Best Days Are Here

by   October 15, 2026 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Best days are here!

      What do I mean about the best days? I love the late September and October days when the temperature is down and so is the humidity. Winds aren’t significant on most days. And the days are long enough to get things done, but even better the moon hangs around a little longer and all the pieces fit for good runs.

     Our current beginning runners class is about halfway through, and I always say the fall class has it best for all the above reasons and we still don’t have many rainouts. There are two seasons for new runners, one is the spring when people think of how they want to look on the beach. And the fall is when they have had the summer and are tired of hot and humid and looking for something lasting. Maybe even on through the winter.

     So if you have noticed the great weather and want to get started, here are a few simple pointers. You want to be consistent with commitment, but you likely will do better with about four days a week to start. Pick the best time of the day for your runs and hang a calendar on the wall with blocks for writing each day. If you run, write it down, a sort of journaling. It’s real if you write it down.

     By the start of the second week, go see Ralph Baker Shoes and get fitted for the right pair for you. My best shoe is likely not your best shoe and the right pair will boost your running efforts. You may not recognize a bad choice of shoes on the first day, but it won’t take long. Good shoes make good runners!

    Start with a half mile, then a mile later that week, then 2 by the end of the second week. Run at a pace where you can talk. Most folks who are trying running for the first time will run too fast and they end up saying they hate running. What they hate is running too fast and the feeling of constantly being out of breath.

     Keep making those notes on the calendar that include your distance, your time and your pace. Make note of anything unusual, even including an unusual moon or owls hooting and the day you felt really good.

     By the third week, pay attention to an improvement in your mood, or the fact that your belt is a little looser, and your breathing isn’t as challenged when going upstairs. Your sleep is likely better too and you’re probably more confident, ready to take on the day.

     By the fourth week, you’ve started to notice your running form and decided it looks pretty good. It might be time for some new running gear. Water tastes better and better and food choices are healthier. The fifth week, you decide to check out the upcoming 5K’s. Maybe not yet ready to run one, but still interested, nevertheless. And during the sixth week, you see two runners talking and join them.

     Keep the calendar going and add another day of running or consider any form of cross-training. You’re a runner now, and it feels pretty darn good! Keep it up and my bet is you’ll be happy you did.

      Nxt week’s race is the Back Creek Presbyterian Church Harvest Run 5K and Fun Run. This is one of the prettiest local runs through the beautiful countryside. The race is well-managed, and all centered at the historic church. The Knox Brown Circle raises proceeds that support Life Choices Rowan, Rowan Helping Ministries, as well as Christmas support for local families, a children’s ministry and continuing women’s Christian education.

     Start time for the 5K is 9am and the fun run will follow for kids 9 and under. The Back Creek Mexico Missions team will have a free pancake breakfast for all runners following the race and extra plates are for sale to spectators.

     Look for this and a full slate of upcoming races at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Gotta’ Run: Best days are here!

Cone of Uncertainty

by   October 14, 2026 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Currently there is a hurricane headed for the Gulf States; a harbinger of chaos and destruction named Isaias. I remember a time when twin hurricanes were in the Gulf and we were in for some serious destruction. Twins are like that you know. My mom used to tell of taking us three girls to Noah’s Five and Dime in Landis when we were small. My sisters who are twins would immediately wrench their little hands from our mother’s grasp and take off in different directions. It was a fun game of cat and mouse… until mama got them home. This regular occurrence was not due to lack of discipline. Believe me, there was plenty of that. I think it was more about what my two younger siblings considered to be fun. Apparently they inherited our daddy’s talent for mischief. I remember one time coming back to the house from the garden with mama and finding the screen door locked with those two goobers inside. Like a couple spider monkeys they sat on the kitchen counter with a box of vanilla wafers, stuffing as many in their mouths as possible. Through the screen mama implored them to unlatch the door.

“Cain’t,” mumbled one of them. “Stuck,” mumbled the other. Eventually mama convinced them to use the broom handle to pop the latch off. It took a while as there were many cookie breaks between tries. Sometimes I wonder how mama held it together raising us three. Of course I was a lovely child never prone to wander. So at least there was that.

As David and I watched the weather channel the other night detailing the projected paths of the twin hurricanes, the weather person pointed to the map and a large red swath moving inland from the Gulf. With a solemn voice meant to relay the severity of the situation she intoned. “This is the cone of uncertainty.”

We looked at each other and laughed. “Really? So that’s what that looks like! Only shouldn’t it cover the entire world at this point? Or at least our whole country?” If you’re like us, life feels a lot like a big fat cone of uncertainty. Chaos and destruction are reported on every hand. You can’t watch a Braves game without Covid being mentioned a hundred times. At least the victory celebrations have gotten more interesting. Grown men dancing in the outfield approximately six feet apart is kind of fun.

For now, I think I shall relax in the uncertainty. Though I am not one who likes surprises I’ve learned. It’s not about what I like. We’ve lived long enough to have suffered loss of loved ones, loss of homes, loss of churches and health and jobs. When you’ve been through a few crap storms you grow to realize. There is only One Who knows the end from the beginning. He is not surprised or caught off guard at our current events. The important thing to do is to pray. Hand it all to Him. I’m telling you this from experience. Giving Him the load to bear and trusting Him for the outcome is the only way to navigate the current cone of uncertainty. That way, when the dust settles, the troubles we have are not of our own making; like ulcers from worry, high blood pressure from irritation, or guilt from an angry response. In fact, I think a vanilla wafer might be in order. Perhaps with a little peanut butter. The world can yell through the screen door all it wants. The Lord is in charge of me. He alone is faithful.

Reunited!

by   October 13, 2026 with No Comments

Do you have fur babies? Some people are dog lovers while others love their cats. I know there are other fur babies out there too. But today’s story from Steve Hartman is about a woman who helps to reunite lost fur babies with their owners. ENJOY!

Saved but Not Spiritual

by   October 12, 2026 with No Comments

Max Lucado shares that we begin our spiritual journey in the spirit but then we try to walk it out in the flesh. That just doesn’t work. Listen as Max shares some good news…. Listen and learn.

The Art of Noticing

by   October 11, 2026 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” so says Anne Shirley, the spirited protagonist of Anne of Green Gables. I quite agree with her and hang decor with that quote in my dining room this time of year. There is so much to love about it if I make time to take note. Realistically, though, it is easy to become entirely wrapped up in the season’s opportunities, and overlook other gifts of the season.

Acorns are drawing my eye of late – oversized or diminutive nuts; scaly, smooth, or even hairy caps like jaunty hats; varying shades of green and brown. I usually snatch up a few the squirrels have missed to add whimsy to our homeschool table.

Isn’t it interesting how our eyes are drawn to notice particular things? When I look for something specific (sharks’ teeth or sea biscuits) while beach-combing, that’s all I can see, undoubtedly overlooking many other treasures.

Zoning in with intent to notice applies to more than nature walks.

Lately, I have been teaching ladies a class at a local YMCA on how to hear from God, based on the acronym HEAR: Highlighting, Explaining, Applying, and Responding to God’s Word as we read it. Most of us want to rush immediately to application, and if we do, we miss a vital part of learning.

Properly highlighting passages doesn’t get as much instruction as it should. Just look at any student’s textbook! When reading the Bible, we often rush to highlight an entire verse. Or maybe we feel guilty for not underlining a whole chapter when Jesus is speaking in one of the gospels.

Recently, my son and I road-tripped through the mountains in NC, Virginia, and West Virginia. Rushing around curves invites vertigo. Blazing through any part of a road trip can ruin it! You can miss details and beauty, make mistakes, or end up in a mess. Slow your roll! We should approach reading the Bible with a similar, slower pace.

What phrases am I overlooking? Do I see a pattern of words? What contrasts do I notice? Who is speaking? Who is the audience? Does the setting affect what I am reading?

Taking time to notice is important in our relationships, too. We’ve all heard that many of us listen to speak, not to hear, when engaged in a conversation. We may walk away feeling good about what we shared, but do we really know more about the person who shared with us? Are we surprised when we discover a friend or loved one is hurting or in trouble and has been for some time? Perhaps they were giving cues (verbal or otherwise), and we were too distracted to notice.

Noticing is foundational to enjoying what is around us, understanding what we believe, and knowing and loving others. It is often an overlooked art. We miss many details and beauty, make mistakes, and end up in a mess when we aren’t careful.

How can we better make time to take note in this busy season of life?

Changing Our Perspective

by   October 10, 2026 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Changing Our Perspective

            Have you ever hung around someone who complained about everything? Do you get tired of listening to people who act that way? There are legitimate things that might cause any of us to complain at times, but I hope you aren’t one of those who complain about everything. It seems to me that if you find yourself complaining about everything that your perspective needs to change.

            I believe there are some circumstances that might cause us to struggle to keep a positive outlook on life. If your child or grandchild has been diagnosed with a serious illness, I can understand your struggle to stay positive. When divorce affects a family, whether it’s your own, your parents, or your kids, it can cause deep and lasting pain. Certainly everyone is going to be struggling when a loss occurs in the family. If your boss calls you in and tells you that you have been downsized and you are out of work, that is incredibly hard news. All these and a number of other circumstances are going to bring a period of sadness and discouragement.

            Sometimes what happens is that we get so focused on our problems and circumstances that they become bigger than God. Our minds convince us that the things we are facing are impossible for God to fix and us to overcome. This contributes to feelings of discouragement, doubt, fear, and worry. It can fill our lives with stress, which leads us into feelings of being overwhelmed.

            There is an old hymn that many of you will remember that will help in those kinds of moments. The chorus goes like this: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” We have allowed our eyes to become so focused on the circumstances of life that we have forgotten about the greatness of our God and our wonderful Savior. We forget that God cares. We forget that God knows every detail. We forget that He can still do the impossible today for us!

            I found myself focusing on my circumstances this week. I really don’t like admitting to that, but it’s true. I got alone with the Lord and instead of listening to Him, I complained. I listed my problems and concerns. Do you think I felt better? Nope. I needed to listen. It took me a few minutes and then I heard this whisper in my spirit: count your blessings. I couldn’t see any blessings because I was too focused on my circumstances. He waited patiently for me.

            After a few minutes, I named a couple. Nothing changed. He encouraged a few more. I thought for a moment and then gave Him a few more. Something started to happen inside. I named a few more. I started to feel better. I listed several more. My mind focused on Jesus and all He has done for me and I truly became thankful. In a few short minutes my focus turned onto Jesus and not my circumstances and I started feeling better. Please note that my circumstances had not changed, only my focus had. I was looking at the God who always comes through for me. I was looking at, thanking, and praising the God of the impossible.

            I heard a doctor say once that thanksgiving or being thankful makes it difficult for your brain to be anxious, worried, and stressed. It changes our attitude, giving us hope that maybe things will work out. Then once we can believe in the God of the impossible we open the doors of faith. Our brains will begin to work with us to help us through our circumstances until we overcome them. It starts with us changing our focus.

            As a teacher, I want to give you some homework. I want to encourage you to do the thing that I did that helped to change my focus. I want to encourage you to count your blessings. Each day for the next week take a few minutes and thank God for ten things in your life. They can be people, situations, areas of favor from God, things you own, spiritual things, your job or retirement, and your family. Start by reading Psalm 103 verses 1 to 5, where you will discover five ways God has blessed you. Once you start the ball rolling, I believe you will come up with so many more ways that God has truly blessed you. It is a great way to begin and end your day. Count your blessings one by one.   

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

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