Doug’s Columns

By Doug Creamer

            Every August I head outside late at night to watch the sky in hopes of seeing some meteors. August is the time for the Perseid Meteor showers. They tend to last for over a week, with one or two peak nights. I have a folding chair that almost reclines, and I take that out to a dark place in my yard and watch the sky for a magical show.

            This annual tradition all began over forty years ago. My sister was a lifeguard on the Outer Banks and worked for the National Park Service. She invited me to come and stay for a few nights with her. She would work all day guarding and I would hang out at the beach. After work we would eat dinner and then always did something fun.

            One night as I was heading to bed she told me about the meteor shower that night. She said she was getting up in the middle of the night to go out and watch them and asked if I wanted to go out with her. Sometime in the middle of the night she woke me up and we went out and laid on the picnic table to watch for meteors.

            When I looked up I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Where did all those stars come from? I had never seen that many stars in all my life. It was absolutely beautiful. Then the meteors started to fall. We were having a great time watching nature put on a fantastic show. Then straight overhead a meteor hit the atmosphere that lit up the night sky. It was a pure bright light that lasted for only a second or two. We both exclaimed, “Wow!” at the same time. It was spectacular! It left a trail in the night sky that lasted for over a minute. We were both so excited to see such an incredibly beautiful sight.

            I have gone out every year since, hoping that I might see something like that again. I have been lucky enough to see a few small fireballs through the years. I have also seen one huge fireball on a different night that was seen from several states. But the memory of that one night with my sister has kept me looking up every August in hopes of seeing something special once again. I love getting someplace where it is dark, especially at the beach, where I can look up at God’s wondrous creation and admire its beauty.  

            The darker you can get your surroundings the more you can see and appreciate the beauty of His heavenly creations. In the darkness, the slightest light can shine brightly. This is something we need to apply to our spiritual lives. God has placed His light in our spirits and we have the responsibility to let that light shine in the darkness.

            Many people live their lives walking around in spiritual darkness. They are hopeless. They are trapped in their sinful lives. They don’t know any way out or any different way of life. They are lost and in need of a savior.

            That’s where we come into the equation. God has put His light in our hearts to be a beacon of hope to those who don’t know His love and forgiveness. Our job is to share the light so they can discover God’s love, mercy, and hope. People who are stuck in their sin don’t realize that God has a plan for their freedom, and better yet, a plan for their future.

            God’s plan includes breaking their chains of sin and hopelessness. He wants them to experience complete forgiveness and total acceptance. He wants to exchange their anxiety and depression for His joy and peace. He wants them to stop feeling abandoned and join the family of God. He wants to change their destination from being separated from God to heaven where they will know His love and care for all eternity.

            I want to encourage you to let your light shine in this dark world. Boldly share your faith and the reason for your hope. Let those who are walking in darkness know that they can experience God’s unconditional love right here, right now. He wants to guide them into a life of fulfillment and peace. It’s available to them today if they will only open their hearts to receive God’s love and forgiveness. You can be the light that can lead people to God’s love. So let your light shine as a testimony of God’s love. Let your light offer hope to all who will come.

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

By Doug Creamer

            Everyone who knows me knows that I love weather. I watch the weather every day and keep track of storms. I may not know the high temperature we are expecting on a particular day, but I can tell you about storms that are on the way. My favorites are snowstorms and hurricanes. I will start tracking them long before the weather people on TV begin to mention them.

            I used to know all the weather people from both Charlotte and Greensboro stations. The internet allows me access to the models, which I follow very closely. Since I gained that access, I have almost stopped following the local weather personalities. I check out some of their websites, follow a few weather bloggers, and go to the Weather Channel website, too. I still prefer to drill down into the data myself and see what I think based on the models.

            When snowstorms and hurricanes are brewing, I check the models as soon as they update.  I have developed an email list of people who want to know what I am thinking about a major weather event. It is all for fun and to see how accurately I can “guess” what will happen. I include side notes about some possible extremes just for fun.

            It is Tuesday evening as I sit here at my computer. Hurricane Debby is now tropical storm Debby and she is planning to give us lots of rain. While we will experience some flooding in our area, the people along the coast will be experiencing significant flooding. The number one search on Google for that area is: how do you build an ark? But seriously, keep them in your prayers.

            When Noah built the ark it took a long time. His sons helped, but it still took a long, long time to build the ark. If we were given that assignment today, it would take large crews of men working overtime to complete such a huge project. All the crews would become good friends as they worked long hours beside each other to get everything complete.

            Working beside someone can help build connections, relationships, and even friendships. Deep friendships don’t develop overnight. It takes a personal investment of our time. Once a friendship is established neither time nor distance will break the bonds.

            My best friend and I became friends at work. We ate lunch together every day and talked about work, personal struggles, or whatever was going on in our lives at the time. Our friendship developed naturally over time. We spent time together at work and socially. We helped each other out. He helped me move; now that is a true test of friendship!

            Early in our friendship we developed two boundaries. We decided not to talk about politics because we were on opposite sides of the aisle. The interesting thing to me is that we both thought more alike than we realized. We could have discussed our different ideas because we were willing to meet in the middle and understand our different perspectives. The media portrays us as a divided country, but I believe if we could just sit down together and talk that we have more in common with each other than we realize and that we could become friends.

            The other topic my friend quarantined was faith. His faith was personal and private. I am very outgoing when it comes to talking about my faith in God. A couple years before he passed I was at his house when he told me that I was a good writer. I asked him how he knew. He said he had printed out and read all my columns and kept them in notebooks. His faith was deep and rich. I drove home that night reflecting on our friendship. We had talked faith for all the years we knew each other…we just didn’t use words. I miss my best friend mainly because we were real with each other and we were there for each other in spite of any differences.

            I want to encourage you to treasure your friendships. I was reminded recently that true friends look past different opinions to look at the heart. Someone who will stand with you through thick and thin is a true treasure. I miss my best friend, his laughter, the joking, the comradery, and the true judgement-free connection. It is hard for some to accept, but God wants to be best friends with you. All you have to do is open your heart to Him and spend some time with Him…the friendship will develop naturally, deeply over time.  

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

By Doug Creamer

            My garden has been weighing on my mind. With all the hot weather I haven’t wanted to work in the garden. The recent slightly cooler temperatures encouraged me to get out there. The weeds had taken over in two of my raised beds. I wanted to take back my garden beds and get them growing vegetables again.

            I got two wheelbarrows full of weeds and spent vegetables out of the garden. I did get a small harvest of potatoes and butter beans out of the weeds. I was glad to get something out of that space. Once the weeds were gone I planted seeds in hopes of getting a nice fall harvest.

            Most years I try to replant my garden around the beginning of August in hopes of getting a second harvest. It is normally hot so I will work late in the evening when it is cooler. I have actually been out there as late as midnight, weeding and planting my garden. I worked until about dark getting the two beds cleaned out and planted.

            Last fall we got some of the best green beans that I have ever grown. We are hoping for the same result this year. I always plant some sunflowers for the birds. I have tried some broccoli and lettuce. I tried some pumpkins a couple of times but they weren’t ready for Halloween. One year I had a good crop of peas and beans but lost them all to an early freeze.

            I never know what will produce and what won’t before we get a frost. Some years I have gotten lucky with some late tomatoes. It is hard to imagine cold weather when we are so hot. I have been lucky with late gardens in recent years, but gardening is a game against Mother Nature. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

            I am not a big gardening gambler. I will wait until the average last day for frost before I plant and I will use sheets to cover plants if a frost is possible. Sometimes I take chances, especially with a fall garden because I like to watch things grow. Planting seeds and watching them pop through the soil stirs hope inside me.

            It should be the same in our spiritual lives. We should share our faith in Jesus with others. When we do, we are planting seeds in their lives. No one knows which seeds will grow and produce a harvest. We don’t know if our words or actions might be the thing that helps a person turn and accept Jesus as their Savior. We know the results if we don’t share our faith.

            The trouble is that it is hard to share our faith. We take the risk of being rejected or ridiculed, or called a hypocrite if we aren’t perfect. Since we know that we aren’t perfect then the risk factor increases substantially. The other factor is that the enemy whispers to us that we aren’t worthy of sharing our faith. We know ourselves, so we sometimes listen.

            We have to take our eyes off ourselves and look to Jesus. Do you want anyone to miss eternity in heaven with Jesus? I don’t. That means I have to swallow my pride and put all those worries and concerns out of my head. I need to be willing to take the risk, open my heart, and share why I believe in Jesus. There are so many ways God has come through for me in my times of need. Those stories are my testimony to God’s love for me. Those undeniably true stories can penetrate the darkness and hard hearts that I hope to reach.

            Your journey of faith is a story that reveals the hand of God in your life. It reveals His faithfulness. It illustrates His mercy and forgiveness. It tells of His grace. It magnifies the depth and breadth of His love. It exposes His compassion and tenderness. Your story, my story, is worth repeating to anyone who will listen. It can melt the hardest heart and bring light into a lost person’s dark world.

            I encourage you to share your story with people. To those of us who are saved, it encourages us as we deal with the daily struggles of life. To the lost it offers hope that there really is a God who cares deeply about our needs and wants. So many people see God as being far away when in reality He is really close. Our stories illustrate God’s love in vivid detail. Take the risk; you never know whose heart might be ready to respond to God’s love.

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

By Doug Creamer

            We have been enjoying some nice rain showers at our house lately. After a long, hot, dry spell it has been a very welcome change. With the rain, we have enjoyed some slightly cooler temperatures. Anything under 90 for a high is appreciated. One of the real struggles with the really hot weather is maintaining my walking schedule. I love walking in the spring and fall but it is hard to make myself walk in the heat and humidity.

            Since I want to hibernate in the air conditioning, I don’t want to go out and work in my garden. I have gone out and picked tomatoes and some other treats from the garden. With the rain-cooled air I went out to inspect the garden the other day and discovered that I am losing the battle with the weeds. While I have been hiding inside, they have worked overtime to take over the garden. I pulled a wheelbarrow full of weeds the other evening and looked out from the house and I could hardly tell I had done any work at all! Bad weeds!

            I guess we are in the middle of summer. Some call it the dead of summer. I guess that comes before the Dog Days of August. I was thinking about the term “dead of summer” and realizing we have the term “dead of winter” for the middle of winter. There is no such thing as the dead of fall or spring, so why do we call it the “dead” of summer or winter?

            I guess it refers to the time of summer when most people prefer to be inside avoiding the most oppressive part of the summer heat. The dead of winter is the same, the holiday season is over and all we have to look forward to is the bleak winter while we wait for spring to emerge. The dead of summer and winter are the same in that we all stay inside waiting for the weather to change and become more tolerable. We can’t abide the extreme heat or cold.

            When we get to the middle of anything it seems hard to press on to the end. As runners get to the middle of a race they talk about getting a second wind. It’s a new deposit of energy to propel the runner to the end of the race. One runner friend says that sometimes as you hit the middle of a race there is a desire to quit but that the runner must persevere if they want to find the second wind.

            I believe there is a similar call to us in our Christian walk. We encounter struggles and challenges that try to push us down or knock us out of the race. In those moments God is calling us to dig deep inside and find the courage to persevere. Don’t give up. Keep trusting that God is in your situation and that He is fighting for you.

            I think that our ability to persevere is dependent upon where we have our eyes. Are we looking at the situations we are facing and feeling overwhelmed? Or are we looking at Jesus who is the source of our strength and keeping our eyes focused on Him? When we focus on our circumstances then we will obviously feel overwhelmed. If our circumstances are only minor inconveniences there is no need for faith to overcome. We will simply push ourselves through.

            However, when our circumstances seem overwhelming and our eyes are focused on them then we will find ourselves discouraged and feeling defeated. When the bills are greater than the income… When the medical situation is not improving… When loved ones are losing the battle with addiction… When worry, anxiety, fear, and depression are oppressing our minds… We have to refocus our minds and thoughts on how big our God is in EVERY situation.

            There is nothing too difficult for Him. There is no situation that He can’t turn around. There is no one beyond His reach. There is no bill He can’t pay. Peter walked on water until he looked at his circumstances and realized he shouldn’t be able to do that. He took his eyes off of Jesus. We have to keep our eyes on our Savior…Our provider…Our deliverer…Our victory!

I want to encourage you to press on, to persevere in and through your situation. We all need to remind ourselves of His many promises and allow them to propel us through our situations into His arms. We can persevere with His help. We can depend on our Heavenly Father. We just have to keep our eyes on Him and persevere.

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

By Doug Creamer

            Life has been challenging recently. We have both been dealing with some personal issues that have dragged us down. I feel like we are both running in low gear. There are things that need to be done but neither of us has any energy to get them done. We are staying afloat but we are just not seeing any headway. We also see God’s hand of grace and help.

            When I step back and consider the challenges we are facing and overcoming I realize that we are fortunate. I have neighbors who are facing far greater challenges. They are having to dig deep and trust God in far greater ways to overcome their challenges. Often when we are facing trials and challenges we try to make it on our own. Those are moments when we need to lean heavily on our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to draw on the energy of the prayers of those who stand with us as we go through our trials and storms.

            In moments of great challenge, especially when we are dealing with health issues, we have a tendency to pull back from our church family. We feel that resting at home will do us more good than being together with our church family. When we are struggling, we need to be with our church family so they can see our struggles and know how they can better pray for us and stand with us.

            That leads me to another way we struggle. It is hard for most of us to allow someone else to do things for us. When someone comes to help us in practical ways or make us a meal we struggle to receive that help. I am not sure what keeps us from being on the receiving end of a blessing. Most of us are good at blessing others but find is hard to receive blessings.

            I recently asked my Sunday school class: how do you see God in the middle of your struggles? Some look to God like Santa Claus, asking Him for everything without really wanting a relationship with Him. God has a deep desire to connect with mankind. He wants a relationship with each one of us. He doesn’t want to be Santa or a Genie in a bottle.

            The Bible teaches us that God has many names and I want to explore a few of them with you. First, He is Jehovah Jireh, God our provider. He meets our needs. Many think that is limited to our financial needs. God cares about ALL your needs and wants to help you discover how to meet them. It’s okay to express your needs to God. He cares about your situation and needs.

            He is also Jehovah Rapha, God our healer. I know that many of you need a touch from God in your physical body. I encourage you to let God know about your health needs. I believe God is still in the healing business today. I also believe that God will lead us to doctors who can help us and bring healing through procedures or medications. Our part is to trust Him as we walk through the process. He will be with us all the way!

            In our turbulent world, many struggle to find peace of mind. If you watch the news on a regular basis it is easy to see why you are struggling to find peace. There is no peace in our world. We all desire peace but it eludes us. The good news is one of God’s names is Jehovah Shalom, God our peace. Shalom is wholeness and peace of the body, mind, and spirit. We can find peace in God. When we turn our hearts and minds over to Him, He can give us an inner peace that helps us overcome the anxieties and worries in this world.

            There are so many other aspects of God that I have not even touched upon, but I want you to know that we have a great big God who is on your side and with you whatever you are facing. I want to encourage you to take your needs to God and then wait in His presence. Listen for His voice to guide you through your circumstances. He has a plan. He will see you through. He is greater than your circumstances. He will guard your heart and mind. Trust Him with the details. His love for you is greater than you can ever imagine. Let God surround you and meet your needs, Jireh; heal your body, Rapha; and give you perfect peace, Shalom!

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

By Doug Creamer

Time Flies

            Why does time move so quickly when we are on vacation? I just had a little time off from work and it seems like it went by so quickly. We stayed busy most of the time. Time doesn’t fly by like that at work, but it sure moves quickly when you get some time off.

            A chunk of the time was devoted to traveling to visit family. It is always nice to catch up with family and to enjoy some good food. I spent one glorious afternoon sitting on the beach with my sister, who lives just a couple of blocks from the water. We shared about our busy lives. We laughed about all kinds of things. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day on the beach.

            There is so much that has to be done before we travel and then there is always much to do when we get home. That time flies by so quickly. I also scheduled a couple of doctor appointments while I was off…more time evaporated. I could have scheduled those doctor appointments for another time, but that makes work weeks feel so busy.

            The Fourth of July fell during my time off. That was a great day that went by too quickly. My family gathered at my brother’s house for our annual feast. There were burgers and dogs along with all the traditional trimmings. The best parts were enjoying a meal with my brother and sister, spending some time with my parents, and cheering for the fireworks.

            I stayed behind to help my brother clean things up. When everyone was gone I asked my brother if he wanted to shoot a game of pool. My brother is competitive and very good at pool. I mainly enjoy the time we get to spend together. Basically, my brother always beats me unless I hit a particularly hot streak. I lost the first game. He accidently hit the eight ball in on the second game, so I won. Then fate pulled a fickle trick on my brother and allowed me to win. I was up two games to one. I quit while I was ahead. I am not sure if that is a rare event or if it ever happened before, but I can assure you that I will not let my brother forget it.

            I am really glad that I got to spend some quality time with my family on both sides. I realize that we are all getting older and that time truly does move quickly. Maybe it is not just vacation time that moves so fast but it’s time in general. I think we have a choice in the midst of time’s movement. We can choose to enjoy and connect with others and learn to treasure the time, or we can let it slip through our fingers and miss the memories.

            My Dad pointed out that my beard is mostly white. I told him that I am getting older. My brother and I talked for a little while about some decisions we were making and he said he appreciated my wisdom. The passage of time does afford us some wisdom and perspective if we will glean it along the way. We have to choose to learn the lessons of life as time moves along. Age is no guarantee of wisdom; we have to acquire the lessons.

            It is hard for me to understand that time does not exist in heaven. God saw my birth before it happened and He has seen my ending. He has an eternal perspective that is not restricted by time. When we pray about something and it seems like God is not answering, it only seems that way to us because we are living in time. He has answered our prayers and has worked everything out…we just have to wait to see the results.

            Whatever situation you are facing right now that seems to have escaped God’s attention… let me encourage you that God knows every detail of what is on your heart. It’s on His heart too! He has already acted on your situation. He sees it as done, fixed, and complete. He sees you on the other side. He sees you as overcoming. He has already answered your prayers. I know you can’t see it yet…but the key word is YET. Trust Him. Believe in Him. We live with time and yes, I do believe it flies until we are waiting for an answer from Him. Fear not! Your Father loves you and He will come through for you. It just takes a little more time.

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

By Doug Creamer

Chasing Storms

                We drove to see my mother-in-law a few days back. As we embarked on our drive I saw that her area had a severe thunderstorm watch out. I was monitoring things closely and determined that we would probably chase the storms in. The skies looked ominous at several points, but all we got was some light rain. As evening approached, I watched as the lightning danced across the sky up ahead. As predicted, we followed the storms as they pushed their way ahead of us.

                I have often wondered what it would be like to be a storm chaser. I am a weather fanatic and am definitely intrigued by all kinds of storms. I saw in the news that the recent hurricane went through the Leeward Islands with winds at about 150 miles an hour. I lived through Hugo many years ago and we experienced winds of about 90 miles an hour…that was plenty for me.

                Most storm chasers go after tornadoes. I have to admit that I would like to see one someday, but I want it to be way over there, not coming over here! I have watched in fascination many videos of tornadoes and they look incredible. Again, the desire to see one is tempered with safety.

                This line of storms that pushed through where my mother-in-law lives offered us several days of unbelievable summer weather. The highs were about 80, with low humidity and an incredible breeze. I know we won’t see weather like that again until fall. I enjoyed as much time as possible outside, letting the cooling air refresh me.

                Speaking of refreshment, I could really use some refreshing. I can’t point to any particular thing that is dragging me down. Life seems to always be busy, especially when we are in gardening season. There is always more to do than there is time to accomplish everything. The daily demands haven’t been overwhelming, but they do tend to keep my plate full.

                So where does this desire to be refreshed originate? There have been some extra things going on in our lives that have challenged us to trust God. I tell people it’s important to trust God, but how do I do with that when the chips are down? Turns out it’s a mix. For some things I have learned to depend on God and have many testimonies of His faithfulness. For other areas I have had to engage my faith. My pastor tells us we have to stir up and engage our faith when we are walking through challenges.

                He is right, spiritual growth requires challenge. God wants my faith to grow stronger, so He allows for increasingly more challenging things to come into my life. Why would He do that, particularly when He could protect me or prevent those challenges? The answer is God wants to grow my faith. He wants me to trust Him more.

                Some of the storms have passed and He has proven Himself to be faithful. Others are still on the horizon. I see the lightning flashing and know we have to go through them. No skirting them. No getting around them. He wants us to walk through them…holding onto His hand. 

                This has me in an interesting place. I am hungry to be in His presence. I find myself chasing after Him with every spare moment. I want to be in His presence where I know I can draw the strength I need to make it through the challenges I am facing. I know we are going to make it through. I know He already sees us through to the other side. It is my job, our job, to trust Him and lean on Him as He guides us through to the other side. He has never let us down before and He won’t start now.

                I am not sure what things you are facing, but I bet you are facing some storms of your own. Let me encourage you to put your trust in Him. It’s a test and He has given you the answer guide. The answers are to pray, engage your faith, and trust Him. I know it is challenging, but God is in the faith-building business. He wants to get a testimony out of your situation. He wants you to be able to tell others how He came through for you. So run after Him, chase Him, find in Him the strength you need in your situation. He is with you. He will strengthen and refresh you. Don’t let those storms scare you. Your God is way bigger than any of them.  

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

By Doug Creamer

            It’s time to fire up the grills. Let’s make sure we have plenty of hamburgers and hot dogs. Better get lots of ice because I think we are in for a hot 4^th of July. Don’t forget to get a pack of fireworks. Too bad I don’t know someone with a pool. I am looking forward to seeing who makes it this year to our family gathering. It’s always quite a crowd.

            We are hitting the halfway point in the year. Just like the holidays give us an opportunity to get together for some great times of fellowship, so the 4^th of July gives us a reason to come together for another family gathering. It is great when we have the opportunity to gather and catch up on our lives.

            We lead such busy lives so it is great to take a day and slow down. It gives us the opportunity to catch our breath. We need to disconnect, if only for a few hours, and focus on the important things.

            Time marches on and we need the reminder to savor the time we have with each other. No one knows how much time he or she has so we can’t take it for granted that we will be here. Connecting, sharing our love, expressing our gratitude, and simply living in the moment with each other is so important. We need to celebrate each other.

            July 4^th is the celebration of this great nation. We are a free country. We live in a nation that people from all over the globe want to come and live. It’s the land of opportunity. Anyone who lives here can become anything they want if they are willing to work hard at it. We have the opportunity to make a better life for ourselves.

            Sadly, our politicians strive to divide us into US and THEM. They try to convince us that their group is better than the other group. They try to pit us against each other. Sadly, some people have fallen for their tricks and deceptions. Most people you meet don’t see us as different. We are Americans. We come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds. Yes, we may see things and look at things differently, but that is what makes us a great democratic nation. We find and strive to discover ways to make it work. We are a nation of the people, by the people, for the people.

            I have had the privilege of teaching social studies in the GED program at the community college.  Reading about our history and the people who sacrificed so much for us moves me deeply inside. People have fought for our ideals. Many have laid down their lives so we can live freely. This week, let’s commit to turning off all the political noise and focus on our unity as a nation. We have so much in common and so much to enjoy. When you are enjoying the fellowship of family and friends this week, lift a glass to this great nation.

            When it comes to unity, we as Christians should be leading the way on how we can bring people together. If your church is like mine, we all come in various ages, colors, and sizes. Jesus taught us to love one another. People should be able to walk through the doors of our churches and discover God’s love exhibited through His people.

            Sadly, some people and churches think they are better than others. There are obviously differences in appearances and programs between churches. Some are large and some are small. But those things shouldn’t matter if we are all focused on loving Jesus. If each church keeps their eyes on Jesus and what they are called to do in their location then God’s purposes will be fulfilled. The gospel will spread and people will discover God’s love.

            For the next couple of weeks when you go to church, I want to encourage you to examine your church family and see if you are loving each other and welcoming guests to the house of the Lord. Do people feel love and accepted even if they aren’t perfect? Do we come alongside those who are struggling, or do we condemn them? Do we value each person, both young and old? Do you find yourself celebrating that you are the family of God and that all are welcome no matter their background or their upbringing? Let’s celebrate us! Let’s celebrate the church where sinners can find a home filled with hope and love.

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

By Doug Creamer

            I just looked out the window and noticed that things are looking a little dry. We watered everything just a couple of days ago, but it looks like we need to water again. We are in a dry spell, and with hot temperatures expected from now through the 4^th of July holiday, we will need to keep a close eye on the potted plants. The raised beds out back are doing a little better, but they are thirsty, too.

            A friend asked how my garden was doing. Things are coming along well. I am not going to be getting many beans, as the rabbits have eaten the plants even though I planted seeds several times. The tomatoes are coming along but there won’t be any for the 4^th. Other things are growing well, but I think I could use some fertilizer. I think the garden should be a little farther along, but maybe that’s me being impatient.

            Speaking of the 4^th, I am looking forward to our annual family gathering. My brother hosts the gathering and you never know who might show up. There will be little toddlers to the elderly patriarchs gathering to celebrate family, friends, and of course, our nation’s birthday. I eagerly await the food, laughter, and joyful celebration.

            We used to host the family gathering on the 4^th many years ago. My adult nieces and nephews were young kids and they loved going over to the Faith Fourth Celebration. After we came back there was always a water fight. It started out simply with squirt guns and water balloons, but would eventually become hose fights. One year I thought I would outsmart my brother and climb up on the roof and attack him from above. I didn’t think about him taking my ladder away, thus trapping me on the hot roof with no water supply. His kids have never forgotten those good times.

            Summer seems to revolve around having fun and water. Many have already or will soon be heading to the beach for a refreshing getaway. Others will be going to local pools, or if they are lucky, jumping into one in their own back yard. I have always preferred swimming in pools to the ocean. I love being near the ocean and even allowing the waves to wash up on my legs. I prefer to allow the animals to swim in the ocean while I stay safely on the shore.

            I am hoping I will get to see the Chesapeake Bay when I visit my sister soon. The last couple of summers I have visited her and we have either walked the beach or sat out by the water and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon together. The water has a way of calling to us. We have fun and can relax when we are near water. It has a way of refreshing and renewing us.

            Summer invites us to rest and relax, and often we do that near water. We need that sense of renewal mentally and we need it spiritually, too. We need to slow down and spend some time in quiet reflection with Him. We need to gauge where we are and where we need to be going. When we can disengage our minds from daily routines and the hassles of life, we can engage with our spiritual life.

            If we are honest with each other we could all use a refreshing swim in the water of His Spirit. We need to be washed and cleansed from all the things of this world. This is not our home or our destination. We need to wash our eyes from all the distractions of this world and refocus our vision on heaven. Who wouldn’t want to take a deep drink of God’s heavenly waters and receive the refreshment that comes from being in His presence? I want that sense of renewal to invigorate my spirit, that water from heaven’s river to touch and renew me.

            As we step into summer and all the wonderful times ahead, take time to be in His presence and allow your spirit to be refreshed. There are always going to be hot, dry times, so take advantage of your vacation time to connect with your Creator and drink from the water of His presence. He wants to refresh and invigorate your spirit. He wants your vision to be renewed. He wants to reveal the path to His heart to you. He, the God who created the entire universe, wants to spend time with you. I encourage you to connect with Him and allow the water of His presence to fill and refresh you.  

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

By Doug Creamer

            Have you looked at the calendar? We are almost halfway through June, which means we are almost halfway through another year. Where does the time go? Most students are now enjoying summer vacation. I always loved school letting out for the summer as a child and as a teacher. I enjoyed the freedom and being able to sleep in. In my current job, we get a nice break around the 4^th of July, but not the summer off.

            As a little kid, summer meant swimming and golf lessons. I remember having fun camping out in the backyard. I also remember trips to see my aunts and uncle, and spending time with my grandparents. As I got a little older I went off to Boy Scout camp. I have lots of great memories of summer vacation.

            As I got a little older, I started a lawn business. I never made what the guys make today, but I enjoyed what I did make. When I turned 16, I started working at gas stations. I worked weekends while I was in school, but basically worked full-time in the summer. Summer jobs included gas station attendant, waiter, hotel front desk clerk, and auto detailing at an auto action.

            Summer always makes me think of the beach. I did most of my growing up living in Virginia Beach, but we rarely went down to the tourist area of the beach. We mostly went down to Nags Head, where my parents occasionally rented a house for a week. I have some great memories of family times down at the beach. My older sister life-guarded with the National Park Service and I had fun visiting her, too. 

            Summer also makes me think about gardening. It seems like my mother always had a garden with fresh veggies. BLTs were a summer staple at my house. There is nothing like picking a tomato and making a juicy sandwich. I’ve always loved fresh sweet corn. You can’t beat picking corn and eating it less than 30 minutes later. The garden also yielded beans, cucumbers, and peppers, among other yummy treats. We didn’t grow watermelons, but we ate plenty of them in the summertime.

            My mother would go strawberry picking in the early summer and she would make preserves. I am not sure which I liked better, the fresh strawberries or her preserves. We often saved one jar to enjoy at Christmas. One fun summer memory related to fruit came after a great day at the beach. Dad was driving home and we saw a fruit stand. He pulled over and we bought a basket of freshly picked peaches. I had eaten plenty of canned peaches but never a fuzzy fresh one. “What is this fuzz?” I remember asking. “Just eat it.” Mom said. We all did and we had juice running down our chins all the way home.

            There are so many great summer memories. Dad would shoot basketball with my brother and me late in the evening after supper. Summer nights with the windows open and fans blowing. Summers always seemed to feel carefree, although I am sure they weren’t. Reflecting and remembering the good times is part of the treasure of getting older.

            It is good and important to remember our past, especially in a spiritual sense. We need to remember when we were baptized. We need to remind ourselves of the many times we prayed for specific things and God answered our prayers. We need to remember how the Lord stood with us through troubled times. We need to remind ourselves how the family of God was there for us when times were tough.

            We need to remember our pastors who pray for us and with us. We should thank God for the messages they taught us and the way they led us. We need to reflect on church socials and the laughter and joy we shared. There are so many special holiday gatherings as a church family throughout the year. It is also good to remember how we have grown, changed, and matured in our Christian faith.

            I want to encourage you to reflect on your walk with Christ and be thankful. He has been there for you, never giving up on you. It is good to remind yourself of the many victories you have experienced, especially when you are going through tough times. It is good to remember the power of prayer to change circumstances. It is good to be thankful for the family of God who surrounded you in tough times. Summer memories are great, but spiritual memories can be life-sustaining.   

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