February 17, 2016 After Job’s friends tried to explain why he was hurting so badly, and obviously missed the point entirely, the Lord spoke to Job – first “out of the whirlwind” and later “out of the storm.” He reminded Job of Who He is and how little Job knew. Chapters 38-41 offer an amazing […]
February 10, 2016 If you have worked in a situation where two people were considered your boss, you might have felt trapped between loyalties. It was not intended by your superiors, but it happened because two people trying to accomplish a task were not communicating. Hopefully, both of the bosses were asking for good things […]
February 5, 2016 The record of Jesus’ time on Planet Earth shows two contrasting attitudes toward people. To the hurting who were seeking answers and hope, He showed amazing patience. But to the people who were caught up in their own self-righteousness, He used harsh words to describe His feelings about them. The people who […]
January 28, 2016 Perhaps you have heard it said: “I just don’t have enough faith to believe that.” The subject could be many things – health issues, financial challenges, relationships and certainly matters pertaining to trusting Creator God. I have been pondering what this attitude means while relating it to other questions: “Are there quantities […]
January 20, 2016 Matthew 17 tells of a time when Jesus’ disciples were asked to help a hurting family solve a problem but were unable to do so. When Jesus was asked for help, He took care of the situation. Afterward, the disciples came to Him privately and wondered why they were unable to do […]
January 13, 2016 Living in a culture where the focus is on the “now” makes it easy to lose sight of the future. The world of advertising says “buy now,” which often gets the desired response. If we wait a little while and consider the bigger picture, we might make a different decision. Other choices […]
January 6, 2016 “What would Jesus do?” is a popular question used by many people for making decisions. It seems practical to want to follow His example. Like children repeating the patterns of parents and other mentors, why not try to determine what Jesus would do and then do it His way? Without intending any […]
December 30, 2015 The writer of Philippians talks in chapter 3 about “forgetting the past and reaching forward to the future.” This reminds me of where we are today – letting go of 2015 and anticipating 2016. I have been pondering what this involves. The “forgetting” is not so much a memory lapse as it […]
December 23, 2015 Married life can follow a schedule of plans and activities rather easily until a baby is added to the family. That changes everything. The baby interrupts our sleep, our dinner hour and just about everything else that was once routine. That tiny, helpless baby is a very powerful person. The arrival of […]
December 16, 2015 The Story of Christmas is a lesson in trust – from start to finish. It goes beyond the ability of human reasoning to understand or explain. The Story begins and ends in the Bible. There is no other source that gives the prophecies and their fulfillment in such detail. The Old Testament […]
December 9, 2015 Ponder I have been thinking about the extremes of our amazing Creator God, Who is both powerful and personal. His power is seen in many ways. It must be quite a project to manage the universe. We know a little about a portion of it, but when we consider the idea of […]
December 3, 2015 Ponder Listening to the wind blow, I was reminded of the benefit of walls as a barrier between myself and what is happening outside. Walls mean safety and warmth. Life is completely different during a storm when we are protected by strong walls. Pondering the significance of walls, I thought about other […]
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…