Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

Since last June, I’ve been working with a personal trainer who has really pushed me in the area of weight training. The whole experience has been very different for me. In the past, my fitness goals have been centered around running or other endurance sports. Although I’ve done weight training all along, this is the first time I’ve really concentrated on building muscle—mostly because at my age, one quickly loses muscle. I know I’ll never be a “hulk” or all that massive (nor is that my goal). I just want to be healthy and at least a little bit strong.  Part of the training has been learning how to complement the lifting (and the cardio I still do) with the right kind of eating. After all, much of one’s fitness is connected to their food habits. For me, that has meant increasing my daily calorie intake and making sure I’ve got the right balance of “macros”—carbs, fats, and protein. I keep track of everything I eat throughout the day, for I have a daily goal that tells me how many gr...

The other morning, as I looked out my window, I saw a red fox approaching a group of deer that were feeding at our neighbor’s house across the street (unfortunately, they put out feed for them). There were about six deer, a couple of which were relatively young. As they ate, the fox obviously wanted to get in on the action. I watched as he circled nearby, looking to see if he could get to the food. Soon the deer stopped eating. The next thing they did was group together, facing the fox. Then the largest of them stepped out and stepped towards the fox.   What I was now watching was a standoff.  The deer stood still facing the fox. The fox stood facing the deer. Then the one that had stepped out, took another step forward and the fox took a step back. When the deer took a third step forward, the fox, now realizing he was not going to get through and get to the food, turned around and took off. I’ve never seen anything like it. Talk about putting up resistance and chasing aw...

Have you ever worried about anything? I’m sure you have. I have as well. After all, worry seems to be a part of the human experience. We worry about health, finances, relationships, jobs, the economy.  We worry for our children and grandchildren, friends and loved ones. The phone ringing in the middle of the night, the report from the doctor, or just reading the news can all lead to worry.  We worry when the future seems uncertain—when we’re not sure what the next day (or month or year) will bring. We become anxious and filled with worry when we are faced with unknowns, when we can’t predict how things will turn out, when we have little to no assurance regarding our tomorrows. It can seem as if there are so many things to worry about.  We might ask, is there any benefit to our worry? Does worry accomplish anything? Does worry help solve any of the problems over which we worry? I think you know the answer: worry brings no benefit, accomplishes nothing, and solves nothing. ...

I think one of the most fascinating things to observe is the growth and development of a child. Of course, Kim and I have the great pleasure of watching our three grandsons grow (if not always in-person, at least via Face Time). Each time we interact with them, they seem to be taller and stronger, have learned something new or can do something new. It’s so incredible to hear them come up with new words or be able to explain what the did that day. Each of them, Jesse (4), Jack (2 ½), and Caleb (8 mos.) is growing and developing in multiple ways, for which we are very glad. In fact, this past week when Face Timing with them, little Caleb was standing while holding onto a coffee table. It was the first time we saw him on his feet! Amazing!  This week, our church began a 40 day Bible reading plan that I put together for this Easter season (Lenten season) entitled, “40 Days of Walking with Jesus.” It begins with passages about Jesus’ arrival. Today’s reading was from Luke 2. And in that...

With only 28 days, February may be the shortest month of the year, but to me it feels like the longest month of the year.  After all, it’s the month that we just want to get through so that we can finally head towards spring. It’s the month that seems to tease us every so often with a bit of warmth and then plunge us back into the depths of winter. It’s a month that I really just want to come to an end—and that in and of itself, makes it feel very, very long.  I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. And it’s not that completely I hate winter (although it is definitely not my favorite season). But at this point in the year I’m a bit tired of putting on the heavy jacket, hat, and gloves to walk the dog. I’m thinking about going out for a run in shorts and a tank. I’m practically dreaming about jumping into the ocean or the pool for a swim. But here we are still waking up to the cold and, today at least, a bit more snow. To me, February definitely feels like the longest month...

Today is Valentine’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate love, especially romantic love. Of course, we can celebrate the love between friends or siblings or parents and their children. But we all pretty much know that the day is really focused on the love between a man and a woman who, when they look into each other’s eyes, feel that so-called “spark of love.” It’s a day for flowers and chocolates, and maybe an excuse for a little added romance. For those who are in that kind of relationship it can be a really nice day.  Thus, today I will in some small ways celebrate the love I experience in my relationship with my wife, Kim who is for sure, my valentine!  I am keenly aware, however, that for others this may be a day to mourn the fact that they’ve lost a love or maybe never had what is called by some, a “true love.” For them, a day like this can be a very hard day as they wonder what happened to the “love of their life,” why they haven’t found their “true love,” and wonder whether o...