The Widow and Her Two Copper Coins – Ken Williams

Luke 21:1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on”. (NIV) My neighbor and friend, Deputy Don, is a retired Monroe County sheriff. During his thirty years of service, he protected all people he was called on to help. His concern for other people’s welfare inspired him to become a county sheriff. He continues helping others in his ...

Past Political Memories – Coffee and Confusion – Ken Williams

Ray Paquet, Howard Killough, and I left our Treasure Island Naval base in dress blues to attend a Barry Goldwater rally on the Fisherman's Warf. A large crowd gathered to heckle Goldwater. He was the media created maniac that would start WWIII if elected as President of the United States. T.V. screens displayed his stern face superimposed on a hydrogen bomb explosion and Dr. Strangelove was playing in theaters. Ray, Howard, and I figured this was an attempt to frighten us into voting for LBJ. We were there to support Goldwater and took turns holding one of us upon shoulders to shout "Hang in there. We're for you!" I doubt he could hear us, ...

Food, Family, Marriage, Celebration – Ken Williams

God loves food, marriage and celebration: Revelation 19:9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” In Revelation 19:6-9 the apostle John writes how God concludes the history of humanity with an invitation to come to his marriage supper celebration. All are invited! My hearts eyes focused on “…the marriage supper of the Lamb.” I long for the day our Groom returns from heaven but couldn’t help thinking, “I wonder what’s on Jesus’ menu?” Jesus enjoyed eating with others. He accepted invitations to eat with others and invited many to share the food that ...

Walking on the Moon and Dreaming – Ken Williams

Sunday morning July 21st I looked out my office window to see the day was starting cloudless, a little unusual for upstate NY, and stared at the beauty of a full moon. The giant ball swinging in earth’s gravity 240,000 miles away appeared orange as it was setting. It dawned on me (pun intended) that according to an article I read a couple days before, July 21st was the date that the first man walked on the moon. I enjoyed the memory of being one of the hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide glued to a T.V. watching this incredible feat. That Sunday morning, I sat at my desk and googled to find more details of this remarkable accomplishm...

Passion for the Mystery – Ken Williams

Ephesians 3:3-4 the apostle Paul wrote “…and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words (Ephesians 1-2), a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ.” A mystery other than Christ first Nancy and I settled in our seats for the six-hour flight from New York City to San Francisco. She chose the window seat, and I sat in the middle between her and a woman working on a quilt, a gift for her granddaughter. After introducing ourselves and sharing our admiration for the beautiful, skillfully crafted quilt, we opened our books. After a couple hours of ...

Alone No More – Ken Williams

Early in life I felt disconnected from God, family, and others. I felt I was on the “outside looking in.” Circumstances beyond a child’s control contributed to feeling this way, but that wasn’t the problem. I didn’t know Jesus was with me and using my imagination, I chose to “escape”. I didn’t know it but God used the circumstances of life to prepare me to receive his Son, believe in his name, give me birth to be his child, and then welcome me home. It took time. Circumstances? Mom and dad were grieving twin sons Johnny and Joel’s deaths. They were less than a month old. They isolated from one another as pains in life ...

Where Is God? – Ken Williams

Receiving and giving Jesus’ love reveals his presence. The movie “As Good As It Gets” features needy, complicated, people reluctantly brought together by necessity. When one offers or gives help to the other, they instinctively think, “What’s the catch?” The character named Melvin, a man with many issues, is played by Jack Nicholson. Melvin, to put it mildly, is not used to helping others nor being helped by someone else. When a lady named Nora comes to him for help for her sick son he says, “Go sell crazy somewhere else. We’ll all stocked up here.” Melvin is a stereotype of humanity apart from God – not used ...

Cinna, and Unconditional Love – Ken Williams

Receiving and giving unconditional love is beautiful, perhaps most appreciated when someone we love is taken from us. Daring to love and be loved helps break down barriers of selfishness, fearfulness, and loneliness. Jesus’ faith alone makes it possible to face life with our guard down. Those who rely on his peace have courage to accept life on God’s terms, willing to love and be loved, no matter the cost. Nancy and I are grieving the loss of our dog, Cinna. She shared her unconditional love and loyalty with us for nine years. Dog? Yes! But not just a dog. This was Cinna, the sweetest puppy in all our neighborhood. I would pat and rub her ...

Rest In Christ Who Frees Us From Fear – Ken Williams

“Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Jesus “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” John 14:1 (NRSV) I was twenty years old when I confessed that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior just before I was baptized. I believed in Jesus, and hoped my heart would no longer be troubled. Jesus opened my eyes to see that fear was distracting me from his presence and peace. I identified with a man who confessed he wasn’t afraid of dying but he was afraid of living. It dawned on me I had been manipulated by fear all my life. It started when I was in my formative years. I was born March 14, 1945, ...

Freed To Soar! by Ken Williams

Isaiah 40:31 “…but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (NRSV)June 2005, Anchorage Alaska: Two friends and I went for a noon day walk and came upon a veterinarian tending a caged male bald eagle. Two months earlier a ranger discovered the starving bird trapped in a bear trap 200 miles north of Anchorage. A pilot flew him in to the vet who would save his life. The eagle had suffered a serious injury but was now healed and strong enough to be released. We were privileged to witness the beauty and grandeur of the ...

Businessman or Indiana Jones? by Ken Williams

Ken Williams A day in the life of a young man seeking identity and direction. Nancy, my wife, placed a plaque on the mantle over our fireplace that quotes Oscar Wilde, “be yourself, everyone else is already taken!” In Psalm 139 the psalmist states he was “handcrafted” by our Creator. He didn’t comprehend God’s infinite imagination but knew his works are wonderful. I agree. I have come to know a variety of people in my 79 years of life and have witnessed something intriguingly unique, wonderful, in each person. One such person was a young man that shared a commercial flight with me. He was seeking to discover who he is and what he ...

The Christian and a “Heretic” by Ken Williams

How I view my relationship with Jesus determines how I see others. Ken Williams I joined the other passengers as we boarded our flight from Sacramento, CA to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. I looked forward to relaxing and reading. After getting settled in my window seat and greeting the woman in the aisle seat, I pulled my book out intending to relax and read. But that was delayed by the woman in the aisle seat who asked me if I believe the Bible. It felt more like a trap than a request for friendly conversation. I sensed that nuancing my answer would prolong the conversation, so I replied, “Yes” and started to read. She wasn’t finished. Other ...

“We Have An Incident” by Ken Williams

I stopped worrying about my weak faith during a flight from Southern California to Cleveland, Ohio. Jesus reminded me that though I’m weak I now live by his faith, the faith of Jesus Christ who loves us and gave himself for us. Jesus gave me this assurance after our captain announced, “We have an incident!” Four hours earlier, I joined 150 fellow passengers and crew members boarding the Boeing 727. It was spring 2004 and I carried a recently published copy of Richard Nolte’s book Nominal Christianity. I didn’t like the word “nominal” but was curious. My row partners and I found and settled in our seats. The man next to the window ...

She Likes Me! – Ken Williams

SHE LIKES ME! The story of a middle school teacher expressing God’s heart with an "unlikeable" kid. John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” God has a heart. Yes! Nancy, my wife and retired teacher, subs for a local middle school. She shared with me how she worked with a boy few liked, including his classmates. She’s a good teacher but gives credit to God’s love for the boy that motivated her. Her story helped me reconsider God’s love for the world and take it a step further by receiving it personally, from his heart. “She Likes ...

The Field Mouse and Ermine – Ken Williams

Sympathy for the prey AND for the predator: Fifty-two years ago, December 1971, Jesus taught me a life changing lesson while ice fishing in northern Minnesota with a friend. I didn’t grasp the significance of his lesson at that time, but I haven’t forgotten it. Jesus has worked with me until I understand and love the lesson of “The Field Mouse and the Ermine". My friend and I were dressed warmly but it was only 5° Fahrenheit. It was a still, sunny day but we were standing on 6” of snow on top of solid ice. The bitter cold bit my exposed face and after a couple hours of fishing I jogged back to the path that led to the lake. ...

15 results for tag: Ken Williams