Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

As you most likely know, this week Evangelist Billy Graham passed away at the age of 99.  Since his death, I’ve been following the news and tons of Facebook posts speaking of his life and honoring his work.  He’s been called by many, “The Pastor to the Presidents.”  He’s been recognized for his unwavering faith, his consistency of lifestyle, and his ability to cross racial, religious, and political boundaries. He was a pioneer in the use of radio and then television to spread that gospel. Most of all, his message was always clear, unclouded by the politics of the day, except for the strong stance he took against segregation. (In 1952 he insisted that his crusades no longer be segregated.)  At the end of the day, he always remained true to his calling as a preacher of the gospel.    I would suggest that what we need today in the church and in our world is another Billy Graham.   Not that we can necessarily duplicate his crusades, as some have t...

This past week the 2018 Winter Olympics began with all of it’s fanfare and glory.   The athletes entered the arena to music and cheers, waving to the crowds, and waving their flags.   Each of them had put in their time, training hard—eating, breathing, and sleeping their sport.   They entered the arena filled with hope, many of them dreaming that they might just be the one to stand on the podium and receive Olympic gold!   On the other hand, most of them know that their chances for gold are slim. Each sport is filled with a few extremely talented athletes who are the favorites to win.   Then there are the long shots whose chances are slim, but they are not totally out of the picture. Finally, there are those who know they have no chance at all, but they are there simply to be part of this incredible event.   I think of the guy from Tonga who took up cross-country skiing.   He had never even seen snow until he decided to train for the sport! For gu...

You may not know it, but one of my personal activities has been going to the rock climbing gym. It’s a great workout as one uses just about every muscle in their body and there’s always a new challenge. Of course, the first challenge for me was getting used to the height—i.e. climbing a wall that at some points is over 40 feet high—and getting over the fear of dangling in the air, suspended by a rope attached to my harness.   One has to have a lot of faith in the rope, the harness, and the person down below who is belaying your rope. And, then there is the challenge of actually climbing the wall as one follows the routes laid out, routes that vary in difficulty.   I usually do the lowest grade routes, but as time has gone on I’ve been able to conquer some that are a step up on the difficulty scale.   In my mind, I’m trying to conquer the wall! Yes...that's me up on the wall! Sometimes, however, the wall conquers me! I will start a route, get part of the way up th...

A number of people have asked me recently how I’ve been doing in my battle against the squirrel that I wrote about a few weeks ago—the squirrel that was getting into my birdfeeder. The short answer is, not so well.   I tried the cayenne pepper; that didn’t work. (He must like spicy food!) I put a rounded metal top over the feeder so he can’t come from above.   In fact, I watched as he tried to climb onto it and subsequently fell to the ground. I’ve seen him try to climb the pole from the bottom and just slide down, especially when it’s cold.   His only strategy is to now leap from a nearby branch and land flat onto the side of the birdfeeder, grabbing onto it with all he’s worth!   I’ve seen him try it and fail. But, I’ve also seen him succeed—and, he’s getting better at it with practice.   He just won’t give up! I must say, he’s quite a persistent little creature, not only persistent but also resourceful and smart.   This guy reminds me of my squirre...