December 19, 2018 Nearing the end of the year, my daily Bible reading includes a chapter from Revelation. I understand so little about this book. Much of the story in Revelation is anything but peaceful. It is obvious that Jesus is in charge. As John the Baptizer said, “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes […]
December 14, 2018 A song says it well: “I love to tell the story, for those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” I am pondering those words while reading the Christmas Story from Matthew and Luke in the New Testament. Along with many people, some of my […]
December 5, 2018 I appreciate the calendar. It helps me set goals, evaluate, make adjustments and enjoy a sense of completion. January suggests a full year of opportunity. I find it easy to decide on a Bible reading plan, determine to declutter and believe that this is the year to finish some things that I […]
November 28, 2018 In my late teens, I worked for a friend’s dad during wheat harvest in Eastern Colorado. The area is known for summer hailstorms that in a matter of minutes can destroy an entire year’s effort. One afternoon during the prime of harvest season, I noticed the owner trying to harvest some wheat […]
November 14, 2018 Sitting in the comfort of our home, I thought about the events taking place in northern and southern California, where fires are burning out of control. Loss of homes and possessions is painful, but not nearly as much as loss of lives. To know that people were trapped and burned to death […]
November 7, 2018 “Shelter” is a familiar word these days as communities try to find ways to care for homeless people. As cold, wet weather arrives, we want to protect people as much as possible. It is a difficult challenge with no easy solution. I have been pondering the broader issue of the human need […]
October 31, 2018 My Bible reading these days is in Jeremiah. I have found myself giving thanks for the privilege of having comrades in ministry. I cannot relate to how lonely Jeremiah must have been. Known as a prophet, today we would call Jeremiah a preacher. He had very little good news to share – […]
October 24, 2018 George Beverly Shea used to sing, “If we could see beyond today as God can see.” Several lines in the song tell us about the difference between God’s perspective and ours. “If we could know beyond today as God doth know . . . O’er present griefs we would not fret, each […]
October 17, 2018 Galatians 4:4 is part of a discussion concerning the coming of Jesus to fulfill the law and to be revealed as Savior. These words caught my attention, “But when the time had fully come, God sent His son.” I believe this could be paraphrased to read, “When God was ready.” Most of […]
October 10, 2018 Our culture encourages young people to make choices that are counter to what the Bible teaches and, if followed, are sure to bring eventual regret. I have been pondering some choices that teens will never regret making. A disciplined life with a balance of planned routine, time management, proper diet and rest, […]
October 3, 2018 While a dark cloud of accusation and reaction fills the media these days, I have looked for something positive that could surface. It occurred to me that we older people need to come alongside teenagers and help them see the impact of their choices – good ones and bad ones – that […]
September 26, 2018 When I reflect on my growing up years, the memories are pleasant. Country life, 20 miles from the nearest town via gravel roads, did not offer a lot of entertainment. Elementary school years were in a one-room school with eight grades. There was no TV – not even electricity during the early […]
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…