Homeward Bound

Goals are always good to have. If you achieve them, congratulations, you have achieved them. But if you fail to reach your intended target, even falling miserably short, you will still find yourself closer to the goal than you were when you began. It is a win-win.  In 2017 one of my goals is to complete a reading list. The plan is to read a minimum of 24 books in 2017, which actually is not that extreme. 24 books comes out to about a book every two weeks, or about two books a month; and with a solid blend of long and shorter books this should be fairly attainable. My list is broken out into several sections: Spiritual Growth, Theology, History, Classics, C. S. Lewis, and a few others. Let it begin! Spiritual Growth   Watchman Prayer - Dutch Sheets. I got this book for Christmas from my parents, and it is about guarding your home/church/community from the attacks of the devil. Should be a timely read f...

It is that time of year again: the end of it. And 2016 was in many ways a milestone year for me. I accomplished two really critical steps that were necessary for me in my 23rd year: Milestone #1: Move out of my parent’s house. After graduating college I obliged my parents by moving back into the downstairs guest room to save some money and hopefully get a job. The Lord provided work and I began to chip away at my college debts. It was a great arrangement for the two years that I lived there—and the food was fantastic. But once I had some money set aside it was becoming high time to grow up a little bit and move out. I was getting old, and living at home did not necessarily inhibit my natural inclination to slothfulness. So thanks to my Aunt and Uncle, I got a good deal to rent from them and quickly jump to milestone #2.     Milestone #2: Get married to Montana. I proposed to my wife October 30, 2015, so this was in the works for a while. Perh...

I don't think I am a perfectionist. Per say. Maybe I am just "overly ambitious" or better yet "filled with high expectations." Whether it is my daily routine, my performance in extracurriculars, or my thoughts on my future--I expect and anticipate an idealistic picture of what will happen. Frequently in college I would amuse my roommate by verbalizing to him my to-do list for the day. I would plan to hit the books, get started on a paper that is still three weeks out, be proactive in my required reading. Then I would plan to go to the gym in the afternoon and enjoy some leisurely time later in the day. That for me was the perfect day. It was productive and forward thinking, yet there was time left over for rest. Well surprise, surprise: more often than not my ideal day would fail to come to fruition. When it came down to it, I lacked the fortitude and the personal discipline to see my dreams into reality. Hours that could have been ...

I have a friend named Mike. He has been a good pal to me over the last few years, and he has recently moved into town to work with my church. Mike is one of those "rare breed" guys, and if you meet him you will understand what I mean. There are really not too many people in the world like him. A Math/Business Major gone rogue Worship Leader, Mike is as unique as they come--and that is a good thing. Everybody likes Mike. But one by product of Mike being a rare breed is that he takes his precious time--with pretty much everything. He takes his time putting his shoes on, he takes his time parking his car, he takes his time getting ready in the morning (his former roommates will affirm that). If his house was burning down I am convinced Mike would not pick up the pace to his morning routine; the guy just never is in a hurry. It is how Mike roles. Compare that with me. My disposition is a little m...

I am not one for new years resolutions, partly due to the fact that I can never keep them. But 2016 will bring some pretty big changes in my life, ones that I will have to prepare for immediately. Below are three broad goals that I hope to achieve in the new year:   1. Get organized. I have a mild case of "Pack-Ratism" where I naturally accumulate crap. I'll clean my room on Monday only to observe it on Friday flooding with: clothes, mail, books, and half scribbled papers scattered about. Let's face it, I am a slob. And I have been fine with being a slob thus far in my life (its just been me), but increased responsibility coming in the new year (and a wife) may require me to change some bad habits in this department. What I need to do is create a system where the moment something touches my floor or my desk, I immediately place it either in a filing cabinet or in the fire place. Floor must be clear and desk must be ...

This marriage thing is going to be hard. My whole life I have lived thinking about me--making decisions based on me. I do ministries because I am gifted to do them. I like to keep a quieter profile because I do not like to tell everyone about me all the time. I engage in activities that I enjoy for no other reason than because I enjoy doing them. This has been how Daniel Harris has lived for the last 23 years. The singular self-- and it has been a pretty good ride. But that is all changing soon, and it is hard. I am getting married to a girl that I love very much, and she is a little different than me (which is a good thing). She has a lot of hair. She laughs a lot and laughs loudly. She likes to tell stories about her day. She loves people, adores children, and dislikes animals. She likes to dance and she likes to have fun—and I think she enjoys embarrassing me in the process. She likes to be active. She likes to be in the game. Did I mention that she is also really p...

I have been experiencing a lot of “new” recently. My soccer team, Liverpool FC, fired (or “sacked” as they say in England) their manager last month and hired an electric, new manager in Jürgen Klopp. The homey church that I have been attending for 18-19 years just moved into a new building that is a lot bigger and completely brand new. And did I mention that I am getting married to the girl of my dreams next June? That is a lot of change for a guy all at once! Everyone loves a fresh start. Everyone loves a new beginning because they feel that they are no longer tied down to the past. New beginnings have not yet bet constrained by the bumps, bruises, and limitations of everyday life. Fresh starts get us all excited and allow us to dream, as they should. Liverpool's New Manager, Jürgen Klopp Finales, however, seem less popular and far scarcer. While most people start well, few end well. The average tenure of an English Premier League manager (according to the Guardian)...