Addiction Hurts

by   June 7, 2021 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Addiction is vicious.

My father and brother died from it.

My adult children struggled with it.

It separates you from those you love.

It feels like a private journey because it is difficult to share.

With drug addiction, heartache comes.

As does pain.

Some overcome.

Many do not.

Some overcome and relapse.

Then they overcome — and relapse again.

It is a cycle that for many never ends.

But sometimes it does.

Even if a relapse comes, they still overcame — for a while.

Hopefully, they will overcome again.

The road can be long. It usually is.

For some — once the problem begins — it lasts a lifetime.

If only the pain was just for the user of the drug — that would seem a little more fair.

But the pain also belongs to those of us who love them.

We wait for the call that no one wants to get — but fully expect.

The actively using addict tends to be self-centered.

They focus on their need for drugs — and on nothing else.

It controls their thoughts.

Priorities are re-prioritized — and the normalcy of their lives slips away.

It is so sad to watch — and to experience.

Does this mean we do not love them? No. We love them immensely. We love them enough to keep them in the corner of our mind 24 hours a day every day of every week of every month of every year — even if we rarely see them.

For approximately 2.7 million grandparents in the United States, that love is shown to their adult children who are addicts, when they take over the parenting of their addicted children’s children — their grandchildren.

Our boys came to be ours when I looked through the window of their home and saw one of them, who should have been playing and enjoying the joys of being a four year old, rubbing his mother’s head and trying to comfort her as she lay on the couch, lethargic and oblivious to his presence in the room.

That was when we knew. The children had to be safe. So we took them with us. We began to send them back less and less frequently, until one day, we all realized that our home had become the place our grandchildren would call their home.

We did not do that to their parents — we did it for their parents.

Proverbs 31:8 says, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

The children were too young to speak for themselves.

They deserved better.

We would give it to them.

Our journey as grandparents raising grandchildren had begun.

Thirteen years later, we are still on that journey.

Lord, be with the addict. Be with their children. Be with those who love an addict. Amen

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at  annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

To the Class of 2021

by   June 5, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

To the Class of 2021

            My nephew graduated from high school in May. He will head off to Virginia Military Institute in the fall. He has a passion for the military and enjoys reading military history. I think he will do great things for our country. I am thankful for him and the many others who choose to serve our country.

            I feel bad for the class of 2021 because so many of the graduates who attend public schools have missed much of the fun stuff from their junior and senior year due to the COVID pandemic. I hope they understand this has been a world-wide event and they have not been singled out. Hopefully, things will improve going forward.

            The graduating seniors did miss out on some of the fun senior traditions. Many schools did not have their prom last year or this year. I did hear that some schools were able to have their prom this year. I also saw where some schools had their senior awards day. Maybe some things are beginning to return to normal.

            Many school systems are having or just had their final exams. Exams always signaled that the end was within reach. It was a busy time, but I always knew I was almost there. I have to admit that I do not miss the absolute exhaustion I always felt at the end of the year.

            I do think I miss…a little…going to the graduation ceremony. It’s not the ceremony itself that I miss, but saying good-bye to the graduating seniors. I liked walking through the crowd and seeing my students, shaking their hands, and wishing them good luck.

            I also miss the graduation speeches. While many of them had similar content, I always heard some unique thoughts that often inspired a new column. I have often wondered what I might say if I was given the chance to speak to a group of graduating seniors. I would have to keep my thoughts short.

            So here are my thoughts to the Class of 2021: Congratulations graduates! You have had a very unique journey to this day. None of us could have imagined what we have experienced over the last two years. The best thing to learn from the situation is that life can be very uncertain. No one knows what tomorrow holds, so live each day to its fullest.

            I encourage you to love the people in your life and let them know your love by your words and your actions. Love lasts forever and heals many wounds. People may not remember all that you accomplish, but if show them love, they will never forget you.

            Look for the good in life. Everyone has plenty of bad days, days you wish you had never gotten out of bed. Even on the bad days there is always something good in your life. Look for it, embrace it, and share it with others.

            Be thankful every day. Be thankful for your family, friends, job, place to live, and all the many possessions that you acquire in life. A thankful heart is joyful and contagious. A thankful heart builds within you an appreciation for all that is good in life.

            Always show appreciation to others. No one is successful on their own. It only takes a moment to thank someone. Honor people in your life who have helped you and encouraged you along the way. Don’t forget your teachers, parents, and pastors.

            Take good care of your physical body; it’s the only one you get. Life is full of ups and downs, so tend to your emotions. Give yourself the time, space, and permission to deal with them. Make it a priority in your life to grow spiritually. That includes praying and talking to your Heavenly Father. Reading books is great for the mind, but don’t neglect reading the Good Book. It is so important to stay connected with people, especially in spiritual matters. People can be there to lift you up on the bad days, challenge you to be the best you God made you to be, and encourage you when life is tough.

            I want to thank you for taking time to listen to my words. I want to encourage you to apply them to your life. You have learned so much in school, now comes the time to apply what you have learned so you can reach for the stars. God has made some great plans for your life, an exciting and wonderful adventure. Put your faith and trust in Him and see where the adventure takes you. Congratulations to the Class of 2021! We are proud of you.

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

Having the Family Genes

by   June 1, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

The first time I saw Frank Adams Jr. run, I thought immediately of his grandpa, long-time sportswriter and well-known runner Ed Dupree. Frank favors his grandpa in appearance and two other ways that I know of. His pace is steady, and he enjoys the experience immensely. Last Saturday, Frank ran his first 5K at the Ed Dupree 5K at East Rowan High School.

I asked Frank what he thought of stepping up to the longer distance after dominating many of the recent half-mile fun runs. Frank, 7, said, “Running a longer race than a fun run was a lot harder.” Frank does the Daily Mile at Shive Elementary where he usually runs between 2 and 2.5 miles, so this race was his longest distance yet.

Frank thinks he could run faster with some practice and more training. He said, “I like to run and win medals. I like to run in races because my papa Ed was a big runner and I do it to remember him. I have some of Papa Ed’s medals and a trophy in my room.”

I noticed right away that Frank is a smart runner too. It is very comical to watch kids, 12 and under, start the fun runs. They sprint as hard as they can and nearly all run out of gas within a couple hundred yards. Not Frank, who coolly lets them sprint ahead and sticks with his pace. Frank wants to continue fun runs this summer to see if he can improve his best 800 time and I hope he continues to display his megawatt smile afterwards.

Frank will also run cross country with Run Cabarrus AAU in the fall.  The 7-year-old age group runs 1.2 miles in competition and have five meets scheduled. Frank ran the Run Cabarrus Invitational last fall, his first attempt at 1.2 miles and handled it with ease.

Allison Adams, Ed’s daughter, and husband Frank are premier athletes themselves. They support Frank and his 6-year-old brother Drew by taking both boys to fun runs and mom runs with them. Allison said, “As parents, we try to support our boys in all sports they enjoy — golf, baseball, running, tennis, soccer and basketball. We want them to be well-rounded.”

Drew ran his best time of 3:40 in the fun run Saturday. He has run some fun runs with Frank but hasn’t been hit by the running bug yet. Allison thinks it’s coming soon because Drew is quick on his feet and will head to kindergarten in the fall at Shive with his brother.

She continued, “Frank is self-motivated and loves to run and be active. Other ways he favors his grandpa is a natural ability to pace himself. Through the Daily Mile at Shive, Frank developed a love for running and runs almost daily (with the exception of weekends). Frank knows about Ed’s streak of 24 years of running without missing a day, as well.”

I asked Allison how both boys remembered her dad. She said, “Drew was very young when Ed passed away, one month short of 2 years old. Frank was 3 1/2 years old. They remember my dad taking them to Dan Nicholas Park to play putt putt and to Granite Lake Park. They remember their Papa as a runner. My mom and dad kept Drew and Frank at their house in Faith a few days a week when I went back to school. They remember how much their Papa liked to eat, especially at Ichiban!”

Ed did not get to see Frank race. He was planning on coming to the Erwin 50th anniversary race in September 2017, but that was when he originally hurt his leg before he had to go to Baptist. Allison did show him pictures of Frank running the fun run while sitting with him at Novant the night he was admitted. Of course, Ed asked what Frank’s time was.

“My dad would truly enjoy watching Frank run. With all the time he spent training kids with the Faith Flyers, it would mean so much to him to be able to watch Frank race and enjoy himself. I only hope he can somehow see Frank and Drew when they run.”

Look for the upcoming Main Street Challenge in China Grove and other events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .

The Roundabout

by   May 31, 2021 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

I don’t remember when. I don’t remember where. I don’t remember how.

But I do remember that I had no idea what to do.

It was — the roundabout.

I hate that my parents did not live to enjoy roundabouts. My dad would have gone all the way around one several times, just for fun. My mother, on the other hand, would definitely slow traffic down. Driving 5 mph would not have been fast enough.

What good are roundabouts?

Experts say:

• They slow us down.

• There is one way travel.

• They are safer.

• They improve traffic flow.

• They require yielding to others.

• We won’t be tempted to beat the stoplight, because there aren’t any.

I just about had roundabouts tackled until I came across three in a row.

Three roundabouts and my equilibrium do not go well together.

But, obviously there is a purpose for them. I mean — they are in the Bible, right?

You know — where Psalm 34:7 says that the angel of the Lord encamps roundabout his people forever.

As for camping, it has never been my favorite thing to do.

The daytime is fabulous — but the nights — not so much.

My last time in a tent overnight was on a trip to the mountains with around 100 members of our church. At dark, we would gather around the campfire to sing, testify, talk and roast marshmallows.

Then tent time came.

Sleep did not.

It was too dark to sleep.

My eyes opened. My eyes closed.

It looked the same — dark.

What were those noises? Everyone was asleep — I could hear them snoring.

What is that? Have you ever heard an owl? The screeching was horrendous.

Why is everyone still snoring?

What is that? Something brushed by our tent — on my side, of course.

Not only did I hear it — I felt movement against the side of the tent.

No doubt. It had to be a bear.

I then chose to stay awake all night to listen for bear noises, so I could scream to alert everyone, if needed.

If only I had remembered this important information about camping:

The angel of the Lord was encamping roundabout me.

To encamp means to settle in and establish. Roundabout means you go in one direction around the center.

The angel of the Lord encamps round about us, settles in, and establishes himself in our life situations, as we head in one direction toward our heavenly home — to be with Jesus forever.

Some times — some days — some long dark nights — we may not feel that the protection he gives us while he is encamping roundabout us will be enough.

But, when we doubt, we may just need to read on to the end of Psalm 34:7.

The end of the verse says that God delivers us!

God’s promise from God’s word brings victory — every time.

Is it Summer?

by   May 29, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            It has been a hot week. Does that mean summer has arrived? It is unusual to have such hot weather this early in the year. Hopefully, the rains that are coming will bring the temperatures back to late spring weather. Summer doesn’t officially arrive until late June.

            With all the hot, dry weather I have been out watering quite a bit lately. It’s early for things to look dry and wilted. We are working to keep things watered and the flowers and vegetables are looking good. I finally finished getting everything in the vegetable garden last weekend. Now I just have to keep the bunnies out and take care of the watering.

            We have been enjoying local strawberries for several weeks now. That season will soon be ending and it won’t be long before the blueberries and raspberries start coming in. We have our fingers crossed that we will get a good local peach crop this year. We enjoy eating all the fresh fruit and berries, especially over some pancakes.

            We’ve been firing up the grill some this spring. The grill needed some new parts. The grates were almost completely worn out. When I replaced them, I noticed that the burners were not functioning well, either. I got those parts installed, so now I am ready to go for the summer.

            I like being outside as much as possible. That’s why I am a big fan of the warm spring days and the cool fall days. I don’t care much for the humidity-filled, oppressive summer days, or the freezing winter days. I guess you could call me a weather moderate. I will confess that I am a fan of hurricanes and snowstorms, but I like all kinds of exciting weather.

            I like being outside on nice days. I like the peacefulness of sitting on the front porch whether I am thinking, praying, or reading. I like working in my garden, where I am alone with my thoughts. I like working with my wife on her flowers and tropical plants. It is so peaceful and we are both in our happy place. We both enjoy working on plants together.

            It’s in those quiet places that I can hear from heaven. I firmly believe that God wants to talk with us, but we have to give Him room and space to reach us. We also have to remove all the mental distractions and the worries of the day. When we can do that, we can hear Him.

            I have been reading in Romans recently. I have been going slow and am thinking of going even slower. There are so many good gems hidden in that book. Take, for example, the first couple of verses of chapter 5. When we ask Jesus into our lives to be our personal savior, God transfers His righteousness to us. He then declares that we are faultless. I don’t know about you, but I can assure you that I am not faultless. Regardless of that, God, the creator of the universe, declares me to be faultless because of what Jesus did for me.

            There is also the gift of peace. There is peace between God and me. Jesus’ blood covers all my sin, creating the open relationship with God. The peace God gives me guards my heart no matter what is going on in the world around me. The peace He offers can also invade my mind if I open the door.

            These verses also tell me that I have permanent access to the kindness of God. He is a good, good Father. As our good Heavenly Father He wants to pour His love in us. He will take very good care of us. He will meet our needs and bring healing to our broken lives.

            On top of all that, He wants to fill our hearts with His contagious joy. This joy will spring forth from us in spite of the circumstances around us. If we find ourselves in difficult places He promises to give us hope for a brighter tomorrow. The hope He gives will help us to hang on through the tough times until our help comes from heaven to rescue us.

            I want to encourage you to open your Bible and begin reading. God has hidden some wonderful promises and great stories to encourage our faith. Look what I found in two verses. Imagine what you might discover as you begin to read more of God’s love letter to you. God has a bright future planned for you. You can trust Him and depend on Him if you open your heart to Him.

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

What You Deserve Went Missing

by   May 28, 2021 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

An internet server in the Charlotte area airs a commercial touting the advantages it offers consumers. After the usual hype with an attractive person talking, the over voice says (to paraphrase), “It’s time to get what you deserve.” My hardback dictionary states that “deserve”  means “to be worth of” or “merit.” That first meaning has two connotations: to gain something positive, such as an award; or to receive a negative response to a particular action. Thus, a studious student may be awarded with academic accolades while a spiteful person may be ill-treated by another person. So in general, we use “deserve” to denote being awarded for hard work, courage, or other such positive acts.

Now, I know that language changes over the course of years because of our usage of it. In fact, several academics will argue that it must change in order for us to communicate effectively. Thus, the verb “quote” is now used to designate the noun “quotation”, and the longer form seems to have suffered a slow death. But my favorite new grammar usage, used by even the best of written sources, is “went missing.” A sentence such as, “The toddler went missing over the weekend” is as common as the sin of lying. I do not know why writers use two words when one, such as “disappeared”, would suffice, but “went missing” is here to stay. Furthermore, the verb “went” is a transitive which means that if it has a direct object, that object must be a noun or pronoun. However, that may be too complex, so let us just suggest we all use one simple word for the awkward phrase “went missing” because “missing” is not a place but a modifier.

It is no surprise that a television commercial maligns our language since its purpose is to communicate to the consumer. But I think we are headed down that “slippery slope” of misunderstanding each other if we continue on the path we are following. For example, I am old enough to remember the flap over a popular cigarette advertisement that stated, “… taste good like a cigarette should.” Our world has survived that confusion between like and as, but I  wonder at what price.

Not too many years ago, I was teaching 12th grade English in a school in Woodstock, VA. The position was provisional for that spring semester, but would become full time the following fall, so I applied for the full-time position. During the interview, the principal asked me why I was requiring my classes to read Macbeth in the original and not in a translation. Shocked by her ignorance, I answered that we read Shakespeare for many reasons, but especially for the language. More recently when I shared with a friend one more article by an English teacher arguing that there was no need to teach Shakespeare, he responded, “Soon Shakespeare may be offered as a way to satisfy a foreign language requirement.”

Language matters and if we shift too much in its use, we will create confusion instead of clarity. To defend incorrect usage by, “Well, you know what I meant,” is a lazy excuse. As a reader and/or listener, all I know is what I read and/or hear. Anything else is a guess and if you don’t want my attention to go missing, then be precise. We both deserve it.

Our God Given Authority

by   May 26, 2021 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

  • The devil has worked very hard to withhold understanding from us; that we have complete authority over him.
  • This authority is given purely by faith in Jesus and because He said so.
  • We can put into reality and action that the enemy can not harm us in any way.

Prayer:  Lord, I do confess and believe these words that I have authority over the enemy and all the attacks of the enemy and that by Your command he has to obey and submit and be yielded to the authority that You have given me.  Help me Lord to exercise it.  Holy Spirit direct me I pray in Jesus name.  Amen.


Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

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