Preparing for Christmas

by   December 2, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            It is always nice to have a few days off, even when one is semi-retired. The holidays are a busy time and there is always more to do than time to get it all done. The couple of days off last week were welcome. The list to get done was longer than I cared to complete. But I was grateful for the time to chip away at the things that needed my attention.

            I am not sure how fall slipped away so quickly. There always seem to be leaves that need to be collected. I hadn’t planted the pansies and violas yet, so I went to the garden center on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and got the best ones I could find so late in the season. They are an interesting mix of colors and over the long weekend I found the time to get them out. We like the joy they offer through the long winter season.

            It was a strange combination of outside activities over the weekend. I planted the flowers and worked on putting up the outside Christmas lights and decorations. Our street is festive; most of my neighbors put out some Christmas decorations. We try to get things up sometime over the Thanksgiving weekend. It felt crazy doing both of those things over the weekend.  

            I spread out the decorating over several afternoons. I don’t have a yard that screams Christmas. I just tend to work on other things at the same time. The afternoons fill up quickly, especially with the shorter days.

            Thanksgiving weekend ended up being busy doing some outside work and getting the outside looking like Christmas. We haven’t started working on setting our tree up or decorating inside the house yet. Preparation can be lots of work.

            There is so much preparation that goes into the holidays. I won’t list all the things that have to get done because that can be overwhelming to see in print. But each of us will chip away at the long list of things that need doing before the big day. The question that floats around in my mind is will we do the preparation necessary to get our hearts ready to receive the Christ child? It is so easy to be distracted by all that HAS to happen that we can sometimes forget or miss the significance of celebrating Christmas.

            Sometimes Jesus can get lost in all the decorating, Christmas shopping, and food preparation. It’s not that we mean to leave Him out of our celebrations. It’s simply that we allow other things to press in. So here we are, finding ourselves at the beginning of the holiday season and the opportunity to prepare our hearts for the real meaning of the season.

            How do you prepare? How do you keep your focus on Him? I think one place to begin is reading. Obviously, it is good to read the various accounts written in scripture about the birth of Jesus. Three of the gospels share different aspects of the story that offer ample opportunity for reflection. Take time to meditate on what Mary and Joseph went through in agreeing to be Jesus’ parents. Reflect on their circumstances and how all the details fell into place.

            These are good places to begin. There are many books and devotionals for this season that can help focus your heart and mind. Go beyond the reading and think about what it was like to live in that day and time. Imagine yourself meeting the family.

            I have already suggested the need for reflection and mediation, now allow your thoughts to lead you into thanksgiving and praise for all that Jesus accomplished coming to earth for us. Allow your heart to express your gratitude for all that He has done. Allow your thanks and praise to guide you as you pray for family and friends during this holiday season.

            I want to encourage you to commit to yourself that you will spend some quiet time with Jesus this holiday season. Allow His presence to fill your heart so you can receive the Christ of Christmas. Preparing yourself as we approach the day will make your heart ready. Truthfully, we all need to work to be ready, not only for Christmas but for His return. Many believe that His return is imminent. Many people missed His first coming in Bethlehem even though there were signs pointing to His arrival. I hope we are all ready for His second coming because there are signs pointing to it. It’s time to prepare for Christmas and the second coming. Are you ready?

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

Hound Four

by   December 1, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

My wife Mary Ann and I drove to Raleigh on Sunday and picked up Nick at his foster home. Because our return ride was close to three hours long, Mary Ann sat with him in the back seat of our van. By the time we parked in our driveway, I knew that a bond had formed between my wife and Nick, the two-year-old beagle with a taste of dachshund, we think.

Much has happened in Nick’s life since October 09, 2021, when he was “seized as a stray” in Reidsville, NC. Taken to the local animal shelter, he was later rescued by Triangle Beagle Rescue. Under its care, he received his first medical evaluation and soon was administered the required medical procedures, such as the rabies shot, before being placed with Melanie and Art, his foster parents. Life began to look better for the eighteen-pound stray who had been seized.

In the two full days of sharing our home with Nick, we have re-discovered what life is like when lived with an energetic youngster. His black, brown, and white form is seldom still;  he is mostly obedient, but just a package of curiosity coupled with energy, like all young animals –even the human ones. He sees our four cats as novelties to be sniffed, but their view of him is as an intruder on their turf. We all work on that relationship. However, he has already proven to be a good guard dog and a foe of any squirrel that ventures into his yard. He has yet to figure out the flyers who visit the bird feeders, but his antics with them entertain us, and he enjoys a chew on any pine cone he finds.

Nick is our fourth hound. He comes after Nolan the black and tan hound and Mickey and Callie, the beagles, died. Those three shared life with us for fifteen years and cannot, like a broken plate, be replaced. What they gave us during those years is a treasure that Mary Ann and I hold close, but we are now building a new bond with a bundle of beagle.

After all, what good is a life not shared!

Running in the Cold

by   November 30, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Out on the farm, we had three mornings with lows in the 20s this past week. I’m sure we will still get some more warm early mornings but it’s time to be prepared for running in the cold.

If you run early or late, there is plenty of darkness now. Regardless of the temperature, start off with reflective shirts, jackets and shoes. Always make sure to be seen, especially now with the increasing darkness.

Everybody is different, so some experimentation is in order. Most people worry about keeping their hands, feet and ears warm, and there are different thicknesses of gloves and toboggans. I prefer light gloves when in the 40s and then I shift to mittens in the 30s and below. In mittens, the fingers touching will keep us warmer than gloves with fingers insulated from each other. I use Hot Hands from the mid-20s on down. Twenty or below, I have been known to put a light sheen of Vaseline on my fingers for additional warmth.

Socks are the next big thing. On a cold morning or evening, I suggest wearing wool blend socks. I find the wool keeps my toes warm in 25 degrees or colder conditions, about as cold as we ever get here. Regular quality dri-fit socks work fine otherwise.

For above the waist, layers are the key. On coldest mornings, I go with two dri-fit layers topped with a slightly thicker dri-fit jacket. There is going to be some sweat no matter how cold unless the wind is stout in your face. Those two dri-fit layers will wick the sweat away from your skin as needed.

Although tempted on very cold mornings, I never wear long pants. I do have some wool underwear for under my shorts on those mornings, but legs for most people get warm quickly. They are after all working the hardest.

My headwear is a moderate thickness toboggan in just about any cold weather setting under 35 degrees. With a rain possibility, I put a dri-fit ballcap under the toboggan.

Stay away from pure cotton, otherwise your sweat will get trapped either against the skin or hanging wet in the first layer. All of the above works fine with a rain-repellant layer. And remember to dress for 20 degrees warmer than it is, because your body will warm up. It won’t take long to figure out what works for your comfort.

Upcoming races include the Butterball 5K on Thanksgiving morning. Remember to arrive early so you have plenty of time to check in at The Forum and get ready, including your bathroom stop. Arrive at least 45-60 minutes before the 8:30 start time. This race benefits Prevent Child Abuse Rowan.

December has two of my favorite races. The Freeze Your Buns 5K is set for 2 p.m. on Dec. 2 in Spencer as part of Winterfest. And Dec. 9 is the Santa Run, benefiting Rowan Helping Ministries. New this year is the location change to the Country Life Museum in Sloan Park. Highlights include breakfast biscuits and plenty of other morning food, possibly Bigfoot and certainly Santa. Since we’re in farming country, Santa has been offered a tractor to drive to lead the race, weather permitting.

Salisbury has again been awarded national recognition as a Runner Friendly Community. First awarded this recognition by the Road Runners Club of America, the initial application was submitted by Parks and Recreation and the Salisbury Rowan Runners five years ago. Steve Clark, VP of SRR and a recreation staff member for parks and rec, applied for the renewal. Signage has been in place at the major entrances to the city since 2018 and will be updated early in 2024. Salisbury was the first North Carolina city awarded this designation. Since then, Lumberton, Winston-Salem and Greensboro have also earned the honor. Only 45 towns or cities nationwide are currently recognized as Runner Friendly Communities.

For more about upcoming events and information about the Salisbury Rowan Runners, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

Hoping in Him

by   November 29, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;

  • Seeking Him is a lifestyle of continually being mindful and pursuing Him wherever He is, whatever place there is a report of God moving.
  • God is certainly good and especially to those who hope in Him and have an expectancy in Him.  He wants to be wanted.
  • Hope is a positive expectancy and our hope should always be in Him and not in any human or circumstances, because God is the provider and He is the ruler of the universe.

Prayer:  My Father I put my hope and trust completely in You.  I give You glory today, because there is no one like You.  You are the beginning and the end and I praise Your holy name because You are good and kind.  Thank You for all the years You have been so good to me.  Amen. 
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Buttered Cats

by   November 28, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

David opened the can and put it on the seat between us. His reward for going grocery shopping was a tiny splurge on cashews. We headed home when suddenly a little dog ran out into the road. David hit the brakes and screeched to a stop. Someone’s pet was spared that day, but the cashews slid forward and dumped head first, scattering across the floorboard. He looked at me and said, “Next time the dog dies.”


It’s like dropping toast. It will always land butter side down. I heard that if one were to strap buttered bread to the back of a cat they would spin indefinitely because cats always land on their feet. Could this perhaps be a source of alternative energy?
Why not? Who would’ve thought we’d use left-over French fry oil for fuel? Maybe someone should try buttered cats.
My apologies to animal lovers everywhere. I’ve just confessed that my husband loves cashews more than dogs and I would butter a cat to propel an engine if it would save me a buck.


Sorry.


Have you noticed when watching a movie like Quigley Down Under [which is one of my favorites] that the disclaimer at the end says “No animals were harmed in the making of this movie.” Never mind the poor guy being dragged behind the horse… or the Aborigines being pushed off the cliff. Just so you know the horse is okay.
I may sound mean and uncaring about animals, but I’ve been known to set a dish of milk out for a stray kitty meowing at my back door.


I wonder if she’d like a piece of buttered toast to go with that.

Lift Them Up

by   November 27, 2023 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Her hair was white. She moved a little slowly.

That meets the criteria for being old, right?

Yes, she was definitely old — in the eyes of our sixth-grade class.

She was a good teacher, but I may be a little prejudiced because I was her pet. She let me grade all the papers.

She let me sit at her desk and take names when she left the room. Trust me — I ran a taut ship during name taking.

I would write names on the chalkboard for all to see. However, if one of the names belonged to a cute boy, I may have occasionally erased it before the teacher got back in the room.

I always helped the teacher. It was my destiny.

No matter how many papers I graded for her, no matter how many times I took names for her, no matter how many times she let me sit at her desk in front of the classroom reading a textbook to the class — those things are not my main memory of sixth grade.

My main memory took place in the stairwell.

As we headed down the stairwell to go to lunch one day, my teacher turned around to look at us to make sure we were not talking and in a straight line.

As she turned back around, she missed a step. She fell.

There was a giggle or two from a couple of students, but it stopped immediately. The seriousness of the situation quickly became overwhelming, as we saw that she was not able to get up. We were all scared. All 30 of us remained motionless.

I felt helpless because our leader was helpless.

She cried out, “Somebody go get help!” The worst behaved kid in the class yelled, “I’ll go!”

As he ran for help, she cried out again, “Somebody try to lift me up!”

A couple of boys ran down that stairwell in two seconds flat.

They were there to help, although I recognized them as being classroom troublemakers, too.

A few days later, she returned to school with a cast on her arm.

During the emergency, I had remained motionless. I was not strong enough to lift her up, and I was not brave enough to run for help.

Me — the teacher’s pet, the paper grader, the name taker, the first in line. For the first time, I recognized the value in a couple of classmates that I had marked off as troublemakers. When it came to the emergency — I backed away, and they stepped forward.

I learned a lesson that day. I learned that I needed others.

Sometimes the ones we think are the worst are the ones who show up to lift us up.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Encourage one another and lift one another up.” Got that?

Encourage one another. Lift one another up. Simple and powerful.

God made us all, and we are all different.

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

The Gift of Early Evenings

by   November 26, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Are you enjoying the gifts of the season yet? No, I’m not asking what you purchased on Black Friday or during the two weeks of sales before Thanksgiving. As much as I love Thanksgiving, I am not even talking about the time with family gathered around a turkey or a television screen filled with football games. 

Consider the gifts in the skies that this season brings! Meteorologist Brad Panovich posted on Facebook shortly after the change back to standard time that “Early sunsets are viewed by more people. Darkness also allows more viewing of astronomical events. It’s not all bad!” He also reminded followers that this is a return to standard time. Standard – as in normal. Yet somehow, we easily slip into discontent and remorse over what we have lost rather than seeing what we have regained. 

Seasons of nature are gifts from the Creator! When did you last watch the sunset with a child or an elderly friend who typically has an earlier bedtime? Each evening, a curtain is drawn to close the day and signal the beginning of a dazzling nocturnal display in the heavens. 

“We make ourselves present to delight in your handiwork, O Lord. We make ourselves present to revel in his unique, one-time display of your dynamic and infinitely-faceted glory.” (“A Liturgy for Sunsets” from Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey, 2021.)

Many astral events occur late at night – I have a star-gazer who often asks to wake up at odd hours of the evening and early morning to look at the skies. But now, we can see some of them earlier. When was the last time you spread out a blanket or chair to take a look up? 

When was the last time I did? I will admit these early nights have me wiped out and loving the snuggly sensation of being wrapped up in bed with a book or magazine. Perhaps we could take just one evening a week to look up as the Creator meets us in the vast cathedral with ceilings covered in a breathtaking masterpiece! Rather than complaining about “kids these days,” maybe we woo them into the miraculous space met with wonder, praise, and gratitude, and there they rethink the allure of the hypnotic LED glow of portable devices as they watch a supernatural show in the heavens with us.

“O Spirit of God, draw praise from us here in this cathedral of creation, beneath this starry dome. Awaken our adoration in this place where we are so very small – and yet so greatly loved.” (“A Liturgy for Stargazing” by McKelvey.)

If we allow it, there is much awe that can capture even the most cynical spirit during this autumn season. In the busyness of the shopping season, see the gift of earlier nights and embrace them for the opportunities of wonder, praise, and gratitude they can provide, and consider sharing that with a loved one. 

Ashlie Miller looks for twinkles in the sky in Concord, NC with her husband, Chad, and their five children.

Thanksgiving Part 2

by   November 25, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            Last week I wrote about being thankful. I thought at the time I had more to write about it.  I know this will appear in the paper after Thanksgiving, but I am writing it before Thanksgiving. That means that you have enjoyed the delicious meal that I am still anticipating. So, with my tummy growling for the tasty meal, let me continue with a few thoughts about giving thanks.

            I am thankful for a good part-time job. I teach at the community college and I still love being a teacher. In the nearly two years I have been there, I have met some wonderful students. I have great colleagues and a wonderful supervisor. I am so thankful for this opportunity.

I enjoyed being a teacher for thirty-four years, but I am thankful to be retired. I enjoyed my job most days. I worked with many great professionals and enjoyed teaching most of my students. I occasionally run into some of my “kids” and love hearing what they are up to now. I will never forget my students suggesting we print t-shirts to wear that said, “Creamer’s Kids.” We never printed the shirts, but the memory has been something I treasure.

             I am thankful for good books. I enjoy reading on my front porch when the weather cooperates. I am thankful for more time now to be able to read. I am thankful for the opportunity to write. I wish I had more time to write books. I have several great ideas in my head; I just don’t have time to get them on paper. Reading and writing mean so much to me.

            All of my readers know that I love gardening. I am thankful for the opportunity to grow some fresh vegetables and some beautiful flowers. I love and appreciate every opportunity I have to be outside in the fresh air. I love going for walks and feeling safe in my community. Walking is so good for me mentally, physically, and spiritually.

            I am thankful for the Bible, which is full of great stories to encourage me in my walk of faith. There are so many people in the Bible who struggled and even failed. Yet the Bible tells us that they got back up and God had mercy and helped them to overcome. It is so encouraging to know that God does not give up on us. There are so many examples of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness. I am thankful for the relatable people in the Bible. They are the heroes of our faith, but their sins, flaws, and weaknesses are there for all to see.

            I am also thankful for the many promises found in the Bible. Many of the promises are conditional…if we do this, God will do that. There is a promise to help us through almost every situation in our lives. God knows the walk of faith will challenge even the best of us. He gives us promises to help us, to encourage us, to sustain us through the trials of life. The best part of those promises is that God will never fail us. He will keep His promises to us.

            I want to remind you that it is good for our minds and spirits to review and remember the many blessings of God. It is easy to get bogged down in the negative because we are all dealing with problems and troubles. It is easy to allow the news headlines to discourage us and cause us to question God. When we allow our thoughts to drag us down a negative path we have to stop ourselves and refocus on the many blessings we have from God.

            God is good. The devil is bad. We are going to have both good and evil things happening to us and around us all the time. We have to make a choice. We can focus on all the evil and bad and allow questions to fill our minds, or we can choose to focus on the good, lovely, and beautiful. I believe it is critical to our good mental health to focus on the goodness of God and His many blessings. God loves us so much. We can’t allow the darkness to quench His glorious light.

            I want to encourage you to remember that God is good and He is filled with love, peace, joy, mercy, forgiveness, wonder, beauty, and patience. Turn your heart back to God. Let His bigness and goodness overwhelm whatever negative thing has distracted you. Spend some quality time this weekend thanking Him for your many blessings. Enjoy some good food and fellowship. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

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

A Mess of Beans

by   November 24, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

The other day my wife Mary Ann and I were planning our Thanksgiving meal. She asked me some questions concerning what I wanted and also made statements about the meal-such as this year she would purchase the cranberry sauce instead of making it from scratch. It is our yearly discussion in which I mostly listen, but this year, for some reasons, it stirred a memory.

Life on the mill hill in a 1950’s North Carolina textile town was sparse. My mother worked on the second shift hemming washcloths in Plant 1, and in this way she provided for her six children. Our life, while not harsh, did not have extras. We had a clean, safe home that had enough furniture but not too much, and we had access to the small, independent store just a short walk through our back yard. It was there that we charged to our mother’s account a package of honey buns for breakfast along with a half-gallon of milk. Or some bologna and loaf bread for supper sandwiches. (I liked to fry my bologna and curl its edge.)

Working on the second shift meant that our mother was not at home from 3-11 PM. We lived close to Plant 1, so she could walk to her work, but she was not  present when we came home from school and not there to prepare an evening’s meal, which we called supper. So, each of us individually “made do” with what was in the rather bare Frigidaire. If nothing suitable was found, one of us would make a quick run to the small store behind our house. Loaf bread, milk, peanut butter, jelly, and other staples went a long way for us. However, sometimes our mother managed somehow to leave us a treat before she trod to the sewing machine in Plant 1.

Language of the mid-South textile towns was always interesting. Ours was a mixture of many cultures and we used terms and words that I now recognize as archaic and sometimes just wrong. Yes, we called the water hose a  “hose pipe” and the wool hats worn over the entire head in winter “toboggans”, and a tow truck was referred to as a “wrecker.”  But our language also carried a rhythm and lyrical history from our ancestors. For instance, a passel (late 14th century) of land meant a small piece but a passel of folks meant a large crowd such as “We had a passel of folks at the reunion.” If someone was “tickled” that usually meant the speaker was pleased. So when our mother managed with her meager resources to prepare “a mess of beans” for our school-day supper it was a treat because “a mess of beans”, straight from Middle English,  meant an abundance of good food.

While we were at school on such a day, Mother would have washed, soaked, then placed on the electric stove to cook our “mess of beans”, which were usually pinto ones. She had a well-worn pot that in a past life had been a pressure cooker, but was now just a dull-colored, silver container with a wooden handle. By supper time, the beans in it were tender, warm, and nutritious for our hungry bodies. A bowl of them (I smothered mine with chopped, white onion) with a wedge of the cornbread from the oven and a jelly glass of cold milk was a special gift that our mother had prepared and left for us.

All of this happened over sixty years ago, but our Mother’s gift of pinto beans, cornbread, and milk is more than a memory. Like the poor widow and her two mites in Mark 12, our Mother gave us, her six children, all that she had. Unlike Mary Ann and me and our approaching Thanksgiving meal, our mother had little, but she gave us all she had.

And that is a blessing for which to give thanks.

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