Month: September 2025

Mandy, the family’s precious black lab, bounded into the house and startled everyone with the sight of light coming out of her mouth.  It was amazing.  She had real light originating from her mouth.  It was really spooky, but just as suddenly she dashed outside again but this time with the family close behind.  After all this was just too weird.  What they saw next was amazing.  She was running around the yard snapping at fireflies and catching them.  The light was the phosphorescent material left on her teeth from her strange activity.

Light coming out of someone’s mouth is a fascinating idea.  That is exactly what happened when Jesus was here.  The things He said.  The sermons He preached.  The stories He told all enlightened the world.  He was the light of the world.  He told us how much the Father cares.  He told us we can live forever if we will only accept His gift.

And we can do just what Jesus did.  Light can come from our mouths.  We can tell the world the Good News.  Just think: light coming out of our mouths!

Written by Roger Bothwell on April 30, 2002

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A neighbor down the street who has a professionally cared for lawn stopped to chat with another neighbor who has intensely labored to also have a beautiful lawn.  During the course of a short conversation the one from down the street told the hard working neighbor that his lawn was the wrong color green.

Can you imagine?  The wrong color green!!  How audacious!

Reality is that most likely several times a week we also say the wrong things to people and are too dumb to realize it.  However, sometimes we do know it.  As soon as it comes off the tongue, we know it.  Then begins the game of trying to politely back track.  It is well nigh impossible to do that.

In light of real truth known only to God, I wonder if we ever say anything that is on the mark.  God must shake His head and wonder at our audacity to speak with such confidence about so many things.  Maybe the only thing we really do know for sure is that we are sinners in need, and we have a wonderful Savior named Jesus Christ.  That is enough.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 27, 2000

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I spent the afternoon blowing leaves.  I highly recommend it if you are into watching patches of reds and yellows swirling about decorating your life.  I felt like I was Jackson Pollock splashing about getting ready for an exhibition. Truly nothing he ever did comes close to what I was doing.  My art was living for there was a breeze coming out of the north.  Obviously I was bright enough to blow the leaves southward.  Even still there were moments of futility if one’s purpose was to clear the yard.  But I had the reward of just watching them blow.  Everything we do in life doesn’t have to be practical.  Sometimes the reward is beauty. And that is enough.

I watched my dog sitting with her face to the wind staring at our mountain.  What was she thinking?  Was she merely enjoying the pleasure of the wind in her face or did she also see the beauty on the mountain?   Are we the only creatures to enjoy aesthetics?  I think she is beautiful.  What does she think of me?

The enjoyment of beauty is a wonderful gift from God.  Philosophers for millennia have sought to define it.  How is it that something beautiful to one is not so to another?  It is obvious that we see with our brains and not with our eyes.  Surely anyone who has ever been rescued from death thinks his or her rescuer is beautiful.  Thus Jesus, who rescued us from an eternity of death, is by far the most beautiful being in the Universe.  We will never tire of thinking of new ways to praise Him and new names we can call Him.

“How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of him that brings glad tidings.” Isaiah 52:7

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