I can’t believe that it is time to look ahead to what may come our way this winter. The Farmer’s Almanac has put out their predictions. Here is what they have to say… Are you ready for another winter ride, full of chills and thrills?! According to the 2020 Farmers’ Almanac, this winter will be filled with so many ups and downs on the thermometer, it may remind you of a “Polar Coaster.”
By David Freeze
Only on a rare occasion will I do a movie review, mostly because I don’t see as many as I used to. Plus, I am probably a harsher critic than most. Books often move me more than a movie because I have found out much more about the characters by the time the story concludes. Rarely now do I feel an intense connection to a movie plot. Today, I was totally immersed in a movie that looked especially interesting as soon as I saw the trailer.
During my own extensive travels, I find the hype of places and things often disappoints once seen in person. This movie was my Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls, the rare sightings that are even greater than expected.
“Overcomer” came out today (Friday, August 23rd) and I saw it during the first showing at Tinseltown in Salisbury. Two screens were showing the movie and regular TV commercials had promoted it. Nothing about those two statements would make me go see a movie otherwise, as I’ve found the better ones often don’t get such attention. In this case, I just couldn’t wait to see the movie.
What grabbed me was the story although I won’t begin to give away the plot. I’ve been known to nod off in a theatre and miss a third of the early action or lack of it. Overcomer didn’t lose me at all and will be hard to ever forget. Reflecting on the plot, every main character had something to overcome, just as most of us do. Within the plot of the movie, all of them succeeded in some measure. Some greater than others, but still they all moved forward.
The movie trailer tipped me off to some of the action, just as it should. The successful basketball coach and history teacher, his wife, their two sons, the cross-country runner and her family and the school principal, all important throughout.
Yes, cross country and running in general are a huge part of the story and the first things that drew me in. I love running, have been at it many years, and everything related to the training and races was especially well done.
One question asked several times in the movie was, “How do you define yourself?” And at what point does Christian make that list? We can relate, at least I know I can. What do the first two chapters of Ephesians tell us about how God sees us and why He sent His son to die for our sins? What does His love guarantee us once we place our faith in Him?
For the rest of the day, my thoughts haven’t left the movie for long. I’ve told many others to make sure they see it. A sure sign of a great movie—when it ends, nobody moves. And while the long lists of credits play, much about things and people we don’t know or fully understand, people still linger and take time gathering themselves.
Go see this movie! You’ll laugh, cry (a lot), be motivated and desirous of hammering out your own identity in Christ. Take everyone you know. And be ready for deep reaching discussions afterwards.
As a person who has sought adamantly His help in difficult situations, often with humor and hope, my own hope is that this movie draws you in and intersects with your own story, just as it did mine.
By Ann Farabee
I got my permit! Those four words may very well be the most exciting words a 15 year old will ever say to their friends.
A permit is defined as the official documentation or authorization to do something.
But… the emotion that goes along with that permit, may pale in comparison to how the parent feels about relinquishing the driving of their 3000 pound vehicle to them while they practice.
And it does not get any easier when they are allowed to practice at night.
However, even though my preferred bedtime is 9:30, I willingly got in the car and traveled on the passenger side to purchase a much-needed milkshake at 10:00, because my 15 year old wanted to practice driving in the dark.
I reported to my passenger seat duty – ready to alert him to any – and all – pending obstacles.
The first comment he made after driving a few minutes was, “Look how the light lets you only see what is right in front of you. We are completely surrounded by darkness everywhere else.”
I felt a ‘God moment’ may have come, so I dared to shift my line of vision from the road in front of us and took a look around me.
He was right. We were enveloped by darkness – except for the light shining out from our vehicle.
I think I actually felt the darkness. To the right. To the left. Above. Behind. It was everywhere. Except in that one place – the direction we were heading – where it gave us all the light we needed to see the way.
Then, a few seconds later, a car was coming from the opposite direction without their lights on, and it honestly seemed a little scary for us both. That was when my 15 year old asked this wise question, “Why would they do that?”
I responded, “They failed to turn their lights on, and they probably do not even realize they don’t have light. They will figure it out before it’s too late, I hope.”
As I said those words, I instantly became a distracted supervising driver, because that was when I remembered a Bible verse I had read that morning: Isaiah 45:7 – I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the LORD, do all these things.
That Bible verse that had seemed unusual that morning sure was making sense on the dark road that night. It enveloped me – hovered sweetly in my mind – letting me know that my God created the darkness, but He also formed the light – and He watches over us in both darkness and light.
We may prefer to drive through life in the times of light, but we experience both light and darkness, don’t we?
And…both can help us to learn to be the person who God intends for us to be – and to serve the purpose that God intends for us to serve.
*And we do not have to be afraid of the dark because even when it seems to surround us, the light still shows us the way.
*So, I guess we all have our permit – if we know God – because He is the only documentation and authorization we will ever need. He is in control of it all!
Ann is a speaker and teacher. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com
By Doug Creamer
This is a very strange week for me. All of my former colleagues are heading back to school and I am not. Why is there such a big smile on my face as I type that? The truth is, I am going to really miss being with my former colleagues and friends. You get close to the teachers you work with on a daily basis. I will miss catching up with them and hearing about their daily lives.
The first week back for teachers is one that is filled with meetings. There is very little time to actually be in your classroom preparing for the students. There is so much that needs to get done that most teachers stay way past quitting-time. There is the cleaning, decorating, getting handouts ready, and finding some time to actually start planning your lessons.
The students in Stanly & Davidson counties arrive next week. Here in Rowan County, the students are already back. I always loved starting in early August because we got out in May. It is so hot in August, you might as well be in school. Late May and early June are so much nicer to be out of school. It is also nice to get first semester exams out of the way before Christmas. I have lots of opinions about education, like the importance of work-based learning. I also believe in starting school later in the morning versus earlier. All these opinions are no longer important. The political powers will make decisions and schools will go on without me.
I want to be very clear here. I believe in our public schools. They are great places for our kids. There are some awesome teachers out there who make a huge difference in the lives of their students. I never once felt unsafe at school, thanks to the SROs. I know so many teachers who give their hearts and souls to their students.
I gave 34 years of my life to the public school system and do not regret one moment of it. I tried to always give my best to the students. I tried to reach the students using a variety of instructional methods. I know I wasn’t perfect and there is always room for improvement, but I worked hard and I loved my job.
Are the public schools perfect? No. There are people in every organization and business who do not bring their A game to their jobs. That doesn’t mean that all schools are bad. It just means that schools are just like every other organization. For the most part, schools are filled with people who love and care about the students that they serve.
To the parents of students, allow me to share a few thoughts. First, I know this is tough, but your little angel is not always so angelic. Children make bad decisions no matter how good of a parent you are. It’s OK. It’s better that they make the mistakes now where there is a good safety net. Support the teachers and schools because we all want the same thing…to see your child grow up to become a responsible adult in our community.
To the parents, grandparents, and community members I have one request. Please pray for the students, teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, staff, and administrators of your local schools. We need God in our schools. He will protect us. He will guide us. He will inspire and encourage us. He will give us wisdom as we face the many problems that are in our society. He will love and support us when times are tough. I will say it again: We need God with us every day in our schools if we hope to raise up the next generation.
I believe in the power of prayer to change situations and circumstances. I promise you I prayed before I went to school. I also knew how important your prayers were to my success as a teacher. No one can do it alone. Schools and school systems need our prayers.
So let’s join our spiritual hands and lift up our local schools, asking the loving and gracious God of heaven to bless the 2019-2020 school year. I encourage you to support the schools in your community, especially if you have children or grandchildren going to school. Your prayers, cards, and encouraging emails are truly blessings to the teachers who are working on the front lines. May God bless you and our schools as they look forward to a great school year.
Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com
“A Chef’s Life” star shares what she has learned after juggling projects and finding ritual in the chaos
Vivian Howard was honest with the packed Ballast Hotel ballroom Wednesday when she was asked to share how to balance her many life roles — she doesn’t. From Star News Online
By Lynna Clark
A gardening rule I’ve come to appreciate is this: When combining plants in a large container always use a thriller, a filler, and a spiller. The thriller is the plant that stands tall and gives presence. The filler is usually understated and fills in the gaps. The spiller flows gracefully over the sides adding beauty. Here’s a little example from my porch. What I really love about this combination is that it was all free. The tall bromeliad was a gift from my sister a few years back. It bloomed a giant red blossom and I hear it’s still got the potential to bloom. Right now, I’m not so sure. It seems to be content with just standing tall in the background.
The middle plants with the dark purple and gray stripes are Wandering Jew. My friend Ann broke off a few sprigs of that and I kept it indoors in a bottle of water over winter. Now it fills in the gaps nicely.
The bright chartreuse vine in the front is a sweet potato plant which also lived on my windowsill over winter. Together in the beautiful pot my daughters gave me, the combination is kinda pretty, especially for no money spent. Don’t you love making something out of nothing?
Some of us are still waiting to bloom. A lot of us are just glorified weeds. Some feel completely unnecessary. But the lovely blue pot wouldn’t be nearly as attractive if any of the parts were missing. I think it’s the combination of different strengths and weaknesses that makes the prettiest bunch.
Whether you stand tall, fill in the gaps, or spill over gloriously showing off God’s goodness, you are a beautiful part of the garden of grace.
“How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’ In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.”
-1Corinthians12:19-22
The road to establishing John Rose’s (Class of 1986 – JMU) career as a cartoonist was paved with a lunchtime meal of Cocoa Puffs—which he’d one day choke on following a phone call from Fred Lasswell, the cartoonist behind the renowned Barney Google and Snuffy Smith comics. From James Madison University News
Ryan Giancola and his friends were enjoying a beach vacation in Duck, North Carolina, last week when an elderly woman approached them with a unique request. From Southern Living
Here is a great 1 minute pep talk between a father and his child in the morning before school. We all a Dad like this… From Southern Living
More than 78,000 people have signed a petition online calling on WW, formerly Weight Watchers, to remove its new app aimed at children ages 8 to 17. From GMA (Good Morning America)