Smart People

One of the smartest things I ever did was to marry someone who is much smarter than I.  That pretty much guaranteed my children would be smarter than I.  I truly do not mind being the dumbest person in the room.  I can come to the close of each day and say, “There I learned something new today.”   When I go to church I want to learn something new from my pastor. Give me something to mentally chew on.  I am so blessed to be a teacher. Everyday I learn new things from my students.

I am disgusted when I am with people who don’t seem to know how to express themselves with anything other than gutter language.  Don’t they realize how stupid they sound using the same imagineless terms over and over?  It’s as if they aren’t bright enough to buy a thesaurus and add new words to their vocabulary. Recently I sat down and browsed through HBO’s comedy specials. How very disappointing.  I was disappointed with the content of the supposed humor and disappointed with the audience’s laughter when foul language is used.  The only thing I can figure is the audience is very dull or drunk or feels social pressure to laugh at stuff that isn’t really funny.

This morning we went for breakfast with two very smart people.  There was a piano and a guitar present.  Before long my friends were filling the diner with wonderful music. How grand. The other people in the diner seemed as pleased as I.  One last thought on this.  If you want to be in company with someone very smart, spend your time with Jesus.  I guarantee you will get a daily IQ boost.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 5, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

The Tyranny of Freedom

The bumper sticker read, “Freedom Isn’t Free.”  I think it refers to our Flanders Fields and Arlingtons.  However, there is yet another meaning to that bumper sticker – the tyranny of freedom.  Freedom isn’t free. It comes with responsibility.  Freedom means if we are adults with the right and power to choose we cannot blame our parents for what we are.  Real freedom means stepping up to the plate and saying, “I did it.”  The tyranny of freedom is we were forced by no one other than our own passions and will.  If we did it, we do not hide in the bushes and blame another.  Adam, our noble ancestor, hid in the bushes and attempted to blame both God and Eve.  What a man!  If there is shame to be had we will acknowledge our failures or overt acts of transgression.  This is freedom.

It is the fourth of July and for these 24 hours we hear the words “freedom” and “liberty” over and over.   Galatians 5 is Paul’s great appeal for us to take the freedom Christ offers and to use it for righteousness.   To do otherwise is to give it away and to become slaves to ourselves and our self-deceptions.

Righteous living, righteous choices expand our freedom.  Each victory by our choices and behaviors prepares us for the ultimate freedom of roaming the universe as God’s child with never a fear that we will pollute those we shall meet.  Ultimate freedom awaits those who choose wisely.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 4, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Friends In High Places

Our good news is my blood cooperated in the University of Penn labs and so I will be white mouse number nine in a research study that so far has had a 100% remission rate for those with my type of leukemia.  When I mention that there are only fourteen slots in the study, I am most always asked how did you get in?   The answer is “I have friends in high places.”

It never hurts to have important powerful friends.  I grew up with this one particular friend.  I first met Him when I was very small.  I sang a song about Him.  “Jesus Loves Me This I Know.”  Soon afterwards I learned another song about Him.  “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.”  Talk about friends in high places.  It doesn’t get any higher than that.

Christianity is especially unique in its core doctrine of developing a personal relationship with God.  While He indeed is one to revere, worship and hold in awe, there is this friendship issue with Jesus and His insistence that we call His Father “Our Father.”  Sometimes people miss this and say such things as, “Other faiths also have high moral codes.” That is very true.  They do.  While morality is indeed extremely important it is not the core belief.  The core is God is a Father who pursues us, woos us and sacrifices self for us.  Christianity is a love story.  It is about a heaven filled with caring beings who want the best for us.  It is about grace and forgiveness and personal growth.  It is restoration to the perfection of Adam and Eve when God said, “Let’s make man in our image.”   He wants us to be His friends as well as His children.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 3, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

The Price of Gas

I paid $3.29 cents for gas today.  The price of gas is mysterious but I am told it is connected to the old law of supply and demand.  If that is the case you can thank me for the price reduction. It is because of my GPS.  Prior to the age of global navigation by satellites I always added thirty minutes to the time needed for a trip.  This covered the time I would be lost wandering about trying to find my destination.  During those thirty minutes I would be sure to use an extra two gallons of gas.  But now I just get in my car and bingo I get where I am supposed to be.  If I came to a fork in the road I always took the wrong way.  It got so bad that after I would decide which way I should go I then would take the other way thinking that would work.  Those were the times I had initially decided correctly.

Aren’t you glad that Jesus declares Himself to be the Way?  John 14:6.  Prior to Jesus, mankind wandered about in a corn field maze.  There was a seemingly endless array of religions offering everything from hedonistic gratification to ascetic self-denial. If you can imagine it, it was on the menu.  The tragedy is the menu is still there and people are still hungrily browsing.

Jesus doesn’t show us the way.  He is the Way.  His promises are plain and powerful.  “I have come that they might have life.”  “He (who believes) does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”  The Way is not convoluted. It is simple enough for a small child to grasp.  Perhaps that is the problem for those who delight in cryptics.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 2, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Garage Cleaning

After ten years of accumulated stuff it became obvious that the garage was in serious need of attention.  It is amazing how stuff accumulates.  It makes one want to believe in spontaneous generation.  It seems as though at night when there is no moon stuff must pop into being.  Usually it is useless stuff that might possibly become useful someday.  But eventually reality hits—the stuff is not ever going to be useful.  Then one can only hope the garbage man will carry it all away.

It is like that with our brains as well.  They too are often filled with useless stuff.  The problem is we cannot get rid of it as easily as we can the junk in the garage.  It seems that the best solution would be to keep filling our minds with quality material.  If one concentrates on good stuff, there will be no time to think about the trash and it will eventually fade away.

Paul said, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  Philippians 4:8

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 1, 2004

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

Paul and Willy Wonka

AT&T once ran one of their best ever commercials.  City streets were filled with children’s art.  The background music was Pure Imagination sung by Gene Wilder from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.   The words are designed to spur creative thought.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, . . .”  I have a feeling Paul and Willy Wonka would so agree with each other.

Unfortunately the older we get the more practical we usually become ending with limited concepts of what God can do with us.   Ephesians 2 speaks of God’s plans for our working with Him.  I wonder if anyone other than Jesus ever fulfilled God’s Plan “A”.  Most of us can only see Plans “B” and “C” in our rearview mirror.  I can only imagine that I am working on Plan “Triple Z.”  Fortunately for us God never runs out of letters.

God wants little children to come to Him because they can still dream great dreams.  They can still imagine.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 28, 2010

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

The Navy Blue Blazer

It was a warm summer evening at the local elementary school graduation.  Proud grandpa was getting awfully warm.  Shedding his navy blue blazer and loosening his tie, he concentrated on getting the best photograph he could of his granddaughter shaking hands with the principal.  After the deed was accomplished he looked about and saw his eight-year-old grandson now wearing his blazer.  He was swallowed in it.

Later, outside after the program grandpa looked across the large lawn only to see grandson being chased and tackled to the ground by three little girls.  At some point he thought he best take off the blazer and so he handed it to his little sister with instructions to take it to grandpa.  Holding it by the sleeve she ran dragging the blazer behind her in the grass.  All grandpa could do was hope that his dry cleaners knew how to remove grass stains.

Zechariah 3 tells of Satan accusing the high priest of wearing stained garments.  The Lord intervened and provided clean clothes.  It is a wonderful story of God’s righteousness being given to us.  We have nothing to bring except a life soiled and stained from our mistakes and outright blatant sins—a grass-stained, muddied, navy blue blazer if you will.  But if we ask “He is faithful and just to forgive us…and cleanse us from all unrighteousness…” 1 John 1:9.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 29, 2004

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 1224, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

None of Us Knows What We Think We Know

Surely there has not been a more decent, honest and honorable man who was President of the United States than Jimmy Carter.  Without a doubt he has had the most successful post-presidency of any man who ever lived in the White House.  His foundation has reached out to provide clean water for the poor, medical care for the blind of the world and conflict resolution among nations.

His marriage with Rosalynn is an example for all of us.  Interestingly, however, in an interview both of the Carters recalled how difficult it was to co-author a book.  As each wrote the truth about events that had occurred in the White House they discovered their stories were very different.  Each was sure the other was having memory problems because each was sure their version was what really happened.

Truth is difficult to know.  Even the sincere see things through personal biases and faulty memories.  So often we know only what we want to know, filtering out everything that contradicts what we want to believe. Perhaps the person most difficult to know the truth about is the person we see in the mirror.  How very fortunate we are that the One who really knows the truth about us also loves us dearly and died for us.  While we were sinners He gave His life for us that we should not only live but also actually grow into the person our dog thinks we are.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 28, 2004

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

$80.00

While getting back into the driver’s seat I was muttering about paying $80.00 for the gas I just put in my very thirsty car.  I don’t know if my wife was trying to make me feel better or worse as she reminded me of an afternoon almost fifty years ago when our ‘57 Ford was very empty.  The needle was riding on the “E” and we were still a few miles from home.  We had to do something.   I had two dimes in my pocket and we found a nickel in the ashtray.  Pulling into a gas station we put twenty-five cents worth, a gallon, into the tank.   We told the attendant (no self-service then) to be very careful because if he put in twenty-six cents we didn’t have the extra penny.  (No credit cards then.)

So when did I pay the most?  On one occasion I had something left and on the other I had not a cent left.  Or does it really matter?   The real richness of life was the person in the car with me on both occasions.  True wealth isn’t about dimes and dollars.   It is the people we love and the people who love us.  True wealth is a lifetime of good memories and shared experiences.  True wealth is being cared about and having someone to cherish.

When Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you always”, He made us the richest people in history.   In John 14 He promised to send us the Comforter.   His Spirit, upon our request, will actually dwell within us.  “I in Christ and Christ in me” is an amazing concept.  If we can but grasp the immensity of this reality we will tap into the resources of heaven itself.  See II Peter 1.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 27, 2011

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

Rogerbothwell.org

 

James and Paul on Law

Today we are far removed from the contested battles over what letters should be included in the New Testament canon.  We open our Bibles and give little thought that the book of James was contested not just for centuries but for over a millennium.  It was not until Council of Trent in 1545 to 1563 that the issue was settled for the western church.  Martin Luther (1483 -1546) would have been very happy to exclude this “epistle of straw.”  Luther objected because he did not feel it was strong enough in presenting Jesus as our Savior.  James presents the law as a “law of freedom” in contrast to Paul calling it a “law of slavery, wrath and death.”  See James 1:25, 2:12 and Romans 4:15, 7:10.

It is fascinating to think of both James and Paul being correct.  If one is seeking God’s favor the law falls far short because we fall far short.  When Paul was Saul, he was a law keeper’s law keeper and found no joy only condemnation at his personal failures to measure up. When he became Paul, he discovered the gift of grace and the happiness of knowing eternal life was not to be earned but accepted.

However, for those of us who live in a nation of “freedom under the law” we understand an umbrella of law provides us with the freedom to live reasonably safely from those who do not have the law “written on their hearts.”  If everyone were like Paul filled with the Holy Spirit we would not need black and white cars with blue lights. Paul understood grace.  James understood that even with the Holy Spirit in us we often need the guidance of written law for our behavior.

Written by Roger Bothwell on June 26, 2012

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

Rogerbothwell.org