Tag: smell

Posted in Life, senses

Can you smell that smell

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by ali esfandiari on Unsplash

With about 15 minutes to go in our walk this morning, the big dog and I caught a powerful whiff of cannabis wafting into the street. Yes, at 7:00 am.

I know what you’re wondering. I’ve never partaken, but I did go to college, and became very familiar with the smell of weed. I remember the first time the residence advisor met with us in the common are of the dorm. He basically told us that no one would say anything as long as you kept it in your room with the door closed. That was in 1975, when there were few rules and plenty of beer available at the fraternities. (Yes, I had a few.)

Anyway, I never thought of smoking as a first thing in the morning activity. But every morning I pass certain houses whose residents are having a cigarette, a cigar, or a morning hit. It’s like their cup of coffee or energy drink, I suppose. I know tobacco is addictive, cannabis not so much. Caffeine is. I guess it’s what you’re used to.

Now what I really like to catch a whiff of is a brisket that’s been in the smoker all night. That’s a Saturday or Sunday morning treat. Along with someone cooking bacon in an outdoor kitchen. I slow down in front of those homes, enjoying that moment as I contemplate getting a smoker.

Posted in cooking

What is that smell?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

So it’s been three months since I last made some sourdough bread? I don’t remember. But suddenly, I wanted a slice. Slathered with butter. It’s time to get back in the game.

I had some starter in a mason jar in the refrigerator. The starter was harder than a block of cement in the bottom of the jar. It had a bluish tint. And it smelled strange.

I decided to start over. A little flour and water in the jar. Leave it overnight. Add a little flour and water. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Three days later I started to feed the jar and caught a whiff of something really bad. Old socks? Unwashed feet? Cheese from the back of the fridge? I don’t know, but it was funky. This can’t be right.

So, of course, I Google “bad smelling starter. Guess what I? In the first days a starter will smell like old socks, sweaty feet, or worse. Nice. I’m on the right track. In a day or two, my starter will have that fmiliar yeasty smell, and I’ll be ready to bake.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Something smells good

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Leviticus 1.

Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. Leviticus. Supportive friends have thanked me for these “through the bible” devotions. Back in Genesis, I told them, “We’ll see how it goes when we get to Leviticus.” Many “I’m going to read the bible” endeavors get out of the blocks fast in Genesis, plod through Exodus, and stall out in Leviticus.

However, the last few times through the bible, I’ve found the guidelines for sacrifices, ordination of priests, foods, festivals, and holiness to be fascinating. So I’m going to share my thoughts with you. I dare you to hang in there with me.

So much changed when the Covid pandemic hit in 2020. There was so much we didn’t know. There was a lot of misinformation, too. I never knew there were so many epidemiologists in my congregation! Everyone had expert opinions on communicable diseases, masks, and immunizations.

To the relief of some, the dismay of others, and the anger of a few, we shut the doors of the church and learned how to stream worship into our homes. As I preached to an iPhone camera on a tripod in an empty sanctuary, I wondered if anyone was watching or listening.

Suddenly, we didn’t have to get up, shower, dress, and drive to church on Sunday morning. We could worship virtually via a streaming device in pajamas as we ate breakfast at the dining room table.

It was convenient. But it wasn’t the same. We didn’t have the chance to catch up with friends we hadn’t seen for a week. For better or worse, our singing voices stood out rather than blending in with others. We missed the flock!

God lays out instructions for worship in Leviticus. “When anyone of you brings an offering to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:2), it was to be done in a certain place (not your tent or home) and a specific way. With humility and obedience, worshipers focused on God without creativity or personal preference. In other words, it wasn’t about you, but about about the Lord. The whole community did this together.

Worship cost you something. Worship cost you a bull, a sheep or a goat, or if you were poor, a couple of birds. As you laid your hands on the offering, you identified with that gift, giving yourself to the Lord. After all, God doesn’t want some thing from you. He wants you. He desires a relationship with you. He loves you.

Worship in the Old Testament points to Christ, who will be the ultimate sacrifice. The blood of beasts foreshadowed the blood of Christ shed on the cross which truly covers all our sin. “Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Ephesians 5:2).

It smells amazing when I’m walking around the block and catch a whiff of someone grilling meat on the back porch. In the same way, these burnt offerings were a “soothing aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9,13,17). Something smells good because Jesus gave his life for us!

Posted in senses

Do you smell that?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Nick de Partee on Unsplash

“It always smells in here.”

I chuckled at my wife’s comment as I opened the door for her. I knew she was right. Goodwill stores are filled with row after row of clothing donated from innumerable closets. You can find new items with price tags still on them. You’ll also discover pieces with stains that were never washed out.

We weren’t there in search of clothing. We hoped to find a few vintage plates, cups, and saucers to use as photo props. But we had to walk past aromatic racks of shirts and pants to get to that part of the store.

Later, I thought about other places that always smell. That’s not always a bad thing, is it?

  • Like a bakery, for instance. It’s hard not to like the smell of freshly baked bread and cookies.
  • What about a shop that sells leather goods? A store filled with belts, jackets, wallets, and vests has a distinctive and inviting smell.
  • A coffee shop smells wonderful. Noisy grinders and hissing espresso machines fill the air with the aroma of roasted beans from all over the world.
  • The smell of barbecue hits me before I walk in the front door of a place with an active pit. You can smell the smoked meat from inside the car as you drive by.
  • What about cedar? They aren’t common, but it always smells so good when I walk into a cedar closet.

Other great aromas include the ocean, pine trees, freshly cut grass, and a brand new car. It’s amazing how much smell is a part of the places we go and the things we experience.

Posted in Life

Can’t you smell that smell?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Arash on Unsplash

The sky is just beginning to lighten in the eastern sky. As we (my dog and I) turn the corner and head into the final stretch of our morning walk, the smell of cigarette smoke hits our noses.

Really? At 6 am? Sure enough, someone is out on their back patio, under their pool screen enclosure, enjoying their first smoke of the day. I’ve never smoked, so I don’t understand the habit. I’ve been told it’s a difficult addiction to overcome. Growing up, I smelled it all the time since my mom smoked a lot at home. Now, smoking isn’t allowed in many public places, so I immediately notice it.

On other walks, we notice the slightly sweet smell of marijuana as we walk past a house in the neighborhood. I became familiar with that smell at college a few years ago, even though I didn’t ever try it. Weed isn’t technically allowed either, but that doesn’t deter those who enjoy it first thing in the morning.

Then there’s my neighbor just a few houses up who prefers his tobacco in a pipe. How often do you see someone with a pipe in their mouth? The smell of burning tobacco wafts up the street as he zips along shirtless in his electric wheelchair, beneath a wide-brimmed hat.

Just when I think smoking has disappeared from our culture, I notice smoke shops in strip malls and impressive cigar selections in liquor stores, which are right alongside the medical marijuana dispensaries. I suppose there are enough smokers out there (and on my block) to keep places like these in business.

I think it’s interesting that I’m always aware of the smell of a cigarette. It’s neither pleasant nor revolting, but distinctive and noticeable.

Posted in Life

A sensory God

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Richárd Ecsedi on Unsplash

I was reading Psalm 115 this morning and I was struck by how interactive the Christian faith is. It is not just words on a page. It’s not just stories in a book. It’s not just images of biblical truths on t-shirts or coffee mugs. We experience the truths of the faith because God interacts with us in sensory ways.

The psalmist backs into this by describing idols made by human hands. They don’t say anything, see anything, hear anything, smell anything, feel anything or go anywhere. They are good for nothing. On the other hand, God does all of these things and more. That’s why we can trust him to help, protect, remember and bless us.

It’s not subtle. God is dramatically different than anything else you can fear, love, or trust.

  • He speaks. He speaks words that create life, hope, and peace. We know that all he has to do is say the word, and something happens.
  • He sees. He sees what’s going on in the world and in our lives. He looks into our hearts and see what we truly desire. He can also see what we ultimately trust.
  • He hears. He hears our complaints, laments, questions and cries for help. He hears our praise and thanksgiving. He hears every request, too.
  • He smells. Prayers and sacrifices wrapped in smoke are a pleasant aroma to him. The stink of death doesn’t deter him from giving us new life.
  • He feels. He feels the touch of the desperate who need healing, the worship of the thankful, and the pain of the nails that held him to the cross.
  • He walks. He walks through crowds, on top of the water, and up the hill to a cross.

Created in his image, we see, hear, taste, smell, and feel, too. If we’re paying attention, each of our senses connects us to the Creator. They give us sensory access to his divine power and nature.

So what did I see, hear, touch, smell, and taste today? And how did it remind me of my God, who is so much more than any idol I might craft in my mind or heart?

Posted in Life

What is that smell?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

When I opened the car door, I caught a whiff of something unusual and recited Will Smith’s line from “Independence Day” when he pried open the alien spaceship to welcome the alien who had come to destroy the earth.

“What is that smell?”


Rolling my eyes, I leaned in to smell the child seats in the back. Someone in potty training must have leaked. I wasn’t taking any chances. I took the seats out, took the covers off, and threw them all in the washer with an extra dose of Buff City laundry detergent. They came out smelling so nice. I reinstalled the car seats and left the windows open for the day. Problem solved.

The next day the odor was back. There must be old food in the car. The grandkids leave a lot of crumbs and uneaten snacks in the back. I’ll surely find something under the seat. I thoroughly vacuumed the car, finding lots of crumbs, lollipop sticks, and snack wrappers, but nothing very offensive. No rotten cabbage or open ketchup packets. No dirty diaper. I drove around with the windows open that day, and much of the smell went away. Mission accomplished.

One day later…

“What is that smell?” It was worse than ever. I can’t drive around like this. I’ll pass out. I had just had the car in for some routine maintenance. For the first time in a few oil changes, I took it to the dealer. They always check the cabin air filter and usually try to sell me a new one. No one mentioned it this time, so I just assumed it was OK.

After watching a YouTube video on replacing the cabin air filter, I unhinged the glove box, popped off a few clips, and exposed the cabin air filter. When I pulled it out, it was covered with white fuzz and bits of black foam rubber. Strange. But as soon as I pulled it out, I knew this is where the smell was coming from.

I threw it out and headed to the auto parts store. When I got home, I went to slide the new filter in but noticed there was still a little bit of fuzz in the slot. So I began to pick it out. There was more than a little bit. It looked like all the filling from a stuffed animal had been packed in, probably by a mouse who thought this would be a nice place to build a nest. The mouse had also chewed off some black foam rubber insulation for extra comfort.

After I pulled out some mouse fur I came across some internal organs. So that’s why my car smelled like someone had died in there. Someone had died in there. I am not an expert on mouse anatomy, but I think I saw a liver and a little bit of intestine.

I thoroughly vacuumed out the filter compartment. I reached inside and pulled a bunch of dried leaves and pine needles from beneath the fan blades. I sprayed the new filter with Febreeze and slid it in. I clicked the glove box door back into place and ran the AC for a little bit. I may have caught a whiff of dead mouse, but it quickly went away.

I don’t remember seeing any mice running around our house or yard. My across-the-street neighbor had plenty of them running around in his attic before a rodent-control guy caught them. He had mice because my other across the street neighbor thought it was fun to throw peanuts, bread, chips and other leftover food into nearby vacant lots to feed the wildlife. Unfortunately, the wildlife near us includes rats and mice. Thanks a lot. Yes, I’ve asked him many times to quit. That plea goes in one ear and out the other.
In addition, I drive that car just about every day. We don’t leave it sitting in the driveway more than a day at a time. So either the creature worked all night to build a nice little nest. Or he came back repeatedly to finish the project.

Cause of death? I don’t know. The mouse may have gotten stuck and starved to death. He or she may have gotten chopped up in the fan. Carbon monoxide poisoning? I don’t know.

But my car smells so nice.