Roses & Fish Fries

by   March 11, 2026 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

“I like your big panties,” my sweet friend said. Everyone at the table stopped talking. The look on my face said, “Holy cow! Did I forget my britches?”  I stammered out the only reply I could muster. “I thought I had those covered up…” and of course I had to gesture the wide unfurling of a parachute sized pair of underwear.

“Your big PANIES” she clarified. “Did you grow them?”

“Ohhh…. my Pee ON eeze. Yes! They came from my backyard.”

Our British friend at the table spoke. “I think it’s pronounced Peon EEZE.” As he spoke the word flowed beautifully off his lips like honey. What is it about a British accent that immediately garners respect? Maybe that’s why all the movies about Bible stuff have Jesus speaking with a British accent.

I wonder if a portrayal of the Sermon on the Mount would sound as wise if it were written by a Southerner. The young man playing Jesus would speak while sitting on the back of a pickup truck. The hair and beard would be the same, but that accent would NOT work!

“I know it’s hard bein’ poor, bless your hearts. I have been there ‘n done nat. Ya’ll know I’z born in a barn? But doncha worry none. Your daddy in heavin is makin a real nice place for ye.

And a lot of ya’ll are hungry rite now, but someday you’ll be fullerna tick. Some of ya’ll are sheddin’ some tears up in here. But sumday ya’ll gonna be laughin yer heads off.”

The feeding of the five thousand would’ve seemed less of a miracle too. Southerners never forget to bring food, and that’s about the same number that attend homecoming.

Then if Jesus went with His disciples out on the lake, they would’ve been in a real nice bass boat. His question of “Did ye bring any bread?” would’ve been answered with, “Yep! We got biscuits and cornbread and hushpuppies. Take yer pick!”

After they fished all night and didn’t catch anything, Jesus might have advised, “Change up yer jig and throw over in ‘at buncha grass growin’ up air inna cove.”

Peter might’ve shouted, “Oooowee! Look et all ‘em bream, and catfish, and crappie! Man, at the bass! They’re all keepers! We are gonna have us a fish fry to NITE!”

We probably won’t see that version at the box office any time soon, praise God.

As I carried the big bouquet of peonies into the memorial service, I passed a young man who spoke his admiration as well. “Wow! What beautiful roses! Did you grow them yourself?”

I guess a peony by any other name still smells just as sweet.

Adoption!!!

by   March 10, 2026 with No Comments

Can you imagine going to the hospital for an operation that would take about 6 hours and just being dropped off? Now imagine if you were a kid! Steve Hartman tells a great story that starts out just this way… ENJOY!!!

From 60 to Zero

by   March 8, 2026 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

After a cold February, are you counting the days until spring? If you have a student (or teacher!) in your household, they are likely counting down the days until summer. Recently, our family had a countdown for a special trip. It was part of a Christmas gift. 60 days seemed like a big number – a long wait – at the time. Although I could see the passage of time as we ripped off a page each morning, some mornings I was astounded by how quickly it was passing by. Finally, day 0 was on the board.

Time is a funny thing, isn’t it? “The days are long but the years are short,” I’ve been told and have repeated many times as a parent. The crisis that we live through feels like an eternity in the moment, only to be vaguely recalled with the passage of time.

Waiting and time are closely intertwined, and more often than not, waiting has a negative connotation. Rather than hopefully anticipating, we slowly and impatiently wait.

The children of Israel were not good at waiting for anything. For example, when Moses went up to the mountain to talk with God for forty days, the people felt like it had been an eternity. All hope was lost, and impulsiveness and impatience led to the terrible decision to make a golden calf as a stand-in for the God who brought them out of Egypt. God saw it, and He told Moses that they quickly made that decision (meaning, they hadn’t been waiting long, really).

We see impatience in the New Testament, particularly among the friends and disciples of Jesus, who waited for Him to heal, stop storms, raise the dead, and feed people. But Jesus is not one to be hurried into anything. 

We even see it in our own lives. Perhaps we can recall from our past, a year ago, last week, or maybe even today, waiting on God’s provision, answers, counsel, clarity, or action. But rarely are we content to wait in quiet stillness, no answers, trusting for God to meet us there when the time – His time – is right.

I experienced this recently with a routine medical scan. Results came back (why do they send them early to us when we are not the experts?), I did not understand them, but I became anxious about what I read. But God clearly said, “Wait.” My callback appointment was delayed longer than most of us would want, and still, I could hear, “Wait.” What? Can’t I just look up some things online? No, that would definitely make things worse; what could I even do with that information if I could comprehend it? Do I spoil today with worries that can only be met head-on tomorrow? No, that would only ruin today for me and impact those around me who need my attention and care.

How did I hear this counsel? Was it audible? No, not truly; nothing mystical but no less fantastic. Echoes of truth came through daily scheduled reading, as well as personal times in the Psalms. When you read the word “wait” or “hiding place” enough times consecutively, you know that something greater than the universe is talking to you!

So, wait, I did, and the peace washed over in great, comforting waves. Hopefully, I will remember these things the next time (which may be only a week away!).

What about you, who or what are you waiting for? How can you improve your waiting? Can you look back and see where the wait really wasn’t as long or as horrible as you thought? Maybe there is as much to reap in waiting as there is in what you’re waiting for.

Ashlie Miller lives in Concord, NC with her family. She will *wait* for your email at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

Team Leadership

by   March 7, 2026 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Team Leadership

            I feel blessed that every year I am able to help supervise the officer election process for NC DECA. The DECA club is an organization for marketing students. Club members participate in fund raising and civic activities on a local level. There are also district, state, and national competitions. The competitive events include tests, role plays of real life scenarios, team events, and written projects. In my career, I was fortunate enough to go to the national conference five times.

            The election of the state officers includes an application, a knowledge test, an interview with a committee, and the election by the voting delegates. I give the test and then work in one of the committee rooms. I have to tell you that these young people make such a huge impression on me, both the candidates and the committee members. These are high school students who are dressing and acting professionally.

            The candidates are asked some tough questions by the committee and deliver great responses. Once the interview is over, I listen as the committee discusses each candidate’s qualifications and how they performed in the interview. You would be impressed if you saw how mature these students are.

            I tell candidates and the committee members why I continue to return each year. They give me hope! They are the future of our country, and if you met these individuals you would have peace about the future. I believe these young people will rise to greatness. They will become our future corporate leaders and entrepreneurs.

            As I listened to the students discussing the candidates this year, I was impressed by how they thought each one would perform as a team member. When I asked the students to explain what they were looking for in a candidate, they pointed out the importance of understanding that it is not about what one individual does but what the team does as a whole. Individual glory can reduce the overall success of the team. It’s amazing to me what wisdom these young people have and what they could teach our politicians.

            When I reflect deeper, I realize it is exactly what Jesus was trying to teach us. God is not looking for spiritual superstars; rather, He wants us to come together as a team. That’s why we are referred to as the “body” of Christ. We have many different moving parts that all come together to accomplish great things for His kingdom. Each person in the church plays an important role to fulfill God’s purposes for that church in that community.

            The people who clean the church are equally as important as the pastor of the church. If the church is dirty and messy, people will not come back. If the pastor fails to do his job, people will not come back. A warm greeting at the door makes my heart more receptive to the prayers of the elders of the church. Having good teachers in both the children’s area and the adult classes will keep people involved in the church. The people who count the money and pay the bills are just as important as the choir who lead us in worship.

            As members of a local church, we need to find our place. You don’t want me singing in the choir or no one will come! I think I can do a better job teaching Sunday school than organizing the cover dish lunch after church. God has a place for you on His team and it is not sitting in the stands. Discover your place and get involved serving others.

            There are two things everyone can do to help their church. We can all pray. Don’t put yourself down or think that your prayers aren’t doing any good. That’s a lie! Your prayers are powerful and effective. They are needed for your church’s success. You can also be a thankful encourager. When you see someone serving in your church, thank them. Offer them words of encouragement. These simple things have more power to boost morale and build unity than any program. We all benefit from encouraging each other.

            I want to encourage you to find your place and become more involved in your local church team. Remember the importance of encouraging other members and thanking them for their service. There is great power in your prayers and they make your church a better place. Serving in some capacity will make your church function better. Warmly welcoming visitors is everyone’s job. We want our churches to be beacons of hope that point people to Jesus. We are all an important part of the team.

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

Garden Enigma

by   March 6, 2026 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Garden Enigma

Early evening and suddenly every bird at or near one of the three bird feeders in our back garden disappears. No bird song. Only the silent flutter of wings as the quiet before the storm passes, and the storm settles on a limb of a dogwood tree.

The resident Cooper’s Hawk perches, facing the house. Its roan-tinted chest plumage reflects late sunlight as the eyes study every piece of the small garden. Its flat crown reminds me, in a silly way, of the flat-top hair style some boys paraded during my youth. But this flat top half crowns two dark, piercing eyes that  search for a meal in our garden, the one where we feed its potential prey for our pleasure, not for its food.

The head moves from side to side and soon the body of death turns and faces the wider, back expanse of garden, perhaps hoping to find food in the larger area. But, when none presents itself, the grey-shoulder hungry one drops to the ground and peers into the thick, green foliage of the gardenia. One hop of grey death flushes a male cardinal that flies low to the ground before escaping to the safety of the rhododendron.

Unruffled, the Cooper’s Hawk takes dominion over our side garden and Doug’s large front yard by perching on the white fence dividing our properties. Unruffled, but obviously hungry, it sits there for some moments before gliding away to expand its search. Within moments of its departure, a fat squirrel appears on the ground below one of the dogwood trees, and birds return to the feeders.

The small, back garden returns to another cycle, one that is an enigma of sorts since we humans attract the birds and squirrels for our pleasure by feeding them, not to provide for the fearsome but beautiful Cooper’s Hawk.

Decent Underpants

by   March 4, 2026 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

I take great pride in keeping my home neat. It’s not always clean, but it is tidy. There’s a bright tablecloth on our little kitchen table, with a fruit bowl or flowers. Dirty dishes are placed in the portable dishwasher as soon as they’re used. David and I are the only ones here and the house is so tiny that it only takes a minute to make it neat.

However, last Monday we finished a long day and crashed. The tablecloth was dirty so I tossed it on the floor toward the laundry room. The dishwasher was full and in front of the kitchen sink hooked up to run. David wasn’t feeling well so he grabbed an old sheet and quilt then hit the recliner sofa. The week before, he moved to a new office and had pulled books off our shelves, sorting stuff in piles on the floor. Our house was unusually trashed.

Books were not the only thing to hit the floor that night. About 2am, he got so violently ill that his blood pressure bottomed out. I found him passed out on the bathroom floor and had to call 911.

As I jerked on clothes, described his symptoms to the dispatcher, and prayed my sweetheart wouldn’t die, I ran to turn on the porch light and open the side door. Lickety-split my little upside down house was filled with firemen and paramedics who do not know what a respectable housekeeper I am. Wouldn’t you know it! The one time…

This is where the wise person would tell you that none of that matters now that I know David is okay.

While that is very true…

The next day I found myself cleaning the house top to bottom, rearranging the bookshelf, spreading out a clean table cloth, washing all the linens, disinfecting the floors, and thinking of a reason to invite the emergency guys back for a do-over.

Perhaps if I bake a cake to thank them for their great efficiency and kindness…

This time the 911 call would sound like this:

“911. What’s your emergency?”

“Oh… no emergency. Is the same crew working that worked Monday night?”

“Yes ma’am. Is this the lady with the messy house?”

“They TOLD you that?”

“Yes ma’am. They were appalled. Apparently there was a pink striped sheet on a red sofa. Sounds hideous!”

“Could you please send them back? I have cake!”

“No ma’am. They said if you ever called again to tell you they would not return to such a pigsty.”

“But… but I have cake.”

“No cake in the world would entice them back. They also told us about your bedhead. Said you looked like a woman in a bad wig wearing clothes with yesterday’s coffee stains.”

“Sigh… it’s true. It was bad. Sorry I called…um… have a good night.”

“You too ma’am… because they are not coming back.”

Mama always said to wear decent underpants in case there’s an emergency.

You know… they did not even check our underpants!

Thank the good Lord.

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