Posted in Life

Thunderbirds

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Yesterday was cookie delivery day. With a bag of birthday iced sugar cookies in hand, I met the purchaser outside of the hospital where she worked in Daytona Beach.

I heard the sound well before I saw the plane. Instead of the usual commercial jet or single engine plane coming or going from the Daytona Beach airport, the roar of a fighter jet filled the air as an F-16 flew pretty low overhead. It was flying pretty low as it disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Close behind were four of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flying in close formation.

I was pleasantly surprised and awed. They were practicing their flyover for the start of the Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon. The friend picking up cookies told me she had gone up onto the hospital helipad the day before, watching them from less than 1,000 feet away.

Every once in a while, I’ll see a couple of F-35s or Blackhawk helicopters overhead when the Air National Guard runs training flights along the coast out of Jacksonville. When I hear the unmistakeable sound, I hurry outside to watch. They don’t fly as low, but they are fast!

Moments like this bring back memories of one of my top ministry moments, a flyover at the graveside service of a dear friend and member.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Turn up the volume

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Al Elmes on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Jude.

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

In the first church where I served as pastor, the sanctuary was separated from a kitchen/fellowship area by a long accordion-style folding divider. One Sunday morning, a meal was scheduled to follow the worship service. I had to contend with slicing, chopping, conversation, and chuckling from well-intentioned parishioners busy with food preparation during the sermon. With a louder-than-usual-voice and lots of projection, I was up to the task.

It didn’t happen often, but some babies weren’t happy at their baptism. I had to contend with their louder-than-usual cries at the font. Once again, I was up to the task, calling upon the breath support I usually used for playing the trumpet.

Jude calls on believers to “contend for the faith” because there was a lot of other noise filling the early church air. The voices of false teachers, grumblers, complainers, and boasters created division in the church, even denying Christ himself! Jude encourages them to turn up the volume of the apostles’ words, praying and strengthening their faith in the promises of God.

Is the church a place filled with the sounds of joy or complaining? Are we united in mission or divided over worldly issues? Do we hear the voice of truth or lies from the enemy?

It’s always a good day to turn up the volume of love, mercy, and grace as we contend for the faith.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

We have an advocate

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from 1 John 2.

“If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

Over the years I’ve written many letters of recommendation for youth seeking admission to college or applying for financial aid. Most of the time, I knew them well, having taught them and gotten them involved in various church ministries. I enjoyed advocating for each one, anticipating their future success.

A few times I had to be honest and admit I didn’t know them very well. I did my best to write positively about them and their future potential.

I think it’s interesting that one of the roles the bible assigns to Jesus is advocate or mediator. But he doesn’t advocate for those who are upstanding citizens of heaven. If we fail, if we blow it, if we give in to temptation, if we do terrible things – if we sin, “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.”

Who would you ask to write a letter of reference to God for admission to heaven? Isn’t that what we hear at funerals. Actually, that’s what you always hear at funerals. The deceased was the nicest person you could ever meet, unselfishly willing to do anything for anyone in need. Most of those in attendance know better, but dare not tell the truth. Grief is hard enough without recounting past hurts, regrets, and grudges.

Jesus is the one you want as an advocate. He doesn’t sugar coat your life. He simply assumes your guilt and shame and lets you wear his righteousness, which secures your admission to eternal life. You aren’t the nicest person he’s ever met, but he loves you so much he doesn’t hesitate to go to bat for you.

Posted in dogs

The Truth About Marrow Bones: Dogs Love Them, Prices Skyrocket

Posted on by William Douthwaite

My dogs wonder, “Why don’t you buy marrow bones for us anymore?”

“Have you seen the prices?”

Marrow bones used to be scraps from the butcher. Now they are high demand and therefore high-priced products. Bone broth is a trendy nutritional staple now.

The price of beef is up. So every part of the cow is more expensive.

Some people blame COVID. People stayed home and learned to cook, so the demand for meat went up.

Some blame a higher minimum wage. The money to pay stock clerks at the grocery has to come from somewhere.

But the dogs love these things. Somehow, they can extract the marrow from the middle of a slice of bone. It’s good for them, too. Chewing these bones scrapes some of the plaque and tartar off their teeth, delaying a dental cleaning.

When I give the dogs a bone, they are focused. One hundred percent of their attention and energy is devoted to scraping every speck of marrow from that slice of cow bone. They are obsessed with that one inch slide of bone.

Okay, so I guess it’s worth it. I love my dogs, and they love bones. A win-win?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

A few supplements for a life of faith

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

“Whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” (2 Peter 1:9).

I started wearing glasses when I was ten years old. My fourth grade teacher alerted my parents when she noticed I squinted to see the chalkboard. A few weeks later I was wearing black-framed glasses for distance. As I matured, I needed increasingly stronger prescriptions for glasses and then for contact lenses.

When Peter writes about a nearsighted faith, he attributes it to a lack of the qualities he mentions in verses five through seven: virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love (1:5-7).

This is a departure from the usual, “All you need to do is believe.” Which is true. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. There is nothing we can add to that.

However, Peter encourages his audience to supplement their faith with these qualities because we’re living in a world corrupted by sin that distracts us from God. Our sinful desires can easily shove God aside. These spiritual supplements help us see how our faith shapes every part of our lives and relationships.

Perhaps it’s like receiving the gift of a new bike. It’s yours. It’s beautiful. You adjust the seat and the handlebars to fit your body. You learn how to shift smoothly, keep a steady cadence, get in and out of the toe clips, adjust the brakes, check tire inflation, negotiate traffic, dress for different weather, and take off down a hill without ever touching the brakes. You don’t have to do any of those things, but it’s more fun riding when you do!

God knows you’ll really enjoy taking your faith for a spin!

Posted in neighbor, neighborhood

Do you smell that smell?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash

I exclaimed, “Wow, do you smell that?” As the big dog and I rounded the corner on an pre-dawn Sunday walk, an amazing aroma filled the air.

Someone must have been frying bacon on a cast iron grill. The incredible smell filled the air around us for at least a hundred feet of our walk. I thought, “I need to get to know these neighbors!”

My joy quickly evaporated as we turned another corner and slammed into the obnoxious smell of someone lighting up their first cigarette of the day. That must be a powerful addiction to have to light up before sunrise.

We pass another house where someone likes to start their day with a cigar. I don’t mind that smell so much. It just surprises me when the breeze blows that smoke across a yard that early in the morning.

The other early morning aroma I enjoy comes when someone has been smoking brisket or a pork butt all night. What better than the smell of wood, seasoning, and cooked meat filling the air?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The colors of grace

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from 1 Peter 4.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10-11).

I love Peter’s description of God’s grace like the color chip display at a paint store. The variety of hues never fails to amaze me. Grace might look like love, but it can also show up as hospitality, stories of God’s power, or helping others. It’s like everyone has their own individual grace language or seasoning.

I believe it’s much easier to state what grace is rather than describe what it looks like. Grace is God’s gift of salvation for us through the redemptive suffering and death of his son Jesus on the cross. That is an unchanging, historical image of God’s grace. But putting on Christ in baptism (Galatians 3:27) will look a little different on each one of us.

Sometimes it sounds like a bold, confident prayer. Other times, it will be a simple song sung by a child. Sometimes it tastes like lunch with a dear friend. It could be the reassuring words of a doctor. Or even just laughter that makes you chuckle, too.

Since I really don’t deserve anything good from God, every blessing is an expression of grace. God uses people to deliver that grace, just as he used his own son to bring us life.

The other day I was walking the big dog when an Amazon truck pulled over for a delivery. A young man hopped out with a package while an older woman (his mom?) stayed behind the wheel. He exclaimed, “Is that a Great Dane? Is she friendly?”

“Yes. Too friendly. She wants to be friends with everyone.”

As he scratched behind her ears, he mentioned, “My grandmother had a Great Dane, a harlequin.” With a truck full of deliveries, he couldn’t stay long.

But around the block, the same truck stopped in front of another house, and he got a bunch of kisses from the dog. In her own way, the dog brought back sweet memories of an important person in his life.

Sometimes grace looks like a guy walking his dog down the street.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

On the contrary, bless

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Afif Ramdhasuma on pexels

Some “through the bible” thoughts from 1 Peter 2 and 3.

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing (1 Peter 3:9).

That’s an amazing admonition for Christians scattered around Asia trying to be faithful in a hostile world. Our world is the same. We war with words on social media. We angrily exchange insults with strangers in stores. It’s so easy to contrive in my head what I would say to someone if I had the chance. Who doesn’t want to give someone a piece of our mind? Our behavior is nothing like that of the one we claim to follow.

When [Christ] was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23).

So when we’re ready to retaliate, how do we, “on the contrary, bless”? How will my words encourage, build up, or bless someone?

  • James gives some good initial advice: “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). Pause. Don’t respond immediately. Whatever you’re feeling in the moment will change in a few minutes. Wait until anger subsides before you consider a response.
  • Ask questions. Why is someone so upset? Why have they reviled you in the first place? Some speak from fear. Or they are expressing their own hurt. Or they don’t realize how their words have offended you. Perhaps you misunderstood what they said or meant to say. Open a door and ask, “Why did you say that?”
  • Maybe you had it coming. Maybe you need to apologize. Asking forgiveness defuses conflict and brings grace to the table.
  • Ask, “What can I do?” or “How can I help?” You don’t have to add to the problem. You can bring something positive to the moment.
  • When Jesus was reviled on the cross, he prayed. Bringing God into the mix is a game changer. You don’t have to conjure up a blessing. He’s the source of every good thing.

How will you bless someone today?

Posted in neighbor, neighborhood

Nothing but white

Posted on by William Douthwaite

This is the latest episode in the saga of a neighbor with unusual house projects. So far, he’s torn out his lawn, installed yard lights, modified his yard lights, and made it very clear he doesn’t want to be disturbed.

He has decided to paint his house. He’s painting his house white. All of it. Walls, trim, and shutters. Everything.

I have nothing against the color white. White walls with contrasting trim could be attractive. White trim against darker walls is eye-catching. One hundred percent white? Sorry, that just doesn’t work for me.

Do you think he’s priming it in preparation for a few color? That would make sense. But I doubt it.

I haven’t actually seen my neighbor working on this project. And it looks like he’s using a brush rather than a roller, so this is going to take some time.

I’ll keep you up to date.