Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

Last weekend, my family and I went out to Sourland Mountain Preserve in Somerset County for the first time.   While my sons, Jonathan and Nathaniel, spent the day bouldering (which is why we ended up going there; they have patches of great big boulders that are well known in the area for “bouldering”), Kim and I, along with our daughter-in-law Danielle, did some hiking. It was a beautiful day to be outside, far different than it ought to have been in February. Who would have thought we would have been hiking, as we were this time of year?   Yet (and I don’t mean to complain), the trails were not my favorite to hike.   In fact, the trails were kind of rough, not because they were particularly strenuous, but for a number of other reasons.       Jonathan & Nathaniel "bouldering!  For one, in many spots the trails were quite muddy (which is to be expected in February). Thus, at times we had to make our way off the trail into the brush....

This week I heard a news report with which I could identify well.   The report spoke of a study that showed, during and since this past election cycle the stress level of Americans is higher than ever before.   And in fact, the report said, the more a person listens to or reads the news the higher their stress level becomes.   The solution: to limit the amount of news one listens to, reads, and watches per day (which seems like an odd solution coming from a news agency!).   As I said, I could identify well with the report.   Between what’s been happening politically within our nation, the events that take place on a local level, and what is happening around our world, I find it is very stressful to follow the news. Over and over again, I find myself asking, how could they? Or, why? Or, what’s going to happen next?   I find myself angry with our political leaders, upset with the way people respond to one another, saddened by what is happening in our cul...

As you may know, I’m not much of a football fan. I watch but a couple of games a year, including the Super Bowl.   But, I was glad I watched this year’s Super Bowl game from start to finish.   It was an incredible game as we watched the underdogs, the Atlanta Falcons, take a huge lead in the first half of the game, even leading 28-3 in the third quarter, and then lose the game and the title to the New England Patriots.   I’m not quite sure if the Patriots won the game by digging their heels in, letting their huge deficit motivate them to play harder, and rallying together by becoming more offensive in their play; or, if the Falcons lost the game by allowing their huge lead to make them complacent and a bit sloppy in their defense and lackadaisical in their offense. After all, no team has ever lost a Super Bowl with the kind of lead that the Falcons had.   In the end, all I could say was, “What a game!” I’m sure you felt the same.       Atlan...

Last Saturday my sister Lois and her husband Luis were coming to our home to celebrate our Aunt Catherine’s 93 rd birthday.   They live in Spring Valley, NY and thus, have to take the Garden State Parkway all the way down.   On a Saturday afternoon, it is usually an easy ride with little traffic. However, on that day, their one and a quarter hour trip became a four hour plus trip due to an accident. As they came down the Parkway, they were suddenly brought to a stop just about 15 miles north of our exit.   Apparently, about one mile in front of them, there had just been a big accident.   Soon police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances were on their way.   And, for the next three hours Lois and Luis, along with everyone else who was making their way down the Parkway, were stuck. Just stuck!   Nowhere to go!   Nothing they could do!   They were just stuck!   It’s a terrible feeling.   Has it ever happened to you? You need to be som...