Lazy Saturday

View of the North Fork Loxahatchee River
Tequesta, FL
April 18, 2026

 It was a lazy Saturday here in South Florida. 

It is not as if we did nothing during the day, but we did not head out on an adventure.

I managed an 18-mile ride, which felt great even though the humidity and temperatures are building. I did not see a lot of wildlife on my tour, but I did enjoy the scents of the gardenias and other flowering plants, trees, and bushes.

Chris and I also managed to move the repacked Easter decorations along with other unused items to the storage room. Out of sight and out of mind! We freed up some space in the garage to use for other infrequently used items.

Aside from that, we made an emergency run to the grocery store for some ice cream.

Thinking about some of what transpired last week.

It was a crazy week in the news as both the president and vice attempted to cast themselves as theologians and religious leaders. I was appalled at the image of Trump as a messiah and then Vance schooling the Pope on Catholicism and theology. And then there was Speaker Johnson lecturing the Pope about the "Just War" theory. I did, however, learn a lot about the "Just War" theory and its application. 

It seems as if the Jesus' words of prophecy as recorded in Mark 13:14-23 are being fulfilled:

14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15 The one on the roof must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house. 16 The one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 18 Pray that it may not be in winter. 19 For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short. 21 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect. 23 Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time. (Mark 13:14-23 NET Bible) (Highlighting mine)

I was also reminded of Matthew 7: 15-20.

15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. (NET Bible) (Highlighting mine)

Happy Sunday!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Aaron and the Golden Calf - Updated

It being Sunday, a particular history lesson from the Bible struck me this morning. It is in Exodus 32.

It is about how the people of Israel, after being led from slavery in Egypt while they were on their journey to the promised land, in the absence of Moses while he was atop the mountain communing with God and getting the commandments, grew fearful and needed something to worship. The made their own god from gold. The golden calf and they worshipped it. 

God wanted to destroy the people for their sin and lack of faith--but Moses interceded for them. Many still died atoning for the sin, but the people continued and remembered the valuable lesson.

Why did this particular history lesson come to mind this morning?

A similar thing in happening in America right now. A golden calf has been constructed and people are worshipping it. One of our political parties, of which I used to be a member, has abrogated its history of service to the Republic and has become a cult devoted to a man. 

And now, the modern day equivalent of the golden calf has been made in order to worship the man. And he has a golden scepter in his hand with a star on it. I can only imagine what this means, but the President of the United States does not rule with a scepter in his hand, only kings and despots need a scepter to affirm their leadership status. 

The history lesson ends as follows:

And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made. (Exodus 32:35)

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Happy Easter 2019

Happy Easter!

May the resurrection bring you hope and build your faith.

As the sun rises on this Easter day to warm the Earth and our hearts remember that the cross is empty, the stone is rolled away, and our Savior having defeated death is risen. 

The message of the day is love and unmerited forgiveness!

Titus 3:5-7 New English Translation (NET Bible)

5 he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.”

Share the excitement!

He is Risen!

He is Risen, indeed!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Christmas Isn't Joy for Everyone

I am reminded this morning as I am celebrating the birth of the Savior of the World: the Son of God who became man, so that men could become son's of God; that many people are in pain and cannot fully accept or appreciate the gifts or even the simple greeting: Merry Christmas!

My heart grieves for them because they are grieving. They are grieving the loss of loved ones, or health, or jobs, or something equally as tragic and important. They look at those of us who are celebrating and wonder why? Why did someone have to be taken from them or why did they get cancer or some other terrible disease. 

It is hard, no it may be impossible to accept the simple Merry Christmas greeting of others without being hurt and cynical and saying under their breath, "If you only knew," or "What's so Merry about it?"

I know people who are hurting today. And it hurts more today because they want to be happy, but they cannot. They withdraw.

What can I say to them? Nothing. 

I am reminded of verses from Job 2:12-13 where some friends came upon Job who was suffering a tragedy.

2:12 But when they gazed intently from a distance but did not recognize him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads. 2:13 Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great. (NET Bible)

No one said a thing. Sometimes the right thing to say is nothing at all. But the most important thing was being together, they were there, even in the silence.

That is what we need to do to help our friends and family who are suffering during this season--be with them and help them to know, not through words but through actions, that they are loved and supported. 

I pray that those who mourn will be comforted, those who suffer illnesses will find relief, and those who are facing the worst that life can dish out will find the strength to wake up tomorrow and say to themselves: today is the first day of the rest of my life and I am not going to waste it!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Turning on a Call

It is amazing how life can change with a single phone call.

Communication of news--good or bad, can cause a lot of actions and associated reactions.

Life changes so quickly. Expectations. Plans.

Yesterday was one of those days that are just hard. The news was unexpected and hard to accept. It caused me to dig deep in my  faith and to provide support for those who are hurting.

Love was demonstrated by my family more than I can imagine. There was nothing easy to say--but there are heroes. One hero that I know has demonstrated nothing but perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds and three years of perpetual bad news. 

I was reminded of these words from Job after he had lost everything of value:

2:11 When Job’s three friends heard about all this calamity that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country  – Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.  They met together  to come to show sympathy  for him and to console him. 2:12 But when they gazed intently from a distance but did not recognize him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads.  2:13 Then they sat down with him on the groundfor seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain  was very great.

I do not know, nor do I pretend to know the answer to the question why. From Job, I have learned that sometimes, the right thing to say is nothing at all, and just being there in silence is the right call.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Christmas Eve 2013

Christmas Tree on the Christmas Tree

And it has arrived! The day before the day. Christmas Eve. 

The ornaments are on the tree. The presents are bought and, mostly, wrapped, although I still need to wrap a few which are well hidden. I hope I can remember where they are hidden. Although, I am waiting for UPS to deliver the last gift of Christmas! They already delayed it once. 

The day is fairly well mapped out. Brunch a 9, church at 3:30, dinner at 5:30, crashing totally burned out at 9:30 and then waking early on Christmas morning to discover Santa's treasures and heading out by 6 to open gifts with with dinner at 2, and gift opening sandwiched in there somewhere along with smoking some meat for dinner.

Why is it so busy and preplanned? It is so tightly scheduled that is almost takes all of the fun out of the day for which planning has been underway since before Thanksgiving. 

I hope that you have a couple of great days. Despite all of the preplanning and scheduling, I intend to have a lot of fun while also finding some time to relax and enjoy being with family and friends. In the middle of all of the activity, don't forget the reason for the season. You can read about it in two short verses in Galatians 4:4-5.

AND, say Merry Christmas to someone you don't know. It will make them smile a lot more than Happy Holidays!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD  

A Call to Action

In reflecting upon the fall of the Roman Empire and the numerous empires and countries which have risen and fallen during the history of the human race, like maybe the British Empire, I am stuck by the similarities.

Among them greed, corruption, and selfishness.

Sadly, I worry that we, the greatest force for democracy that the world has ever witnessed, are experiencing the same thing. We have become besieged with special interest groups who define their entire existence upon one limited issue. Their unwillingness to compromise for the greater good of the country is carving a path to destruction and clouding the true mission and purpose for our nation and our society.

It is time for "We the People" to take action! We must let our representatives and leaders know that we are here, we are watching, and that we demand action!

Here is what I propose: Pray.

Yup. Pray. 

In 1 Timothy 2:1-4, Paul instructs: First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people, even for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. Such prayer for all is good and welcomed before God our Savior, since he wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. -- NET Bible

Don't know what to pray? 

Try this:

Father in Heaven, I bring before you the leaders of our nation. We are facing troubling and difficult times and I ask You to provide our leaders with the wisdom and understanding they need to lead our nation. Help them to seek your will. Guide them and us through these difficult and stressful times and help this country fulfill the mission that you have laid our for us in this world. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen

Note: instead of just saying "our leaders" you may want to substitute the names of the leaders: President Obama, Speaker Boehner, and your senators and representatives (in my case Barbara Mikulski, Ben Cardin, John Sarbanes)

Don't stop there!

Now write an email (it's faster) to each of the members of Congress and the Executive Branch that you prayed for. Use their web sites because they are all under limited staffing during the shutdown. You can find a listing of their names and addresses at the Contacting Congress website. Let them know that you prayed for them and that you are urging them to seek God's will for this great nation during this difficult time. 

Here is what I wrote in my email though their websites:

I prayed for you this morning. May you seek and find God's will for this nation during these troubling times.

Try it!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Furlough Day 4 - Pillar of Fire

I saw it yesterday morning as I was leaving the gym after playing racquetball. The pillar of fire was visible on the eastern horizon as the dawn was just beginning to shake off the nighttime darkness. I tried to get an image of it hanging there in the predawn sky. 

I recognized it immediately as the pillar of fire from Exodus 13:21-22:  Now the Lord was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel day or night. He did not remove the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people. - NET Bible

I know, of course, that I was not seeing THE pillar of fire, but in these uncertain times what I saw struck a chord deep within me--WE need a Moses to lead us from conflict and partisanship and into the promised land. We need leaders who can, in the face of uncountable odds, lead this nation and not quibble about the small stuff.

We need leaders who are willing to compromise and listen to reason and act accordingly. I'm not so sure we have any currently in positions of authority in this country. We have become a people of the sound byte with no intellectual depth upon which to evaluate situations and make decisions. "We the people" have become "we the sheep" and the wolves are leading us astray.

Today is Furlough Day 4, and I definitely felt the drag of indifference yesterday. In an effort to shake off the lethargy, and as Phineas says to Ferb, "I know what we're going to do today!" It is going to start on the racquetball court at 0530 and head somewhere after that!

I'll let you know.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Pacing it to the Finish Line

I'm not a good runner. Besides the fact that I don't like to run, I don't run well. I have a lot of admiration for people who can run for distance, like Mike and Jeremy.

Life, however, it seems is a race. It is a marathon and each day is a new adventure and a new mile on the marathoner's journey. Even the Apostle Paul talks of life being a race in 2 Timothy 4:7, so this idea of life being a race with the intent to finish well is not a new one.

Much of the problem I have with running is pacing. I want to sprint out ahead, but I quickly burn out and wind up lagging behind the pack. I need to learn to run within myself. This also applies to daily tasks.

Each day is a new race, or a new lap on the racetrack of life. Yesterday was a good example. I worked an 11 hour day, raced off to the UPS pick-up center on my way home to get there before it closed at 7PM to pick up a package and as soon as I got home--even before dinner, since the lawn was dry I had to get the mowing in before rain and darkness.

During the mowing, the tarp covering the wood pile got tangled in the mower blades--which could have been catastrophic, but wasn't. I did discover a 3 foot long black racer snake who had been hiding under the tarp. He was unharmed and slithered off into the wood pile to help keep the vermin at bay.

After a quick shower to keep the allergens away from my too sensitive immune system, Chris and I enjoyed a fantastic dinner sitting on the back deck watching the darkness fall as the bats came out to play.

But there was still the pool to manage and continue getting ready for summer fun even though we are expecting a 37 degree overnight low on Sunday.

When I finally sat down to relax, it was after 9PM. Bedtime was less than an hour away.

I guess I need to find some pacing to get to the finish line.

The Apostle Paul must have enjoyed running, because he writes in 1 Corinthians 9:24: Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win.

My problem is that some days, I'm just running to finish with no thoughts of winning. I need to be sure I set an achievable pace so that I don't burn out, like a shooting star, too early in the race.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Delivering on Promises

I ran across an article in the NY Times yesterday about the first rabbi to enter Buchenwald concentration camp and proclaim freedom to the Jews held in captivity there. Herschel Schacter died last week at the age of 95.   It was especially powerful for me to read this article during this week when Passover and Holy Week are being celebrated simultaneously. 

I re-experienced Passover and the Exodus Monday evening at a friend's home for dinner--and I was reminded about how God, through Moses, led his people to freedom after  centuries in bondage. Passover reminded me that God delivers on His promises.

And it is Holy Week as well, a period during which the ultimate sacrifice by a man provided the ultimate freedom from the slavery of sin and death for all. A price was paid for my freedom and too often I forget the price. And I also often forget about how God delivers on his promises.

The article about the first Rabbi into Buchenwald who was able to proclaim freedom to the captive Jews there reminded me of the prophesy in Isaiah 61:1: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. (NIV)


But he did so much more, he took action. The story in the NY Times recounts the story of Schacter meeting a small boy in the Camp.  

As he passed a mound of corpses, Rabbi Schacter spied a flicker of movement. Drawing closer, he saw a small boy, Prisoner 17030, hiding in terror behind the mound.
“I was afraid of him,” the child would recall long afterward in an interview with The New York Times. “I knew all the uniforms of SS and Gestapo and Wehrmacht, and all of a sudden, a new kind of uniform. I thought, ‘A new kind of enemy.’ ”
With tears streaming down his face, Rabbi Schacter picked the boy up. “What’s your name, my child?” he asked in Yiddish.
“Lulek,” the child replied.
“How old are you?” the rabbi asked.
“What difference does it make?” Lulek, who was 7, said. “I’m older than you, anyway.”
“Why do you think you’re older?” Rabbi Schacter asked, smiling.
“Because you cry and laugh like a child,” Lulek replied. “I haven’t laughed in a long time, and I don’t even cry anymore. So which one of us is older?” 

Rabbi Schacter discovered nearly a thousand orphaned children in Buchenwald. He and a colleague, Rabbi Robert Marcus, helped arrange for their transport to France — a convoy that included Lulek and the teenage Elie Wiesel — as well as to Switzerland, a group personally conveyed by Rabbi Schacter, and to Palestine.

Isn't that really what it is all about? Being a representative for God to those around us and letting them know that He cares. It is about how we take this week of remembrance and move forward for the rest of the year in the confidence of knowing that God takes action and delivers on His promises.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Perceptions: They Matter

Caution: This entry may be unsuitable until after the first cup of coffee in the morning.

I ran across an interesting pie chart the other day which all to clearly highlights the image problems that Christians have today in America. I found it on Facebook originally and then this liberal site: Democratic Underground. Doing a Google search, I found it on many sites.

I was shocked to see something so simple lay out a serious public perception problem so clearly.

Christians in America today, and this is a broad generalization, are missing the boat on the truly important issues that they are uniquely gifted to undertake. While there is likely little science behind this chart, and I an pretty sure the entire thing was fabricated--Christians need to take note that the report card is not good.

Reading the comments on the referenced site are very interesting and help to demonstrate that although it is important to be politically active and work to change the world, the way we are supposed to change the world is by one heart at a time. I was shocked that no measurable posts were devoted to helping the sick and needy.

I was reminded of Romans 13:1: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God." -- NET Bible

While I too believe that political activism is important, Christians need to be seen as more than just the radical side of the Republican Party--or Tea Party, or whatever. They need an identity separate from politics. It is clear that the current wave of political activism is overshadowing the important good that christians in America are doing every day. Christians are under attack--and many of them are painting big red bullseye targets on their backs to give the opposition more places to aim.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Ask the Right Question

I drove through a neighborhood yesterday and spied a sign in front of a church. This one was brighter than most--aided by modern electronics and animation to ensure that I saw their message.

Think about it--one visible sign posted along a roadside to state in a fleeting moment the most important thing about the church/congregation.

And what was this most important question:

"Where will you spend eternity?"

Really? That is the best that they can do for an area full of people who aren't even sure how they are going to get through this afternoon or tomorrow? To a people with problems and pain that is the best that the church can do?

I hope not.

In order to get people to worry about eternity they need to help them through this afternoon. That sign seemed so bible thumping to me. So out of touch with the condition of the country and what is happening right around the corner.

Even worse--many people driving by the sign have no concept of eternity--they need to be taught.

But before that, someone needs to ask:

How was your day?
Do you need to talk?
Do you need a friend?

Before asking people about spending eternity somewhere like it is a vacation spot, we need to find out what we need to do to help them even consider the possibility that eternity exists.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Happy Easter 2012

I woke up before dawn, or more precisely as dawn was just beginning to break on this Easter morning.

I read an article yesterday about how the young people in America are becoming disenfranchised with Christianity.

Andrew Sullivan made the following observation: "Appearing on "CBS This Morning: Saturday," Sullivan said the crisis facing Christianity was especially bad today for one reason: "When I go and see young people, their image of Christianity these days is one of judgment, intolerance and to some extent bigotry and politics," Sullivan said. "They associate it with one political party in this country, because of the fusion of evangelical and ultra-orthodox Catholics with the Republican Party. They don't see it as the message of Jesus, they don't see it any more as a message of love and forgiveness. They see it as a bunch of people trying to control their lives through political mechanisms."

I see this. I had a conversation with a younger adult the other day that was precisely about this.

The message if Easter has become lost and strangled in political strife and religious wars across the globe.

The whole idea of Christians greeting each other in love and with the excited statement of so long ago: Christ is risen, He is risen indeed, has become muted and lost as Christ followers try to remake the world.

Maybe we have lost our vision. We almost certainly have lost sight of His vision.

Has Christ's message become confused with our own desires? As we are trying to reshape the world have we substituted our vision for that of Jesus'?

Jesus loved sinners and gave them hope. We should know--we are sinners too. We need to love sinners, too.

I am reminded, on this dawning Easter morning as I replay the events of the first Easter in my head, of the empty tomb, the confusion, the despair, the fear that those who were gathered felt as the miracle began to become clearer to them.



And I am reminded of the words of Titus 3:5: he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit,

As your Easter dawns today amid the celebration of family and friends or whatever form your remembrance of this greatest day in the history of God's relationship with man takes, pause to think about how we are being perceived by those we are most desperately trying to reach. Are we inviting and forgiving, or are we hard and judging by trying to push a political agenda onto people who don't understand it?

Happy Easter.

Christ has risen.
He has risen, indeed!



-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Where Was That Again?

I read an interesting article the other day that reminded me bout the phantom Bible verses that people sometimes quote.  The article is "Actually, that's not in the Bible" by John Blake of CNN.

The premise of the article is that most Christians have never read the Bible, nor are they well versed on what the Bible actually says.

He makes a strong case by pointing out a number of phrases which people usually believe are Biblical--but which do not appear anywhere within the Bible:

Some of the most popular faux verses are pithy paraphrases of biblical concepts or bits of folk wisdom.

Consider these two:

“God works in mysterious ways.”
“Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”

Both sound as if they are taken from the Bible, but they’re not. The first is a paraphrase of a 19th century hymn by the English poet William Cowper (“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform).

The “cleanliness” passage was coined by John Wesley, the 18th century evangelist who founded Methodism,  says Thomas Kidd, a history professor at Baylor University in Texas.

“No matter if John Wesley or someone else came up with a wise saying - if it sounds proverbish, people figure it must come from the Bible,”

He later writes about another popular non-Biblical phrase: spare the rod and spoil the child, which is often quoted in an effort to support physical punishment.

The bottom line for me after reading this article is to remind me that not everyone who quotes the Bible actually has read what they are quoting AND that that I need to continue to diligently question every teaching and check it against the source document for accuracy not only in word but context.

Christians also need to actually read the book that they haul around to meetings and church--what a concept. Open the cover and read and question and search the pages for the actual words of God.