Storms of Life

by   April 27, 2024 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            We have been enjoying some nice spring weather, except for last weekend. Sunday was a cold, raw, and rainy day. It was the kind of day you want to curl up in front of the fireplace and read a good book. That sounds more like fall than spring. What was going on with the weather?

            If the storm that we had last Sunday had come just a couple of months earlier we would have had about four to six inches of snow. The low pressure system passed to our south and we were on the cold side of the storm. There was cold air around which was why we were hanging in the forties. If it had been winter, we would have had a nice snowfall. But who wants to think about snow when we are enjoying the beauty of spring?

            This week has brought some cool, comfortable, and wonderful weather. I encourage you to get out and enjoy this nice weather because in a few more weeks we are going to heat up. Some of the long-term weather models are predicting a hot summer. Some of the models are calling for a wet summer, while others are suggesting a drier summer.

            The long term forecasters are also suggesting that we might see quite a few tropical storms and hurricanes this year. You know I will be keeping a close eye on that situation. No one needs the headaches hurricanes bring to us. Just like snowstorms, hurricanes create a lot of work for those left to clean up after the storms depart.

            Sometimes we get lucky after storms and it’s only a few branches to pick up. Other times we have to deal with the inconveniences of losing power and having a much bigger mess to clean up. The same thing is true for the many storms we all encounter in our lives.

            Storms come in our lives in many different forms. For some the storm takes shape in family members who are in the hospital and needing care. Others are facing the loss of loved ones, which can sometimes happen unexpectedly. Others are facing things like the loss of their job or possibly a job change, which is stressful even if it’s a change you desire. Some people are facing financial issues, while others are struggling with relationship storms.

Storms rarely feel welcome. Some call for us to grieve while others call for us to dig deep inside and find the strength to push through to the other side. The storms we face will test our character and our resolve. Storms teach us about true friendships because true friends stand with us as we walk through our storms.

While some storms are actual weather events, other storms could be internal, dealing with depression, anxiety, worry, and fear. These storms can be hidden from outsiders, but they are as real as any natural storm. Recovery from any kind of storm takes time, and we have to give ourselves permission and space to allow ourselves to heal and restore the brokenness.

I believe it is important to surround yourself with people who will support you, but I believe it is vital to turn to your faith. God is our healer. He is our ever present help in time of need. Jesus can be closer than a brother if we will open our hearts to Him. We have to trust and believe that God sees our situation and knows how to get us the help we need. That also means we have to set aside our pride and accept the help He sends.

Jesus is a carpenter who knows how to fix things. Jesus knows everything about you and He knows what you need. He sees every part of your life and knows how to restore everything. While I am a firm believer in miracles, I have discovered that sometimes God works slowly and meticulously to restore and heal. He works with us and meets our needs.

I want to encourage you to look to God in the middle of your storms. It may feel like He is far away, but the truth is He is right there with you. He knows every detail of every situation. He is at work on your behalf, helping you along the way. Sometimes it might feel like we can’t see or feel Him, that’s probably because He is carrying us. That’s how much He loves us…He is not only with us, but He carries us through the storms. So stir up your faith. God is near. He is there for you, helping you, and rooting for you!

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

Dogwood Trees and Forty Days

by   April 26, 2024 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Memory is suspect—yours, mine, all memory may have been warped by suggestion, desire, denial, or other factors. But if it is your memory, then claim it and cherish it because it is part of who you are.

One of my claimed and cherished memories is of blooming, white dogwood trees, the cold that arrives in an early spring, and Easter. One recent evening I sat on the screened porch and marveled at the full blooms of one of our dogwood trees. Looking at the rich array of white on the tree, I recalled warmly the myth taught to all us children: The story told that the dogwood was so small and misshaped because its wood was used for the Cross; and the four petals, shaped like the Cross, had blood-like stains on their tips. But for that evening, I just enjoyed the beauty of that one tree and of the other three dogwood trees in full bloom. Now, the week after Easter, all the white petals lie on the ground. Washed off by a strong rain or blown asunder by bitter, cold wind, the white of the dogwoods is just a memory.

Paul uses a powerful verb to describe what happened on the Cross. But after Jesus tasted death during his humiliating form of death, He rose from the dead and spent forty days with his disciples and others. One of my favorite stories of that time is the one told in Mark and Luke. Luke’s version, in more detail, shares that two believers are walking to Emmaus, a village near Jerusalem, when they are joined by another person. When the couple (Cleopas and his wife Mary) arrive at home, they invite the stranger they had been talking with about the recent events concerning Jesus in Jerusalem to stay with them. When they sit to eat, the stranger breaks bread, and they recognize the risen Lord, who “vanished out of their sight.” The Christians of the first century “lost” Jesus for those three, affrighting days, but He came again as promised, and He walked and lived with them for forty days.

I don’t know how I would have reacted if I had been there with Cleopas and Mary. I don’t know how I would have acted if I had been on that shore to see Jesus next to a fire of coals, ready for cooking some of the catch. However, I do know that when I watch the dogwoods come into bloom, I am thankful for their beauty, the adults who taught a young boy truth and myth, and the man who tasted death for me.

Europe Running Adventure

by   April 25, 2024 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Last week, the Julian family shared the beginning of a weeklong European running vacation. Rebekah, Scott, Hope, Eli and Noah make up Rowan’s premier running family. Here is the conclusion.

Italy was the last country visited, beginning with the small town of Marenello, where the family found a bike trail that ran behind some farms and a golf course, then stayed along the river the entire way. The trail had a nice surface of small gravel, was mostly flat and under trees on a super-hot afternoon. They began running around 5:30 p.m. and saw many cyclists, some lady walkers and a few runners this time who offered nods of acceptance. This trail went for miles and had connectors as well for other areas of the city. They loved this trail so much we decided to do it again the next morning.

The last stop of the trip was Seina in the countryside. Close to their lodging, most roads were narrow with few cyclists on them and no shoulder or curb, but with some stone walls.

Rebekah said, “I found a tourist app about the dirt roads and cyclists touring the countryside. Locals told us if there is no sign or gate, then it’s OK to use the road. The area was hilly, perfect for hill workouts. Eli found a dirt road, so all ran together late morning for this adventure as part of our last day. We parked on the dirt road and were shocked when Italian cyclists flew by with race numbers on. A local gentleman at the entrance to the road said, “Park where you want and it’s OK to use.” Their dirt roads are finer gravel than our dirt roads, but have a few big flat rocks implanted in them for traction. They are also wider with plenty of room to pass. We all started our run with the Italian cyclists.”

The cyclists had motorcycles following, and a stop for their water and health check along the way. The boys and Scott went out on their own, so Hope and Rebekah decided to stay together and make it a hill workout day. They ran out about a mile, did their stretching and started the hill sprints (about a 200-meter hill). They could run the hill faster than the cyclists could bike, often passing them going up the hill but then were of course passed going down. Rebekah used this to make the workout harder, pushing to catch the next cyclists up the hill.

Rebekah added, “It kept me focused and going. Unfortunately, we saw a cyclist have a terrible crash and an ambulance picked him up. Other cyclists stayed around his belongings until his team got there. Cyclists, an estimated 400-500, of all ages and levels passed us during our workout. We had amazing views at the top, especially as we were running near a local farm with horses and a Great Pyrenees dog protecting the livestock. All this was one of the highlights and the most unexpected adventure of our trip.”

Rebekah concluded, “I share all this as good information to others on how to travel, still exercise and see the local traditions among awesome adventures. Just put a few light clothes and your running shoes in the suitcase. Our running adventures were free, and we got some personal highlights that paying a big tour company could never provide. These countries really are proud of the trail system they have created for cyclists primarily but allow runners and walkers to use them as well. They have connected small cities, allowed running long distances while not in heavy traffic, thus providing a daily activity all can use. Many hopes for your adventures ahead on your exercise experience while on vacation!”

The next race locally is the familiar Teens With A Mission 5K and Super Hero Fun Run at First Presbyterian Church on Friday evening, April 26, at 7 p.m. It is Salisbury’s only evening race, and all proceeds benefit their youth mission trips.

Look for this and other events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

Faith That Really Work

by   April 24, 2024 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Mark 11:23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

  • It is not the amount of faith but the quality of faith that will move the mountain.
  • We have to actually SAY to the mountain – that means there has to be a sound coming out of us declaring.  He gave us this authority.
  • According to His words it must happen and so we can expect those miracles to take place.

Prayer:  Father I pray that You will help me when I come against a mountain or an obstacle that I will speak to it and do exactly what You say and to have an expectancy that it will have the same result as You said, I pray in Jesus name.  I look to You for that and for the strengthening to speak those mountains out of my way.  Amen. 


Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Choose Peace

by   April 23, 2024 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Sure I have peace. Well, I have peace as long as I do not have problems. When problems arise, I sometimes initially respond a bit differently.

Depending on the severity of the problem, I either live in fear or live in faith. I sometimes tend to go with fear followed by faith, when I should go with faith followed by faith.

While in church on a recent Sunday morning, as the worship songs were being sung and hands were being lifted in praise to the Lord, I decided to focus for a moment on the congregation.

There were tears. There were voices raised in praise. Arms were lifted toward heaven. Some heads were bowed with eyes closed. Some were looking up. Some were looking down.

We were united as a congregation.

Though each of us had a different story, different problems and different circumstances, we all were choosing to not only trust in Jesus, but to also worship Jesus.

Worship can spill out like the contents of a cup and it can spew inside of us like a fountain.

Worship can be internal or external, quiet or loud.

Worship can be beautiful.

John 16:33 says that in this world we will have trouble, but we can take heart because Jesus has overcome the world.

I am so glad faith follows fear and sucks that fear right out of me.

Sometimes faith arrives like a feather floating right into my heart, and sometimes faith arrives like a tornado, sweeping in and landing right on me.

Faith is such a beautiful gift from God.

Peace is not always easy to find — especially if one is not searching for it.

Everyone may not truly want peace, but instead may choose to be in a battle.

When in a battle, we have a hope of winning.

There has to be a winner, right?

No. Not in making peace.

Peacemaking can actually produce two winners, and peacemaking is God’s way.

That lets us know that being a peacemaker should also be our way.

How to be a peacemaker?

I suggest starting with the fruit of the spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control.

Numbers 6:26 says that the Lord will give us peace.

Psalm 29:11 says that the Lord will give us strength and bless us with peace.

God gives us the gift of peace, and that promise is enough for me.

I choose peace.

What is Your Purpose?

by   April 22, 2024 with No Comments

Have you ever wondered about your purpose? Sometimes we make it out to be something huge and mystical. Steve Hartman with the help of his children make it into something as simple as a…HUG! It’s a great story…ENJOY!

Song of Solomon

by   April 22, 2024 with No Comments

By Rhonda Sassano

Out of my innermost being is flowing the fullness of Your Holy Spirit—never failing to satisfy. Within my  womb there is a birthing of harvest wheat; they are the sons and daughters nurtured by the purity I impart. How gracious you are to me, how gracious have made me!  Song of Solomon 7:2

I pray, Jesus, that you would multiply this verse in my life.  That out of my innermost being your Holy Spirit will flow with such passion and peace that everyone I connect with knows instantly that You are closer than close.  That You are more real than they could’ve imagined. 

But life.  And work. And relationships.  Yes Jesus.  I give it all up quick before I change my mind… You have my eternal yes.  You are worth it. I feel like I still haven’t learned well how to stay engaged in my spirit with You and live out the day in front of me.  Help me to be aware, of You, and aware of how much You adore me!  increase my awareness of Your desire to BE with me.  Every step I take, every moment, You long for intimacy with me. And I am deeply, desperately unworthy.  Except for the blood of Jesus.   Thank you, Jesus, such a marvelous humbleness in You, that a beautiful perfect Prince would give his life for me, such a poor pauper.  I owe you everything.  I give you everything. I invite you into every situation, every circumstance.  Into every place in me that is ugly and selfish and worthy of death.  all of me belongs to all of You.  Do with me what you will; I accept it with joy.  I command my heart to be open to hear Your Word and I receive the deep transformation it brings.  You are worth every effort, every early morning, every prayer, every moment of worship.  

With joy,

Rhonda

“God is not looking for those who can but those who will.”

The Grass is Greener Next Door

by   April 21, 2024 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

My neighborhood walks often look more like a saunter while I stop to snap a picture of this iris, that azalea, or those clematis. I enjoy sharing them with friends in my Facebook stories to encourage others to observe their adjacent yards or share with those who cannot walk their neighborhoods. Together, we share our admiration and memories associated with certain flowers. 

The fantastic thing is that from house to house, in the same ecosystem, the flora highlighted by owners can vary greatly. One home may choose NC native plants in a well-kept lawn. Another may choose a symmetrical design with carefully cultivated plants usually found in other countries. Yet another may have an award for creating a habitat to welcome and protect local creatures – a natural lawn. Even the actual plants, like irises lately, might be in full bloom on one street today, while just around the corner, nestled in a shadow, irises are only beginning to bud. While it could create opportunities to be dissatisfied with one’s yard, it also gives one a chance to celebrate the beauty in a neighbor’s yard. 

Flowers are one thing; grass is another. Ask my husband, who may be the chiefest of sinners in coveting the green grass of a neighbor. Ours has taken much effort, to no avail. Rejoicing over a neighbor’s grass is a little more difficult than admiring their flowers.

Why is it more difficult to rejoice when others have a victory or win in life? When someone gets a promotion we hoped for, is accepted to the college or program we had our eyes set on, becomes engaged, or announces a pregnancy, and we are still waiting, how much effort does it take to rejoice with them?

Romans 12:15 couples our need to rejoice and weep with others. Though empathy and sympathy may open the door for weeping together, why would Paul need to instruct rejoicing with others? 

– It guards against my covetousness and envy, readjusting my gaze from the provision to the Provider who also loves my friend.

– It keeps my pride at bay. Instead of wondering why they got what I feel I deserved, I can humbly consider how God allows a common grace for all humanity.

– I become less egocentric. I begin looking for goodness that is always happening all around me in the lives of others.

As you get your steps in, consider slowing your pace to a leisurely stroll. Pause to look at the gifts in another’s yard, and if your neighbor is outside, ask how life has been for them lately. You may find an opportunity to rejoice not only in their plants but also in the beautiful things happening in their lives. 

Ashlie Miller often gathers more photos than steps on her walks. She and her husband are parents to 5 children in Concord, NC.

I Am Not a Goldfish

by   April 20, 2024 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I am really a blessed guy because I am close with all three of my siblings. My older sister and I have been close for many years sharing our faith. My brother and I have always been close except for a few years in our youth. My younger sister and I were close because we were the last two at home when our older siblings were away at college or married and out of the house. I love catching up with each of my siblings whenever we can talk or see each other.

            My brother and I have gotten together for lunch whenever I am up in the area close to his work. We can talk about anything. We have both helped each other move numerous times. I think he has done more to help me than I have for him, but we always have a good time working together on projects.

            My older sister often comes over to see me when I am visiting my mother. We have shared some special times together through the years. There is always plenty of news with her family. It seems like someone is either getting married or having a baby or some other exciting thing. We understand each other.

            My younger sister and I catch up on the phone. We always laugh about something and share our struggles together. I have called her on more than one occasion when I needed to talk. She lives a block away from the beach so I love to go over to her house when I visit my in-laws and spend an afternoon sitting or walking the beach with her.

            We were talking last week and she said something that I really liked. I had done something that could have hurt her feelings. When I realized it I felt terrible. I apologized right away. She laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I’m a goldfish.” I said, “What are you talking about?” She laughed and explained that goldfish only remember something for 3 seconds and then they forget. She said not to worry because as a goldfish she had already forgotten about it. The trouble is: I haven’t!

            I am a sensitive person and I can easily get my feelings hurt. I would love to adopt the goldfish mentality. The trouble is my mind will not allow me to forget. I try to forget things. I try not to dwell on things. I try to let something go in one ear and out the other, but it doesn’t work. Things have a tendency to swirl around my brain again and again.

            Being sensitive is both a blessing and a curse. Being sensitive allows me to understand others and have compassion for their situations. Being sensitive allows me to pray more deeply for others. Being sensitive allows me to see others’ pain and help them by lifting their burdens and cares and standing with them through their situations.

            The problem with being sensitive is that it leaves me broken. Broken over my own mistakes. Broken for others who are suffering. Broken by a broken world. Broken by the lost who do not know the love of our Savior. But I have learned that God can use broken people if they will bring their brokenness to Him. When we are weak, He is strong. He is the healer. He is the restorer. He brings beauty from ashes. He makes beautiful things from the broken pieces.

            Sometimes I really wish I was a goldfish and could easily get over things, put things behind me, and forgive myself. Other times I am thankful that He draws close to me and picks up my pieces. He is at work in me. He works through me. He sees beauty and opportunity in brokenness. He doesn’t want me to be a goldfish. He wants me to be me. He wants me to be sensitive because that is the way He made me. Does it get in the way sometimes? Yes. Is it challenging? Yes. It is a blessing? Yes.

            I want to encourage you to not be a goldfish. It’s okay to be sensitive. It’s okay that you experience brokenness. Bring your hurting heart to Jesus. Release the pain to Him. Find the peace that goes beyond understanding that He offers to you. He cares more deeply than you will ever imagine. He sees you. He loves you…just the way you are. You are beautiful in His sight. He loves your tender heart. God works through sensitive people. Open your heart to Him so He can work in and through you.  

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

Spring Petals and Crosses

by   April 19, 2024 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Last night’s wind left dogwood blossoms covering the walkway of our back garden. When I exited the screen porch, I tread on a blanket of still-white petals from the tree next to the walkway. None of the other dogwood trees had lost their petals, and this one particular tree still had many of them left on its limbs, but for whatever reason, it had showered a spring dusting that caused me to think about death. Especially the death that Christians celebrate this time of the year.

Crucifixion most likely began with the Assyrians and Babylonians who tied their victims to a tree or post, leaving their feet to dangle. The Romans, after learning of the punishment during the Punic Wars,  began using crosses to perfect the punishment. The Roman Empire used it especially in the Holy Land, and in 4 B.C E. the Roman general Varus crucified 2,000 Jews, and the historian Josephus writes that there were mass crucifixions during the first century A.C.E.

 The victim was scourged, forced to carry the horizontal beam to the upright post, stripped, then either tied or nailed through the wrist to the cross beam before it was attached to the upright post. The victim’s name and crime was posted above his or her head. It was a slow, painful, and public death. Viewed as a shameful way of death, it was reserved for only the worst of criminals, and no Roman citizen would be executed in this manner.

Christians wear crosses, churches attach them to high steeples, and the symbol is used in a myriad of other ways that represent our belief. Yet, the crosses we use are sanitized images of what was used to kill. The Christian crosses have no representation of blood, mucus, pieces of torn flesh, urine, feces, or hair. Nothing that is evident from such a brutal death is on any part of the gold cross worn around the neck of many Christians or on the silver crosses that are present in all Christian churches. They are pristine, and I suggest that is where we delude ourselves concerning His death.

Through our art, music, architecture, jewelry, and more, we have created a false image of what His death was. While we read and say the words of it, we deny its reality by our accepted images of what His execution was. What  I am suggesting is that we can be honest of its brutality by our language of His ordeal and the images we use for it. Each of us, for instance, can discard the neat, golden cross worn around our necks and wear a small, rough, and irregular wooden one that would be more representative of the cross on which our Savior tasted death for us. I appreciate that houses of worship will not and perhaps can not remove their crosses. But we individual Christians can make a small change to remind us of His death on a tree and the brutal pain He endured.

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