Author: Ian Bothwell

Once upon a time there was a man with a thousand wives and this is the gained wisdom he shared with us.

“Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.”  Proverbs 5:18.

“A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day;” Proverbs 27:15.

“It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.”  Proverbs 21:9.

A jeweler here in town put up a billboard and summed it up in just four words.  “Happy Wife – Happy Life.”

Moods are very contagious. They spread through a room like a virus – happy or gloomy.  Sometimes we have had a miserable day at work.  We had to pretend to be nice because we need the paycheck.  But when we get home we think it is safe to spill our vile on our families.  Beware – It isn’t safe to do so.  We end up poisoning the one really safe place we have.  If we need the catharsis take your dog to the basement and dump on him.  He will reward you with lots of licks.  I once knew a very attractive couple who were skilled in the art of verbal barbs.  They were better than Don Rickles.  We all howled with laughter until one day they announced their divorce. Bite your tongue when that ever so witty putdown comes to mind.  At the time it might not seem like it made a difference.  It did!  It was one more straw.

Tell her how wonderful she is.  Tell her how beautiful she is.  Tell her what a great mom she is.  And it will come to pass.  It’s the way we are.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 21, 2013

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Earlier this week, just one driveway away from my driveway, a car burst into and was consumed by flames.  A fire truck arrived with all the hoses, etc.  It was quite a big deal.  However, even though I was home and awake, I missed the show.  I most likely would never have known about it had not a neighbor called to alert me.  Ever since his call I have been wondering how many other things I have missed or miss on a daily basis.  I certainly could never have been Sherlock Holmes whose powers of observation excelled.  Yesterday afternoon at three when my class was finished it was snowing very hard.  I mentioned to my students they needed to drive safely because of the heavy snow, to which, they looked out the window and “oohed” and “ahhed” because they had not noticed.  Since it had been snowing for over a half an hour I was pleased that I had them so engaged they had not noticed.  But now I am wondering if I was just missing seeing them not engaged but asleep.

It is the same when we read things.  Our focus has been trained to notice the ideas and opinions that match those we already have.  We also miss the ideas that conflict with our preperceptions or at best we see them and disregard them.  To be open, to be willing to recognize what we think comes from a culture and might not be how things really are is a gift we give ourselves.  I wish not to see things tomorrow in harmony with what I believe today.  I am not conceited enough to think I know all truth and I don’t want to miss more than I have to.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 21, 2014

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

We have a dry cleaning establishment in our city called Pasquale’s.  I wouldn’t bother mentioning it except it is run by a Vietnamese family, which doesn’t quite fulfill one’s expectations upon entering.   One does not hear “hola” as we come in the door.   Expectations are a huge part of our lives.  We usually shop at the same grocery store because we expect things to be in the same place week after week.  It is disconcerting when the store moves stuff around.  We marry people with expectations for a happy future.  We have children with expectations of lots of running and shouting and sometimes crying around the house.  When we find a brand of food we like we buy it again and again because of the expectation of its taste.

When we go to church we have expectations and often we are pleased and sometimes not.  When the latter happens we sometimes go church shopping until we find one that does meet our expectations.  When it comes to someday going to heaven we have expectations.  The rich part of that is we are going to be so very wrong.  Heaven will not meet our expectations because we don’t know how to imagine something glorious that we have never seen.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians, ‘“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ — the things God has prepared for those who love him.”   Later in I Corinthians Paul wrote about our resurrection bodies being as different as a seed is to the tree.  Maple seeds don’t look anything like maple trees.

If you are a person who always wants to be right you can forget about going to heaven because you will be – I was about to say, “Dead Wrong.”  But you will be “Live Wrong.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 20, 2014

Spring of Life, PO box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

When the phone rings at 1 A.M. and we are roused from deep slumber the first thing that crosses our minds is something is terribly wrong.  So you can imagine my thoughts as I picked up the phone, cleared my head and listened to a telemarketer.  Yes – you read correctly.  A telemarketer at 1 A.M.!   Someone wanted me to purchase a home security system.  How ironic.  I needed someone to protect me from them!  Now it is only fair to mention there was not a live human on the other end of the line.  It was an automated call.  However, I imagine if I had pressed the requested buttons I would have eventually talked to something live.

As I sought to return to my dreams I drifted off thinking of Jesus’ story of the ten virgins in Matthew 25.  Verse 6 says, “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!”   The story is about His second return to Earth and the rescue of His friends.  He closes by saying, “Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”  All my life I have been told to be ready. But what does ready mean?  If one grew up in a works oriented environment like I did, it meant be sure to do everything right.  Return your tithe, keep the Sabbath, don’t eat certain things were just some of the “do everything right.”

You can imagine my joy when I finally learned that being ready meant accepting His gift of grace and loving Him for saving us.  As for doing all the right things, Jesus said, “If you love me keep my commandments.”  It is all about love.  And why do we love Him.  Because He gave us grace.  You see.  It is all about motive.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 19, 2014

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 945474

Rogerbothwell.org

On occasion I have to remind myself to spend time in the Old Testament.  The New Testament gushes forth so much joy and hope it easily pulls me in with little thought of going elsewhere.  Then I remember that the only Bible Jesus had was the Old Testament.  If I want to grow more like Him I should read what He read.  When I do spend time with David, Solomon and Isaiah I soon begin to see the Sermon on the Mount.  It’s there.  There is not one idea in the Sermon on the Mount that does not have roots in the Old Testament.  The Beatitudes are one of the easiest to spot.

Jesus had the wonderful ability to draw from the old and fashion something fresh and captivating, often to our discomfort.  His pacific nature challenges us.  While He did battle with the authorities never once did He resort to violence on another person. The most hostility we can find is watching Him turn over the money changers’ tables in the sanctuary. The only thing He struck were their tables, pocketbooks and pride.

I am often puzzled by the pseudo-Christian websites that advocate for us to be sure to have our guns ready for the coming strife.  I’m not sure how one can read the Gospels and see Jesus with an AK. However, Jesus did say in the Sermon on the Mount, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.”  Matthew 7  If we are fearful for our safety we can rely on our heavenly Father. “He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense.”  Psalm 62

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 18, 2014

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Proverbs 12:22 reads, “The Lord hates lying lips, but those who speak the truth are His joy.”   Is this an always statement?  Are there ever times when the truth is not the wisest path?  When we greet someone and they say, “How are you?”  Do we have to tell them about our aches and pains, especially when we know they don’t really want to know?  Is saying, “Fine.  Thanks for asking.” all right because it is merely a way of saying, “Hello?”

Several decades ago we belonged to a church where one of the saints loved to sing solos during the worship hour.  It was beyond pretty bad.  One day her husband asked my wife if the song was good.  My wife say, “Oh, yes.”  It bothered her all week and so the next week when she saw the husband she said, “I am so sorry I lied.  It wasn’t good at all.”  She held her breath until the man said, “Neither did I.”  Phew. It doesn’t always work out that well.

In Exodus 20 the ninth commandment says, “Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”  It doesn’t say anything about bearing false witness for benefit of your neighbor. We honor and praise those who smuggled Jews to safety during WWII.  False passports, etc. might not be a verbal lie but they are lies none-the-less.  Then there is the issue that truth so often is perception and not fact and thus very susceptible to one’s biases, background and education.  In court we are asked to state the “whole truth.”  But we know the “whole truth” about very little.

How thankful we should be that God looks on our hearts and knows our intent whether it be good or evil.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 17, 2014

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Don’t you just love those TV commercials that offer a $10 pan for $19.99.   And if you buy now, this $100 value can be yours plus they will send you another pan free, but you have to pay the shipping and handling, which is most likely $10.   And if you call within the next ten minutes they will include a plastic knife, a $30 value, absolutely free.  Its real value is most likely ten cents and I am making a generous estimate.  Who said the pan was valued at $100?  They did.

Whence cometh value?  A cup of water in my hometown is almost free. A cup of water in the middle of the Sahara could cost someone their life.  Some of my favorite commercials are the “Priceless” ones for Master Card.   Two tickets to the ball game, two boxes of popcorn and sodas, one autographed baseball and spending the day with your son; the last one on the list is priceless.

Proverbs 20:14 is an interesting verse that describes us buying a car. ‘“It’s no good, it’s no good!’ says the buyer — then goes off and boasts about the purchase.”  We all want to think we got a good deal.  Part of good salesmanship is making the customer think they got real value.

Isaiah 53, the suffering servant chapter, says, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many.”  When we meet face to face with our Redeemer and He looks into our eyes He is satisfied.  It was worth the cross. It is an issue of value.  There is no possible price tag to be attached to us.  We are worth it.  We are priceless.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 20, 2013

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

I received an email from Popular Mechanics making Valentine’s Day gift suggestions.  Popular Mechanics!  Would they recommend a new ratchet and socket set or a new chain saw?  How about a new set of bits for her power drill?  We all know they get dull or snap.  Fortunately, I had already been to the turtle store.  My wife loves turtles.  No shells, just lots of pecans covered with caramel smothered in chocolate.  But what would she get me?  I saw a really great looking ¾ ton four wheel drive turbo boosted pickup truck.  Alas, I guess not.

In reality I woke up last night at 1:00 A.M. to discover she wasn’t in bed.  Had I been snoring and chased her to another room?  Apparently not because soon I heard her coming up the stairs.  She muttered something about forgetting something she needed for work.   It wasn’t until morning when I smelled the then baking apple pie.  She actually waited for me to fall asleep and went downstairs and peeled the apples and made the crust and got it all ready for the oven.  I had a great breakfast.  I got my fruit and grains with a touch of cinnamon.  It was better than a pickup truck that I don’t need.

Love inspires us to do amazing things.  One of my all time favorite verses is in Ephesians 2.  Paul wrote, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace.”  God wants to save us so in ages and ages He can continue to shower us with gifts of love.  Now that is just plain exciting.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 15, 2013

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

Since I have been accused of never speaking about cats and therefore being biased against cats, I felt the need to speak in defense of the feline creatures in our midst.  After all there has never been a Broadway musical entitled “Dogs” and “Cats” is the second ever longest running musical.  Cats are amazing creatures with the incredible ability to redesign our furniture.  They are generous animals who allow us to live in their homes.  They save us huge amounts of money by keeping the bird population down and away from our bird feeders.  They had starring roles in the historic Salem Witch trials; something for which a dog never had an opportunity to audition. God made dogs and cats on the same day of Creation and the King of the Jungle rules on the Serengeti Plain.  The dogs on the plain wisely stay away from those splendidly maned creatures.  In Africa cats rule!

I, personally, have been kept from visiting friends because their Siamese cat defended the porch and front door with all the fierceness of any guard dog.  If I were a poet I would surely write an “Ode to Cats.”  They are worthy creatures.  My city wouldn’t even force me to buy a yearly license if I had a cat.  My expensive dog costs me seven dollars a year.

There isn’t any verse in Scripture more frightening than I Peter 5:8.  “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  Many sermons have been built upon this text. So I want my dear friends to note that I am not in the least biased against cats. They are wonderful snuggly bundles of purring fur.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 14, 2013

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

The President delivers the State of the Union Address.  Our Governor delivers the State of the State address.  Our Mayor delivers the State of the City address.  I was wondering if God delivers a State of the Universe address.  Perhaps, and if so, we should get to hear it someday.  It will most likely finish with the classic lines, “The state of the universe is strong.”

What if we, each year, were required to write a State of My Being address?  What would we include?  Surely we would write about our physical health, our social situation, our economics, our intellectual health and our spiritual situation.  We are complex beings and it would be most difficult to yearly update all of the above in a thousand words or less.  Taking inventory, which is what this is about, is healthy.  It forces us to evaluate just how we are doing and what we might change to enhance our state of being.  Sometimes we grow complacent and think things are so great we need not change anything.  However, thoughtful change is good.  Sometimes chance is thrust upon us and we have to react but most of the time we can be in control and hopefully we can guide ourselves to an even better state next year.

The truth is, because of the ageing process, change is happening whether we want it or not.  We can’t stay the same.  We need to be preparing for the coming years.  We need to be preparing for eternity.  Fortunately Jesus has plans for us and if we allow Him via His Spirit to reside in us, we can move in a direction that will not only make us strong but fulfill our wildest dreams.   See Ephesians 3:20.

Written by Roger Bothwell on February 13, 2013

Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St.Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org