The Unnamed Women

by   November 13, 2020 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

The recent election of Senator Kamala Harris to the Vice-Presidency of the United States of America has elicited many remarks about a woman, a black woman, a child of immigrants, being elected to such a position. In her speech last night,  Madam Harris paid tribute to her mother who inspired her, and she applauded the possibilities for young girls made possible by her election.

The list of women mentioned as trailblazers for such a moment is long, and there are too many names to list here. But rest assured that it is a list of female warriors who fought for their rights and the rights of all who would follow them. They are legion.

As I watched and listened to the celebrations yesterday and the two speeches last night, I named names of all the female warriors I could remember. But one name kept returning, and I scanned a bookshelf for In Search for Our Mothers’ Gardens. The 1972 book is the first of non-fiction by Alice Walker, and I was searching in it for a particular poem that Walker introduces by these words: “This poem is not enough, but it is something, for the women who literally covered the holes in our walls with sunflowers.” She then shares her poem titled Women.

They were women then

My mama’s generation

Husky of voice—stout of

Step

With fists as well as

Hands

How they battered down

Doors

And ironed

Starched white

Shirts

How they led

Armies

Headragged generals

Across mined

Fields

Booby-trapped

Ditches

To discover books

Desks

A place for us

How they knew what we

Must know

Without knowing a page

Of it

Themselves.

Madam Harris said in her speech last night that while she is the first female to achieve the Vice-presidency, she will not be the last. The path she and all the other females is lined with the names known, but Walker’s poem reminds us that there were many “Headragged generals” who led their children across fields “To discover books” and to find “A place for us.”

So yes, let the known names be called across the land. Their work and success needs to be recognized and celebrated. However, let the battles of the unnamed be remembered as well. They, too, contributed, and Madam Harris stands on their shoulders.

Beginners Get It Done

by   November 9, 2020 with No Comments

By David Freeze

We had to cancel our beginning runners class in the spring but just finished a small, yet very enthusiastic fall class. The main advantage of a small class is getting to know them better. Here is a recap of a fantastic group and their thoughts.

Hannah Couch is 29 and a project coordinator for a local commercial grading business. She’s been married for two years to husband, Andrew, and is a proud dog mom. Steve McCombs, a Methodist pastor who came to Salisbury in 2010, served as pastor at Milford Hills UMC from 2010-2015 and later at Millingport from 2015-2019. Retired now, Steve said, “I’m taking some time to realize how I can make a difference in the greater Salisbury community. My main activity is volunteering at the community garden at Rowan Helping Ministries.”

Destiny Brown, 24, works as a hospice nurse. She’s happily married to husband, Tyler, and they have 20 chickens and three goats. Destiny’s mother, Tracy Blackwood, the last to sign up, works as an office manager. Tracy said, “My daughter, as she has done so many times in the past, signed me up for a class. Before I could even consider and even take time to process it, I found myself sitting in David’s run class.”

I asked why the rest wanted to take the class. Hannah said, “I decided to take a running class to connect with my cousins and take control of my exercise experience. I was certainly apprehensive. Running has never been my favorite way to work out, but with the encouragement of my cousins, I agreed to join the running class.”

Steve added, “I took my first SRR Beginners Runners Class about six years ago. I seek to be intentional about overall health and how best to stay in shape. Running has appealed to me because of my physical makeup and the simplicity of running. Overall health is on my mind more since I retired.”

And Destiny said, “I joined so that I could learn the fundamentals of running. I ran in the past with personal trainers and friends but have never been in a running course where I would learn technique, fueling, stretching and the importance of running shoes. I knew in order to be successful in my future running adventures, I needed to learn the basics.”

The whole group ran the popular Greenway/Bare Bones 5K course on Thursday, Oct. 22. All did well with on a perfect early evening while escorted by four members of the Salisbury PD bike patrol. Officers on hand were Sergeants Shulenburger, Brooks and DeSantis plus Detective Easler.

Each graduate listed positives for the class upon receiving diplomas while the SRR band played “Pomp and Circumstance.” Hannah said, “One takeaway I have after making such progress is there’s always room to better myself and my health. It definitely wasn’t always easy, but it’s been worth it and improved my confidence. I’ll continue working to improve my time and technique, plus trying physical activities that I’ve been resistant or reserved about, similarly to how I felt about running prior to joining this class.”

Steve said, “I realized it’s all about taking a new challenge step by step. I just needed to “do it” in order to experience the reality. I can run alone or with others. Other than a good pair of shoes and socks, there are few expenses. As long as I am able, I’ll keep on running into the future.”

Tracy said, “My apprehensiveness disappeared as all the fellowship, laughter and knowledge flooded the room. We mastered the task at hand when finishing that 5K. Thanks to all our supporters in class and to the Salisbury Police for riding beside us on their bikes. I highly recommend David’s class for everyone, get out there and enjoy life.”

And Destiny concluded with, “The biggest takeaway was to not judge the run based on the day I was having or on the first mile of the run. Some days, I felt extra tired, but my run would feel the best. I questioned how I was ever going to keep putting one foot in front of the other but I’m glad I did and that I accomplished running 3.1 miles. Running will play a part in my life when I feel stressed or tired. I know I can always throw on my shoes, go outside and get some fresh air and let my worries go away for a little while!”

Watch for the next beginners class in March and the next local race, the Ed Dupree Redo 5K at East Rowan High on Nov. 7, at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .

Final Harvest

by   November 7, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Final Harvest

            Is it really November? It is getting dark awfully early. While I really enjoy the cooler temperatures of fall and the beautiful leaves, I really don’t like the shorter days. We will get a reprieve from the darkness when everyone gets their Christmas lights up, which will probably be in a couple of weeks. I always feel like the year picks up speed as we hit November. There is always so much to do, but I imagine COVID will put the brakes on that, too.

            The recent cold spell put an end to the gardening season. I need the rest and a chance for the weeds to die back. It’s time to regroup and make plans for next year. I did go out and pick my final harvest. I picked a bowl full of cherry tomatoes that might last until Christmas. We harvested some butter beans and I dug my sweet potatoes. I even picked some late raspberries.

            The big wind from the…how many hurricanes did we get this year? Anyway, the wind blew down some beautiful sunflowers that were growing. I am not sure the seeds were completely formed. They were a nice fall treat this year. The fall corn I had hoped for was stunted, blown down, and what little grew was eaten by the squirrels. We need some hawks to help reduce the surplus of squirrels in our area.

            There were some successes and some letdowns in the garden this year, but that’s normal. Gardening is about getting out there working the soil and hoping for a harvest. Something you grow always tastes better than anything from the store. So I will soon begin dreaming about what I will try to grow next year, but for now, I will enjoy the rest.

            The goal of sowing seed is to receive a harvest. I believe if we all stepped back and looked at the people we know we would discover people who are in various stages of the gardening season. I imagine each of us knows people who have never considered the need for a savior. They lead broken lives and don’t know that there is a God in heaven who loves them. These people need a gardener to sow some seeds of faith in their lives.

            All of us know people who once had a vibrant faith, but the weeds of the world have stunted their growth and threaten to crush their hope. These people need a gardener to pull the weeds of worry, fear, doubt, anger, and disappointment out of their lives. They need someone to come along and water their lives with faith, hope, and love. Sometimes the weeds become so overwhelming that we need help to break free.

            Many people have been cut off due to COVID. They have stopped attending church or even watching their services online. When we become disconnected it is easy to become discouraged. The walk of faith is challenging in the best of times. Losing connection and the opportunity to challenge and encourage each other can cause our spiritual growth to become weak. We have to work if we want to stay connected. I need you and you need me if we are hoping to maintain our faith and grow spiritually.

            Finally, there are people in all our lives who are ready to meet Jesus. They have looked in all the wrong places for the peace they deeply desire. They may have attended church at one point in their lives, but have never made a personal commitment. They need to hear the truth that God loves them unconditionally. They need someone to do the honor of introducing them to Jesus, to let them know they are invited in no matter what they have done.

            I believe that Jesus needs you and me now more than ever to help him work in His garden. There are souls that need to be harvested, hearts that need to be healed, broken lives that need His healing touch, and people who need to hear the good news for the first time. Jesus is dependent upon each of us doing our part to help.

I want to encourage you to open your eyes and see the people in your life that are waiting to hear a word from you. Some need a life preserver, while others may just need a little word of encouragement. Jesus needs you to do your part, especially now in these crazy times we find ourselves living in. We know the power of faith, hope, and love to change lives. Be willing and available to God and I believe you will make a difference in someone’s life this week.

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

Truth Worth Hanging Onto

by   November 3, 2020 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Truth Worth Hanging Onto

My mom-in-law used a handful of catchy phrases that she deemed appropriate for certain situations. For example: If someone thought they were “all that” and dropped the ball at church or a family function, she would remind us that “One monkey don’t stop the show.” If something hurtful happened she was quick to remind us that “What doesn’t kill us will make us stronger.” When plans changed unexpectedly we knew we could count on her to say, “When God closes a door, He opens a window.”

I think my favorite, and her wisest saying was that “Things won’t always be this way.” In 2020 after the year most folks have had, I believe we can all shout a loud “Halleluiah” to that!

I hear talk about our new normal.

Nope.

I refuse to let this become my new normal. I look forward to handing out all the hugs I want; to smiling without hiding it behind a mask; to watching television without all the fearful warnings and even better, without the political ads filled with lies and character assaults.

I think we’re better than this.

I think this year has been a wakeup call to remind us of how good it is to work hard, send our children to school to professionals who know stuff; to shop for groceries without looking at each other suspiciously; and best of all to worship without fear. Let’s return to THAT normal!

After all, what hasn’t killed us has surely made us stronger!

PS:

While the proverbs of my beautiful southern mom-in-law are very wise, she would agree that Scripture is wiser still. May the Lord strengthen us to rest in His promises.

“The Lord is good, a Stronghold in the day of trouble. And He knows the ones who trust in Him!” – Nahum 1:7

Amen!

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