year with only 28 days, but winter weather woes, Super Bowl woes, and Valentine’s Day woes can drag February painfully on. The short month further confuses us with the Groundhog Day syndrome (immortalized by the Bill Murray movie) and a 29th day of the month that only happens every four years. What to do!?! Blog about it!

Scripture speaks much about time. God is the author of time, though in His divinity He is beyond our human limitations of time. God is not a Father Time; that was Chronos, a figure out of Greek mythology. Our God of the ages is the “Ancient of Days*,” and He points us to (a sampling of) His perspectives on time, beginning with my favorite:

Teach us to number our days [aright], that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90 v 12 (Note – this verse is a prayer or request of God)

My times are in Your Hands. Psalm 31 v 15

The seasons chapter, a time for everything. Ecclesiastes 3

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 2 Peter 3 v 8

“I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1 v 8

May God’s Word sustain your days and weeks. I will continue this post in a few …

February roared in like a lion (oops, that’s March) with a rare coastal snowstorm!

*Daniel 7 v 13

The Purple Foyer Welcome

Over the Christmas holidays, an experience brought to mind the Biblical principle of hospitality. Possible blog post topics pop into my head, and I often let them formulate for days, or weeks, before I finally put my thoughts into writing. As I ruminated on the topic of hospitality, the word surfaced in my Bible study as a desired quality in leadership (Titus 1 v 8). Days later, hospitality was the theme in a devotional I’m currently reading. For me, that was enough confirmation to pen the blog!

It’s OK that none of us has a grand foyer like The Mandarin Oriental.

As I mentioned, after Christmas we experienced overnight hospitality with close friends from our DC days. Halfway through our two-day drive home, we arrived at their house depleted of emotional and physical energy. Approaching the front stoop and entering their purple foyer, I felt relief at being “home,” as I later shared in a thank you note. The familiar surroundings, the memories, the dear friendship and warm welcome ministered deeply. There we’ve sat by fires in the fireplace and cookouts on the porch. We landed there the night we left our family home for the last time and munched leftover Halloween candy in our exhaustion. The guest room often welcomes me with a special treat from the hostess, and the host makes sure we help ourselves to the tea drawer. Being able to spend the night in their home and catch breakfast together before hitting the road again is the spiritual gift of hospitality: sharing out of God’s provision to others in the family of Christ.

While specific spiritual gifts are given especially to some, the New Testament calls all Christians to be hospitable. Romans 12 v 13 says, “Practice hospitality.” I do not think that means doing routines like piano or soccer practice, rather the instruction suggests making hospitality part of your way of life. Unfortunately, hospitality seems threatening to many due to the likes of Martha Stewart in my day and Joanna Gaines these days. We get the idea that everything must be perfect: the food, the décor, and the beautiful hostess. But this is not God’s hospitality plan. Biblical hospitality is genuine and unassuming, from a humble heart and even a humble abode. I encourage you to practice it: have a friend in for coffee, a family over for supper or host a mid-winter party. Scripture says you might even entertain angels unaware (Hebrews 13 v 2)!

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.

Randomize

Words intrigue me. In linguistic studies, one learns that language does not stagnate: it changes over time. Words are lost, words change, and words are rediscovered or newly created. The word ‘camera’ isn’t used much anymore since it’s our phone. ‘Google’ is a verb that was nonexistent 30 years ago. ‘Transformative’ has replaced ‘transformational’ in popularity, though their meanings may be distinct.

I recently heard a new use of a familiar word: random > randomize. ‘Randomize’ describes how researchers randomly select participants for the experiment variable or for the control group. To keep the results unbiased, the experimental assignments are made with, another new term we have – AI! Randomizing might select a traveler for additional security checks or determine the order of questions in an online exam. A patient might be told they were ‘randomized’ for a treatment in a clinical trial.

But is anything really randomized? Are our lives left to chance? I believe that God is in control of all things. Scripture tells us that God knows when a lowly sparrow falls (Matthew 10:29), that God sends elements like rain and fire, (Matthew 5 v 45, 2 Kings 1 v 10), and that He saw us forming in the womb and has numbered the days of our lifetime! (Psalm 139 v 15 – 16). God’s plans supersede the adage “right place at the right time.”

But what about “wrong place at the wrong time?” Yes, in God’s sovereignty, we face terrible things sometimes, yet we are promised God’s guidance and help when we walk the path He’s planned for us (Psalm 37 v 23 below). In other instances, one might have strayed to the wrong place and face consequences (Psalm 119 v 9, Proverbs 7 v 25).

Here, in conclusion, I admit that these are hard truths. Followers of Jesus boldly give God credit for His provision and blessings, or cling to His strength in crisis; it is a day-by-day surrender to do so, only through Holy Spirit power. AMEN

Book Reports

Do you remember doing book reports in elementary school? Teachers cleverly devised multiple project ideas to ensure that students were regularly reading books. Assignments included paragraph summaries on 3 X 5 cards, dioramas, posters, book jackets, and others you may recall. Book reading for the young student continues to be a high priority at the elementary level, but approaches have changed, which I will not get into here. Instead, I will report on two, make that three, books I read in 2023. They stand out for me in ways I’d like to share. I hope my synopses earn passing marks from you!

“Live Not By Lies” was the famed dissenter Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s clarion call to resist Soviet repression, especially of religion. Writer Rod Dreher borrowed Solzhenitsyn’s phrase to entitle a book he never intended to write. Live Not By Lies lays out a “soft totalitarianism” that is creeping, maybe steamrolling, into American culture. Dreher came to author the book when immigrants from communist countries approached him about the glaring similarities of events and policies in Western democracies to the oppression in communist countries that they had personally experienced.

The book uncovers the many ways that a liberal ‘creed’ is being forced onto American society. Warning that it could happen again, Dreher recounts dreadful stories of massive religious persecution in Soviet block nations. It is a sobering and very unsettling book to read, but the story is not limited to America’s current dangerous reality and the evil history of the recent past. Dreher shares the steadfastness of individuals, families and congregations who resisted communist aggression against their faith, and he explains how their means of resistance were effective. He suggests these are ways that would be successful again.

My other book report features the book The Thrill of Orthodoxy by Trevin Wax. I saw the book on a recommended list in 2022 and was captured by its title – a bit of an oxymoron? The author was a new name to me, but I liked his bio. ‘Orthodoxy’ sounded daunting, nonetheless I bought the book and determined to read it. I was pleasantly surprised: the book was quite readable and compelling! Wax’s thesis is that orthodoxy, the timeless doctrines of the Christian faith, is adventurous and exciting. Rather than being dull or static, the Christian faith has been and always will be solid, stable, exuberant, invigorating … and in other words, thrilling! Joy and energy permeated the explanations and examples of historic Christian orthodoxy.

For extra credit, let me tell you how the two books are complementary. The onslaught of a new totalitarianism determined to wipe out Judeo Christian beliefs is chilling, but the orthodox truths of God are firm and life-giving. Scripture is “for such a time as this,” not unlike the Jewess, Queen Esther’s, vital calling during an impending genocide (Esther 4 v 14). With confidence and fortitude, we hold on to our foundational beliefs knowing they, by the power of God and His Son Jesus, will withstand the confrontations that may lie ahead.

Indeed, the Bible is the third in my book review of 2023. Now my assignment is complete and posted by the January 31 due date! As this first month of 2024 draws to a close, evaluate the quality and quantity of your Bible reading: set some goals or make a plan for the year ahead, inasmuch as “Every word of God proves true” (Proverbs 30 v 5) and “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4 v 4).

The topmost book on the pile is a journal I keep of books I read. I record the title, author and a brief summary and critique.

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ADVENTS – Should it be plural?

Like so many early seasonal promotions, I began seeing Advent calendars advertised months before Christmas. Soap, puzzle, dog treat, and chocolate countdown calendars were among the ones I saw. They are quite unlike the Advent calendars of my childhood. In my young girlhood, my Nana sent us beautiful Nativity calendars featuring numbered windows. My sisters and I took turns opening each day’s window to find an illustrated creche figure. Window 24 always opened to the stable scene of baby Jesus in the manger.

Beautiful sanctuary decorations for Advent.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, a season of the days or the Sundays leading up to Christmas. It is a countdown to Jesus’s birthday. Worship services may focus on the traditional themes of the four Sundays of Advent. Pastors often prepare sermon series based on Christmas topics. Many of us read Christmas devotionals throughout December and return to the narratives of Jesus’ birth in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It is good to prepare for Christmas in these ways. The countdown is exciting!

Advent means coming; we suppose anticipation. We think of Jesus and His birth as arriving soon, but Jesus already arrived on earth some two thousand years ago on the first Christmas. Advent, then, is a misnomer, unless something else is coming, to anticipate. Yes, there is: Jesus is coming again! Jesus’ return is an Advent. You may not know this fact and may not understand. And Christians over time have not completely agreed on the exact details surrounding Jesus’ return, but all agree that He is returning, as declared in Scripture. Jesus spoke about His own return in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 and writings in both the Old and New Testament further explain Jesus’ Second Coming.

May your December anticipate the 25^th and another miraculous day yet to come!

(www.gotquestions.org is a reliable resource for topics such as Jesus’ return)

Friendsgiving to Thanksgiving

Friendsgiving is a newly coined term, referring to a meal and gathering of friends, similar to and around the time of Thanksgiving. You can search its origins as easily as I can, but I first encountered the concept as college students held a Thanksgiving-type buffet dinner together before heading home to their families for Thanksgiving. I continue to hear about Friendsgivings among various communities such as neighborhoods or church small groups.

I do wonder about the emphasis and intent of a Friendsgiving, as opposed to Thanksgiving. Hopefully, it is not the replacement of the family but an extra dose of celebrating with an additional group of people. In other words, an extra chance for great food and fellowship in the harvest season. I also wonder if some individuals use the term Friendsgiving to de-emphasize gratitude or religious significance, but the Friendsgiving events that I’ve known of include giving thanks in their celebration among friends.

My daughter-in-law shared this photo from a recent Friendsgiving.

A holiday devoted to giving thanks by feasting together is splendid and accurately regards American history. Thanksgiving is Biblical too. The American event is not, of course, found in the Bible, but giving thanks is a theme throughout Scripture. In the inspired words of 1 Thessalonians 5 v 16-18, Paul famously said to be thankful in everything. The Scripture is a trio of commands: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” [The continual nature of giving thanks is also found in Ephesians 5 v 20, Philippians 4 v 6 and Colossians 3 v 17]

It’s hard to think of always being thankful in light of tragedies, deadly diseases, and waging wars that we hear of too often. Sadly, there will be empty seats at Thanksgiving tables. Psalm 107 v 1 reveals how unconditional gratitude is possible: “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good.” Again, we are told to give thanks, but there is more clarification here with a direct and indirect object. We give thanks TO God BECAUSE He is good. The circumstances may not be good by human standards, but God Himself, by definition, is good (think holy, correct, sovereign). Whether you are already half full of turkey and pumpkin pie from Friendsgiving or headed to Thanksgiving with family anticipating a feast and the fellowship, go with a grateful heart to God, for who He is!

Pardon My French – Part 2

This past spring, my husband and I celebrated a milestone anniversary with a trip to the Caribbean island of St. Martin. The island is comprised of two countries: the Dutch Sint Maarten and the French Saint-Martin. Of course, the Proulxs chose a resort on the French side!

Besides the picturesque aqua waters of the Caribbean, the French international atmosphere enriched our short stay. French citizens travel to this island, no passport needed; guests from France seemed clearly comfortable in their own country! The local language is French though St. Martin is strongly influenced by Caribbean culture.

During our stay at the resort, I noticed that one of the guest activities was a French class. Being a former language teacher, I thought that sounded fun. I showed up at the poolside activity booth at the scheduled time and asked about the class. The host manning the booth scrambled a bit, but soon a staff member showed up, and brought along another staff member in training. No other guests showed up, so the two guys offered me a table and chair nearby … and I had a private French lesson! It was comical!

Here are the phrases the tutor wrote for my lesson.

The two fellows were young, Black Caribbean natives. Many residents on St. Martin are immigrants from nearby Caribbean islands, as these two may have been (I do not recall). Apparently, job opportunities are more plentiful on St. Martin. My tutors asked me what I wanted to learn. One of them pulled out a sheet of paper and began to write out conversational phrases. They pronounced the phrases, and I repeated them. I enjoyed asking them questions about local education and language. They told me the official language and the language of school is French, but English language instruction begins early in their education. There are locally spoken Creole languages too. After 45 minutes of conversing with the two young men, I thanked them for their time and went on my way. Let’s just say that I will need a few more lessons before I can manage any kind of French interaction, no fault of my sincere tutors!

Where does “A Writer’s Daughter” land this post? One of my favorite themes is work and excellence. My French teachers demonstrated those admirable traits, but I addressed that subject in my recent post “Dressed for Success on the Produce Aisle.” Instead, I lean into the value of every individual, folks like us and folks who are not, like my Island tutors, so different from me. All of us share the imprint of the divine, being created in the image of God (Genesis 1 v 27). We must esteem each other, beyond what we may or may not share in common. God’s creatures, however, are not automatically all His children, as is often misstated. God’s children are those who call Jesus, the sacrificial Son whom God provided for humanity, their one and only hope of redemption and salvation. Romans 10: v 9 – 13 Rendons grâce à Dieu.

This post is better viewed on www.brendaproulx.com where you can also read Part 1 of “Pardon My French” and other previous posts.

Pardon My French – Part 1

Before our September trip to London and Paris, we met with a couple friend of ours to get their insights on Paris. He spent some of his youth there, and they had returned to Paris for a family trip. Being the sweet hostess she is, there was a lovely snack prepared for our short visit. With the snacks, she laid out the “Pardon My French” napkins. I laughed at the unlikely thought that my friend would speak any indiscretions. She laughed too saying she didn’t even think of that, but that her grown children had given her the napkins because of the way she mixed a little bit of French and a smattering of Korean into her English vernacular. Such fun humor!

I read up on culture as our trip approached, especially for Paris. One hears that the French do not care for American tourists. What I read is that the French dislike our brash style. Americans, especially Americans on travel, may lack courtesy as they pursue their travel itinerary, expect to get all they paid for, and move on to the next event or destination. In the American rush, politeness may be cut short. This, I believe, is not the French way, The French are gracious and desire to provide polite service but expect to be approached with due courtesy.

A few years ago, I discovered a book series entitled Madame Chic. The American author, Jennifer Scott, lived with a French family as an exchange student. Scott was taken with the priority for grace and elegance she experienced in the home of her French host family. The hosts were not a family of means, but they took the time to make everyday life elegant. This included setting a nice table for every meal, keeping the house orderly and uncluttered, and taking care to dress and groom well daily. These little niceties created a sense of beauty, enjoyment, and calm in the everyday. The French expression “Joie de vivre,” the joy of living, suggests living well in the moment.

I think we felt this vibe in Paris. Many Parisians dress nicely. For example, an older lady may be seen wearing pumps to walk her dog. The cafes of Paris – there are three on every corner – are filled late into the night, even on weeknights, with folks savoring their meal, their cigarettes, and their wine. There appears to be no hurry; they do not seem to worry that it’s getting late on a ‘school night.’ I rarely saw a laptop open in a Paris cafe, unlike an American Panera where half the patrons are working on their computers or phones.

Espresso is not the size of American coffee!

Called ‘red stonefruit tart’, this fresh raspberry tart was extraordinary!

I certainly admit that I can tend to be in a rush, especially when we lived in DC, especially when I was working. I caught myself barging into an office or classroom, in a hurry to meet a student, blurting out a request, not taking the time for a kind greeting. I get impatient in inefficient lines, rather than saying a friendly word to someone else who is also waiting. Jesus’s disciples had a similar tendency: anxious to find food or in a hurry to move on to the next stop, missing the mission of the moment. Jesus, on the other hand, savored His earthly time. He stopped to heal, paused to engage (with Zaccheus, among others), welcomed children. The Apostle Paul wrote that we should “make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5 v 15 & 16) The words God speaks through Paul may not be emphasizing the large quantity of things to be done, but rather the value of quality pursuits, using time wisely for God’s kingdom, relishing opportunities rather than rushing through them. What do you think? And yes, these are ominous days.

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