Time With a Friend

by   August 27, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Beautiful routines have been developing in my home with my best friend. We occasionally meet on the front porch together, often with our books in hand, to read separately or to observe the environment. We may or may not interrupt each other with conversation, but mostly, we end up in the same place, sharing space and presence.

Towards the end of 2020, my husband and I looked for ways to spend time together since we could not get away from home for many dates. We developed a new weekly routine of late-night tea time. Sure, we enjoy the little treats we would not usually indulge in, and tea is quite comforting. Still, more than that, it is simply having that uninterrupted time together. Sometimes the time includes reflections on the day, but the goal is to focus on each other, not even the tea.

Lately, now that we have teenagers who can manage, we sneak away once a week in the early mornings for coffee (for him) and tea (for me). These usually have an intentional purpose of looking at our calendar for the week, looking for ways to be productive, and talking about matters of importance.

These frequent, regular meetings did not occur with the expressed purpose of strengthening our relationship. They naturally happened because we enjoy each other’s company and can’t get enough of each other. There are times we seek each other for company and different times of intentional scheduling. Our focus is not on the words we will share; it is on shared time and communion, enjoying each other’s presence, and growing closer together. Making time for each other grows organically because we genuinely enjoy time together.

In the book “A Praying Life,” Paul Miller (no relation) compares our prayer life to a family meal – time together, no rush, enjoying each other’s company with laughter and discussions. We often approach our prayer time, if we even have one, as a duty, a daily checklist, or a Christian discipline. But, as Miller points out by sharing Revelation 3:20, God wants something more wonderful for us than that: “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Yes, he wants a relationship, but the God of Heaven also wants to feast with us! He is not waiting for us to approach with a perfect prayer framework, although those can be helpful. He simply sets the table and opens the door for us to spend time with Him.

Prayer is one of the most neglected works of the Christian, maybe because we look at it as work. In modern, hurried times where eating a meal is just a duty and necessity, we do not know what it is like to feast with a friend, slowing down, relishing the moment and the company.

All great, big things begin with a small step. What would happen if you took a small step to slow down, lean in, and find a small moment to talk to the King and Creator today? It may start with spending time with a close, earthly friend and tasting what that type of relationship is like. As I said, beautiful routines have taken shape in my home with my best friend, actually, two of them – my husband and my Lord!

Ashlie Miller and her husband, Chad, live in Concord, NC. You can contact her on ashliemiller.com.

Church Conferences

by   August 26, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I like going to church; it’s my Father’s house and I like being there. I have sat alone in many church sanctuaries in my life. I enjoy the peacefulness of just being in His presence. When I can quiet my spirit in His house I can often hear His sweet whispers. I can also feel His love for me in ways that are hard to experience in any other place.

            The beach is another very special place to experience God’s presence. Most people can experience God’s presence while sitting near the water listening to the crashing waves. I can spend hours talking with Him while on vacation at the beach.

            I know you are going to think this is a crazy thing to say, especially in the middle of August, but I can experience His presence while walking through a snowstorm. I love to get all bundled up and go for a walk while it is snowing. It is so incredibly peaceful when the snow is falling all around me. His presence feels tangible to me in those moments.

            Another time I can feel God’s presence is at a church conference. I really enjoy gathering with the family of God as we hear the word of God from a gifted minister. Many years ago Pastor Greg Laurie, who produced the movie The Jesus Revolution, came to Winston-Salem for a conference. I received training to be one of the counselors on the floor when people came down to receive prayer. It was a very special and exciting time to be a part of that conference.

            I have attended many conferences through the years at different churches. Some speakers are better than others. Some I have heard multiple times and look forward to their next visit as soon as the conference is over. Some have an anointing to teach and I can’t write notes fast enough. Others have a powerful anointing to pray with you and stir within you something that changes your life. Still others come and offer individuals encouraging words to strengthen the participants’ faith for their journey. These speakers have a way of letting us know that God knows and cares for each one of us in a very special way.

            Last weekend our church had a conference that I had looked forward to for several weeks. Our speaker had been at our church a couple of times before and I really enjoy him. Our speaker travels the world holding conferences. He is a unique individual who can offer incredible teaching and individual encouraging words to those who come to his meetings.

            He has lived in Israel, so when he teaches a Bible story he describes the location and the circumstances in incredible detail, thus making the Word of God come alive. He also has a Jewish background, which makes him better able to explain the culture and the context of the Bible stories. He sponsors tours to Israel so as he describes a location in the Bible story you are instantly transported there in your mind.

            He offered many people encouraging words while he was speaking. It was fun to be in the room as he encouraged people. You could almost see people’s hearts being healed and strengthened as he spoke to them. As he expressed God’s heart for each person, you could almost imagine Jesus walking up to them and giving them a bear hug. The speaker has a way of sharing God’s love that melts hearts and refreshes the soul.

            The weekend came with the same anticipation that I have for Christmas and it passed by so quickly. Now our job as a church is to steward the deposit that our speaker made in our lives. Both the teaching he offered and the encouragement he gave need to be treasured. The enemy wants to steal the seed he planted in our lives. The daily grind of life can push out all the good that was imparted to us unless we guard and savor it.

            I know that many churches have special conferences in the fall. If your church has one, then I encourage you to attend. Pray and prepare your heart to hear God’s Word. Then, when the conference is over, review what you learned and guard that which the Lord planted in your heart. Whether you attend a conference or not, remember that God loves you far more than you can imagine. He wants to strengthen and encourage you in your walk with Him. He is watching over you, caring for you, cheering you on as you walk the straight and narrow path that leads to His heart.

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

Pale Blue Dot

by   August 25, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Every few days, a new photograph appears on my computer sent by some server I signed with years ago. As far as I know, the service is free, and I do enjoy looking at the stunning photographs of the natural world—I decline ones of cities. The photographs of mountains, lakes, shorelines, all the usual natural views are terrific. Sometimes people are present in them, but they are secondary to the magnificent scenery. I enjoy guessing the location of the photos and have come to understand that there is, at times, little difference between a mountain view in the United Kingdom to one in France. Over the years I have realized that our world is not that different from one location to another. Now, I appreciate that The Sarah Desert and Death Valley are two different deserts with their own ecology, but even the differences do not discount how much alike our earth is in its varied locations. A field of wildflowers in Germany often resemble one in America. It seems that we are, in the natural world at least, more alike than different.

Thirty years ago, February 14, 1990, NASA engineers turned the cameras of Voyager I toward our solar system just as it was to exit it on its way to explore other solar systems. Voyager I was 3.7 billion miles from our sun when its cameras took sixty photographs of our solar system and one picture became known as the Pale Blue Dot because of a pixel sized dot sitting in a bent ray of sunlight. Scientist Carl Sagan’s book used that image in the title of his book, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space, in which he writes, “Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us.”

Looking at that pixel recently on my computer screen caused me to close that screen and go to the most recent photograph sent to me by the unknown provider which was of a lake with mountains in the distance. In the clear and shallow water of the foreground can be seen smooth stones and on ragged, peaked mountains are evergreens that eventually thin out and gave way to bare rock. The jagged peaks look like they could be in the Rocky Mountains, but they are in Germany. (Wrong again on knowing where a photograph is taken). But being wrong about any location of a nature scene, does not upset me, and I still marvel that so many physical areas of our earth closely resemble other locations. Despite differences, it is the earth on which all of mankind lives and much alike across its rivers, lakes, mountains, deserts, forests, and more.

The KJV of The Letter to the Hebrews has in 2:7, “Thou madest him [man] a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hand:” I understand that to mean we are the stewards of this earth, and that is a task that we seem to have chosen to forget or ignore the responsibility for a myriad of excuses.

But I ask the reader to go to the computer and type in Voyager I and look at Sagan’s pale, blue dot that looks so small and isolated and alone in that beam of sunlight. But after looking at the pixel-sized dot, remember his words: “…That’s here. That’s home. That’s us.” It is all we have, so we should take care of it, that pale, blue dot.

Roger Barbee lives in Mooresville. Contact him at rogerbarbee@gmail.com

Jacksonville to Bolivia

by   August 24, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

My first stop on July 8 was Jacksonville, home of Camp Lejeune and the New River Air Station of the U.S. Marines. Its population is listed as the youngest in the nation with an average age of 22.8 because of the large military presence.

In 1752, a devastating hurricane destroyed the county seat of Johnston, and Wantlands Ferry, located further up the New River, at the present site of Jacksonville was chosen as the site of the new county courthouse. The first court was held there in July 1757. The area, briefly known as Onslow Courthouse, was incorporated and renamed Jacksonville in honor of former U.S. President Andrew Jackson in 1842. Jacksonville was briefly captured and occupied during the Civil War in November 1862 by a Union Army raiding party.

Agricultural and naval products, (pine oil, turpentine and resin) along with lumber could be shipped along the New River and were the mainstays of the economy during this time. Jacksonville and Onslow County got a big boost in 1941 when a Marine Corps base for amphibious training was established which later became Camp Lejeune.

Established in 1709, Beaufort is located on Beaufort Inlet, a channel leading south to the Atlantic Ocean. The third oldest town in the state and seat of Carteret County, Beaufort has lots of visitor traffic during the warmer months and it was booming when I was there on a Saturday morning.

Beaufort was first known as Fishtown because the fishing industry has always been an important part of the county’s history. Beaufort was later named for Henry Somerset, British Duke of Beaufort.

Originally a fishing village and a safe harbor since the late 1600s, about 150 of the restored historic homes bear plaques showing names of the earliest known owners and dates of original construction. Some of the historic towns do none of this and it’s impossible to tell the age of the homes.

Fishing, whaling, the production of lumber and naval stores, shipbuilding, and farming were the chief economic activities. Though Beaufort had the safest and most navigable harbor of any of the ports of North Carolina, extensive commercial development hasn’t happened. Now, Beaufort’s economy depends heavily on tourism. An entire 12-block area is on the National Register of Historic Places. The waterfront is beautiful and multiple tours are available.

The Carteret County Courthouse, completed in 1907, was the centerpiece for a sprawling vendor festival where I bought a huge egg, cheese, potato and black bean burrito.

Burgaw is the county seat of Pender County and is a railroad town that came to be when the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad Company routed its tracks in 1836 across Burgaw Creek, where a small cross-roads trading post already existed. When completed in 1840, this railroad line was the longest in the world at 161½ miles.

In January 1854, the spot on the rails was called Burgaw Depot after the small trading post had been Cypress Grove. The depot is the oldest in the state circa 1850 and is part of the North Carolina Civil War Trail, one of my favorite signs.

During the Civil War, the railroad carried fresh troops to the battlefields and brought back the sick and wounded. Military supplies came from the port of Wilmington to the fighting fronts and kept the depot very busy. Confederate generals and their troops used the depot for weeks after the loss of Ft. Fisher and Wilmington. The railroad and its depots fell to the Union forces on Feb. 22, 1865. The depot warehouse still bears the charred scars of a Union cavalry attack in 1863. In 1865, it also became the holding site for at least 6,000 prisoners of war for over a week in February 1865 while a massive prisoner exchange was negotiated in Richmond and Washington, D.C. The depot was a vital communications center with so many things going on.

On Feb. 6, 1876, the railroad deeded a plot of land to Pender County for the establishment of the town and for the new courthouse. Burgaw was incorporated on Dec. 8, 1879. The current courthouse, built in 1936, is the centerpiece of the town.

Next came Wilmington, county seat of New Hanover County and one of my favorite stops. In September 1732, a community was founded on land owned by John Watson on the Cape Fear River. The settlement was called New Carthage, then New Liverpool, New Town and Newton. Governor Gabriel Johnston established his government there for the North Carolina colony. In 1739 or 1740, the town was incorporated with a new name, Wilmington, in honor of Spencer Compton, British Earl of Wilmington.

Naval stores and lumber fueled the economy, but residents began to push back against the Stamp Act, a British tax on shipping. Various riots and other trouble eventually forced the repeal of the tax, but unrest caused the state capital’s move to New Bern.

During the Civil War, Wilmington’s port was the major base for Confederate and privately owned blockade runners, which delivered badly needed supplies from England. The Union mounted a blockade to reduce the goods received by the South. The city was captured by Union forces in the Battle of Wilmington in February 1865, about one month after the fall of Fort Fisher had closed the port. As nearly all the military action took place some distance from the city, numerous antebellum houses and other buildings survived the war years.

Wilmington’s was called Hollywood East during the 1980s and 1990s because many movies and TV shows were filmed here. The Riverwalk is first class, made even better by the USS North Carolina Battleship.

Bolivia was my last stop, county seat of Brunswick. One of the smallest county seats in the state, it has a few small businesses, a school and a modern government complex. The town was incorporated in 1911 and named after Bolivia, South America.

That’s 90 county seats visited. The final 10 will come sometime this fall. I netted 7.81 miles today. See you soon with more, including Rowan. Thanks for following this series!

Pleasing Our Wonderful Lord

by   August 23, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Ephesians 5:10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

  • There are things that the Lord finds distasteful and He separated Himself from – 
  • There are actually things that attract us to God.
  • Throughout the word there are indicators of the things that excite, please, and attract God to us – let’s explore them continually and pursue them and He will make them known to us.

Prayer:  Hallelujah!  I want to please You in every way Lord, and I am looking for those things that please You and make You happy and not just man’s ideas or religious thoughts, but what Your word says that You are pleased with.  Teach me these things and I will follow them gladly.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Just a Thought

by   August 22, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

My mom was not the nurturing sort. She tended to be a no-nonsense kind of gal. She was so smart and capable especially about practical things. Though she had great respect for the Lord, I began to notice a warmth in her relationship with Him when I was away at college. She would write long letters about important things; like how to bake a turkey for Thanksgiving; with reminders to remove the giblet bag before baking. Huh. Who knew? One of those letters in her neat flowing script included this verse. “In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.” -Psalm 94:19. It was the first time I remember her quoting Scripture. But that verse became so dear to me later in life, especially regarding my mother. You see, eventually she lost the ability to reason.


As I mentioned, she was a very smart, meticulous individual… until she wasn’t. We started noticing changes in her behavior that were so opposite of her personality. Only two months after the first episode, she lost her life to a rare brain disease. I can’t tell you what that single verse in Psalm 94 meant to me, though she had shared it thirty years earlier.


“In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.”


I’m so glad God’s truth never fails. His comfort and peace ushered her into His presence, where she will never be confused or frightened again. In fact, it’s good to think on those comforts every day. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7


May the Lord encourage your heart as you think on Him today.


Dear Sweet Lord, sometimes it feels as if the world around me hast gone completely crazy… and therefore so have I. So many thoughts and fears pound on my heart. Only You can offer the comfort I need. Please Father, I ask that You lift my thinking even to the point of delight in You. Perhaps infuse enough joy to bring others along. Please turn the crashing waves of fear into a peaceful river flowing from Your throne. In You alone I place my trust.

Amen

Catch Me

by   August 21, 2023 with No Comments
By Ann Farabee

The disciples encountered a storm in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves and a contrary wind. As they watched, they saw Jesus walking on the water toward them.

Peter responded with faith. He asked to walk on the water – and go to Jesus.

Jesus gave no explanation of how to walk on water.

He said just one word: Come.

But… what a powerful word it was! It required one action – a step of faith.

Peter went.

Peter walked – on the water.

But, he soon saw the boisterous wind.

When he saw the boisterous wind, He became afraid.

When he became afraid, he began to sink.

When he began to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

What did Jesus do?

He immediately stretched forth his hand.

He caught him.

Oh, yes, Peter had faith.

But, Jesus said this: You of little faith. Why did you doubt?

Apparently, Peter had little faith, surrounded with some doubt.

When they came back onto the ship, the wind ceased.

Those who were in the ship worshipped Jesus, saying, “Truly, You are the Son of God.”

If we let this story from Matthew 14:22-33 ‘sink’ in, I am not sure we will ever be the same.

*On the sea of life, there will be storms, but Jesus will be with us.

*When He says, “Come,” we need to go.

*If we begin to sink, we can cry out, “Lord, save me.”

*He will immediately stretch forth His hand… and catch us.

*The wind will cease. We will be drawn to worship.

So, why do we have little faith?

And … why do we doubt?

Truly… He is the Son of God.

Together

by   August 20, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Together. It is such a lovely thought of a word. It has connotations of joyful union and shared closeness. The opposite of that – separation – conjures up thoughts of loneliness, fear, division, and sadness.

The baby of our family expressed such sadness recently. Maybe it is because he has only known “together” for all of his five years of life. There is always someone with him. Even when playing alone, Mom is just around the corner, likely making a sandwich or cooking dinner. He embodies joy, optimism, and much love he is willing to share physically with a giant, plow-into-you bear hug. He is also quite empathetic. He is a sharer of joy and sorrow when he notices others are sad.

This month, we gathered as a family to remember my mother, my children’s Nana, who passed away two years ago. We ate one of her favorite desserts – German chocolate cake – and shared stories and thoughts while looking through old family photos. The family’s youngest members mostly ran around laughing and playing, just as Nana would have wanted. I am sure they caught glimpses of her while the old VHS tapes played on the television downstairs. Still, otherwise, they were a little less connected to the reminiscing. 

A few evenings later, as I tucked our little fellow into bed, I could see a look of distress on his face as he squeezed his most cherished lovey, whom he calls Puppy Love, in his arms. I leaned over and asked what was wrong. He closed his eyes tightly and said, “I hope Puppy Love never leaves me.”

It took my breath away. We all love Puppy Love; he has been with us since the oldest brother (now 17) was a baby. I tried to rationally but empathetically identify with his fear and hurt. It was not the time to tell him that inanimate objects cannot will to leave on their own. Nor was it the time to teach responsibility of not carelessly losing beloved items. His reality was knowing that things (or people) you love dearly could disappear someday. I gave him AND Puppy Love a big hug. Then, I told him he takes such good care of his lovey that Puppy Love would never want to leave him. 

It would be sad if this lovey left us because there is no real hope of reuniting. Separation is a scary and painful thing to ponder. 

Grieving my mother, his Nana, is very different, though. While separation hurts deeply, it is temporary. We WILL be reunited. Some days, that thought is not enough to hold back the wall of tears that trickle or burst unexpectedly. Our souls long for “together” and cannot deal with separation well because we were never meant to be permanently parted: 

“And the dead in Christ will rise first.Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Our souls long for “together” because our Lord knows our future immortality. The Christian can grieve with Hope (which is a Person, Jesus Christ) because we can rest assured of our eternal togetherness if we know this Hope. Never to be left again. Never to be separated. Better yet, we will share this togetherness with the Lord. What completeness and wholeness. What true togetherness! 

Ashlie Miller grieves with Hope along with her family in Concord. You may contact her at ashliemiller.com.

Freedom Comes at a Price

by   August 19, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            My boss set up a field trip for the students to a museum that I didn’t know existed. This museum is located out in the country but it is well worth the trip. It’s called the Price of Freedom Museum. It was started by one fellow who collected military memorabilia. He started displaying the collection in his business until he ran out of space.

            I really don’t know how it went from being in his business to its current location, which is an old school. The collection now represents 20th century American military history and covers all branches of the armed services. I was especially struck by a uniform that had been worn by a soldier during World War I.

            The guys who led our tour through the museum shared so many great stories, which helped to make everything we were seeing come to life. They explained why the early gas masks were not effective. They showed us examples of field rations. They talked about how heavy the packs were that our servicemen had to carry. They also explained the roles of women in the various wars and how those roles changed over time.  

            One of the things that caught my attention is the pictures of the groups of men as they prepared to go off and fight. Some of the groups were larger than high school class pictures. There were tables covered with these pictures of so many men being sent off to war. As I looked at the pictures I wondered how many of those guys didn’t come home. I thought about the fact that these men were someone’s sons, fathers, brothers, or husbands. The more I looked at the pictures the more I wanted to thank these men and their families for such an incredible sacrifice so that I could live in freedom.

            I guess that is the point of this museum; freedom comes to us at a very high price. Freedom isn’t free at all. Unless someone is willing to stand up for it, we could lose the freedom that we enjoy every day. I grew up in Virginia Beach, where there where many servicepeople living in the area. If I see a person wearing their uniform while I am out, I try to make an effort to thank them for their service to our country.

            I realize that I have another freedom that someone paid a very high price for me. I was lost in sin, shame, doubt, and fears, and Jesus came and paid the price so I could be free. He willingly laid His life down for all of mankind so we could freely have a relationship with God our Heavenly Father. His blood washes us clean; our debt is paid in full. There is no need for us to struggle with guilt and shame, His blood paid for that, too.

            He died not only to present us clean before God but to set us free from all the things that would hold us back from the Father. We don’t have to worry about our future because God has it in His hands. There is no reason to struggle with doubt or fear because the God who made everything is watching out for you and me.  

            When I sit and think about it I realize that many men and women gave their lives so I could hear the Good News of the gospel. Most of the disciples were martyred for the faith. There have been many people down through history who were willing to give their lives to share the Good News with the lost. There are people today who are willing to give their lives to share the gospel of hope with the world. The price of sharing the Good News continues to be anything but free.

            I want to encourage you to consider the price that has been paid for you to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid it all for each one of us. He thought about us when He died on the cross. He knew it was the only way to purchase us and to set us free. The Son of God died so we could live in freedom. I am thankful for the high price He paid. I am also thankful for all those who also had to pay with their lives so I could hear the Good News. I also want to honor those who lived out their faith and endured to the very end. I am so thankful for my freedom and the price so many have paid for me!

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

Good Valley People

by   August 18, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Six years ago my wife Mary Ann and I moved from the Valley to Lake Norman, N.C. We returned two weeks ago. When we lived here before, we lived on a seven-acre plot of land in a house built in 1890. Now we live in a house built in 1990 which is located in Woodstock. In a way we have moved from the country to the city. Before our return move, we appreciated that our new home would offer more modern conveniences and accepted the fact that we no longer would enjoy the three-acres of woods, old corn crib, a fine view of Short Mountain, and open field out back. Regardless of those “losses”,  we were thrilled at having such city services as trash pick-up and sewer. But more than anything, we eagerly anticipated renewing old friendships.

Six years is not, in the annals of the world, a long time. However, we knew that the Valley we left in 2017 would not be the Valley to which we returned. Certain features such as Great North Mountain still watch over the Valley, and the North Fork continues to flow through its banks. But some, ones that I had come to regard as Valley Originals, are no longer present. I had known that Gary, the fine mechanic who repaired our vehicles, had died. And just before our return move, I learned that Robert would no longer traverse up and down The Pike in his Flintstone-looking, two-toned, brown work van as he built and repaired the buildings of the Valley. And after our move I learned that no more classic automobiles would David re-build to their original splendor. Cancer stilled his skills a few weeks ago.

Much is made, and rightly so, of the natural beauty of the Valley. It is majestic, and we are pleased to be able to enjoy its panorama. And while we have already shared time with Wendy, Brittany, Terry, Jennifer, Mike, Bill, Jess, Hank, Arnell, and more good Valley people, we are eager to begin sharing life again with so many good folks.

As we get our new home organized, we will begin to venture out to enjoy the varied Valley views. In time we will re-acquaint ourselves with the ride to Shrine Mont and other great drives through the Valley.  But as much as we enjoy the natural beauty of the Valley, we cherish its Good Valley People more. To paraphrase Mr. Rogers: People are like shuttles on a loom. They join the threads of the past with threads of the future and leave their own bright patterns as they go. We will miss those departed threads of the Valley but rejoice in the new patterns we find. Gary, Robert, David, and all those before us would want as much.

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