Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

Recently, Kim and I, along with our family, spent our annual two weeks at our family cabin on Lake Pleasant in the Adirondacks (that’s in upstate New York). As we do each year, we took a few hikes up and down a couple of local mountains. Although the mountains we climbed were nothing too crazy (one of them just over a 1000 ft elevation gain), they yet required a good amount of energy and effort on our part—especially on some pretty steep inclines. Eventually, however, the light broke through and the peak of the mountain was revealed. And at that moment, the payback was well worth the trip: a gorgeous view from the top!   Of course, on the way up we were surrounded by trees and could only see the forest around us. On the way up, we were focused on the trail as we tried to keep course and not trip over rocks and roots. On the way up, we were our legs at times began to tire. On the way up,  we our destination remained unseen for our view was limited. Once at the peak, howeve...

Next week our son Jonathan and daughter-in-law Danielle will be coming to our house for a few days and then heading to the mountains with us for our family vacation. Of course, along with Jonathan and Danielle come Jesse (almost 6), Jack (4), and Caleb (2). That means, we will be with our grandsons for about two weeks.  As you might imagine, as boys they are constantly on the move running, jumping, exploring, pouring forth constant energy. It’s a thought that is both exciting and exhausting at the same time. But Kim and I wouldn’t have it any other way!  Of course we are already thinking through the next couple of weeks. There are beds to be made, food to be shopped for, and toys to be taken out of storage. We are thinking through what we will do with them when they are here in our home—e.g. go to the pool, spend time at the beach, visit a new playground, take out the sprinkler, etc.  And we are picturing what we will do with them when we are up in mountains by the lake—g...

 Procrastination. Putting off till tomorrow what you ought to do today. We say we will get that chore done, we commit to make it to the gym, we determine we will fulfill that promise, but we don’t—at least not now. We know we should. We know it’s best for us to follow through. Yet, we procrastinate. And when asked what are you waiting for, we don’t necessarily even know why.  Does that describe you at all? I know at times, it describes me. After all, there are plenty of things I’d rather not do or things I think I have plenty of time to get done, so I put them off—e.g. trim the bushes, call about that bill, buy that card, and so much more. One night recently, for example, I knew I needed to put the garbage cans to the street before I went to bed.  But I thought to myself, “I’ll have plenty of time to do it in the morning.” After all, I didn’t want to have to go outside and lug the cans to the street in the dark. For sure, I would get it done in the morning.  But woul...

I think you would agree, we would all prefer to live an easy life. That is, we’d prefer a life free of sickness and pain, sadness and grief, toil and testing. Sometimes we even say out loud, “Why does life have to be so hard?” Unfortunately, however, like it or not, life is hard. For sure it is filled with lots of joys, but even when things are going well, the difficulties of life have a way of sneaking onto the scene.  For me, as many of you know, some of that difficulty came sneaking (or I might say, barreling) into my life this past year in the form of such terrible arthritis in my spine that eventually I needed a second spinal fusion. Just as I was retiring from pastoring and beginning a new season, working at a gym as a personal trainer, the pain increased, my mobility lessened, and the need for surgery became more and more evident. Within five months of retiring, I found myself in the hospital for a few days and then recovering at home, dealing with the surgical pain and the ...

Have you ever spoken out of turn, wishing you could take back your words? It may have been in the heat of an argument when you said something you know you ought not have said. It may  have been in that moment of pain or frustration when a string of words came out of your mouth that were not appropriate by any account. It may have been those words of gossip or criticism or that quick response after which you wish you had “bitten you tongue.”  I think you would agree, we live in a culture in which most people are very loose with their words. From the gym locker room to the corporate office, into our city streets, churches, and even in the White House and political arenas, words are thrown around and things said that once would have been considered brash, foul, and just outright mean. Many people speak using their words as if their words do not really matter.  As a child growing up in Sunday School, I remember singing a song with lyrics that stuck with me. Those lyrics inclu...

When I was growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s, bald eagles were considered an endangered species. At the time, there were so few of them that they could have easily and quickly become extinct. Think of it: our national bird going extinct! Thus, a lot of safeguards were put into place to keep that from happening.  During those years, to see a bald eagle one would have had to travel to the Rocky Mountains or at least somewhere very remote. Today things have greatly changed when it comes to the bald eagle. Whereas in 1963 there were only about 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states, today’s population is well over 300,000 birds. And many of those birds are right here in New Jersey!  A couple of years ago, while riding my bike at Sandy Hook (Gateway National Park) here in Monmouth County, I spotted a bald eagle perched in a tree. It was the first time I had ever seen one. Then last summer,  there was an eagle that would fly over us at the beach in Long Branch and then perch ...