Our Purpose

by   August 20, 2022 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            All Christians should look forward to the time when we will be in heaven with Jesus. The trouble with getting there is that we have to take that big step between here and eternity. It’s the mystery of the unknown that keeps us here; besides, God has a very important purpose for us while we are still alive.

            Our purpose is to know Him and tell others about God’s love. I personally believe that God calls every person into a relationship with Him. Many people turn away from God. So God, not wanting to give up on anyone, wants to use you and me to reach out to them. God persistently keeps trying to reach everyone because He doesn’t want anyone to miss heaven.

            When God first found us, we were a mess. The good news for us is that we heard His voice and responded to His call. We ran into God’s arms and accepted His love. We needed to be cleaned up so He washed us in the blood of Jesus. The cleansing power of the blood of Jesus can wash away every wrong-doing that we have ever done. Even the best people you know need the blood of Jesus to find forgiveness. No one can do enough good to wash away the bad that we are all guilty of committing.

            Once we are clean, God can begin the process of healing our broken hearts and lives. If you live in this world your heart has been damaged by the people in your life. Damaged hearts create ruined lives. God can heal all the brokenness in our lives if we will turn to Him for help. It’s hard to expose your sin and brokenness to God, but that is the path to healing.

            God has seen everything you have ever done. The good news is once you turn and confess your sins and failures to God, He promises to forgive you and to forget you ever did those things. He wipes them from His memory. We can remember them so we have to forgive ourselves. It’s very hard to forgive ourselves, but if God forgives you then you can forgive yourself. You are a broken human being that needs God’s love, forgiveness, and healing.

            We have two main purposes once we accept all that God has done for us. Our first purpose is to spend time getting to know God. How do you get to know an invisible God? He wrote you a love letter: the Bible. That’s His story. There is so much in the Bible about who God is and how He interacts with people. You can learn about His love, mercy, and character. The Bible is God’s story.

            We can also learn about Him when we pray and talk with Him. Some people think that prayer is only a one-way conversation. We go to God and tell Him all our concerns. Well, He does want to hear our concerns, but He also wants to talk with us. He talks to us through the Bible, but He also wants to talk to us directly. He speaks to our spirits to guide and encourage us through life. We need to turn off all the noise of this world so that we can hear Him.

            Our second purpose is to tell others about what God has done for us. Remember, I said that there were many people who chose not to listen and respond to God’s call to them. He’s hoping that they might listen to our story. There are many people in the world who have been broken by the world in the same way we were broken. When they hear our story of how God healed, forgave, and restored us then they might turn to God and discover those same things for themselves. God wants to speak through us. I promise there are people in your life who will respond to your story of forgiveness, healing, and hope.

            I want to encourage you to share your story. God has done a miraculous thing in your life and people need to hear about it from you. God has interacted with you in a unique way and the people in your life will see the evidence of the goodness of God. That evidence, a changed life, may cause them to finally find the courage in themselves to turn to God. Your Father is hoping you will share your story so those who are lost and still searching will find Him. Then they will be forgiven, healed, and have their own story. To know Him and share our story, that’s our purpose.

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

Name, Image, Likeness

by   August 19, 2022 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

The freedom for college athletes to make money by sponsorship opportunities has begun. While that is an on-going active discussion concerning how being paid through an NIL will affect college sports, some folks are preparing for NIL’s seeping down to high school or even lower athletic programs. One of those folks who is getting prepared for that seepage is Henry Jolly III who has two sons he is packaging in order to take full advantage of the NIL’s. Jolly has created a family logo, “Born to Go Pro” and his sons wear headbands that read “Jolly Boys.” The boys are 9 years old.

According to the Washington Post,  Jolly has taught his boys that everything they do is part of their brand — from the way they play to their shoulder-length brown braids, which their father has made clear must be allowed by any middle school or high school coach recruiting them. He curates their social media feeds, spends hours editing their YouTube highlight videos and sometimes wears a T-shirt he made with the logos of seven youth basketball rankings websites, all of which have rated his sons the top second-graders in the country. The father is quoted, “That’s part of my strategy: Build their name up, build the expectations up, build their skills up, build their bodies up, so that by the time they get to high school, these companies are going to pay them to play. We want to do it as early as possible. I believe we’re going to be the pioneers.”

The seep of money invaded the NCAA during the 1930’s and has, in my opinion, ruined the game. Instead of learning through sport, we now have “How much can I make?” By today, the seepage has slid lower, and we have parents all over the country like Henry Jolly III. While he is free to parent as he wishes, his parenting skills remind me of a meeting some years ago when administrators were discussing possible actions to help a struggling student. As we examined the comments and actions of his father a fellow administrator observed, “To get a dog you need a license, but anyone can have a child.”

A book I read has the  following words: “For the love of money is the root of all evil:…” Sadly, those words are often mis-quoted as “Money is the root of all evil.” If quoted correctly and followed we will view money as what it is- a commodity to be used by us, not use us.

Good Progress

by   August 18, 2022 with No Comments

By David Freeze

 Today was going to be a big question mark from the start. I love to study maps, real maps where you can see everything around as possibilities. Last night, I decided to follow US 79 as far it would go into the St. Louis area. Then I picked out a route, not knowing for sure where the bike could go. I had the Missouri map I am using to follow the less detailed Great River Road and the St. Louis area city map. It seems like at least a dozen suburbs make up the city.


   This morning I left out of Elsberry as the town was waking up. Another cool morning helped on the endless hills. Much of the time, I had no shoulder or a very poor one. A sign said US 79 would be repaved this fall. I had to ride in traffic and this was quite spooky at times.


   I passed through Foley and didn’t know when I did. But they did have a stop sign for no reason and a Dollar General. Then on to Winfield, a little bigger with a couple convenience stores. And finally Old Monroe which had little to offer except a better road. Good thing because the traffic was heavy as we neared the greater St. Louis area.


   I stopped at St. Peter’s and talked to Jerry at McDonald’s about this ride and the others while he was concerned about eating so much fast food and brought his lunch for the day. I followed my planned path and jumped on 364, not sure whether it’s more than a county road but it serves as an expressway across much of the city area. Simply put, I raced along on a good shoulder paying special attention to all the exit and entry ramps. The roar of the traffic was tremendous at times and almost overwhelming.


  By following 364, I was able to intersect with US 67, which led to a junction with US 61 which I will follow again for a couple days on the Great River Road. Briefly we also intersected with the Lewis and Clark route. Away from 364, the city is tremendously hilly.


    While all of this describes my day through mid-afternoon, it gets much better. I had made no plans for a room for the evening and made a call to a motel perfectly situated on my planned route. They were full, which left the only option as the higher priced chains. After the runaround at two of those places, I called the desk at the Quality Inn in Arnold, the second best situated motel. Tina gave me a great deal on a first class room and all I had to do was get there.


    Not sure if I could ride on the interstate highway in Missouri, Tina gave me a route that would avoid it. I got Siri involved and again she failed me by sending me on a longer route. I threw caution to the wind and pedaled right on to the I-55 ramp and on the highway. Up to 6 lanes of traffic was flying and so was I, in the breakdown lane. With my history of being stopped by officers over the years, I expected the same thing again.


   With just 4.5 miles to ride to get to the Quality Inn, I thought someone will have to hurry to stop me. I came flying down a hill and a police car was sitting on the side of the road with the door open. Turns out he wasn’t waiting for me but had what looked like sobriety problems with a driver. The officer never looked at me.


   My ride ended at a fantastic motel, surrounded by almost every chain store I ever enter. I stopped at Walgreens and got a fantastic meal at Waffle House. I may go to Target later. Bottom line, I did spot two smaller rivers today but not the Mississippi. There will be at least two more full days in Missouri, with Cape Girardeau the next main target. That is probably the next real sighting of the river.


   The day was perfect, about 80 degrees and a slight tailwind. I honestly felt exhilarated by the whole day! Join me tomorrow for a further journey south on US 61. I hope I get situated in time for tomorrow’s Field of Dreams game, and that you join me again tomorrow right back here!

There is ALWAYS hope

by   August 17, 2022 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Psalms 42:5-6 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon–from Mount Mizar.

  • Certainly, hope deferred or hope lost makes the soul sick.
  • The enemy tries to steal our hope which we may never give up, because while there is a God there is always hope.
  • We remind ourselves of who God is and what He has already done in our lives and soon our hope returns and even our confidence and faith.

Prayer:  Lord I look to You today and I even lift my face and eyes to the heavens as a symbol knowing that You are always there for me and know that You will always help me. I rejoice in You and praise Your holy name because there is no one like You.  Amen.

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Emergency Hotline

by   August 16, 2022 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Emergency hotline!

Need help? Call Hebrews 13:6 — “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Help is on the way!

Angry? Call Ephesians 4:26 —“Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down on our wrath. If we become angry and fail to handle it properly, we may hurt others and destroy relationships.”

Burdened? Call Psalm 55:22 — “Cast our burdens on the Lord — He will sustain us.” Cast means to throw or to hurl. Sustain means to carry, support, and hold up.

Afraid? Call Psalm 27:1 — “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?” The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid?

Away from God? Call Jeremiah 3:22 — “Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding.” I am the Lord your God. Are we a child of God who has been away from Him? We can return — and be healed.

Problems with the kids? Call Psalm 127:3 — “Children are a gift from the Lord.” Children are a gift from the Lord. (Repeat as needed.)

Need rest? Call Jeremiah 6:16 — “Thus saith the Lord, Stand in the ways, and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Don’t understand? Call Proverbs 3:5 — “Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding.”

Weak? Call 2 Corinthians 12:9 — “God’s power is made perfect in weakness.” God uses us when we are weak! Are we weak enough for God to use us?

Sad? Broken-hearted? Call Psalm 34:18 — “The Lord is near to those who are of a broken heart.” Amazing! The Lord is even closer to us when our hearts are broken.

Faithless? Call Matthew 17:20 — “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Remove to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Nothing is impossible — all it takes is a little faith.

Does God Care? Call Psalm 139:17-18 — “How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand.” God thinks of us more than there are grains of sand?! Yes, God does care!

Need victory? Call John 16:33 — “Be encouraged! I have overcome the world!” There is victory in Jesus!

Call the emergency hotline now — Jesus is on the mainline!

Email one of your personal favorite emergency hotline numbers to annfarabee@gmail.com. I will add them to my emergency hotline numbers and email the updated version to you! I look forward to hearing from you!

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. 

Knowing God’s Will

by   August 15, 2022 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Yesterday we noticed in Nehemiah 8:9 that as the people heard the Word of God they were weeping. It seems that as the Word was read and explained, they understood God’s desires toward them. Maybe they understood His love. Maybe they realized their sinfulness. Maybe they were overwhelmed by His provision and care, especially in light of all He had just accomplished through them.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.” WOW. God’s Word is so powerful! It will reveal to us exactly what God wants us to know and do and feel. It will show us the junk we need to be rid of, and the stuff we need to hang onto to use for His glory. Then we can have a Psalm 32 experience:

“Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! Verse 8: “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

Do you ever struggle with knowing the will of God? What to do, what to do? These verses offer a key to understanding. Give it up. Confess and get rid of whatever the Word reveals is blocking your friendship with your beloved Father. Draw so near that it is not a strain to call Him “Abba,” Daddy. There is nothing worth hanging onto at the expense of losing your closeness with Him. He longs to bless you. But sometimes we are just too far away to hear His voice, His sweet invitation to dinner, His gentle reminder that He loves us like the son or daughter we are.

We were invited to our former pastor’s home for the week-end. They had moved to another state and we had kinda lost touch with these once very close friends. I really didn’t want to go. Don’t tell anyone, but I snore like a freight train. It’s so loud that I am afraid that those people they interview after a tornado that say with that deep hick accent, “It sounded jes like a frate trane!!!” actually did not experience a tornado. They probably just live within a two mile radius of me. Aannnyyyyway… we went for our visit. We had been going through so many trials, I had just about shut down emotionally; stuff too hard to recount here. Our beloved friends got us talking. They comforted us and listened without judgment or advice. They just took care of us and fed us some really good food. We came away wondering why we had ever lost touch. Why had I dreaded the trip? Why did I wait so long? They helped bear this awful load and lifted us back to the land of the living. My joy was restored!

The Lord is looking forward to lightening your load, and restoring your joy, if you let Him. James 4:8 reminds me to draw close to Him & He will draw close to me! Why in the world would I put it off?

Prayer for today: Dear sweet Abba Father, strengthen us to look daily in Your Word, so we can clearly see Your BEST pathway for our lives. Point out anything that is blocking our friendship with You. Draw us so close that we experience the deepest love we have ever known. We want to be the best we can be for You.

More: Psalm 32; Hebrews 4:12-16; Romans 12:1,2; Romans 8:15

Working Hard Today…

by   August 14, 2022 with No Comments

By David Freeze

  I am watching the minor league game from the Field of Dreams, loving the coverage and excited about Thursday’s major league game. A co-worker asked me the other day what had been the best thing about this adventure so far. It was easy to answer that I got to run the bases on the Field of Dreams and have a video to prove it.


   Last night, I decided to sleep on which way to go today. Options were going to Illinois, returning to US 61 or following the Great River Road on US 79. I expected all three to be hilly because that is what this area does. I chose US 79 in hopes of seeing more of the river than the other two would provide. Leaving Hannibal at 6:30am, I had the trip’s first cool and foggy morning and enjoyed it as the climbing began just past the famous Lover’s Leap. For 15 miles, I climbed half mile long steep hills, rocketed down the other side and climbed another one. US 79 was in the process of paving for at least 25 miles, an improvement definitely needed. Twice I passed scenic outlook signs, something I didn’t follow because more sideways climbing was required.


  The slow pace only had me at about 35 miles by noon. I arrived in Louisiana, Missouri, and took some photos of the river there. Then back to US 79 for a ride to Clarksville, Annada (with a population of 29) and on into Ellsberry, where I’m spending the night, after just 59 hilly miles. A long flat stretch started in Clarksville and I’ve been seeing trains ever since. My motel is across the road from the tracks. Tracks nearby mean flatter riding!


   I had two reasons for stopping here. There has been little to no cell phone coverage for AT&T and Verizon most of the day and I took a chance on the last room of the only motel in Ellsberry. I got the photos out to the Post editors and hope to get this story submitted on the less than stellar WiFi. The second reason was to set the distance for a doable ride through St. Louis.
   I had an ongoing conversation with the motel manager hoping she could free up a room. That part worked, but the details of me making a trip to Dollar General for cleaning supplies will be told in the book. All is well now and I’m hoping it stays quiet. By the way, Ellsberry is really small at about 2,000 inhabitants, but it has a huge DG complete with produce and lots more. I got my food and water for tonight and tomorrow there too.


  When planning this trip, I was going around St. Louis. With the Great River Road map in place, I am going there tomorrow and hope to spend the night on the southern side after battling their traffic. I will follow US 79 to the city and then find my way through using a city map which I will study shortly.


   I did get to see the river numerous times today but probably won’t see it at all tomorrow. The challenge will be finding a safe way through St. Louis, then we’ll resume getting as close to the river as possible.


   See you back here tomorrow!

Old Pictures

by   August 13, 2022 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I went to my mom’s recently and she had a box of old photographs for us to look through. There were many family pictures from when my siblings and I were little and all at home. There were many pictures of relatives that I didn’t know or had only met a few times. Mom told me who they were and how I was related to them.

            There was a picture of my mother as a child with a small dog, but she said she couldn’t remember ever having a dog. There were other pictures of my mother and her brother when they were teenagers. It is hard to imagine your parents were ever teenagers.

            My mom and dad were high school sweethearts. There were pictures of them together and it was interesting to see them. There was a picture of Mom and Dad on the night of a big dance they attended. Mom described her dress in detail. My dad was a good-looking young man, especially in the suit he wore that night.

            There were pictures of my parents as young parents. There weren’t as many pictures taken back in those days because you had to pay to develop the film. Most of the pictures of the four kids were taken at Christmas, birthday celebrations, or when we were on vacation. I did find some pictures of the first day of school. Those were required photos when we were wearing our new “back to school” outfits.

            Most of the pictures had dates, so we could figure out how old we were in them. The ones that didn’t required extra thought to determine our ages. There were pictures of some of our houses through the years, which brought back memories from living in those places. We talked about how some of our houses were laid out. We also talked about when I shared my bedroom and when I got my own room.

            It was fun to walk down memory lane with my mom. It was really fun to hear her tell stories of when she was young and the fun she had growing up. I know my parents grew up during some very difficult times. They didn’t have all the possessions we have but they were able to find pleasure in the simplest of things. It was fun to listen to Mom’s perspective on her youth and on our family. There were some old classic stories and many new ones that I hope I can remember and treasure the rest of my life.

            There are many things that we treasure. I think about all the special things we have for the holidays. We have some very special Christmas ornaments that are real treasures. I consider my books to be treasures. I own beautiful pieces of pottery. I also have wood turnings that were made by my best friend, which are treasures. Naturally, our own pictures are treasures.   

            While we all treasure things mainly because they trigger good memories, we need to consider where our most precious treasures are stored. All of our earthly treasures are wearing out. But if we store up treasures for ourselves in heaven we are promised that those treasures will never rot, spoil, or wear out. Those are the kinds of treasures that I want build up.

            How do we build treasures for heaven? When we support our local church by bringing our tithes and offerings, we are building treasure in heaven. When we serve others in the church, God promises to reward us in heaven. When we give in any capacity to those in need, we are building treasures in heaven. When we find ways of serving and helping the elderly, you can be assured that God notices. When we plant seeds of faith in children and help to train them in the way that they should go, we are doing God’s work. When we reach out to the lost with God’s love He will help us and remember our work.

            I want to encourage you to build a great retirement in heaven where the value of what you have will not depend on the stock market. Investing in the Kingdom of God pays out-of-this-world dividends. God remembers everything you do for Him. Be diligent to invest in your heavenly destination. Your devotion and hard work here will pay incredible eternal treasures for you to enjoy for all eternity. Where are you most precious treasures? I hope in heaven!

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

Hope

by   August 12, 2022 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Two articles from last week’s reading resonate with me—one from a religious magazine written by a minister and the other in a major newspaper written by a columnist.

The columnist writes about “feelings of hopelessness and self-hatred [that] can leave you to live with a smoldering rage.” He writes that the problem facing Washington, D.C. is not one of moral failure but “public health problems coming our way at the point of a gun.” He asks, “But what are we doing about what we already know about the forces driving violence?”

The minister shares her need for heaven, but not the heaven “beyond clouds, harps, and chubby baby angels.” She objects to “Our culture’s images of heaven [that] are so saccharine, so sentimental, so boring.”  What she wants is for us to have a heaven with the “possibility of actual peace, reconciliation, and abundance for all.”

Both writers want the same thing—an assurance for a better world, one free from hate, poverty, chronic pain, violence, and more. They both want a world of justice, one full of hope. But how do we give hope to those who suffer from the massive violence of our country-the violence not only of guns, but the violence of injustice, the violence of a low-paying job, the violence of chronic pain, the violence of addiction,  the violence of believing that this is all there is? If we can give citizens hope, then they will more likely be equipped to fight the obstacles of modern-day life.

One writer’s obvious way to combat the ills she faces in her personal and cultural life is her religious faith and “The hope of heaven is the glimmer of steady light that guides and protects me in the valley of  the shadow of death.” Her hope drives her days.

However, the newspaper columnist tells us that “The exposure to violence does something to you.” It is that violence lived and seen daily that probably causes there to be “no hope in the future to drive the day,” so why not gravitate to the easy path of drugs, guns, wanton sex, and alcohol that make life something not cherished but something cheap and expendable?

How do we give hope to such a life as that? We can’t by ways of large government programs. They can help, but we should have learned that large government won’t succeed because we have tried for years to give hope to downtrodden members of our communities through that channel.

I grew up in a single parent household during the segregated south of the 1950’s and 60’s. My mother hemmed washcloths in a cotton mill and reared 6 children. We were poor. We were White. But we were not trashy because our mother demanded of herself and us children. She once told a sister that she, a fine-looking divorced woman, could have spent every weekend at the beach, but she stayed home with her children, doing the hard work of a single parent. She made us go to church, and she had expectations  of us. She parented us. She was not perfect, nor were we, but we all grew into professionals who contributed to society. She showed us “hope in the future to drive the day.”

Governmental programs, as churches and schools,  help individuals succeed. However, when an individual faces the brutality that some of us do each day, that person needs an adult to guide him or her as if lost in a dense forest. A map of that forest is like governmental programs—it can help, but it can’t offer encouragement at each step and turn the same way as that of a guide. The guide not only leads but gives hope, and that kind of hope can only be built from the intimate involvement of an adult who gives unconditional love at each  step on the path through the dense forest. We all need maps, but we also need guides who will help us, not hinder our journey. And the best guides are parents like my mother who did the difficult work of guiding and encouraging.

This kind of hope comes from a belief that there is more to life than what is seen. It comes from a belief that there is something larger than self—call that something whatever suits you, but real hope comes from believing that each of us is a part of a larger existence. This kind of hope will give a future to drive each day.

Honesty 101

by   August 11, 2022 with No Comments

Here are four stories of people who live honestly. We could all use some honesty in our lives because sometimes we slip… Steve Hartman enrolls his kids to help get the message across. Enjoy………..

1 … 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 … 178