Hope and Faith

by   December 3, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

“What Christmas tradition reminds you of hope or faith?” I asked my husband as we drove for another lovely Thanksgiving meal. As a boy, he spent the night with his Mamaw Miller after Thanksgiving dinner to help decorate the Christmas tree. This was the beginning of the Christmas season for him and likely for many readers growing up.

Then, there was the inquiry from parents and grandparents, “What is it you really hope will be under the Christmas tree?” Things were getting serious now! Our hopes were in seeing our joys fulfilled. Adults intended to fulfill our deepest, yet most affordable, Christmas wishes! They, too, had hopes – those of delighting and bestowing joy on us. That was enough to bring them joy. Hope and waiting hold hands, don’t they?

Psalm 130:5: “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.”

This first week of Advent, we contemplate hope and faith. Yes, there may be temporal, earthly things we are waiting for beyond simple material gifts. It could be certainty about direction, healing for a loved one, or provision for needs. I believe God allows the human heart to experience these longings and hopes to point to a greater hope that the Christian has – the return of the Savior and His setting things right on earth and in heaven – the perfecting of brokenness. 

Waiting is difficult. Just ask my 6-year-old, who, even as I am typing this, is asking and pleading, “Is today the day you will get down my small Christmas tree?” We can wait with hope because of the beautiful gift of faith. God’s faithfulness to Israelites in the Old Testament helped them believe He would fulfill His covenants and promises. His faithfulness and personal involvement in our lives assures us of what we hope for according to His will. We can silence the lies of “Does God care? Does He see and know my hopes?” by reading His Word – the very breath of God whispering to our hurting hearts or shouting down our doubts. 

In Latin, the word for Advent is “adventus” meaning “coming.” Though we may think Advent points only to a newborn babe in a manger, upon second glance, today’s Advent anticipates the arrival of The Just and Righteous Judge and King. Because God has been faithful and cannot deny His character, we can fully trust with confidence that He will complete the plan He began. 

What about you? What traditions fill you with hope and faith during the holiday season? I encourage you to ask that question of others this first week of Advent. What are you anticipating? Share your memories and traditions with younger friends and your hopes with confidants who care. 

One more verse as we approach the remaining themes for Advent: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13

Preparing for Christmas

by   December 2, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            It is always nice to have a few days off, even when one is semi-retired. The holidays are a busy time and there is always more to do than time to get it all done. The couple of days off last week were welcome. The list to get done was longer than I cared to complete. But I was grateful for the time to chip away at the things that needed my attention.

            I am not sure how fall slipped away so quickly. There always seem to be leaves that need to be collected. I hadn’t planted the pansies and violas yet, so I went to the garden center on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and got the best ones I could find so late in the season. They are an interesting mix of colors and over the long weekend I found the time to get them out. We like the joy they offer through the long winter season.

            It was a strange combination of outside activities over the weekend. I planted the flowers and worked on putting up the outside Christmas lights and decorations. Our street is festive; most of my neighbors put out some Christmas decorations. We try to get things up sometime over the Thanksgiving weekend. It felt crazy doing both of those things over the weekend.  

            I spread out the decorating over several afternoons. I don’t have a yard that screams Christmas. I just tend to work on other things at the same time. The afternoons fill up quickly, especially with the shorter days.

            Thanksgiving weekend ended up being busy doing some outside work and getting the outside looking like Christmas. We haven’t started working on setting our tree up or decorating inside the house yet. Preparation can be lots of work.

            There is so much preparation that goes into the holidays. I won’t list all the things that have to get done because that can be overwhelming to see in print. But each of us will chip away at the long list of things that need doing before the big day. The question that floats around in my mind is will we do the preparation necessary to get our hearts ready to receive the Christ child? It is so easy to be distracted by all that HAS to happen that we can sometimes forget or miss the significance of celebrating Christmas.

            Sometimes Jesus can get lost in all the decorating, Christmas shopping, and food preparation. It’s not that we mean to leave Him out of our celebrations. It’s simply that we allow other things to press in. So here we are, finding ourselves at the beginning of the holiday season and the opportunity to prepare our hearts for the real meaning of the season.

            How do you prepare? How do you keep your focus on Him? I think one place to begin is reading. Obviously, it is good to read the various accounts written in scripture about the birth of Jesus. Three of the gospels share different aspects of the story that offer ample opportunity for reflection. Take time to meditate on what Mary and Joseph went through in agreeing to be Jesus’ parents. Reflect on their circumstances and how all the details fell into place.

            These are good places to begin. There are many books and devotionals for this season that can help focus your heart and mind. Go beyond the reading and think about what it was like to live in that day and time. Imagine yourself meeting the family.

            I have already suggested the need for reflection and mediation, now allow your thoughts to lead you into thanksgiving and praise for all that Jesus accomplished coming to earth for us. Allow your heart to express your gratitude for all that He has done. Allow your thanks and praise to guide you as you pray for family and friends during this holiday season.

            I want to encourage you to commit to yourself that you will spend some quiet time with Jesus this holiday season. Allow His presence to fill your heart so you can receive the Christ of Christmas. Preparing yourself as we approach the day will make your heart ready. Truthfully, we all need to work to be ready, not only for Christmas but for His return. Many believe that His return is imminent. Many people missed His first coming in Bethlehem even though there were signs pointing to His arrival. I hope we are all ready for His second coming because there are signs pointing to it. It’s time to prepare for Christmas and the second coming. Are you ready?

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Hound Four

by   December 1, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

My wife Mary Ann and I drove to Raleigh on Sunday and picked up Nick at his foster home. Because our return ride was close to three hours long, Mary Ann sat with him in the back seat of our van. By the time we parked in our driveway, I knew that a bond had formed between my wife and Nick, the two-year-old beagle with a taste of dachshund, we think.

Much has happened in Nick’s life since October 09, 2021, when he was “seized as a stray” in Reidsville, NC. Taken to the local animal shelter, he was later rescued by Triangle Beagle Rescue. Under its care, he received his first medical evaluation and soon was administered the required medical procedures, such as the rabies shot, before being placed with Melanie and Art, his foster parents. Life began to look better for the eighteen-pound stray who had been seized.

In the two full days of sharing our home with Nick, we have re-discovered what life is like when lived with an energetic youngster. His black, brown, and white form is seldom still;  he is mostly obedient, but just a package of curiosity coupled with energy, like all young animals –even the human ones. He sees our four cats as novelties to be sniffed, but their view of him is as an intruder on their turf. We all work on that relationship. However, he has already proven to be a good guard dog and a foe of any squirrel that ventures into his yard. He has yet to figure out the flyers who visit the bird feeders, but his antics with them entertain us, and he enjoys a chew on any pine cone he finds.

Nick is our fourth hound. He comes after Nolan the black and tan hound and Mickey and Callie, the beagles, died. Those three shared life with us for fifteen years and cannot, like a broken plate, be replaced. What they gave us during those years is a treasure that Mary Ann and I hold close, but we are now building a new bond with a bundle of beagle.

After all, what good is a life not shared!

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