Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

What was your childhood like? For many of us, we look back on those early years with great nostalgia as we remember riding our bikes down the block, playing whiffle ball in the backyard, exploring the woods, etc.   I know some of us may have some very difficult childhood memories, yet for many of us they were days that we might consider to be a lot more carefree than what we are dealing with in our current stage in life. I am the firstborn of five siblings; I have two sisters and two brothers (in that order). Thus, I never remember ever really being alone. There was always someone to talk to, play with, and even fight with! We were always together, doing something inside or outside of the house.   Yes, sometimes we seemed to get in each other’s ways as we fought for our own space, yet I don’t think any of us would trade the memories of what it was like growing up together.   Even today, we are all constantly in touch with each other. We love getting ...

As you may already know, about three weeks ago Kim and I adopted a new dog, Sadie.   Well, I’m happy to report Sadie is doing very well.   She is eating well, sleeping well, and adjusting well to our schedule.   She still has some things to learn, but we already love her a ton—and, she seems to really love us. When we are home, she follows us all over the house. When we’re walking her, she will turn around, look up, and sometimes give us her dog-grin, letting us know she’s happy.   And, it seems that she waits for that time, when late in the evening, we finally sit down and she can jump up and snuggle next to us, even falling asleep on our laps.   Sadie is definitely enjoying the good things of having a home! Sadie enjoying the good things of home! You see, it wasn’t that long ago that Sadie was in shelter—actually, first in a crowded shelter in South Carolina and then moved up to a shelter here in Monmouth County. I’m sure the workers in the...

When I was growing up in Monsey, NY (about 40 miles north of New York City), we had a home with a about ¼ of an acre of property. When we moved there in 1963 there were a number of fruit trees in our backyard: a cherry tree, an Italian plum tree, and a pear tree.   As people who had come out of the city, my parents didn’t really know how to properly take care of fruit trees. Thus, over time a branch would die here and there, and my dad would have to cut it off. Then, another branch would die, and my dad would cut it off.   After a few years, there was really nothing left and the whole tree had to be cut down. Such was the case for the cherry tree and the plum tree.   The pear tree, however, had a bit of a different history.   For quite a number of years our pear tree survived with but one major branch yet alive. Every other year it would produce a bountiful harvest of fruit. Those were great years. During the in-between years, however, it would prod...