Remembering

by   May 31, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Remembering

            I slept in this morning and it sure felt nice. When I woke up, I lay in bed and enjoyed the peacefulness. I didn’t have to rush anywhere. I ate a leisurely breakfast and then sat quietly on my front porch. It was a cool morning with a light drizzle. My prayers were lazy but filled with thanksgiving. I started to think about what I was going to write, but was not in a hurry to start.

            Why was I afforded such a wonderful morning? Today, as I write, it is Memorial Day. I know that I only work part-time now, but it is still nice to have a day off. The reason I was given this opportunity is because today is a day that we remember those who sacrificed their lives to give us the chance to live in this great land. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and many around the world wish they could live here.

            As I spent time reflecting on those who gave their lives, I began to think about those who were left behind. When someone in our military dies while on active duty, they leave behind loved ones who must deal with the tragic loss. There are children whose parent is not returning. There is the spouse who must pick up the pieces. There are siblings with holes in their hearts. There are parents who must face burying their children. The pain and grief these families must bear so we can live in a land of freedom must never be forgotten.

            I did a Google search this morning on the number of military deaths that have occurred. These numbers include deaths from battle, infections, and diseases while in service. These numbers are estimates, and in most cases I took the lower end of the estimates. Over 25,000 from the Revolutionary War. Over 620,000 from the Civil War. Over 116,000 from World War I. Over 407,000 from World War II. That is over one million people who died while serving our country. That’s a lot of families who sacrificed greatly so we could live in this great land of ours. We owe a great debt of gratitude to these families.

            When it comes down to it, freedom really isn’t free. Those families paid the highest price so we can live in America. We all come from different backgrounds, have varying political stances, and even different religious beliefs, but on this one thing we can be united. We must honor those who paid with their lives or their loved ones lives so we can live free in America.

            When it comes to those who gave their lives for us, we as Christians owe a debt to those who paid with their lives so we can have the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that most of the disciples were martyred for their faith. Peter was crucified upside down. Tradition holds that Paul was beheaded. Some early Christians were imprisoned, tortured, or fed to the lions.

            There are many people throughout history who were mistreated in order to spread the Good News. These people gave everything to give us the opportunity to have a relationship with God through Jesus. Jesus paid the highest price to repair our broken relationship with God. Jesus was beaten with 39 lashings so we could be healed from all our emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual brokenness. His blood bought our forgiveness. He made a way for us to walk into the Father’s presence without fear, worry, guilt, or shame.

            It is hard to believe that there are still places in our world today where believing in Jesus could cost you your life. There are places where the Bible is a banned book. There are places where if you are caught together with other believers worshipping Jesus you could be imprisoned. We must remember the missionaries who are still putting their lives on the line to share the hope of Jesus with a lost world.

            Memorial Day should remind us to pray for the families of those who gave their lives for our country. I also want to encourage you to pray for missionaries from your church and others who are out there on the front lines sharing Jesus with the lost. They need the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance if they hope to make a difference. I hope their sacrifice will embolden us to share our faith with those who are living in darkness. People need the Lord. We are the light of the world…let’s let our lights shine in our little corner of the world.  

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

The Man in the Song

by   May 30, 2025 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

On a recent evening, my wife and I were sitting on our screened porch watching another hot, summer day simmer to an end over Lake Norman. A CD of the number one songs by Johnny Cash helped our mood as the worn disc moved from favorite song to favorite song .  However, like many things we think we know, I was surprised by a line in one of the songs, a song I know the “history” of and have enjoyed. The line that I seemed to fully comprehend for the first time and that engendered my thinking is, “’Cause there’s something in a Sunday/ Makes a body feel alone…”

In his mournful song, Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, Kris Kristofferson writes of a  Sunday morning in which a man suffering a hangover tries to make sense of the world. Drinking two beers to help his hangover, he puts on his “cleanest dirty shirt” and goes outside to witnesses the world begin another Sunday—all with him as observer, not participant. Crossing an empty street he smells chicken being fried and laments, “And it took me back to somethin’/ That I’d lost somehow, somewhere along the way.” He continues on his journey to nowhere and with no one by his side.

 Perhaps the song is a memory of Merton College in Oxford where Kristofferson studied as a Rhodes Scholar; maybe it is a story of one of the long nights/mornings he spent as a struggling artist in Nashville during the late 1960’s; or it could be just an anecdote he heard. Whatever! the narrative captures the misery of a life ill spent in whole or parts, but still resulting in regret.

In Thoughts in Solitude Thomas Merton writes, “Violence is not completely fatal until it ceases to disturb us.” Now, we all know (or should) that violence comes in many packages, but no matter how it is wrapped, violence leaves wounds. And the fatal violence Merton writes of is often the result of uncontrolled anger, an addiction, or some other evil cause. Kristofferson is writing of alcoholism and when that violence in a bottle becomes the ordinary of a life it ceases to disturb because it is what has become normal. Then, often too late, the addict becomes like the narrator in the song who smells frying chicken and remembers something lost along the way. That “something” is likely a person or persons and on a Sunday morning all the narrator can do is to numb himself with alcohol and suffer through another day of regret.

On my desk sits a black and white photograph taken in the front yard of my paternal grandparents. The poplar trees in the background are bare, but I know it is Easter Sunday because two cousins knelling in front of the photograph hold their Easter baskets.  My younger brother and sister stand with me and an older sister. Behind my brother is our father who wears a suit jacket, opened-collared shirt, and is looking toward the camera, but his face is full of shadow. The photograph is important for me because our father seldom shared Sundays with us and my two older sisters who are not in the photograph. Years before he had deserted us and our mother, but he is present this day because his parents and siblings had gathered for Easter Sunday. And for whatever reason he posed for the photograph, a stranger standing with his children.

The father in the photograph would understand Kristofferson’s song because he was like the narrator—a man trying to make sense of the world as seen through the violent haze of alcohol. He would keenly understand how a familiar smell could trigger a memory of something that he had lost “somehow, somewhere along the way.” He would intimately know the loneliness of Sundays,  even a special one like this Easter Sunday. But I wonder if the shadow covering his face in the photograph is not a forewarning of the shadow he would feel later after his children had walked to their mother’s home, and he returned to “somewhere along the way.”

Shield’s Cycling Part 2

by   May 29, 2025 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Shields Cross Country Cycling, Part ll

    This is the continuation of last week’s column recapping Dave and Patty Shields on their cycling adventure from San Diego, California to St. Augustine, Florida.

    Dave Shields said, “The biggest highlight of our journey was the people! Beyond our fellow riders, who would do anything to help us keep going (fix a flat, loan tools, offer words of encouragement), the locals we interacted with were great!  Whether it was the infinitely courteous drivers, people in restaurants and convenience stores, they were all very nice to us, giving us space on the road and asking about our trip experience. Despite what the news tries to do to scare us, we are always going to remember that the people of this country are good.”

     He continued, “The worst moment of the trip was the entire ride from Douglas, Arizona to Rodeo, New Mexico.  Patty and I were biking together for 54 miles into a 30-mile headwind.  The wind made it feel like a 100-miler. As usual, I was in front, drafting for Patty the entire distance.  It took hours and was absolutely exhausting for both of us. I pretty much collapsed at the end of the ride.  Riding through a sandstorm towards Marfa, Texas was also a challenge, and a first. Another bad moment was when I discovered a cracked bike frame and realized what could have happened had the bike broken while riding fast.”

   After the couple reached St. Augustine Beach, Dave said, “I walked into the Atlantic Ocean, looked into the sky, and felt my dad’s presence. He left us in May 2022. He was physically there when I finished the Ironman, and he was there spiritually for my AT hike and our Bike Across the USA. He was saying, “You did it!”

    Patty had a few tears upon reaching the Atlantic Ocean, knowing she had completed the toughest endurance activity in her life. She said, “It really hasn’t sunk in, completing this 3000 mile journey. Maybe that’s because I took it one day at a time.”  Dave assured her, as time passes, the reality of what she achieved will sink in. 

    The couple had done their research on the tour, and the tour company did a great job preparing them, so there weren’t many surprises. Dave said, “One day, I am sure when looking back, we’ll be somewhat impressed on completing the journey.”

    I asked, “Will you do it again? Why or why not? If again, what area might be next?” Dave said, “No. It was a once in a lifetime event, and when it comes to these types of events, they aren’t the same adventure as a repeat. My endurance bucket list is empty, and Patty never had one! That being said, the East Coast Greenway tour (Canada/Maine border to Key West, Florida) looks a bit tempting.”

   When asked if any healing is required or is there anything you wish you would have done differently, Dave replied, “We just need some rest. The one thing I regret is not having bought Patty a better bike. It was heavier and did not roll as well as the other bikes.  As a relative novice, she needed every advantage possible, and in cycling, you can buy that advantage.”

    Dave said, “I am a very intense and focused athlete, sometimes to my own detriment. While I could have done the ride on my own, but without Patty, it wouldn’t have been half as much fun.  Although I did have a few days where she cut me loose to ride as hard as I could, the many days I spent with her helped me to really enjoy the ride, including the scenery, the food, and the people. I also saw in her the athlete that I met 40 years ago re-emerge and realized what a strong person she is, both mentally and physically.”

    The couple was blessed with only 30 minutes of rain the whole trip, which was like an endless summer with a fair amount of wind. Dave added, “We now understand that when we’re driving down the road and see a cyclist not riding on the shoulder, its likely they’re not being rude.  Most likely the shoulder has an unrideable rumble strip, is crumbling, has dangerous trash on it, or has a combination of the above. We’re going to be a little more understanding, and patient, with other cyclists.”

     Our next race coming up is the Ed Dupree Memorial 5K and Fun Run. The race is headquartered at the East Rowan Stadium with the 5K beginning at 8:30am and the fun run following at about 9:30am. The race benefits the Novant Health Foundation and the Ed Dupree Scholarship Fund at East Rowan High School.

    Look for this race and more upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Gotta’ Run: Shields Cross Country Cycling, Part II

Lynna’s “R” & The Longest Psalm

by   May 28, 2025 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” -Psalm 37:7

It’s hard to wait. And it’s REALLY hard to rest while waiting. Like the “Q” verse from yesterday, the Lord reminds us it is a choice to rest in Him. “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength. But you would not.” -Isaiah 30:15

I plan to undo the end of that verse by choosing to trust. Psalm 46:10 tells us to “Be still and know that I am God.”

Rest; Be Still; Practice Quiet confidence; Lord help me. I believe. Help Thou my unbelief.

There are a lot of great truths in Psalm 119. But holy cow. Talk about wordy. 176 verses. Don’t worry. I’ll pick out five of the best. Today our verse is Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Someone wiser than me pointed out that a lamp, especially in those days, only lit one step at a time. I don’t love that. I want to see the whole path. Apparently that is not God’s way. So! I need to slow my roll. Sorry. I can’t sound cool even when I repeat what cool people say. Annyyywayyy…

One step at a time Lord? I don’t much like the idea of that. But I do feel better when I forget my worries about what comes next. My prayer for today repeats an old hymn. I ask Lord, for “strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow.” Illuminate each step. Light my path by Your wisdom. Guide me with Your truth. Hold my hand and walk with me. It’s good to be in Your care.

Thank You Lord. In fact, thank You that I DON’T know the future. It would probably scare me to death.

photo credit: Seabert Pittman, my daddy

The Heart Behind the Holiday

by   May 25, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Memorial Day holds a special place in the hearts of many. Usually, that entails things less memorable, like eating hotdogs or going to the lake. But, I can recall when I first learned that the day was a day for decorating graves – originally called Decoration Day. 

My sister-in-law would make annual treks to her home state to visit and decorate family graves. I always wondered about that. Then, several years ago, my brother and his family, along with my own, decided to journey to our father’s grave in Thomasville, NC, on Memorial Day.

Having never visited his grave since his death many years ago, I was not prepared for what visiting Thomasville would be like on Memorial Day in 2018. Boy, we were in for the most wonderful surprise, arriving just before the town’s annual parade to honor heroes and their families.

I realize now that this is not an uncommon occurrence in many towns. In fact, you can attend a parade Monday in Salisbury. Most likely, it will not draw the crowds that the Independence Day parades and events will, but is it any less significant? It is amazing what a smaller event on Memorial Day will do to set your mind and heart ablaze in memory and gratitude. 

After our bodies and hearts were thoroughly nourished after a light lunch and a fantastic parade, we made the short drive over to the Holly Hill Memorial Park Cemetery, where Daddy is buried alongside other family members who were also in the service. It is a bittersweet memory. Daddy did not die on the battlefield, but like many veterans of Vietnam, cancer came calling for him just after his time of service and beginning a young family.

I think of soldiers during this time and their acts of service. For many, however, service was not an option but a task put upon them. It was a sacrifice in many ways; they may be uncomfortable being reminded of their “service.” 

That’s why, when I see a veteran, I try to look him in the eye and say, “Thank you for your sacrifice” instead of “Thank you for your service.” Sometimes, I see the eyes of my father’s generation look back with gratitude for perhaps being understood and truly loved.

Like many today, I did not grow up fully recognizing Memorial Day for what it was, and I would confuse it with Veterans Day. Thankfully, slowing down, taking note, and observing others opened my eyes before my children grew up so we could share such things together. 

I encourage you to slow down this extended weekend. Look through Granddaddy’s medals or Grandma’s old photo books. Find out what those medals mean and where those pictures were taken. Visit findagrave.com and look for where relatives are buried. Maybe make an impromptu visit to the town for a parade or to the grave to pay respect. It will change you, and perhaps it will change all of us. 

Ashlie Miller and her family live in Concord, NC. You may contact her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

Who is He?

by   May 24, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Who is He?

            Have you ever been out and you see someone you know…but they are out of place so you don’t remember how you know them? You know them from somewhere, but you just can’t place them. Then this person sees you and greets you warmly. Naturally, you return the greeting just as warmly…still trying to place them. Has this ever happened to you? It happens to me more often than I want to admit.

            My wife tells me it’s because I know so many people. I talk to the stockers in the grocery stores. I talk to waiters and waitresses. I know my cashiers. There are so many people in my professional life that I knew from East Davidson. We have been out of state and people have come up and greeted me. My wife once asked, “Is there any place we can go where someone doesn’t know you?”

            Remembering names has always been a problem for me. I will also go blank at the absolute wrong time. I once went to introduce my pastor and couldn’t come up with his name. He laughed so hard at me. Being a teacher makes this flaw very challenging. I go to call on a student and the name won’t come to me. It drives me crazy!

            I know that I am not the only one who struggles to remember names. I have seasons when I remember names really well, and then there are days that no one’s name comes to mind. Okay, that is a bit extreme, but I wish I could change this part of myself. I want to show honor to people by remembering their names.

            I find it interesting that God is called by many different names. Often the name is related to a quality about God that we need in our lives at a particular time. For example, one of the names of God is Jehovah Jireh, which means God our provider. God provides for His people. Sometimes God will test us to see if we will believe and trust Him, especially in this area. God has always met our needs through the good times and the financially lean times. He is and has always been faithful.

            If you are struggling with your health, you may turn to Jehovah Rapha, which means the Lord who heals us. We have all been in places where we needed God’s healing touch for ourselves or a loved one. We cry out to God for His healing touch. I have witnessed and know people who have received a miraculous touch from God.

            Some people may be calling out to Jehovah Shalom, the God who is our peace. If you find yourself struggling with worry, anxiety, or depression, then you need Jehovah Shalom to bring you the peace of God, which transcends all understanding. God does not want you to live in mental distress because He can provide the peace you need in your daily life. Even when life seems to be turned upside down, you can live in God’s perfect peace.

            I think one of my favorite terms for God comes from what many Jewish children call their father, Papa. The Bible uses the term Abba. It is an intimate term. I believe in the crazy world in which we find ourselves living many of us might need to call out to our Abba, Papa. I was unfamiliar with the name Papa because I refer to my father as Dad. During a season of my life when I was seeking a deeper intimacy with God I started calling Him Daddy. Some may wonder how I could call God Almighty Daddy, but I believe it reflects His desire to draw closer to us. I believe that God wants us to crawl up into His arms and allow Him to pour out His deep love upon us.

            Whatever your need in life, I want to encourage you to see God as the One who met you at your place of need. He is God Almighty, yet He desires to draw closer to us. He wants to reveal more of Himself to us. He wants us to see Him as the God who will meet our needs. No request is too big or too small. He wanted a deeper relationship with us so badly that He made His Son pay the price for us. Our salvation and relationship with God cost Him dearly. The good news is that God has opened the door to anyone who will open their hearts to Him. Who is God to me? He is my Daddy. There is room in His arms for you, too!   

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

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