Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

This past week I finally got something done I’ve been saying I was going to do for two years! In our family room we have a brick wall built around a woodburning stove. On top of it is a wood mantle that badly needed to be repainted or stained. After four plus years of looking at it, and two years of saying I was really going to get it done, I finally got it painted. And, it didn’t even take me that long! Why did I put it off for so long? I’m not quite sure.   I think to some degree, all of us tend to be procrastinators. We tend to put things off, especially those tasks that might seem unpleasant or require too much effort or energy—especially when there’s something else more exciting or rewarding that’s vying for our attention. I mean, think how many times you’ve put off washing those dishes or raking the lawn or taking out the garbage. Then there are those projects that you never seem to be able to start or that one project that you can’t seem to get back to. ...

I love sitting in our family room/dining area in the morning when the sunlight is shining through the window. It feels so warm and bright, even on a cold day. The whole room seems to be alive. The brightness of the sun wakes me up and makes me want to move forward with my day. There’s just one problem with the sun shining through: it exposes the smudges on the windowpanes, the dust on the coffee table, and the dog hair on the floor! Now don’t get me wrong, our house isn’t dirty. We do our best to keep it clean (Kim most especially). But you all know the way it is, in even a couple of days, windows can smudge (especially on the outside) and dust can accumulate. And, with a dog in the house we have to be vigilant at staying on top of the hair that she might shed.   The fact is, the sunlight as warm and beautiful as it is, also exposes some things that we’d rather not see lest we have to pull out the window cleaner, dust rag, or vacuum.   The sun shining th...

Earlier this week, Kim and I and our dog Sadie were walking the beach in Long Branch (NJ), when suddenly Sadie started pulling down towards the water. At first, I pulled her back, but then I caught a glimpse of something laying on the sand. As we cautiously got a little closer, I realized it was a small grey seal. I couldn’t believe it. It was the first time I had ever seen a seal up on the beach here at the Jersey Shore. I pulled Sadie away. The little guy (or gal) was on its back and seemed not to be moving all that much. Another couple came along and insisted that something must have been wrong, so they called Animal Rescue and then the police.   As I got closer, the little seal scooted a few feet away and then turned on its back again. He seemed to be ok; I really didn’t think there was anything we could or ought to do (except make sure Sadie didn’t get too close!). When the policeman came, he said they see seals on the beach all the time and that there is no...