Category: devotional

I got a new pair of glasses.  They are old-people glasses.  Old-people glasses used to be bi or trifocals with the lines but now we get progressive lenses.  No lines.  The only people who now get glasses with lines are the trendy people.  My old-people glasses are ones with some anti-glare treatment.  When cars come at me after dark their headlights don’t flare all over the place.

Little by little I am making the transition to being old.  I now take Centrum Silver so I can ride my bicycle with the wind blowing through my hair (oops – no hair left) as I laugh at whoever knows that.  I love getting my senior citizen discount. I ask for it everywhere I go.  I wonder if God will give me a discount on tithe and I only need return nine percent.  I need to start putting my stuff up on ebay.com. Now that our little college, Atlantic Union College, will not be  opening this fall, I can spend snowbound winter days selling things on line.  However, I’m not sure who would want an old clock with an inscription        “A+ Professor.” I got it from a student.  (Sorry about that.  Had to brag.)

Life is such an adventure. The trouble with selling stuff is each item has a story.  It’s like selling one’s life to strangers. Three score and ten isn’t very long.  But I have a feeling that if we had thirty score and ten it would still not be enough.  What a thrill it is to read John 3:16.  If we believe we will never perish but have everlasting life. What a thrill it is to know Jesus and know this is just a prelude.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 25, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

They were both wearing wedding rings so I am going to believe they were married to each other.   What cast just a hint of suspicion was the way they acted.  They were sitting at a restaurant table talking to each other and laughing.  That’s not normal.  Normal married people at a restaurant don’t talk to each other.  Usually each is too busy texting someone else.  There was something else abnormal about this couple.  She was all dolled up with makeup and jewelry with freshly quaffed dyed hair.  Oh, there was one more thing.  I think they were both ninety. You could tell by the way he looked at her that he thought she was beautiful.  And you could tell by the expression on her face that she knew he thought she was beautiful.  You just have to love a woman who never gives up; no matter how old.  Maybe she keeps trying because she knows he loves her efforts.

The Song of Solomon is quite a book.  It has entertained a lot of boys sitting through dull sermons.  Some people have tried to justify its presence in Scripture as a metaphor of Christ and His bride, His church.  I really don’t think so but I could be very wrong.  I am wrong about much.  However, it is true that God does think we are beautiful.  Love is blind; even for God.  Most likely it is because He knows what we will be.  We are bundles of potentiality.  In Revelation we are portrayed as the bride for Christ and have you ever seen a bride that isn’t beautiful? It isn’t about the shape of a nose or cheekbones.  It is the glow of happiness.  That’s what I saw in the elderly lady in the restaurant.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 22, 2014

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I just love good tithe stories, especially when they happen to me.  When we were young and poor they were easy to see.  God promises in Malachi 4 that He will be faithful with us if we are faithful with Him.  Even now His blessings are spectacular.  This past Friday afternoon while strolling through a mall in Philadelphia I realized my navy blue blazer was not going to look very good in church.  I have lost about thirty pounds and I look like a little kid putting on his father’s clothes.  So when I saw a men’s clothing store in I went.  Much to my horror they wanted $500 for a blazer.  That wasn’t for me.

So off we went to Sears.  Upon entering we discovered they had one blazer – just one.  It was my new size.  It had been $150 but was marked down to $40.00, lest than a tenth of the other.  Now I know what you are thinking.  Cheap quality.  No – it really is very nice. When I took it to the counter the man asked if I had a Sears card. “No,” I responded, “I don’t want another credit card.”  “Well,” he said, “how about I take $35.00 off this blazer if you get one?”  I wasn’t a math major in college but I quickly figured out this one.  $5.00!  I asked if I waited until tomorrow would he pay me to take it.  So there is my tithe story.  I got my blazer for 1/100th of what they wanted across the mall.

There is no question that we are watched over, cared for and guaranteed a future beyond imagination.  Join me – please – accept the Gift.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 21, 2012

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Pox 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Roger.bothwell

There are certain things so good they are beyond adjectives.  On this very warm August evening I have just consumed an Orange Creamsicle. Our family used to call them Dreamsicles. Not only was it delicious on my tongue it was even more so in my mind.  I was five-years-old again sitting with my father on the front steps of our house.  I remember slowly licking away the orange outer layer trying to make it last as long as I could.  My dad was eating a Fudgsicle. We were in heaven.

Heaven is not so much a place as it is a state of mind.  We drove past a church today that had a sign over its front door that said, “Gateway to heaven.”  My first thought was there must be a lot of really nice people who worship there.   Making a place heaven doesn’t really have to be very difficult.  It is merely treating people the way you want to be treated.

This afternoon at a church picnic I saw one of our smaller members wearing a Minnesota Vikings t-shirt.  “Hey,” I said, “You are in Patriot’s country.”  Even though he is a little guy I know him well enough to know he would not be intimidated by me.  “My mom likes the Vikings,” he said.  So I responded. “The next time I see you I am going to give you a Patriot’s shirt.”  “Really,” he beamed as he hurried over for me to check his shirt size.   You can be sure I have a big note on my desk.  That is a promise I will make sure to keep.

Heaven isn’t about winning the lottery.  Heaven is about being with people who care about you.  Heaven starts now not sometime in the future.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 22, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

Recently I sat through a thirty minute sermon admonishing us to be ready for Jesus to come.  I kept waiting for the speaker to tell us what we had to do to be ready.  If I am going to be told to do something I want to be told how to do it.  However, he never did.  He inferred it had something to do with our diets, both physical and mental.  While I do not want to put down on the importance of both of those arenas, they are extremely important for physical and mental health, which are of essential importance for living the abundant life, they are not the key ingredient to being ready for Jesus to come.

The key to being ready is to recognize our total need for grace and to accept His gift.  Paul is very clear about this in Ephesians 2.  He wrote, God “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Paul presses the issue even harder in Galatians 5. There he says we actually fall from grace the moment we alter God’s plan by adding any other requirement other than grace.  It is difficult for us.  Our pride wants so badly to contribute something other than a receptive heart.  However, that is all we can do.  It is the key to being ready.  The speaker was correct.  We do need to be ready.  Just tell us the simple truth regarding how wonderful is His grace.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 8, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

It has been a few years now since my mother passed away, so I figured it was time to shred her business papers.  There was a box of old check registers, annuity papers, receipts for things long gone.  There were documents scribed with my father’s name and the names of her other two husbands.  She buried three.  She would be upset with me telling you this.  Actually I thought it was kind of grand that she got three.  One of our friends who never married always complained how unfair it was that my mom got three and she never got one.  I might add the three she did get were all really fine men.

Life isn’t fair.  That’s a difficult lesson for most people.  I think we are born with a sense of rightness and when it doesn’t pan out we think we got cheated.  Whenever I am tempted to complain about some injustice I remind myself of the millions of people in the world who haven’t had it nearly as splendid as I.

Some people think fair means we all get treated equally.  However, if that were the situation, in most cases it would be very unfair.  Each of us has different needs.  Fairness is receiving what we need, not what someone else got that we do not need.  School teachers see this all the time.  They have some children who need more time and attention than others who are quick to learn.  Giving each child the same amount of time and attention would be most unfair.  Each should receive according to their need.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 19, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

This past month one could almost have confused New England with the tropics.Each afternoon the sky filled with giant cumulus clouds; lightning flashed, thunder rumbled and torrential downpours filled our reservoirs to overflowing.  That is amazing.  All the moisture has awakened a rich array of mushrooms and other fungi.  The forest floor is decorated with red,yellow, orange, gray and purple caps. I found myself wishing I knew the names of all these strange wonders.  Then it occurred to me that if I knew the names I still would not know anything about them.  Names are just what some other person decided to call them.That would tell me more about the namer than the named.  I too can name them; anything I want!    It would be great fun to name one after my wife and two others after my sons and another after my dog.    The difficulty would be communicating to others about the mushrooms that I had named.  But then I cannot think of any time I have ever had a mushroom based conversation with anyone. Most likely somewhere in the world there is an official mushroom naming society just as somewhere in the universe there is someone who has a special name for you and me.

Revelation 2:17 speaks of God giving each of us a new name.  I am sure it will be a perfect match for our personality.  When we,if we, tell it to others who know us, they will nod and say, “Yes, that’s perfect.  That’s you.”   I’m glad God is the one giving us our new name because I think none of us would dare to give ourselves as grand a name as we are going to receive.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 18, 2008

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

Rogerbothwell.org

Sometimes it is so dark when I walk my black lab I cannot see her even though we are on opposite ends of her leash.  I walk carefully as to not trip on anything as she tugs me down the hill. She loves to walk no matter how dark it is. But a few evenings ago we had just begun when she turned and wanted to go home.  I paused so I could listen carefully but I could not hear anything let alone see anything.  Being that our bear is still roaming the neighborhood I decided to take her cue and let her pull me back up the hill.  I know she can see better in the dark than I and she can smell many more things than I.

One of the things I have learned in life is to follow the lead of those with superior abilities. When I was a teen I was so arrogant I didn’t think there was anyone else who knew more than I.  Wow, was that ever stupid.  With years hopefully come wisdom.  It is that way now with God’s instructions and commands.  There are times when I cannot possibly see any possible harm from certain behaviors, but I know that God, who has lived much longer than I, (How about forever?) and has more information than I, (How about His being all knowing?) will only lead me to safe places.  It is me that gets me into trouble.

The Shepherd’s Psalm says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil.”  That’s not just some childhood memory verse.  That is good counsel no matter how old we are.  I let my dog take me home that dark, dark night.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 18, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

I have through the years developed a target on my back.  Actually it’s on the back of my head.  When I walk through the forest, mosquitoes and other heinous flying creatures see this large hairless circle and seem to think it’s some kind of supermarket.  While I myself have never seen it, it must be very appetizing because it never fails to attract hungry bloodsucking flying vampires.  I have tried bug repellent to no avail.  I think I shall have to break down and start wearing a cap when venturing onto the mountain.

Protecting ourselves from attackers is quite prudent.  It seems stupid not to protect ourselves from any manner of anything that lessens us.  Yet, it appears that unless we are able to see the consequences of something or some behavior, we are not very good at caring for ourselves.   We overeat.  We know better but because we don’t immediately see the bulge swell up around our middle we just keep on eating.  We fill our minds with degrading content and because we don’t immediately become felons we keep on watching, reading and listening.  We know we should spend time each day feeding on God’s word and yet because we don’t immediately sense our level of care and concern for others erode, we neglect the very thing that will make us better people.

It’s not just the bald spot on the back of my head that’s a target.   We are walking targets for attacks from one who has thousands of years of experience debasing humans.  Peter puts it this way, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 15, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Long I stood in the pet store trying to find the chameleon.  I felt pretty stupid considering it was in a glass enclosure that wasn’t overly large.  Finally I saw it, but only after it moved.   As I examined how well it blended in I remembered the first time I ever saw one.  When I was a little boy someone brought one to church.  I remember being told how evil it would be if we blended into our culture and people couldn’t tell we were Christians.  They quoted Romans 12:2 and made a real impression on me.

Years later when I was a teen all I wanted to do was to blend in.  It is a common characteristic of early teens.  They have so many changes happening to them physically and mentally they don’t want to look or act weird.  Even as we age, to be reasonably fashionable is not something to shun.  To be modestly dressed in the manner of the day is not wrong.  One of the best advertisements for a product is to be appealing and we would not make Christianity very appealing if we were a gazing stock noted for our bizarre clothing. The Amish people are a wonderful people noted for their honesty, but we certainly don’t see people flocking to join them.

The best way to not blend in and to be different from others is to be the kindest, most caring, and most unselfish person in our circle.  How grand it would be if we were noted for never being a gossip and being the one person in the crowd who always had something nice to say about others.  That is a nice kind of weird.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 16, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org