1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
God has always had an amazing focus and plan for His church.
It is and was not God’s plan for us to suffer or go through difficulties, but rather be victorious, because of the price Jesus paid.
This salvation that Jesus paid such a dear price for compares to nothing in this world. It is the most amazing gift of God ever.
Prayer: I lift my hands to rejoice and worship You for this wonderful salvation that You have given to me. Help me to share it today with someone that they may hear the gospel and receive eternal life. I praise You Lord that I can expect blessing and Your favor each day. Amen.
With all the cold of recent days, the warm spell last week had me thinking of spring. The cold was back on Wednesday morning when I went out to run in the steady rain, darkness and wind. At 32 degrees, I had plenty of preparation in place to stay dry and warm once I stepped out the back door, that step being the hardest one on such a morning.
I only wear a bright yellow rain jacket when the rain is steady, and this Wednesday morning filled that bill. Water standing in the road occasionally gets me sprayed by passing cars. When both cold and raining, I wear mittens with Food Lion bags tied around them to keep the rain out. A warm toboggan and a rain repellent ball cap over it both work well to stave off a wet head. My bare minimum distance since returning to running has been 3.5 miles and Wednesday totaled just 3.6. I’ll make it up.
Part of a rainy morning run is a pair of worn-out shoes, since they will get wet, sometimes very wet. I have plenty of used up pairs of shoes around for this purpose. Those shoes that haven’t been used for yard or barn shoes and still have a little bounce to them are the best. The first step back into the warm house is the third-best step of the morning. The second-best step is the one that ends the run, just ahead of my morning prayer walk.
After only missing one day on the road since being cleared to return to running by Novant Health’s sports medicine back specialist Dr. Eugene Eline on November 1st, I reached 430 miles completed on this challenging morning. A new pair of Brooks Glycerin shoes from Ralph Baker Shoes, my first ever of that model, has boosted my recent running pace. I still have some more improvement to do, but I try to push harder each day. Saturday is nine months since the accident.
It is time for SRR’s Spring Beginning Runners Class signup. The new class, sponsored by SRR, Salisbury Parks and Recreation and the Salisbury Police Department, starts on Tuesday evening, March 11th at 6pm. Spring classes are usually well attended and have the benefit of lengthening daylight as the class run gets longer each week. We start walking/running a half mile on the first night, then we gradually increase to 3.1 miles for the graduation evening of April 29th. The pace for all the runs is very gentle and each has the intended goal of just covering the distance. Participants are encouraged to run at a pace at which they can run and talk at the same time. Some walking is permitted, especially during the first weeks of the class.
Weekly meetings begin with a half-hour classroom session taught by local professionals on such subjects as shoes and equipment, running form, stretching and strengthening, injury prevention, nutrition and safety. Each participant gets the 8 week class, a training shirt, membership in Salisbury Rowan Runners for a year and free entry in the Bare Bones 5K on May 24th. Cost for the class remains at $65. More information on registering for the class is available at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org. Both online and mail-in options are available, and sign-up can be done on the night of the first class. For more information, you can also call 704-310-6741 or 704-202=6601.
Our next race is the Will Run for Food 5K and Fun Run at Centenary Methodist Church on February 22nd. All participants get a complimentary t-shirt and some fantastic homemade refreshments, plus a chance at overall and age group awards in addition to some cash prizes. Carla Kluttz, former NC State Champion brownie maker, is the race director and can be reached at 704-433-3755.
“Everygoodgift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” -James1:17
What a thought! ALL the good things, all the blessings, every joy in our life is sent to us by God. And best of all, because of His unchanging character, this will never change. As the old hymn says, “Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Tonight, focus with me on all the good things coming down from our heavenly Father.
Bonus verse:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things God has prepared for them that love Him.” -1 Corinthians 2:9
You really need to consult your wife before making BIG decisions… Steve Hartman tells the story that illustrates what family can be and that dreams sometimes cost us more than we realize… ENJOY!!!
I need to find something easy for the project I am working on.
Is there an easy way to do that math problem?
Easy or not?
Probably not.
Remember seeing people at the fair or circus doing magic tricks?
Were those magic tricks easy or not?
Probably not.
They probably took some practice.
Have you seen a worker using an excavator to load up a ton of dirt? Well, it may not be a ton, but it looks like it to me. They swing that bucket around, move it here and there, and if we stay long enough, we will see them load up that dirt and dump it in just the right spot. Personally, I think it is worth stopping to watch.
Easy or not?
Probably not.
In the last several years, your family may have grown by a baby or two or even three.
One of the spouses may now stay home and take care of the baby.
Easy or not?
Probably not.
Worth it? Of course.
In the last several years, has your family faced hurdles or roadblocks?
We all run into those quite often.
If it is a hurdle, it must be jumped over.
If it is a roadblock, it must be gone around or broken through.
Sometimes, it must be picked up and moved out of the way.
That is not easy.
Doing hard things.
Is it easy?
Not likely.
But – is it worth it?
Of course.
Research shows that doing hard things in life brings results.
The unknown is that what is a hard thing for one person may not be a hard thing for someone else.
What about the things in life we wish we had done?
What about the things in life we wanted to do, but did not do?
Do the hard things.
We will grow as a person.
We will become a better person.
We will become more productive.
Doing hard things can actually be a time of joy.
Crossing a hurdle can seem difficult.
Going through a roadblock can seem almost impossible.
Life not only involves doing easy things, but it also involves doing hard things.
Interestingly, easy and hard can merge and blend into something that is no longer hard.
Having access to – and using – the right ‘tools’ makes all the difference.
Did Jesus do hard things?
You know the answer to that!
Romans 5:8 – While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
If you have missed the series, The Chosen, you have missed one of the best pieces of media to bring the life of Christ to life. It is powerful and moving. This is a link to the trailer for season 5… WATCH it!!!
It has become a common reflection that January drags on, but February is over before you realize it even began! Well, usually, that is the case. However, many may argue that with Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of six more weeks of winter, it has been more like Februweary – neverending. Are there seasons you wish you could speed up? It is a sentiment that is as old as legends.
In Book of Virtues, William Bennett includes a story in the anthology about a young boy (Peter) eager to get through the boring and mundane things of life (like school days) to have fun and enjoy life. One day, an old woman meets him in the woods and offers him an extraordinary gift – a shiny ball filled with a golden thread. Ever so slowly, the thread dispenses from the ball with the passage of each moment. A word of caution accompanies the gift – the child may speed time by pulling the thread but can never put the thread back into the ball. Thus, careful consideration before tugging the string is a must. Also, he may never tell a living soul about this magical gift, or he will die.
Peter thoughtfully considers pulling the string while at school to rush towards playtime. After a while, that is not enough, and he is ready to be through with school years altogether. As you can imagine, the boy wishes to rush through many other struggles and heartaches – learning a trade, waiting to marry his sweetheart, years in the military, hard times as a family man, and the sickness of loved ones. Finally, as he ages, he notices his mother has, too, a little too quickly and then dies. He looks at the ball, whose thread has turned to silver and then a dull gray, and realizes that while he has gotten his wish to hurry time, he has also rushed life for himself and others. In his desire to get through mundane, tedious, difficult, and hard seasons in life, he now looks back on missed days accumulated as years with those he loved. Much of life was in both the tedium and the hardships.
We may not be assisting our moments and days away with a magical ball, but the lure of technology, numbing entertainment at the tip of our fingers, and mindless scrolling are but a few of the aids that have stolen our time. Are we conscious of the time we are losing? Are electronic devices the magic ball pushing us through time instead of experiencing seasons gloriously or even mostly unremarkably? Perhaps you can think of other things getting in the way of relishing simple joys.
Christians understand the need to make the best use of time (see Ephesians 5:16). Sometimes the best use of the time is not in our productivity or arriving at the goal but in the slow process of investing in the precious lives about us – little people in our shadows, cherishing those in the winter of life, appreciating those with whom you live and should love daily but most likely take for granted.
What will you see as you look back over your life – memories to cherish or missed opportunities – even in the uneventful or difficult seasons? How are you cherishing and investing today? There are still a few days left this short month – redeem the days you have ahead.
Ashlie Miller has enjoyed a very boring winter with her family in Concord, NC. You may connect with her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.
There have been a number of people I know who have been suffering from flu, RSV, or Covid. I have also heard people coughing in stores. I find myself wondering, “are you contagious?” I don’t want to get sick. I don’t have two weeks of my life to spend in bed getting over whatever it is that someone else is dealing with right now. I try to be careful and wash my hands and stay away from people who appear to be fighting some kind of illness.
I struggle all year long with allergies, which are different from being sick. I don’t need to add sickness to my allergies. I went for my semi-annual check up with my doctor the other day. There was a woman in the waiting area who appeared to be sick. Another woman came out of the office who was obviously sick. The woman in the waiting area asked, “Have you got it, too?” I thought about what I observed. Both women, who knew they were sick, were considerate enough to have been wearing masks to protect others from whatever infectious thing they had.
When I was a kid chickenpox was making the rounds. At the time, doctors told parents to expose their other children and go ahead and get it over with in their household. It is very contagious and kids passed it around like candy. We know now that was not a good idea because the chickenpox virus is what can cause us to get shingles later in life. Thanks, Doc!
Our knowledge about infectious viruses grows as time moves on. We do the best we can with the knowledge we have at the time. We hope that most people will be considerate of others when they are contagious to stay home and try to get better before being around others and sharing their germs.
The idea of being infectious or contagious has been tumbling around in my mind. I have been wondering if we have the kind of faith that is infectious or contagious. Do we live our lives in such a way that those around us could “catch it?” Are we living so others are attracted to our faith?
The Bible tells us to be ready in season and out of season to give the reason for our hope. Our hope comes through our faith in God. We have a relationship with the living God and we can’t stop talking about it. Have you ever been around a newlywed couple? They can’t keep their hands off each other. They look like their eyes are glazed over. No one in the world exists besides their new spouse. That’s how it should be with our faith in God. Sickeningly contagious!
I understand the reality of life. We all walk through trials and difficulties, but does that have to keep us from having a contagious faith? Imagine Paul and Silas; they are beaten and whipped, then put in a dungeon with their feet in stocks. They are hurting physically without pain meds. What do they do? They pray and sing hymns to God. WHAT? Guess what happens. The jailer and his entire family came to believe in Jesus. Why? Because in spite of unbearable circumstances their faith in God shone brightly. It was desirable to the jailer. He wanted what they had!
When we find ourselves in the middle of difficulties we can’t walk around defeated. We can acknowledge the facts but we need to express our faith in God who we know and believe will come through for us. That kind of faith is contagious. It’s easy to have faith when everything is going great, but can we express our faith in God when things are not going our way? Do we believe that He can work all things out for us in a favorable way? When the doctor report isn’t great or circumstances are challenging us at every turn, can we and do we depend on God to help us overcome our circumstances?
I want to encourage you to remember that God is on your side. He sees your problems and difficulties and knows the path to a better place. I know you trust Him because He has come through for you in the past. Express your faith in Him for your current situation because He will be faithful to you. When we can live expressing our faith during the trials of life we will have a contagious faith. We will have the kind of faith that others desire for themselves. The world around us needs to be infected; are you contagious?
The ride on the stationary bike was damp and chilly this
mid-February morning. However, what I saw in the world of birds on and around
the feeders in our back yard confirmed a suspicion of mine formed last week.
Riding along, I saw more than one bird fussing with another,
and not always for the sunflower seeds in the feeders and on the ground
underneath them. It seemed that everywhere in the back-yard birds were glaring
at each other or chasing another of the same breed or carrying on in a frenzy
of, yes, spring. Perhaps the most dramatic display was by two brown thrashers:
One would chase the other until the chased thrasher turned as if to scold the
chaser who retreated a few paces. Then they would individually hunt for seeds,
then the chase would begin anew. I finally lost sight of them when they
disappeared into one of the large azaleas. The morning ride was easier because
I watched the birds instead of the bike odometer, and the time of exercise was
past.
However, as I later thought of the birds’ display of early
mating, I thought of how the important cycles of the world go on, often without
our noticing. We get so captivated by secular happenings we lose sight of the
ageless cycles of life of our only planet. But the words of Solomon should be
remembered and appreciated each day: “To everything there is a season….”
The natural world has much to offer. Yes, it is violent and
harsh at times. Yes, it is beautiful and refreshing at times. But we are to be
its stewards “to dress it and to keep it.” Yet, when we get too obsessed with
the secular world we have made, such as the political one, we lose sight and
appreciation of the natural world that surrounds us. When we become too
self-important, we forget that we are just one of the many creations of Him. We
are made in His image, yes, but if we allow that fact to “go to our heads” we
run the risk of losing sight of our place in the totality of life.
All the birds are doing it—preparing for a new cycle of
life. They, like the lily of the field, do what they do. Perhaps if we each got
out more, leaving the cell phone in the house, and walk around our block,
seeing the world as it is and not as some news channel reports it, we would see
that we only have each other, all of us made by Him, who does not make trash.
A chilly and cloudy morning became a sunny afternoon in the mid-50s with little wind, a perfect day for runners and walkers. Registration was down some for the 42nd Annual Forum Fitness Winter Flight 8K/5K and Fun Run but the event still had plenty of energy. Five states were represented and one special participant, David Rushe, came from Ireland.
Rushe works for the Magellan Aviation Group, an aircraft parts firm based between North Carolina and the West of Ireland. He said, “I am in the process of relocating to Charlotte for a time. and my colleague, Amanda Dunn, who is a keen runner, recommended I come to Salisbury with her and her daughter Morgan, for the 8K. I have run a few Dublin marathons in the past, but never an organized race in the USA. It was a great experience and a fast course! Also, as a train nerd, I managed to take a spin around the NC Transportation Museum in nearby East Spencer.”
A fast half mile fun run on the track, free and open to all ages, was won easily by Drew Adams of Salisbury in 2:58. The top female was Hadley Bryan in 3:34. The wheelchair race was next with five participants from Ainsley’s Angels, regular participants with handicapped riders pushed by able bodied runners. 60-year-old Bill Johncock pushed his son, Logan Johncock, to a fantastic wheelchair time of 37:37 over the 8K course. Johncock thanked race organizers for providing the Angels the no-charge opportunity to compete each year at Winter Flight.
Just before the start of the 8K/5K race, Neil Wilkinson, who has traveled America doing the National Anthem, once again wowed the participants and spectators with his rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. With that, the 8K and 5K runners and walkers soon hit the pavement. Blowing Rock’s Daniel Shaffer was the class of the field as he took a quick lead in time to capture cash for the first male to the mile on the way to a sizzling 8K winning time of 24 minutes and 15 seconds, a 4:52 per mile average.
Tristin Van Ord and Ann Marie Tuxbury, both also of Blowing Rock, had a close battle for the female 8K win until Van Ord pulled away for a 27:17 win. Tuxbury took the first to the mile award.
Top Rowan County 8K runners were Brad Mueller of Salisbury with a time of 27:50 and Rebekah Julian of China Grove who clocked at 39:02. The 8K was the NC State Championship event, with Shaffer and Van Ord taking those honors.
Jacob Willis of Manassas, Virginia, won the 5K in 17:33, while Elizabeth Taylor of Salisbury was the top female with her finish time of 24:42.
As Kyna Grubb, Executive Director of Rowan Helping Ministries says, “The real winners were the clients of Rowan Helping Ministries.” All proceeds for the event went to Rowan Helping Ministries, just as they have for many years. In addition to The Forum, other primary sponsors were Catawba College, host for the event, the City of Salisbury, Global Contact Services, David Post Law, The Trophy House, Debbie Suggs Catering, Millbridge Ruritans and First Horizon Bank. Over 50 sponsors supported the event.
Speaking of winners, Grubb won the Skinny Wheels Pedals and Pints gravel bike raffle, a first for Winter Flight and with 643 tickets sold. Winter Flight commemorative hoodies are available at The Forum for $15 and two for $25, with every dollar of those sales also going to Rowan Helping Ministries. Besides the City of Salisbury, which provided police and fire coverage for the historic event, other communities supplying police coverage were Faith, Granite Quarry, Landis and Rockwell.
With experienced planning, good work and good fortune, race day came together extremely well. 11 cases of water were left at the finish line, and all but two bottles were used. Those went to the timing team after all the runners had left for the gym and the real refreshment area, where more than 160 awards were given out. Next year’s tentative date for Winter Flight is February 1st. Thanks to all who participated, volunteered and sponsored!
From a previous column, you can now contact Stu Stepp’s stroke support group at Stu.stepp@rccc.edu
Our next race locally is the ‘Will Run for Food’ 5K and Fun Run at Centenary Methodist Church on Saturday, February 22nd. This and other upcoming events are listed on the race calendar at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org
