Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

This is the way

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Romans 8.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:22).

The apostle Paul transforms our view of suffering in the eighth chapter of Romans. What if suffering and sorrow were not simply reminders of mortality, but labor and delivery for new life to come?

Since we believe God has the upper-hand on everything, even suffering must be a part of his plans and purposes.

What?

Well, if the cross is any indication, suffering and even death are a part of God’s overarching plan. Suffering produces endurance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-4). Want to experience comfort? It only comes after suffering (2 Cor. 1:7). Want to experience resurrection? You have to die (ugh) (Phil. 3:10-11).

Sore muscles means I am doing some beneficial workouts. My body reveals its power to heal after I’ve cut myself (this happens a lot). Bumps and bruises teach me not to do that again.

You learn from your mistakes? Failure is a better teacher than success? Grasping victory from the jaws of defeat? Exactly.

The next time you’re struggling, look at it as labor pains rather than death pangs.

Posted in Christmas

My 2025 gallery of Christmas yard art

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Here’s this year’s collection of Christmas yard decorations in my neighborhood.

Nativity

From inflatables to cut-outs to full figurines, the Lord was well represented this year.

Snowmen

I love seeing snowmen in Florida. Ironically, they wear hats, scarves, and gloves, as if snowmen could get cold.

Santa

I believe Santa’s popularity has waned in recent years. He’s still a mainstay, but has to share lawn space with a lot of other characters.

The Grinch

Candy Canes

I walked by many “candy cane farms” this year. For a season they replace driveway and landscape lights.

Lights

Of course there are plenty of lights. New designs include dripping icicles, programmable strings of LEDs, and red and green floodlights.

Miscellaneous

A Christmas unicorn?
When pigs fly…
Florida!
Getting a jump on Easter
Minimalist Christmas

Anything with a Santa hat is now part of the Christmas landscape. From turtles to flamingoes, pigs to dinosaurs, all are welcome to join the cast. As long as you have a storage unit for the other ten months of the year.

Posted in Christmas, Jesus, Through the Bible Devotions

It’s that time of year…

Posted on by William Douthwaite

This blue and white display caught my eye as I zipped through my mostly red and green Publix yesterday. Even though Chanukah (Hanukkah?) is almost over, there’s still plenty of holiday merch on these shelves. Must haves include menorahs, games, dreidels, straws, stickers, and potholders.

But my favorite item is the box of eight milk chocolate Macabbees. Not as many as the twenty-four piece chocolate Advent calendar, but more than a typical box of chocolate Santas.

The Maccabees were Jewish freedom fighters before the birth of Jesus Christ. Their revolt against the Seleucid empire secured freedom for the nation. They rededicated the temple in Jerusalem and reestablished Jewish worship in 164 BC. Hanukkah is the eight-day celebration of that event.

Spoiler alert: Most of “Christmas” revolves around fictional characters (Santa, Frosty, the Grinch, Rudolph, Jack Skellington, Buddy the elf, Mickey and Minnie Mouse). Hanukkah is the real deal, honoring those through whom God would send a Savior, who is the real deal of Christmas. (Oh, and yes, you can buy a chocolate nativity.)

When I went to college, many of my friends were Jewish. Cliff taught me this little jingle:

“I had a little dreidel, I made it out of clay; And with my little dreidel, I lost ten bucks today.”

The only Hanukkah light display in my neighborhood.
Posted in Travel

A lot of pocket change ends up here

Posted on by William Douthwaite

On our way to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, I looked down from the upper level of the ferry taking us from the parking area to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World in Orlando. I was surprised – but not really surprised – to see a pier littered with coins, beads, and elastic hair ties. No matter where people gather, they like to throw coins into small bodies of water.

Why is that?

From what I’ve read, it all stems from the idea of a wishing well. You make a wish as you toss in a coin, hoping to spur some entity to grant you a blessing of some sort. It’s similar to a philosophical vending machine, I guess.;

So coins end up everywhere. I’ve seen them in koi ponds, zoo habitats, shallow streams, museum exhibits, swimming pools, and waterfalls.

Just down that way from this pier was another that had some paper money, business cards, a pen, and an empty pill bottle. Part of the sport is getting your item to stay there without bouncing into the water. It’s like an arcade game, except there’s no prize to win.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

A few spiritual petitions

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash

Jesus’s approval ratings skyrocket after he feeds the five thousand. Jesus knows it’s because they fed him. They remind him, “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness…Give us this bread always” (John 6:31,34).

Jesus says, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). He repeats this truth two more times to emphasize that we need more than a meal. We need him.

How many of our prayers are for physical things, and how many petitions are for spiritual blessings? Surely someone has run the numbers. It’s probably not close. I’ll bet less than one percent of prayer is for spiritual blessing. The rest is for healing, provision, protection, wisdom for decisions, and relationships.

There is nothing wrong with praying for those things. Jesus told us to ask for “daily bread,” that is, everything we need for the support of this body and life. Such prayers help us receive everything with gratitude, acknowledging that every good and perfect gift is from above.

But what about our spiritual needs? Do we pray for those? How do we pray for those?

Somewhere I read these suggested petitions when reading the bible:

  1. Help me learn something new about you, Lord.
  2. Give me knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.
  3. Guide my steps according to your Word.

None are tangible. All have a spiritual flavor to them. An enhanced view of God provides insight to shape our lives from the inside out. It’s a useful outline that lets spiritual needs bubble to the top of my prayer list.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Prayers that glorify God

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from John 17.

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you'” (John 17:1).

We know that Jesus went off by himself to pray. In John’s gospel we get to listen in. At the heart of Jesus’s prayer is the desire to glorify his father.

How often do we pray that God would be glorified?

I pray for healing, protection, relationships, faith, and provision. And I ought to pray for all those things. But my prayers are for my personal health and well-being. Sometimes it is for others. Do I pray for God to be glorified?

Not intentionally. To be honest my prayers sound selfish compared to Jesus’s. But God is glorified when he responds to my prayers. He’s the source of healing, provision, faith, and life. Whenever I receive those things, he looks good. That is, he’s glorified.

How would the shape of my prayers change if my motivation was God’s glory? The slices of praise and thanks would be the larger pieces of my prayer pie chart. The bottom line would not be my comfort and happiness, but good publicity for God, that more would know, trust, and glorify him.

What if prayer were a highlighter for all that God is and does? I wouldn’t be able to ignore his power, kindness, grace, justice, and mercy. He would look better and better every time I prayed.

He would be glorified!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Down but not out

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Acts 14.

In Acts 14, Jews are on a mission of their own from Antioch and Iconium to hinder Paul’s preaching. “having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead” (Acts 14:19).

However the next day, Paul and Barnabas preached in Derbe. I imagine Paul looked like Rocky after either of his fights with Apollo Creed. Maybe worse. He’s bloody, bruised, and an eye is swollen shut. He’s limping, has one arm in a sling, and is missing a couple of teeth. With a concussion like that he should sit out at least one game, right?

How would you like to visit a church where the preacher looked like that on a Sunday morning? I once preached with some stitches on my forehead from skin cancer surgery. Another time I had a bloody nose a few moments before the sermon. I don’t remember getting many questions.

But if I were in Derbe, I’d have a lot of questions. Like, “Why didn’t anyone stop the mob who came after Paul?” And, “Barnabas, why do you look so good while Paul looks so bad?” Or how about, “Don’t you ever take a day off, Paul?”

I suppose this would have been a good chance for Paul to say, “You should see the other guy.” By the other guy, I mean Jesus. After seeing what happened to him on the cross, the apostles knew what they were in for. And yet, they rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (5:41). Prison? Beatings? It was all in the job description.

Posted in coffee

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Driving through Anastasia Island on my way to a cookie delivery, a fluttering banner caught my eye: Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii.

I thought, “Really? Out here on the east coast of Florida?”

I made a mental note of other stores nearby before I obeyed the GPS directions to my delivery destination. Check it out on my way home? Absolutely.

When I pulled in, there were no other cars but the sign announced “Open” and I walked in.

All three women behind the counter welcomed me. I cut straight to the chase. I explained that I had been to a coffee farm in Kona on the big island eighteen months ago. They had a 10% Kona blend ready to go, but could make a French press 100% Kona for me. I had a chance to chat while they prepared a medium for me.

I asked, “How long have you been open?”

“About a week.”

The manager (?) explained that she used to live on Maui, behind the original Bad Ass Coffee shop. Her home was destroyed, and after two years in FEMA housing, she decided to move to the mainland with her husband and daughter. When a new franchise opened in St. Augustine Beach, she knew she was in the right place. There are around forty franchises on the mainland.

She showed me a wall of coffees for sale, including the most expensive Peaberry Kona coffee. But there was another more expensive variety on the shelf called Typica. “What’s that?” I asked.

She admitted, “I don’t know.”

So I did a little research. It’s the original variety brought to Hawaii in the 1830s, thriving on the volcanic hillsides. I’m sure it’s delicious, but at $70 for twelve ounces, I’m probably not going to find out very soon.

Anyway, my 100% Kona was delicious, and I’ll definitely be back with the wife. How nice to find an alternative to S’Bux and Dunkin.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The breath of life

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from John 20.

It’s the evening of resurrection day when Jesus appears to all but one of the disciples in the locked upper room. Twice he said, “Peace be with you.” “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit'” (John 20:22).

This time around, I made the connection. At the very beginning, “the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7).

God shows Ezekiel a valley full of dry, lifeless bones and commands him to prophesy. Ezekiel does, and “the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10).

God’s breath gives life!

It’s that time of year when our neighborhood plays host to every imaginable Christmas lawn inflatable. They lie lifeless until someone plugs in the fan that breathes air into them. Santas, snowmen, penguins, the Grinch, and dogs in Santa hats all come to life!

  • New parents check on their sleeping infants, to make sure they’re breathing.
  • I’ve been in hospital rooms where the rhythmic sound of a ventilator reminded all of our mortality and the blessing of medical technology.
  • It doesn’t happen very often in Florida where I live, but on a cold day you can see your breath. A glimpse of the divine?
  • After a tough day of guarding the house, my dogs breathe very heavily on the love seat as they catch up on their sleep.
  • Every air mattress now comes with a built-in inflator, alleviating the need for lots of huffing and puffing before bedtime.

If I’m breathing, I’m alive. God gives me my first breath, blesses me with daily breath (ands bread), and will see me through my last breath in this world.

I’ve been there for some last breaths. I’ve been there when families have pulled the plug. I’ve been there in the hospice room waiting for that last breath. I’ve held my dogs as the vet put them to sleep and they took a last breath.

What a joy to know that God reverses that, and when we take our last breath here, we take our next with him!