January 3, 2018 Decades of putting up Christmas lights on the exterior of our house has become a routine that requires little thought. I just do it. But on Monday, as I removed them, I experienced a needed reminder. I realized that I spent the usual several hours putting them up, but removing them took […]
December 28, 2017 The Bible describes our relationship with Jesus as “walking.” Colossians 2:6 teaches us that accepting Jesus leads to doing life with Him. We are to “be occupied with Him” and “walk about” with Him. One of the gifts of friendship is to be able to walk and talk with someone we trust. […]
December 20, 2017 “When Jesus comes, the tempter’s power is broken; when Jesus comes, the tears are wiped away. He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory, for all is changed when Jesus comes to stay.” The songwriter based these words on the Bible story where Jesus gave sight to a blind man. […]
December 13, 2017 I sat in our living room watching through the window the evidence of a windstorm. The outside temperature was in the 30’s but felt like the mid-20’s because of the wind chill factor. The contrast of the indoor warmth to that outside cold caused me to be grateful to be on the […]
December 6, 2017 For many people, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” is more than a song or a dream – it is a commitment. I remember those college days when getting home to Colorado for Christmas was a priority worth driving hundreds of miles on roads covered with snow and ice. It did not feel […]
November 29, 2017 James 4:7 tells us to “resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” We know that our enemy, the counterfeit god, is ready and anxious to find us vulnerable and bring defeat into our life. Joni Eareckson Tada, in one of her writings, offers this helpful tool for chasing the Devil […]
November 22, 2017 Along with many reasons to be thankful, tomorrow’s Thanksgiving celebration causes Americans to remember how the tradition began. Several hundred years of history have played a part in where we are today. Numerous individuals have endured hardship and given their lives for the freedom we enjoy. I wonder if the people who […]
November 15, 2017 Someone asked me recently, “What do you know for sure today?” My reply, “I know Jesus is my Savior and when I die I will go to Heaven. I know a few other things, but none as important as this.” So, at the top of my “Thanksgiving Praise”: I am grateful for […]
November 8, 2017 I admit to having many questions resulting from the tragedy at the church in Texas last Sunday. Each of these events produces its own kind of emotion, but somehow, the targeting of people in a Sunday worship service takes it to the extreme. I have reviewed my balance of trust in Creator […]
November 1, 2017 Today as I turned my wall calendar to November, I thought about how quickly October slipped by. As a child, I recall the joy of another birthday, another year of school completed, and those other wonderful events that come with age – like getting a driver’s license on birthday 16. The journey […]
October 25, 2017 Occasionally, I allow myself a few minutes to view life through the eyes of someone who has no belief or trust in Creator God and the Bible. What if they are right, I am wrong, and in the end, there is no life beyond this one. I cannot prove my confidence as […]
October 18, 2017 At least two years ago, along a trail I enjoy walking, a tall cedar tree fell over. I assumed that within a short time the beautiful green branches would turn brown and die – but that did not happen. Although no longer standing upright, the tree remained very much alive. When the […]
June 3, 2020 It was perhaps 18 years ago that a couple of people suggested I should write a weekly blog. I did not know what a “blog” was, but Ponder with Pastor Bill came out of that idea. It has been good for me to have this opportunity, and I hope it has been…
May 20, 2020 It feels strange, almost wrong, for me to ask this question: How could the Creator and Controller of the universe be held in captivity by it? I hope I am not dabbling in something inappropriate, but this has been on my mind. The confinement of lockdown is a familiar situation for all…
May 13, 2020 Creator God gives us a statement of beauty and hope when He puts a silver lining around a dark cloud in the sky. He reminds us that the darkness is temporary and there is something more powerful than the cloud. It feels like our lives, our community and our world have a…
Meditación con el pastor Bill 6 de mayo de 2020 Sentado en mi silla de tratamiento esta semana frente a una ventana que me daba una vista para el Monte St. Helens, cubierto de nieve sobre un fondo azul cielo. Era una escena magnífica, y tuve mucho tiempo para disfrutarla y reflexionar sobre el significado…
May 6, 2020 My treatment chair this week faced a window that provided a frame for Mount St. Helens, covered with snow against a sky-blue background. It was a magnificent scene, and I had plenty of time to enjoy it and ponder the significance of that mountain. Prior to 1980, I called it “Mount Chrome…