The Scarf

by   March 25, 2026 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Mama was especially thrifty. Not stingy. There’s definitely a difference. Nowadays they call it frugal, cost efficient, or even “green.” Mama was all of those and then some. For example, there was always a half a Q-tip in the Q-tip box. She’d use one end, and the other end would still be clean, so she’d break off the dirty end and pitch it out, saving the clean end for some small task at a later date. I remember daddy saying, “Claudia. If you’re gonna use just half, why not use up some of the halves already in there?” She’d respond with a look that said, “Don’t mess with me!”

She made a chicken pie from scratch with only a small amount of chicken. There were no vegetables for in the pie, so she used sliced boiled eggs instead. We always seemed to have eggs. She made biscuits for on top out of flour, oil and milk. These she placed over a homemade sauce. Baked up golden brown, this was the picture of comfort food. It has always been one of my favorite meals, I think mostly because mama could make something wonderful out of very little.

My junior year in high school, I needed a dress for the Christmas dance. We shopped for the perfect pattern, and picked a silky fabric of purples mingled in a beautiful tie dyed design. She made the long version for the dance then shortened it afterwards so I could wear it to church. I loved that dress. It fit perfectly, and was way prettier than anything I could have found in the department store. Mama helped me to look and feel as special as any girl at the dance, even though times were very hard.

Not too long ago, we had the difficult task of going through her things. She died of a rare disease, and the Lord took her in a matter of only two months. It’s still hard to believe that she’s gone. She was the youngest, strongest, and feistiest seventy-two year old I have ever met, except for maybe my daddy. As we went through her scarves, there was that beautiful purple tie dyed pattern. She had saved the bottom of that dress and made a lovely scarf out of the scraps. What a sweet reminder of my mom, who could always make something very special out of nothing, and who passed that joy down to me.

And yes, I have a dish in the bathroom with Q-tip halves if you ever have the need.

Happy Birthday Mama! I sure do miss you. I miss the fun you always planned for us on holidays, like getting little flags for all the grandchildren on the 4th of July. And your Cherry Yum-Yum made to look like a flag with blueberries in the corner; I laugh when I think of the time our new son-in-law Jeff ate all 50 states in one fell swoop. Or the Halloween you and daddy dressed up like old people and came trick or treating.

I miss how you organized our beach trips and fed about a thousand of us for only $50 per family. I miss being able to call you for advice on sewing or cooking or kids.

I miss hearing you sing with the grandchildren songs like “Two Little Eyes” and “Little Red Box.”

I miss watching your excitement at hiding Easter eggs even when our kids got old enough to turn the hunt into a full contact sport.

I miss going to your house and watching you and daddy banter back and forth until you called out “Seabert!” to him which signaled you had had enough.

I miss getting cards in the mail addressed in your handwriting, knowing you and daddy had laughed so much in the Hallmark store you feared getting kicked out.

I miss hearing you talk about church and the hot dog sales and how much hamburger it takes to make chilli for a hundred.

I’m sorry I can’t bear to visit your grave. But I know you understand. You’re not there anyway. I’ll see you again and we’ll catch up on our visits. I think of you often, especially when I use a permanent marker, or a piece of your Tupperware with Claudia written on the bottom.

I miss your pretty white hair and your beautiful smile and your cute little ball cap with Myrtle Beach on the front. Actually I have it, but I can’t wear it because David mistook me for you one day and nearly had a heart attack. He especially misses you when he makes pancakes like ya’ll used to do together at the beach.

We all miss you mama. Enjoy your day. And know that we love you.

Where’s the View?

by   March 22, 2026 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Spring fever takes on different forms for each of us. Are you eager to clean or declutter? Perhaps you’d like to remove the weeds and prepare the garden beds. Has your beloved has begun working on an extensive list of household repairs – a “honey, do” list? The grill is beckoning you to give it a good scrub and fire it up. Or are you thinking about leisure in nature? Maybe you’re planning a coastal getaway as soon as the weather is consistently above 70. Or perhaps you just want a day trip with friends on a hike.

While many of those are beckoning different ears in my home, a family and friends hike was recently a welcome call to each of us. We met up with friends early one Saturday for a climb up Crowder’s Mountain, one of the more accessible adventures that allows time for other activities and plans.

Having been only once, I referenced my photos of a previous hike, reminding me of the payoff at the end – a pretty great view helping you forget you’re anywhere near a big city, even if for but a moment. Though the morning began with mist and fog, somehow, it did not affect my hopes of a good view later.

Something you should know about me, I love to take my time in nature. I may not know the name of each shell I pick up on the beach, but a beachcomber, I am. I like to ramble, maybe I’m a strand-loper, a wanderer, a saunterer. I may be aiming to end my walk at the pier, but my focus is on sea-foam hitting my toes, collecting sharks’ teeth, seaglass, and shells, or watching creatures retreat to their safe places. In the forest, I like to feel moss, snap photos of roots and mushrooms, and admire lichens. Maybe I’m a nemophilist, a dendrophile, a micro-nature enthusiast. Don’t ask me the names of each tree whose bark and leaves I am drawn to touch, but I will point out the interesting and lovely ones. I like the journey. I like noticing things.

But when on a hike with friends and family, the destination (and surviving steep inclines) is the goal. I don’t want to hold anyone back, but I miss so much on the way up! On this hike, I had a realization about journeying through life. We did eventually arrive at the top along with many other hikers. But, instead of gazing far across a wide expanse, fog and mist limited the view. There was still joy to be had. Victory in making it up! Rejoining other hikers we had met at the base. Catching our breath before carefully scaling down a long (and slightly slippery) flight of stairs. Still, reaching the summit did not meet expectations.

Don’t we often look at life with summits in mind instead of the journey up? Various milestones and mountains we climb, thinking,“If I could only get to the top, it will be worth it” or “Focus on the payoff, don’t get distracted.” I get it, completion is important. But sometimes I get too busy focusing on the end goal that I miss it – the beauty in the little micro-worlds happening all around me along the climb. Missing the things set before me along the journey that are not actually in the way, but rather a beautiful part of the way.

We may make it to the top of our climb only to find out we overlooked the loveliest parts. Take it slow, meander, mosey, saunter a bit. Pausing to observe, admire, and wonder can still get you there and nourish you along the way.

Spring Break

by   March 21, 2026 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Spring Break

            We had spring break last week and the weather couldn’t have been any better. I enjoyed the days off even though I kept pretty busy. I had a long list of things I wanted to get done. Have you ever noticed you can’t get everything done when you get some time off? I looked around on Sunday evening at all the things that still need my attention, but I tried to remind myself of the number of things I did accomplish.

            I started with taxes. I always dread doing my taxes and am relieved when they are finally done. Even though I collect all the documents, it still takes a while to organize them and get all the numbers in the right places on the forms. I took my car to get some maintenance done. I also had time to work on some Sunday school lessons and an upcoming sermon that I will be giving. It feels good getting things done.   

            While the weather was perfect to get peas and potatoes planted, there just wasn’t time to work in the garden. I had to rake gumballs out of my yard. I want to ask God why He made gumballs. I hate stepping on them and hearing them hit the roof and roll down into the gutters. I did get the fertilizer down and a few other things that were on my outside list. 

            I whittled away at the list as time permitted. Why does time fly so fast while we are off work? Time seems to move slowly during the work week and fly on weekends and when we get time off. I think time moves the fastest when we are on a vacation. We arrive at our destination excited to unplug and be away. We take a breath but time moves at warp speed and before you know it we are packing up to head home.

            Time keeps moving forward. Hours turn to days, days become weeks, and weeks turn quickly into years. The interesting thing about time is that we all get the same amount of it. We then make choices in how we will spend, or possibly waste, our time.

            The Bible tells us that there is a time for everything. We all experience loss, so there is a time to weep. We all find somethings funny, so there is a time to laugh. I hope that you have some things in life that makes you wonder, like the stars or the budding of spring that is happening all around us. Sadly, there are places in the world where there is a time for war. I pray often that we will find a time for peace, a true peace for our communities and for our minds.

            One of our most important choices is how much time we will spend with God every day. Some days we might find ourselves so busy that we let our time slip through our fingers and we miss our time with God. Other days we might listen to music that lifts Him up, read our Bibles, meditate on the things we have read, and talk with God in prayer. We need to remember that it is our choice how we spend our time.

            I want to encourage you to invite God into your day. Let Him and His presence invade your thoughts throughout the day. While I believe having a regular quiet time is vital to your spiritual life, don’t relegate Him to that time only. You can talk with Him whenever and wherever you are. You can read just a few verses and think about them anytime of the day. You can pray when you are waiting in line or at a light. He is with you all the time.

            I want to encourage you to consider how you use God’s gift of time. Time is precious and gets consumed by many of our daily routines. We need to eat, sleep, work, do chores at home, spend time with our families and friends, and work on reducing our “to do” lists. In the midst of daily life, we must never forget how precious time is to us. We must remember our need to rest and refresh our bodies, minds, and spirits. Spending time with God will renew your mind and refresh your spirit. Being in His presence, reading His Word, and inviting Him into your daily routines will give you guidance, impact your family, affect your career, and change your life for the better. It’s your choice. It’s your time. It will change your perspective to His perspective. It will give you His perfect peace.

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

1 2 3 4 5