West Rowan Bible Teachers 5K

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By David Freeze

West Rowan Bible Teachers 5K Sets Records!

    One of the fastest growing races we have in the area is the West Rowan Bible Teachers 5K, just completed last Saturday, April 5th.  Numerous groups and individuals come together to enhance this highly successful event.

    Race director Deb Gussler said, “It’s hard to believe that we just wrapped up our fourth race! It feels like yesterday I was standing in my garage chatting with a friend about ways to support our Bible teachers beyond the usual fundraisers.”  WRBTA’s annual golf tournament in August has been a success, but it typically drew the same crowd of mostly men.

     As a runner, Deb started thinking about how she could create an event that would engage a broader group of people, across all ages. That’s when the idea of a 5K came to life and when she presented it to the WRBTA board, they were all in. Deb, a board member herself, said, “I’m especially grateful to Kris Wolfe, the principal at West Rowan Elementary School, who immediately said yes to hosting the race. The students who benefit from the Bible classes gets the chance to serve and give back to their own community through this event.”

    The proceeds from the WRBTA 5K and Fun Run go directly toward supporting Bible classes offered in the West Rowan public schools. West Rowan High, Middle and Elementary are all served along with Mt. Ulla Elementary. WRBTA’s sole mission is to raise the funds necessary to keep these classes available to students. The program is 100% community funded since it doesn’t receive any state or federal funding. The WRBTA relies entirely on the generosity of individuals, local businesses, churches and events like this 5K. Currently, three teachers who serve four schools are reaching approximately 1,150 students each year. WRBTA’s annual budget is $235,000. 

    It’s almost impossible to pull off a race like this without the help of many incredible people. Deb said, “The WRBTA board truly works as a team since we all pitch in to reach out to sponsors, spread the word, and handle the many moving parts that go into race day. We promote the event through social media, yard signs, and even the Cleveland Town Hall which includes race info in the community’s monthly water bill. We also create videos to show at the schools, and local churches help us by sharing details with their congregations. When it comes to race day itself, safety and support are a huge priority. We are incredibly grateful to the Cleveland Police Department, Rowan County Sherriff’s office, and the fire departments from Cleveland, Woodleaf, and Scotch Irish for keeping the course secure.”

     Students from West Rowan High School came out to help with the races and cheer on the runners on the course, ROTC presented the flags, and WRHS chorus members sang the National Anthem. Other clubs represented included the National Honor Society, Crosby Scholars, Health Science Club, SERVE-U, Future Teacher Club and the wrestling team who contributed by cheering along the course, manning the water station, providing fun in the Kids Zone and so much more.

   In addition to the 5K, WRBTA also holds fundraisers throughout the year, including a flower sale at Salem Lutheran Church and The Arbors Church on May 11th, and its annual golf tournament at McCanless Golf Club on August 23rd.  

    Deb concluded with, “I’ll be honest with you. This community loves this program so much that they’re willing to help in any way. We celebrated 75 years last year! That speaks for itself! After Christmas each year, I hit the ground running by referring to the previous year’s sponsor list and reaching out again. I contact the west schools and ask their tech facilitator to advertise/share flyers daily or weekly on their school’s social media page. Rowan Salisbury School District even shared info regarding this year’s race!”

    The 5K overall winner was Brad Mueller with a time of 16 minutes and 58 seconds. The top female was Lylah Dennis who finished in 20 minutes and 41 seconds. Bryson Owens won the fun run. 450 runners registered for the two races.

      Look for a full slate of upcoming races in May at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Lynna’s “M” & The Happiest Easter

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By Lynna Clark

“May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious unto you; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” -Numbers 6:24-26

The New Living Translation says it this way:

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.’

Tonight, instead of listening to all the clutter from the day, let this simple blessing become a prayer for the ones you love. And I will pray the same for you.

Jesus told many stories in order to illustrate eternal truths. How beautiful and colorful His word pictures were. One of those seemed less illustrative and more like the telling of something He sadly witnessed firsthand.

He told of a rich man who died and went to a place of torment. The man was so thirsty that he begged Abraham to send someone to him with just a drop of water to cool his tongue. When Abraham explained that there was a great gulf fixed between the place of torment and paradise, the rich man begged that someone would go to his brothers, who were still living, and warn them.

He pleaded: “If someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.”

Jesus continued the story with this sad ending:

“If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.”

Isn’t it interesting that while telling that story, Jesus knew that He would soon do that very thing? That even though He chose to pay for sin by giving His life and rising from the dead, there would be many who would not listen, who would not believe until it was too late.

If you’re reading this, you are of course on this side of the grave. You still have a choice. How sad it would be to spend eternity in torment when at this very moment you could call on the Lord Jesus Christ to save you.

He’s already done the hard part.

Will you listen?

Easter is a very special time for me. During Easter of my junior year in high school, I understood for the first time, that Jesus was not waiting on me to clean up my life. He knew when He created me that He already loved me enough. He invited me to trust Him, and I listened.

The verse that sealed the deal for me was 1 John 5:13.

“I have written this to you who believe on the Name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Yes! We can KNOW! Because it’s not about us!

It’s about Him.

water

Now go get yourself a cold drink of water while you still can. Call on Him to save you while you still have breath.

And have the happiest Easter of your life!

The story about the rich man is in Luke 16:19-31. More about salvation is revealed in John 3:1-21 when Nic came to Jesus at night to ask questions. Ephesians 2:1-10 makes it even clearer.

May the Lord sweetly and wonderfully strengthen you with the wisdom to choose Him!

A Tennis Court in Iowa?

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If you build it, they will come! That doesn’t just apply to a baseball field. It also applies to a tennis court. Yep, in Iowa a man built a Wimbledon replica tennis court. Guess what happened? People came…. Watch and ENJOY Steve Hartman’s story.

A Little Taste First

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By Ashlie Miller

Inevitably, when I cook a supper that emanates a fragrance throughout the house, someone finds their way into the kitchen to get a little taste before the meal. “What are we having?”, they ask while pots bubble or pans simmer. The answer is clear by the power of simple observation, but that question is an expression of hopefully being offered a little taste. Sometimes, though, manners are tossed aside, and hands snatch a sample. Like many other cooks, I will often taste before presenting a meal to ensure the seasonings are just so. I remember my mother having a little sample bowl and spoon handy, often consuming most of her meal before she sat down to a small serving with the rest of us.

You could call these samples a foretaste, though it’s not a word we often use today, except in some worship songs. Recently, our congregation sang two songs with that word: “Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine” and “What a foretaste of deliverance.”

I think about my children and husband getting a little taste of a meal I know they will love. The foretaste in no way satiates, but it does whet the appetite.

God does much the same for us on earth. What a kind God to offer us foretastes now on earth of a much greater appetite satisfied in eternity!

For His chosen people, the Israelites, though they went through times of exile, He promised to return them to their homeland. For Christians, as God’s chosen people in a new covenant, He promises an eternal land. 

As a child, I only thought that was heaven – which would be enough – but as I matured, I learned about the new earth, where God makes all things new. He will gloriously remake an Eden that was tarnished and destroyed.

When Jesus left heaven and came to earth as a human, some of His miracles revolved around raising people from the dead – a widow’s son, a 12-year-old girl, and Lazarus. In Lazarus’ case, he had been dead for days. “Lord, by now, he surely stinketh,” the Bible says. In all cases of those resurrections, they were temporary. Those people eventually died. However, I wonder if the resurrection of Lazarus from a tomb was a foretaste of Christ’s own resurrection, demonstrating to His disciples and the nonbelievers and critics that He had the power of death and the grave. 

Even Christ’s resurrection, which we celebrate this weekend, is a foretaste of the resurrection of the saints – those who put their trust in Jesus as Lord. The one who has the power of sin, death, and the grave surely has the power to raise His own children from eternal death and destruction for an everlasting life of dwelling with God in a beautiful land. 

Has God raised you from seemingly impossible depths? Do you have an inexplainable sense of homesickness for a more perfect place? Perhaps they are foretastes.

This Resurrection Sunday, whether you are gathered at church to celebrate Christ’s resurrection or at a stove, sampling the delicacies of a meal you will share with family, remember that it is all a foretaste of something greater. 

Ashlie Miller will celebrate the resurrection early Sunday morning as her husband, Chad leads the congregation of Mission Bible Church in Charlotte, NC. You may email her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

Another Year

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By Doug Creamer

Another Year

            I received a text from a friend this week congratulating me on another safe trip around the sun. He was wishing me a happy birthday. I enjoy having birthdays until we get to the year when I have to put a zero at the end of my age. I don’t like changing decades. Thankfully, this was a non-decade changing birthday.

            Age is just a number. It’s more important how you feel and how well your body is holding up. The reality is that as we add years there are some side effects. One of the things I’ve noticed is that I need to sit down and rest a little more often while working in the yard.

            I still feel young when I am teaching at school. My students think of me as “older,” and compared to some of them, I guess I am. I think the prime of life seems to be the twenties, thirties, and forties. I am also discovering why we need to retire. It takes longer to do certain tasks so we need to retire to allow more time to get things done.

            When I mention any of this to my parents, who are both in their 90’s, they tell me that things change considerably after you cross the 90 mark. While my parents both have good days and bad days, I think they are doing well for their age.

I qualify for a senior discount but I haven’t asked for it yet. I have received the discount at Harris Teeter a couple of times and I have to admit that I liked it. It is a small savings so I am not sure what I would do with it. I guess I need to start taking advantage of the opportunities this white hair on my head has earned for me.

There is one other thing I have noticed about being older. Time seems to be moving more quickly. It seems like we just finished putting Christmas away and here we are at Easter. We’ll blink and be at the Fourth of July. Then fall breezes will begin to blow. Once fall arrives, we will be back in the holiday season. We need to slow time down! I need to get my garden planted. I am dreaming of my first tomatoes.

I realize we can’t slow time down. We can only choose to live in the moment and enjoy the time God has given us. Easter is here! My wife and I both love spring, watching Mother Nature come alive and seeing the beauty blossom in front of us. There are streets lined with dogwoods that I will purposely drive down to enjoy their beauty. The azaleas have been beautiful this year. I love and appreciate spring’s beauty.

It seems appropriate that Easter falls in spring. Jesus died on Good Friday and then rose from the grave on Easter morning. Earth’s awakening each spring should remind us of the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus paid the price for all of our sins. We are forgiven and we can now have a relationship with God the Father because Jesus paid for all our debts.

I taught children’s church last Sunday and one of the kids mentioned that Jesus went to heaven when He died. I told the kids that Jesus didn’t go straight to heaven but that He actually went to hell. They looked at me in shock. I told them that He had to go down there to let Satan and all the demons know that He had fulfilled God’s plan and redeemed mankind. He took back the keys of life and death and set the captives free.

I thought about that interaction with the children. Jesus paid the price for all my sin through His shed blood. Jesus paid for my healing through His broken body. Jesus has opened the prison doors to all who find themselves trapped by depression, anxiety, and/or addiction. Jesus set the captives free. Jesus restored the broken relationship between God and mankind. Jesus gave each one of us access to grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace, joy, and God’s unconditional love.

I want to encourage you to open your heart to God this Easter. He offers you life and hope in exchange for your brokenness. The gift of Easter is a restored relationship with your Heavenly Father. Whatever age or stage of life you find yourself walking in today, God wants to be a part of your life. He opened the door and paid the price for you. All you have to do is receive this precious gift, which leads to eternal life with God in heaven.   

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

Porch Lights

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By Roger Barbee

            This morning as I prepared my stationary bike for my ride in the damp, dark morning, I noticed our front spot light was still on and made a mental note to turn it off after my ride. Mounting the bike, I hoped that I would remember.

            Growing up in the 1950s of the South, all the mill houses, like ours at 312, had front porches that ran the width of the house. Chairs of various types would always be available for relaxing, and often porch swings hung by their chains from brackets in the porch ceiling, comfortably accommodated two adults or four playful children. Always painted white, the swings waited for a family member or members to “sit a spell” and rest or visit with a neighbor who happened by. After dark, they sometimes held young lovers who pushed gently back and forth whispering, snuggling, and maybe kissing—until a parent in the house turned the porch light on as a signal that it was time for the boy to leave and the girl to come into the house.

            The porch light of 312, where I grew up, was a bare bulb screwed into a white, porcelain fixture. Usually white, the 25 or maybe 40-watt bulb, would be replaced by a yellow one during the hot months because mosquitoes and other unwanted bugs would not be as attracted to it as the white ones. Because the houses had no air conditioning the front porch became an extension of sorts for the family or living room where the cooler temperature of a hot summer day could be enjoyed. The dim, porch lights were turned on at dusk and turned off at dawn. Not as majestic as a lighthouse beacon, they served the same purpose- to guide sojourners by their 25-watt bulbs.  Those bare bulbs led family and visitors through the dark and into the house.

            I did, for once, remember to turn the front spot-light off following my ride. The back one, which illuminates the kitchen area, was turned off earlier. Our house, like all in our neighborhood and most neighborhoods today, has no front porch or, at best, has an outside vestibule large enough to stand while unlocking the front door. Modern homes are mostly built far from roads making contact with passers-by impossible, and the climate controlling system in each makes the desire for outside cooler air during hot, humid Southern nights obsolete. But modern homes have improved on the dim porch lights of post WWII America. Like ours, all or most, have spot-lights that come in several models, wattage, and other choices. Ours are operated by a switch in the house, but we could have ones that are motion detector controlled, dawn to dusk controlled, cell phone controlled, or with other systems. But the porch lights of today are installed for other reasons than the types I grew up with.

            The modern porch light is designed to repel. It is a beacon, but one that shouts, “Go away, or the house alarms will signal the police to quickly come.” It does not invite the sojourner but is a Maginot line sold to make us feel safer.

            There was a time in our lives that such home defenses were not needed, but those days slipped away. We now live in a culture of home invasion, purse snatching, and more. I do not fault homeowners for protecting their homes and family, but I question why our society has fallen to such a level that some are so brazen to invade a home or snatch the purse of an elderly woman in broad daylight. What bred in some people such bitterness that led to desperation then vile action? 

            Just as with the outside lights, I am like many people. But instead of lights, I am thinking about The Sermon on the Mount, which before this week I would have assured you that I had a solid understanding of, until I began reading Clarence Jordon’s explication. In Matthew 5:22, Jesus says, “ Whereas I say to you that everyone who becomes angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; and whoever says ‘Raca’ to his brother shall be liable to the Council.; and whoever says ‘worthless reprobate’ shall be liable to enter Hinnon’s Vale of fire.” (Hart)

            These are strong words that cause me to wonder if one reason we feel a need for stronger porch lights and such, is, as Christians (individually or collectively), we have shouted “Raca” to many of our citizens? Have we and do we look at Christian brothers/sisters and think “worthless reprobate”?  If so, then we have marginalized our fellow Christians and are in danger of being cast into Gehenna, regardless of our porch lights and alarm systems.

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