Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

As some of you may know, this past week I’ve been hobbling around.   Last Saturday, I stepped on a woodchip that pierced its way into my foot.   I was able to quickly get the woodchip out, but the damage was done.   Even now, almost a week later, the foot is still injured and the pain persistent causing me to continue to hobble as I walk.   As I’ve told a number of people this past week, it’s the little things in life that sometimes have big consequences.   After all, I never would have imagined that the act of taking off my sneaker and walking to the beach from the car would have ended up with a bloody foot and me sitting on the boardwalk with a tissue pressed against my foot.   I never would have thought that a woodchip in my foot would cause me to have to preach the next day sitting down or leave me unable to fully stand or walk almost a week later.   Yet, so often it is the little things in life that get to us, change our course, slow us down, and sometimes have long lasting e

Last week, as I was walking around our property at home, I came upon a bush with one large, beautiful, and seemingly, very lonely flower. In fact, the rest of the week I waited for more flowers to appear, but none did; I have never seen a bush with just one flower.   As the week went on, all of the rest of the buds merely opened up into leaves. In the end, for whatever the reason, this year that bush will have just one large, beautiful, lonely flower. (If this is normal, will someone let me know!) Although it seemed a bit strange, I will also say it was a bit stunning.   This one large and beautiful flower sat like a prince on that bush, declaring all its beauty and attracting all the attention to itself. Unlike the rest of the trees and bushes that have a host of flowers that share in each other's beauty, this one flower was there all by itself, calling attention to itself alone. It was, as I said stunning. But it was also a bit sad. Unfortunately, so many people are just

Kim and I just returned from a week in Nicaragua (you can see photos on FB if you like).   We had a wonderful time of five days of ministry including teaching a marriage seminar, followed by a couple of days of time for just the two of us. Each time I’m down there I find myself being able to understand and speak Spanish just a little bit better. My ear, my tongue, and most of all my mind seem to be acclimating bit by bit to the language.   One of the difficulties I usually have while down there, however, is that after two to three days of hearing and speaking Spanish (as limited as mine is), I begin to try to translate everything I think in my mind, including what is going through my mind as I am dreaming.   This tends to interrupt my sleep for I wake up each time I get to something in my dream that I cannot translate.   It’s kind of weird, but it happens every time I’m down there.   With so much Spanish all around me, I can’t help but have my mind be affected by it all.   T

Last night I had an on-line meeting using Google Chat.   There were seven of us who had “gathered” for a board meeting of Promise Kids Foundation, an organization of which I am currently the president.   Each of us was in different locations including Long Island, Queens, North Jersey, and myself in Monmouth County. Yet, in spite of the various locations and distance, we were able to meet and discuss the business at hand. In fact, one person came into the meeting while yet in a taxi in NYC! This was not the first time I have had such a meeting. Yet, I am always amazed at how the technology we have today is able to connect us in this way.   In spite of the distance and various locations, we are able to see and hear one another, doing what needs to be done.   The distance that was once a barrier to our communication and a meeting such as this is no longer the barrier that it once was. That’s very much the way it is between God and us.   There is a great distance between us.   Co