William Douthwaite

Memorials in a pandemic world

The memories that make us either cry or laugh are so much better when we can sit and share them with others.

Expensive chocolate!

I thought those chocolates were free, just like the ones at Olive Garden.

The security of a tent

I've always liked the idea of crawling into a tent for the night. It feels snug. Secure.

“I need you to open the safe.”

Before I could say, "Hi," he said, "I need you to open the safe."

Why would you pray for bad things to happen to someone?

Have you every prayed that God would do something terrible to someone?

Forever? Or just a moment?

It feels like this is going to go on forever.

Lessons on focus from little ones

As I watched them enjoy their afternoon snack, I was impressed by how focused they were on the task at hand. 100% of their attention was focused on eating freshly baked snicker-doodles.

You probably don’t know what God is up to

As a parish pastor, the majority of my conversations contain some reference to God. Lately, the majority also include information, comments and opinions about the Covid-19 pandemic. And many of the folks I talk with want to know if there's a connection between the two.

The value of “I forgive you.”

I believe there is a difference between saying, "I accept your apology," and "I forgive you."

How I learned to value the differences between others and myself.

I've learned to ask, "What's that person's story?" And, "What can they teach me?"

Let’s do a little gardening

Gardening is appealing and amazing. It brings me close to the Creator, reminds me of His creation, and gives me a chance to share that with a new generation.