Blessed

by   August 14, 2023 with No Comments

Beatitude. Beatitude. Beatitude. Say that three times really fast. Something about that word never got my proper attention until recently.

If I heard the words ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ I envisioned a lovely mountainside, picnic baskets, and Jesus.

There were picnic baskets, right? It WAS the longest sermon on record.

But hearing the word ‘beatitude’ did not sound nearly as special – until I saw the definition. Beatitude means supreme blessedness.

We all want supreme blessedness, right?

Well, the beatitudes are the key.

Blessed are:

The Humble. Humility means to have a modest view of our own importance. Not to think less of ourselves, but to think of ourselves less.

The Mourners. We are in a world that believes in happiness at any cost. But – Ecclesiastes 7:2-3 says that it is better to go into the house of mourning than the house of feasting. Sorrow is better than laughter. By the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

The Meek. Meekness is about our behavior toward others. The word is meekness- not weakness. It is meek – not EEK! Moses was described as meek in Numbers 12:3. Jesus said, “I am meek and lowly in heart,” in Matthew 11:29. They had great power – but it was power under control.

The Hungry for Righteousness. Righteousness is the desire to do what is right. It is desiring God. It is pursuing God. We should be hungry for righteousness – and go after it!

The Merciful. Mercy is what you give to someone who does not deserve it. Compassion. Forgiveness. Surely the word mercy originated at the cross – as the greatest show of mercy possible was extended to us – the sinner.

The Pure in Heart. Man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

The Peacemakers. Jesus gave His life to make peace between us and God. We are to carry that message of peace to the world. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Colossians 3:15

The Persecuted. Persecution often refers to those who are mistreated because of religious beliefs. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12

The beatitudes say that if we do these things: We are blessed. We will receive the kingdom of heaven. We will be comforted. We will inherit the earth. We will be filled.

We will obtain mercy. We will see God. We will be called the children of God.

That, my friends, is supreme blessedness.

*8 beatitudes from the Lord that teach us how to live.

*Beatitudes – my new favorite word.

*Godly examples for us to follow.

*Teach them to our children and grandchildren.

*Let the beatitudes be a part of our family legacy.

*That sure was some great preaching on the hillside near Capernaum.

*Brought to you by: Jesus in ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ in Matthew 5:3-12.

Long Term Lessons from the 2nd Grade

by   August 13, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Armed with the most adorable puppy-themed green Trapper Keeper, a zipper pouch of brand new pencils and crayons, I marched into the 2nd grade of my new school. Though shy, I always looked forward to the first day of elementary school. Mrs. Deal met me at the door with a smile and the look of someone well-acquainted with children.

We each have a favorite teacher or grade, like Mrs. Deal and the 2nd grade. To this day, I can recall songs she taught us, though I can barely make out most words in many worship songs on the radio today. I can remember Bible verses we worked through, though now, I cannot give you more than three digits from the phone numbers of my dearest contacts.

She made completing schoolwork a joy, rewarding those who finished well and early enough with time at a quiet table enjoying puzzles or games. I still employ that tactic with myself on mundane housework. “After this load of laundry, I’ll read one more chapter from my book while sitting on the porch.”

Likewise, character development had rewards with a merit system for multiple categories, sometimes resulting in a small cup of ice cream with a tiny wooden spoon as a sweet reward. Today, the benefits of pursuing godly character are sweet and long-lasting.

Mrs. Deal planted the first seeds of international missions into my 2nd-grade heart. Stories about Amy Carmichael thrilled my soul and made me wonder about others worldwide. I have since served on missions teams at local churches, supported friends on long-term and short-term missions, and read many biographies to my children, including the one about Amy Carmichael.

I know she is a Christian and well acquainted with Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” I wonder how many students she has had through the years who can attest to that truth and her part in their lives?

Caregivers who send their children off to school, if you have done the work of finding a good teacher, as you entrust them, pray for them regularly. Thank them often and tell them when and how their influence translates at home. Parents who teach from home, the children are soaking up so much that you are well-equipped to teach them. Enjoy the gift and pray through the hard seasons, trusting a good harvest in the years ahead.

Teachers in traditional school buildings, you may only sometimes get to see the long-view results, but your work matters and is shaping each child. A child’s one year with you may instill something unique that stays with him for a lifetime. Though not immediately, when looking back, they will one day see the many hands God has used to shape them, and I pray they one day give you a delayed, but well-earned thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Deal!

Ashlie Miller is a homeschool teacher of 5, often using the tools she learned from Mrs. Deal in 2nd grade. You may reach her at ashliemiller.com.

Taking Care of Yourself

by   August 12, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            Have you ever had more to do than time to get it done? We all have times when our calendar is so full that we feel overloaded. Many people get overloaded during the holiday season, but that isn’t the only time that we allow life to overwhelm us. Sometimes the pressures come from work, while other times it comes from our personal lives.

            I remember when I was teaching and we approached the end of the semester how stressful it would get trying to wrap things up. There was always a pile of papers that needed to be graded and recorded. I had to go check on my work-release students. I also had to prepare for class each day. I was always sleep-deprived and I would drink lots of caffeine, forcing myself to push through. 

            When everything was done, I would collapse. Your body will allow you to push the limits for a while, but then it will require some catch up. I know that I have been guilty of pushing myself many times in the past. You have to do what you have to do. Deadlines have to be met and you have to dig deep to make it happen.

            We can also find ourselves drained when life comes at us from too many directions.  It’s okay when one thing goes wrong and we can focus on solving that one thing. We fix it and we move on. But when five, six, or seven things are all calling our name at the exact same time and needing immediate attention…those moments create undue stress.

            It’s often during these crazy times that we neglect to take care of ourselves. We put ourselves on the back burner. We forfeit sleep in order to try and get something off our plate. We neglect exercise or fail to give ourselves some down time. We add one more thing to our calendar. We lean on the energy from caffeine and chocolate, expecting our bodies to respond.

            When we neglect to take care of ourselves we can’t perform at our best. When our stress level is through the roof, how can we expect ourselves to get it all done? When time pressures are pressing us, something has to give. The result is poor performance, hurting people we love, or possibly health issues because we are failing to take care of ourselves.

            I don’t believe that God expects us to be super-human. In fact, God tells us that we need a Sabbath rest. God spent six days creating our world and universe and then He rested on the seventh day. He tells us in His word that we need to rest, too. Some things are going to have to be put off until next week. We are going to have to learn to say “no” to other things. I have a hard time saying no because I don’t want to disappoint people.

            God puts the responsibility to take care of ourselves squarely on our shoulders. That means that we have to get proper rest…take a day and unplug from the demands. That also means that we need to exercise our body. My doctor has made it clear to me that I need to walk. Walking is great for the heart, legs, mind, and spirit. I have found that when I skip walking because I need to get things done, I suffer for it. Some people swim, run, ride bikes, or lift weights…whatever you choose, do it for yourself.

            Some people may argue that acting this way is selfish. The opposite of that is true. When we take care of ourselves by getting proper rest, eating good food, and getting some exercise, we will be healthier in body, mind, and spirit. Then we will be better equipped to serve God’s Kingdom and our families and our employers. Being stressed out and pulled in too many directions leaves us drained and unable to be the blessing God intends in all areas of our lives.

            I want to encourage you to focus on taking care of yourself so you can be ready to serve Him in whatever capacity He needs you. God can do great things through us, but He needs us to take care of our bodies (His temple). That means get proper rest. That means feed your body good food, your mind with good thoughts, and your spirit with God’s word. That means get the exercise and take the medications your body needs to be healthy and strong. Then you will be ready to serve Him to the best of your ability.

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

An Educational Opportunity

by   August 11, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

During the weekend when Representative John Lewis was being honored in his home state of Alabama, a thirty-year-old state representative who represents a district northwest of Montgomery chose to honor another native of Alabama.

According to his Facebook post, Will Dismukes gave the opening invocation for the annual celebration of Nathan Bedford Forrest’s birthday. His post showed him standing behind the lectern surrounded by several Confederate flags at a location named Fort Dixie. He writes on his post, “Always a great time and some sure enough good eating.”

Dismukes and all the other celebrators at Fort Dixie, someone’s private property near Selma, are free to observe the birthday of a Confederate officer, a slave owner, and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Kian. They are free to hang all the Confederate flags they want and to continue this annual event with  all the “good eating” present at such occasions.

It does not surprise me that some areas of America still celebrate such men as Forrest. What shocks me is that a politician so young as Dismukes would attend, participate, and share his role on Facebook, then he expresses surprise that some readers react negatively to his post. A graduate of Faulkner University and the pastor of his Baptist church, Dismukes  saw nothing wrong in honoring Forrest but not Lewis.

Senator Tom Cotton has spent a year trying to stop the use of the 1619 curriculum in public schools. He views the curriculum as biased concerning racism is America. Senator Cotton firmly believes that America is not a racist country and that slavery was “a necessary evil” that helped build our country.

While reading various newspaper accounts of Senator Cotton’s battle against the 1619 curriculum and of Dismukes’ celebration of a racist traitor to America, I kept wondering how did these men manage to graduate college and law school without gaining knowledge of slavery and its horrific effect on America? As an educator who required students to read and discuss and write about books by Richard Wright, Earnest Gaines, Alice Walker, and Gloria Naylor, to name a few, I am saddened that these men, elected leaders, have such a limited understanding of that “peculiar institution.” I wonder what they understand about the Jim Crow era and how Dr. King, Jr. used non-violence for change.

Dismukes is only thirty. I had believed that we had done a better job of educating our young people. Yet, he chooses to honor a bigot, not a hero. He chooses to go to a place named Fort Dixie, which is  ironically near Selma, where Mr. Lewis helped change our country. Does his choice to travel to Fort Dixie and not Troy, Alabama demonstrate his failure to learn our history or does it speak to our failure to educate him?

Senator Cotton writes falsehoods and pushes misinformation about the practice of human chattel. I wonder what he has read about slavery. Has he considered reading Tocqueville’s examination of slavery. If his blind loyalty to Southern heritage prevents him from reading an account by a non-American, I highly recommend Hodding Carter’s Southern Legacy, which examines the South, but does not glorify it.

My take of all this  is that we have a long way to go in educating our citizens concerning slavery, the Traitor’s War, Jim Crow, and more. But because of the influence of COVID-19 on our educational system, we have the opportunity to change our educational systems. The pandemic has given us a chance. Let’s take advantage of it by teaching the true history of our country.

Lillington to Elizabethtown

by   August 10, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Leftover from my last trip as we ran out of print space was Lillington, county seat of Harnett County. A post office called Lillington has been in operation since 1874. The town was originally called Harnett Court House but was then chartered by the State of North Carolina on March 4, 1903. Lillington is named for John Alexander Lillington who was an officer from North Carolina in the American Revolutionary War, fighting in the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in 1776 and serving as brigadier general in the state militia. Lillington is on the Cape Fear River and has a new Harnett County Courthouse. Campbell University is adjacent to the town.

My first stop on July 3 was Raeford, county seat of Hoke County, N.C.’s 99th county. Raeford was granted a U.S. Post Office on Aug. 11, 1885, when it was still in Cumberland County. There were no paved roads, and the economy was strictly based on cotton. The men who operated the turpentine distillery and general store wanted the post office in their store for the convenience of the townspeople. In order to choose a name for the post office, they took a syllable from each of their names. One being John McRae, and one being A.A. Williford, and the town name became “Raeford.” The only high school in the county became the Raeford Institute. Raeford was originally settled on the site of an old cotton field with those few families who had settled there making up the population in 1898. In 1899, the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad was extended to the present-day Raeford. When the first train came down the track, teachers let the children from the institute walk through the woods to meet the train.

Raeford, chartered in 1901, was composed almost exclusively of people who had moved to the community in the interest of their children obtaining a better education. Today’s Raeford has the 1912 Hoke County Courthouse and is located about 22 miles from Fort Liberty (Bragg).

My next stop was Fayetteville, county seat of Cumberland County. In 1783, Cross Creek and Campbellton joined together and the new town was incorporated as Fayetteville in honor of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, the French military hero who aided the American forces during the Revolutionary War. Fayetteville was the first city to be named in his honor in the United States. Lafayette visited the city on March 4 and 5, 1825, during his tour of the United States.

After a devastating downtown fire in 1831 that consumed 600 buildings, the city built a Market House. The new building had a covered area under which business could be conducted since every store in Fayetteville had been destroyed in the fire. Completed in 1832, the Market House became both the town’s and county’s administrative building until other buildings could be replaced.

General Sherman’s Union Army entered Fayetteville on March 11, 1865, where a skirmish occurred near the Market House. On the site of Ft. Liberty, the last all-cavalry battle of the war occurred at Monroe’s Crossing. Sherman’s army caused major destruction to the city.

Since the 1960s, Fayetteville has been one of the fastest growing cities in the state. Fort Liberty, with about 57,000 soldiers and 14,000 support personnel, provides a major boost to the local economy.

The downtown portion of Fayetteville was really cool with historic buildings, the train depot, restaurants and shops. The modern Cumberland County Courthouse is just a block away from the previous one, built in 1926. The 1923 Hotel Prince Charles, after a long list of owners, has recently reopened as The Residences at the Prince Charles with two original rooms combined into one apartment. Parking was easy with lots of marked places on the street. So easy that I got my first parking ticket, one that I will appeal. Not a meter or sign in sight and I only was gone from my truck for 50 minutes.

Lumberton, county seat of Robeson County, was my next stop. Located in southern North Carolina’s Inner Banks region, Lumberton is on the Lumber River and is named for it. It was founded in 1787 by John Willis, an officer in the American Revolution who owned land nearby. Developed as a shipping point for lumber used by the Navy, logs were guided downriver to Georgetown, S.C.

Lumberton was formally created by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly on Nov. 3, 1788, which granted the town a charter and the power to levy taxes. Most of the town’s growth happened after World War II.

Robeson County was impacted by Hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018, which broke the flooding record. As a result of extensive damage to homes, entire streets in south and west Lumberton were left abandoned.

Luther Britt Park has 143 acres for outdoor recreation and Lumberton has the annual Lumbee Indian Homecoming each July. The Robeson County Courthouse is modern, built in 1987.

Then on to Elizabethtown, county seat of Bladen County. Established in 1773, the town is currently celebrating its 250th year with several events. No one is sure of the town’s namesake. The most famous resident is Lt. Col. Brown, a former NASA astronaut and retired United States Air Force colonel. He participated in six space missions and the airport, the Curtis L. Brown Jr. Field Airport, is named in his honor.

The Battle of Elizabethtown took place in town during the Revolutionary War on Sept. 29, 1781, when a small force of about 60 patriots defeated roughly 300 Tories. The Tory Hole Battleground has a marker denoting the battle.

While I was there, rain threatened but never got serious. A large townwide sidewalk sale was in progress and drew plenty of pedestrian traffic. I stopped for a couple of pastries at “Burney’s Sweets and More” before leaving this friendly town. Five more counties done for a total of 79, with 21 to go. See you next week!

Knowing Him

by   August 9, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Philippians 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

  • After all things of the world that we want and pursued nothing compares to knowing Him.
  • In fact, most things have absolutely no value after all the energy we put into it, so we focus more and more on the things that do matter – our wonderful Lord.
  • Our value system changes the more we know Him.  He becomes more valuable than anything on this earth.

Prayer:  I lift my hands in praise and worship to You today Lord acknowledging there is no one like You that You are my Lord and my King and all these other things have no value to me besides You.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

An Owl in the Birdbath

by   August 8, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

We love riding our motorcycle through the country. Unchartered territory! Exploration at its finest! One day we passed a huge ceramic owl in a birdbath. I wondered if we were supposed to be tricked into thinking it was real. Who would put an owl in a birdbath? Was that to scare off the other birds? Then why have a birdbath in the first place if you don’t want birds? A house down the road had the entire dwarf clan plus a gnome, snow white, and Santa thrown in for good measure. It was redneck utopia.


On another ride we passed a country church with a sign out front that said, “Be a fountain, not a drain.” Was this meant to be spiritual insight? Perhaps a reprimand to an unruly church member… Usually church signs just get on my nerves trying to be all spiritual, but this one cracked me up. So one day when one of my afore-mentioned godly daughters was griping, [notice in this story she only gets a small “g” in godly], I said to her, “Be a fountain, not a drain.” She replied with an Aretha Franklin head wag, “I’ll have you know that drains are necessary too. Without drains all kinds of stuff gets backed up!”
Had to agree.


Some guys in Nehemiah 4 were being drains, and not in a good way. There was mocking and rage involved. Have you ever been the victim of gossip and anger? Hurts doesn’t it. If only people would give you a chance to explain. Have you ever been the one making fun of a work or a plan? Have you ever given your opinion at the expense of a ministry? I am very sorry to say that I have. The results were very displeasing to the Lord. I have been a part of the naysayers in ministries past. But with great conviction I am asking the Lord to strengthen me to never take part in negative speech regarding ministry again. It takes effort. There is always a better way to do things. But why tear a wall down when you can build one up?


Hebrews 10:24 says, “Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.” I like how the King James phrases this verse. “Encourage one another while it is yet today.” Sounds more urgent. It is not an accident that the next verse says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do…” God knows we need encouragement. And so do all the people around us. Today, “while it is yet today,” encourage someone. Refrain from negative speech. Build someone up. Take notice of something praiseworthy and point it out in front of the person you are building. Do that for your children. Say to a parent so their child can hear, “I saw Jesse being kind to his little sister today. He must be growing stronger in the Lord.” Watch their response. It’s catching.


With all that said, today’s prayer is for positive speech, and intentional building up of those around us. Encourage one another while it is yet today. And watch out for all those owls splashing around in a birdbath near you.


More Proverbs 6:16-19 Proverbs 14:1

Double Feature…

by   August 7, 2023 with No Comments

I haven’t posted a Steve Hartman story in a few weeks…. so I am giving you a double feature. The first is about a collector… no, it’s not Barbee… it’s washing machines…. You will enjoy it….

The second is about a dog that… well, I just won’t spoil the surprise AND it is a surprise. ENJOY!!!

Overlooked

by   August 6, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

As mentioned before, I love beach combing. Maybe you do, too. My treasures often vary depending on the beach we visit. Sea glass finds me at North Topsail. Holden Beach recently delighted me with my largest shark’s tooth find. When you know where and what to look for, landing upon a discovery brings immense satisfaction!

I especially like learning about what lies beneath my feet from other beachcombers, some of who are legendary – up at 4am, often after a storm, scouring the shores while the rest of us slumber. This year my two teen sons astounded us all – not by their finds but rather by the fact that they willingly woke up at 5am to scour the beaches and watch the sunrise. One morning, they met a legendary beachcomber and learned about something new to us all – pirate glass. Sea glass is familiar, but what was this “pirate glass”? My sons learned that in Blackbeard’s day, the infamous pirate’s rum bottles would be disposed of in the sea. Time has broken them into shards and smoothed them into rocks with evidence of air bubbles once caught in the glass-making. Not all pirate glass is from that time, but don’t tell my boys.

Armed with this new knowledge, we temporarily changed our hunting strategy. It invigorated our search. It is incredible how new revelation can change the value of what may have been overlooked before you and stimulate your appetite to find it.

What a metaphor for life, and we can also see parallels in Scripture. The disciples were so notorious for not “seeing” what was true in front of them that Jesus had to physically heal a blinded man as an object lesson of how the disciples needed to have the eyes of their hearts opened (Mark 8). We read of a Divine encounter two disciples had on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). They thought they understood the events, but it took Jesus to remove the veil from their hearts. Likewise, Paul, writing primarily to Gentile Christians in Ephesus, prays that their hearts would be enlightened to know the hope they were called to (Ephesians 1:18).

Many boast today of having open minds and arms, but too often, the eyes of our hearts are closed. What might we be closing our eyes to?

Before going about your day, consider praying Psalm 119:18-19

“Open my eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of your law.

I am a sojourner on the earth;

hide not your commandments from me.”

Happy treasure hunting!

Ashlie Miller loves hunting for treasures of various value with her family of 7 in Concord, NC (and beyond!). You may contact her at ashliemiller.com

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