April 26, 2017 A song talks about “the wonder of springtime,” and I have been thinking a lot about this subject. Living on a part of Planet Earth that has definite seasonal changes is a privilege. Springtime in Oregon is a welcome change from the snow and ice of winter. But nature is more than […]
April 19, 2017 At least 20 times in the Gospels, Jesus said, “Follow Me.” It was a familiar phrase to His friends who were with Him during the three years of His public ministry. It was heard in different ways – as an invitation, a command and at least one time as a scolding. The […]
April 12, 2017 If we did not have the Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament, our view of Jesus’ close friends would be less positive. We know them as Apostles, courageous leaders whose commitment to Jesus drove them to a willingness to die rather than deny Him. But that is not […]
April 5, 2017 Easter makes me think of miracles. It is impossible to have Resurrection Morning apart from a miracle. Jesus’ life and ministry is all about miracles, but people can doubt this if they desire. His virgin birth is a miracle, but some say it could not be true. In three years of ministry, […]
March 22, 2017 I hear a lot of comments about young people in America, and much of the time, it is not complimentary. “Entitlement” is the buzzword used to describe them. Whatever fancy definition we give this word, I think it means “I deserve this” or “I have a right to this.” Carried a step […]
March 15, 2017 The title of this “Ponder” comes from a song in “Fiddler on the Roof.” Surely no one would question why the hard-working father with five daughters would dream of how his life might be different if he had a lot of money. His meager income as a dairyman hardly met expenses, but […]
March 8, 2017 Property developers try to save the landscape, but if a tree gets in the way, it usually is removed. During recent years, I have observed this process as some acreage that used to be farmland is being prepared for a housing development. There were sizeable trees growing there, but last week they […]
March 1, 2017 Growing up in Colorado, I understand the significance of cold and snow. While unusual, I remember snow falling on both Labor Day and Memorial Day. Do the math on that and you have a long winter. January was usually rugged, but when February arrived, the hours of daylight increased noticeably and our […]
February 22, 2017 In a culture that often focuses on the fast and temporary, it is good to think about things that have lasting value. A quick return is not always the best investment. Financial advisors remind us to consider a longer-range perspective, because even if the growth process seems slow, it often returns more […]
February 15, 2017 There is something refreshing about a person who has consistent self-discipline. Most likely they do not talk about it – we become aware of it by observation over time. Their life habits are consistently positive and their influence is quiet but forceful. Galatians 5:23 uses another descriptive word with the same idea: […]
February 8, 2017 Ours is a busy and fast-paced culture. Unless we deliberately plan our schedule, we will find someone else doing it for us. While each of us has the same number of minutes in a day, we often allow another person or event to keep us from living a joy-filled life because we […]
February 1, 2017 A beautiful description of Jesus is found in John 1:14: “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” I cannot think of a person more desirable to be around than one who is […]
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…