Following Jesus Costs

by   April 5, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Following Jesus Costs

            Have you ever been mistreated by someone? If you have been alive for any length of time, you have probably been mistreated by someone. It could be a sibling, a friend, a co-worker, a supervisor, an employee at a business… and the list goes on. There are so many opportunities to be mistreated and we are all mistreated at times.

            Sometimes the mistreatment comes from the person having a bad day. Something happened that put them in a bad way and that individual turns around and takes it out on you. You happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Depending on the severity of the mistreatment, most of us can understand and forgive the one who mistreated us.

            Other times the mistreatment is perpetrated by a bully. The bully mistreats everyone in his or her path. You were just the next victim. This type of mistreatment can often create lifelong memories. Most of us have probably been the victim of a bully and we would rather not remember it. I can name a few from my childhood.

            I remember once playing with some friends in this girl’s yard. Her father had a reputation for being pretty tough. A bully came around on his bike and started to harass me. The father heard it and came out and confronted the boy. He made the boy get on his knees and apologize to me. The bully was crying but he apologized. The father told the boy to never show his face in our area again and he never did.

            We have all been mistreated many times in life and that is simply a part of living in a fallen world. A couple of years ago, I was at a business and found myself being mistreated by an employee. I spoke to the manager at a later time about the incident and she obviously talked to the employee. The employee continued to mistreat me when I frequented the business, so I decided to stop being a customer.

            The other evening the Lord asked me to pray for this employee. I told Him I would prefer to not pray for the employee. God asked what I wanted Him to do with the employee. I told Him I didn’t care. Then He asked if I wanted this employee to be sent to hell. I quickly responded, absolutely not! I don’t want ANYONE to be sent to hell. Then God reminded me that disrespectful employees need prayer and that I might be the only one praying for this person. It was hard, but I prayed for the employee, and have continued to do so.  

            I taught Sunday school last week and my lesson included Matthew 5:43 – 48 where Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray for those who persecute you. He wanted to make sure that I could apply the lesson before I taught the lesson. I admitted to my Sunday school class that it was difficult because the Lord brought others to mind that had mistreated me through the years who needed prayer, too.

            Following Jesus is not easy. The Bible is full of people who did hard things for God. Noah spent about 100 years building an ark. Moses led over a million people from slavery to freedom. Think about Queen Esther, who risked her life to go to the king when it was strictly forbidden. Ananias was sent to pray for Saul, who had put many Christians in prison. Imagine being Mary, who agreed to be the mother of Jesus and yet was accused of pre-marital sex. She could have been stoned for it. Joseph’s life was no picnic either, being given the charge of raising God’s son. The Bible is full of people who paid a high price to follow and obey God.

            I want to encourage you to make the tough choices that keep you on God’s path. He never said it would be easy. Following God involves difficult choices. Following God involves being obedient. Following God involves faith and trust. Following God will cost you, BUT the rewards are worth it. He promises to never leave you. He promises to provide for your needs. He promises to forgive your sins. He promises to love and accept you. Best of all, He promises you a special place with Him for all eternity. God will ask you to do some challenging things, but He promises to help you through whatever you have to endure for making the right choice. God’s path is not easy but it is the best and most rewarding path you will ever choose.  

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

Pleasuring Herself

by   April 4, 2025 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

                                                Pleasuring Herself

In his fine memoir, The Old Man and the Boy, Robert Ruark recounts his grandfather’s explanation of aging: “ A man don’t start to learn until he’s about forty; and when he hits fifty, he’s learned all he’s going to learn. After that he can sort of lay back and enjoy what he’s learned, and maybe pass a little bit of it on. His appetites have thinned down, and he’s done most of his suffering, and yet he still got plenty of time to pleasure himself before he peters out entirely. That’s why I like November. November is a man past fifty who reckons he’ll live to be seventy or so, which is old enough for anybody….”       An admirer of Ruark and his two books about the older men in his life, I am reluctant to disagree with his grandfather, but I must because of Florence (not her real name).

The first time I met Florence was when my wife introduced us. She was a new member of a support group for widows in which my wife assisted. When we were introduced, Florence held her Bible close to her chest but could not hide the hollowness in her eyes. Her soft voice and softer demeanor caused me to think that she was having a most difficult time concerning her husband’s recent death. Her disheveled dress spoke of her emotional state. Over time, however, as Florence and I established our own friendship through church and our writing group, she shared much of her earlier life and of her marriage to her deceased husband, who was highly regarded in our small community.  She had lived in his shadow, known as “Lou’s wife.” (not his name) I watched as she struggled with the issues concerning a spouse’s death and admired her grit as she sold the house they had shared, donated his tools and clothes, and all the other things that must be done following a death. My wife and I were elated when she found an apartment in a modern complex of homes, restaurants, shops, and that was near her children and us. Florence settled into her life, but she did not stop growing. In fact, she bloomed.

According to the web site Grammarist, the phrase time heals all wounds may be first attributed to the Greek poet Menander, who lived around 300 B.C. and said, “Time is the healer of all necessary evils.” Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem, Troilus and Criseyde, written in the 1380s contains the phrase: “As tyme hem hurt, a tyme doth hem cure.” However, no matter how the sentiment is expressed, the pain of a deep wound never disappears, but time and life may lessen the sadness of past pain. And Florence, as she embraced her new surroundings to create a new, full life, contradicted  Ruark’s grandfather’s observation about being seventy.

Florence is no longer any man’s wife, pushed back into the shadows. She is known in her community through her part time work in a shop, for being encountered during her early morning walks around the complex, for her group that meets weekly to share conversation on a veranda, and her patronage to a cigar bar. Into her seventh decade, she is now herself. Yes, she is still a mother and grandmother, but she also has a life in her community that is hers, and not one that she shares with her family. Her family knows of that life’s existence, but Florence denies them entry because it is hers and not one to be shared with them.

Florence shares her new life with my wife and me, and we are happy for her. She told us not long ago how she was planning to smoke a cigar in the near future in the cigar bar and might even get a small tattoo. Not bad for a past seventy-year-old grandmother whose hands still bear the creases from work as a young girl on a North Carolina tobacco farm.

Florence, like all of us, carries certain sadness. But unlike so many folks, she took stock of where she found herself and decided for life. Much like the Phoenix, Florence rose from the ashes of her former life– to smoke a cigar, to get a tattoo, to build her own nest.

Local Running

by   April 3, 2025 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Local running and racing are getting busy!

      Late March through early June are usually busy months for racing and this year will be no exception. Here is a recap of the choices for late March and April.

     The Mt. Hope Run for Missions 5K and Fun Run starts off the fun. This run/walk is at Salisbury Community Park on March 29th and uses the paved greenway and gravel roads for both races. Mt. Hope uses the proceeds for a long list of annual mission projects. One of the areas best managed races in a beautiful park setting is a great way to start the morning.

     Next up is the West Rowan Bible Teachers Association 5K and Fun Run at West Rowan Elementary School in Cleveland. This run/walk is in line to possibly take over as the largest 5K in the county with this year’s event on April 5th. The run/walk is on one of the fastest courses in the county while touring Cleveland.  Proceeds from the event helps provide Bible teachers in the local schools since they are not funded by the state.

      On April 12th, the One in 5K and Fun Run will also be at Salisbury Community Park. Race start is 9am. Since 1978, Family Crisis Council of Rowan has provided services such as emergency shelter, hospital accompaniment, court advocacy, case management and counseling to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, incest, and human trafficking in Rowan County. The significance of the race name is that one in five of all females will be abused in their lifetime. All proceeds go to FCC.

      Two Special Olympics will be held soon as well. On March 27th at Catawba, the older students and adults will have their competitions on the football field and track. April 10th, the younger athletes will compete at West Rowan High School. Both events start at 10am and will conclude by shortly after noon. Spectators are invited to attend this especially rewarding day.  Special Olympics Rowan County is in charge.

       Last week’s column was headlined by two Catawba College athletes who achieved national prominence. Both qualified for the final by doing well in the prelims with a strong showing in the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Fall Creek Pavilion in Indianapolis, Indiana. Winfred Porter finished second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 6.65, a personal best for him. Miles Stephens was eighth in the same event with a time of 6.76, Both are now All-Americans for their efforts.

       Three of the oldest races in Salisbury will all shift to a new course this year because of construction at Knox Middle School. The new course will be central to Overton Elementary and will use West Park Drive, the greenway and the Prescott neighborhood while starting and finishing at Overton. Spectators will get to see the runners and walkers three times during the 5K. Races held this year on the new course will include Teens With a Mission 5K from First Presbyterian Church on Friday night, May 2nd, the Bare Bones 5K for Salisbury Rowan Runners on May 24th and the Greenway 5K for Salisbury Parks and Rec on July 19th.

Lynna’s “J” & Listen Please

by   April 2, 2025 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” -Hebrews 13:8

What does that mean to you? To me it is a reminder that He can be trusted… always. My circumstances can take a nose-dive when I least expect it. But I can rest assured that Jesus never fails. The One Who told me yesterday that He would never leave me is still faithfully walking me through whatever dark valley I stumble into today. Everything around seems to be changing. However, Jesus stays true.

Psalm 73:26- “My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever.”

Listen Please

“O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised.” -Psalm 119:169

Have you ever met someone with true discernment? They are a rarity. So much stuff goes out as news when in truth, it is not real at all. I got a text the other day explaining the great danger I was in because of unpaid toll fees. Honey I don’t even drive anymore. That one was easy. But at another time I quickly cancelled my credit card because of unusual activity. Turns out it was just a charge I forgot I made. Of course discernment in Scripture is waaayyy more important. The above prayer is really needed today. Especially when something new comes along.

Dear Lord, please bless us with Your discerning wisdom.

Sly as a fox? Or maybe wise as serpents, harmless as doves. We spotted these beautiful creatures in the dunes at Ocean Isle Beach, NC. Thankfully we had sense enough to keep our distance.

Serving Matters

by   March 31, 2025 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Serving Matters

In some ways, I believe serving students in the college cafeteria while attending Gardner Webb AND serving customers at the Pizza Inn while attending UNC Charlotte, seem to have been almost as educational as the college courses I was taking at the time.

While serving my peers in the college cafeteria, I said things like, “Pizza or taco?” Yes, I was on the serving line with my hair net on, saying the choice of food over and over to people who mostly never looked at me, because they were studying the food choices in front of them. I did not mind feeling invisible. Food is something I understood.“Potatoes? Beans?” I would continue. It was my daily dinner routine as I worked my way through college. I was there to serve! Serving mattered!

When it came to my other job at Pizza Inn, the entire scenario changed. Three days out of seven, I would work from 4pm until 4am, drive back to my dorm and sleep until time for class. Other than the tired feet, I thought it was remarkable being a waitress! I think I would have loved making a living at it! I got to be super nice to people who were there to enjoy pizza. The nicer and more competent I was, the happier the customers were! The happier the customers were, the more money I made. That pretty much summed it up! Serving mattered!

Then, there was the job at McDonalds, where I could get off work around 2am. I loved nothing more than using a cash register and counting back change to customers. As the night ended, the managers checked our registers and mine always returned monetarily perfect! I was quite proud of that since this was in the days before the register told you how much change to give back to the customer. Maybe that is a reason I became a math teacher?

Mostly though, I liked to serve. Adding the perfect scoop of potatoes to the tray in the cafeteria, handing over the perfectly cooked slice of pizza at the Pizza Inn, or making sure the Big Mac handed to a customer was wrapped properly, bagged beautifully, and not smushed – was my mission.

I must admit – I enjoyed it!

I liked interacting with people to get something they wanted to them – and for it to be just right!

My favorite times were the busy times, when there were four lines of customers across the front of the store at McDonalds.Working as hard as I could, I would move quickly and and efficiently to make sure every customer was happy.

However, no job beat working in Cannon Mills where I worked 8 hours a night during the summer on a very loud Twister machine in Number 7 Spin. It was non-stop, but during those hours, my dreams for my life were formed, while the rest of Kannapolis was sleeping. It was so loud that I could talk, sing, and pray at the top of my lungs and no one could hear me. I talked to Jesus. I sang to Jesus. I memorized the words of Jesus and carried prayer requests and Bible verses in my pockets as I walked around the twister machines all night long, while wearing my required ear plugs. What seemed redundant to my coworkers was life-changing for me – because I spent those nights walking around my three huge, loud machines while seeking God. What a great education I received staying up all night with Jesus!

Not long after that, I finished college and became a teacher. One day, as I was walking around my classroom helping students, I realized that I was still carrying Bible verses on a post-it in my pocket every day. If I did not have a pocket, I would put them on my desk.

Those experiences are a huge part of how I became me. Those years were formative, which means they served to form me, which means they had a profound and lasting influence on my development.

It actually made me smile to type this:

I believe I was a great McDonald’s worker.

I believe I was a great Cannon Mills worker.

I believe I was a great teacher.

I loved it all!

NO! Of course I was not paid enough at any of those jobs.

But – I was there to serve.

Serving matters.

Guilt-Free Leisure

by   March 30, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

If someone asked you the difference between idle time and leisure time, could you clearly articulate that? I recently read that idle time is stolen time. We should be doing other things during our productive times, but we allow temptations, even shallow, meaningless ones, to captivate our minds and bodies. You are often left feeling guilty as a result of wasting time. On the other hand, leisure time is earned, often after hard work. No guilt needed! Yet, how often do we struggle to fully enjoy leisure?

While we may know the differences and struggle to avoid idleness, we can also be guilty of enjoying leisure time. Productivity and efficiency are the monarchs ruling our time, most often. Accomplishing a task can consume the best of caregivers, and allowing children to enjoy discoveries frequently turns into an organized time of study and lessons. I can be as guilty as the next, especially as a homeschooling mother. 

In our quest to find our purpose and higher meaning (which oftentimes only means getting our never-ending task list done), we often miss the simplicity of basking in the daily delights we rush past to be more productive. Gardening becomes a chore of necessity rather than something to enjoy. Instead of choosing fiction to read, we feel our reading time must be an investment to master doing something.

Rather than further elaborate, I offer a few stanzas from a poem that served as a good reminder in the midst of teaching my children:

“Leisure”                                                                                                                          by W. H. Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
 We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to see, in broad daylight,
 Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
 And watch her feet, how they can dance:

A poor life this if, full of care,
 We have no time to stand and stare.

I hope you get to enjoy some well-earned leisure time. Did you work hard all week, even if something is unfinished and will still be there next week? Then, make time to enjoy a guilt-free walk after dinner. Do you feel bad for time misspent? Tighten up the reigns on the time you steal this week. Lock yourself out of that app that is a thief to your productivity. Work hard and enjoy guilt-free leisure next weekend. 

Ashlie Miller is preaching to herself on this one. You can send her your own admonishments on how to enjoy guilt-free leisure to mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

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