Learning History

by   November 15, 2024 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

The cultural war is full of blather concerning how our schools teach history. In Texas, a heated discussion is on-going about a book’s treatment of one of that state’s icons, The Alamo. I remember watching the Walt Disney movie version of that battle and its heroes and villains but know now how wrong Disney’s telling was. But I remain curious about the process of our learning history whether in the classroom or during independent reading or watching a movie.

For instance, I am reading a memoir by President Carter. I am reading it because I liked the man when he was President, and, because I grew up in a small town, the sub-title of the book attracted me: “Memories of a Rural Boyhood.” The title, An Hour Before Daylight, offered me much to learn about a young boy’s life in rural Georgia during the early 20th Century. Now, I accept that because it is his memoir, President Carter is entitled to his memory and his purpose for the book as he writes in the dedication: “To my newest grandson, Hugo, with hopes that this book might someday let him better comprehend the lives of his ancestors.” I, too, hope the book gives Hugo a window into the lives of his grandpa and other ancestors; it has certainly taught me. It has also raised questions concerning President Carter’s interpretations of events during his early life, and thus how we learn history or what we are told is historical by writers.

On page 149, President Carter writes: “ I also knew about some of the serious crimes that were committed in our region. One tragic and horrible measure of poverty in those days was the lynchings that occurred, at least partially because of growing competition even for the least desirable jobs, which in the past had been saved for black workers. As the Depression deepened, an Atlanta organization adopted the slogan ‘No Jobs for Niggers [sic]Until Every White Man Has A Job.’ The number of lynchings in America quadrupled in 1933 over the previous year, and remained equally high during the hard time that followed.”

This explanation of lynchings comes from a Naval Academy graduate who also served one term as President of the United States, so what could be wrong? Well, Carter is correct when he writes of lynchings as “tragic and horrible.” He also is correct in that the lynchings of Blacks quadrupled in 1933 as compared to 1932. But is he correct when he credits the lynching of Black citizens “partially” to the Depression and its hard times?  Hardly.

Lynchings were not a “horrible measure of poverty in those days”  as President Carter writes. Every study of every lynching shows that the “tragic and horrible” act took place when the hate filled injustice of a white majority avenged any real or perceived violation of the Jim Crow code. Any minority could be lynched, but the violence was mostly reserved for Blacks as a way of striking fear in the local population. I don’t know why President Carter writes of the history of lynching as he does, but on that page his memory collides with historical fact, and he is wrong in his interpretation of history in this example and one more that I will mention,

“Worse Than Slavery” (Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice)  is the story of the feared prison farm in Mississippi by David Oshinsky. In his well-documented book, Oshinsky shows us an American gulag that allowed prisoners to be “hired out” to wealthy landowners to work on their plantations.  Parchman Farm would not have differed much from the chain gangs in Georgia that Carter writes of with the convicts, mostly Blacks, dressed in their horizontally stripped shirts and pants. He describes the chains used to tether the men together and he shares how he and his buddies romanticized the lives of the men they saw on the chain gangs. However, on page 61 he writes: “Georgia law permitted the chain gangs to be contracted out to private employers, so they helped with road construction, railroad maintenance, and other such jobs.” Oshinsky details the same system used in Mississippi and it is one of harsh treatment to any convict “hired out” to a private contractor. What Carter gives us is a romantic view of life on a chain gang much like that when he was young, and  I doubt that any prisoner brutalized under such a system would view his labors as helping with public works improvement.

I don’t know why President Carter would write such historically wrong interpretations. Yet he has, and that fact is dangerous because he is a respected person and his word, like the word of many well-known people, is revered. Years ago, when the brand-new alternator my mechanic friend Larry had just installed in my Jeep failed, he explained it this way:” It was made by people, and any people made thing can fail.” So can people’s view of history.

The Favorite

by   November 14, 2024 with No Comments

STOP IT!

STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT. You cannot cry now… You are on your way to work! So, keep it in the box, girl! You can do this!… Except I cannot do this. I cannot keep the grief inside; it keeps leaking out of my eyes …

It’s a very odd place to be, because it is not a sad situation. I really am very happy for the groom and the bride! I am only sad for me, and it’s a conundrum because I know I should be more happy. Their lives seem to be going very well, even better than I had hoped, and possibly better than the two of them had expected. But I just miss her so much!!!

This past summer, she and I had many (but too few!) opportunities to walk and talk in the early mornings before she went to work.  She had no idea I was intently absorbing every minute, every detail of her face and her body language, the natural way she makes me feel at home. The thing is, I taught her that:  the whole body listening thing!  Out of my three children, she is the one most like me.  Of course she has flaws, but I take responsibility for a certain portion of those because I let her get away with those same things when she was little.  Many times, I’ve threatened to buy her one of those shirts that say “it’s not my mouth that get me into trouble; it’s my face!” And, admittedly, my face would get me into trouble, too, if I was the kid born behind two very responsible children!  

She is unlike me in that she can turn anything into fun.  I am not like that.  I was a rule-follower, a stay-out-of-trouble-even-if-I-have-to-lie-a-little-bit kind of kid.  I am a middle child, and it shows! I didn’t have forgotten-child syndrome until I was an adult.  I loved being helpful, a grown-up pleaser,  and earned a reputation for “being good.” But she can even make following the rules feel like a game!  But I can relate to her fun-seeking personality because I was also a little sister, and I was the one who had all the fun!  Now, my sister is three years older than me, while her sister is barely two years older.  That somehow made it harder for the two of them to get them along than my sister and me.  And, her older sister is somehow more logical than her even older brother!  When her brother was old enough to be the “caregiver,” we would leave him in charge but tell him to listen to his sister, (the middle one, lol, not the little one!)

This fun-loving daughter was frequently the Instigator but almost never a tattletale. I guess she didn’t mind getting into a little trouble if she had had some fun getting there! But now that she’s out of the house, I long for more time with her! The kids love to tease me about a particular instance:  When I was in the hospital with a cardiac event, I called the youngest over at some point and whispered to her “don’t tell anybody, but you’re my favorite!” Of course, she was absolutely delighted, and promptly relayed this information to her siblings!   At this point in my recovery, thankfully, they realized that I had absolutely no filter whatsoever. I guess my brain was literally still recuperating from oxygen deprivation. And all memory of the cardiac event and the seven days afterwards is completely nonexistent.  Honestly, you could tell me anything that I said during that time, and I would not doubt it!  So apparently, the youngest really is my favorite, ha ha! In reality, each of my children hold special places in my heart that makes me declare each one of them “my favorite,” which makes me wonder… Is there any area of my life in which I am my Father‘s favorite?  I am well aware that He loves all of his children, the psalmist declared himself to be “the Apple of His eye” so he must have felt like the Lord‘s favorite!

So in this time of unexplained grief, I would certainly love to have that same sense that the Psalmist did, of being my Father‘s favorite. I am thinking in this moment, how wonderful it would be if He could just write me a letter… Or call me on the phone… Or shoot me a text and let me know how much I mean to Him! And of course, in the next thought, I am scolding myself for thinking such things. Because of course He has already done all of those! He sent a good friend, just yesterday, to be with me for a while. To let me know that I am loved, and valued, and important to her.  Because she declared how important I am to her, and that is what the family of God is for: love and support, to literally hear each other’s burdens. . And, He already has written me a letter… it’s actually 66 books, in the middle of which, is a beautiful love story that describes His relationship with me as deeply intimate and intricate.  And I have actually studied that book in particular in depth, and even created original, sketches and watercolors for many of the scenes in that beautiful love story. 

So why am I flailing now, why is that ugly blob of depression creeping out of the plexiglass box that I keep him in?

It’s because my emotions are pretty big right now, and they have been for many months. My heart is tired of lugging them around and I would love to lay them down and walk away from them!  But that is impossible. They are with me wherever I go, and there is no getting away from them. Just like my own shadow, they are impossible to ignore, impossible not to see. At times, they are longer than others, but they are always there. No matter how “cloudy” the day, I can still see and feel them.

But unlike my shadow, they are not silent.  They clamor for attention, for acknowledgement, for avenues of expression.  Grief, Sadness, Loneliness, and Fear all band together as a gang of formidable proportions and strength.  Disappointment and Anger are in the gang, too…

But God.  

He promises to never leave me, never turn His face from me, never walk away from me in disgust, never abandon me to my own devices.  Even when I’m the one who turns my face and walks away in disgust or disappointment, He never even sighs.  He just waits, hands spread out, still holding my best interest in prominent view.  

It’s true.  It’s all true.  What do I do when I know what’s true but knowing still doesn’t help? When believing doesn’t help either? I don’t do anything.  I choose to trust. I choose to NOT want anything other than what I already have.  I choose to acknowledge, but not empower, my emotions. 

Yep.  Very challenging. Toughest thing I’ve ever done.  Ok, tried to do, with very little success, I might add! But I recognize the truth that, as long as I am wanting what I want, I’m not wanting what He wants.  If I’m living in my own little world of self-pity, I am of no use to Him.  I must push past the selfishness of being emotion-driven and acknowledge the truth of His Word, regardless of my experiences, to become what He has designed and ordained me to become! 

I really am not very good at it at all.  But I’m determined that, when I am tried, I will come forth as gold.  So I keep asking, seeking, knocking; I continue trying, failing, and trying again.  Likely I will meet Him face to face before I’ve attained the goal.  But that’s ok.  His hands will be spread out, arms wide open, with my best interest in prominent view, because I’m His favorite. 

With joy,

Rhonda

“God is not looking for those who can but those who will.”

Healthy Conversation

by   November 13, 2024 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Colossians 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

  • Jesus said it is not what comes in but that which comes out that defiles, we ought to watch our words.
  • Our conversation should be filled with the goodness and grace and the kindness of God.
  • When we answer it should have the nature and the heart of God.  Let God give us grace and help us to speak correctly.

Prayer:  Lord I pray that You would put a watch in front of my mouth that I would be careful what I say, that it would be life giving and only be helpful to other that I will be seasoned with kindness and Your grace Lord and that I would not be mean and unkind.  Teach me Your ways.  I want to follow Your path and not the path of man.  I need You Lord and Your help and Your strength in Jesus name.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Thanksgiving in the Midst of Unrest

by   November 10, 2024 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Like many parents of young children, I took my youngest two children and a neighbor to the Cabarrus Arena’s Touch a Truck event last weekend. In addition to touching the trucks and other vehicles, there were many opportunities to express gratitude – even though that was not our plan for attending. There were also a lot of opportunities to receive candy or marketing swag – stress balls, pencils, frisbees, and the like. Rather than telling my kids to say “thank you,” I try to lead with, “What do we say to someone who gives us something?” We also tried to thank each civic member for their contribution – often unseen or considered – to our daily lives. Thankfully, by now, more often than not, they remember to do so without much prompting, but like most humans, in a sea of candy and freebies, it is easy to walk with a sense of entitlement, leaving the gratitude behind. 

It seems we need a reminder to be grateful in our own country these days. Last year, I discussed the space between the skeletons and the trees – Thanksgiving gets crowded out. We are a people with a flair for the sensational. Both Halloween and Christmas fulfill that for many. Do we know what to do with a much quieter holiday with less fanfare? Is it a necessary holiday anyway?

Have we forgotten that the days of our nation’s conception were moments of gratitude – surviving fatal winters, accepting help and advice from native Americans, and being in a place that promised many freedoms? We have. But we are not alone. Did you know that it was not until 1863 – the middle of the Civil War – that a lady named Sara Josepha Hale implored the current president to establish a nationally recognized day of Thanksgiving on the same day for all states? Guess which president conceded to her requests for a day of common unity built on gratitude and gathering – President Lincoln. Of course, this was amid our nation’s saddest times – with brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor. Lincoln likely was already searching for something to repair the breach, to be a balm. Mrs. Hale’s letter led him to the proclamation of a day where shared experiences of gratitude and acknowledging a reliance upon an Almighty Power was an excellent place to start. He was right.

Would President Lincoln remind us of the same need for this moment of shared gratitude and gathering this Thanksgiving? We need it more today than most of us realize or would concede to. Already, I see Christians and non-Christians alike spewing hate and disgust at those across the aisle, or more closely – down the street – because of differently expressing their right and privilege to vote. I have even read resolutions not to share Thanksgiving with those of differing opinions.

How does something like gratitude help us? In the grand design of life and history, it brings us all to an understanding of who we are, or more importantly, who we are not. It recognizes we are all vulnerable and dependent on someone, though many do not yet know Who that is. For the Christian, the gratitude goes outward and upward. All we have is a gift from above. Even all the things we have that we do not want are gifts if they bring us to a place of humility, contentment, and recognition that we can live through any season or election result that comes our way. That’s worth giving thanks for.

Ashlie Miller and her family enjoy friendsgiving and Thanksgiving meals (and day-after sandwiches!) in Concord, Salisbury, and NC beaches. You may contact her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

Pastor Appreciation

by   November 9, 2024 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            October is traditionally Pastor Appreciation month. At our church we tend to run a little late celebrating our pastor. The reason for that can be found by looking in the mirror. I take on the responsibility of organizing and orchestrating our event. Every year October sneaks up on me and then I have to try to figure out how we are going to honor our pastor. I like to create a mixture of fun and laughter followed by some heart-felt thanks and appreciation for all that our pastor and his wife do for us as a church family.

            I am lucky because our pastor’s kids, who are all adults, always have great ideas for what we can do to honor their parents. They suggest ways we can incorporate some funny moments into our special presentation. His kids, their spouses, and a handful of others who are willing to participate in some fun have worked together to create some memorable pastor appreciation events.

            This year ranks among my favorites. The pastor’s wife read a book to their kids called Flat Stanley. Stanley accidently gets flattened to paper thin and goes on many adventures that continue through a series of books. His kids thought it would be fun if we took a picture of the pastor and then have members of our congregation take him on adventures. It was a great idea which our congregation embraced. Our members took Flat Pastor on many wonderful and memorable adventures. I created a slideshow that had everyone, including the pastor, laughing with delight.

            We then had some members share heart-warming tributes for both our pastor and his wife. When you follow that with a delicious covered dish lunch, it made for a wonderful day. I wanted to be sure our pastor and his wife knew how much we love and appreciate them. We shared many laughs, great food, and wonderful fellowship, all while honoring and blessing our pastor and his wife.

            I have been lucky in my spiritual life. I have had a number of great pastors who invested in my life and helped me become the man of God that I am today. I have also been fortunate enough to become friends with several pastors and assistant pastors. Those are treasured friendships. It is nice to share a meal with the pastor and just talk about everyday life. It has also been both an honor and a privilege to listen to them when they needed to talk.

            Pastors are there for each of us as we go through the ups and downs of life. If I am celebrating some great news, my pastors have always celebrated with me. When I have found myself struggling with making decisions, self-doubt, worry, fear, anxiety, or whatever else was standing in my way, my pastors have always been there to gently guide me through the storms.

            Our pastors are called upon to be there for births, weddings, sicknesses, hospital stays, funerals, and whatever challenge or disaster comes our way. They show up for us. They are there for us. They speak words of comfort. They pray for us. They counsel us. They encourage us. They challenge us to live up to our best selves. They know our sins and secrets and still love us. They come after us if we wander away from the church. We are all lucky and blessed to have our pastors in our lives.

            I think sometimes we forget that they are people just like us. They have to bury their loved ones. They have to go to hospitals for themselves and their family. They have worries, fears, and doubts. They suffer from rejection when people walk away. They have bad days because they are worried about us. Their kids struggle with life and growing up. Their kids stumble and fall. They are sometimes overloaded with our burdens.

            I want to encourage you to take a few minutes to let your pastors know how much you love and appreciate them. Pray for them like you want them to pray for you. Send them a card that includes a gift card for something they will enjoy. See if there is something you can do to help them at church or at home just to bless them. Is there something you can do for their spouse to bless and encourage them? Do it! Surprise them. Bless them. Encourage them. Find something you can do, whether it’s through words, deeds, or financially, to show them how much you love and care for them and their families. Let’s be a blessing and show appreciation to our pastors.

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

The Unnamed Women

by   November 8, 2024 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.

Why We Run & Why It Matters

by   November 7, 2024 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Why We Run and Why It Matters

  I’ve been running since 1979 and have probably missed less than 15 days on average during most of those years. Four years had no misses, in 2023, I missed five.  Every so often, someone comes out with a book or an amazing article that tries to answer the question about why we run. I teach running classes twice a year and often use some of my own thoughts in the hope that the participants will be inspired to keep going.

   But the perspective deepens when for some reason we can’t run. A few days that come with sickness and or an injury have a short-term light at the end of the tunnel. In my case, I have missed running for five months and one week so far while desperately waiting to resume my favorite activity. I actually dreamed about running one night and it seemed so free and easy. I woke up and remembered the dream, wondering if I could recapture the magic.

    My day needs running. My accident happened on May 15th. I walked .17 miles on June 1st and gradually was able to increase those walks to a level that guarantees some level of fitness. Still nothing beats an early morning run for me. Here is why.

    For me, running is more than a mere choice. It’s even beyond my control, almost like some sort of good addiction. My best times and occasional race wins were years ago, so I am long past running for trophies. Still an occasional morning run would make me remember some of the long-ago speed.  

     Knowing that I could get up and go out for an early morning run has always made me happy. In the early morning, I am away from the crowds with only the sounds of my feet and enhanced awareness of all things around me. Once the sweating starts, the brain seems to reach a higher level and solutions to many problems seem so easy. So I run, for my own mental therapy and escape. Or I run without concerns and enjoy putting my thoughts into a positive project. Most days, I am ready to take on the world at the end of a good 5-6 mile run. My confidence is often at its highest point of the day.

     I love being around runners and running events, even when I hadn’t been able to run for these months. Many of my best friends came from running, either from competing with them or from just friendly coaching or training runs. Helping out with school meets is a great way to watch the new entrants into local running and racing. It’s hard for me to meet a running I don’t like.

     But the biggest reason that I want to be able to keep running is that I don’t want to find out what will happen if I have to quit. The low pulse rate and the narrow waist along with all the other health benefits are just a side effect. I learned long ago that the only regrets in my daily life are those mornings that I don’t get up and run. Cold rain or a short night due to an early or late commitment isn’t good enough to negate all the prior benefits I’ve listed.

      Each run tops off my life with energy and optimism. And the cool down walk at the end is the best prayer time on the planet for me. And finally, as I know now, not everyone is able to do this.

      Sunday afternoon has the Spooky Sprint 5K and Fun Run at 2pm at Catawba College, this year on a new and faster course, and the costume contest following is open to every participant. The Rowan Rotary continues their hot streak on spectacular weather.

     Look for this and other upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Gotta’ Run: Why we run and why it matters
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