If Paul were to write a letter to travelers about generosity and tipping, I think he’d reiterate some of the same points he did to the Corinthians. He’d tell travelers to prepare in advance to give tips. He’d say tipping is an act to be done not out of obligation but with a willing heart. He’d point out that the amount travelers give does not matter as long as it comes from a heart that wants to give. He’d say travelers who give with a willing heart fulfill the material needs of others while fulfilling their own spiritual needs. He’d tell travelers that giving with a generous spirit gives other people a reason to thank God.
Whether we’re giving to the church or giving to someone else, generosity goes beyond giving—it’s about attitude and heart. Our ability to give and our willingness to give both come from God (1 Chronicles 29:14). As such, our travels deserve the same preparation that we give to other areas of our lives.
Generosity begins with spiritual preparation. Prayer brings our focus to God. The same as we ask a blessing before a meal, we need to ask for God’s blessing on our vacation. We can pray for those who will receive the tips and for the impact of the tips and ask God to prepare our hearts to give.
Generosity also requires material preparation. A budget helps us to stay within our God-given blessings. It eliminates the element of surprise, allowing our hearts to gain a spirit of generosity. We can prepare envelopes of tips for housekeeping, room service, and others who deliver services but do not charge us directly. We can also budget extra for those instances we receive exceptional service.
Before your next vacation, read and meditate on 2 Corinthians 9. What does God say to you about generosity? What do you need to do to prepare yourself to give with a willing heart?
Another Generous Act—Beyond a material tip, we have the opportunity to bless others through words. Give a shout-out to a particularly helpful person on a review website, describe the great service on a company’s survey, or tell management of the person’s hard work.
Tour Arikok National Park and let the professionals do the driving. A trip to Aruba is not complete without a visit to Arikok National Park. Book an excursion through one of the tour companies. You’ll be grateful for their expertise when your jeep passes the tourists trying to navigate the narrow, rocky dirt roads in their rental vehicles.
Visit as many beaches as possible. You may be tempted to sit on Eagle Beach all week long. Don’t do it. The other beaches might be rockier, but under the water they boast a plethora of sea life from palometas to starfish to sea urchins. The Boca Catalina, Tres Trapi, and Arashi are accessible by bus. For Mangel Halto, I recommend taking a taxi or driving a rental vehicle, unless you don’t mind trekking through a neighborhood.
Take taxis to restaurants, save for those in the resort area and downtown. In terms of walkability, Aruba ranks low with few sidewalks, save for the biking/walking path along the resort/hotel area. Several restaurants outside of the resort/hotel area and downtown are worth a taxi ride, such as Red Fish and Zeerovers.
Take the bus downtown. For small groups, the bus is a viable option to travel downtown from the resort/hotel area. The Arubus website lists times from the start of the route as well as any interruptions in service. It saves the hassle of parking downtown and driving through roundabouts.
Arrive to the airport early. While the low season allows for breezing through the airport, the high season may mean longer lines. I guess this from the barriers set up in the security areas. The U.S. terminal contains not one, not two, but three checkpoints. Keep out your passport for each, and either have it open at the photo page or allow the security personnel to open it for you. Don’t be the girl fumbling around, trying to open it to the correct page. (Not that I’d know.)
Carry cash. Know that your taxi from the airport only takes cash. The same can be said for some of the restaurants. The bus also accepts cash, but you can purchase a day pass or a round-trip pass at several locations (see the Arubus website).
Check your receipts. Some restaurants add a service charge to your bill. Feel free to tip in addition to the service charge.
That’s right! Those pretty palm trees landscaping the resort area in Aruba are imported! Not to worry, there are plenty more reasons than palm trees to vacation in Aruba.
Planning
I began this adventure with a flight search to any and all Caribbean islands. I wanted a beach, sunshine, and warm temperatures. I played around with the days of the flight until I found an agreeable price.
Day 1
On a Tuesday, we woke up bright and early, boarded a flight, and landed in Aruba in the middle of the afternoon.
First stop, the hotel. I chose to stay at a small family-run hotel, the Dorado Eagle Beach Hotel. Our room—one of ten—had a tile floor, a comfy bed, a shower (with local aloe products), and a kitchenette (with a full-size refrigerator).
Second stop—after changing into shorts and sandals—beautiful Eagle Beach, a short walk from our hotel. Arriving at the beach, I shucked my sandals and dug my toes into the soft, white (and surprisingly cool) sand.
After walking on the beach, we purchased bus passes from the Aruba Market and headed downtown for the Bon Bini Festival, where we learned the history of the island and about the language of Papiamento. The popcorn dancers, dressed in colorful outfits, entertained with their quick movements, and the marching band gave a glimpse of Carnival.
For dinner, we ate at Cuba’s Cookin’. The garlic shrimp, delicious. The clash of music from neighboring restaurants and live musicians throughout the marketplace, not so delightful.
I recommend finding one of the indoor dining venues if you prefer a quieter meal. I can vouch for The Brownstone Restaurant. We sat inside on another night and the noise level was much more pleasant. Also, order the Dutch fish and chips. Juicy grouper with a thin layer of beer batter makes for a yummy meal. Don’t forget the homemade lemonade. Or if you want a stronger drink, choose from the many whiskies and bourbons on the blackboard on the wall.
Day 2
Off to M’s Crepes, a poolside shack at the Casa del Mar Beach Resort. I had savory with sausage, bacon, and eggs. My hubby had sweet with nutella and fruit. We washed it down with mango smoothies. Afterward, we ventured to Santos for tea and coffee—a caffeine fix to fuel us for our day on the beach.
At the beach, I played in the water, listened to an audiobook while soaking up the sun, and walked along the beach. My walk revealed a rockier shoreline and further validated my choice of accommodation. Not a single rock dared mar our stretch of Eagle Beach.
Hungry after a day at the beach, we headed to the Red Fish for dinner. What an adventure that turned into! On the map, the route looked easy and one hundred percent walkable. Turns out Aruba doesn’t have many sidewalks, save the biking/walking path along part of the resort/hotel area. Still, we traipsed through roadside grass and across one roundabout, ending up at Red Fish. Totally worth the effort. I ate fresh snapper and my hubby had Mahi, followed by cheesecake and chocolate cake for dessert.
We absolutely had the restaurant call us a taxi to take us back to the hotel.
Day 3
I woke up earlier than my hubby and took myself on a walk along the biking/walking path, camera in hand. The beach became rocky shoreline with divi-divi trees and lizards skittered from my path.
After my walk, I stopped in at the Clover Minimarket at the La Quinta Beach Resort. I ordered waffles covered in coconut yogurt and fruit, as well as two fruit smoothies. Good wife that I am, I brought breakfast back to the hotel to share. But since my hubby did not wake, I stored his waffle in the refrigerator and his smoothie in the freezer, leaving a note that I’d be at the beach.
For dinner, we took a food tour, stopping at Patio, Ocean Opus, Cuba’s Cookin’, West Deck, and Ristorante Italiano Italy in the World. The West Deck was by far my favorite. With it’s wooden deck and laid-back vibe, it was exactly the type of restaurant I’d stop into without checking the reviews.
Day 4
Another morning walk revealed a quaint shoreline, an iguana, and a sign for a possible dinner option. After that, we spent a relaxing day on Eagle Beach—at one point with frosty, nonalcoholic drinks in hand from Coco Loco, a short walk from our spot on the beach.
That night, after showering off the sand, we walked to Po-Ké Ono, at one of the beach residences, for dinner. We walked along the bike/walking path until I spotted the sign again. The lack of a pedestrian crossing didn’t stop us. We crossed the road and followed another group of people up a path to the residences, through a coded gate, and into the building. I believe the main entrance is at the front of the building, along another road. Probably another road without a sidewalk. The point is, we made it.
Once inside, we sat at the bar. The menu is quite simple with a choice of poké bowls, sushi, or steamed baos. I enjoyed the pork belly bao and my hubby a sushi roll. Good food worth a ramble into the road and into an unfamiliar complex. (I later spotted another location at the Renaissance Marketplace. If only I had known about that location before.)
First stop, the Clover Minimarket, yet again, for breakfast. I can’t recommend this place enough. My hubby ordered a Chemex and the server made it tableside! In addition, we both ordered french toast. Turns out this is toast topped with yogurt and fruit, not the egg-soaked kind. Delicious nonetheless.
Stomachs full, we ventured to Boca Catalina Beach via the bus. This beach has a sandy entrance, flanked by rocky coastline. I recommend water shoes. The ocean floor boasts more than a few rocks in this area. I walked out into the crystal clear waters, armed with my Olympus TG-5, my fabulous underwater camera. Sadly, I did not have goggles. Still, even standing in water and looking down, I could see the fish. And the fish loved me. The palometas thought I’d make a tasty treat and ambushed my legs on more than one occasion.
To finish the day, we went to Ike’s Bistro for their Saturday Local Night menu. The menu includes two options: three courses or four courses. We chose the four-course meal, which included both an appetizer and fish soup, rather than one or the other. After three of four courses, we determined ourselves too ambitious. Not to worry—the server boxed our desserts and we enjoyed them for breakfast the next morning.
Day 6
Adventure Day! After coffee, tea, and breakfast at the Clover Minimarket, and a stop to buy goggles, we boarded the bus to Savaneta. The helpful bus driver asked where we intended to go and, at our stop, directed us to Zeerovers. A short walk through a residential neighborhood and we arrived at the restaurant, whose parking lot overflowed with cars. Inside, we studied the menu while waiting in line to order food. Our choices: locally caught fish of the day, shrimp, and a variety of sides. Having ordered fish for two, we wove our way through the wall of people (locals and tourists alike) watching the World Cup. We snagged a picnic table and waited for our food.
I proclaim this the best meal ever! The fish was covered in a light batter with salt and pepper. And I’ve never had a bad fried plantain. The cheering of fans for the teams in the World Cup added to the atmosphere.
After lunch, we boarded the bus (two busses to be exact), and headed to Mangel Halto Beach. After a skipped bus stop and a stop at one in the middle of nowhere, whereupon we stayed on the bus, we ended back in downtown Oranjestad. From Oranjestad, we boarded another bus. With the assistance of the helpful bus driver, we found our destination. We waded out toward the coral reef to snorkel. By snorkel, I mean that I took a deep breath and stuck my head in the water. An incident many years ago taught me that I don’t mix well with snorkel tubes. We stayed until sunset, watching the pelicans fly.
Day 7
This day marked another adventure, this time to the Casibari Rock Formations and into Arikok National Park. No, we did not attempt this ourselves. We used ABC Tours.
I can’t stress this enough: Let the professionals do the driving! Arikok National Park has narrow dirt roads not made for a normal vehicle. There are plenty of potholes to ruin a rental car (even one made for the rugged terrain).
At the Casibari Rock Formations, we climbed a set of rock stairs and were treated to views of the island. Second stop, Conchi Natural Pool, but because of the rough waters we did not swim.
Next stop, Fontein Cave, where we saw ancient cave drawings. The earliest date etched into rock was 1583. The road from here led to Dos Playa Beach with beautiful views. Again, too rough to swim. We ended the tour at Mangel Halto Beach for a little time in the water. The tour also included lunch.
Upon returning to the hotel, we procured beach chairs and towels and happily lazed at Eagle Beach until sunset.
Final Day
I spent the first few hours in the water, husband on the shore reading. Then, after washing off the sand, we took a taxi to the airport. Once at the airport, keep out your passport. At least on the U.S. departures side, there are three checkpoints. Have your passport open or allow the security personnel to open it for you. Don’t fumble around trying to find the correct page. (Not that I’d have any reason to offer that advice…)
My hubby wanted to see mountains. So I visited the Amtrak website and browsed the route maps. I followed the California Zephyr route with my finger. Shortly past Denver, I found Glenwood Springs, Colorado. A few minutes on Tripadvisor and it was decided—we were going to Glenwood Springs.
Days 1–2: On the Train
A one-hour stopover in Denver. We de-boarded the train and ate at Snooze in Denver Union Station. Who doesn’t love a bacon flight? Not to mention the pumpkin pancakes.A view from the train between Denver and Glenwood Springs. Fall color on full display.
Day 3
The Rio Grande Trail. A little rainy, but so beautiful.Another scenic view. This time from the Doc Holliday Trail.A soak in the mineral hot springs swimming pool after a hard day of hiking.
Day 4
Tackled the Red Mountain Jeanne Golay Trail, a three-plus-mile uphill hike. I admit, at about the halfway point, I wanted to give up. But I didn’t! Onward and upward.Somewhere along the hike, I stopped to take a picture. Okay…I stopped several times. The views were just so lovely!Down the mountain! I love this photo. It makes me want to explore!
Day 5
We spent the morning in a coffee shop and said we’d take it easy. But we were in Colorado and the weather was perfect. So another hike, this time the Glenwood Canyon Recreation Path.Dinner at the Co. Ranch House.
Day 6
A hike on another portion of the Rio Grande Trail to cap off a day of soaking in the hot springs and reading in a coffee shop.
Day 7
An early morning hike at the Glenwood Canyon Recreation Trail. I had big hopes of seeing a bighorn sheep. No such luck. On the train ride in, I spotted one on a mountain ledge with its cream-colored butt facing the train. My hubby informed me there were at least seventeen others surrounding this one sheep.A late-afternoon hike, this time the Scout Trail.
Day 8
The Amtrak arrives to pick us up. But wait…repairs to the track allow us three more hours in Glenwood Springs!One last view from the train.
Nowadays, anyone can create their own website. Issues of design include branding, usability, and search engine optimization. Often, though, those creating websites overlook editorial style. When editing, copyeditors create a style sheet. This defines the editorial specifications for the manuscript. Such a tool is also useful for the creation of a professional-looking website. Consider these questions for stylistic choices:
What heading style do you want to use? Sentence case or title case (or even capitalization of every word)?
In title case, do you capitalize the second word in a hyphenated compound?
In a heading or after a sentence, do you capitalize the first word after a colon?
Do you want to use the serial comma?
Do you want to hyphenate prefixes and suffixes?
Do you want a space before and after an em dash?
Ultimately, the choice of style belongs to the website’s creator. A style sheet is a valuable guide that allows for consistent usage of style throughout a website.
The sun bakes the car as my husband and I drive a road that leads to a visitor center at the Okefenokee Swamp. A sign on the side of the road announces the presence of black bears in the park.
A squeal sounds from my lips. I love wildlife! Even more, I love photographing wildlife. I am now determined to find a bear to photograph. From a safe distance, of course.
We stop at the visitor center, look at the displays, and pick up a map. Meanwhile, I’m bouncing up and down, ready to find my bear.
Back in the car, husband driving, me in the passenger seat, I glue my gaze to the scenery. Trees draped in Spanish moss rise out of water. Water lilies float among other vegetation. Not a single pair of alligator eyes peeps out of the murky water. Bummer.
As we drive along the road, I see a flash of black through the trees. This is it! This is my moment! With gusto and confidence, I point my finger and shout, “Bear!”
Silence fills the car. Cue a strange look from my husband.
Why isn’t he more excited?
A few more splashes of black lumber behind the tree trunks.
An example of word breaks in a popular design program. Sometimes right, sometimes wrong.
Hyphenation matters in a manuscript. Word processing and design software automatically insert end-of-line word breaks. Sometimes, though, the breaks are wrong, and writers must proofread for incorrect hyphenation in their manuscripts.
Heteronyms, words with the same spellings but different pronunciations and meanings, present a challenge when they break in different spots. The wrong break can result in ambiguity and amusing moments.
Present (Pre-sent/Pres-ent)
The bridal party wanted to play games before the shower presents. The verb form raises the question, what is the animated shower presenting?
Moped (Moped/Mo-ped)
Before the moose moped, a mouse meandered onto the dirt road. In the verb form, a mouse meanders onto the dirt road before the moose decides to feel sorry for itself. In the noun form, a mouse meanders in front of a moped designed for a moose.
If you meet this guy on a moped, run!
Crooked (Crooked/Crook-ed)
On the mountain road that crooked trees grew from the rocks. If the verb becomes an adjective, the mountain road no longer bends and the trees become gnarly and twisted.
Minute (Mi-nute/Min-ute)
Ralph rambled a rhythm at Minute Mic Night. If the break comes after the I, the microphone becomes tiny. If the break comes after the N, the performers have one minute to perform.
Resume (Re-sume/Re-su-me)
After writing resumes, Renee planned to write a riveting report. Renee is either a writer of resumes or she’s waiting for writing time to begin again.
Sake (Sake/Sa-ke)
For Sally’s sake, use fresh fruit such as pineapple. The break or lack of break tells whether Sally has a special recipe for sake or she dislikes or has allergies to other types of fruit.
We love our characters. We give them flaws to make them relatable. We paint word pictures to show their strengths. We make them human.
Characterization roots our characters in our readers’ minds. The good news is the Bible provides us with a list of traits for our characters, the fruit of the Spirit.
Love
A character with an independent streak might accept help from others only when necessary (and sometimes not even then). Helping others becomes more of a chore than an act of love.
That same character might do chores for someone who has been injured. They raise money for a family in need. They love with their whole heart.
Joy
A character whose father dies and leaves the family in debt might keep the debt a secret. They push away offers of help from friends and family, and they work overtime to pay off the debt. They view life through a dark, gloomy tunnel without light at the end.
That same character might write down every good memory they had with their father. They pull their family together and plan a fundraiser to pay off the debt.
Peace
A character who lives on the streets because their one and only parent abandoned them might commit crimes such as stealing food while feeling guilty for such acts. They become wary of other people, especially those who offer help.
That same character might accept their lot in life and find ways to help others in the same situation. They finish their education and find full-time employment. They know God is on their side, no matter their circumstances.
Patience
A character with a sense of adventure might be impulsive, often doing things on a whim. They feel trapped when they’re in one place for too long. When trouble strikes, they run in the opposite direction rather than trying to work out the problem.
That same character might carefully plan out each adventure. They camp under the stars for a week with nothing but a book for company. When trouble strikes, they methodically think through their options.
Kindness
A character who was abused as a child might yell at people who try to help them. Their all-about-me attitude prevents them not only from asking for help but also from giving help.
That same character might befriend a child in the same situation. They become a mentor to the child and encourage the child to focus on their schoolwork.
Goodness
A character who likes to gossip might start rumors about other people to bring attention to themself. They spread secondhand information as if it’s true. They don’t admit when they’re wrong and instead blame others.
That same character might apologize for passing on information about another. They readily admit their wrongs while trying to become a better person.
Faithfulness
A character who has had their heart broken might throw themself into their work or another project. They refuse to see their friends. They feel anger toward the one who broke their heart.
That same character might throw themself into bettering their friendships. They invite their friends to their house. They make soup for a sick friend. They trust their life is not over even though a relationship has ended.
Gentleness
A character who is socially awkward might blurt out words without thinking, unintentionally hurting others. They do not seek forgiveness, simply because they feel awkward doing so.
That same character might give gifts to another person in secret. They write encouraging letters without signing them. They help out where and when needed without saying much but giving one hundred percent effort.
Self-Control
A character with a gambling problem might lie to their family and friends, keeping their problem a secret. They also lie to themself, promising they’ll quit or “one last time.” Gambling becomes their idol, and they act offended when anyone dares suggest they have a problem.
That same character might admit defeat to their family. They enroll in a rehab program and put their focus on volunteering at a homeless shelter.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…
Every scene has five parts: an inciting incident, progressive complications, a crisis, a climax, and a resolution. The inciting incident disrupts the main character’s world. Progressive complications make the character’s life more difficult. The crisis asks the question, do I or don’t I? The climax is when the character takes action in regard to the crisis question. The resolution shifts the value of the story and moves the plot forward.
Consider Chapter 3 of Genesis. The serpent asks Eve questions and offers more insight about the tree (inciting incident). This changes the status quo world. Next, Eve eats of the tree and shares the fruit with her husband (complications). They then realize their nakedness, and hearing God walking in the Garden, they feel a desire to hide (more complications). The turning point complication comes when God addresses them directly. They have to choose whether or not to admit to having eaten the fruit (crisis). They admit it through the blame game (climax). God then tells them the consequences of their actions (resolution). In this case, the value shifts in a negative direction from life toward death.
Inciting Incident
“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (verse 1)
Progressive Complications
The serpent tells Eve she will not die but will have more knowledge.
Eve shares the fruit with her husband, Adam, and he too partakes.
They realize their nakedness.
They hear God walking in the Garden and hide.
God asks, “Where are you?” (verse 9)
Gods asks Adam, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (verse 11)
God asks Eve, “What is this you have done?” (verse 13)
Crisis
Do I admit to eating from the tree or not?
Climax
Adam blames Eve.
Eve blames the serpent.
Resolution
God curses the serpent.
God brings about pain in childbearing.
God curses the ground.
God brings about death.
God makes Adam and Eve clothing.
God banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
Publication—it’s a dream for every writer, whether a magazine article, a novel, a poem, or a short story. It says I have succeeded as a writer. It says I have accomplished a lifelong dream. It says someone wants to read my writing.
As Christian writers, we know God has set forth a plan for us.
Sometimes, though, the mirage-like goal becomes like the tree in the Garden of Eden—a sparkling temptation. We want to know the future of our writing, so we submit when a piece is not ready. We put in more hours at the expense of family time. We forget to pray about our writing.
When I pray for my writing, I find more focus. While I cannot know the outcome of my writing, I write with joy because God designed me with a passion to write. The destination for my writing, I leave in God’s hands.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
—Jeremiah 29:11
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.
