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 […]
April 29, 2020 While watching bulky white clouds move across a beautiful blue sky, my mind went to Acts 1. After Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples, “giving them convincing proofs that He was alive,” He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit that the Father would send […]
April 22, 2020 “Patience is a virtue, learn it if you can; seldom found in women and never found in men.” I will not speak for anyone else, but the last four words of this adage speak of the journey of my life. I was not a patient child and I do not think I […]
April 15, 2020 A number of things Jesus said and did while on Planet Earth make me think He had a sense of humor. Recently, I have thought about this in light of Resurrection Day. He had told His followers several times that He would be killed and rise again in three days. But on […]
April 8, 2020 I do not recall an Easter Sunday when I was not in church. Perhaps a snowstorm cancelled an Easter service once during my growing up years in Colorado – that is possible. Easter is always spent at church with a group of people celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Anticipating this coming Sunday […]
April 1, 2020 These days we are forced to stay at home as much as possible. For some families, this may be a new experience. I have been thinking about the time when staying home was a chosen way of doing life. In early America, families very seldom left home. They ate at home, slept […]
March 18, 2020 A week ago, we were planning for weekend events and worship services. Schools were busy, restaurants filled – life seemed so normal. One day later, it all changed and continues to change. The unknowns and uncertainties are massive. I have been admitting to myself how much I allowed myself to assume over […]
March 12, 2020 Growing up in a small community and church, we enjoyed periodic Singspirations where you could choose the song you wanted everyone to sing. Nearly every time it was my dad’s turn to choose, he would select “Sweeter as the Years Go By.’’ The words are about the journey with Jesus becoming sweeter […]
October 9, 2019 English poet Christina Rossetti wrote: “Were there no God, we would be in this glorious world with grateful hearts; and no one to thank.” I thought about the beautiful fall colors when I read this. Each of the changing seasons offer their own kind of beauty. A covering of winter snow makes…
October 3, 2019 I am grateful to have grown up without television. My first experience was probably during seventh grade on a black-and-white TV with a fuzzy picture and a lot of “snow.” It was not in our home, so the experience was brief. My memories of any significant amount of television are after Carol…
September 25, 2019 Trying to relive the past is not only impossible, it can be a dangerous mental exercise. As we grow older, it is easy to fall into a routine of saying, “We used to” or, “When I was in charge” or maybe, “In the good old days.” I have never understood what that…
September 18, 2019 I read that Alfred Henry Ackley wrote 1,500 hymns. One of them begins with this line: “You can smile when you can’t say a word.” Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Years ago, a friend told me to “smile and people…
September 11, 2019 While most of our days pass without memory, there are certain dates that we never forget. Consider birthdates, marriage, graduation – the list will be long when we take time to think about it. These memorable dates bring joy as we ponder their significance. There are certain events where we not only…