Smart Exercise in the Heat

by   June 25, 2020 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Last week’s column about my struggle with dehydration during heat and humidity generated considerable response. This issue can derail nearly everything we do including overall health. The very worst dehydration issues for regular exercisers are increased by heat and humidity. So, what can we do to keep exercise going from May through early September? 

With summer in full effect, I have noticed my runs have begun to feel different. What should be an easy pace now sometimes feels like running in mud and working harder to get nowhere fast. The warmer the weather, the harder your body has to work to keep cool. Your heart rate will be higher and breathing more difficult. The reason why is your body is directing blood to the skin to cool you off through sweating. That means there’s less blood available to transport oxygen to your muscles. What would usually be an easy-paced run often feels more like a max all-out effort.

Just this last week had two extremes for summer running. We had more of the previous week’s heat and humidity, and we have a couple of strangely cool days with rain. My own running results followed the temperature, but with higher temps the humidity becomes the culprit too. 

Here are a few things we can do, garnered from 40 years of experience, to make outside exercise a little bit more comfortable during the next few months. Most of us have had enough of being inside already. 

Morning temperatures are usually the coolest during the summer. It also will give you a break from the strongest hours of sunlight. The humidity can sometimes be high in the morning, but at least you won’t see the blazing sun. And you may even get the treat of a gorgeous sunrise. You want to be sure to avoid the middle part of the day, which will be the hottest. Some science supports that strong sunshine cuts time to exhaustion by half. 

Wear as little clothing as legally possible. If you are the sports bra only or shirtless kind of person, do that. Stick to light-colored, loose, wicking materials. Now is not the time for wearing all black or cotton. No matter what fabric you are wearing, Body Glide works for preventing chafing.

 Some runners use sunscreen even for early runs or late runs since the summer days are brighter early. Just be sure it’s sweat proof, avoiding the pain of sunscreen and sweat in their eyes. A hat or visor will not only protect your skin from the sun, but it will also help to keep your face shaded while making a rainy run more fun. Soaking the hat or visor in cold water before heading out the door can help to lower body temps to feel cooler.

We should start off slower than during the cool days. You’ll want to gradually increase your heart rate rather than starting out too fast. Same thing for the end of the run. Consider a gradual slow-down that includes some time for a moderate walk. It will help regulate your heart rate and cool your body a bit. With most of my individual running clients, we include a relaxing and contemplative walk at the end of the workout. 

A short revisit to hydration includes a couple things I should have added last week. Hydration is one of my favorite subjects with lots of theories on how much water we need. My all-time favorite is a simple one; half the body weight daily in ounces. For a person who weighs 150 pounds, they need a minimum of 75 ounces of water daily, not counting how much you add for exercise. Drink up until thirst disappears afterward. Start your exercise hydrated, because another rule of thumb says you will never catch up while working out. 

The American College of Sports Medicine says any high intensity sporting event with a temperature above 82 degrees should be canceled so it’s OK to back off a little. 

Your outside exercise results will change as a function of how hot and humid it is, your degree of effort, and how you’re dressed. But highest among all of these remains hydration. Get it right and summer exercise can be done!

Get updated information on upcoming events including Saturday’s Shiloh Missions 5K in Faith at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

Who’s Following You?

by   June 23, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Do you remember learning how to ride a bike? Me, too. I balanced myself for a second — and my mother let go. I kept going, the wind in my face, completely free. But the driveway was about to end, my bike began to wobble, and fear set in. The crash was coming. That is when I realized I had been followed by my mother — the entire 10 seconds. She grabbed the bike just in the nick of time to keep me from falling.

I remember my little ones learning to walk, as I followed along behind them, hunched over, leaning down toward them in order to catch them if they fell.

I remember my children a few years later, walking excitedly around an amusement park, becoming oblivious to the fact that they needed to stay with me. When they realized they had walked away from me, they looked back, fearful that they were lost. But, I had been following them the entire time.

These were special times — my mother following me — and me following my children.

But they pale in comparison to the promise of being followed in Psalm 23:6.

For it says:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

Just for us — I am going to break the verse down, so we can savor every ounce of it:

Surely — surely means we are believing with assurance and confidence that what is being said is true. How in the world could anyone doubt it?

Goodness — God is not only good, but is good to us. He helps us avoid evil. He helps us when we begin to wobble or fall, and supports us when problems arise. He surrounds us withgoodness.

And — not only is there goodness, but there is goodness and mercy. And joins them to let us know we can have both.

Mercy — mercy is compassion and forgiveness. It delivers us. It comforts us. It restores us. Our sin is not greater than God’s mercy. Does it ever run out? No, it is new every morning.

Shall — shall means it is inevitable that it will happen.

Follow — when one follows someone, that means they travel behind them, run after them, or pursue them. Goodness and mercy are following us.

Me — me means me — and you.

All the days of my life — all means all — in all the days — and in all the seasons — of our lives.

God sends goodness and mercy to follow us — because we are his children.

Being followed by goodness.

Being followed by mercy.

For how long?

All the days of our lives.

That’s a promise we can cling to.

Moving

by   June 20, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I have moved a lot in my lifetime. It’s not fun. It may be exciting because you are buying a new house, but it’s still not fun. When you are young and energetic it can be manageable. As you get older and have collected more stuff, moving can be a challenge.

            Last week my pastor moved out of his house and I offered to give him a hand. Thankfully, he hired movers to take care of all the heavy lifting. A number of members of our congregation showed up at different times to offer help.

            The family is not moving directly into a new place. They are moving into a house temporarily until they can find where God is sending them. Part of the reason for the move was to downsize. They moved most of their stuff to storage and only took the bare necessities to the temporary place.

            My pastor’s wife, like my wife and I, loves to grow things. She has quite a few plants in pots that she didn’t want to lose in the move. My wife and I decided that we would adopt her plants while they are in transition. A few more plants here are no big deal. As I was packing the plants up, I heard a sound. I jumped back as something moved. There was an old toad among the plants.  I had to stop and take a picture. The toad was not invited to come along.

We know they will be moving again soon. There is a wish list for their next place and hopefully the Lord will open those doors quickly. They know God has a purpose for this temporary stop and they want to discover and fulfill it. Waiting on God and being obedient are never easy things.

            As I was driving a load of plants to my house, I was thinking about the high cost of obedience. Abraham was called to leave his home and travel a long distance. God showed him the Promised Land, but Abraham never got to own any of it. He had to trust the Lord and live in obedience so that one day his descendants would possess the Promised Land.

            The Bible calls us to a life of surrendered obedience. When we invite Jesus into our hearts, we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. If we allow Christ to fully live in us, we might do things sometimes that seem illogical. Jesus is looking at the whole kingdom and may need us to play a role in a place for a period of time to reach a lost or discouraged soul. Consider the lengths God went for you. Sometimes He might need us to go the distance for one of His lost sheep.

            My pastor has been teaching us about being inconvenienced. When we are about Kingdom business, we are going to be inconvenienced at times. Jesus was inconvenienced when He left heaven to come to earth to provide the way for salvation. It’s not hard to conceive that He would inconvenience us in order to take His message of love to a lost and dying world.

            Following Jesus often involves waiting. I hate to wait on God. He seems to move slower than molasses at times. But sometimes God’s plans involve waiting as He works out all the details. That means that He has to work on people’s hearts to get them to the place where they will walk in obedience. He is patient with people, giving them the opportunity to come around, which means that other people are forced to wait on God.

            God is always working behind the scenes to bring about His purposes and plans. We can’t always see His hand at work because He has to do the delicate work of changing someone’s heart. He is patient, kind, gentle, and willing to work slowly with us as He is with others. That’s why we have to wait. That’s why we might be inconvenienced. That’s why it is so important for us to be obedient. Someone’s eternal destination could depend on it.

            If you feel like God is calling you to obedience, to be inconvenienced, or to wait on Him, I want to encourage you to hang in there. God is doing something marvelous. The details often take some time to work out. Trust Him with every area of your life and He will do great things in you, through you, and for you. You may have to wait a little, be inconvenienced, and you will definitely have to be obedient if you plan to enter in. I believe God has a great future for you.

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

WHOOPEEDAW!!!

by   June 18, 2020 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

If I were ever nominated for sainthood I’d have to decline the honor. I remember vividly one day years ago when our three daughters were young enough to toss into the tub together. We were in a very small rental and I was struggling physically. I thought that if the girls would play in the tub maybe I could sit in a chair and rest for a few minutes. When I stepped in to check on them the lovely green shag carpet squished beneath my feet. The floor was saturated with at least two inches of water.

“HOW DID YOU GIRLS MAKE SUCH A MESS?!”

[In case you’re wondering, the caps aren’t locked. I was screaming. Generally I’m not a screamer but at that particular moment I made an exception.] Three cherub faces went from exceeding joy to fearful explanation. “We were just playing Whoopeedaw.”

“WHAT THE BLANK IS WHOOPEEDAW?!!” [Yes I was swearing. Until that point the girls had only heard that word in Sunday school in the Biblical context.]

Tearfully the eldest explained. “You know… WHOOP-ee-daw! That’s when we slide to the front, then slide to the back, and a big wave comes and we yell ‘WHOOPEEDAW!’’ By then all three of them were sitting quietly trying to suck tears back into their faces. It’s funny today, but at the time I thought I might lose my ever-lovin’ mind. Along with this episode and a few others which shall remain unconfessed, I nullified my chance at mother of the year.

Have you noticed the current trend? On Mother’s Day we extol the virtues of those who’ve raised kids to near sainthood. But on Father’s Day, woe to the man who ventures into church. Typically he will be chastised and berated for defects he may or may not have. Sadly it’s much easier to spot the shortcomings of others than the failures in our own lives.

Another current trend is all inclusive blame. ALL democrats are blank. All Southerners are blank. All men are blank. It’s gotten so bad I feel guilty for being alive. Can we just stop it? What if we lived without condemnation and allowed others to do the same? I doubt seriously that any of us really qualify for sainthood. Remember that time YOU made a mess for someone else to clean up? Remember that time you said hateful words while you were angry? Remember that time you got aggravated at church and wished you were on the golf course? Yeah… me too, except I don’t play golf. Let’s take a step back and realize that in the grand scheme of things, we’ve got it pretty good; even if our green shag carpet is soaked beyond repair. The Lord, as usual, cuts to the chase with a few simple solutions. “This is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” –Micah 6:8b

I think it’s worth a try. WHOOPEEDAW!

A Good Talking to

by   June 16, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

A good talking to?

The sixth-grader was cornered. The parent-teacher conference had reached its conclusion, and truth had come out. He had been quite slack at school — and his grades were proving it. As they were leaving, his dad said, “He will be getting a good talking to when we get home.”

I have thought those words.

I have heard those words. 

I have said those words.

A ‘good talking to’ is an idiom that means a stern lecture or scolding.

An example is when I was a teenager, and my mother would say, “Get that chip off your shoulder.” I knew there was no actual need to look on my shoulder for a chip, but I got her point.

Sometimes, we may have to give ourselves a good talking to if:

• Our joy has not felt joyful.

1 Peter 1:8 says that though we have not seen him, we love him. We believe in him. We rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.  

Our joy is inexpressible and glorious. Joy is the kind of happiness that does not depend on what happens. 

• Our compassion has not felt compassionate.

Matthew 14:14 says that Jesus went forth, saw a great multitude, and moved with compassion toward them. Jesus went. Jesus saw. Jesus moved. How? With compassion. Where? Toward them.

 We go. We see the multitude. We need to move — with compassion — toward them. Compassion is passion with a heart. It is about giving all you’ve got.

• Our words have not been sweet.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 says to let our words be few. Proverbs 16:24 says that pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to our soul, and health to our bones. 

Words can encourage. Words can destroy. Choose them carefully. Talk less. Use pleasant words when we do.

• Our labor has become laborious.

Ecclesiastes 5:18 says that it is good and pleasant for us to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all our labor. Verse 19 says we are to rejoice in our labor. It is a gift from God.

Enjoy our labor. Rejoice in it. It is a gift.

The ‘good talking to’ between the dad and his son may — or may not — have brought great results. My mother’s warning about the chip on my shoulder may — or may not — have brought great results. But, being talked to from God’s word always brings great results.

Ready for action?

Write this down:

Have joy.

Have compassion.

Use sweet words.

Rejoice in labor.

Let’s carry it with us as a reminder.

We never know when we may need to give ourselves a good talking to. 

KABOOM!

by   June 13, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

KABOOM!

            A little over a week ago I was enjoying a quiet morning on my front porch. It was overcast and the temperature was nice. A light rain began to fall. I went into the house for something and when I opened the door to return to my quiet sanctuary…it happened… KABOOM! With no warning, lightning struck CLOSE!

            The intensity gives you the shakes. I closed the front door and decided I was fine in the house. A few minutes later I heard the siren start. I listened to determine what direction they were heading. The siren kept getting closer until I looked out the front door and saw the fire truck parked on my street.

            I went out to saw the firemen walking around my neighbor’s house. The lightning had struck a tree in his backyard. My neighbor used to have a light attached to that tree. The lightning rode the wire down into the ground, exploding the soil, and then rode the wire into his house. He had multiple breakers pop and was naturally concerned that there might be a fire. The firemen checked everything thoroughly and his house was fine.

            In all the excitement, I didn’t realize that I had a few breakers pop in my house, too. When I noticed some lights not working, I went out and flipped the tripped breakers. Then our wired smoke detector went off. I went over and asked one of the firemen if he would mind checking things out for us. He determined that the lightning had just fried our smoke detector. We were fine and safe, too.

            We had more fun that day when we found out the lightning had messed up the cable in our community. Evidently, when lightning strikes the ground it runs into the cable lines. The cable guy said that all kinds of parts were destroyed in our community. They had to change a part on our house, too. My neighbor needed new cable parts inside and outside his house. One lightning strike did a lot of damage. Thankfully, our homes are safe.

            The lightning strike changed things instantly. This got me to thinking how quickly things can change. The phone rings and you receive bad news. You are doing everything right while you are driving your car and a deer runs out, or someone hits you and you have an accident. It only takes a second and everything changes.

            In those crazy moments in our lives, it is hard to imagine that God is in control. We naturally ask, if He is in control, how could this happen? One of the first things we need to understand is that there is an enemy out there who hates us, who wants to destroy us and our faith. He has a bag full of tricks to ruin us. He is the master of doubt, worry, and fear, and he loves to give us all big helpings of discouragement. He is the architect of terrorism. He infects people with hate and jealousy. His mission is to kill and destroy.

            God, on the other hand, loves us. He wants the best for us. He wants us to live in harmony, peace and prosperity. He wants to encourage your soul and offers shelter from the storms of life. He wants to protect us and has a plan of escape from the enemy. He is our Father who is filled with faith, the author of hope, the giver of perfect love.

            So when you have a KABOOM in your life, run to God. He will keep you in the palm of His hand as long as you don’t run away. He sees the best in you and knows how to turn every situation around for His glory. There is nothing you are facing that is too difficult for Him. He promises to walk with you through your circumstances. Sometimes God calms the storm around us. Other times He gives us supernatural peace so we can walk through the storm with Him.

            I want to encourage you to give God your KABOOM moments. Trust Him to see you through it. Know that there is not one detail that has escaped His attention. There is no room in the boat for fear when you are in the boat with God. Turn your eyes on Jesus and let the circumstances disappear in His wonderful presence. He knows how your story ends, trust Him with every detail. Let His peace and love envelop you and guide you. God’s got you and He’s got it all in control.

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

Busy Berm

by   June 12, 2020 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

            Our house on Lake Norman was built in 1996 and is as modern as the date states. Since it is of the newer era, there is a sixty-foot long berm between it and the house of our neighbor. There is no need to complain about such matters because that is the way things were done, just like all eras of any culture. However, ….

            The landscaper that built and planted the berm must have believed that “more is better.” In the sixty feet are three crepe myrtles, two hollies, five azaleas, two dogwoods, one unknown species of evergreen bush, and one camellia. That is what remains after we had two hollies removed and all plants professionally pruned. We did not commit “crepe murder”, so they have tall, strong limbs that are about to bloom, giving the berm an umbrellaed look, and one large gap where a holly grew gives a view to and from our neighbor. Yet, the berm plants still need thinning so that all its plants can get light and fill out into their natural selves., especially the ageing azaleas that struggle under the canopy of dogwoods, crepe myrtles, and the holly.

             When it was planted, all the trees, shrubs, and plants were small, so the berm was pleasing to look see. The black, landscape matting gave a false promise of no weeds growing in the berm, and the top layer of mulch gave it all an appearance of controlled, natural beauty. Then the plants did what they do, they grew in height and size. They spread their limbs reaching for sunlight. They sent out roots in search for water. They became competitors, and some won more than others, but the fight was so fierce that there was no winner, just sixty feet of exhausted warriors. Because of poor foresight or just not caring, the once fine-looking berm had expanded into a frightful mess. For the sake of the berm, some plants had to be removed, killed.  The berm has been a constant reminder for Mary Ann and me since we moved here nine months ago. As we plant our flower gardens, we are conscious of not planting too much. The temptations of Brawley’s Garden Center are many, but we remind ourselves that everything we plant will require space, water, and attention.  In years hence, we do not want our flower gardens to look like the berm did, but to be a joy to share and see.

            So many modern lives are like our berm—overplanted. We accumulate items in the belief that the wealth of our lives is stated in how much stuff we have. We commit to more and more charities, committees, luncheons, and such as if our worth as a person is tallied in how busy we are. We purchase houses and automobiles beyond our means to stay in the running of the race to financial ruin. The landscaping fabric of our lives, cheap credit and empty promises and beliefs, will not keep out weeds, but eventually be covered by dirt and seeds that will sprout into unwanted growth.

            Like any gift giver, God does not dictate what each of us does with His precious gift of life. Our free will allows us to spend our years on earth as we wish. But the life overfilled with things, commitments of all types, and desires of the world is like an over-planted berm that will  one day be too crowded to bloom as it should and full of unwanted growth.

The Change

by   June 9, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

January 2020 had arrived. In the year 2000, I had asked my students to predict what 2020 would be like. They overwhelmingly decided that the big story of the year would be flying cars.

I was not seeing that, but the new year did feel special, and I decided to pray for a year of transformation. It was a prayer that seemed to transcend my normal prayers, for it went leaps, bounds, rivers, and mountains past a New Year’s resolution.

It felt like a cry from my heart.

Transform means to change completely.

Transformation is the process we use to get there.

I began to form my strategy for transformation 2020 by making a list:

• This needed to be changed…

• That needed to be changed…

• If only they would change…

Oops…my list had already begun to include changes I felt others should make.

Planning the transformation of someone else in order for me to be transformed?

Probably not the best strategy.

I needed for change to begin in me — not for me to attempt to change others.

My planning was not going well. It reminded me of watching a bee stuck in a spider web, buzzing around, putting forth great effort, but making no progress.

I remembered working as a cashier when I was a teenager. Change had to be given back on most purchases. We were not allowed to say, “Here’s your change,” and hand it to them. Instead, we had to count out the change one coin at a time, as we placed it into their hands.

Quite often, after customers had gathered their bags and walked away, they would turn back and ask, “Did you give me my change?”

I would smile and say, “I sure did.”

As the months of 2020 began to pass, I realized my change had begun.

It was not the change that had been on my list.

It was much better than that.

My change came from Ephesians 4:23, “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”

To renew means to give fresh life or strength to — which was what I needed.

The changes were delivered into the spirit of my mind. It was not instantaneous. They came one at a time. They came straight from the hand of God. As they came, I reached out to accept them.

The spirit of my mind — had been renewed by God.

For God who made me can also renew me.

Change had come — and not through my plans or my power.

I had not even needed my list of changes — he had a list prepared for me.

When I began to realize change had come, I could not help but think, “Lord, did you give me my change?”

I somehow think he smiled and said, “I sure did.”

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