September 2, 2015 Ponder We normally connect “blessing” with “abundance,” but I have been thinking about the benefits of having less and facing challenges. The natural world teaches us these principles. Large trees have roots that grow far into the earth, often around rocks and through hard ground, to find nourishment. Life in a sandy […]
August 26, 2015 Ponder The woodpecker taps the tree trunk with its beak and then turns its head from side to side, apparently listening for sounds inside the tree. Eventually, it picks a certain spot and with jackhammer intensity removes chunks of wood and enjoys a meal of bugs. How does the bird know to […]
August 19, 2015 Ponder On my journey through the Bible via CD, I have been in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. I enjoyed Isaiah more than usual as I listened for its statements of hope – there are quite a few of them in the midst of so many forecasts of judgment. Then Jeremiah. No wonder […]
August 12, 2015 Ponder Friday, August 14, 2015, will mark 50 years of marriage for Carol and me. My mind is struggling to comprehend how this can be true, but the calendar does not lie. On the eve of this special milestone, I have been remembering some key aspects of our journey. 1. We were […]
August 5, 2015 Ponder Brennan Manning’s book called “Ruthless Trust” has impacted my life so much that I find myself rereading it periodically. He says, “The person with an abiding spirit of gratitude is the one who trusts God. The foremost quality of a trusting disciple is gratefulness.” Most recently, I was challenged by this […]
July 29, 2015 Ponder Although I have read through the Book of Isaiah several times before, I recently discovered a new insight. In chapter 43, verse 4, God told Israel, “I love you.” At first glance, that should not surprise me, because God is Love and the Story of the Bible is all about His […]
July 22, 2015 Ponder Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, had opportunities to experience every pleasure known to man at that time. His description of what he owned and enjoyed is nearly beyond our imagination. But his conclusion was that it did not offer ongoing satisfaction. He described it as meaningless. Realizing that we live in […]
July 15, 2015 Ponder There is something about watching a river that brings a feeling of peace. Waterfalls speak of power and beauty. The ocean seems endless. But a flowing river makes a statement of calm. A small stream or the mighty Columbia River – each offers its own picture of peace. The writer of […]
July 8, 2015 Ponder Timing is a factor in all that happens on Planet Earth. It is interesting to remember that the timeless Creator God designed our world to operate continually and completely in the context of time. The writer of Ecclesiastes declared in chapter 3: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there […]
July 1, 2015 Ponder Strong winds blew small sparks from one rooftop to the next until 29 homes were destroyed. It happened so quickly that the occupants had only minutes to escape. Firefighters were frustrated in their efforts to put a stop to the out-of-control situation. James 3 describes the human tongue as a fire […]
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…