dcreamer – Page 184 – EncouragingU

I Can’t Do This

by dcreamer March 15, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

The phone rang. My world came to a standstill.

My 23 year old brother’s car had gone airborne, as he ran a stop sign. It wrapped around a tree at the bottom of a hill. The car he had dreamed of – and saved for as a teenager – was now a mangled mess.

So was his life.

When I was first allowed to see him in intensive care, he was unrecognizable. The clicking, whooshing, and rhythm of the machines that were keeping him alive paralyzed me with fear.

His brown eyes followed me, as I walked from one side of his bed to the other, trying to adjust anything and everything that I thought may bring him comfort.

I held a cup with a straw for him to sip some water. His mouth had been wired shut, due to injuries. As I was leaned in toward him, with tears sliding down his cheeks, he whispered four words, “I can’t do this.”

I knew he couldn’t do it – because I couldn’t do it, either.
The doctors agreed, for they expressed that his chances for survival were slim.

He was suffering. I was suffering. Our family was suffering.

He got my attention again with his eyes. I saw his lips move. I edged closer and heard three more words, “Pray. For. Me.”

He was trying to stand on my faith at that moment – but my faith was barely existent. I was weak and I knew it.

I knew that prayer was all we had.
And I learned… that prayer was all we needed.

Day after day. Night after night. His words rang out in my heart, “Pray. For. Me.”

His urgent need – and those pleading eyes took me to a place of persistent prayer.

Oh, I prayed. With him. With the family. In his hospital room. In the parking lot. In the hallway. In the car. On the floor. In the bed. In the church. In the grocery store. In my heart. God, heal him. God, heal him. God, heal him.

Days of suffering turned into weeks of suffering, which turned into months of suffering.

One day, I was allowed to wheel him outdoors. I watched him look up at the sky for the first time in months. As he did, this verse came into my spirit, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Small improvements became big improvements. Eventually, one major physical concern remained. His leg had been crushed in the accident. It was bent beyond repair and had a dangerous infection.

He was sent home, with the assistance of a home health nurse, where efforts to save his leg would continue.

Months crawled by, and we began to know.
The antibiotics were not working.
The leg needed to be amputated.

The three year battle had been lost.
It felt like hope had not turned into victory.
The answer to our prayers was not the answer we prayed for.

Amputation day arrived.

As I walked alongside the bed as they wheeled him to surgery, there was something in his eyes that had not been there three years earlier, when the battle had begun.

It was courage.

They stopped for a second, and our eyes met, as he said, “I can do this.”

He then cracked a joke about being a one-legged man, as the hospital staff surrounding him laughed and shook their heads.

Truth was – he could do it.
And he did.

Thirty-five years later, he is in heaven, and I believe the encouraging words he would send to us would be, “You can do all things through Christ. He will give you strength.”

Amen, brother. Amen.

And if I could say something to him, I think it would be in the form of a question, “How are you enjoying walking around heaven with two legs instead of one?”

I guess victory did come after all.

Ann is a speaker and teacher. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com

The Tables Have Turned

by dcreamer March 14, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

My in-laws needed us to come home and help out around the house for a few days. We packed up everything we would need and headed in their direction. We were able to go help them. We couldn’t have done it several years ago, so it is nice to be in the position to do it now.

For many years when we went home, they would take care of us. You know how moms are, they want to feed you and take good care of you. They want to hear how life is going and send you home with treats. They remind you that you are their children and that they care deeply about you.

As I get older, I am discovering that my parents and my in-laws are now in places where they need my assistance. It’s an odd thing to take care of your parents. Everything seems normal about them. They still talk and interact and have their strong opinions, but they need assistance with more daily tasks than in the past.

I am not complaining. I actually enjoy serving them. They have been great to us through the years. It’s nice to pay them back for all their many kindnesses. I know it is hard for them to accept our help, so I always make a joke about it. I get them laughing and then give them the assistance that they need. It many ways it helps me, too. It takes the focus off of what I’m doing.

Maybe all this is worth thinking about in light of the Corona virus. We really don’t know what is going to be expected of us in the days to come related to any potential outbreak. We hope that we are seeing the worst at the moment, but we really don’t know how this is all going to play out. We have to consider how God might use us to serve each other if things were to get worse.

Imagine one of your neighbors were to get sick. Would you be willing to make a Walmart or grocery store run for them? Would you take care of their children if the parents were sick? If you have elderly neighbors, what would you be willing to do to help them if thing got difficult? It’s challenging to think about what we would and would not do if things really got difficult.

In a broader sense, we as Christians are called to serve our brothers and sisters as well as our neighbors. Maybe God is looking for the church to rise up and be His hands and feet. There is so much that needs to be done and so many opportunities for us to reach out to our neighbors with the love of Christ. We shouldn’t need a virus to motivate us to action.

When Jesus came to the earth, He did not come to be served, but to serve. He is our example. He looked into the needs of others as He traveled around preaching. He prayed for the sick. He healed not only their diseases, but also their broken hearts.

I believe that He wants us to reach out with His forgiveness. He wants us to reach out with His compassion and show empathy for those in need. I am suggesting that we can reach out to our co-workers, fellow students, next door neighbors, and members of our churches. People around us are hurting every day, and I don’t mean from a virus. People are hungry and hurting because they are lost and in need of a savior. We have the answer that they desperately need.

I want to encourage you in the days and weeks to come to look for ways that you can serve your neighbors. Who are your neighbors? I believe that anybody that is in need qualifies as a neighbor. If your neighbor is in the hospital, maybe you can visit them or help to take care of their home while they are away. Maybe we can help someone who needs a simple helping hand, being careful of those who want to take advantage of us. Sometimes a neighbor might just need a listening ear or a warm hug. It is amazing what God can do through us if we will simply stop and make ourselves available to Him. I hope that God protects all of us from the Corona virus, but I hope more importantly that we will all look out for our neighbors and our families.

Contact Doug at doug@dougcreamer.com

JNK

by dcreamer March 13, 2020 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Grapefruit is a 14-year-old tabby cat. He spends his days now walking and moaning as he searches the house on Rodman Street that he shared with Joy, his life-long mistress. He knows that something is wrong because she is not there to love him and to care for him. He searches for what he misses, but for what he will not find because Joy N. Kraus– poet, mother, caretaker, lover of us all, died the morning of March 3, 2020.

When I read the email telling of Joy’s death, I sent it to Druin, a friend of hers who lives in Oxfordshire, England. Below is his worthy response:

Oh, I am sorry to hear of it. I think the poem below was the last email of hers I had.

BUTTERFLY

In a small death I’ll hang

a thought unspoken, a song unsung,

awaiting the tap that tells me

all is ready, gives me leave

to stage my Easter Day.

If I may choose a way to signal you

from other worlds, it will be

as a yellow butterfly. JNK 1995

Joy was many personalities: The lady never met a piece of chocolate she did not like; a lover of animals who placed a bowl of water on her sidewalk for those who thirsted and treats in her back garden every night for the foragers; she appreciated and enjoyed her children; she appreciated a well-turned phrase; the trips to Spain with her children gave her pleasure (as did the young Spanish men in their tight pants); her poetry allowed her expression; riding her Razor scooter to NCS made her free; and so much more that only we who loved her know, for Joy was that friend who carried separate relationships for each of us.

Now, if I sent this essay to Joy for editing, she would jump on me for the repeating of the word appreciated in the above paragraph. She would continue to gently correct any grammar errors and slips in construction. Joy expected us to use our language correctly. As she did. (oops, As did she.)

So many of us had our life with Joy Kraus. She and I shared family, love of language and literature, emails with Druin, her poems, and my ramblings that she always edited. Robert Graves wrote a handbook for writers titled The Reader Over Your Shoulder in which he shares wisdom concerning the written word. Joy was my reader over my shoulder. No more will I read her sharp remarks concerning my errors, but saddest of all is that the folder on my computer marked Kraus’ Poems will not grow.

The spoken voice of Butterfly is stilled. Her songs of living, loving, laughing, and so much more are now but words on a page, yet don’t be surprised if we hear reports this spring from The Close that a yellow butterfly was seen as if admiring the ginkgo tree near North Circle or of one fluttering in dance as it enjoyed the Bishop’s Garden.

Be Gentle

by dcreamer March 10, 2020 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

2019 would be the year. I was determined to read the Bible all the way through. I came close. But no cigar. A year and two months later I have one book left. Sweet, holy Jeremiah! Can you be any sadder? Bless your heart. Every day I trudge amongst your words as if mucking my way through the Great Dismal Swamp. Lord, I know You needed to warn Your people, and us too. But for crying out loud… literally, can we please be done? I’m so sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Reluctantly I picked up where I’d left off the day before. There it was; Jeremiah’s prayer. The tenderness of it was so near to my own heart that it was as if a rare flower bloomed in the night of despair.

“I know LORD that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me LORD, but please be gentle.” –Jeremiah 10:23,24a

How many times I’ve made plans and failed.

I WILL have more faith! I WILL be strong! In fact, I will mount up with wings as eagles! I will run and not grow weary! I will walk and not faint! I will buy a throw pillow that says “Dream Big!” and a poster that shouts “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me!”

Then once again, my plans fail.

I’m too weak to fly, run, walk or shop for the pillows of spiritual unction.

So I pray with my new friend Jeremiah. I think he would understand.

“I know Lord that my life is not my own. I cannot plan my own course. So correct me Lord, but please…

According to Your tender mercy…

Please be gentle.”

Lynna Clark lives in Salisbury. Read more at LynnasWonderful Life.wordpress.com

Unplugged Video

by dcreamer March 10, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Lord, Let’s go Riding Again

by dcreamer March 9, 2020 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Hawaii trip begins

What began in 2012 as just a first cycling adventure into West Virginia, will reach a major goal soon. I’m headed to Hawaii on Sunday, March 8^th and will spend a week cycling and exploring the Big Island. That first trip began auspiciously. I loaded some heavy gear on a mountain bike to ride for a 3-day trip, and promptly fell off before I even left the parking lot. On that day, I began to learn new things about how to travel by bike. I’m still learning.

With 49 states completed, I’ve been planning for Hawaii for months but now that it is almost time to go, there is still much to decide. I will arrive in Kona on Sunday afternoon after 14 hours of travel. Lots of flight time and more opportunities to plan. As always, this will be a solo journey. A wrong turn, a bad choice or a bike to repair will be my responsibility alone.

Here’s what I know. Tentatively, the big things on my bucket list will all be found on this one island. I want to ride the real Ironman bike course, all 112 miles of it. Whale watching on a boat should happen, along with a journey to the peak of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. I know that crazy beautiful waterfalls are accessible, and I plan to see lots of little towns as I ride around most of the island. The Big Island is a larger land mass than if all the other Hawaiian Islands were pulled together.

My regular bike won’t make the trip to save on the high cost of shipping and packing. Last night, I booked a sort of hybrid mountain bike that can be used on the road. The big benefit of using this bike is the fact that I can carry my gear. The reason for the bike choice and need to carry at least some gear is that I have no idea how the week will develop. I’ve got the bike for three days and can extend that. As always, a plan will develop. Some camping might be involved.

I have been devouring all the information I can on what to expect. Here are just a few highlights. Hawaii doesn’t do daylight savings time and I will be five time zones west of here. Alaska was four. The Kona side of the island will be warm and dry during my stay and it is also the best side to see whales. The other side, around Hilo, is rainy and cloudy nearly every day. Temperatures are similar on both sides, with highs in the 70’s and lows in the 60’s. The Hilo side is the best gateway to the Volcanoes National Park, where I hope to spend most of one day. Kona is dry, touristy and has the lava look. Hilo is more tropical with plenty of lush green areas.

It didn’t take me long way back in 2012 to understand that the trip will be about the people I meet. There will be some unforeseen challenges and the overall cost will be similar to my whole trip from Nevada to Alaska last summer. In other words, the guidebooks suggest that I not be surprised at very high prices. As always, I will still work hard to find deals and won’t be afraid to ask for them. I have also been told to expect a certain laid back response from locals, sometimes call “Island time”.

And the big elephant in the room is the coronavirus. What effect will it have on the trip? I won’t live in fear and will always do my best to stay safe, but the excitement is building to start this adventure. The complete daily updates with photos will be published once again at www.salisburypost.com

So, with that, send your prayers and follow along. As always, Lord, ride with me today! There is another adventure just waiting around the next turn.

Unplug It

by dcreamer March 8, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

I don’t have time for this!

That was exactly what I was thinking after HOURS ( slight exaggeration) on the phone with the cable company.

But, I was at their mercy.

Because – I felt that having my internet working was important.

And – the internet was NOT connecting to my printer.

I needed it.

Right THEN!

Sigh.

That’s when my advisor on the other end of my phone finally asked, “Have you unplugged it?”

Nooo….

So… I did.

I unplugged it.

I waited.

I plugged it back up.

It worked.

Perfectly.

If only every problem could be resolved so easily.

I have heard it said that almost everything will work again if we unplug it – including us!

Sometimes, we may let the noise of everything around us keep us from being stronger mentally, physically, spiritually, and other ally’s, as well.

Being plugged up can bring energy drains, bugs, memory leaks, overheating, panic, crashes – and a need for a fresh restart.

I honestly sometimes feel as though I am a prisoner to my phone.

Hmmm? Is that why it’s called a cell phone?

Getting unplugged can create more engagement, more awareness, more creativity, more ‘time’ in our day, and a better mood.

We can start over. We can get back on track. We can reboot. We can reset.

Break the cycle.

Thanks to the motivation provided by the cable company representative on the phone that day, I decided to check out unplugging for a day.

No cell phone. No computer. No digital devices.

And guess what?

I discovered that there is a National Day of Unplugging!

And guess what, again?

IT’S TODAY! (That is if you are reading this in the Salisbury Post on Friday, March 6th.)

The annual day of unplugging is the first Friday in March from sundown Friday to sundown on Saturday.

Care to join me? You don’t think I can do it, do you?

Let me know how your unplugging goes at annfarabee@gmail.com.

I’ll get back to you after sundown on March 7.

I may – or may not – let you know if I was successful.

Unplug it.

Ann is a speaker and teacher. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com

Viruses Bite

by dcreamer March 7, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

I am always careful with the computer. I do like to watch YouTube and videos people post on Facebook. But if you were to look at my history on the computer, you would see mostly weather related websites.

We have always had some type of virus software on our computers because we know that there are some vicious people in the world. I keep my virus software current and it does catch things from time to time.

Several years ago I got into something that caused me to pay for a stronger virus protection program. Once installed, things cleared right up. I didn’t renew the product and returned to just the basic virus software for the last couple of years. That was until this past weekend.

I heard a story of a celebrity Christian who was healed of cancer. His story was powerful and encouraging. I discovered that he has a website similar to EncouragingU where he posts positive and encouraging stories. The stories are professionally produced and I wanted to create links from my website to them.

I searched for the name of the site and found one of the results labeled, “Official Website.” I clicked on it and it looked right. There was the celebrity and the stories looked interesting. I clicked on a couple stories which did not lead to what was labeled. Then as I clicked on things multiple windows started opening. The windows led to products and services I did not want. I quickly realized I hit the wrong site and left.

I found the correct site and it was great. But I was having all kinds of problems. Every time I clicked a link on any other site, uninvited windows were opening. I did virus scans and updated my ad-blocking app. Things started to improve. I thought I had it licked. I was cautious. I noticed that the uninvited windows would still open, but more sporadically.

I thought I would try shutting down. When I brought the computer back up, whatever had found a home on my computer had shut down my virus software. I couldn’t access it and it warned me that I was unprotected. I went to the website to download a fresh copy. I was immediately diverted. Naturally, my blood pressure and agitation were rising.

Thankfully I know a few things about computers and was able to finally get the virus program resurrected. The company offers a stronger program which I downloaded, with quite a few hassles. Once the “Pro” version of the program was running, I ran another virus scan and found over a dozen viruses had moved in thinking they found a new home. I deleted them and now I am hoping my computer is virus free.

What a crazy waste of my time, energy, and money. I called Lifelock and my bank to be sure nothing suspicious was going on there. I was pleased to know all the levels of protection they both have in place. It is sad to think that we live in a society where we have to have these kinds of protections.

I know that many of you have a different virus on your minds. I see the news, too. Actually, I am teaching kids in China through the internet. My kids have been out of school for a while, but all the families I deal with seem healthy. We have to choose how we will live. We can live in fear and filled with worry, or we can live in faith. I am choosing to live in faith.

I know God wants me to pray, not only for our nation, but for the people in China. I can also do what I do for any virus – wash my hands, use sanitizer, and be wise. I am going to continue to gather with my brothers and sisters in Christ, pray, and worship a God who is bigger than any virus. I am asking and believing that He is at work to protect us. I am going to live with joy in my heart, faith in my God, and hope for a bright future.

I want to encourage you to pray for all the people who are suffering from some type of virus, not just the one. I also want to encourage you to build up your faith, hope, and trust in a good and merciful God. Be wise, wash your hands, and put your faith in God. I am hoping that the computer virus will be the only one we will fight in our household. Peace, blessings, and God’s divine protection for all of us.

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