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

A Poor Decision

by   March 20, 2026 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

While the NCAA, NBA, MLB, and NHL have suspended all activities, the National Collegiate Wrestling Association held its tournament this past weekend in Allen, Texas. It seemed no matter that Dallas closed all recreation centers, libraries, and cultural centers; five UT Southwestern faculty were in quarantine after exposure to coronavirus; the mayor of Dallas banned gatherings of 500 or more people; Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a “state of disaster”; and this is just to mention a few reactions to the coronavirus. “I think a lot of this is driven by fear,” the NCWA executive director, Jim Giunta, said Friday on why he didn’t cancel the event. “We’re going to do everything in our power to create an environment that’s more than safe for our athletes. But after we do everything we can do, we’re going to operate on faith rather than fear.”

The event, not sanctioned by the NCAA, hosted 84 colleges as varied as The Apprentice School and Richland College and had over 600 wrestlers. University of Texas at Arlington coach Collin Stoner said, “I think when we start to cancel these events, the actual athlete and the hard work kind of fades away from them,” and that for him the virus was “on the back burner”, and that he was really proud that the tournament was not cancelled.

The tournament director, Giunta said that precautions such as posted signs about best practices to prevent the virus were placed around the venue, and he went on to state that any wrestler with a temperature higher than 100.4 was disqualified. But perhaps the best argument for having the tournament came from Jesse Castro, the Liberty University coach. He pontificated, “From a philosophical perspective, do I think it’s [reaction to the coronavirus] overhyped? Yes, I do,… “You know the talking points. We’ve dealt with this kind of stuff before. … We’re vigilant and we use common sense, but I refuse to live in fear. I’m not gonna do that.” He went on to say that he believes, as does Jerry Falwell, Jr., that the virus was being used by Democrats to impeach the president. Castro had 19 wrestlers in the tournament.

Every college and university owes its students and athletes wise decisions concerning their welfare. The administrators and coaches who allowed their wrestlers to participate in the NCWA tournament have shown poor judgement and a high disregard for the well-being of their wrestlers. For someone like Coach Castro to say that we have dealt with “this kind of stuff before” demonstrates that he has no grasp of the danger in which he placed his wrestlers, his college, and himself.  I can only hope that none of the people involved become carriers or victims of this virus.

Wipe out Colorectal Cancer

by   March 19, 2026 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Wipe Out Colorectal Cancer 5K Run/Walk

   Next Saturday, March 21st, is the renewal of the Wipe Out Colorectal Cancer 5K and Fun Run. The race first happened in 2024 during the biggest downpour I have ever seen during a race. There was flooding on the course, a just before the start course change and our finish line clock shorted out, all firsts in history for SRR races. Rowan Diagnostic Clinic had a staff member who was battling colorectal cancer, and they wanted to honor him while bringing awareness to regular colorectal checkups. Those same purposes are back again after missing last year.

    The race is unusual, as it was in 2024, because the course for the 5K starts offsite at Overton Elementary School and finishes there. But the 5K finishers and their spectators then head back to Rowan Diagnostic Clinic at 611 Mocksville Avenue to celebrate the run/walk with awards, refreshments and much more. We’ll have the half-mile fun run on site there too.

    All proceeds from this event will go towards helping to fund free colonoscopies to those in need within Rowan County.  Rowan Diagnostic Clinic is a multi-specialty clinic that includes primary care, gastroenterology, allergy, rheumatology, pulmonology, and sleep medicine. Their Digestive Health Associates office has partnered with the Checkit4Andretti Foundation to provide free colonoscopies through the Community Care Clinic of Rowan.

     Several of these free colonoscopies found life threatening issues during the last year.  Please consider participating in this event to support this program. In 2024, Rowan Diagnostic had the best swag bag seen in Salisbury and they have fun surprises planned. Race organizers promise a fun event.

     Salisbury and Rowan County have been lacking an athletic watch supplier since Back Country and Beyond closed. Today’s athletic watches are complicated, especially for those of us used to the simpler models of the past. Garmin watches are my favorites, and I have had various models since satellite watches came out. The early models were very simple and admittedly a little less accurate than those of today. Most watches do way more than I want them to do. There are a few Garmin athletic watches now priced over $1,000 although mine is nothing near that.

     I currently use a Garmin 265, which does a very good job with pace, distance, elapsed time and heart rate, all I want a running watch to do. But my 265 has had a recent habit of rearranging or hiding the four things mentioned that I want to see on the screen. I have tried to figure out how to fix this, but I get hung up without the resolution I am seeking.

     My best friend in these situations is Porter Baker, owner of Skinny Wheels Bike Shop on Innes Street. Porter actually sold me the watch when he worked at Back Country and Beyond and he set up the watch face how I wanted it. Porter is very good with these watches, which is good for the rest of us, as he becomes the new Garmin dealer in town. Skinny Wheels will soon be stocking running watches and bike computers from Garmin. If you are looking for one of these products or need help, stop to see him at Skinny Wheels.

       And finally for this week, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees at the recent Los Angeles Marathon, organizers gave participants a chance to earn a medal without crossing the 26.2-mile finish line. Race organizers had announced that because of the weather, medals would be given out to runners who completed just 18 miles of the course that began at Dodger Stadium and ended in the Century City section of Los Angeles. The McCourt Foundation, which organizes the race, gave participants who were “having a tough day” the chance to take a turn and head to the alternative finish line early.

    So, is it still a marathon? No, it isn’t, and by awarding these medals early, they dishonor all the others who did the whole distance. Is this just another part of the participation medal craze?

     Anyone interested in joining the beginning runners class that started at the PD last Tuesday can still join this Tuesday by showing up at 6pm..

     The Mt. Hope Church 5K is on March 28th. Look for this and other upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Gotta’ Run: Wipe Out Colorectal Cancer 5K Run/Walk
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