Deals, Dust, & Divine Encounters

by   June 22, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Another Friday evening, and I think my Aunt Sandi is scouring the online and printed ads for yard sales in the area. She often hopes for a sale that will keep both her and her chauffeur-husband interested – they both are looking for different things. 

For many, hosting a yard sale is a daunting task because it means another d-word – decluttering! I had been wanting to purge our attic and some other storage areas for months, but with homeschooling as my priority, I had to put a yard sale on the back burner. Yet, I would often toss random things into piles, bins, or corners of the garage. Finally, the day came (actually, because I was desperate to purge, two days came!). I was one of the few who decided to try a Friday pre-sale. 

Unless having yard sales is regular supplemental income, many of us do not look forward to nor anticipate much from them. Other than looking for treasures myself at someone else’s yard sale, I don’t usually expect to unveil beauty in hosting one. But what special treasures we did uncover! We met new neighbors – or rather, new to us. In the hustle and bustle of life, it is common to go months or even years without meeting neighbors. We were able to bless others by charging pennies for items. However, some friends and loved ones generously supported our efforts by giving more than we cared to charge them: “It’s to help the kids because I know most of this will go to them.”

There were special finds that some were looking for specifically. What a joy to help them on their quest – shoes still in excellent condition but too quickly outgrown by our household; lovely outfits for the graduation of a loved one the next day; a cedar hope chest for a high schooler.

The showstopper ended up being a banged-up craft table covered in old, rusty tools. I priced them low because they just needed to go. Every man (and some children and women) slowed their pace as they approached that table. One gentleman said he liked the smell of those corroded tools because they reminded him of his grandpa and the home and tools he had to leave behind in pursuit of a better life. 

There were other memorable moments – a lady came looking for nothing in particular until she saw our table of free Bibles. She asked, “How much? My husband just came to Christ, and we were talking yesterday about trying to find him a Bible he could read and understand.” “Free,” my husband and I replied. She walked away with two versions her husband could read. She thought she came looking for someone else’s old treasures, but she walked away with something far more priceless. 

Even though we were decluttering the home in hopes of making a little money to redo the children’s rooms, bargaining with me was still pretty easy. My daughter was watching, unbeknownst to me, as I negotiated with a lady over some children’s clothes, finally giving her more than she could reasonably pay for so she could bless her grandchildren. “Momma, I saw what you did there. That was really nice,” my daughter observed. “Well, I think that was the true goal of all this, after all, wasn’t it?” I replied. 

At the end of those two hot days in May, I was blessed more than I could have blessed anyone else. My body was tired, and we certainly didn’t make nearly enough to redecorate the room of anyone’s dreams, but I walked away refreshed and rich in spirit. 

But make no mistake, I will not be hosting another yard sale anytime soon – it’s the hot, humid South, after all!

Peace & Rest

by   June 21, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Peace & Rest

            Is it just me or does the world seem to be a scary place? I watched the volcano erupt in Hawaii, which was cool and scary. Did you see the images from the recent plane crash in India? Last year we had terrible flooding in western North Carolina, and we are now starting a new hurricane season; do we need to be concerned?

            There are a number of wars going on around the world that are scary. The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for three years. Few people realize that India and Pakistan are fighting each other. Israel has been fighting with the Palestinians and now they are engaging in a war with Iran. I would hate to live in a war zone. 

            The humanitarian needs are growing daily around the world with many people unable to find food and shelter. Did you hear about the assignations and the attempted assignations up in Minnesota?  I am beginning to wonder if the whole world has gone crazy! We are lucky and blessed to be living in America where most of us can meet our daily needs for food, shelter, and have a general sense that we are safe.  

            Yet many of us fail to live with a sense of peace. It is hard to feel peace when so many in our world are suffering. I believe most people want to get up and go to work, come home and have dinner, watch some TV with their family, and go to sleep in their own beds. People crave the routines that many of us want to escape when we take our summer vacations to the beach or the mountains.

            I know we need to be aware of things that are happening in our world today. We need to be up on the news, but we need to learn to limit our intake of news and breathe. Feeding our minds all that bad news is going to give all of us anxiety and fill us with depression. Awareness is one thing but allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed is something entirely different.

            I have been encouraging my Sunday school class to turn off their TV. There are some great and wonderful things happening all the time that the news will not tell you. For example, last year after the terrible floods in the mountains I know relatives and neighbors who went up and helped people who were suffering. No one knows when someone reaches out to help a neighbor or elderly person. People like you and me do kind and nice things to help others all the time, but there aren’t reporters out there putting that on the evening news.

            Jesus tells us that if we are feeling overwhelmed by our circumstances or the world around us to come to Him and He will give us rest. Philippians 4 tells us not to be anxious about anything but to pray to God with thanksgiving. If we do that, He promises to give us His perfect peace. We are further challenged to consider our meditations and to think about good and beautiful things. God will help us, but we have to do our part.

            God’s peace is available to all of us. We have to read and meditate on His word. We also have to go to Him in our prayers and lay our burdens down. The trouble is we want to pick those burdens up when we leave His presence. We have trust Him with our problems, our families, our jobs, our homes, our cars, our communities, our nation, and our world. We need to look for the good and beauty around us. We need to seek Him with our hearts and minds. We have to make room in our minds for His peace.

            I want to encourage you to be aware of what is going on in the world but not to let it overwhelm you. We serve a great big God who remains in control in spite of what things may look like to us. Release your burdens to Him and accept the gift of His perfect peace. No matter what is troubling you, He can and will help if you let Him. It may not work out the way we think it should but we have to trust Him with all the details. When we can take the steps of trusting Him and believing in His goodness, we can find the peace that we all need. I speak the PEACE of Christ to you…to your heart, to your mind, and to your spirit. Receive it! Now rest in it!

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

Busy Berm

by   June 20, 2025 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

            Our house on Lake Norman was built in 1996 and is as modern as the date states. Since it is of the newer era, there is a sixty-foot long berm between it and the house of our neighbor. There is no need to complain about such matters because that is the way things were done, just like all eras of any culture. However, ….

            The landscaper that built and planted the berm must have believed that “more is better.” In the sixty feet are three crepe myrtles, two hollies, five azaleas, two dogwoods, one unknown species of evergreen bush, and one camellia. That is what remains after we had two hollies removed and all plants professionally pruned. We did not commit “crepe murder”, so they have tall, strong limbs that are about to bloom, giving the berm an umbrellaed look, and one large gap where a holly grew gives a view to and from our neighbor. Yet, the berm plants still need thinning so that all its plants can get light and fill out into their natural selves., especially the ageing azaleas that struggle under the canopy of dogwoods, crepe myrtles, and the holly.

             When it was planted, all the trees, shrubs, and plants were small, so the berm was pleasing to look see. The black, landscape matting gave a false promise of no weeds growing in the berm, and the top layer of mulch gave it all an appearance of controlled, natural beauty. Then the plants did what they do, they grew in height and size. They spread their limbs reaching for sunlight. They sent out roots in search for water. They became competitors, and some won more than others, but the fight was so fierce that there was no winner, just sixty feet of exhausted warriors. Because of poor foresight or just not caring, the once fine-looking berm had expanded into a frightful mess. For the sake of the berm, some plants had to be removed, killed.  The berm has been a constant reminder for Mary Ann and me since we moved here nine months ago. As we plant our flower gardens, we are conscious of not planting too much. The temptations of Brawley’s Garden Center are many, but we remind ourselves that everything we plant will require space, water, and attention.  In years hence, we do not want our flower gardens to look like the berm did, but to be a joy to share and see.

            So many modern lives are like our berm—overplanted. We accumulate items in the belief that the wealth of our lives is stated in how much stuff we have. We commit to more and more charities, committees, luncheons, and such as if our worth as a person is tallied in how busy we are. We purchase houses and automobiles beyond our means to stay in the running of the race to financial ruin. The landscaping fabric of our lives, cheap credit and empty promises and beliefs, will not keep out weeds, but eventually be covered by dirt and seeds that will sprout into unwanted growth.

            Like any gift giver, God does not dictate what each of us does with His precious gift of life. Our free will allows us to spend our years on earth as we wish. But the life overfilled with things, commitments of all types, and desires of the world is like an over-planted berm that will  one day be too crowded to bloom as it should and full of unwanted growth.

Cycling & Museum Opportunities

by   June 19, 2025 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Cycling and Museum Opportunities

    Two of my favorite things, other than running, are cycling and chasing history. I just found out about two opportunities that fit those interests. On August 23rd, there is an annual charity cycling event sponsored by All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Concord, NC. The event offers fully supported 50k, 50 mile, and 100k routes that wind their way through the beautiful countryside of Eastern Cabarrus and Rowan counties. It’s a wonderful event that draws cyclists from all over our area. The All Saints rides are known for their great rest-stop snacks, a delicious post-ride lunch, and a post-ride beer garden sponsored by Cabarrus Brewing. 

    Safely pulling off the multi-distance cycling event with well-supported rest stops requires the assistance of four other churches, two private landowners, a Boy Scout troop, the Concord Police Department, the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Department, the Cabarrus-Stanly Ham radio operators, numerous volunteers, and financial sponsorships from local businesses. This is the 13th annual All Saints Episcopal cycling event, and to date it has raised over $130,000 for local charities and collected over 12.5 tons of food to feed the hungry in our community. 100% of the proceeds from Tour de Saints 2025 will be donated to the following local organizations: Early Childhood Foundation of Cabarrus County, Cabarrus Meals on Wheels, CVAN, Community Free Clinic, Habitat for Humanity, Cooperative Christian Ministry, and the Salvation Army’s Tucker Center of Hope.

    Rowan County rest stops are at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Gold Hill and Organ Lutheran Church in Salisbury. All rest stops along the route offer Gatorade, Water, snacks (fruit, baked goods, pickle juice, etc.), and either restrooms or portable toilets. Rest stop lemon bars are very popular! Usually somewhere between 200 and 300 riders compete.

     Jennifer Cook of Landis is one of the co-directors. She said, “We invite area cyclists to join us because, at its heart, the Tour de Saints is all about community. It is an opportunity to have fun and connect with other cyclists while also supporting individuals in our communities who are in crisis. Many riders come back every year to experience our beautiful and well-supported route and the camaraderie of the event.  My event co-directors are Ben Smith and Joy Marie DeBlock.  We can be contacted with questions at tourdesaints@allsaintsconcord.org.  In addition to riders, we are always looking for additional event sponsors. Interested parties can contact us via email for that as well.”  

     Here is a link to their website: https://tourdesaints.com/index.html

    Also, the Price of Freedom Museum on Weaver Road is participating in the Miles for Museums Summer Passport Program. Created by the Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society in 2023, the program was expanded with a redesigned passport, interactive map, and website created by the Matthews Heritage Museum. This fun, family-friendly program encourages community members and visitors to explore local museums and communities throughout the summer while collecting passport stamps along the way for a chance to win prizes.

         The Miles for Museums program offers free or low-cost adventures with an educational twist, giving participants the opportunity to learn about regional history while discovering new places across the area. Visitors can begin their journey by picking up a passport at the Matthews Heritage Museum, then collecting stamps from each of the participating museums.

      The program is free and runs through Labor Day. To collect a stamp, simply present your passport at each museum. Once you’ve visited all 13 locations, take a photo of your fully stamped passport—making sure the section with your name, phone number, and email is visible—and email it to info@milesformuseums.org to be entered into a drawing for the grand prize.

Participating Museums:

  • Badin Historic Museum – Badin, NC
  • Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society Museum – Mt. Pleasant, NC
  • Historic Rosedale – Charlotte, NC
  • Hugh Torance House & Store – Huntersville, NC
  • Kings Mountain Historical Museum – Kings Mountain, NC
  • Matthews Heritage Museum – Matthews, NC
  • Mint Hill Historical Society / Carl J. McEwen Historic Village – Mint Hill, NC
  • Mount Holly Historical Society – Mount Holly, NC
  • Oakboro Museum of History & Oakboro Railroad Museum – Oakboro, NC
  • President James K. Polk State Historic Site – Pineville, NC
  • Price of Freedom Museum – China Grove, NC
  • Stanly County History Center – Albemarle, NC

    For a map of all locations, FAQs, and more information, visit the new website: www.milesformuseums.org

     The next race locally is the Shiloh Run for Missions 5K and Fun Run on June 28th at Shiloh Reformed Church in Faith. Look for this and other coming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Gotta’ Run: Cycling and museum opportunities

Lynna’s “U”

by   June 18, 2025 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.”-Psalm 143:8

The older I get, the less I know. However this one thing always proves wise. Take one thing at a time. One day, one step, one problem and don’t overlook the joy that the Lord sends each morning. Listen for His Unfailing Love as you trust Him for the next step. Give yourself to Him and ask Him where to walk.

“Let the heavens be glad, and earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout His praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the LORD, for He is coming!” ” -Psalm 96:11-13b

Man’s Best Friend

by   June 17, 2025 with No Comments

Steve Hartman is not in the habit of telling stories about himself, but in this case he tells how a dog won over his heart. Pets have this way of wiggling inside men’s hearts… ENJOY!

Got Your Permit

by   June 16, 2025 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Got your permit?

I got my permit! Those four words may very well be the most exciting words a 15 year old will ever say to their friends.

A permit is defined as the official documentation or authorization to do something.

But… the emotion that goes along with that permit, may pale in comparison to how the parent feels about relinquishing the driving of their 3000 pound vehicle to them while they practice.

And it does not get any easier when they are allowed to practice at night.

However, even though my preferred bedtime is 9:30, I willingly got in the car and traveled on the passenger side to purchase a much-needed milkshake at 10:00, because my 15 year old wanted to practice driving in the dark.

I reported to my passenger seat duty – ready to alert him to any  – and all – pending obstacles.

The first comment he made after driving a few minutes was, “Look how the light lets you only see what is right in front of you. We are completely surrounded by darkness everywhere else.”

I felt a ‘God moment’ may have come, so I dared to shift my line of vision from the road in front of us and took a look around me.

He was right. We were enveloped by darkness – except for the light shining out from our vehicle.

I think I actually felt the darkness. To the right. To the left. Above. Behind. It was everywhere. Except in that one place – the direction we were heading – where it gave us all the light we needed to see the way. 

Then, a few seconds later, a car was coming from the opposite direction without their lights on, and it honestly seemed a little scary for us both.  That was when my 15 year old asked this wise question, “Why would they do that?” 

I responded, “They failed to turn their lights on, and they probably do not even realize they don’t have light. They will figure it out before it’s too late, I hope.”

As I said those words, I instantly became a distracted supervising driver, because that was when I remembered a Bible verse I had read that morning: Isaiah 45:7 – I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the LORD, do all these things.

That Bible verse that had seemed unusual that morning sure was making sense on the dark road that night. It enveloped me – hovered sweetly in my mind –  letting me know that my God created the darkness, but He also formed the light – and He watches over us in both darkness and light.

We may prefer to drive through life in the times of light, but we experience both light and darkness, don’t we?

And…both can help us to learn to be the person who God intends for us to be – and to serve the purpose that God intends for us to serve.

*And we do not have to be afraid of the dark because even when it seems to surround us, the light still shows us the way.

*So, I guess we all have our permit – if we know God – because He is the only documentation and authorization we will ever need. He is in control of it all!

Happy Flag Day

by   June 15, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Weddings, graduations, early summer trips – so many things happen this time of year that Flag Day is often an afterthought. I’m speaking to myself here as much as anyone else. Sports fanaticism or celebration of other things has outpaced patriotism for many. Waving a flag outside one’s home may not be as common on your street as it was in a bygone era, or perhaps it is more common in your town but less so in the next town. 

The presence of any flag can still evoke strong emotions and opinions, both among those who hoist them and those who view them. The unfurled symbol can be pretty controversial. While many do not hesitate to plaster various stickers on a car to express their unsolicited opinions to the world, waving a flag from a home can be quite another matter. It serves as an identifier for a unified household, although many homes are divided. (Go by any house with alumni of rival colleges – you’ll see their “house divided” yard signs or banners!) 

Raising a flag over a residence communicates many things. In the days and lands of monarchs, the flag billowing above the castle would announce who was present or that royalty was in attendance. It could symbolize the castle’s owner or whether it is under the control of another country or government. When a castle is used as a military base, that branch of service may hoist its flag while in use. 

If you were to fly a flag declaring who or what is in residence, what would it look like? What would be the symbol?

There is an old praise song that many children used to sing: “Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart showing the King is in residence there. Let it fly in the sky; let the whole world know that the King is in residence there.” Psalm 20:5 comes to mind as God’s people shout for joy over His victory, raising high their banner. Joy – what a great flag to unfurl!

Do others see joy exuding from me?

The “she” in Song of Solomon 2 speaks of the banner of love her lover has for her. That recalls to mind another song I learned as a child – “His Banner Over Me Is Love” – “He brought me to his banqueting table, His banner over me is love.” 

Can others tell that I know I am loved by the Lord, and do I share that they are, too?

Maybe the flag that flutters sends out a more distressing cry – someone or something else is in charge or has invaded. Perhaps a white flag signals surrender because we have been in over our heads for far too long. How did we let something else take control of our hearts? Did we surrender to it? These flags we fly are a disgrace to us personally or to our testimony of professing to believe in Christ as our all-powerful Savior. 

In a quick search for Flag Day events, I did not find many. Perhaps they were a more common event at another time. I did find opportunities to retire old, worn-out flags so that they would not be a disgrace to our country. For some of us, some flags have been flapping for too long. It is time to retire the banner and hoist another flag, indicating a new ruler. Happy Flag Day!

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