Vain Repetitions

by   June 17, 2022 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

            “… for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men….But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret;…” Matthew 6:5,6 (KJV)

            There are news reports of a move in South Carolina by some state representatives to require prayer to be held in South Carolina public school classrooms. I don’t question the sincerity of any lawmaker who wishes that prayer was allowed in public schools. However, I do question that lawmaker’s knowledge of federal laws and theology and education.

            First, the easy one: The Supreme Court, for better or worse, deemed required prayer in public schools unconstitutional. Settled.

            Secondly, the verses I quote from the book of Matthew are the words of Jesus when he rebuked religious ostentation in His Sermon on the Mount. We are instructed not to make our prayers a performance for others, but a talk with His Father, a private conversation. If prayer was required in public schools, would the South Carolina government write a prayer to be used in each classroom? Would the government trust each teacher to say her own prayer? Would the prayer be required to be Christian? Could a student lead a classroom prayer? But, all these questions are already answered: any student or teacher can pray in a classroom anytime. If a student is worried about an approaching test, he can pray. Any teacher faced with an unruly student can pray to her god for guidance. Prayer, of a private and non-required kind, is allowed and practiced in classrooms all over America. Each day. Often. To require a prayer of any religion would make that type of prayer rote and trivial. Sincere prayer is private and heart-felt, not required. Honest prayer, whether of the Christian faith or some other religion, is best taught at home, where deep instruction can be given by the parents.

            And last, our teachers have more than enough to do. They do not need one more interruption to the classrooms. They are teachers of math, English, history, physics, and so many other disciplines. To burden them with one more item would not help them or our children.

Shortcuts to Better Nutrient

by   June 14, 2022 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Last week, I shared my thoughts on five ways to get faster. This week, I’m going to address a few easy ways to improve your nutrition, most of which come up when I work with a runner or personal training client long term. I’m not a registered dietician but one of my favorite friends is, and I’ve heard her speak on better nutrition at least 20 times. Plus I research nutrition constantly just because I’m interested to find what really works. Here are some of my thoughts, individually all easy to do and not a major lifestyle change. Just little blocks to build better nutrition.

  • Water is the key to health, especially during the warm months but never out of sight even on the coldest days. Drink half the body weight in ounces daily. A 200-pound person would drink 100 ounces of water as a daily minimum, before the extra needed for exercise. With summer just around the corner and warm and humid days arriving regularly, push the water for better performance in both your running, other daily activities and mental processes.
  • Average at least one vegetable per meal for better blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. That vegetable adds fiber too and good carbs. Yes, you need good carbs for energy. They will transfer to power in your muscles.
  • Add fiber for bowel regularity, staying full between meals and stabilized blood sugar. There are lots of natural ways to have the pleasant full stomach feeling, sometimes called being satiated. You won’t think about hunger as much.
  • Also add a protein to each meal to feel full. (Greek yogurt again, eggs, lean meat, fish beans and nuts). One thing leads to another but these healthy practices work together.
  • Cut out all sugared drinks, a factor in so many health problems and mood disorders. Over the years, I have met many people who are at the extreme of the sugared drink issue. They drink soft drinks and sweetened tea for most of the day. Eating a balanced diet with normal calories can’t offset excessive empty calories from these sugared drinks. Just one soft drink a day over and above your correct amount of calories will net an additional 20 pounds gained per year.
  • Limit processed foods. Most are high in saturated fats, sugar, salt, lots of calories but have little nutritional benefit. In the grocery store, most of the processed foods are in the center aisles.
  • Eat reasonable calories for your age, gender, activity level and weight goals. Supertracker.usda.gov is one great website to address this and myfitnesspal.com is another. You can enter your calories and your workouts, along with your goals.
  • Sleep enough. You’ll tend to eat fewer calories and lower your risk for weight gain.
  • Eat good snacks. Hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt and nuts are a great way to start. We all need lots of cashews, pecans and almonds.
  • Don’t eat because it’s time to eat. Three full meals are fine with a super-active lifestyle, but most of us will do better by eating a bunch of small meals or snacks when we are hungry. Some call this grazing. Never eat just because it is time too. Don’t drop everything at noon to eat if you aren’t hungry. Do eat breakfast, otherwise by skipping it there is a good likelihood that you’ll add on more than you would have eaten normally anyway, and the body will be underpowered early in the day.

   We are entering the summer racing season, almost always a lighter scheduled due to the heat and humidity. At present there are just two races on tap in Rowan County and both are in July. Mark your calendars for two fantastic events with the Shiloh Run for Missions 5K in Faith on July 2 and the Run for the Greenway 5K at Knox Middle School on July 16.

Look for these and all currently scheduled events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

Just a Thought

by   June 13, 2022 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

Come to Me

by   June 11, 2022 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            My sister-in-law loves rabbits. The problem is that she is allergic to them. That does not diminish her love for them. My wife and her sister had rabbits as pets when they were little. Their father built a nice hutch for the rabbits, and they loved playing with them.  I have heard many stories over the years about their rabbits.

            If my wife and I see a rabbit we immediately think of her sister. A few months ago there was a beautiful white rabbit hopping around our yard. We knew it was a pet that had escaped and caught it. We put pictures on the community Facebook page and had many people who wanted the bunny. It found a nice home. I wrote about the adventures of that rabbit to my sister-in-law and she loved the stories.

            We have several wild rabbits living in the woods who visit our yard. They are allowed to visit as long as they stay out of the vegetable garden. One day I looked out and saw a bunny rolling around in the middle of my garden. I chased him away. Another day I looked out and saw two ears sticking up in the middle of my beans. I hurried out to my garden. I arrived to find a bunny trying to look innocent, but there was a bean leaf hanging out of his mouth.

            The bunny antics have continued, with a new white rabbit appearing last week. My neighbor hopes I will adopt it, and I hope she will. Meanwhile the bunny has been entertaining us. We look out for him every day. He has become chummy with the wild bunnies, who seem to have accepted him. I have sent several stories of the bunny antics to my sister-in-law, who has been enjoying the saga.

            The new white rabbit has obviously been around people. It will come right up to you. It gets just close enough that you think you might pet him and then he hops quickly away. My neighbor and I have both come within inches of touching the bunny before he scampers away. He doesn’t go far, just enough to be out of reach. If you move towards him he will take a few more hops and look back to see if you are coming.

            I have been thinking a lot about this game with the white bunny. He comes close but stays just out of reach. I think that many people are the same way with God. We want to be close to God; in fact, we will run right up to Him. Then, when God reaches out for us, we scurry away… not too far, but just out of reach. Why do we do that?

            Are we afraid? He is God. He is righteous and holy, and we are not. Maybe we are afraid He might expose something we are trying to keep hidden. Maybe we are afraid that He is going to catch us, only to reject us. Why do we run away?

            The answer is not simple. Some people have not grown up with a father, or theirs was abusive. Others grew up with fathers who were physically present but emotionally distant. Some fathers are workaholics and don’t spend time with their kids. Any of these experiences can leave us with a bad image as we try to translate that to our Heavenly Father. People in these situations believe the lie that their Heavenly Father is the same way.

            Others run away from God because they feel that they are unworthy of His love due to past sins or moral failures in their lives. These people believe the lie that Jesus’ blood is not sufficient for them. It may even be that they can believe that God might forgive them, but they cannot forgive themselves.

            The good news is that your Heavenly Father is not like your earthly father. Your Heavenly Father loves you unconditionally. There is no sin you have committed or mistake you have made that isn’t covered in the precious blood of Jesus. You are a highly favored child of God if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior.

            I want to encourage you to stop running away from God and allow Him to capture your heart. He knows everything about you and loves you more than any human ever could. If you feel you need forgiveness, just ask, because that work has already been done on the cross. He wants you close to Him. Stop resisting and run to Him. Let His love fill your heart.  

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

Experts in Grace

by   June 10, 2022 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

          An art dealer in Florida has been charged by federal agents with wire fraud, money laundering, and mail fraud. It seems he sold fake art works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and other well-known artists for millions of dollars. The dealer supposedly purchased one fake work by Basquiat on a website for $495 and sold it to an undercover agent for $12 million. His extensive fraud was uncovered after technology revealed the signatures on the art were false and examinations by art experts collaborated that the works were not originals. However, the dealer assured purchasers that he stood behind the work in his gallery 100 percent and that each purchase was a fabulous deal.

Forgeries have been with us, but the Internet gives the cheater easier access to those who may not have the knowledge to determine if an item is authentic.  However, what if the offering is not a concrete item like a work of art? What if the offering is a promise formed out of words from a respected community member like a teacher or religious leader? How does one not believe someone that is so revered?

In my career as a teacher of literature and writing, I would at times deliberately lie or make an outlandish claim to my students.(For instance: Romeo was too old for Juliet.)  I did this in order to teach them that a teacher was not infallible, and they should not accept as a cardinal truth everything a teacher said. In that small way, I was hoping to teach them that they were responsible for their educations. They had the text and were required to read it and draw their own conclusions based on the text.

Like teachers, religious leaders have influence, even power, over people. They can sway the way people think and act. Just as I did with Shakespeare, a religious leader can use a holy text to teach. However, what if that teaching is that all infidels should be killed, or the holy city of Jerusalem should be rid of all non-Christians. What if a religious leader taught that homosexuals deserve to lose civil rights or that only one political leader deserves a vote?

Christians have the Bible and its teachings. We can read and study the Gospels to guide us. We have the examples of Jesus. The written words of James, Paul, and other writers can instruct. We should read and study those lessons and upon hearing some “pastor” tell us that anyone not in agreement with what he or she shouts from the pulpit is to be despised and shunned, we should go to John 4 and read Jesus talking with the woman who was such an outcast that she had to go to  the village well at noon, in the heat of the day. But she, the Samaritan woman, encountered a Jewish man who spoke to her with kind words.

The Text is our expert guiding us in what we believe and how we act. That Text will reveal any forgery blabbering from a pulpit of lies and misinformation.

Party Time

by   June 7, 2022 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Nehemiah 8: 10-12- Very loosely paraphrased:

PARTY TIME!!! Break out the paper plates, not those flimsy, use 3 or 4, and hope the beans don’t leak through and run down your elbow kind. Buy the sturdy ones and the heavy cutlery. Everyone bring a covered dish, or two or three just to make sure there’s plenty! Something yummy like your grandma would’ve made. Don’t forget the sweat tea! And real fried chicken- crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle! Macaroni and cheese so thick you have to bang the side of the pan to get it off the serving spoon. While you’re at it churn up some ice cream for on top of the hot cobbler. Yummmm………..!

Nothing says celebrate like great food! They had worked so hard. Then came the worship. Next was repentance. Then thanksgiving. Now PAR-TAAY!

Hard work; Sacrifice; Giving; God’s Word; Worship; Repentance; Thanksgiving; Sharing; Preparing; Planning; Food; Fellowship; Joy; Strength; all because some people got together and cared about what God wanted, and prayed.

It’s a picture of us and our churches too!

If you’re in any church or close relationship very long, you know there will be short comings. If you hang tough and stay strong, you will experience the joy of family done well. Something about weathering storms together always draws us closer to each other. And we are definitely better together!

Dear God, please hold our church safely in Your everlasting arms. Carry us when we have no strength. Give us great joy in You. Help us to love each other so much that You are blessed. But when we get weary, and You know that we will, help us love You way more than any petty grievance that would separate us from each other. Thank You so much for the wonderful joy of knowing You, and for all the folks in our sweet church!

More:

“Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Keep away from every kind of evil.” -1 Thess. 5:16-22

Getting Faster in Five Steps

by   June 6, 2022 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Most of the runners I talk to that are seeking advice want to know one of two things. The first group wants to talk about getting on track and keeping the momentum going. The second group wants to find out how to get faster. During my most competitive years, that was my quest every day. And in a different way, it is still my quest. In those earlier years, I read everything I could and talked to faster and more experienced runners about what worked for them. After more than 40 years of running, here are my suggestions if getting faster is on your mind also.

  • First, to get faster, you have to run fast. Sounds like double speak to many, but by this I mean that your body has to come out of its comfort zone in a portion of training. Usually, the perfect place is to get on the track once a week with a series of intervals. One lap at a time is my favorite, a 400-meter sprint as fast as you can run. If you haven’t tried this before, warm up properly and  do about six of these sprints with a short rest period in between. Then in the weeks ahead, add more reps and shorten the rest period. Try two laps and even four at a time, pushing yourself at the fastest pace to complete the distance.
  • Use your arms. So many runners today are lazy with their arms. Arms are momentum when done right. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees and pump them forward, not sideways and hanging down. Many coaches will say things like, “Your running will go as your arms do!”
  • Warm up when you want to run fast, whether it be for the intervals described above or for a race. One client knocked a minute off his 5K time by just including a warm-up that brought some sweat before he went to the start line. Here is what worked best for me: A good warm-up doesn’t have to include a lot of slower running but is much better when it includes a series of sprints. My suggestion is to run steadily for 5 minutes, then mix in a series of 60- to 100-yard sprints. Really pushing the legs fast, but just for 3-4 brief periods with just a slow jog in between. Once completed, jog to the last bathroom break, make any needed clothing changes and hit the start line. The difference is with this pre-race warmup, you won’t be warming up in the first mile. You will be racing it!
  • Make sure you are hydrated, so much so that the last bathroom break is just before the start. If you are hydrated well enough that you your pee is clear, then your cardiovascular system and the rest of the muscles will be ready for peak performance. Plenty of athletes who were ready to do well lost the advantage by not being hydrated.
  • And finally, increase your mileage so that body is not always pushing the pace at its maximum distance. I am one of those old-school runners that believes in a long run at least once a week. Always be able to comfortably run several miles farther than the actual distance that you are racing. A good 5K effort is more likely when preceded by a long run at least double that distance a week before. For me, I always wanted to know in my head that I could run the distance. I always advise running the distance and just a little bit more even when properly preparing to race a half or full marathon. One of my best marathons came several weeks after a 32-mile run, my longest during my marathon racing years.

Friday night is one of the most popular races in Rowan County, the Main Street Challenge 5K in China Grove. The 5K starts at 9pm and is run entirely on Main Street. There is a Tot Trot and Fun Run just ahead of the big event. Look for more information on this and other events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

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