Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

I think you would agree that we live in a culture in which working “’round the clock,” as we call it, is something of a badge of honor. Those who “burn the candle at both ends” and say, “I only need a few hours of sleep,” are looked up to as if they are some sort of super hero. But is that the way it is supposed to be? Is that what God intended for our lives? Is that how God designed our bodies to work?  The more I’ve dived into the fitness world, the more I’ve learned about the importance of a good night’s sleep—which is usually defined as seven to eight hours of good sleep. It’s during sleep that our bodies recover from not only that day’s run or workout, but most importantly from the stresses and strains of what has often been a busy day. During sleep, our bodies heal and build and get back to where they are supposed to be so that the next day we can function at our highest capacity. Just ask any sleep-deprived parent of a newborn what happens when one loses too much sleep! I be...

Yesterday, here in New Jersey, it was so hot and humid one would have thought we were in the middle of August. By the evening, the sky darkened and tremendous thunderstorms came roaring through pouring down rain and filled with gusts of wind that picked up patio umbrellas and took down tree branches. This morning, however, everything is different. The sky is a perfect blue. The humidity is gone. The air feels fresh and clean. And the temperature has moderated such that you are neither hot nor cold. It’s a beautiful day here in New Jersey. Yes, as they say, “What a difference a day makes!” You’ve probably experienced it many times in your own life; I know I have. One day feels dark and stormy; the next is bright and clear—and visa-versa. One day everything seems to be in order; the next is filled with chaos—and again, visa-versa.  The truth is, what we are experiencing on one day or, we might say, in one season of our lives, is not necessarily what will always be. Life has a way of ...

I’ll never forget the day I became a father for the first time. Having watched my wife Kim go through a long labor and then deliver our son, Jonathan, my love and respect for her skyrocketed. She had just gone through a physically and emotionally exhausting ordeal that had brought forth this incredible little baby boy. And what amazed me most about it all was that, upon having our son Jonathan placed on her chest and into her arms, Kim began to ooh and ahh over our new son, acting as if nothing had happened—as if the last 18 hours had been a walk in the park! For a moment, I didn’t know what to think.  Then I got to hold him. And as the little guy (all 9 lbs. 12 oz. of baby!) was placed into my arms, a new found love began to fill my heart. At that moment I realized the incredible capacity to love that God has placed within our hearts. After all, I had wondered beforehand whether or not I could ever love another person as much as I loved Kim. Or would it just be a lesser kind of lo...

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a run on the boardwalk and purposefully ran at a slow pace. The goal was to keep my heart rate relatively low. It’s a training strategy that supposed to help builds one’s aerobic capacity—and burn fat. It sounds easy, but I can tell you it is not, at least not for me. It takes discipline to keep the pace down so that the heart rate stays down. That meant, every time my heart rate would begin to go up past a certain point, I would have to slow down even more until it came back in line with my desired heart rate goal.    Yesterday’s run of four miles took me 53 minutes. That’s a long time for me to run that distance. (It turned out to be a pace of 13:14/mile).  To me it was more of a jog than a run—I might even call it a slog!  And it did require quite a bit of discipline on my part. But as I was running at that slow pace, I continued to tell myself it was worth it. And I began to realize that at the slower pace, I was in fact able to en...

Last week, when Kim and I were visiting our son Jonathan and his family, we took a walk/small hike with Jonathan (who had his 11 month year old son, Caleb on his back) to and into a nature preserve near their home. To get there, we had to walk through the townhouse complex in which they live and, for a short bit, along the road. Once we got into the preserve, we followed the trails that were throughout—trails that were for the most part well-maintained. It was a really nice hike through the woods, up and over some small hills, across a hanging bridge, and along a small lake.  To get back home, Jonathan suggested that we take a different route that would lead along a creek and right to his backyard. I’m not sure we made the best decision when we said yes to his suggestion!  All was fine at first, but once we got out of the preserve proper, and since the “trail” in that part of the woods is not really maintained, we found ourselves walking through high brush and grass. After all...

Last week, our daughter Joanna received her Ph.D. in Industrial Organizational Psychology. After five years of study, she was hooded and given her diploma. And now this week, the same is taking place for Joanna’s husband Daniel as he receives his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. So, by the end of this week they will officially be, Dr. and Dr. Zakzewski!  They are now a husband, a wife, and two doctors!  What’s most amazing to me is that they began their degree work at the same time and have finished at the same time—and at two different schools. Unlike many other students who hope to finish their doctoral work in five years, but often spend at least another year working on their dissertations, Joanna and Daniel each completed their degree work within the five years originally planned. (And part way through their first year, were married!) It’s not too often that a married couple both begins their doctoral work at the same time and completes it at the same time.  But here ...

I know that this weekend is Mother’s Day, but on this weekend I can’t help but also think about my dad. You see, since his birthday was May 10, it was always very close to Mother’s Day. In fact, some years his birthday actually fell on Mother’s Day. And it was eleven years ago this week that my dad passed away on May 7, 2014. We then buried him on May 10, on what would have been his 86th birthday (which like this year, fell on a Saturday).  So on this weekend, although I’m remembering my mom whom I loved very much and who passed away in 2017, I’m also thinking a lot about my dad.    That's me with my mom and dad - 1960  Like any of us who have lost a parent, there are times when I wish we could still talk to each other. Sometimes, I instinctually reach for the phone thinking I can give him a call to tell him about something that has happened in my life. Most of the time, we would talk about our cars, repairs around the house, or a Yankee game. Once I had kids, I woul...

I’m always a bit jealous of those guys (and ladies) who are, what we call, “good with their hands.” They can build things, fix things, create things. I know some guys who can build a table or deck, remodel a kitchen, and fix just about anything that breaks. They have skills, both natural and learned to do whatever may need  be done around the house, to help others, or make a living.  And they often use those skills to bless other people’s lives.  When I see what some of these guys can accomplish with their hands, it makes me wish I had developed some of their skills myself somewhere along the way. But I didn’t. That means, I am often dependent on others to help me get certain things done around then house—which at times mean paying someone to do what I wish I could do on my own.  At times I may try to fix something or accomplish a task on my own, only to become frustrated or hit a dead end and then have to call someone in to help me—or even undo the mess I’ve made. (...

Throughout the years, I’ve had people ask me if they should call me “reverend” or “pastor.”  I’ve usually answered, “That depends.” To me, “reverend” is a title earned by means of a credential given—in my case by means of my ordination as a minister of the gospel through the Assemblies of God. “Pastor” is a term of relationship. To those outside the church, especially those with whom I may be doing some sort of business, I’m “reverend.” But to those within the church (and sometimes outside the church), those whom I am leading and guiding in spiritual matters, those for whom I may be spiritually responsible in some way, I am “pastor.”  I liken it to the fact that I am a “father.” But to my children I am “Dad.” “Father” is a word that describes the fact that I have children. “Dad” is a word of relationship that only my children use when speaking to me or about me. In fact, I would find it a bit weird if someone other than my children would call me “dad.”  I am a “grandfathe...

When one follows the biblical chronology of Jesus’ final week, his “Passion Week,” it is clear that the day of his crucifixion and death was Friday. We call it “Good Friday” or more accurately, “Holy Friday.” (“Good” comes from the old English term that actually meant “holy.”) It’s the day that Christians are to remember the suffering and death of our Savior, Jesus. It’s a Friday to be remembered! How unfortunate, however, that so many Christians show up on Easter Sunday to celebrate the resurrection, but make little time to worship on Good Friday. For although it is the resurrection of Jesus that brings meaning and power to his cross, without the cross we would be left in our sins. Without Jesus’ suffering and death, the price for our sin would have been left unpaid—and we would be left with a debt of sin that we would never, ever be able to pay.  The fact is, our salvation has been bought and wrought by means of the cross.  So, God forbid that we should ever forget! God forb...

Walking my dog Sadie can sometimes be a bit frustrating. She is what I would call, a scent dog. Although she is relatively good on the leash, her scent instinct can suddenly kick in such that, our twice daily walks can turn into a constant repeat of, walk-pull-sniff. We will be walking along when she suddenly pulls to the right or left, sticks her nose to the ground, and becomes glued to a spot. It seems no matter how hard she tries to walk nicely with me, when she catches that whiff, she becomes totally distracted and can’t help herself; the scent  can be too strong for her to overcome.   It makes me think about how often I can become distracted by things around me—distracted from what I really ought to be doing. There are times when without thinking, I lunge away from my task at hand and find myself glued to something that has caught my attention. It could be the notification that another email has come into my inbox or that someone has liked my Facebook or Instagram po...

Last Friday I went to a local testing center to take a proctored exam to become a Certified Personal Trainer.  I began the course back in November, went through all of the material which included online video lectures and demonstrations, and a huge text book. The course included anatomy and physiology, behavioral psychology, exercise modalities, and even a bit of, what I recognized as, organic chemistry. It was a self-paced course that had to be completed within six months. It took me about 4 months to go through all the material. Then for another month, I studied for the final exam.    I was pretty nervous about the test. It was a lot of material to study and, although I had taken lots of practice tests, I wasn’t quite sure what the questions on the final would be like. Once I arrived at the testing center and was screened through “security” to prevent any cheating (which included making sure my glasses were not “smart glasses!”), I was led to a computer to begin the tes...

Since last June, I’ve been working with a personal trainer who has really pushed me in the area of weight training. The whole experience has been very different for me. In the past, my fitness goals have been centered around running or other endurance sports. Although I’ve done weight training all along, this is the first time I’ve really concentrated on building muscle—mostly because at my age, one quickly loses muscle. I know I’ll never be a “hulk” or all that massive (nor is that my goal). I just want to be healthy and at least a little bit strong.  Part of the training has been learning how to complement the lifting (and the cardio I still do) with the right kind of eating. After all, much of one’s fitness is connected to their food habits. For me, that has meant increasing my daily calorie intake and making sure I’ve got the right balance of “macros”—carbs, fats, and protein. I keep track of everything I eat throughout the day, for I have a daily goal that tells me how many gr...

The other morning, as I looked out my window, I saw a red fox approaching a group of deer that were feeding at our neighbor’s house across the street (unfortunately, they put out feed for them). There were about six deer, a couple of which were relatively young. As they ate, the fox obviously wanted to get in on the action. I watched as he circled nearby, looking to see if he could get to the food. Soon the deer stopped eating. The next thing they did was group together, facing the fox. Then the largest of them stepped out and stepped towards the fox.   What I was now watching was a standoff.  The deer stood still facing the fox. The fox stood facing the deer. Then the one that had stepped out, took another step forward and the fox took a step back. When the deer took a third step forward, the fox, now realizing he was not going to get through and get to the food, turned around and took off. I’ve never seen anything like it. Talk about putting up resistance and chasing aw...

Have you ever worried about anything? I’m sure you have. I have as well. After all, worry seems to be a part of the human experience. We worry about health, finances, relationships, jobs, the economy.  We worry for our children and grandchildren, friends and loved ones. The phone ringing in the middle of the night, the report from the doctor, or just reading the news can all lead to worry.  We worry when the future seems uncertain—when we’re not sure what the next day (or month or year) will bring. We become anxious and filled with worry when we are faced with unknowns, when we can’t predict how things will turn out, when we have little to no assurance regarding our tomorrows. It can seem as if there are so many things to worry about.  We might ask, is there any benefit to our worry? Does worry accomplish anything? Does worry help solve any of the problems over which we worry? I think you know the answer: worry brings no benefit, accomplishes nothing, and solves nothing. ...

I think one of the most fascinating things to observe is the growth and development of a child. Of course, Kim and I have the great pleasure of watching our three grandsons grow (if not always in-person, at least via Face Time). Each time we interact with them, they seem to be taller and stronger, have learned something new or can do something new. It’s so incredible to hear them come up with new words or be able to explain what the did that day. Each of them, Jesse (4), Jack (2 ½), and Caleb (8 mos.) is growing and developing in multiple ways, for which we are very glad. In fact, this past week when Face Timing with them, little Caleb was standing while holding onto a coffee table. It was the first time we saw him on his feet! Amazing!  This week, our church began a 40 day Bible reading plan that I put together for this Easter season (Lenten season) entitled, “40 Days of Walking with Jesus.” It begins with passages about Jesus’ arrival. Today’s reading was from Luke 2. And in that...

With only 28 days, February may be the shortest month of the year, but to me it feels like the longest month of the year.  After all, it’s the month that we just want to get through so that we can finally head towards spring. It’s the month that seems to tease us every so often with a bit of warmth and then plunge us back into the depths of winter. It’s a month that I really just want to come to an end—and that in and of itself, makes it feel very, very long.  I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. And it’s not that completely I hate winter (although it is definitely not my favorite season). But at this point in the year I’m a bit tired of putting on the heavy jacket, hat, and gloves to walk the dog. I’m thinking about going out for a run in shorts and a tank. I’m practically dreaming about jumping into the ocean or the pool for a swim. But here we are still waking up to the cold and, today at least, a bit more snow. To me, February definitely feels like the longest month...

Today is Valentine’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate love, especially romantic love. Of course, we can celebrate the love between friends or siblings or parents and their children. But we all pretty much know that the day is really focused on the love between a man and a woman who, when they look into each other’s eyes, feel that so-called “spark of love.” It’s a day for flowers and chocolates, and maybe an excuse for a little added romance. For those who are in that kind of relationship it can be a really nice day.  Thus, today I will in some small ways celebrate the love I experience in my relationship with my wife, Kim who is for sure, my valentine!  I am keenly aware, however, that for others this may be a day to mourn the fact that they’ve lost a love or maybe never had what is called by some, a “true love.” For them, a day like this can be a very hard day as they wonder what happened to the “love of their life,” why they haven’t found their “true love,” and wonder whether o...

For the kids it’s almost as good as a snow day (well, not nearly!). For the parents it’s a bit of a nightmare. A delayed opening for school due to difficult weather may have the kids celebrating another hour or two at home, but it can be a bit of a headache for parents. I’m sure such was the case for many families this past week here in our part of New Jersey as many schools, including the pre-school which Kim directs, had a delayed opening due to the projection of snow mixed with ice and rain early in the morning.  Except for the kids who don’t mind a delayed opening of school, delays are not usually what we hope or wish for. After all, who likes to get to the airport and find out that their flight was delayed? Who enjoys standing at the train station waiting for a train that has been delayed? Who wants to get to their doctor’s appointment only to be told the doctor was delayed? And who of us enjoys being delayed as we sit in a traffic jam (which happens easily here in New Jersey)...

Have you ever felt like you didn’t know whether you were coming or going? It happens to all of us. Life becomes so busy that we can begin to feel as if we’ve lost direction, like we’re being pulled in a million directions, as if we’ve lost our bearings. As we say, we don’t know whether we are coming or going.   I’ve felt that way many times in my life. In fact, I recently said to someone, that’s how I feel just about every January. I come out of the very busy Christmas season thinking there’s going to be a bit of a break. Instead, I find myself thrust into a pretty hectic month as so many things need to be taken care of, prepared for, kicked off as we begin the new year. It’s for sure a time when I can feel as if I don’t know whether I am coming or going!  A couple of weeks ago, just as I was beginning to feel that way, I came to Psalm 121 in my morning Bible reading. There I read these words, “…the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more.” (P...

A couple of weeks ago I looked up into the night sky and couldn’t figure out what that “big light” was that was shining so brightly. At first I thought it was the top of a radio tower or something of that nature. But that didn’t make sense. I knew it wasn’t an airplane. Was it one of those infamous drones we’ve heard so much about lately? It didn’t seem so—after all, it wasn’t blinking or moving. Finally, I pulled out the app I have on my cell phone that shows the sky and identifies stars, planets, and constellations. (It can even give the location of satellites and the space station.) It turns out, I was looking at the planet Saturn!  In all of my years, I had never seen Saturn shine so brightly—at least not to my knowledge.  It's being called “The Parade of Planets.” This month we are being hosted to an incredible sight as, just after dark four of the planets can be seen by the naked eye: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, and Venus. Mars is of course the one with the reddish color to i...