Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

I remember how, when our children were young, we tried hard to teach them to say, “Thank you.” Each time they would receive something from us or from someone else we would say, “What do you say?” And they would eventually respond, “Thank you.”  Our goal of course was to not only teach them proper manners, but as well what it means to be grateful. The first was easy; the second not so much. After all, just because one says, “Thank you,” doesn’t always mean they feel thankful for whatever it is they have received. Our hope as parents was that, eventually our children’s words would represent something within their hearts.  With the arrival of Thanksgiving, I want to remind us of not only the importance of giving thanks, but of actually having a thankful heart. Again, the first is easy; the second is a bit harder. How do we go beyond merely saying, “thank you” to a deep-felt sense of gratitude? Let me share a few means of doing so. (1) Learn contentment . The Apostle Paul wrote of...

Since my retirement from pastoring, I’ve been working as a personal trainer at a local gym, The Fort Athletic Club, as well as through my own business, Second Wind Personal Training. I’m passionate about fitness and health both for myself and for others. That’s why I entered this field as a second career. It’s my hope that I might be able to help others gain the fitness and health they need to enjoy life and live the kind of life God intends for them to live. After all, an unfit and unhealthy body ends up as a body filled with limitations. A fit body is able to move and do and enjoy every aspect of life.  However, I’m also keenly aware that we as people are more than our bodies. God created us as holistic beings: body, mind, soul, and spirit. He designed us to be multi-faceted, not merely one dimensional bodies. That requires that we not only take care of our bodies, but as well care for our whole selves—i.e., our minds, our souls, and our spirits.  The Apostle Paul wrote to T...

With fall in full force, the trees here in New Jersey are bursting with color. The reds, the yellows, the oranges, and even the browns of fall are as awe-inspiring as are the purples and pinks of spring. The colors of the season highlight the fact that we live in a colorful world.   Not only that, but the way we react to the colors of fall (e.g. going to “see the colors” and all the pictures we take), reminds us that we were made for color. Our eyes were designed to perceive color and our brains designed to interpret it. We paint our homes with an array of colors both inside and out. We are intrigued by artists who know how to use color in just the right way or the designer who knows how to bring the right colors together. We create fabrics that are filled with color and thus wear clothing filled with color. And we can’t help but comment on the colors of a rainbow or of a sunrise or sunset as they show up in the sky. Again, we seem to be made for color.   As I was gr...

It seems that just about every fall we have at least one big storm that excels the falling of the leaves. Today was that day. Thankfully, here in the US Northeast we did not experience a hurricane as did Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and other parts of the Caribbean. (Let’s be sure to pray for the people there and give towards their recovery.) We did, however, have our share of rain, wind, and falling leaves.  We woke up to find the morning was a bit grey and damp. Throughout the morning the wind began to substantially pick up. And then early this afternoon, the skies opened up. By the end of the day, the roads were flooded, branches were strewn across the lawns, and the trees looked a bit more bare than they did earlier in the day. For sure, we had our share of rain, wind, and falling leaves.  What we experienced today—the rain, wind, and falling leaves—seems to me to be quite a picture of the way life can be. You wake up one morning and things just seem a little more grey—i.e., some...

As you may or may not know, since retiring from the pastorate, I have begun a new journey, a new career—a new life you might say. I have entered the world of personal training. Currently, I am jump starting my own business, “Second Wind Personal Training.” And I am working at a local gym, “The Fort Athletic Club.”   Of course, it is for me quite a different environment than what I have been used to. For the first time in over 40 years I am working outside of the confines of a church.  I’m now working with a team of trainers who are, for the most part, in their 20’s and 30’s (that makes me quite a bit older than them!), all of whom are in excellent shape—i.e., fit and strong (which of course challenges me!) And, I’m working with clients, most of whom are in their 50’s and 60’s (which is a perfect fit for me), trying to help them reach their fitness goals. Thankfully, everyone I’m working with has been very kind, respectful, encouraging, and helpful, which makes it all a bi...

A couple of weeks ago, Kim and I were treated to the fanciest and most expensive restaurant we have ever been to. Some friends of ours gave us a gift card to a Michelin star restaurant right on Central Park south. At first, Kim and I wondered how in the world we could spend the amount of money on the gift card for one meal. Once we saw the menu we understood how!   That night we had a caprese salad that was made with burrata cheese and chunks of lobster. The garlic bread was topped with burrata and caviar. One pasta included shrimp and the other grilled octopus. Kim’s scallops and my halibut were cooked to perfection and served in a way that was far beyond what we had ever experienced. And I can’t even begin to describe the tiramisu. Best of all, one of the chefs was a young man who was part of the church we had pastored a few years ago in Queens. Chef Dan kept on sending out extras to our table such that, we ended up with close to twice as much food as we had actually ordered...