Author: William Douthwaite

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

He’s the God of cold, too

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Annie Nyle on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 147.

When I think of God’s creation, especially the Garden of Eden, I imagine of a sunny day, with spring-like temperatures, and a gentle breeze. After all, the first man and woman were naked, so it would have been a nice, warm, comfortable place.

It turns out that the Creator is the God of cold, too.

He gives snow like wool;
    he scatters frost like ashes.
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
    who can stand before his cold?
He sends out his word, and melts them;
    he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. (Psalm 147:16-18)

I love these unlikely pairings. Snow covers the ground like a warm blanket. Frost blows through the air like ashes from a fire, settling on tree limbs and rooftops. Ice crystals resemble cookie crumbs falling after a bite. God’s word, which created the wintry weather also melts it. He thaws out a frozen world.

At times, God is a consuming fire. When his people disobey, his anger burns. God sends down fire to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and to consume Elijah’s sacrifice on Mt. Carmel. God leads his people through the wilderness as a pillar of fire. Spirit comes down on the apostles like tongues of fire on Pentecost. When John sees Jesus in Revelation, “His eyes were like a flame of fire” (Rev. 1:14). In heaven, God is surrounded by seraphim, fiery creatures who never stop repeating, “Holy, holy, holy!”

I think it’s cool that he’s the God of cold, too!

Posted in cookies, Life

Everyone loves the cookie guy!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Khalid Elkady on Unsplash

I love delivering cookies. Every box brings a smile to the recipient’s face. With a gasp, they get their first look and exclaim, “These are amazing!”

But it gets better. When I pulled into a driveway last week, a little dachshund-mix dog greeted me in the driveway. Her six-inch tail was whipping back and forth a mile a minute as I stepped out of the van. With happy squinting eyes, she sat while I scratched her chin and chest, ran my hand down her back.

After a minute of that, I told her, “Hey, I’ve got some cookies for your mom.” She led me up the walk to the front door and I pushed the Ring doorbell with my elbow. Our customer answered the door and I said, “I love your welcoming committee!”

“Oh, was she out here?”

I laughed, “She’s not supposed to be out here?”

Apparently not. I thought they had an invisible fence or something. But my new little friend was just enjoying a few moments of sunshine and freedom on a beautiful afternoon.

Even the doggies are happy when the cookie guy shows up!

Need cookies? Check us out: backseatgracebakery.com

Posted in Life, neighbor, neighborhood

Let’s tear this place up!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The Great Dane and I walk by this recently built house just about every day. Lately, the owner has been methodically tearing out this large section of his lawn.

Built on a curve in the road, this house is either built on a double lot or a really big oversized lot. Just after it was complete, the owner tore out all the landscaping around the house. He removed all the shrubs and mulch, and put down sod in those areas. New home landscaping typically isn’t exciting. Once you’ve closed on the house, you can fix up your yard any way you want.

Next, the owner installed about two dozen lights in the yard. The lights were along the driveway or front walkway. They were all out in the middle of the yard. I’m sure there was a reason.

Next, he set up cinderblocks and two-by-fours as a makeshift fence. At first, I thought he might be setting up a little garden. But every day the cleared area grew bigger. I only saw him working on it one time. With nothing more than a grubbing hoe, he chopped away at his lawn. I took the above picture two weeks ago. As of this morning, he had cleared out that whole area. I should have stopped to ask him why he was tearing up all the sod.

Okay, so what’s going on? What’s the plan? What is he going to do with this thousand square foot area?

  • Maybe he’s going to pave this area and move the fence closer to the road. But that’s a huge area for a paver patio.
  • If he were putting in a pool, he would have let the contractor take all that out with heavy machinery.
  • He’s already got a large fenced-in backyard. It seems like that’s where you would put your pool or patio.
  • Adding on to the house? I’d see a permit.
  • Maybe he wants a different kind of grass. St. Augustine grass takes lot of water and care. Perhaps he’ll go with Zoysia or Bahia.
  • Maybe he’ll plant lots of trees and have a little park next to his house. That’s a creative idea.

I’m interested to see what happens next. Oh, and you know what else? All the windows are blacked out, so I see no light from inside when we walk by in the evening. Hmm. What do you think is going on in there?

Posted in Life

A Tire Blowout and a Stranger’s Help: Journey Reflections

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Sebastian Huxley on Unsplash
Daily writing prompt
Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.
View all responses

On our way to Texas, we discovered that the camper-trailer tires weren’t as roadworthy as we thought. Somewhere between Pensacola, Florida and Mobile, Alabama, we felt a thud that made us pull over on I-10. One of the trailer tires had blown, leaving a trail of rubber behind us.

Hey, it’s just one of those things you encounter on a trip. We had a spare tire, but not the tools we needed to change it. Not a problem. We had purchased roadside assistance, called them up, were assured that help was on the way.

We waited. And we waited. And we waited a little longer. The roadside assistance folks called to say it would be a while. The truck was in Mobile. There was a lot of traffic. It would be a long while before their arrival.

Another car pulled off the highway about 25 yards behind us. A woman with a few young children called her husband to come and change out a tire. When he arrived, he changed her tire and then kindly let us use his tools to put the spare on our trailer.

As soon as we had the new tire on the trailer and were about to head to our campsite, the roadside assistance truck pulled up to help, three hours since our call for assistance. We thanked him, and headed on our way.

Just a stranger. But a much needed friend.

Posted in dogs, Life

Water adventure at the dog park

Posted on by William Douthwaite

While the dogs were delighted, we were horrified when someone opened the gate and two of our three dogs got into the pond.

We usually only have two dogs, but we were also watching my daughter’s older dog. The dog park surrounds a fenced-in pond populated by turtles, snakes, fish, and no doubt a gator or two. A couple of gates provide access, but I’ve never seen a dog in there.

Until that day. A gentleman with an Irish setter and some kind of terrier opened the gate for them, and two of our dogs eagerly followed. My daughter’s dog, an eleven-year old lab mix spotted a tennis ball in the lake, jumped in, and swam to get it. Her hips are a little stiffer, but she could still swim! And then she wanted someone to throw it back in so she could swim some more.

Our Westie is not a swimmer, but ran around the lake, yapping at the swimming dog, turtles, and fish, and lapping at the murky water.

What about our Great Dane? She didn’t get through the gate, but ran around the outside of the fence, woofing at everyone inside.

Once in the pond enclosure, there was no getting them out. In and out of the water and around the lake, they got wet, dirty, and had the time of their lives. A lady grabbed a few dog biscuits from her car, but our dogs weren’t interested.

After about half an hour, I positioned myself on the bank and waited for them to run by. Once they were distracted by water and a ball, I grabbed each by the collar and ended their water play.

The dogs had fun, the van smelled like wet dog for a while, and they all took good naps when we got home.

Posted in Food, Life

A skinny chicken

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Want to get a rotisserie chicken for supper?”

You never have to ask me twice. At our favorite grocery, where shopping is a pleasure, I love the smell of the birds roasting and frying just beyond the deli counter.

And they smell so good. Which one should I choose? Lemon pepper? Mojo seasoned? I chose a good old-fashioned oven-roasted. It’ll pair well with tonight’s Caesar salad.

I didn’t look at the price tag in the store, so when we got home and I pulled the chicken out of the bag to put on a serving plate, I noticed it wasn’t as cheap as it used to be. Three dollars than just a few years ago. I also noticed that there wasn’t as much meat on the chicken as I remember. This was a skinny chicken. We call it a “Haitian chicken.”

Chicken was the typical supper entree when we traveled to Haiti on medical mission trips. The chickens that were running around there were definitely hormone- and antibiotic-free. They were very skinny and always cooked until well-done. There wasn’t a lot of meat on those bones.

On one bus ride back to our lodging, the driver suddenly veered off the road. A man was standing there holding a live chicken whose legs were tied together. Our driver handed the man a few dollars and he tied the chicken to the roof of the bus. It was part of our supper that night.

Candy bars are smaller. There are fewer chips in the bag. The chickens are skinnier, too.

Posted in Life

Overcoming Media Saturation: Embrace Real-Life Experiences

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Edge2Edge Media on Unsplash

In a recent edition of Recomendo, a weekly newsletter I receive Sunday morning, the editors pointed me to Erik Davis’ talk How to Navigate the Weirdness. I haven’t watched the whole talk yet, but two summary statements caught my attention.

  • “Ground yourself in physical sensations and direct experiences to counterbalance the effects of media saturation and overwhelming information.”

I don’t want to be saturated with media, but it happens. One Google search to learn how to fix a problem with my 3D printer brings up self-help videos on multiple platforms laden with links to other videos and advertisements for related products. It’s like someone dumped a bucket of media on my head. I do this many times a day. I’m overwhelmed with information.

To counter this, I take the dog for a walk, I play my guitar, or I exercise. I do something physical, something that engages my senses, and immerse myself in an experience to escape a virtual world for the real one.

The second statement had a spiritual hue:

  • “Deepen your capacity to embrace uncertainty, mystery, and doubt without searching for fact or reason—not everything fits into a fixed narrative.”

There’s a lot I don’t understand about God. Even though I daily learn new things about him, I always have more questions. At the end of the day, I have to trust what he says without much corroborating evidence.

There’s nothing wrong with some uncertainty. That’s what makes games fun. You don’t know what you’ll be dealt or what number you’ll roll. I love reading mysteries. Doubt is good. It protects me from being scammed.

I love facts. As a logical thinker, I gravitate to reason. But some narratives take me in a new direction. Or, as I now like to say, “I didn’t know where I was going until I got there.”

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Finding Sweet Sleep: Biblical Wisdom from Proverbs 3

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Shane on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Proverbs 3.

There is no shortage of advice on how to get a good night’s sleep. No screens an hour before bedtime. No eating or drinking a couple hours before. No caffeine after lunch. An evening workout. A warm bath. A good book. A cool room. A comfortable bed, pillow, and sheets.

Benedryl, melatonin, Ambien, Sominex, warm milk, almonds, high-carb snack.

Those are just the ones I’ve recently heard. I’m sure there are many more.

I came across this one in the bible:

If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet (Proverbs 3:23)

Sounds good. What is the secret to that sweet sleep?

It starts a few verses earlier, in the encouragement to find wisdom and understanding.

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding (Proverbs 3:13).

The writer isn’t talking about any wisdom and understanding, but that which comes from trusting God, leaning on God, fearing God, honoring God, and following his ways.

My son, do not lose sight of these—
    keep sound wisdom and discretion,
and they will be life for your soul
    and adornment for your neck (Proverbs 3:21,22).

Then you will walk on your way securely,
    and your foot will not stumble.
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet (Proverbs 3:23,24).

A life rooted and built up in Christ, a faith firmly established in him, full of gratitude is safe and secure. You can rest easy and sleep well because you know he’s taking care of you.

I think it’s interesting that sleep has a spiritual as well as a physical dimension. It’s as much about resting your soul as it is getting rest for your body. In the bible, a soul thirsts, hungers, gets weary and needs rest.

How nice to know that God arranges for that. He’s faithful, powerful, wise, and understanding. His steadfast love endures forever. You don’t have to worry. You can rest easy.

And you can get some sweet, sweet sleep.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Finding Truth in a World Full of Lies

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 120.

“Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips” (Psalm 120:2).

Whoa. That’s a big ask, isn’t it? I mean, think about it. How many people lied to you today? Or what about this: how many people have lied about you?

  • “This offer is only good today.” “Sale…today only!” “Call in the next ten minutes.”
  • A nice young man or woman knocks on my door to tell me that my neighborhood has been plagued by home invasions, car break-ins, and insect infestations. I need a security system, monthly pest treatments, and a personal bodyguard.
  • “I never got your text.”
  • “I’m fine.” “No worries.” “We’re good.”
  • “Trust me.”

Here’s what I want to believe: they are all sincere, just tying to get your attention, and sell you something.

Here’s what I know: you’re all just lying to me. The world is filled with lying lips.

I hate living in a world where I don’t trust, don’t know who to trust, and am afraid to trust anyone.

So that’s my prayer, too. “Deliver me from lying lips.” Don’t let me be a liar. Show me who I can trust. Make me a genuine person in a genuine place.