The Stuff We Live With

by   June 10, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

The Stuff We Live With

            We keep our tropical plants in the garage for the winter. I built a special room for them but they have spilled out to the rest of the garage. When I got them all out for the summer I left the mess to clean up later. Last weekend was “later.”

            I pulled the cars out and cleaned out the plant room and then decided to sweep the garage. One corner is where I keep my golf clubs and golf balls. I haven’t used the clubs in years. It is amazing how many spiders, cobwebs, leaves, and dead grass can accumulate in the corner of a garage. Now the corner is all cleaned and straightened up.

            Another corner of the garage is my chemical corner. I keep weed killer, oil, anti-freeze, paint, and pest control products. It’s jumbled up. I decided that needed some attention. Why do I have four bottles of weed killer? There are some empty and full cans of paint. Can’t throw away the empties because we won’t remember what color we used.

            There is more that needs to be cleaned out of the garage, and the storage building could use some evaluation of its contents. I do throw some things away and I take carloads to Goodwill, but there always seems to be more that needs our attention.

            I know that we aren’t alone in our need to clean out and throw away. I have helped a number of friends move and even those who live in apartments have lots of “stuff.” Where did all our “stuff” come from?

            The more I think about this idea of excess stuff the more I realize that it is not limited to physical things in our homes. Many of us are living with lots of spiritual, mental, and emotional baggage that we need to consider unloading. The process of letting go is just as difficult with this kind of clutter as it is with the physical clutter in our lives.

            Take the challenge of forgiveness. When we are wronged by someone it can be very difficult to forgive people. When we harbor unforgiveness we have to carry it with us. It becomes a burden. Releasing the unforgiveness to God and allowing Him to deal with the person will change our lives and free us from things like bitterness.

            Forgiving others is one challenge; forgiving ourselves, another. We all fall short of a perfect life in many ways because we are human. Coming to terms with our own human faults and failures and seeking God’s forgiveness is the first step to allowing our self-forgiveness to emerge. God wants us to enjoy richer, fuller lives through forgiveness.

            There are many other areas in our lives that need cleaning out. While it feels easier to close a door and forget them, I think it’s better to deal with them. One of the ways to better physical, mental, and emotional health is through exercise. While most of us would agree that walking on the beach can do miracles for us, walking in our neighborhoods can be great for body, mind and spirit. We can clear the clutter simply by being physically active.

            We live in a world that can be very overwhelming. All these things can invade our spiritual well-being. God wants us to live with peace, joy, and His love filling our hearts. But when our hearts and minds are filled with the stresses of daily life, worries about tomorrow, and anxiety about everything, God can get pushed out.

All of these things affect and infect our spirits. They flood our hearts and minds, leaving little room for God. He wants to help us clean the clutter and make more room for Him. The help we need can come through exercise, fellowship with our church family, the prayers of family and friends, spending time alone with God and allowing His Spirit to work, digging into God’s word searching for His answers to our problems, and sometimes through the help of spiritual leaders and counselors. Clutter cleaning is work, but with God’s help we can find freedom.

            I want to encourage you to open the doors of your heart and mind and see if there are some things to clean out. The stuff keeps us from the freedom that He bought for us. God wants to help us lighten our load. When He gets stuff cleaned out there will be more room for Him. He promises that His burdens are easy and light. It may be a challenge but it will sure make life better.

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

Trouble and Faith

by   June 9, 2023 with No Comments

  By Roger Barbee

Yesterday our pastor said in his sermon, “When in trouble, have faith.”

While I heard some of his remaining words, I admit to thinking mostly of those five words during the remainder of his sermon; and I keep thinking of those two words, “trouble” and “faith” because, even though they were spoken in the context of a sermon, there are many types of trouble and faith. I know in what term our pastor spoke them, but what of other understandings?

Most of us of a certain age have been warned of “troubles” by our mothers and/or  other adults during our growing years.  Most of those problems we were warned of were results from wrongdoing, such as being dishonest or greedy. We were taught to avoid such errors  because we would be “in a heap of trouble.”

But trouble comes in other forms, too. Think of the trouble that may result in having to make a choice because one is found in a precarious position—such as the first time one climbs a tall tree, then must navigate down it. Or, when one follows older children onto the garage roof to jump off, but teeters on the edge before deciding to jump or climb back down. For a six-year-old, both examples are “a heap of trouble.”

Athletics offer the possibility of trouble all the time. It is real trouble when a team or individual are faced with “being in a hole”—behind in points. The team or individual must choose an action, but the trouble of being down in points requires some act—either quit or battle back. As an athlete and coach, I have experienced trouble like that, sometimes with success, sometimes not.

While being in trouble is usually thought of as serious, it is not always so. Sometimes the trouble we face is really nothing more than an inconvenience, like an unruly child. However, when we think of trouble as adults, we usually think of it as serious, something that demands we contact a lawyer or doctor-the seeking of professional help of some type.  

Trouble comes in a variety, sometimes of our own making or not. But no matter its shape, color, reason, or size, all trouble requires that other word used by pastor-faith. For instance, if a runner finds herself behind in a race,  she can trust that her training has prepared her for what she must do: To increase her pace by raising her tempo and racing harder in order to catch her opponent(s). That trust is a form of faith in her preparation for the race, her work done for that moment. If she does not have faith in her training, she will not catch anyone but just cruise alone, content on running but not racing. But I think when any runner laces on her racing shoes, she should commit to running her best, pushing herself to her physical and mental limits. To do that takes faith.

S Christ follower is like the runner who, upon donning the shoes, is committing to not being content at just being present, but willfully giving every ounce of being for the “race”. Like the runner, a true Christ follower has trained by study and prayer. That’s what Paul did for three years, before he lined up on the starting line. And we are just as required to prepare for the trouble we will face. By that training we will gain the faith necessary for any race we face.

Trust in one’s ability is necessary many times. The child in the tree may not trust his ability to climb down the tree, but after he navigates to the safety of the ground, he knows from then on what he can manage. The same is true of the athlete who trusts in her training and her coach’s wisdom. We trust in ourselves if we have prepared. Some might even say we have faith in ourselves and our abilities. That is fine; however, faith for me is what I have in a higher authority. For me, Oswald Chambers writes it well, “The great thing about faith in God is that it keeps a man undisturbed in the midst of disturbance.”

Trust may get you out of the tree or help you improve in the race, but only faith will calm the storms of secular living.

Mountains Here We Come

by   June 8, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I drove west on May 17 with a mission to visit the last 11 counties in that farthest part of the state. Many of the towns I was already familiar with, having attended Western Carolina University for two years. My first stop was Burnsville, a town that I hadn’t seen before. Burnsville was founded in 1834 and named after War of 1812 naval hero Otway Burns. Serving as the county seat of Yancey County, Burnsville is the only incorporated town in the county.

The town square is a park, not centered on the courthouse, and has a statue of Burns. The Yancey County courthouse, built in 1908, is just across the street, not far from the very interesting Nu-Wray Hotel. Originally built of logs in 1833, the hotel is undergoing complete renovation. Elvis Presley, Thomas Wolfe and William Sidney Porter (O.Henry) all spent the night here. Concept photos of what the main areas and rooms with baths will look like were posted outside. The John Wesley McElroy house was built in the 1840s and later served as a hospital, post office and as headquarters for the Civil War home guard. General McElroy was the head of the western home guard brigade.

The NC Bigfoot Conference will be held here on June 17 and will include a day of notable speakers. The Yancey County Museum, beside the McElroy house, is free. Burnsville was interesting, fairly busy and the downtown was without a nationally known store, a pattern that would continue for the next two days.

Next up was Marshall, county seat of Madison County. The French Broad River runs through the town as does the railway and Main Street. The historic downtown is centered on the Madison County Courthouse, built in 1907. A long main street runs as flat as the river beside it, very pleasant on my legs. An interesting smattering of historic buildings and downtown stores included an old hardware and the depot, used weekly as a gathering place for mountain music on Friday nights.

Interesting about the downtown were repeated mentions of mermaids and the upcoming Mermaid and Parade Festival on June 3, an all-day event. Lots of apartments on the backside of the historic buildings faced the river. A central theme concerning the Civil War for many of the mountain communities was a disagreement over which side to support. While most who went to war supported the confederacy, some supported the union and a significant number were neutral, saying that the slave issue was not relevant in mountain counties. The mountains also became a haven for deserters from both sides.

The one big city I had on my schedule that day was Asheville, county seat of Buncombe County. I followed Siri’s directions to an end right in front of the courthouse. An empty parking spot was impossible to find until I spotted one with a red sign in front of it, and no instructions. I decided to take a chance, but still kept an eye on my truck occasionally since “towing” signs were posted everywhere.

Originally established as Morristown, the county seat was established in 1793 and then renamed Asheville after Gov. Samuel Ashe in 1797. On prior visits for running races, I had occasionally heard mountain music at the Shindig on the Green. Often impromptu, groups of musicians would form and play in various parts of the greenspace in front of the courthouse. A permanent covered stage now is in place where musicians and dancers are known to gather “along about sundown” on summer Saturday evenings.

Notable buildings include the city hall finished in 1928, the county courthouse and the Thomas Wolfe house. Wolfe’s book, Look Homeward Angel, is considered a classic and his boyhood home is a national historic landmark. In the same area is Central Square, contributing to what is called the Pack Square Park, right in the middle of the business district. Most interesting to me was a historical plaque commemorating the Aug. 14, 1943 day that Army Colonel Robert Morgan, Asheville native, flew the WWII Memphis Belle B-17 across central square. He then tilted the plane at 60 degrees to fly between the massive city hall and county courthouse. The Memphis Belle was the first plane to make the required 25 missions over German occupied Europe. The plane and crew were immortalized in a movie of the same name.

I continued west about 30 miles to Waynesville, county seat of Haywood County. Waynesville was founded in 1810 and named after Revolutionary War General “Mad” Anthony Wayne. Notable Civil War history was that the last battle in North Carolina ended here in a Confederate victory after a combined band of 600 Cherokee and southern soldiers danced around their campfires all night making a lot of noise. The Union commander prepared a surrender proposal which was delivered the next morning. Shortly after, both commanders were notified that the war had ended with the surrenders of Lee and Johnston in the previous days.

Driving into town, I couldn’t find an empty parking place until almost through town. Another busy and interesting downtown was also mostly flat and dominated by craft and antique shops, plus numerous food options. Historic buildings in the downtown area included the 1932 Haywood County courthouse, the 1927 Masonic Hall and the Dr. J Howell Way house, started before the Civil War and completed in 1899.

Forty-three counties done. I totaled 6.08 miles on my feet on a beautiful day and was excited to continue west. You’ll hear about more of those towns next week. See you then!

Waiting

by   June 7, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Psalms 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

  • God is never in a hurry, but certainly is sudden.
  • Waiting is a growth and development of patients and faith.
  • We ‘take heart’ because we know the Lord will hear and answer.  We just need to wait.

Prayer:  Holy Spirit help me to be patient to wait for Him even though He does not move fast, He moves suddenly and He will come to my aid.  Help me to be patient and not be reactionary or stressful today.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Mouse in the House

by   June 6, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

How do you respond to fear? Do you pull the covers over your head and hide? The other day a field mouse was staggering around on our porch. When he saw me, he stuck his little head in a hole between the step and the ground. He tried to wiggle down out of sight, but his hinder parts were sticking out. I’m sure this seemed like a perfectly logical solution to his fear, probably because he had his beer goggles on. You see, we also have snails which are eating the plants on our porch. A friend told me that if you put beer out, the snails slither in and die. But it’s a happy, painless death. Anyway, we had a little mouse get in our house. Traps weren’t working, so we resorted to poison. Apparently the mouse on the porch had just come from the house and had tried to quench his thirst with the beer put out for the snails. No matter how hard he denied impending doom, his fate was sealed. I am glad to report, but also sufficiently sad, that the mouse in the house is no more.


Nehemiah was terrified. He was the taste tester for the king. He made sure no poison was in the soup of the day. So when he came before the king, looking sick and sad, alarms went off in the royal head. Nehemiah’s boss could literally cause the ax to fall. Severance package took on a whole new meaning. But because Nehemiah had prayed ahead of time for favor in the king’s eyes, God gave him a wise response during a terrifying experience. Chapter 2, verse 4 tells of his quick prayer to the God of heaven, and the king’s very favorable reply, “Well, how can I help you?” Verses following tell of Nehemiah’s list and how the king granted all his requests, “…because the gracious hand of God was upon him.” –vs. 8


Nehemiah did not go to the king all willy-nilly. He prayed. He waited til the time was right. Neh. 2:1 says, “…the following spring.” He asked God for favor, like we talked about yesterday. When the opportunity presented itself, he was ready. He sent up a quick prayer before answering. And he recognized it all happened because God was in charge.


Today- for our churches: Ask God to go ahead of us to the powers that be, so that when it is time to make decisions, or expand our ministry, or take a city for Christ, those who see us coming will make the path smooth. Pray for those God puts in our path, that they will say, “Well, how can I help you?” And that God will receive glory as we bring whole communities to Him!

More: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Psalm 4:3 Psalm 17:6,7

Defending Our Faith

by   June 5, 2023 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

During my senior year in college, I attended a seminar with other prospective teachers, where the leaders shared information and responded to questions about government and local issues. The discussion veered to Christianity, and for the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like for my faith to be personally attacked. I remember feeling very small in that moment, as the hurtful, intimidating comments continued.

My mind was telling me to say something to defend my faith. Anything. I felt my heart flutter and I knew I had to speak up, right then. I also knew that if I did, my voice would quiver, tears would flow and I would probably be unable to respond effectively to any counterattack. (Yes, I am the girl who always had, “Ann is shy,” comments from teachers on my report cards.)

The words did not form and my mouth would not move. The seminar ended.

I stepped into the crowded elevator where the tears began to fall, as I stared at the doors blankly. I had let God and myself down.

Looking back, it felt that I was having a “rooster crowing” moment like Peter encountered, when he realized he had denied Christ three times. He responded by weeping bitterly.

My faith seemed to have dwindled to zero that day, not because of what I said, but because of what I failed to say.

Decades later, I think back and wish I had said something — anything — even in spite of the quivering voice and tears that would have coincided with my words.

I doubt my words would have mattered to those in the room at all. But, I believe it would have mattered to me to have spoken them.

I am sure I am not the only one who has had times they were afraid of the giants. Yes, we had plenty of weapons. We could have pulled out our sling and stone, but we didn’t. We just sat there, afraid. Trying to shrink away into invisibility. By the lack of taking action, we failed to stand up for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Yes, denying Christ still happens.

It may be what we say. It may be what we don’t say.

It may be what we do. It may be what we don’t do.

Encouragement can be found in how Jesus responded to Peter, who failed Him often, but loved Him much. Jesus restored Peter and used him greatly.

We are not perfect. We fail daily.

But God can use those events in our lives that seem to be evil and work them for our good — to help us know, grow and go. For me, something about the hurt from that day never went away.

That day did not define who I was.

I still belonged to Jesus. But, that day began to refine who I was. I began to desire to let my faith be known by the way I lived and by the words I said.

We may be followers who fail, but that is better than failing to follow.

We cannot let our failures define us. Instead, let our failures refine us.

Nowadays, I try to show up, step up and even speak up. (My teachers would be proud of me. Ann isn’t shy anymore.)

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

Honoring Others

by   June 3, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            My supervisor asked me and a co-worker if we could help her with a program she was presenting at the college one evening. After a bunch of phony excuses and lots of teasing, we agreed to be there to help. I have done awards ceremonies before and I know from experience it takes a team to get the job done right.

            When we arrived the place was already humming. There must have been about six of us there, all doing various things to get ready for the program. The awards stage was set up. We put tablecloths out. We got the food and drinks for the reception nicely displayed. There are so many details to a program like that.

            The program was to induct new members into the National Adult Education Honor Society. The teachers collaborated with the supervisor to determine who would be nominated for the award. There are specific criteria that the candidates had to meet in order to be nominated. The winners were all outstanding students.

            The program began with a guest speaker who had experienced every unlucky break in her young life. These bad breaks led her down a path to a life filled with drugs, alcohol, and time spent in jail. She even shared a story where she was shot in the stomach multiple times.

            She shared that through some people at the community college who believed in a better future for her, she was able to begin to believe in a better future for herself. She took some classes, worked at the community college and earned her associates degree. She went on to the university to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degree.

            Then she returned to the place and the people who believed in her and now works full-time at the community college. She is an energetic and compassionate person who can help others because she understands the challenges and difficulties of life. She is a true advocate for students and a blessing to everyone she meets.

            My supervisor took the stage and began by honoring her supervisor and the teachers that she supervises. We have a great team led by two outstanding supervisors. Next, my supervisor spoke about each of the students we were there to honor. She pointed out specific character qualities each student possesses, thereby bringing honor to each one of them. She imparted her faith in them and seeds of hope for the great future she envisions for each of the students.

            Isn’t that something we all need, someone who sees the potential in us that we can’t see? I can remember two men in the Boy Scouts who saw leadership potential in me when I was young. I feel indebted to them for all they did to help me grow up and become a man. I can also look back on my faith and I remember another man who poured into me so much and asked for nothing in return. The deposits he made have produced great fruit in my life.

            Growing up spiritually requires effort on our part. We have to do the work of reading and applying the scriptures to our lives. We have to invest our time in prayer and fellowship with God our Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The third thing we have to do is to be around people who are mature in the faith so they can invest in our lives and help us on our journey of faith. No one can or is supposed to walk out their faith alone.

            I think one of the most important steps in our faith is when we reach the point where we are making deposits in other people’s lives. We aren’t supposed to take everything in and keep it; we have to give it away. The lost need to hear that there is hope and a way to salvation. The discouraged need a word of encouragement and a helping hand. God sends people like you and me to be His hands and His voice through the darkness to help them into the light.

            I want to encourage you to consider how you can lift up someone else. There are people you will see today who need an encouraging word and God may be sending you to them. There are people who are lost who need you to shine your light of God’s love on them. There are also people in your life whom you should thank and honor for many deposits they have made in you. When we lift each other up we are doing what Jesus does, and that is the best thing we can do.

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

Come and See

by   June 2, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

“Come and See” (one year ago)

Philip spoke the above three words to answer a question by Nathanael who when told of the presence of  Jesus of Nazareth  asks, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”  This is, on the surface, a fair question since the poor village of Nazareth was known for the  Roman garrison, the despised rulers of the Jews, that was stationed there. Is Nathanael prejudice or realistic?

In Latin any foreign person was labelled barbarus, and the Greek word for any person who did not speak the cultured language was barbarous. Nathanael, a learned Jew, expressed the prejudice of his culture: Nazareth was a crude and barbaric village.

Later in the Gospel of John, we are told of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. The hate between the Jews and Samaritans was palatable. But we are given this story and the parable of the Good Samaritan.  More prejudice.

 Recently, in Chicago, a well-known comedian and actor attempted to use our prejudices against President Trump supporters, blacks, and homosexuals to gain some kind of pathetic support for him and his floundering career.

A few days ago the main building of the historic (civil rights)  Highlander School in Tennessee was burned. A “white power” symbol was painted in the parking lot of the destroyed building.

In the just published April 1 Washington Post Magazine, is an article about the 1975 disappearance of the Lyon sisters from a Wheaton, Md. shopping center. In the article the writer Mark Bowden describes members of the Welch family, who were involved in the horrific rape and murder of the sisters as, “the clan”; coming from “mountain-hollow ways”; as having a “suspicion of outsiders”,  “an unruly contempt for authority of any kind”, “a knee-jerk resort to violence;” and “Most shocking were its [Welch family] sexual practices. Incest was notorious in the families of the hollers of Appalachia,…”

One last example. . A recent film is being touted as a “must see” for people who support abortion. All and well. However, way back in 1975-’76, the surgeon Richard Selzer wrote the essay “What I Saw at the Abortion: The doctor observed, the man saw.”  A simple internet search will bring up the essay. Read it but pay attention to its sub-title before you do.

In none of the above examples of prejudice, except the first, is the invitation to “Come and see” what is spoken against. Those three words carry power. They place the cure for prejudice on the pre-judging person. What would happen if the pre-judger sat with the woman at the well and heard her story? Can the hating burners of the Highland School not learn from its historical involvement in the civil rights movement? A talk with supporters of President Trump probably will reveal that they,  too, have their humanity and its inherent struggles. Let people who see themselves burdened with an unwanted pregnancy read what the man Richard Selzer saw while watching his first abortion.

“Come and see,” Philip says as he invites a fellow seeker to examine his own mis-conceptions. Prejudice is  real and comes in many colors and forms. But all is an evil that need not exist, if we all “Come and see.”

Testing in a Big Way

by   June 1, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

This running story is one of the best, and I’m taking a break from the county seat visits to include it. Brayden Self, a regular runner through high school at East Rowan, texted me a little over five weeks ago that he and Preston Whicker were committed to running a marathon. That’s 26.2 miles, and they wanted to do it with just a month’s training. Brayden hadn’t run much since early in his freshman year when he did club cross country. Preston’s last running was as a high school senior year in track. At least two years of very little running for both of them.

Running a marathon is a huge challenge, even on the normal 12-16 week training cycle. The marathon is usually taken on by people who are already running regularly, but Self and Whicker had youth on their side. And the right kind of attitude.

With just a month of training time left, here is what Whicker did to get the challenge rolling. He said, “One day I was sitting around realizing my life was too comfortable. So, I decided to take on the challenge of running a marathon with 30 days of training and asked Brayden to do it with me.”

Self said, “I was working out one day and Preston randomly texted me, ‘Hey let’s run a marathon in a month.’ We both thought it would be a good challenge mentally and physically. It’s always good to challenge yourself and set difficult goals you will push yourself to attain. And if you do not reach your goals the first time, getting there afterwards shows your motivation to do so.”

Both guys set out to up their distance running but had to be careful to mix in recovery time too. Both also had knee issues and had to take a few extra days off. Overall, both ran 3-4 days a week and emphasized building up their long runs, topping out at 18 miles. Their marathon of choice was the New River Marathon on Saturday, May 13, just down the road from Boone at Todd. The course had two challenging long hills but most of it was flat along the scenic river. The website lists 20.8 miles of the course as flat, most of it on Railroad Grade Road in the New River Valley and surrounded by Christmas tree and horse farms.

Self had to drop out with an injury just past 15 miles, but Whicker completed the course in 4 hours, 44 minutes and 30 seconds.

Whicker said, “I felt good, the course was beautiful, running 20 of the 26 miles along the river. There was a one mile-long hill around the 11-mile mark which wasn’t that difficult going up but was worse going down, for me. I will definitely run more marathons but the next race I will be training for will be a 50-mile ultra marathon. I am going to keep on running, stay focused on the ultra-marathon and not get distracted.”

It isn’t over for Self either. He added, “A marathon is very taxing on your body, and I am still recovering at the moment. My favorite memory from the course was the start, I’ve never seen that many people on a start line besides at a regional xc meet in high school. My plan now is to train for 3-4 months and run another marathon as soon as possible and hopefully break 4 hours and 30 minutes.” He did the marathon attempt with a herniated disk.

Self just completed his junior year and is majoring in exercise science. Whicker just completed his sophomore year and is majoring in banking and finance. Both are at Appalachian State University.

Racing locally has the Ed Dupree 5K on Saturday, May 20, and then the nighttime China Grove Challenge 5K on Friday, June 2.

Look for these and more at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

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