Doug’s Columns

By Doug Creamer

            I admit that I am obsessed with weather. It might be more than a hobby for me. I look at the models daily to watch upcoming storms. I am always amazed at how radically a model can change from one run to another. One run can show a snowstorm, the next there won’t be a storm, and then there’s a rainstorm. It reminds me how difficult it must be to forecast weather.

            What is interesting to realize is that a weather model only shows what happened in similar circumstances in the past. No two weather events are exactly the same. You may get a nice rain shower this time, but last time you had flooding rain. Last time you got snow, this time you get sleet and freezing rain. Each weather event is unique.

            I was pondering this as I looked at the weather models this morning. In predicting the weather for the future, we examine what happened in the past to develop our expectations for the future. Sometimes our predictions are correct, and sometimes they are wrong. This can happen in any area of life. If you are scheduled to play an undefeated athletic team the obvious prediction would be that you will lose. The reality is that undefeated team will at some point be defeated. Who’s to say whether or not you might be the victor?

            I think the same thing can be applied to our spiritual walk. Just because God acted a certain way in the past does not mean that He will act exactly the same in this situation. Some people may argue that the Bible teaches us that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible is true. God’s character is the same, but He will approach situations and people in unique ways to accomplish His purpose.

            Think about children and discipline. Some children only require a look or simply one word, and they will get back in line. Other children can be told not to do something and they just keep on doing it, even if they get punished. Parents in those cases have to learn how to adapt their discipline to get their children to comply. It can also depend on whether this is the first time you are being told, or the fifth. I know that most principals that I worked for treated the first offence much differently than the fifth.

            So why would we think that God can only work in the exact same way He acted before? Sometimes God wants to test our obedience. This time put the singers and musicians in the front if you want to win the battle. Another time, you engage the warriors from the city and then start to run. When they follow you out of the city another group of men ambush the city from behind, and the victory will be yours. Another plan might be for a shepherd boy with faith and a few small stones who will defeat a giant.

            Jesus demonstrated the same thing in His ministry. For one man He simply spoke and the blind man received his sight. For another, Jesus spat and made mud and spread it on the man’s eyes. He then had to go to a specific place to wash. Jesus did different things with different people. My point being that He didn’t do it the same every time.

            We have to understand that we serve a very creative God. He wants our love and obedience. He will go to great measures and approach us in many different ways to get our attention. I try to listen and obey, but sometimes I fail. Thankfully, I haven’t needed a donkey to speak to me and tell me I was going in the wrong direction. When we put limits on how we think God is going to act then we might miss what He is doing.

            I am expecting God to do great things this year. After last year, I imagine we all want to see Him do wonderful things. That means that I have to be open, available, and obedient if I hope to see God’s marvelous and powerful hand at work in and through my life.

            I want to encourage you to raise your expectations that God is going to do something wonderful in your life. Next, I encourage you to take your limits off God. Be willing to see Him move in ways you never expected. He is creative and He deals with each person as an individual. God is good, and we can expect good things from Him. Let’s allow our creative God to move in His own unique ways.  

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

By Doug Creamer

            Many of my readers know that I am a snow fanatic. It goes beyond snow, because I love all kinds of weather phenomena. I like to track storms and try to figure out what is going to happen. I study the models and try to draw my own conclusions.

            When I was still teaching I would put my storm predictions out there for my students. I would also predict if we would have a delay or if school would be canceled. I had so much fun and my students looked forward to what I would have to say about approaching storms. They would also have lots to say if I missed it. I would take the ribbing well. I remember a colleague wrote a huge note on my board one day after I missed a prediction. I laughed and left it there all day for my students to see.

            I guess I have been fascinated by weather and its unpredictable nature most of my life. My favorite weather memory is when I was in high school. The forecast was for some snow flurries. The flurries started as predicted, but they kept coming, until two days later we had snow drifts taller than houses and buildings. Mother Nature remains unpredictable at times.

            The truth is that God can be unpredictable. He says that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Some people falsely believe that God never changes His mind. He told Moses that He was going to destroy the people of Israel, but Moses interceded and God relented. We all know the story of Nineveh. God told Jonah to go and tell them that their city would fall in forty days. The entire city repented before God, and God showed mercy to the people. I thank God that He does change His mind. Hezekiah was told by the prophet to set his house in order because he was about to die. Hezekiah cried out to God, and before the prophet left the castle God sent him back and granted Hezekiah an additional 15 years.

            If it is impossible for God to be influenced or to change His mind, then what is the purpose of prayer? I believe I am a child of God. I also believe that God listens to my prayers. I also expect that God is going to do something about the matters I bring before Him. I understand that the answer is “no” sometimes. I also understand that tragedies still occur. I understand that there is a real devil whose job it is to steal, kill, and destroy.

            My job is to keep my eyes on Jesus. I need to listen and obey His voice. When I hear from heaven, I need to make sure that what I hear lines up with scripture and is filled with the love and mercy of God. If I am still unsure about a word I receive, I can call some good friends and my pastor to make sure what I heard resonates in their spirits.

            What happens when someone you pray for doesn’t get better? What do you do when someone you love gets lost in the world of sex, drugs, and alcohol? How do you react when the candidate you voted for doesn’t win? What is your response when you didn’t get that job you thought God promised you?

            When I face disappointment in my life, I fall on my face before God. I remind myself that He is firmly on His throne. Life isn’t fair, but God promises to make all things work together for my good. I can lean on my friends and trust that He cares more about my situation than I do. It might be time for that person to go to their heavenly home. I have to remember that God still loves and saves prodigal children. I can pray that God will raise up men and women like Daniel & Esther to advise government leaders. Maybe God closed a door because He has a better one. Maybe He wants you to pursue that entrepreneurial dream that He placed in your heart.

            The truth is we don’t understand God’s ways, or why He changes His mind, or why He allowed something to happen. But I want to encourage you to run to God, not away from Him. Turn your worries and pain over to Him. Trust His word, that He is on your side and that He will bring good things into your life. Press on. Hang on. Never give up on God. Keep praying. Believe and trust in God.

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

By Doug Creamer

            I think that most people are glad to see 2020 come to a close. It was a tough year by most standards. We watched the famous ball drop in Times Square, and welcomed 2021. My wife and I rejoiced to see the New Year born. We are hoping and believing for a better year.

            I woke up New Year’s Day hoping to see the Rose Bowl Parade. The floats are always stunning and the work that goes into them unbelievable. I wasn’t totally surprised when the parade didn’t happen. But I was pleased that the networks put together a program that celebrated the Rose Bowl tradition. It was nice to see how the floats are created. Then they showed some beautiful ones from previous years. It was a good beginning to the new year.

            One of my least favorite tasks of the new year is taking down all the Christmas decorations. I love putting them up, and hate taking them down. I usually begin outside and pack all the boxes and get them back up in the attic. It is a nice feeling to get all the boxes out of the garage and have everything all cleaned up again.

            My pastor asked the congregation on Sunday if we had made any new year’s resolutions. It was at that moment that I realized that I hadn’t even thought about it. I am not suggesting that there aren’t things that I need to improve and change. I just hadn’t given it much thought at that point.

            I did start something new this year. I am reading a new version of the Bible. Sometime in early December I decided that I wanted to try a new translation. It makes me consider God’s word and what it means in my personal life. Over the years I have read several different translations. While my standard is the NIV, this year I am giving the Passion Translation a shot. It already has my attention as it contains many footnotes. It explains why a particular word was chosen and the meaning of that word. These details really grab me and help to deepen my understanding of God and my faith.

            When you stop and think about it, a goal or resolution we should always have is to deepen our faith. I believe it is very important that our faith grows from year to year. That means we have to invest time and energy into our Christian walk. That can include many things, from Bible study to reading books, and especially, engaging with other believers, who will encourage and challenge us to a deeper walk with Christ.

            Besides growing our faith, we ought to plant some seeds of hope in our lives. I always enter a new year believing that good things are going to happen. I believe that God is going to bring good things into my life because He is a good Father. I also believe that if I am looking for the good I will find it. The reverse is true too, if we are looking for bad, we will find it. I make a conscious choice to stir my faith and base my hope on the goodness of God. God does not and will not disappoint me.

            When we think about the future, there is a bit of mystery. We have a blank canvas set before us and I choose to see that as exciting. While the year is a mystery to me, it’s not to God. He is not bound by time and He already knows what is going to happen. I am not naïve in thinking that nothing bad will happen. I do believe that God can work all things out and bring good into my life. He is planning and working on it. My job will be to listen and follow His guidance and to place all my trust in Him. Then at the end of this year, I will be able to look back and see His fingerprints all over my life.

            I want to encourage you to walk with me in faith, believing that God is planning good things for our lives. He is a creative and wonderful Father. He wants what is best for us. No situation we encounter is too big for Him. So if I put my hand in His and hold on tight, I will have a spectacular ride. 2021 is going to be a great adventure. Let’s keep our faith, hope, and trust stirred up for all the good things God has in store for us.

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

By Doug Creamer

I received word before Christmas that a special friend of mine had been exposed to COVID. I prayed and prayed that she would not get it. When the phone rang the other day and I heard my friend’s voice, I just knew that she had it. But she reassured me that she did not. She had called to tell me that a very special couple in her life had tested positive for COVID.

            The couple in question both seemed to have bad cases. The husband had all the common symptoms you hear about and felt lousy. The wife was in the hospital and her health was declining. She was doing so poorly that they decided that she needed to go on a ventilator. My friend was beside herself because she feared the worst. She asked me to pray.

            After talking about their situation for a few minutes I decided it would be good if we prayed together. My friend liked the idea. Then I heard her say that if this woman is put on a ventilator it will be hopeless. I said, “Wait a minute, we can’t start praying if we think it is hopeless.” My friend painted a bleak picture of this person’s condition.

            I told her that we can’t pray if we believe it is hopeless. We have to believe that God is bigger than COVID. We have to believe that God can change impossible circumstances. My friend knows that God can work wonders when the odds are against Him. It only took a moment to stir her faith and then we prayed in unity.

            When we finished praying my friend was encouraged. She asked if I would do her a favor. I have a hard time saying no. Then she asked if I would call the husband and pray with him. I tried to wiggle out of it. I never know what to say to a person who is struggling or suffering a loss, but my friend pressed the issue, and I agreed.

            I waited before I called. We know each other, but I haven’t seen him in quite a few years. When I reached him we talked about his own case of COVID. Then I told him that our mutual friend requested that I call and pray with him about his wife’s condition.

            His response surprised me. He said he was rejoicing. I asked him to explain. He said that they were just about to put his wife on the ventilator when suddenly she began to improve. They gave it a few minutes and she improved some more. He called to check on his wife about that time and they said that she didn’t need a ventilator. They were going to give her some oxygen and some other treatments. Then they let him talk with his wife. She reported that the pain had departed. She was very weak, but her spirits had improved.

            When I called my friend to report the dramatic improvement, she was amazed. It’s been a few days since all this happened, but this couple is slowly beginning to improve. There have been some hills and valleys along the way, but the general trend is better. I wish I could report a miraculous recovery, but due to the severity of the case, we are glad to report improvement. We all know that prayer changes circumstances.

            I am reminded of what an old pastor of mine used to tell us. You can’t begin prayer filled with doubt. We have to believe that God is bigger and greater than the way things appear. I have two good friends whose hearts stopped beating for over ten minutes, but through prayer and the hard work of the EMS staff, they survived. Both of these people, through many prayers by many folks, have returned to full and normal lives. As I said, nothing is impossible with God.

            I want to encourage you to remember that doctors have a say in our health, but they do not have the final say. No matter the circumstances that you face in any area of your life, God is bigger and can change the outcome. You have to stir your faith in a God who is bigger than the circumstance. A huge mountain is simply a bump in the road for God. I believe God hears our prayers, and I expect He will answer us because He loves His children. It often requires persistence, but if we mix it with hope and faith, I believe we will experience God’s goodness and favor.

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

By Doug Creamer

            As I sit down to write we are just a few days away from Christmas. You are now just on the other side of Christmas. I am in the anticipation state, while you have already experienced it. Our perspective on any event depends on where and when we look at the event. Our perspective can also be impacted by our past experiences.

            Our perspective on 2020 from December 31 of last year is very different from our perspective on it today. We have experienced the year and can now look back on the good and the bad. Most of us could never have imagined the impact that this virus has had on our lives. If you had told me that I would be wearing a mask in public I would have told you that you were crazy.

            I try to enter every year with a degree of hope. People who know me will tell you that I try to always find the good, even in difficult moments. It didn’t take long for that hope to get crushed as 2020 began to unfold. There have been health issues and concerns throughout my whole family and they continue to challenge us.

            Even in the midst of all the health problems of 2020, I think there are some positive things that have happened. Many families have grown closer together. At some point it was forced upon us when we were under lockdown orders. Many people have made efforts to connect or reconnect with family and loved ones.

            If we weren’t able to gather together, we made more efforts to touch base through calls, emails, and video chats. These were not ideal situations, but we made the efforts to stay in touch and to check on each other. Life has a way of getting busy and it is easy to allow ourselves to drift apart. I think COVID has reminded us of the need to stay in touch.

            I have heard that some people have reconnected with their faith because of COVID. Sadly, many churches have closed because we can’t have large group gatherings. Maybe we need to remember what Jesus said, that where two or three are gathered He is right there with us. Gathering as a church is very important for our spiritual health, but we can encourage and challenge each other to a deeper walk with God when 2 or 3 gather together, too. When churches can re-open again, we will all have to encourage each other to reconnect.

            Our perspective on God is highly influenced by the circumstances of our lives. I have seen many high school girls raise children on their own. I can easily imagine that those children would grow up thinking that God is distant. He doesn’t care about our daily needs. While I know that is not the truth, experience has taught these children that their earthly father was distant so their Heavenly Father must be, too.

            If your dad or mom was harsh, cruel, or abusive, then you may believe that God is the same way. If you were lucky enough to have great parents, then it is easier for you to imagine that you have a good, good Father in heaven. If you grew up in a church, your image of God could be influenced by your childhood pastor and Sunday school teachers.  

            The truth is the Bible tells us that we have a good, good Father who loves us. He knows every detail of your life and He loves you AND likes you, too. He knows what you are up against right now and he cares about your situation. He believes the best about you because He created you. He is actively planning a great future for you. He knows there will be good days and bad days, and is already planning to send you the help you need.

            We need to examine our perspective on God. He is the savior born in a manger for you and me, but He is also the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The entire universe is under His control. There is no detail of life that escapes His notice.

            I want to encourage you to re-examine your perspective of God. Are you allowing your experiences to shape how you see God? I challenge you to consider what God says about Himself in the Bible. He is loving, kind, merciful, forgiving, and a good, good Father. No one truly knows all about God. We can all learn more through God’s Word. I believe that will help give you a fresh perspective on the positive possibilities and the hope for 2021.

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

By Doug Creamer

Merry Christmas 2020

            I read Lynna Clark’s fictional retelling of the birth of Christ in “An EncouragingU Christmas.” She did a good job making Mary and Joseph come to life. I enjoyed the story so much that I plan to read it again next year. When I finished, I sat quietly and allowed my spirit to drink in her story.

            That’s when I had a very unique thought that has never occurred to me before. I have always thought that Joseph must have struggled with doubt about the conception of Jesus. No one prior to Jesus had ever been conceived without two people coming together. Why wouldn’t Joseph struggle with doubt about Mary’s story?

            Two things struck me. Mary was pure and virtuous and not prone to telling wild stories. She was honest and innocent. Joseph could and did trust her. Second, Joseph had a dream where he saw an angel. I’ve had powerful dreams that I knew were from heaven and no one or nothing can shake those dreams from me. Joseph had a dream that he knew was from heaven and he trusted God…completely! Faith and trust in God leaves no room for doubt.

            Joseph and Mary had a deep faith in God and they needed it to endure all that life threw at them. We know they lived about two years in Bethlehem. We don’t really know how long they lived in Egypt, but it is most likely more than a year. During this time, other children must have come along and Mary and Joseph continued to trust in God.

            Walking with God requires faith and trust. Over my lifetime I can look back and see times when God called me to move to a new school. I had hoped that I would start at one school and stay there for my whole career. But that wasn’t the path on which the Lord led me. Each career move we made challenged our faith and required us to trust God. God has always been faithful.      

Following Jesus requires faith, especially when the path isn’t clear. But God sends some gifts along the way to help us. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Before He ascended back to heaven He told the disciples that He was giving them His peace. His peace is perfect and helps to quiet our spirits when the world seems out of control. His supernatural peace goes beyond all understanding. His presence inside of us gives us His glorious peace that we all need.

            Another gift God gave was His love. God’s love came in a package lying in a manger. God sent His son in the most approachable way possible. God wants all mankind to know the depth of His love for us. Jesus makes a way for each person to connect with God in a personal and intimate way. God’s love is perfect and unconditional. His love guides us. His love comforts us. His love assures us of a place with Him in eternity.        

            Another gift from God is hope. When Jesus arrived on the scene the Jews were being oppressed by the Roman Empire. He birthed in His people hope that God heard their prayers. The answer came in an unexpected way, even though the scriptures foretold the coming of Christ. Hope often comes in unexpected ways. Hope gives us the courage to press on. Hope allows us to believe in a God of the impossible. Hope has the seed of expectancy, that we know God will deliver us.

            Jesus’ arrival in that little manger 2000 years ago signaled a change. We all know life is full of challenges; we only have to look at 2020. Seeds of doubt can sprout in our minds. But hope lifts us from those doubts into our loving Heavenly Father’s arms. When we look into the eyes of Jesus, we experience God’s unconditional love, that assures us that He knows where we are and what we are enduring. When we open our hearts to His great love, His peace floods our souls and reminds us that we are called to be overcomers. And with His help, we will.

            I want to encourage you to open your hearts, minds, and spirit to God’s great love this Christmas. Allow the child of Bethlehem to be born in your heart. Let the joy of His presence overtake your fears and doubts. God loves you and He is bigger than anything you face. Jesus came for you. Allow your spirit to be renewed and refreshed. I pray that love, joy, peace, and hope be yours…Merry Christmas!

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

By Doug Creamer

Trusting God

            I remember when I was a kid in Boy Scouts we did some trust activities. We would stand facing one direction and we would have to fall backwards and trust that the boys standing behind us would catch us. I remember the first time doing this activity having a difficult time thinking they would actually catch me. I thought they might let me fall.

            I remember looking back a couple of times to see if they were actually there. I just knew they would pull back at the last moment and watch me fall, laughing at me as I lay in pain on the floor. When I finally mustered the courage to really let go, they caught me! It was an interesting feeling. I wanted to do it again, and they caught me the second time, too.

            I learned a valuable lesson that day. I really could trust those guys. We all liked to pull pranks on each other, but when the chips were down we really could trust each other. Something changed inside me that day; I felt closer to the guys in my group. I imagine we all felt closer to each other, which I believe is part of the reason leaders have people in a group do this activity.

            With Christmas right around the corner, I have been thinking about Mary and Joseph and the trust they were called to have in God. When Mary said “yes” to God, I can’t imagine she realized what she was going to face from her community. As a high school teacher, I sometimes taught students who were pregnant. Some of them struggled to bring their child into the world. Some had support, while others did not. Mary’s community was going to stone her death because they assumed she had been with someone. Mary had to trust God with her reputation and her life.

            Joseph had to learn to trust God in ways he never could have imagined, either. He just wanted to get married and be a carpenter for his community. It is hard to imagine what he must have felt when he discovered that Mary was expecting. Joseph had to trust a dream and Mary’s story of how she became pregnant. Joseph’s reputation was certainly impacted as the local gossips would have run him down. How do you trust God in that kind of situation?

            Joseph must have been a man of great faith. We might even say that Joseph’s faith grew strong because of what he had to endure. Imagine what faith is required to raise the Son of God. God trusted Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph had to trust God with protecting them and providing for them. God had to show them a safe place to go in Egypt and then guide them safely back to Israel.

            Joseph had to hear from God and then obey. When you think about it, we have to do the same thing. We have to trust God for our provision and our jobs. What do you do when you get laid off? How do you trust Him? How do you put food on the table and keep the power on? Our faith gets challenged. Will God really come through? Is God still in control?

            What do you do when someone you love gets sick, maybe with COVID? Most people recover, but what if your loved one has to go to the hospital? Sometimes our faith and trust get tested by the fire of circumstances. It’s easy to allow fear, doubt, and worry sneak in. We’ve all done it. That’s why we need each other, to challenge and encourage each other out of the darkness and back into a place of faith and trust. We need each other to overcome.

            When Joseph struggled with doubt, he could lean on Mary. When Mary became afraid for Jesus’ safety, she could lean on Joseph. Today we are fortunate to have the Word of God, which is full of promises to help encourage us and give us hope. We also have each other to lean on in the dark moments. Together we can pull each other through.

            I want to encourage you to hold onto faith and trust; they are your life preservers. God is for you. God is good. God has your best interest at heart. God is planning good things for your future. God will guide you and see you through whatever storm you are enduring. He sees you on the other side. Don’t go it alone. Lean on your friends, who will support and encourage you in your walk. I believe you are going to make it.

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

By Doug Creamer     

            Each day that I am out and about I notice more and more Christmas decorations. My community usually transforms over the Thanksgiving weekend. Typically, we travel for Thanksgiving, so when we leave, everything looks normal and when we get back home, Christmas has arrived. This year I was at home working on my outside decorations over the weekend.

            Many of my neighbors have completed both inside and outside decorations. We are a bit slower. I spent some time on two afternoons getting the outside done. Now I have to focus on the inside. We typically wait until mid-December to put the inside decorations all up. That’s a process, too.

            I enjoy putting Christmas decorations up, the problem becomes taking it all down. The outside is highly dependent on the weather. We had 60 plus temperatures to put things up outside this year, which I really enjoyed. I can struggle taking all the inside decorations down; sometimes it’s as late as mid-January.

            I have heard several people say that we really need Christmas this year. I have to agree. 2020 has been a tough year. There is something about Christmas decorations that sparks a certain joy for most of us. I think it triggers pleasant memories. We remember the special times we had with family and loved ones, and the memories warm the soul.

            There are still lots of things to finish getting ready for Christmas. For us, we have to decorate the Christmas tree. There is the shopping that needs to get done. There are the Christmas cards to be addressed and sent. We are hoping for some family gatherings where there will be plenty of good food.

            When I think about my childhood Christmases, I remember my mom baking lots of cookies. We had chocolate chip, oatmeal, refrigerator cookies, and the sugar cookies. We got the chance to decorate our cookies with all the colored sugar sprinkles. There were always lots of cookies at my house. The only trouble was my mother’s two cookie rule. We were only allowed two cookies after a meal. Having to choose was so hard! It wasn’t until later in life that I learned that this is not a universal rule, but I still obey it.

            We still have a few weeks to get all the preparations done, and somehow, we will all make it just in time. What concerns me is that many people will not take the time to prepare their hearts for the true meaning of Christmas. It is so easy to get caught up in all the preparations, activities, and gatherings that we forget to get our hearts ready to receive the greatest gift of all.

            Many years ago my little sister gave me a gift certificate for a Christian bookstore. I bought a little book that contains the story of the birth of Christ. It combines all the gospels in a chronological order and includes many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled with Christ’s birth. The book also contains many special Christmas carols. I pull it out every year and read it as we get close to Christmas.

            I also take time to read the story from the scriptures themselves. One other thing that I try to do during the holiday season is take some quiet time sitting by the Christmas tree. I admit that I spend some of that time admiring our beautiful tree and all the special ornaments. But I also work to quiet my heart and reflect and meditate on the true meaning of Christmas, the coming of our Lord and Savior. I allow my heart to praise and thank God for this wonderful gift.  

            I love exchanging gifts, especially if I had the time to find that special something for the recipient. I imagine God feels the same way. He has given us hope, something we all have needed in 2020. He has given us forgiveness and mercy, paying a debt we could never repay. He has given us grace, which is the power to live different and transformed lives. He has given us unconditional love, something no one in the world can give.

            I want to encourage you to quiet yourself for at least five minutes a day and meditate on the goodness of God in your life. Consider the gifts of hope, forgiveness, and love He offers you. While you are there, consider how you might share these wonderful gifts with those in your life who need it. These gifts are far greater than any you might find under a tree. I bid you peace as you endeavor to receive and share these wonderful gifts from God.

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