Author: Jon Harris

What season of life are you in right now? Whether it is the mountain top of peace and joy or the valley of fear and sadness, know that you are loved and God is using this season to shape you.

“I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord.” – Psalm 77:1–2

Psalm 77 is written out of great distress. As the author “cries out”, we feel the deep despair and can even get a sense of hopelessness. We’ve all experienced the lowest of lows, and as I write to you today, there are things on my heart that have brought me to cry out, to ask God when will we be delivered, where do you want us, and what do you want from me in this season?

I was reminded of this today while listening to Pastor Rick Warren as he reflected on Mark 11:24: “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Pastor Warren pointed out that true faith means believing before we receive (noting that the verse calls for believing before receiving). That is hard when we are in the middle of the storm. Yet it’s in those very moments that God invites us to trust His promises even when they feel distant.

God hears our cries in both the good and the bad. He does not ignore us. He does not abandon us. His promises remain steady even when our circumstances shake.

No matter the circumstances, we can celebrate right now as the battle has already been won. Jesus defeated death for our eternal life, and that my friends is something to celebrate every day. I’ve found that the more I trust God through the storm – and even celebrate the coming victory, the more joy I experience once he has delivered me. The same goes for the contrary if my season was full of doubt, I wonder why I didn’t trust God more throughout.

Will you take the next step today to pray like Jesus called us to do? Trust God’s promises, he will never let you down.

After significant preparation, over a nine-day timespan, my wife and I traveled thousands of miles, taking multiple flights to bring our two sons to college in two different states – far away from home. We are now officially empty nesters.

This all comes with a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts, and this is my attempt to take off the mask that I’ve been wearing through it all, and after returning to a quiet and empty home.

We have the satisfaction that we have reached a long-anticipated milestone. It was God’s plan and will for them to eventually leave the home to venture out and grow in wisdom and knowledge. For an eagle to soar, it must first leave the nest and learn to fly!

Along with the satisfaction comes gratitude as we reflect on our time as parents of babies, then young boys, and now men. We are grateful for these and more:  That we all know Christ and call him our Lord and Savior. We are thankful for our marriage, that we enjoy and love each other, and that we have each other through the ups and downs of this adventure. We are also especially grateful for the love and support given by friends and family who have checked in asking how things are going. I got choked up each time my wife would read a text from a friend – these are real friends, God bless each of you!

Our gratitude also results in joy for our sons, who were eager and ready for college. This time is many years in the making, and one year ago, we thought there was no way our youngest would be ready to go to college in a year. We were wrong: God answered our prayers for our son to grow, mature, and thrive academically and socially during his senior year of high school.

As reality sets in, there is no shortage of pain and sorrow. As with all of the beauty, there is also a sense of loss. There are empty bedrooms and artifacts left behind, the sports equipment that will likely never be used again, the high school yearbooks, and the boyish things that once meant so much are now symbolic of change. It is also painful that most of our sons’ grandparents are not healthy enough to fully embrace this next step with our family. Finally, one of the most impactful – daily meals as a family – typically the highlight of our day, will now be few and far between.

At the same time, there is a new sense of freedom. We see our sons maturing into men, craving and embracing their independence while also learning to accept the responsibility that comes with their choices. And for my wife and me, though our hearts feel heavy with the sense of loss, we are beginning to embrace what it means to have a calendar no longer defined by high school schedules – start and finish times, exams, breaks, sports, and ceremonies. We booked some travel for a few weeks from now, knowing it will be bittersweet but also a step into this next season of life together.

We know we are not supposed to worry. We are also human, and we are prone to ask lots of questions and wonder if we did the right things along the way: Did we teach them well? Were we the best parents we could be? Do we need to apologize for anything? What if he is unhappy at his chosen university? How will we make the best financial decisions in these expensive years?

Writing this has helped me peel back the mask and recognize the beauty of God’s plan and love for us, even in the silence of an empty home. And as I sat with these thoughts, here is the scripture that inspired this post. I read this as a prayer for us and other families going through similar and other difficult situations.

Dear Preston, Dear Peyton, Dear Amy,

¹⁴ When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. ¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹ Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

What tempts you? When I think of the word “temptation”, ice cream comes to mind, as I can think of places where I’ve lived or visited that had an ice cream store or brand with the word temptation in it. In a Google search on temptation ice cream, over 2.2 million results were returned. That’s a lot of temptation!

One thing I’m tempted by is snacks late at night. I sneak them, and I’m pretty good at hiding my habit. Unfortunately, I became too good at this habit and realized something needed to change. Tactics that have led to success include confessing to my wife that I love to sneak treats so that she can be on the lookout, and maybe more importantly, I commit or “pre-decide” in advance to staying away from the treats.

It is the same thing with pre-deciding for everything else, whether doing the things we should do or fleeing from the things we should not do.

On my heart while writing this post were some of the lyrics from the song “Do it Again” by Elevation Worship:

I’ve seen You move, come move the mountains
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I’ll see You do it again

Praise God for this promise and the countless times he’s given us a way out:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

So when temptation comes—and it will—remember that you’re not alone. Jesus was tempted, yet he never sinned, but fear not, his grace runs deep. Whether it’s late-night snacks or something deeper, God is faithful in the midst of it all. Pre-decide your response, lean into His strength, and trust that He will make a way. You’ve seen Him move before. You’ll see Him do it again.

When you were a child, do you remember your parents looking after you? Do you have specific memories of places, events, or timelines where you knew someone had a watchful eye on you?

For example, I grew up swimming all the time. Lakes, pools, rivers, hot tubs and so on. During that time I didn’t always look to see where my parents or caregivers were, but there was always someone paying attention. With this there was also to an extent, an amount of freedom to do what I wanted. There were times when I wanted my parents to be watching and then other times I didn’t want to get caught.

At this point in my life, I am longing for the days when I could have a meaningful conversation with my mother and father. There are things I want to tell them about my wife, my life, and their grandchildren. I want to hear their stories again about how they grew up, both the good and the bad.

Today’s reading: Psalm 33

¹³ The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
¹⁴ from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
¹⁵ he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds. (Psalm 33:13-15)

These verses should remind us that no matter the presence or relationship with our Earthly parents, our Father God is always watching us. He loves us more than we can fathom, and he wants us to call on him in the good and bad times.

What thoughts come to mind when thinking about the fact that God is always watching? Probably some mix of fear (like I shared about not wanting to get caught), and hopefully some sense of warmth and love because of the extent God took to purchase our salvation.

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

If there are feelings of dread or fear, it is usually because of some hidden or unconfessed sin. This week, I took an inventory of my life as to the things that are hindering my relationship with God. I asked him to reveal my sins to me so that I may confess and ask for forgiveness. The many thoughts that came to mind were daunting, but there is so much freedom when we come clean and admit our wrongs to the one who already knows what we did.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT))

Let us remember that God’s watchful eye is not one of mere surveillance, but of love. Regardless of our memories of those who nurtured us, we can always come to our Heavenly Father for forgiveness, wisdom, grace, mercy, love, a warm embrace, and much more.

A friend of mine had significant work-related stress for several years. As part of that, he worked early until late – including weekends, smoked a lot of cigarettes, and didn’t take good care of himself physically or emotionally. Then, once the storms of his job cleared, he embarked on his wellness improvement journey. This journey included exercise on a regular basis, weight loss, and he quit smoking cigarettes.

My friend then set and achieved a long-term goal to run a half-marathon. I was really proud of the progress he made and the results he had achieved.

After the race, we talked about how it went and the journey to where he is now. During the conversation, I asked “Did you celebrate with a cigarette?” I was half-joking, but then I was shocked when he responded by saying “Yes, I had one at the finish line.”

After all that hard work, why return to such a detrimental vice?

Around the time my friend shared his decision to quit-quitting smoking, I read Romans 14 about “judging others” and I was quickly reminded of my internal response to my friend. I definitely unfairly judged this person. Was I loving like Jesus or was I filled with sinful pride?

Romans 14 focuses on believers judging other believers. While the examples include Jewish vs. Gentile traditions, we can still be prone to unfairly judging others today, and therefore putting a wedge between ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as our Creator when we in seemingly harmless ways call to question:

• What someone wears to church (or anywhere).
• How or when they pray.
• Whether they drink achohol or smoke.
• How they parent or educate their children.
• What their worship style or tradition looks like.

The list can go on forever, so we need to pause and look to Jesus who was called a friend to sinners, he loved unconditionally, and in the end, he was the ultimate example of being unjustly judged. He was perfect and sin-free, yet he was sentenced to a brutal death on a cross, and he did this willingly as the most loving act in human history as a substitution for our sins.

From personal experience, I’ve learned that when I unfairly judge others, it often stems from a desire to feel better about myself. However, in the end, it only leaves me feeling more disappointed. We are all works in progress though, so let’s not beat ourselves up when we fail because we are loved and forgiven! Jesus didn’t define people by their shortcomings, he saw their value and their heart.

Who comes to mind today that needs your love instead of your judgment? Who around you has stumbled and could use a hand, a hug, a word of encouragement, or even an apology? Let’s choose to see people the way God sees them: His creation, deeply loved and cherished as His children.

The company where I’m employed is serious about its mission, and part of this involves giving back to our communities. For example, we’ve logged more than one million hours of community service since 2017. That’s a lot of hands and hearts working to make a positive impact!

Last week was our sixth annual “volunteer week” where thousands of team members joined to serve people in need. I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in one of the events, and it was fantastic! Everyone was energized, enthusiastic, working hard, and served with a smile. This was a great reminder for me as to why I love this company and my teammates so much.

While serving is a very important aspect of our company’s culture, it isn’t required, and it doesn’t indicate whether or not a team member is successful in his or her role. Serving is one thing, meeting the job’s performance expectations is another. I could serve 10 hours per week for a year, but there will be negative consequences if I am not delivering as per my job description.

Today’s reading: Romans 4

Romans Chapter Four has a similar theme as it explains that we are not justified by our works but by our faith. We can try to check all of the boxes when it comes to a list of rules, but what saves us is our faith in Christ alone. God’s “job description” for us isn’t a bunch of rules – it is about our hearts, minds, and souls being in a trusting relationship with him.

While I am thankful to work for a company that encourages service, I’m eternally grateful for the one true God who loves me unconditionally; all I need to do is trust and obey.

During a difficult time a couple of years ago, many of my posts on this site had a similar theme. I was crying out, filled with the rawest of human emotions. I felt oppressed, depressed, afraid, and more. What I also felt was a closeness to God that I hadn’t felt ever before. My prayers were specific, continuous, and genuine, and I was often moved to tears.

My last post talked about living with passion. The focus today is praying with passion via the assigned chapter, Psalm 17. This chapter reminds me of the passionate prayers I had a couple of years ago and serves as a reminder for us to open our hearts to God every time we pray –  earnestly, honestly, and intensively. In prayer, we are conversing with the God of the universe, our Creator, our Father in Heaven who loves us more than we can comprehend and knows us better than we know ourselves so there is no point in trying to hide anything from him.

Psalm 17 also reminds me of Christ and his passion on the cross. We are sinners in a sinful world but Jesus never sinned, he didn’t deserve the torture, hatred, punishment and judgment yet he faced it knowingly and willingly. All of the things David sought refuge from (deceit, violence, wickedness, arrogance, deadly enemies, ambush, and more) were directly experienced by Jesus as he became the substitute for our sins.

Whatever you are praying about today, seek the face of Jesus, envision to the best of your human mind the horrific impact of your sins, then praise him for what he did to erase those sins forever.

Let these words from Psalm 103 be the exclamation point to our praise and gratitude:

For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:11-12)

What are you most passionate about? Consider what makes your heart pound out of excitement, where it is clear your emotions and energy cannot be contained. Here are a few things that ignite that passion within me…

• The truth about God, his love for mankind, and my personal relationship with him. Dine in my home and pray before a meal and you’ll observe this passion.
• My wife and children. Ask me anything about any of these people and/or my marriage in general and you’ll know.
• Food, glorious food! Shopping for it, preparing it, smelling it, eating it; alone or with others, raw, baked, fried, smoked or grilled!
• My job and the opportunity to lead people, especially when teammates grow and thrive and show their passion for teamwork and results.
• God’s creation. The flowers I’m looking at right now, thunderstorms, mountains, vast seas, fresh water, forests, and the seemingly infinite attributes of every creature on this planet.

Showing and sharing our passion can reveal what we believe to be true about God and ourselves. Our healthy and God-honoring passions often influence others positively and ignite fruitful dialogue and relationships. For example, a cheetah can run up to 75 miles per hour. While this is both interesting and scary, it is also beautiful because cheetahs and all creatures exist and are unique because God made them that way, with intention, for a purpose, for his glory.

Interviewing Passion

I’ve recently interviewed six candidates for a job at my company for countless hours, and the thing I seek most to identify is their passion. One of the candidates stood out as the front runner when it came to skill, experience, eloquence in speech, and polite behavior. What was frustrating was that we spent several hours together, and I didn’t observe his passion for anything. I had so much hope to hire this person because on paper, he was perfect. Then, as a final attempt, I said, “Tell me something you are super passionate about, whether personally or professionally.” His response was, “I don’t know… my daughter” and as he said the words “my daughter”, it was almost in the form of a question. At that moment, I realized this candidate would not inspire others in the way that we need him to.

Paul’s Passion

In today’s reading (Acts 20) Paul is speaking to the Ephesian Elders and what stands out is his passion for:

• Doing the Lord’s work, despite the challenging circumstances. (v. 18-19)
• Sharing the gospel. (v. 20-21)
• Unwavering obedience to the Holy Spirit and trust in God’s will. (v. 22-24)
• Fearlessness and boldness. (v.25-27)
• Caring about people, seeing them as God sees them. (v. 28-31)
• Growing other leaders (handing over the mission when it was time). (v. 28-32)
• Integrity and selflessness. (v. 33-35)
• Interpersonal relationships and loving others. (v. 36-38)

Paul’s passion for Christ was unwavering and reminds us to live in such as way as God intended, with passion first for him and for others, to love God and love people. May we all strive to be more like Paul, and ultimately more like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is and was the ultimate Passion as he suffered and died for our sins.

One of my favorite leaders lives by a great saying, “let’s catch people doing things right”. This is uplifting in a world where we can easily criticize or be criticized. This theme gives freedom from worrying about mistakes and instead gives freedom to try new things, and for our attitudes to transform from fear into anticipation. Freedom from fear can spark innovation and creativity, and enables us to experience joy.

Years ago, our son’s grade school student-led conference focused on accentuating the positive. He showed us his test results, shared what he believes are his strengths, and what he was working to improve. We wouldn’t typically refer to him as someone bursting with pride or exterior confidence, but that day he was bold and confident, yet humble as he conveyed his progress so far. The model was set up to build, not tear down, and it was successful: He was caught doing things right.

In Acts 10 we find two devout men who separately experience a vision from God. The two visions are tied together and are part of a greater purpose – to share Christianity with the Gentiles.

The thing that caught my attention in this chapter about Peter was his obedience to God. His whole life he was taught to avoid certain foods and certain people, then after one vision from God, everything changes. First, he can eat bacon (hallelujah!), and second, he can freely associate with non-Jews (hallelujah to that as well as I love my Jewish friends!).

As for Cornelius, Acts Chapter 10 verses 2 and 22 refer to him as devout, one who feared God, a generous giver, in continuous prayer, and well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation. Don’t miss the importance stressed here on giving to the poor. Jesus loves the poor, and the way we treat the poor is well-noticed by God.

⁴ Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.

And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! (Acts 10:4)

Peter and Cornelius had their hearts and actions right with God, they were caught doing things right, and that is why I believe they received such great visions and callings. Their prayers and the way they lived brought them into close fellowship with God, and in both situations after the visions they took immediate action.

Our God is not some lightning-throwing bully waiting for us to mess up; he is a loving God, seeking relationship with us, seeking for our hearts to turn to him as father, and to his son Jesus for salvation from our sins that separate us from God. He is the ultimate example of one who is looking to catch us doing things right.

but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. (Acts 10:35)

Today let’s close with a reflection and paraphrase Acts Chapter 10 verses 38-43:

Jesus lived on this earth, did good things, and healed people. Regardless of his goodness and love, he was brutally tortured and hung on a tree until death. His accusers were dead wrong in their thinking that they had defeated him. Jesus came back from the dead, thus defeating death, and commanded us to share this story so that everyone who believes in him will be forgiven.

Takeaway actions and questions:

1. If you’re like me, there are people in your life you’ve tried to catch doing things wrong. Change your (and their) attitude for the better and catch them doing things right today!
2. Considering the focus on giving to the poor, in what way is God calling you to give more generously, especially to the poor?
3. What story do you have about how Jesus changed your life, and are you ready and willing to share it with others?
4. What are the big and small recent blessings in your life? Have you expressed the proper gratitude to God?

What are your deepest, longest-running prayers? Have you prayed over certain situations for months, years, or even decades? Our prayer lives are an indicator as to our trust in God. Are you like me where there are situations you’ve chosen to worry about instead of dedicating fully to prayer?

Consider an answered prayer in your life, big or small. Above all, think about and rejoice because of the eternal salvation we have when we put our faith, hope, and trust in Jesus.

From Sorrow

In Psalm 13, King David starts by crying out to God, sharing his own turmoil. It seems he has been struggling for a long time. The first four verses include the words or themes of being forgotten, struggle, anguish, sorrow, death, and defeat. Sometimes I feel like my prayers have to be long so that God knows how I really feel. David’s writing in this Psalm indicates the opposite; honesty and deep longing are enough.