DON'T BE STALE!

 

     

     Imagine going into a nice Italian Restaurant for a great meal. You enter with your loved one and you are seated at a nice table in a quiet corner by a Hostess. After you get seated and handed a menu, one of the restaurant employees brings you a basket of hot, fresh Italian Bread! Yum! You grab a piece of bread, put some butter on it and as your mouth is watering, you take a bite. Yuck! It's as hard as a rock and ... it's stale! Your loved one figures, "Maybe it's just that one piece?" They do the same thing and guess what? The whole breadbasket is stale! Your waitress walks up to your table asking, "Are you ready to order?" You tell her the breadbasket you were given has all stale bread. "Would you please give us some fresh Italian bread?" She says, "Oh, I am so sorry. Let me take that away and get you both a fresh batch of hot, Italian bread in a basket." She returns with a new basket and the problem is solved. Fresh, new Italian bread! 

     No, this blog is not about bread or food. I do work two jobs that have to deal with food so I'm around it all the time. It is very rare working at Chick Fil-A where I have heard a guest walk up and say, "The bread on this sandwich is stale!" Maybe 2 times in working there over ten years. This blog is about our lives and how we are living in the moment. Are we stale around others? Do we seem very enthusiastic around other people?

     Have you ever looked around and said to yourself, "Am I really making a difference in this world? When people look at me on a daily basis, what do they see?" Recently, while I was on a register at Trader Joe's, it was very slow. We were about to close in about an hour. I started thinking to myself, "What do people see when they see me? Do they see an enthusiastic guy? Do they see an old, tired guy who is working hard? Do I come across as stale?" And the important question. "Do they see Jesus in me?" Let me be transparent! I am working very hard on not being stale. Not a whole lot of people know about my ministry background here in South Carolina. I am not called Pastor Dave. I am Dave! People don't care what I have accomplished, nor do they ask and that's okay. In New York, when I was Pastoring, I would be introduced by people and that person would share all my accomplishments. It would be embarrassing many times, but it did feel good. I'm sure that person would look at me thinking, "Wow, that guy is really on fire for God." I have realized that regardless of my title in a church and the jobs I have, I don't want people to look at me as being a stale person. I want them to see Jesus in me whether I am taking orders outside at Chick Fil-A, opening boxes of frozen food at Trader Joe's or walking into a Walmart to buy food. 

     Maybe you don't attend church and don't understand what it means "Putting Jesus first in your life." How about doing "random acts of kindness" for others? How about just sharing a smile with someone? Trust me when I say I see a lot of unhappy, miserable people ordering food or purchasing food. It makes me sad to see this. I don't want to be that person who will make their day even worse. I certainly do not know what they are going through or what is making them unhappy. I don't want to be stale when I interact with them. I want to be that person who puts a smile on their face (even if it's a forced smile) 😁. 

     So, to conclude, let us never appear to others as a stale person or stale personality. Going back to that Italian bread, it was recognized almost right away how stale it was. It was certainly not something favorable or enticing. There needed to be a change. I have made my own personal vow in 2026 and beyond that even if I am tired, cranky or feeling down, I still want to come across to others as a positive, friendly person. Certainly not stale. People want friendly and positive. Stale is a "turn off." I hope you all feel the same way!

THANK YOU FOR READING! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!    

VALENTINE'S DAY

 

     Valentine's Day has always been a day where you celebrate love! It could be your spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend and your kids. The local flower shops and 1-800 FLOWERS do very well financially to sell flowers and of course. most men do it last minute. At your local Dollar Tree, you will always see people looking for just the right Valentine's Day card and other stores sell candy with delicious heart shaped boxes of chocolate. There have been several proposals on Valentine's Day and, if the weather will cooperate in New York, some beautiful weddings. Hopefully not during a snowstorm. Many of you may not know but Valentine's Day was not just thought up one day and made up by men who were bored. There was a real Valentine. It was actually St. Valentine. Let's explore!

     There are several myths to how Valentine's Day came about. The first myth goes back to third century Rome. A local priest absolutely despised Emperor Claudius the Second. This Priest would secretly perform wedding ceremonies for soldiers even though it was against the law.  Since they were legally married, they would not have to go fight in a war. When Claudius found out about this, he had that Priest arrested and beheaded for going against his orders and laws. At the same time of this Priests arrest, the second myth is about a Catholic Bishop named Saint Valentine of Terni. He was also arrested and beheaded by Claudius for officiating wedding ceremonies which was against the law. The third myth is about a man named Valentine. He was arrested and put in jail for helping Christian prisoners in the Roman jails. This Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and he wrote her messages from jail. The last one he wrote her said, "From your Valentine." Valentine's Day started out as a "Religious Holiday" and that would change years later. By the 1840, Valentine cards were being sent to loved ones because they believe Valentine's death was on February 14th! To this very day, we celebrate Valentine's Day to celebrate love for those we care about and love.

     As I reflect on Valentine's Day, of course I think about those who love me very much, but I also think a lot about how much God loves me. To think that He sent His one and only son to this earth to die on the cross for my sins just blows me away. That my friend's is true love! Of course it is important to give your loved one's flowers, a Valentine's Day card and maybe even a box of chocolates (yum) 😋! They certainly need to know you love them and care about them and, in my opinion, they need to be told this every single day. 

     When I sit back and reflect on Valentine's Day, I am grateful for those who love me. I know there are several people out there who have lost a loved one or maybe never found that right relationship where they would feel loved by someone special. I hope you realize more than anything you have a God who loves you so much. John 3:16, the most memorized verse in the Bible tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave His one and only Son; that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life." True love! A God who loves us! That's what it's all about!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!

MY HEART BREAKS FOR THE HOMELESS!!

 

     It was 1991. Our church was hosting a Christmas Dinner for the homeless. I had just started as a Pastor, and I was curious about this event our church hosted for the first time. Our church, Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle, had just started supporting a local ministry called "Hope for the Future" whose director was Diane Dunne. She had a warehouse in Farmingdale, NY filled with food and supplies, and she would go into New York City and feed the homeless and needy twice a week. Six years later, I would later join her as a Board Member, and I also wrote articles for her newsletter. 

     Being a young Pastor and being curious, I wanted to know what they did at this event. I walked into the gym and many of our church members and the homeless were having relay races. All I could say as I walked into the gym was, "Wow, the smell is horrible!" 💩 When you don't shower, you smell. I was not very sympathetic. 😞As I entered the courtyard by the church offices, Diane Dunne, who I barely knew at the time walked over to me and asked me if I saw a gentleman named Freddie. She described to me what he looks like and boy, was she in a panic. I couldn't understand why until she told me he was a pyromaniac. WHAT? I didn't stay to volunteer, but I drove home with a bad attitude and thinking to myself, "Why can't these people just go out and get a job. Why are they so lazy? Just get a job at McDonald's flipping burgers!" Little did I know back then God wanted to do a work in my heart and give me a heart for those in need. Here's my brief story! My Readers Digest version.

     After starting as a Children's Pastor and looking for opportunities to minister, I was invited to come to NY City and join one of the Hope for the Future Ministries outreaches. I will never forget my first one. It was August 1994. I brought a group of adults with me, and we did a program in a park using puppets, clown skits and music. At the end of the program, I became very sick and could barely stand up. On the ride home I laid in the back of the van moaning. The whole ceiling was spinning around. I had the flu big time!

     Diane Dunne was very impressed with my ministry. When I formed Kids in Missions in 1996, I would bring the kids to her warehouse to help her out by making sandwiches and stocking food. I also brought kids into the city to do ministry at Thompkins Square Park. That Christmas Dinner for the homeless dinner I first attended? Well, I became the Keynote Speaker for several years. I will never forget after one Homeless Dinner event, a member from our church, Ron Kennedy told me he drove the homeless "home" after the dinner in the church bus. He told me how his heart broke when he pulled up to a park in Manhattan. He opened the bus door and watch everyone pile out into the cold night. They were not going home. They were back out on the streets. His heart broke, and yes, so did mine! God gave me a heart for the homeless and needy.

     After one event, Diane asked me if I would become a Board Member of Hope for the Future Ministries. I have to confess that after sharing at the Annual Christmas Dinner and going into the city to do ministry, I started having a bigger heart for the homeless and those in need. I actually told several people that if I ever got tired of doing kids ministry, my second and third choices would be ministry to the homeless and kids ministry. 

     Today as I now reside in South Carolina, I see the homeless every day. They walk up and down the busy street I work both jobs at on Harbison Blvd. While driving through shopping centers I see them laying down on benches in the extreme heat trying to get rest at our local Walmart. Many times, when I walk to my car after my Chick Fil-A shift, they will walk up to me and ask me for money. They come into Chick Fil-A asking for drinks, food and cups of ice. There are a few who are banned from coming onto our restaurant property because they have caused several disturbances. We have had to call the Police on them unfortunately. It is heartbreaking. 

     So, to conclude, I pray you all see the needs of others and begin to get a heart not only for the needy, but for people. It doesn't matter if you are in New York City, Columbia, South Carolina, Miami, Florida or Bismark, North Dakota. There are needy people and needs everywhere you go. We live in a society that says, "It's all about you. No one else matters. Do what feels best for you. Don't worry about everyone else." But Jesus said in Matthew 25:40 - "When you do it to the least of these, you have done it unto me." I pray all get a heart for those in need and for the "least of these. Every day I think God for what I do have. I don't want to be selfish. I want to have a heart that pleases God. That is important to me. I hope you want to please him also!         

HAVE WE REACHED OUR FULL POTENTIAL YET???

 

     

          Have you reached your full potential? Maybe you are like me. I went to Bible College to become a missionary, and I came out as a Children's Pastor. I changed my major a few times. I wasn't settled on it, even as a 19-year-old kid. I have met several people who have amazing potential, but they never reach that full potential. Some were amazing athletes. Some were amazing in ministry. Some had the potential to be great leaders. For whatever reason they lost their drive and desire to reach their goals due to circumstances and bad decisions. Unfortunately, they never reached their full potential. 

     This coming Sunday is Super Bowl number 60. The New England Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks. The 2 starting quarterbacks are Drake Maye and Sam Darnold. Both these players have always had the goal in life to play in the Super Bowl. I'm sure when they were in high school or college, they daydreamed about being the starting quarterback in the big Super Bowl game. I'm sure the other players on their team dreamed the same dream. Their goal as a professional athlete is not only to reach the Super Bowl, but to win the game. 

     In life, do we feel as though we have reached our full potential? In our job? As a parent? In a relationship? I have had a good life. I can't deny that! I have always given every employer 100%. I will confess that at a young age I was very lazy. It took some motivation from people for me to rise above that and to get motivated. Beginning at age 24, I became very motivated to reach my potential in everything I did. Sometimes I succeeded and sometimes I failed. I was trying to find my "niche," and I did when I started in children's ministry and I eventually became a Children's Pastor. 

     Lately, I have been thinking a lot about what it means as an almost 62-year-old what reaching your full potential looks like. I know I have accomplished a lot in ministry, and I am certainly not bragging. I give all the glory to God. With changes happening and my involvement with children's ministry being less and less, I have put my focus more on writing and blogging. I realize I am not going to be Max Lucado or Stephen King and that's okay. I'll just be David Harff. I will reach my full potential by doing one thing. Just writing. Sitting behind my laptop and doing it. Giving it my all. 

     We all can reach our full potential by one simple step. Giving it our all. We all have special gifts and talents. I will never be known as a great chef or financial genius. Just ask my family about how my father laughed uncontrollably when he heard the Friendly's restaurant hired me to operate the kitchen grill. That job only lasted 6 weeks! 

     Reaching our full potential takes determination, drive and others to "cheer you on." The worst thing you could ever tell someone is "You can't do it" or "You are wasting your time." Could you imagine if Babe Ruth's mom told him, "Stop playing with that baseball" or Michael Jordan's parents told him "You are wasting your time shooting baskets. Now go practice that cello!" Or if Tom Hanks family told him, "Acting school? You will never make it. Learn carpentry. You will do better financially." Our world would be a different place and those people I mentioned would be miserable. They would never reach their full potential in life. 

     I have done plenty of "soul searching since I've moved to South Carolina. I know I have blogged before about making changes as I get older (and wiser) 😁, My full potential can be accomplished only by me and no one else. I have to have the drive and motivation. Nobody will do it for me. After soul searching for quite a while, I do feel good about where I am at and where I am headed. I just want to put Jesus first in my life and keep my focus on Him! Until the day He calls me home, I will strive to reach my full potential in my work, writing, ministry and relationships. I am not perfect whatsoever. I just want to do my best.

THANKS FOR READING AND I HOPE YOU REACH YOUR FULL POTENTIAL ALSO!