Posted in Easter

A park filled with Easter gatherings

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Just a few of many families gathered to celebrate Easter

A busy Easter morning at my son’s church was followed by a nap and a walk along a part of Lake Ray Hubbard just blocks from our Airbnb in Rowlett, TX. Every time we drove by Lakeside Park, lots of folks were sitting on the bank fishing. But the crowds really turned out for Easter Sunday afternoon.

As we came down the hill at the far end of the park, we saw dozens of shade canopies lined up along the river. Each was surrounded by tables and folding chairs, propane and charcoal grills, drink coolers, and serving trays filled with food. Latin music from portable speakers blended with the laughter of children and barking of dogs as families gathered to eat and celebrate Easter afternoon.

Many kept an eye on fishing lines in the water. Young teen couples walked hand-in-hand down the path. Children’s heads were littered with brightly-colored confetti from cascarones. I passed small soccer games, corn hole competitions, families posing for group photos, snoozing babies, Easter egg hunts, and kids on scooters and bicycles.

After our walk back and forth along the length of the park, we headed back to our place and met my son for supper at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. When we returned after dark, most of the families were still there celebrating. I really enjoyed watching this Easter tradition in a Dallas community where many had originally come from Mexico.

Posted in DIY

An easy AC fix (this time)

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Does it feel hot in here?”

Three days into our five day stay at an Airbnb in Rowlett, Texas, the air just didn’t feel right. It wasn’t that hot outside. Highs in the seventies. And I could hear the air conditioner running. But I could tell something wasn’t right.

Last night was uncomfortable. I kicked off the covers several times. A quick glance at the thermostat confirmed my suspicions. The temperature was set for 72, but the room was at 76.

What should I do? I could call the host. It’s their place, their problem. But I wasn’t that uncomfortable. Maybe there’s a simpler solution.

I went out back to see if the compressor was running. It wasn’t. I know enough to know that’s a problem. Next stop: the circuit breaker panel. I walked out into the garage, but found no breaker box. What about the closet where the hot water heater was? Nothing. A storage closet. Nope. Hallway closet? Bingo.

I opened the door to find labels on all the breakers. How nice. And sure enough, the compressor breaker was tripped. When I reset it, I heard the compressor kick on. Yes!

I listened closely over the next two days, and was thankful that everything worked as it should. I let the host know so she could have it checked out.

I love troubleshooting and fixing problems like this in the places where we stay. I’ve fixed gates, windows, and toilets in the past. I want to be the kind of guest you want to have in your short-term rental.

Posted in bible

Mystery: a bag of dirt?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“So, what’s with the bag of dirt?”

I answered, “What are you talking about?”

My son went on, “The little bag of dirt in the front cover of the Bible.”

Forty years ago my mom gave my wife and I a super-sized King James family Bible as a wedding gift. I was never quite sure what to do with it. She did write in some important family tree information that we didn’t have anywhere rose. But it went unused until Good Friday came along and I needed a hefty volume to slam in the darkness, reminding us of the closing of the tomb after Jesus died and was buried.

When I retired, I gave the Bible to my son, also a pastor. After dozens of slams, it was showing its age. But it still made the congregation jump as he slammed it against the pulpit.

But while getting ready for Holy Week, he found a small sandwich bag containing a couple tablespoons of dirt. You would think it would have flown out during one of many slams. It doesn’t appear to be anyone’s remains. No one in our family has been cremated (including pets).

Mom’s been gone nineteen years now. Dad died five years ago. So we can’t ask them. All we can do is guess where it came from.

I had a little brother who died when I was only a year old. Could it be soil from his burial plot? What about dirt from one of the places where we lived? A memento from one of dad’s gardens?

We could send it off to a lab that can tell where it came from. For now, it’s a mystery.

Posted in Easter

Easter on the road

Posted on by William Douthwaite

For the first time in forever (forty years) we didn’t spend Easter at home. Retirement gave us the freedom to travel to Dallas, Texas, to spend Holy Week and Easter Sunday with my son and his family.

Flights were expensive so we did the two day drive. After a longish first day and an easy second day, our four Texas grandchildren were waiting for us at the curb on Wednesday afternoon. It’s only been three months since we last saw them after Christmas, but they’ve grown so much!

Our Airbnb this time was a nice little townhome just five minutes away. We only need a comfortable place to sleep since we spend most of our time with family – and this week, at worship.

What a treat to worship at the church where my son has been pastor for over ten years. The sermons, special music, family, and people we’ve gotten to know there made Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter sunrise and Easter morning worship a joy. My son preached for the service of darkness on Friday and at sunrise on Sunday morning.

Flanked by singing, drawing, coloring, snacking, praying, and wiggling grandchildren, each worship occasion was especially meaningful. How I loved sharing the somberness of Good Friday and the joy of Easter morning with them!

In between worship, we made small resurrection gardens, visited the Fort Worth zoo, played lots of Lego, and ended the weekend with supper at our favorite Mexican place.

Easter on the road with family was especially good for our souls this year.

Posted in holy week

Thoughts on Holy Saturday: resting and thinking

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

It was the Sabbath. As God’s people had always done, they rested. Jesus rested, too. God had rested on the seventh day when the work of creation was finished. Now his son rested the ultimate rest of death after proclaiming “It is finished” from the cross and breathing his last. His sacrifice for sin was complete.

It is Saturday. The tomb has been sealed. Soldiers stand guard in the garden. There’s nothing you can do.

This is when you start second-guessing. Maybe we should have done something differently. Maybe we should have kept an eye on Judas. Maybe we shouldn’t have let Jesus go to Gethsemane. Maybe we should have brought more swords and fought harder when the mob showed up. Maybe we should have stayed in Galilee, fishing.

A lot of life is like Saturday, isn’t it? Dealing with loss, asking questions, second-guessing ourselves, and second-guessing God. And sometimes there’s nothing you can do.

So it’s good to have time to rest, to think, and to remember what he’s done.

Posted in holy week

Thoughts on Good Friday: not much to say

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Thays Orrico on Unsplash

None of the gospel accounts have much to say about Jesus’s crucifixion. All simply state, “They crucified him.” (Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33; John 19:18)

The evangelists recorded conversations that took places at Jesus’s arrest, trials, and conviction. They recount seven things Jesus said while on the cross. But the description of the crucifixion is minimal: “They crucified him.”

Artists, writers, and film directors spend a lot more time depicting the driving nails through flesh, screams of agony, and the struggle to breathe.

Maybe it was too horrible to write about. They had seen too many crucifixions and just couldn’t stomach saying anything more than those few words. Or it could be that the word “crucified” said it all. There was nothing more that needed to be said.

Posted in holy week

Thoughts on Thursday of Holy Week: the hardest prayer?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Thursday is a busy day. After he eats the Passover and institutes the Lord’s Supper, Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“And going a little farther [Jesus] fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.’” (Matthew 26:39)

Sorrowful and troubled, Jesus prays one of the hardest prayers anyone could speak: “Father…your will be done.” (Matthew 6:9,10)

We pray those words without hesitation or struggle anytime we speak the Lord’s Prayer. Do we consider the gravity of those words? Is that what we really want? Are we willing to set aside our desires and let God map out our future? Are we willing to let the Lord fill up our calendars?

It depends. Do you trust him? Do you trust that he cares about you and will take care of you? If so, then go for it. Pray these words boldly.

If not, then consider Jesus’s prayer that night. He yields to his father’s will because of his great love for you. There is no greater expression of love than Jesus giving up his life for us. Yes, he cares.

Just pause before you pray, “Your will be done.” Think about Jesus’s words. Think about how much he cares. Think about how much he wants you to live.

Posted in holy week

Wednesday of Holy Week: the let down

Posted on by William Douthwaite

In the middle of Holy Week, Judas makes a deal to betray Jesus.

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.” (Matthew 26:14-16)

Jesus knows Judas is going to do this. If you’ve been through a season of Lent or two, you know Judas is going to do it.

But the other disciples didn’t. They had no reason to not trust Judas. They even trusted him with the money purse. In our world, I guess he would have their Venmo on his phone.

I think the hardest lesson from Wednesday is the reality that people close to us will let us down. Some of you have already experienced this from people in your own family, in the church, or at work.

And guess what? You’ve hurt them, too. They thought they knew you. They thought they could trust you.

But something else got in the way. What was it? Money? Pride? Selfishness? Busyness? Suddenly someone you cared about wasn’t important anymore.

Ok, enough of that. Who can you trust? Jesus. Other stuff doesn’t get in the way. He gives it all, his life, for you.

Posted in holy week

Tuesday of Holy Week: Trick questions

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Do you like trick questions? Riddles like these are fun to think about and figure out:

  • What goes up but never comes down?
  • How can someone go twenty-five does without sleep?
  • What has a head and a tail, but no body?

(See the end of this post for answers.)

On Tuesday of Holy Week, Pharisees, Sadducees, and a lawyer have trick questions for Jesus. Their questions are fashioned to embarrass Jesus, to cut into his popularity by getting him to say something they can use against him.

  • Should we pay taxes to Caesar?
  • Who are you married to in heaven if you’ve had more than one marriage in this life?
  • What is the most important commandment in God’s law?

Jesus is good at this game. He should be. He wrote the rules. His listeners were impressed. Jesus knows what he’s talking about.

  • Pay your taxes and give to God, too.
  • Don’t worry about it. Marriage is for this life, not the next.
  • Here is a short list of commandments to worry about: Love God and love people.

Lots of people have told me they are looking forward to that day when they get to ask Jesus some questions. Questions like

  • Why didn’t you prevent bad things from happening?
  • Why didn’t you answer my prayer?
  • Why did you create insects I don’t want in my house?

From what we know about Jesus, he’ll probably answer your question with a question like:

  • “What did I tell you?” (That is, “What’s in the bible?”)
  • “Don’t you trust me?”
  • “Who do you think I am?”

Those are not trick questions. And I’ll bet you already know the answers.

Answers: Your age; people sleep at night; a coin.