Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

Last week my family celebrated with my younger brother Chris the fact that he is alive and well one year after his open-heart surgery. Of course before and during the surgery, we were all very concerned for his well-being. After the surgery, there were times when things seemed to be a bit touch and go.  The recovery was hard due to some complications.  After being released from the hospital, he ended up in a second hospital due to an infection.  The days in the hospital and just after his release seemed very long.  But, here we are  one year later.  Chris is doing very, very well.  We thank God for the medical community. But most of all, we are thankful to God himself for his presence, care, and healing.  It’s as if Chris has received a new lease on life!  Thankfully his heart is now a healthy heart.  The odd thing about Chris’ difficulties with his heart and the surgery that eventually came about because of it, was that for the most part Chris always appeared to be very healthy.  Tho

This past Monday my son Nathaniel passed through another adolescent rite of passage: he got his driver’s license.   Since I was home that day and didn’t need my car, I let him take it to school. So, for the first time he drove without Kim or me by his side.   I’m sure it felt good to him, even if it was only a mile or so.   On the other hand, as I watched him drive away my heart sunk a little bite. I even think a tear came to my eye.   Not because I was worried about him driving, but because I realized another one of my children had become a little less dependent on me as their father.   For a moment, it was almost as if time was standing still, for it was a sign to me that in just a short time, my role as a parent would begin to wind down.   In that moment, I sensed that time was moving on and there was little I could do about it.   As we go through our societal rites of passage—either our own or those of our children—we are reminded of the fact that time is constantly moving forward

Last night Kim and I went to our son’s and daughter’s high school for “Back to School Night.”   That meant two and a half hours of listening to teachers try to explain their course syllabi,   expectations, grading systems, along with all the get-to-know-you information -   all in a space of about twelve minutes each.   In between classes, we had about three minutes to get to the next class through a jam packed hallway while trying to read a map of the school or find a student who could point us in the right direction.   Kim followed our daughter Joanna’s schedule. I went to our son Nathaniel’s classes.   Of course it really wasn’t “Back to School Night” as entitled. Rather, it was simply what I would call, “Meet the Teachers and Hear All About Your Kid’s Work Night.”   After all, we as parents didn’t learn anything about history or math or science.   We didn’t have to do any reading assignments or write any essays.   Nor did we have to take any tests or participate in any after school

Although it has been ten years since the destruction of the Twin Towers, those of us who have lived in the New York City metro area most of our lives still picture them as part of the NYC skyline. In my mind’s eye I still see them standing and expect them to be there when I catch a glimpse of Manhattan from either the west or the east. But when I look they are obviously not there.   The same is probably true for many of you. The NYC skyline has forever been changed. It will forever be a different skyline. That day ten years ago will forever be etched in our minds. We all know that since that day, life has never and will never be the same here in the U.S. – and most especially here in New York City.   Just as those towers will never be replaced and the skyline put back the way it was, so too there are pieces of us that cannot be rebuilt.   We may have learned how to move on with life; we may have learned how to cope with new security measures; we may have learned how to keep things as

Most mornings I tend to eat a pretty standard American breakfast. I like my coffee – usually two cups, strong with just a drop of milk and half a teaspoon of sugar in each – and a bowl of cereal with some fruit. A couple of mornings a week I might have a bagel with either butter or strawberry cream cheese.   And every so often, I might have eggs or French toast or bacon or all of it!   Once in a while I might even cook the French toast for my family. (That’s really just once in a while. And, I never make pancakes. I leave that to Kim!) This week, however, my morning routine was a bit different. I was taken to breakfast a few times by a very kind deacon from Promise Ministries and couple of the   pastors.   Although most of the time we went to a diner where I would get my normal breakfast foods, one day we went to a Korean restaurant for breakfast. When I asked what typical Korean breakfast foods are I was told, “The same thing we eat for lunch and dinner.”   So, one of the men I was