This guy doesn’t let anything stop him from what he wants. His parents believed he could do anything any other kid could do.
If you think life has you down, take a page from this coach’s book….
I took my own advice from last week’s column. If you missed it, in last week’s column I talked about how to enter a new chapter in your life. Change comes to all our lives in various ways. I offered a few thoughts about how to walk through those changes.
One of my pieces of advice was to rest. When we face change in our lives, we often find ourselves burning the candle at both ends. We are running here, going there. How can we effectively and efficiently make the new changes if we are worn out? If we can rest before the change, that’s great. But I believe that many times we need some time to rest after a major change in our lives.
Think about it. We take honeymoons as newlyweds. Mothers and sometimes fathers are given some time off after the birth of a child. We also take time off work when we lose a loved one. We need time to deal with the change in our lives.
So I disconnected last week and allowed myself to rest. I gave myself permission to rest. It’s hard to give ourselves permission because there is so much that needs to get done. I got some extra rest. I discovered something by the end of the week. The smoldering coals in my life had been gathered together. Then I felt God breath on them. The coals came back to life. There was a little flame. It wasn’t a roaring fire, just a little flame of renewed life.
When I felt this little awakening happening within me, I discovered something else. I was hungry. You know how you feel when you first wake up. I was hungry for the Word of God and the presence of God. Although I had been maintaining my quiet time daily, there was a deeper hunger for more.
I have plenty of Boy Scout experience with a campfire. If you can find some smoldering wood, you ought to be able to coax it a little and get the fire going again. You have to gather all the warmest embers together and then you blow very gently on them. If you do it right, they should begin to glow. As the heat gathers around the embers and you continue to gently blow, there will be small flame that develops.
You have to be ready for this moment. You have to have some dry kindling ready to add slowly as you get the first flames. The little kindling catches fire easily, and if you are patient and keep the kindling coming you can slowly add bigger pieces. It takes a little while, but if you are patient you will soon have a roaring fire going once again.
I believe it works the same way with our body, mind, and spirit. We keep pushing ourselves through the big changes in our lives. Our bodies can put up with some abuse for a period of time, but then we have to give ourselves a chance to rest. We need the opportunity to recuperate and become refreshed.
Reading a good book, watching a movie, or going for a long walk are all things that allow me to rebuild and feel renewed. Each of us does that process differently, but we all know ourselves and what helps us find the place of renewal. We have to get the embers started and allow Him to breath on us.
I felt the fire beginning to stir and made a mistake. I started to push myself again. I forgot my Boy Scout training. Rekindling is a slow process. I want to get moving, but God isn’t finished helping me rest. I want to get some deeper insights from heaven, but He wants me to be still and know that He is God. He wants me to be filled again with His love. I need to let His Spirit envelop me, to hold me close and renew me.
I want to encourage you to stir up a hunger in your spirit for more of God. It’s hard, but sometimes we need to slow down and rest in His arms. His plan is for seasons of rest, to allow His Spirit to refresh us. He does have good plans for our future, but they include resting and getting ready for what He has planned. We aren’t missing something by slowing down, we are getting something. I know it’s hard to rest, but it’s important to be obedient. We need to let God refresh us so we can fulfill His purposes in our generation.
Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com
It was the trip of a lifetime. Early July. Freezing temperatures. Four layers of clothing. An aerial tram to the top of the mountain. And we had arrived – the most beautiful place ever!
Mt. Alyeska, Alaska. Breathtaking. I could not stop staring. The green was the greenest green I had ever seen. The waterway, Turnagain Arm, was the bluest blue, greenest green, and clear like crystal, all at the same time. Identifying where the snow peaked mountaintops stopped and clouds started was next to impossible to discern.
There were others on the mountaintop with us, but the silence was deafening as we all became immersed in the beauty around us. Each one of us had ridden the tram up the mountain that morning – and all seemed to be impacted in the same way – overcome by it – sensing that only God could have created something of such beauty.
I had been transplanted right into the middle of a place of serene beauty that I did not want to leave – and could not walk away from. What a feeling! I have always believed God can speak to us through nature – and that moment proved it.
I continued to stand there frozen – literally and figuratively. I remember thinking, “I do not want to leave here. This is one of those things I will never see again.”
Had I never been on Mt. Alyeska, I could not have felt it as deeply, or understood its beauty, because I would not have seen it. But once I saw it…the beauty of it stayed with me.
Things I will never see. That thought on the mountaintop stayed with me, and eventually formed into a question with some answers from God’s Word:
Things I Will Never See?
I will never see:
*Love fail – 1 Corinthians 13:8
*The righteous forsaken – Psalm 37:25
*My need not met – Philippians 4:19
*My call not answered – Jeremiah 33:3
*My sins remembered – Hebrews 10:17
*A lack of grace – Hebrews 4:16
*Death – John 8:51
Had I never been on mountaintop experiences in life with my Jesus, I could never have felt as deeply the power of these promises of things I will never see. I could never have understood the beauty of the promises of these things I will never see. Once I saw it – the things I would never see – the beauty of them stayed with me.
It is such a beautiful place to be – I never want to leave. What a feeling!
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that He has made everything beautiful in his time: he has set eternity in our hearts.
1 Corinthians 13:12 says that for now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then will I know even as also I am known.
We only have a glimpse of the beauty and joy that eternity will bring when we meet our Savior face to face. We may not have answers to all our questions, but we can be thankful for those things we will one day see – and for the things we will never see.
There are events in life that cause things to change. Some of the events we welcome with open arms, while others are birthed out of difficulties. The kind of changes I am talking about create a new normal for our everyday lives. It’s a time when we are forced to move forward, to see and experience things from a different point of view.
The difficult things could be losing a job, having a parent or child move in, divorce, loss of a loved one, or a tragic accident that leaves one disabled. The joyful ones include graduation, getting a new job, getting married, having a child, moving into a new home, or (in my case) retirement. All these, and many others, will create a new chapter in our lives. It’s a new challenge, a new way to experience our faith in God, a new way to relate to those around us.
Here are some things to avoid as you enter your new chapter. Don’t get ahead of God or try to do things in your own strength. You have to do your part, but wait for God’s guidance. While many changes, even good ones, are scary, don’t live in fear. You are going someplace you have never been; trust in the Lord. Finally, don’t doubt the goodness of God, even when you are going through difficult changes. God loves you more than any human being can and will walk with you through the changes.
Here are a few tips to help you with your new chapter. First, find someone who has already gone down this new road you are on. Look for those who are positive and encouraging and who will give you some good guidance. Change is always difficult, but finding others to help and guide you along the way can make all the difference.
Second, try to get some rest. Change can be stressful and take a toll on you. Getting proper rest and not burning the candle at both ends can really help. You want to be able to think clearly as you make decisions, and tired minds can often be cloudy.
Third, start preparing for the change. Sometimes you can look down the road and see it coming. Work to prepare your mind, your surroundings, and your family for how life will be different. You won’t know all the details, but getting ready will make for a smooth transition.
The best way to prepare and get through any change is to spend some time with your Heavenly Father. In your spirit, allow yourself to get so close you could crawl up into His arms. Your Heavenly Daddy wants to love on you. He wants you close through the murky waters. He will protect you. As you stay close to Him, He will impart the wisdom and grace you need.
I think it is critical through any change in life to stir up your faith. If you are moving forward in God’s plans for your life, there is going to be resistance. The enemy will pay you a visit with gifts such as guilt, shame, doubt, and fear. The enemy will do anything to stop you from moving forward.
The way to combat that is to stir up your faith. You need to reflect on your past experiences with God. Think about your personal testimony when God came through for you in the past. He will do it again. He’s not going to fail you. Remembering what He did for you in the past will build your faith for what He will do for you not only in the present situation but also the future.
God’s plan is to grow us up spiritually. He uses carefully articulated plans to create the growth that He wants to see in us. I believe that God is constantly trying to create the environment in our lives that will draw us closer to Him, give us a greater knowledge of Him, and cause our faith to become stronger. That means that God will use everything in His power to bring about His purposes, including new chapters in our lives. He wants us to trust Him and believe in Him for more.
I want to encourage you if you find yourself in a place where God is writing a new chapter in your life. Trust in the goodness of your Heavenly Author to write an exciting and good chapter for you. That doesn’t mean that you won’t have tough times, but it does mean that He will walk with you through them. He is bringing a blessing to you through each new chapter.
Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com
Once again, Philippians 4:6 slipped my mind: Don’t worry about anything. Pray about everything.
There was a project that was taking all my attention. It was requiring all the organizational, management, and relational skills I had in my arsenal. I was too far in to quit. I had to complete the good work. Day after day, hour after hour, as I worked toward its completion, I kept thinking, “Why did I say YES?”
But, I had said YES. And… I had to finish it. And… I had to give my best.
My daily thought was, “If I can just get through this…”
As a friend was helping me sort out details to make it perfect, we began to realize that the outcome really did not just depend on us, but depended on the work and decisions of others, too. We really did not have total control.
There. I said it: CONTROL.
Yes, I was in charge of the project, but there were parts of it that I
could not control. I stopped dead in my tracks when my friend said, “We
just have to surrender.”
That word changed it all: SURRENDER.
All to Jesus, I surrender. All to Him I freely give? Right? Isn’t that how the hymn goes?
The word kept ringing in my ears: SURRENDER. I felt like the fugitive on
the run who held up his arms in surrender almost gratefully to the one
who had been searching for him.
Being on the run had not worked – and the moment of surrender brought instant relief.
The meaning of surrender is ceasing resistance, submitting to authority,
to give in to, or to give up a possession. I had been assigned this
huge project. I was trying to complete it. I knew I had to surrender.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and prayed, “Lord, I surrender this to You. I can’t do it on my own.”
God then began to pour into my spirit what surrender looked like:
• It was not ‘look what I did.’ It was ‘look what God did.’
• It was not about being in control. It was about releasing control.
• It was not about working for God. It was about God working in me.
• It was not about having power to do the work. It was about the power of Christ in me.
• It was not about personal results. It was about God results.
• It was not about my desires. It was about resting in God’s desires.
• It was not for the glory of Ann. It was for the glory of God.
• It was not harder after I surrendered. It actually was much easier.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
His plans – not ours. For me. For you.
Be sober. Be vigilant. We have an enemy — the devil. He is as a roaring lion. He walks about. He is seeking whom he may devour.
Okay, I admit. This is not an encouraging start to a column. Thankfully, those words from 1 Peter 5:8 have a BUT GOD that shows up two verses later: But God, of all grace, has called us to eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after we have suffered a little while, will restore us making us perfect, stablished, strengthened, and settled.
That’s a great promise.
But, how about those roaring lions seeking whom they may devour?
Lions attack the weak, the sick, the young, the straggling, the helpless, those who are not alert, and those who are alone.
Once while on a field trip to the zoo with my kindergarten class, we saw the area where the lions were enclosed in front of us. My students were very excited, and began to run ahead to get a closer look.
As soon as they reached the enclosure, one of the lions let out a huge ROAR. All 22 students immediately backed away — and kept backing away — until they had all gathered safely around me.
They had been willing to get close to the lion at first — just a big cat, right? But then… the roar came — and the danger appeared. As the roar began, the lion began walking about, seeking whom he may devour.
Even though we know there was no real danger at the zoo that day, the response of those 5-year-olds sure can teach us a great lesson, as they exemplified what is taught in 1 Peter 5:6-8:
• 1 Peter 5:6. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. The children humbled themselves and backed away, as they became fearful. They knew where their help would come from.
• 1 Peter 5:7. Cast all your care upon him, for he cares for you. Cast means to throw something forcefully. When they backed up right to where I was standing, they immediately felt peace. They had cast their cares on the one they knew that cared for them — their teacher.
• 1 Peter 5:8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. Sober means serious. Being vigilant means to carefully watch for dangers or difficulties. The children sensed danger — backed away from the enemy — and got to a place of protection.
Lord, help us to humble ourselves. Help us to cast all our care upon You. Help us to be sober and vigilant. Amen.
Last Tuesday was my last day of my last year as a full-time school teacher. That’s right, I am officially retired. It is hard to believe, but it’s true. People keep asking me how it feels, and I have to admit, no different than any other school year ending. I think I will really begin to feel it when I don’t have to go back in the fall.
I will admit it was difficult getting out of school this year. I threw away so much stuff. I just kept filling trash cans for days. I found curriculum guides that were over 15 years old. At the end, it became a blur of just getting rid of stuff. I wanted to get out of there on time.
I was determined not to bring tons of stuff home. I brought home plenty, and hope to look through it and get rid of more stuff. Thankfully, I could put much of what I want to keep on a flash drive. The boxes are stacked out of the way, and when we get those hot summer days when I don’t want to be outside, I will go through them.
The faculty at East gave me and another teacher a royal send off. We were roasted, which was great fun, and honored for all we have done. It was a bittersweet time with the faculty. Then they gave us both some very nice gifts. There was cake and lots of hugs and handshakes.
We were given an opportunity to say a few words; you know I wasn’t going to pass that up. I started with the young teachers. I challenged them to find people in their field who were passionate about teaching, people who love their jobs. I encouraged them to draw from them and “steal” their good ideas. Good teachers borrow from those who are better. I reminded them to always keep learning. And then after they had rested, because all teachers are tired in June, to find something to help rekindle the fire to teach next year.
Then I told the whole faculty it was important to laugh at work. We need to have fun while we are teaching. I shared with them a list of things I would not miss about teaching. Then I shared a list of things I would miss. I think the thing I will miss most is having the opportunity to walk down the hall and have a conversation with one of my colleagues. There are some great people at East Davidson, and I will miss them.
I reminded the faculty that we all have to work together to get the job done. There are some students that I can’t reach but others in the faculty can, and vice versa. Students need all the different areas of curriculum if they hope to have a successful life.
I was asked by a colleague how I could boil down 34 years of teaching into one concise statement. It was a challenge but it came to me: I believe it’s all about the students. What I want and think is not important. I might be inconvenienced, but that’s OK. I will be required to go the extra mile. I believe schools exist for the students, not the teachers. In business terms, I would put it this way; schools exist for our customers, not for the employees.
I will miss teaching. It was and is my calling. The public schools were for me a mission field. It was the place God put me to be a light in the darkness. Through the years God give me the opportunity to touch many lives. I believe God puts us where He wants His light to shine. That means I believe God has you where you are to be a beacon of hope to the people around you. He sees you as the best way to reach them. He also needs us to be an encouragement to each other. God needs us; all we have to be is willing and available if we want to be used by God.
I want to encourage you to see yourself as God’s missionary. If you are retired, like me, you still have a sphere of influence, and God can use you. If you are still working, open your eyes to the people around you, many are waiting and hoping God will intervene in their lives. God is planning to use you. We don’t have to travel to be missionaries; there are people around us every day who need the Lord. Make yourself available and see what God can do.
Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com