Day 2

by   July 31, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

  I awoke very early on Tuesday morning in El Cajon at the Motel 6. The previous night, the front desk gave out a second key to my room, and of course mine stopped working. We both went to the office at the same time and got it squared away.


    I’m still on Eastern time and got up very early, beating the sunrise. Starting at about 300 feet in elevation, Alexa told me that the route was very challenging on the way to about 4,000 feet.


    The whole day was about the climbing amid desert scenery. The first significant town was Alpine, almost exactly half way to the top. The initial 2,000 feet went well during cool and mostly cloudy conditions. I saw the first California sun on this trip late morning and steeper roads. A few scenic views, mostly of the California desert, highlighted the morning.

Looking ahead toward the town of Pine Valley from about 4,000 feet.


    Enough water and supply points kept me in food and snacks. At 3,000 feet, the sign posted nearby as I rode Interstate 8 briefly, I met a man and woman from Yuma, Arizona who told me I was crazy to do this ride. We talked at a scenic overlook as he and the woman smoked. They did give me a couple waters.


    With elbows dripping sweat, I topped out at 3,999 feet at the little village of Guatay just after 1pm.  My celebration with the convenience store owner included only an ice cream sandwich.


    A short mostly downhill four mile ride ended in Pine Valley, my home for the evening. It was another short mileage ride of 31 miles. I did celebrate correctly with a pineapple milkshake here in town.


    Tomorrow’s likely route takes me to the Mexican border at Jacumba Hot Springs after some serious up and down climbing in the early morning, then a long downhill into California’s primary agricultural area. I have bigger mileage in mind now for tomorrow.


  Traffic was light all day. Gas in Pine Valley is $4.99 and a 24 pack of water is $8.99. Food is higher but not as ridiculously so. Day 3 will have good supply points but they will disappear as the heat rises as I continue east.
    I missed Accelerate Therapy and Performance on the sponsor list last night. Thanks again to Delaine Fowler for her continued contribution.


    To the readers, some of the days ahead will be extremely challenging for various reasons. All the messages and your prayers are much appreciated!

The Garden Season

by   July 31, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            How is your garden doing? I went out the other day and checked on my potatoes. I have never learned the proper time to dig potatoes. I wait until the plants have died back and it doesn’t look like there will be any more growth. My timing can’t be all wrong. I got one of the best potato harvests I’ve had in several years.

            We’ve had several meals of green beans and butter beans. We got a few ears of corn, but the squirrels have really enjoyed them. We enjoyed some squash, until one night the deer noticed that I had forgotten to close the gate and they ate the squash leaves. I didn’t know deer would eat squash plants. We’ve been enjoying tomatoes for the last couple of weeks. I have a few watermelons and cantaloupes coming along, and I discovered the turtle in that part of the garden the other day. He was just checking to see if they were ready.

            It’s time to get things replanted if I want to get a fall harvest. I need to clean out where things are done. I have the seeds already, I just have to pick an afternoon and go for it. I don’t think I am going to grow the squirrels any more corn. I am definitely going to plant more beans. I have sunflower seeds. It’s too early for broccoli, but I might try some more squash. Whatever I decide, I better get busy or I am going to run out of time.

            We are at about the midpoint of summer. We are facing the hottest few weeks ahead. It is hard to keep the garden watered in these hot, dry times. Soon gardeners will be facing tropical storms and their remnants. There are always challenges, between the weather, garden pests, bugs, and diseases. Then you will face frosts. No matter what the conditions, I am still going to fight to grow things in my garden.

            The thought that runs around in my head is that I don’t want to run out of time. I have to get out in that garden sooner versus later or I will run out of time. Time is an element in all of our lives. My pastor has been teaching us about eternity. He tried to talk to us about forever the other day, but that is a concept that none of us understands. Our whole lives have been related to time. We are going to be with Jesus forever. We can’t understand forever, but we will experience it.

            I am looking forward to whatever heaven will be, but I still have more gardening and writing that I want to do while I am here. The more I think about it, there are lots of things that I still want to do, including traveling and spending more time with family and friends.

            With the pastor talking about eternity and what heaven and hell are going to be like, I feel a stirring in my spirit that I want to make sure everyone I know and meet will find their way to heaven. I don’t want anyone to be separated from God’s love, and that is a very biblical thing because God feels the same way. He wants everyone to come home to heaven, but He leaves that decision in each individual’s hands.

            Our eternal destination is our choice. The invitation has been sent to every heart. If we discard it or ignore it, then we have made our choice. The doors are open while you have breath in your body to accept Jesus as your savior or to walk away from an eternity with Him. I hope that everyone whose eyes fall upon these words will make their choice to be forever with our savior in heaven. You don’t need to understand everything or have every question answered, you just need to trust Him and make your decision sooner rather than later.

            I can assure you that God wants you to be with Him in heaven. So I encourage you to make that decision now before it is too late. I know some people who believe that Jesus is coming back in our lifetime. The Bible tells us that no one knows the day or the hour of His return except God Himself, and He hasn’t even told Jesus. But the Bible also tells us that we can know the signs of His coming. Some signs are pointing in that direction. Our personal clocks are ticking and biblical prophesies are suggesting that the end could be close.  Make your decision soon. I want to see you in eternity.

Doug Creamer has a new book at Amazon: EncouragingU: Summer Stories. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

The Trip Begins…

by   July 30, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Editor’s Note: David is making a trip across the Southern US on his bike. His adventure will be chronicled here. Come back daily to see where his adventure takes him.

My flight west on Monday morning went very well until just before the initial descent into San Diego. A passenger collapsed just as he passed my row of seats. Quick reaction by several medical personnel onboard revived him and EMTs got him off the plane once we reached the gate.


  With a direct flight, I was on the ground well ahead of scheduled arrival time. Bernie’s Bike Shop opened and as soon as the display bikes got put out, Roger Lovett went to work on mine. He put on two new tires that I brought with me and while he worked, I repacked the gear into the panniers and got the bike ready to go. Yasuko Lovett sold me a new multi-tool and a pair of leather gloves. I asked them both about the route and what I needed to see. Roger was more focused on the days ahead and so was I. He gave me excellent pointers and told me that riding the first mountain was too much for Monday, but we both thought it was a good idea to get a start on the dreaded climbing.


  I decided to think about when to start as I rode over to the nearest beach at Ocean Beach State Park. Officially, I had to get the start photo, only properly done when that new rear tire got wet in ocean surf. A nice young lady took the photos and we laughed as the surf chose to make the next wave bigger and soaked my shoes. The same thing happened at the start of my other west to east cross country ride back in 2013. I will count it as a sign of good luck ahead since that other trip turned out very well.


    With my feet wet and sand on the bike, I decided to wash off the bike and start riding east. The Adventure Cycling map called for following bike paths, not my favorite thing. Bike paths protect the rider from excessive fast moving traffic, but they also limit contact with locals and scenery. I followed the bike path for a while, then jumped on the main roads and ended up in El Cajon. I rode an extra three miles to save $40 on a motel, something I consider part of the game. This afternoon’s ride was 28.5 miles, a large part of it very hilly as I climbed east of San Diego. The first big climbing day comes tomorrow, as I will have another short day filled with extreme climbing.


    Just before finding a Motel 6 with some dollars saved, I met my first special person in Santee. Steve Bradley was intrigued by my bike and gear, and my plan to go to Florida in 6 weeks. Steve weighs about 300 pounds and is hard at work on dropping some weight. He was on his second ride of the day when we met.


  I have a couple minor gear issues to work on tonight and decide from what point I will attack the climb to Pine Valley. And I had discounted how challenging the climbs set for the next day will be. I should spend three days in California, working hard to complete it ahead of entering Arizona.   


  I saw regular gas for $4.73 per gallon an hour ago. Prices are higher in general than any state except Alaska and Hawaii.


  Primary sponsors for this trip include Frank and Janis Ramsey, Father and Son Produce, Vac and Dash, Dick and Jean Richards, Leonard Wood, The Trophy House and Gear for Races.


    Check back for updates online and in the printed Post on Thursday. Thanks for riding along once again. We’re going to have fun!

Last of the Nine

by   July 30, 2021 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

A road trip to the Sandhills of South Carolina is required. Unlike most requirements, this one is given freely because of the summer days I spent with Aunt Lynn and her husband Uncle Gene when I was a young boy. 

The year 1928 was not the best of times to be born, but Aunt Lynn’s parents and nine children managed through the Great Depression, even using it like a fire to temper their strength and resolve. She grew and married a local boy, Eugene Burch. They, too, farmed– cotton, corn, soy beans, corn, timber, wheat, and what ever else would bring them a profit. They also had chicken houses and that is how I experienced some wonderful summer days as their egg gatherer, cleaner, grader, and packer. But most of all, I remember those summer days as ones where I was given the responsible for me: The accountability of how I performed my egg duties, how I chopped my two rows of cotton as Uncle Gene chopped his four, and how I managed the other given tasks that, when done correctly, contributed to the farm’s success.

Aunt Lynn allowed me to grow during those hot summer days by giving me freedom that her older sister, my mother, could not. She shepherded me so that any decision I made seemingly was mine, but they were mostly hers. Her stern hand guided me as she fed me great meals that never seemed to lack anything a young boy wanted.

But every great summer day ended, and a ride for me with some local farmers who worked the 2nd shift in Plant 1, Cannon Mills, was found, and I returned home: A boy rich with memories of many achievements and adventures on a small, Sandhill farm.

Larry Macon Wins Highest Award

by   July 27, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Larry Macon receives FAA’s highest award

    Nearly 62 years ago, Larry Macon went on his first airplane ride. A friend had invited Larry’s dad, who never realized his dream to be a pilot, and his son tagged along. Macon said, “I was so excited and kept running back and forth from side to side in the back of the plane. I couldn’t believe the view of everything so small from that altitude.” The senior Macon saw his son’s excitement and offered financial assistance. Later, with college about to run out, Larry Macon took him up on that offer and began his dream of flight.

    On Monday, Macon received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, the most prestigious award that the Federal Aviation Administration issues. This award is named after the Wright Brothers, the first US pilots, and is given to individuals who have exhibited professionalism, skill and aviation expertise for at least 50 years while piloting aircraft as “Master Pilots”.

    Presenting the award was Paul Meyer, FAA’S Team Program Manager from Charlotte. Meyer said, “Larry has been accident free, with no violations or accidents for 50 years of flying. I have gotten to know Larry through the process of this award to be an aviation ambassador, always promoting aviation to someone. Larry is a student of the game, always learning.”  

    Meyer reported that most recent figures show that 6,572 pilots nationally have earned the award, with 175 of them in North Carolina.

    Macon’s first flight lesson was at the Rowan County Airport on June 1, 1968. Within a month, he completed his first solo flight and another month later, flew solo across country on July 20th. Macon got his commercial certificate in 1987 and became an advanced and instrument instructor on March 18, 1988.

     A a charter member of Cloud Capper’s Flying Club, Inc. in 1970 at the old Rowan County airport, Macon serves as treasurer at the renamed Mid-Carolina Airport. He bought his first plane, a 1998 Super Decathlon, in March 1999. Macon has flown 84 different airplanes, with 3,030 flight hours and 1900 takeoffs and landings.

     Macon sold the Decathlon and acquired the aviation love of his life, a 1996 Pitts Special S2B, affectionately called “The Ride”. He said, “The plane is like NASCAR on wings with a skin, tubes and a big engine. I was fortunate to find exactly the plane that I wanted.”

     Macon told of his first ever aerobatic flight in 1980 with then airport manager and aviation showman, Lindsay Hess. He said, “He had a Pitts too, a little under powered than mine, but it set me on a path for aerobatic instruction.” To date, Macon has over 1,000 hours in aerobatic flight.

      Completely hooked on aerobatics, Macon had his first International Aerobatic Club competition on October 15, 1999, in Farmville Virginia. Since then, he has competed in 42 IAC contests in 11 states with an incredible record of success. Winning first place in 30% of the events, Macon has also placed either first, second or third in 67% of them.

      Macon said, “I only competed twice in 2019 but won first place in both the New Jersey and Virginia contests. Then I missed a year and a half for Covid. My first competition for this year was on May 14 and 15 in Rome, Georgia, resulting in a second-place finish.

    A mechanical engineer by trade, Macon spent 40 years at what was eventually known as Performance Fibers in polyester manufacturing, maintenance management, mechanical design, marketing and sales. Business travels have included 27 countries and 38 of the United States.

   As a member of River of Life Church, Macon has served as elder and administrator. Active in the community, some highlights include serving on the Rowan County Advisory Board, the Rowan County Arts Council, and as Campaign Chairman and President of the Rowan County United Way.

    Hobbies, other than aerobatic competition flying, include driving and maintaining classic cars, currently a 1978 Datsun 280Z and a 1969 Chevelle 396 SS. Macon said, “And I also play golf, but I am much better at flying.”

     Kyle Bridges, from Congressman Ted Budd’s office, attended the ceremony and read, “To most people the sky is the limit, but to others the sky is home.” And Macon added, “And to me, it’s a playground.”

    Macon and his wife Pat have been married 38 years. Pat said, “Larry joked that I have never flown in his Pitts, and I have only seen it four times. I know I have seen it at least five times! I like to fly in our other plane to the beach and to see friends but flying around in circles like Larry does in the Pitts is his time. I am so proud of him, he has put in the work, but I am scared for him too and nervous but would never ask him to stop. I pray that he will be safe every day, and he does that for me too.”

    Mid-Carolina Airport Manager Valerie Steele said, “I’ve been here about 19 months now and Larry took me on an aerobatic ride not long ago. I get to have personal interaction with lots of aviation people and Larry is one of the best pilots, but better yet, he is just simply a good man!”

Looking Back

by   July 26, 2021 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

“I told my children about you,” she said, “I showed them a book we made in Sunday School.”

It had been around 30 years ago and the tools used to hold the book together were a hole puncher and some yarn. The title was, “The Story of Jesus.” Each page was simple – but the book contained the story the world most needs to hear.

She saved it. She showed it to her children. She told them about me.

That makes me smile.

Every Sunday morning, I went. I was on time. I was prepared.

It was a privilege. It was never a burden.

Sacrifice? Yes.

Time? Yes.

Money? Yes.

Commitment? Yes.

Homemade brownies for students? Often.

They were my students  – and we grew in the Lord together.

The students who sat in my classroom changed over the years as they began to grow up, but the power of the story of Jesus did not.

Decades later, I know many of them as adults.

It brings me great joy to see Jesus as the center of their lives.

Years of going to Sunday School every week to teach the children?

Totally worth it.

As a teenager, I remember sitting on the living room floor of my youth pastor’s home, surrounded by many others. One night he said, “Ann, would you read 1 Corinthians 13 for us?” I was scared, but I began leafing through the pages of my Bible, trying desperately to find it. The 13 verses seemed long at first, but the more I read, the more I felt something I did not recognize. I now know that it was the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room. As I read the last verse, “And now abides faith, hope, love – these three. But the greatest of these is love,” a tear fell onto the page. It was mine.

I had no idea that night as I nervously read those verses to the youth group that in the future, I would be reading many verses many times with many students.

The Lord was directing my steps, even though I had no idea that Psalm 37:23 gives us that exact promise – He will direct our steps!

Looking back? Yes. We need to tell the next generation the praises of the Lord, his strength, and the wonderful works he has done. Psalm 78:4

A child from a home with an alcoholic father reading her Bible aloud in youth group?

That was me.

A young adult teaching Sunday School?

That was also me.

Hearing a former student tell me she told her children about me?

And then showing me the book we made?

Priceless.

Our efforts will last for generations to come.

Serve the Savior.

It is worth it.

Living With Excellence

by   July 24, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            The rumor that Larry Macon allowed me to fly his plane solo is just not true. I am going to have to stop spreading that rumor! I did go to the airport the other day. I went to see Larry Macon receive the FAA’s highest honor for a pilot. He has flown planes for 50 years without any accidents or mishaps. Larry is a step above professional.

            I walked out to see his plane after he received his award. It is a beautiful biplane. I walked up to see where Larry sits and any passenger who dares to ride with him. I am not sure there is a place for my long legs. It is a very tight space.

            I am not sure I am brave enough to ride with Larry. You see, Larry doesn’t fly the plane in a straight line. No, his plane doesn’t work that way. I think there must be a warning sign that says, Caution! This plane flies straight up, straight down, sideways, upside down, but NEVER in a straight line. I like flying, but not upside down so my food ends up all over the canopy.

            Larry flies with absolute excellence and precision. He competes all up and down the east coast, and when he enters a competition it’s a pretty high probability that he will win. Every time he flies his plane upside down or straight up until it stalls, he is executing moves that will be graded on how perfectly he completes the maneuver.

            Larry has been trained by some of the best in the industry, and he can train you if you want to learn to fly. If you ever get on a commercial flight and see Larry sitting on the plane, you can rest easy. If anything were to happen to the pilots, Larry could get everyone home safely…safely, that is, after he flies the plane upside down over the airport and then back around for a perfect landing.

            I have known Larry through our church, where he is the church administrator. He brings the same precision to our church finances. Every dollar that comes into our church is carefully accounted for and with complete transparency to our church congregation. I love numbers and I can assure you that Larry does everything right. He lives his life at a higher level and raises the bar for anyone who comes in contact with him.

            I have always tried to live my life right. I want to be perfect for my Heavenly Father. The trouble is that I fail miserably. I can’t seem to live an hour, much less a day, without having wrong thoughts, attitudes, choices, and behaviors. I need a savior who can wash me with His blood and present me clean before the Father.

            If you are striving to live perfectly, give up! No one is perfect. God doesn’t want or expect us to live perfectly. But I do believe that God wants us to live with a level of excellence. Living life with excellence means that we bring our “A” game to everything we do. I don’t like it when someone tells me that they are a Christian and then they do lousy work for me.

            We can lead our lives with integrity. We can lead our lives as good examples for others in our field of work. We can treat people fairly and honestly. We can be a role model for children.  Again, not perfect, but choosing to live right for God.

            I am dependent every day on God to make me a righteous man. I am dependent every day on Jesus to forgive my sins and failures. I am dependent on the Holy Spirit to guide me in my decision-making and to lead me on the path of life.

            If I will spend time in His word it will wash my mind and refresh my soul. If I will seek His kingdom and His righteousness then I will find life. If I will choose to listen for that still, small voice, I will discover a life filled with integrity. I believe I can achieve excellence by following in His steps.

            I want to encourage you to stop chasing perfection, which is unobtainable, and seek excellence. You can choose to live your life with integrity and bring honor and glory to God. Work hard at the tasks God gives you to do. Give it your best and leave the rest in His hands. Making the right choices in life requires God’s help. Lean on Him. Trust Him. Walk with Him, He will show you the way.

Doug Creamer has a new book at Amazon: EncouragingU: Summer Stories. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Seasons and Sadie

by   July 23, 2021 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

            Sometime last week I first noticed the seasonal changes on the mountain. Working in the raised flower garden, I went to the shop for some pruning shears and on the way back, I glanced to the saddle just south of Edinburg Gap. Yep, there was a light touch of yellow, gold, and specks of red. Since that day last week, the change has spread along the ridge, causing the mountain to take on an array of colors like those of an artist’s palette.

            However, before the cold and snow of another winter arrives,  we have weeks of sharp, vibrant colors to enjoy. Not only have leaves begun to turn on the ridge of the mountain, but I have seen some sugar maple leaves turning.  It is indeed a magical season that seems to have arrived unannounced, but I know that lack of awareness  is about me and not the seasonal cycle. Yet, we all are often taken aback by how quickly the change of seasons happens. On the last day of September, while working on a doll house in the shop, I opened the large doors that face the mountain so I could see the same saddle from last week.  I glanced up often to marvel at  how the colors had increased. Not only had the ridge taken on more color, but also the base shone with a dull orange tinge that announced the coming change. Sanding and painting the intricate parts of the doll house, I thought how as this seasonal change has come  many of us in the valley have continued on with our daily lives—the joys, the sorrows, the squabbles, and the mundane, without taking heed of the dramatic change happening on the mountain and around us. Then I thought of Sadie and her words to Mary Ann, my wife.

                        When Mary Ann and I first met, one of the first people in her life about whom she told me was her long-time friend, Sadie, who now lives in Gettysburg. Attending the same church, Sadie and Mary Ann had shared much in their lives until Sadie was called to counsel violent, male prisoners in the Pennsylvania state system. Over the years of her prison counseling, Sadie came to realize that, until she became an ordained minister, she would be limited by the restraints of the state prison system. So, this  spunky lady in her late fifties enrolled in the Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg so that she could do more for “her” violent prisoners. After years of hearing about her and her work in the prisons with the men that she said had been forgotten, I was finally going to meet her.

                        Sadie and Mike, her husband, invited family and friends to her ordination. It was a lovely service in an old Lutheran Church near Gettysburg. However, what struck me was how much energy flowed from the small frame of Sadie. Like many celebrations, her ordination was over a weekend, but her glass-framed, smiling face seemed to be in all places with all her family and friends. With her ordination, her prison outreach expanded, and we began regular trips to Gettysburg to race the local marathon, see the historical sights, and share time with Sadie and Mike.

                        Sometimes we would share time with both, but on occasion  Mike would be out of town, so we had Sadie to ourselves. She showed us interesting, seemingly unknown parts of her hometown, she shared with us her work in the prison system, and her work as an assistant pastor. She told us how the men she ministered to had done horrible, unspeakable things, but also how they were human beings who had suffered abuse. She could sit over a meal and tell of these men without  judging; she acknowledged their horrific crimes and their humanity. And always, she was cheerful, bright, wise, and kind. Then  three years ago she shared, over a light salad, how she was having discomfort and could not eat much. That discomfort progressed into cancer.

                        Tears. Treatments. Pain. Fears. All of it and more, she and her family have gone through  much. Yet, like some people, Sadie has somehow continued to smile and radiate energy—until this week when she told Mary Ann, “I knew this would happen (her decline). Do what you have to do…it happens so fast.” The vibrant, loving lady who went to seminary late in life in order to serve humanity now has only about an hour of energy each day.

                        Change is happening on the mountain and in our lives. In the midst of all that change,  we are occupied with the ordinary concerns of life. But, are we living or just going through the motions? Perhaps we should heed Sadie’s words-”it happens so fast”-and do what really matters.

1 … 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 … 200