May Madness

by   May 12, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

                        Not too many evenings ago, Mary Ann and I went on a walk through our neighborhood. After talking with Brenda, whose planting we interrupted, we passed the corner where the Isle of Pines sign is. Mary Ann pointed to a huge, overgrown bush that occupied all the space behind and around the stone sign. Asking me what it was, I looked at its dark, green leaves that shone in the waning sun and told her that it looked like a Ligustrum or privet, but its size suggested something else. I had to admit not knowing what the large bush was for certain, but that I could only wager an educated guess.

                        I have been reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and in one latter chapter he writes about our duality—what we are and what we do. He writes, “Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth?” If I understand Lewis correctly, he argues that as we mature in our Christian faith, we come to realize that, while we can seemingly manage our outward actions and appearances, only God can change our interior-our core. If, he argues, “what we do matters chiefly as evidence of what we are,” even our good actions, then we need to surrender ourselves to God because it is He who does everything. In Proverbs 16:2, Solomon writes, “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.”

                        For the past few days, especially in the early mornings and late evenings, we have smelled a delightful scent of May’s madness, when the world is bursting with vigor and new life. It is a marvelous time for living, and Mary Ann and I have rejoiced in the blessings of this season. However, we could not find the source of the delightful scent. Mary Ann even walked from bush to flower to bush in our garden to find the source, but no success until her walk to the paper box this morning. Coming into the house, she announced, “It’s the privet bush across the road!” When I went out to ride my stationary bike I looked to see it full of white clusters that confirmed part of its duality.

                        Created by God, the Ligustrum is like mankind. It is a plant that is, but also a plant that does.  When I looked at it those days ago, its outward characteristics suggested what it was and could be, but only until it produced its aromatic blooms did its true self emerge. With its blooming, a good thing, its does (a verb) revealed its is (a noun). Now, we have free will, unlike other creations of His, but we can follow His will if we choose That way and not ours.

David Continues His Travels

by   May 11, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I’m so much enjoying these visits to the county seats in North Carolina and used Sunday, April 23, to add to my list. First I wanted to visit Greensboro, county seat of Guilford, with less traffic. The old part of town was called Greensborough, formed in 1808, and is centered on Washington and Elm streets. The name changed to Greensboro in 1895. I ran several races in that area years ago, but this was my first time exploring the same streets.

Right away, I found the modern courthouse just by being lucky to park near it. Just ahead. I found the old Carolina Theatre which opened on Halloween 1927, and the site where Jefferson Davis held two of his last cabinet meetings after the Confederate President had fled Richmond in 1865. Next was the Cigar District, a big thing from 1903-55, employing mostly young women in 14 manufacturing shops on Elm Street.

In this area, Blue Duck electric scooters and bikes were parked everywhere for rent, a couple on a corner, another here or there. North Carolina’s first and only women’s Holocaust monument was unveiled at LeBauer Park on April 18. The statue, “She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots,” was designed in a shop on Elm Street. I visited the sprawling depot that serves Amtrak, Greyhound, city transportation and probably more.

The F.W. Woolworth store where four Black college freshmen sat down for lunch in the “whites only” section is now a Civil Rights Museum. Vicks VapoRub was created in a drug store nearby. The most impressive buildings in this area are the Lincoln Financial Tower at 20 stories next to the 18 story Jefferson Standard Building. The old town is full of interesting stores, most of them in historic buildings.

Modern Greensboro has lots of bagel stores and I had to visit one on the way out of town. I ate more bagels today than I have in total the last two months.

My next county seat was Graham, of Alamance. Graham became a town in 1851. It’s another town that surrounds the county courthouse built in 1923 and is loaded with interesting historic buildings. Parking was at a premium, with several large churches, shopping and one particular restaurant busy late on a Sunday morning. The Montwhite Building from 1907 was the Opera House first and one of the 70 downtown historic structures. There are several large historic mill buildings too, one with a separate bathroom building added in 1940. The 1902 Wrike Drugs is still in the original building with only the store front altered. The movie “Jesus Resolution” was showing all afternoon in the cinema building.

Most surprising to me was that the Press Restaurant offering coffee, crepes and cocktails had a 90-minute wait for a table. Graham is one of the few flat downtowns so far and has plenty to visit.

Then I drove on to Lexington, another historic downtown that I haven’t spent enough time in over the years. Lexington was incorporated in 1828 and named after Lexington, Massachusetts. I found a fantastic Old Davidson County Courthouse, now a museum, first built in 1858. The interior was burned in 1865 and repaired in 1867. I remain amazed at the quality, style and beauty of these old courthouses and this one is one of the best yet.

Two Lexington fixtures began with the Conrad Hinkle grocery store, built in 1919. Famous for old time homemade things like pimento cheese and chicken salad plus hand-cut meats, the store remains very popular. Just down the street is Lanier Hardware. Opened in 1940 and still operated by the Lanier family, locals say that if Lanier’s doesn’t have it in their 32,000 square feet of space, you don’t need it. The old post office became a library building but appears unused now. Decorative pigs are scattered along the sidewalks and each one advertises something different. Lexington calls itself the Barbecue Capital of the World.

Especially good was a statue near the police department of a uniformed officer holding the hand of a little girl while he talked with her. Bike racks along the sidewalk were placed in honor of local citizens. And the Sinfully Delicious custom bakery was taking orders for Elvis cakes. I hope to visit again next Sunday as the three-day 2nd Annual Elvis Festival targets a gospel competition.

The last city for this week is Concord, Cabarrus County seat. Concord means “to bring into harmony” and was first settled about 1750 and incorporated in 1806. It is the 10th largest city in North Carolina. Cotton and textile mills were stalwart industries as the city prospered. The 1839 Odell-Locke-Randolph Mill is now a popular retail space. Union Street is the one of the most beautiful streets I have ever seen with more than 200 historic structures. Often I have gone to Concord just to run out and back on Union, ending in the downtown area.

The historic and stately Cabarrus County Courthouse was built in 1876, one of four courthouses used since the town’s inception. Government buildings dominate the downtown area, with current courthouse expansion still underway and various city and county buildings. The City Hall and Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center, in particular, were especially interesting.

Several large murals, one honoring the hometown Avett Brothers, can be seen, along with one of the original What-a-Burgers, labeled as location No. 2 on it’s sign.

A giant step forward is the streetscape construction now underway on downtown Union Street. When complete, bike lanes, significant landscape plantings and widened walking areas will highlight the area. Concord looks successful and growing, and I’m betting that continues.

Now with 30 county seats complete, 70 remain. I had 6.27 miles on foot in these four towns, all very enjoyable. We’ll continue soon!

Sustained Blessing

by   May 10, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

  • Trusting is when we don’t see, understand, or know what God is doing, but simply rely on Him – regardless.
  • When we put our trust in Him and not anything we have confidence in in this world, we are safe.
  • We are blessed when we do this, because God will always come through for us.

Prayer:  Thank You Father for Your wonderful goodness to me, that I can trust in You regardless of how things seem or appear and I can put my confidence in You today.  You are a wonderful Lord and Savior and I praise You.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Equipped

by   May 9, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

I’ve been thinking about a word I saw in Scripture, and praying it for my husband and me. You see, we’ve just let go of a lot of security and left jobs we had at the same school for the past twenty years. Yep. We are that crazy. Anyway, he was a middle school teacher [math, Bible, & culinary] and I was the school secretary. And we really loved it. But the Lord kept nudging us to step out of the boat and do a little wave walking.

A while back I heard a teaching series through the book of Nehemiah. The pastor said. “Don’t allow fear to be bigger than your God.” It was at that point that I had real confirmation that God wanted us to do something more. That was in January. So in March, when it was time to sign contracts for the next year, God gave us both peace and assurance that we needed to be done there. And we let go.

One day I was reading and came across the word equip. It’s contained in a prayer at the end of Hebrews. Chapter 13:20 says, “And now, may the God of peace, Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing His will.” Since we are definitely old dogs in need of new tricks, equipping by God sounds like a great request. So this has become my prayer for us. Today, I saw an interesting commentary on that word. The writer, Dennis Fisher, says it is the same word used in several contexts. Stay with me, this is pretty cool. Ephesians 4:12 uses it to describe what pastors and teachers do for us as they bring us God’s Word. Galatians 6:1 speaks of restoring [equipping] a fallen brother. And my favorite is in Matthew 4:21. Mending [nets] is the same word.

God is so practical. He never asks us to do anything without equipping us to do it. And if we fall, and odds are pretty good we will, He reaches out His hand for us. And when we need mending, He’ll do that too. People may think we are not worth the effort, but God never gives up on us. And the coolest part of all is that the power He uses to equip us is the same power He used to RAISE CHRIST FROM THE DEAD! Ephesians 1:19-“I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of His power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead!” Strong stuff! Makes me think we can do anything He asks!

So the prayer for today is for equipping. Lord, strengthen us with the tools we need to build Your church. Put in our hearts what You want us to do. Then give us the knowhow, stamina, and understanding to do the things You want done. Help us remember that we cannot rely on ourselves. Then strengthen us to stay so close to You, that when the waves get big, we instantly call to you like Peter did when he stepped out on the water. Hold us by Your strong and mighty right hand! Equip us to do great things we’ve never done before!

More: Psalm 18:16-20; Matthew 14:22-33; Isaiah 43:2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Isaiah 48:17- “The LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says, I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling like waves.”

The Deep Cleaning

by   May 8, 2023 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

My goal: Deep clean a room each day until my house was perfectly clean. Yes, I had learned the term “deep clean” and really wanted to find an occasion to use it.

Day 1. Room 1. As my project progressed, I noted that one room takes entirely too long!

Day 2. Room 2. Realizing my motivation had begun to dwindle, I gave myself a pep talk, “Time to go to the next room!” Then, a little more excitedly, “Time to go to the next room!” Yes, I talk to myself.

As I was beginning to work, I saw a rainbow on the floor in front of me that had been created by the light coming through the beveled glass in the entrance doorway.

After looking at it for a second, I headed into the next room.

God was obviously already at work, for there was a rainbow on that floor, too. It was even more magnificent than the first one! The colors were so vivid! And…there was no beveled glass in sight to create it.

As I worked, God began to speak to my heart through the rainbows.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. In my Father’s house are many rooms,” were the words that kept being whispered into my spirit.

I looked back and could still see both rainbows, even though they were in different rooms.

Seeing the two rainbows had made me feel like I was looking at a bridge providing a beautiful connecting link between earth and heaven.

Amazed, I just shook my head. I had been in one room and God had sent a rainbow.

It had been so beautiful. I had stepped into the next room and there was another rainbow. It was even more beautiful.

I knew the connection God was making in my heart. In every room — in every part of our lives — God is with us. Our time in our room on earth is beautiful.

It is filled with God’s beauty and His spirit. It is filled with rainbows to remind us that His promises are true.

Genesis 9:13 tells us that God set the bow in the clouds. Can you envision that? God Himself setting the rainbow in the clouds just for us — to remind us that His promises are true! That’s what I call a rainbow moment!

Then, one day, when it is time to leave our earthly home for our heavenly home, it will be like stepping into the next room.

The next room will be even more magnificent than the earthly room we are now living in, for it will be filled with colors that go beyond the spectrum of colors that we now know — for we will be with the Light of the World — our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

No, my deep cleaning project was not completed. But there was some deep cleansing in my spirit. The first room and the next room made sure of that.

This was not my first rainbow moment, but it was a good one.

What’s your rainbow moment? I would love to hear about it.

Contact me at annfarabee@gmail.com. Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker.

Freedoms

by   May 6, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            Many times in my life I have heard pastors reference the freedoms that we have in Christ as if I knew what those freedoms were. I have often wondered about them but never really taken the time to learn about them. My pastor was planning to travel and suggested this would make an interesting topic for the sermon I would give in his absence. The trouble was he didn’t tell me what our freedoms are.

            I guess my pastors thought everyone knew about our freedoms in Christ. I can understand that because I taught marketing for 34 years, and every semester when I got new classes I thought they knew something about marketing when they arrived. Each year, when I would define marketing for the students, I would be surprised that they needed to write it down because they didn’t know it. Then I would remember, this is new to this group of students.

            How was I going to teach about the freedoms we have in Christ? Hello Google! The first thing I found I already knew. We are free from guilt, shame, and feelings of unworthiness. I was glad to remind myself that I can give Him the guilt and shame that I sometimes feel when I make wrong choices. I was also reminded of the forgiveness for our sins. Nothing makes the heart lighter than knowing we are forgiven. God forgives and forgets all our sins!

            I am free to approach God’s throne without any fear. In fact, God is excited and glad to see me. He is the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and yet He is never too busy to spend time with each one of us. He is the perfect Father who loves each of us beyond our understanding. If we invest the time in this very special relationship, we can even call Him our friend.

            That means we can go to Him with our prayer requests. When we pray to God we can know that He hears us and that our prayers carry weight in heaven. Our prayers can actually change circumstances. Our prayers can bring heaven’s aid to those in need. Why do our prayers matter? We are God’s children and we have a special place in God’s heart. He wants to do things for His children. He wants to answer our prayers.

            One of our freedoms is the privilege to walk with God. He doesn’t watch us from a distance, because He is intimately involved in our lives. Since I get to walk with God, He will reveal to me His purpose for my life. Once I know my purpose then I am free to fulfill that purpose…with His help. One of our key purposes is to tell the lost about God’s great love! Each of us has a story, our testimony, about how God has set us free from our old lives.

            We have the freedom to partake in the blessings of being God’s children. Many think that we will receive all our blessings when we get to heaven. There will be plenty of blessings when we get there, but there are many blessings to enjoy while we are here on earth. One of my former pastors used to tell us that God wants us to have a good trip through life. That doesn’t mean that we won’t have any problems, trials, or difficulties, but it does mean that God will walk with us through those times and will bless us. We are free to be blessed by God!

            The Bible is full of many promises that God makes for His children. I am free to enjoy all those promises. Many of the promises in the Bible are conditional…if I do this, God will do that. But there are plenty of other promises in the Bible that are blessings for us to enjoy here on earth. Our job is to discover them and then claim those promises, like His protection, His guidance, His wisdom in times of need, His forgiveness, and His unconditional love.

            I want to encourage you to dig into God’s word and discover the promises He has for you. No matter what challenges you face, God is on your side to help you. He bought your freedom from guilt and shame so you could have an increased capacity for His love, joy, and peace in your life. Then He wants you to use those freedoms to share the Good News of His love with those around you. He also wants you to enjoy His favor in your life and to allow that favor to give you a good trip through life.

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

Last Lunch

by   May 5, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Yesterday, the first Tuesday of May 2023, was the last lunch date that Mary Ann and I would share with the A.L. Brown class of 1964. We began attending the monthly gatherings six years ago when we returned to North Carolina, but the Wonders had been sharing food and friendship long before our joining. Under the leadership of Gail, about two dozen high school classmates and some spouses arrive in China Grove at noon once a month and gather round a long table to talk, listen, share, and remember.

The word used for these lunches-gather- is chosen carefully. The folks do not meet because to meet implies an order or an agenda. They do not assemble because to assemble has the connotation of purpose or intent. The folks gather, much like a flock or herd does, and for some of the same reasons.

Yesterday as I drove us along state Route 152 towards China Grove, I commented to Mary Ann on how the world had suddenly come alive and how fresh and green the earth was. The bright green of spring complimented the blue of sky. It was a wonderful time to be alive and I looked forward to the last lunch. Over my many years of springs and summers and falls, I have glanced back and wondered about my “last” of some things. I vividly remember my last marathon in Big Sur but can’t find in my memory my last training run.  Was it a long one, a short, easy one, or a workout on a track, I wonder. While I know the facts about many of my classes I instructed, I have no knowledge of the last class I taught. But I hope it was a good one for my students and for me.  It seems as if certain events important in my life were not marked in my memory, and while not a monumental part of my life, I ponder that and wonder why I have no memory of certain times in my life. I surmise that I did not mark some of those “lasts” because I did not know it was the last one of any number of activities.

But yesterday, May 02, 2023 was, in a way, a significant day because I was ready to, as much as possible, mark the lunch gathering, cutting it into my memory much like a stonemason scores a stone in order to shape it for something bigger. And this last luncheon gathering was larger than food, news, laughter, and friendships.

As I sat waiting for our places to be readied, I watched as classmates arrived in the familiar waiting room. One came using his cane; one’s wheelchair pushed by a spouse; one when asked about his gleaming Corvette that we all watched him park said, “It’s just a Chevrolet”; most walking with purpose and varying paunches of weight that long since had become a permanent resident of the bodies; and all chattering like members of a flock just happy to be present with others of their kind. It was a gathering that supported the words of Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” As I watched my classmates, I saw a tide of humanity with the range of human experiences mentioned by Dickens. Everything was present in that waiting room, but they all as individuals and as a gathering had persisted and will persevere against things to come.

Our long table ready, we entered and laughed and listened and shared and ate and remembered those absent and those no longer able to attend. “It was the best of times….”

David’s Adventure

by   May 4, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I grabbed another day of county seats on Thursday, April 13, working toward a goal of getting most of those west of here by early May. I love the mountains and looked forward to a pleasant day of driving, running and exploring with the best forecast of any of my recent trips.

Morganton, Burke County’s seat, was first on my list. Arriving just after 9 a.m., I found an already active welcome center with four women at work. I quickly had a downtown map with points of interest. I found the stately Burke County Courthouse as the focal point of the town. Built of local cut stone in 1835, the building also housed the August terms of the State Supreme Court from 1847-1861. The Spanish built a fort near here in 1567, 40 years before the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia.

In 1864, a detachment of Union loyalist North Carolina troops attacked the Western North Carolina Railroad and a Confederate training camp just outside Morganton. Neighborhoods around the downtown area have lots of late 19th and early 20th century homes. The colorful downtown area has plenty of interesting and active stores with most storefronts in use. Just across the street from the historic courthouse is a large movie theatre.

Morganton’s Sam Ervin, U.S. Senator from 1954-74, was notable for the Watergate hearings and has his own statue next to the old courthouse and across from the modern one. Situated on top of the highest knoll in town, the old courthouse offers fantastic views of the surrounding foothills.

I found a “toasted and rolled” ice cream shop, though not open in the morning. New to me, this ice cream has a frozen base that can be rolled out in sheets and rerolled for serving. Can’t wait to try it.

My next stop was Newland, county seat of Avery County. It’s small but seems to have some of everything. Earlier called “Old Fields of Toe,” the town was renamed Newland after Lt. Governor William C. Newland in 1911. The courthouse and jail were both built in 1913. The courthouse also houses a correctional facility. While the courthouse is still in use, the old jail next door is now a museum.

The depot of the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad opened in 1914 and is still there along with a restored caboose even though the railroad discontinued operations in 1940.

A pleasant mountain drive took me to Bakersville, county seat of Mitchell County. On a day of small towns, this was the smallest but also likely the most interesting. Started in the 1850s, the town is named after Revolutionary soldier David Baker. His renovated home still stands and is owned by a part of author John Grisham’s family. Famous for its long running annual Rhododendron Festival, I had visited Bakersville several times in the 1990s to run the accompanying 10K race. Nearby on Roan Mountain is the largest rhododendron natural garden in the world with 600 acres. The festival, now in its 76th year, is June 16-18.

Cane Creek runs through the town and its banks form a nice park where one trout fisherman was flyfishing. In 1901, the little creek overflowed in what was called the “May Flood,” washing most of the town away.

Many of the small stores sell local mountain crafts inspired by the nearby Penland School of Crafts, which was a great story in itself. Penland offers spring, summer and fall workshops in craft disciplines that include weaving and dyeing, bead work, glassblowing, pottery, paper making, metalworking and woodworking. It also offers fine arts subjects, such as printmaking, painting and photography. Workshops are taught by visiting American and international artists and professors, a tradition that started in 1929. Academic degrees are not awarded by Penland, but students can receive college credit through Western Carolina University. There are about 1,200 people who study at Penland each year in 50 rustic buildings on 400 acres. Many of the students remain in the area, making more artists per capita than almost anywhere in the world.

The 1907 Mitchell County Courthouse dominates the downtown. I tried the visitor center a couple of times and found no one, so I asked at the Just Local Market. Megan Bell sold me some great cookies and took me to Sharon Rowland across the street at Bowditch Antiques and Collectibles. Sharon did her student teaching at East Rowan High School before changing professions and joining the Agricultural Extension Service. She took me back to the visitor center where I learned the real scoop about the town. Sharon said, “We’ve got a great little town and we just have to promote it.”

As I headed south toward Marion, county seat of McDowell County, I reflected on how much those ladies loved Bakersville and how special they made my visit. Marion, founded in 1844, was named for famous Revolutionary War General Francis Marion, the elusive Swamp Fox.

As the self-designated Salisbury Post Bigfoot expert, I was able to cover the first ever Bigfoot festival in Marion a few years ago. This year’s festival is just ahead on May 20, followed by the Livermush Festival on June 3. Former Kansas and UNC basketball coach Roy Williams was born in Marion and his Carolina friends erected a historical marker in his honor.

Marion’s slogan, “Where Main Street Meets the Mountains” fits because lots of excellent mountain views surround the downtown. A huge fire in 1894 gutted Main Street, destroying most businesses and homes. With no central water supply, citizens fought the fire unsuccessfully with a bucket brigade. A few brick buildings survived with damage, yet a vibrant downtown now exists.

I found gas at a reasonable price and headed home after another productive day. I drove 247 miles and covered 6.3 more on foot. That’s 25 county seats visited and 75 more to go. I’ll be back with more soon.

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