Doug’s Columns

By Doug Creamer

By Doug Creamer

            I noticed some guys working at a neighbor’s house the other day. They had come by to put out pine needles around his flowerbeds. I talked with them and asked if they sold pine needles, and the next day they brought me ten bales. That was the motivation I needed to get to work on some much-neglected flowerbeds of my own.

            My wife and I love to grow things. Through the years we have put in a number of flowerbeds around our house. If I am completely honest with you, they get ahead of us. We spend time pulling weeds every year, but the weeds keep coming back.

            With ten bales of pine needles, I began working on the much-neglected flowerbeds. I started with a couple of the easy beds. Mom always taught me to tackle the hardest ones first, but I need a little success to push me forward. Once I saw how nice a couple of weed-free beds with their new pine needles looked, I was motivated to continue working on the harder ones.

            Slowly, but surely, the neglected beds began to show their beauty once again. I did find some poison ivy, but worked around it and came back later to spray it. I finished the ten bales and think I might order more. I want to keep pushing until all the beds are beautiful.

            I believe that the flowerbeds can be symbolic of other things in all our lives that have been neglected. The first thing that pops in my mind is relationships. I am trying to check in on some folks a little more often. Maybe Covid-19 has made all of us a little more aware of the preciousness of life. For some families, all the togetherness has been a bit of a struggle. But I really think it has helped some families reconnect in ways they may have never imagined.

            I love hearing the stories of how neighbors are checking on neighbors. I grew up in a home where we always checked on our neighbors. If there was a storm or someone was in the hospital, we went to check on them. If someone passed, we made some food and went over to be with them. Covid-19 is bringing out some really great neighborly qualities in people.

            The one relationship that is easy to neglect is the one with our Father in Heaven. Parents aren’t used to working from home and having the children go to school online. There are so many more distractions in our homes. We are watching more TV with our family. We are calling to check on our families. We are checking on our neighbors. Where do we fit time in with God?

            One might imagine the opposite would be true. We aren’t fighting the commute to work. We don’t have to wrestle the kids out of bed to go to school. We’re home. There should be way more time to spend with God. We are taking care of our physical needs and watching out for our emotions. But we are neglecting our spirits. We aren’t getting our spiritual shots in the arm from going to church on Sunday and Wednesday. What do we do?

            God loves you. He knows that life has been turned upside down. He knows that you are facing new stresses and distractions. God loves you. He doesn’t want to be that one more thing on your list to do before you go to bed. He doesn’t want you to feel guilty or ashamed. God loves you. God wants permission to come in and help you where you are right now.

            As your Father, He wants to connect with you. In love, He wants to help you order your day and help take the stress away. His word will nourish your spirit and refresh your mind. He wants to help you navigate through this crazy time. He wants to draw you close. Just a few minutes with Him will change your perspective on your day, your situation, and your life. He has the answers you need, if you will open your hearts to Him.

            I want to encourage you to open your hearts and connect again to your Father in Heaven. He is on your side. He loves you more than you can imagine. He has the answers you need. He has the wisdom to deal with whatever you are facing. He will comfort you and guide you through these turbulent times. He is the Prince of Peace, and I pray that you will open your hearts to His love, peace, and comfort.  

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

By Doug Creamer

By Doug Creamer

            If you watch any of the talk shows that are being done now that we are “working from home,” they always ask the guest, “What have you been doing?” The answers don’t vary much, but include reading, watching TV, and spending time with family. It’s interesting that we are all doing similar types of things. Maybe we are all more alike than we thought.

            I have never really been a big Facebook fan. I would go there to see pictures of my family. Naturally, I would also want to see what friends have posted, too. Normally, I would just look at Facebook on Friday nights and occasionally during the week.

            That has changed. I check Facebook every day now. I have enjoyed so much wonderful music that I would never have had access to prior to our current situation. I have enjoyed some of my favorite artists playing from home. Some have sung and played with their kids. Others have their animals playing in the background.

            That’s not to mention the groups that have come together to produce awesome videos. I have seen orchestras where everyone is playing from home and someone mixed the music and the videos to create a breathtaking experience. I have watched choirs sing that brought chills to my spine. I have watched people I don’t know sing beautiful songs.

            When I stop to consider it, I am enjoying private concerts from people I can’t afford to go see in concert. It feels like I have had the opportunity to watch singers and songwriters perform for me personally right here in the comfort of my own home. I have always had a deep love and appreciation for music, and this crazy time in our world has been feeding this passion of mine in a very special way.

            I have been watching some YouTube music videos, too. I have started searching for songs that we sing at church. I love to worship the Lord and to spend time in His presence. My favorite time at church is the worship time. (No offense to all my pastors out there…) Music moves me and touches me deeply. I especially love worship music.

            Worship music has come so far in recent years. Please know that I am not knocking the old hymns, I love them too. Some of the new contemporary music can transport me right to the presence of God. So many times in the midst of praise and worship, I can feel the presence of God. There are times that I just don’t want the music to stop.

            I have often wondered how God feels in those moments. When we have removed distractions from our lives and focused our attention on Him, does He wish those moments would never end? In those moments, I imagine we are getting a little taste of heaven. Does God long for us to be with Him in eternity?

            God is more patient than we are. While He longs to have us at His side, He wants us to fulfill our mission and purpose. A major part of our mission is for us to draw closer to Him and to share with others our story and experiences with God.

            Life is busy and pulls us all in so many different directions. But maybe during this time when we have the “stay-at-home” order in place we can connect more with God. I have found a connection through music, others may discover more time to pray and seek His face. Still others may open His word and allow His word to come alive in them.

            God wants to connect with us. Maybe during these crazy times, we can discover ways to connect with Him. He loves us more than we can understand. Like an isolated parent, God wants nothing more than to hear from His kids. He wants to receive our worship, hear our prayers, and speak to us through His word. He wants to talk with us if we would only open our ears and listen.

            I want to encourage you to “call home” to your Father in Heaven. He is available day and night and I promise you will not get a busy signal. He wants to connect more with you than you can imagine. He is on your side. His favor is resting upon you. He cares deeply about your situation. With so many distractions and the busyness of life pushed out of the way, what is keeping you from connecting? Let His love fill, surround, and renew you.

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

By Doug Creamer

            Everyone I talk with has a story about how the coronavirus has affected their lives. High school students miss their teachers, classmates, and all the activities at school. Many employees are missing their jobs. I don’t like seeing the store shelves look so empty, even though I can normally find everything I need. I know we all miss finding toilet paper.

            We all have stories about other major events in the past. My parents have told me that they remember exactly where they were when they heard that President Kennedy had been shot. I remember that I was at a DECA competition when I heard about the Challenger explosion. Anyone who lived in this area can tell you their Hurricane Hugo story.

            I had just started teaching at East Davidson High School when 9/11 happened. I remember so many specific details from that day and that time in our lives. For the next 17 years of my career, I told my students about the impact of that day. I remember asking the students every year, “What grade were you in? What was your reaction?” Every student had some kind of story. In my final year, I had students who were not born before 9/11.

            For today’s students, the coronavirus will be their story. When they are grandparents they will tell their grandkids about how schools were closed and the fact that they did not get to have their senior prom. They will talk about being told to “stay-at-home.” They will remember a time in their lives when it was hard to find toilet paper. Maybe some of the younger students will appreciate their schools and teachers a little more.

            I have talked with several pastors who have said that this will impact the way we do church in the future, not to mention how we are changing the way we do it now. I can’t imagine standing at the pulpit with an empty room and trying to deliver a passionate message. When you can’t see your congregation, how do you know the impact of your words?

            One personal impact that I have noticed is that I have checked on my neighbors and friends more in the last month than I had in the previous six months. I have called or texted my family (since I can’t go see them) more often in the last month. I am praying for more people and trying not to limit my prayers to protection from the virus. I find myself seeking the Lord and asking for more of His presence in my life.

            When I get the opportunity to talk with friends, neighbors, and family, we all have stories about the impact of this virus on our lives. We want to tell our stories to each other. It helps in some ways that we are all going through this together. We need to keep reminding ourselves that we will all make it through this thing together.

            This reminds me that we have another story that we all need to tell, especially during these troubled times. We have the story of how our Savior has impacted and changed our lives. We want to share our coronavirus story. We should have the same excitement over sharing our faith story. We should want to tell our story to our friends, family, and neighbors.

            Jesus is the answer for our world today. He has helped me make it through not only this virus, but so many other situations in life. People need to hear our story of how Jesus helped us make it through in life. People need to hear how our faith has become stronger and has been a source of strength and comfort. People need to know that God is real and that he cares deeply about their circumstances.

            The doors of many people’s hearts are open. We have an opportunity to have an impact on our communities if we will tell our stories. We can show the world God’s love by demonstrating it through our lives. We have to believe that God can use us.

            I want to encourage you to tell your story. The people in your life need to hear about the love of God. They need to know that God is on their side. They need to know that we serve a God who heals and forgives. They need to know that we serve a God who has a good future planned for His children. They need to know that they can join the family of God. We need each other and we need to tell our story.

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

By Doug Creamer

By Doug Creamer

            For more years than I can count, the tradition in my family has been to gather at my brother’s house for Easter. Everyone would go to their own church for Easter services, some even venturing out for sunrise services. Then we would all make our way to my brother’s house for a great lunch, followed by an Easter egg hunt.

            I am really going to miss the gathering this year. Mom always brought the ham. Everybody else brought all the trimmings. My favorite was all the different types of salad that were there to enjoy. Naturally, there would be many different kinds of dessert. One thing that was really popular with the kids (when they were younger) was the Jell-O eggs. I never took one because I thought the kids were supposed to get them, but I will miss seeing them this year.

            After the big meal, my brother would look over and nod his head. That meant it was time to go out and hide the Easter eggs. I know we accumulated hundreds of plastic eggs through the years. We would put them out everywhere. As the kids got older, we worked hard to really hide the eggs. I know some of my nieces and nephews were teenagers and still hunting Easter eggs. All the older adults would sit on folding chairs and watch the kids run around collecting eggs.

            There would always be some basketball games, my brother and I would shoot a few games of pool, and there was always plenty of catching up. There would be little conversations here and there, and always plenty of laughter. You can’t get my family together without the prankster coming out in all of us. The laughter would slowly fade as each of us would head our separate ways. Stomachs filled, hearts warmed, and still chuckling as we drove home. 

            Easter will be different for families everywhere. The highways will be less busy. There won’t be as much good food to eat. Easter egg hunts will have to wait, or at least become more creative. The hugging, the family games, but most importantly, the laughter, will all have to wait. It will be alright. I know that in my family we will get together once this stay-at-home order is dropped. The fun and laughter will resume and we will all have stories of what we did during our time of being home.

            There is one thing that this Corona virus can’t stop, and that is the real meaning of Easter. It’s hard to believe that there are still people who don’t know what Easter is all about. I assure you that many churches have launched online and live versions of their services. You can attend Easter Sunday service right from the comfort of your home. I have links to a number of churches that are having live services each Sunday at EncouragingU.com.

            We know the message of Christmas is that Jesus came to earth born to be our savior. The message of Easter is the fulfillment of his mission. Jesus was born to be the sacrificial lamb that would take away our sins and restore a right relationship with God. God’s law required a blood sacrifice to cleanse us from our sins. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price we could not pay.

            His death is not the end of the story. At sunrise on Easter morning, Jesus rose from the dead. No other religious leader did that. He experienced death’s sting but came out the other side a resurrected king. He has all authority and power. He has set us free from sin and death. He has given us forgiveness, joy, and peace.

            You see, the Corona virus can’t stop you from experiencing the true meaning or the true gifts of Easter. All you have to do is open your hearts to the living God. He’s done the rest. He paid the price for your redemption. If you accept Jesus as your savior, you can be assured of your place with Him for all eternity. While you are alive here you can experience His love, joy, peace, forgiveness, and His abiding presence. It’s yours for the asking and receiving.

            I want to encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart. Easter is symbolic of the life-changing power that is available to you. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave is now available to you. You don’t have to clean yourself up first. He is awesome at taking broken lives and transforming them into something beautiful. I promise He will do it for you.

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

By Doug Creamer

            I was driving out of town the other morning, along a familiar route. It was the route I took every day for work. My mind was on other things, and my car was on autopilot. Then something snapped my attention back to the present. That’s when I looked at my surroundings.

            Every house on that road has dogwoods in their front yards. The dogwoods were coming out, their white and pink blooms exploding. It was a sight that renewed my soul. I loved seeing the dogwoods every spring on this road. I don’t drive down that road everyday now, so I didn’t realize that I was missing this wonderful sight.

            I drove down another road and saw several yards full of azaleas in every imaginable color. I wish somehow that my camera could capture the wonder and beauty of nature as she begins to wake up each spring. We have several Japanese maples in our yard and they are wonderful to watch as they put out their first leaves.

            There are pansies, violas, daffodils, and tulips, all of which can be seen from my front porch. While out driving I’ve seen iris blooming, too. I have seen a few neighbors putting out their annuals. It is so good to see everything coming back to life.

            That’s the point of what I am writing. With all that is happening in the news, I mean with the corona virus, I am afraid we will miss what is happening right outside our windows. Maybe God is allowing us to have such an early spring to help us. He knew that we were going to need some hope, so He sent an early spring.

            I went for a walk the other evening, and besides taking in all the spring beauty I noticed something else. I heard so many birds singing. It actually made me stop for a moment to take in all the different songs I was hearing. As I began to look around, I saw the birds in the trees.

            As I continued my walk, I saw more and more signs of spring that literally surrounded me. The more I looked upon the beauty, the more my soul felt refreshed. My spirit was renewed as I shed off my worldly concerns and immersed myself in the beauty of His creation. In doing so, I felt the joy of the Lord deep down in my soul.

            It is so easy to allow the cares of the world to squash the joy and the presence of the Lord right out of our spirits. When you think about it, it comes down to a choice. We choose how much news we watch and when we turn it on and off. I believe it is important to be aware of what is happening. But we are choosing to take in less. The little bit we take in can still feel overwhelming, so we have to work at thinking about other things.

            I have consciously chosen to think about good things. I love to work in my yard. I am going to start planning and working on my garden. I am going to look for good news, like the fact that some of the schools in China are beginning to open again. I am going to read and watch some funny things; we all need to laugh. I started a novel the other day. I need to think about the author’s created world.

            My pastor talked about another choice. I am going to choose to live by faith, not in fear. The facts in the news can create a sense of fear. I want to be up-to-date with the facts, but I don’t want them to imprison me in fear. I want to live wise, like washing my hands and practicing social distancing, but not afraid, because God is with me and protecting me. I want to meditate on the goodness and faithfulness of God. I want to pray for family, friends, and fellow church members for more things than protection from the virus.

            I want to encourage you to let your light shine during this dark time. People need to see the difference that Christ makes in our lives. People need to see the hope and faith that is in our soul. We have the answer. I encourage you to make choices that will help your head and heart be firmly planted on the Rock of Jesus Christ. He is our hope and in Him there is no reason to be afraid. Don’t miss that.

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

By Doug Creamer

            We tend to be behind the curve on movies. It has been a long time since we went to the movie theater. We wait for them to come out on DVD or our streaming service. Current movies to us are actually ones that have been out for a while.

            Last week we watched Tom Hanks in, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” Neither of us grew up watching “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.” We were both aware of the show and have seen bits and pieces but it wasn’t one we watched. We both watched “Captain Kangaroo.” I am not sure that these two shows would work with today’s shortened-attention-span kids.

            Naturally, we like to watch Tom Hanks in about anything he does. He has the powerful ability to disappear into the character he is playing. Since neither of us watched Mr. Rogers, we weren’t busy trying to comparing the two of them. We just enjoyed the movie.

            The movie is really about a journalist who is assigned the task of writing a story about Mr. Rogers. The journalist asks Mr. Rogers at one point why he is attracted to broken people. Mr. Rogers smiles and tells him that he isn’t broken. He then reminds him of several very critical things that are building blocks to help this character turn around.

            As I watched the movie, I couldn’t help but think that we all need a Mr. Rogers in our corner. We all need to be reminded that we are loved and appreciated. Sometimes the circumstances of life can blind us with pain, suffering, and loss. I also think that worry and anxiety can keep us from seeing the world and those around us.

            We are all destined to walk through difficult things in life. We have a choice. We can walk through them alone or we can lean on friends and loved ones to help us see more clearly who we are and how much we mean to those around us.

            In the Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Baily doesn’t understand the impact he’s had on the world around him until the angel shows him. Each of us is broken in some way, and we need friends or an angel to help us see ourselves and our little corner of the world from a fresh perspective.

            We need our friends and our family when our minds feel overwhelmed by all that is going on in the world around us. This Corona virus has shaken all of our worlds. So I need you and you need me.

            Maybe the best thing we can all do is watch a little less news and spend a little more time with each other…as long as we stay at least 6 feet apart. We can watch a movie, play a game, or maybe go for a walk. We need to engage with each other, help each other to laugh, encourage one another, and help to lift this heavy burden we are all carrying.

            We need family. We need friends. We also need to check on our neighbors. In our country we have seen hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, ice storms, fires, earthquakes and many other tragedies…and what happens? We come together for each other. It doesn’t matter who we are, we are there for each other.

            I saw in one of the memorials for Kenny Rogers that he was a part of the song, “We are the World.” We need to come together like that again. We may come from different backgrounds, but we are all brothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors in this world. In moments like this we have learned how to put down our differences and come together as one.

            I strongly believe that everything the enemy intended for evil through the Corona virus, God can turn into something good. We will be there for our neighbors, friends, and family. We will come together in unity to discover the victory and overcome this evil with good. I believe that love triumphs over all sorts of evil.

            I want to encourage you to check on your family, friends, and neighbors. Help in any way that you are able. We are all able to pray, so lift us those who are suffering whether it is from health or economic issues. We serve a God who is more than able to meet our needs. I need you to make it through these troubled times, and somehow I believe that you need me, too. If we can act like good neighbors to each other we will overcome and come out better on the other side.  

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

By Doug Creamer

            You would have to be living under a rock and totally disconnected from all media not to know about the Corona virus. Initially the news changed daily. Now the news is changing hourly, and by the time you read this it will be changing by the minute.

            I never imagined that we would be dealing with such a bad situation. I thought it would be something like all the previous viruses that have spread around the world. The news media would talk lots about it, but that it would not affect my daily life. It would be just another virus for the record books.

            It is very sobering to see the world-wide impact of this virus. We have some incredibly intelligent people in the medical field; you would think that something would be developed to reduce the impact of this virus. Yet medical science’s best advice at this point is to stay away from each other. I am a very social person; this is difficult for me.

            I normally go to the grocery store on Tuesday and Sunday. For various reasons, I decided to go to the store on Monday afternoon. It was busy, but I was pleasantly surprised by how polite people were being. Everybody was pleasant and talking to one another, much more than usual. I saw the manager and asked if he was having fun. He laughed.

            I was also encouraged to see that there were plenty of groceries on the shelves. Yeah, stock was lower than usual, but there was plenty for everybody. Well, the toilet paper aisle was empty, but that isn’t news. I took a picture and sent it to a few folks for some laughs. I have seen the news where they are showing long lines, much like in the south when they mention the word snow or a hurricane coming our way.

            If you are feeling stressed, worried, and concerned…you are totally normal. I try not to live with fear, but those feelings have crept in. Ask God to give you His supernatural peace. Believe me, I have asked numerous times in the last couple of days and He has been faithful to give me the peace I need.

            I believe an important thing to help quiet our spirits is to be prepared. Think of it like the first snowflakes have started to fall or the first band of rain has reached the shore. There is still time to prepare for the storm ahead. I believe Jesus would tell each one of us, “We are going to make it through the storm.” It is prudent to get some supplies in so we are ready for the worst part of the storm.

            I also believe it’s important to be wise. It seems the best solution for the moment is washing our hands and keeping our distance from each other. This does not mean that we disconnect. I have been in contact with my pastor and my family and friends. We need each other. We need to laugh. We need to encourage each other. We need to help pull each other out of all the media negativity and remind each other that the Lord our God is good and that He will not leave us or forsake us…even if we happen to get the Corona virus.

            The hardest thing we have to do is to live in faith. Doubt and fear are pounding on my door. I’m sending Jesus to answer the door for me. There is no fear in Jesus. But the Corona virus is going to test our faith. The result will be that our faith will grow stronger. God wants us to draw closer to Him. God’s desire is to always be closer to His children. We will persevere. We will overcome. We will emerge victorious.

            We live in the world and sometimes the germs of this world will get on us. If you find yourself getting sick, don’t lose faith. God will walk with you through the storm. We are not alone. God is with us. God loves us. He will comfort and heal us. The name of Jesus is superior to the Corona virus and any other thing you are up against.

            I want to encourage you to stir up your faith and pray. Prayer is a powerful weapon against anything that comes against us. Banish doubt and fear from your house and grab a hold of the life preserver of hope called faith. We are going to make it through this storm. We are going to emerge victorious. Our God is with us, who or what can stand against our God?

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