Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

Not soon after becoming a regular at the gym, I noticed that I am one of just a handful of men who do not have a tattoo. That includes men of all ages!   Of course, the tattoos become very obvious in the locker room where the guys are changing, so I can’t help but notice the variety of tattoos they have had imprinted on their bodies—mostly on shoulders and arms.   Some seem to have a story or meaning behind them, while others seem to have been chosen on a whim or in a moment of impulse.   One guy who walked by me the other day had a tattoo on his shoulder that couldn’t be missed. His shoulders are huge and thus his tattoo is huge. It was the words, “TRUST NO ONE!”   I glanced at the words imprinted on his shoulder and thought to myself, how sad.   What a sad and cynical tattoo! What a terrible way to go through life feeling as if there is no one who can be trusted.   What a cynical way to live one’s life.   Oh, I understand the reason for the sentiment. After all, people can hurt

This Mother’s Day will be my first one without my mom—she passed away back in December.   So this year, for the first time, I won’t be buying a card or a gift for her. Nor can I call her or try to stop by to see her.    It will be for me a different kind of Mother’s Day. Now, I’m not trying to sound depressing. I’m not depressed or sad, just a bit pensive. I’m not grieving today over my mom’s death. In a sense the dementia that she took over her body had taken her from us long before she succumbed to death.   But, I am sensing that void that takes place when someone you’ve had all your life and someone you’ve loved is no longer there. It’s kind of weird to not be able to go visit your mom or to walk down the aisle filled with Mother’s Day cards and not look for a card that says, “To Mom.”   (Although, I did get one that says, “To My Wife!”)   It’s all just a reminder to me that life is not stagnant; that we should never take for granted those who are part of our lives; that what w

Last week I ran my first 5K for the season. My son Nathaniel ran as well. It was a fun race in that it was down by the beach and was part of the New Jersey Marathon weekend.   (No, I don’t want to run any marathons!)   Although I didn’t quite run the pace I was hoping to run, I still came in the top of 15% out of 580 runners and first in my age group (I beat out 5 other 55-59 year olds!).   As I said, it was a really fun race and it motivated me to keep on running and working on my pace. What was different about this race was that, as each and every person crossed the finish line they received a medal!   Although the medal itself is not really all that valuable, there was something exhilarating about having a medal handed to you as you ran across the line in that final push.   It seemed to make all the sweat, panting, and effort well worth it!   There’s nothing like being rewarded for one’s hard work and perseverance.   Nathaniel & I with our post-race medals!   The Ap