Wander to Wonder

by   September 24, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Do you prefer to immerse yourself in nature or a good book? Students have been discussing general revelation versus special revelation as it relates to knowing God as Creator and Jesus as Savior in a “Foundations in the Faith” class at our homeschool co-op. In case you are unfamiliar with these terms, in Christianity, we believe God reveals attributes of His character through creation. Upon realizing there must be a Creator, we are inclined to pursue finding out Who He is and why He created (as outlined in Romans 1:20-21). This search leads us to the Scriptures to discover these answers, further drawing us to the plan of Salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

Last weekend, to kick off the fall season, our family ventured a couple of hours towards Hendersonville to spend some time at Stepp’s Hillcrest Apple Orchard and then to hike in Dupont State Forest. The apple orchard provides so many “taste and see” opportunities (Psalm 34:8) – all that variety! Why would a Creator delight to give so many flavors and colors of one type of fruit? The joy we receive from slicing into a freshly picked apple or simmering down apples into a sauce is a true gift. Then, hiking a park with several waterfalls is a feast for the senses – the rushing roar of the waterfall, the spectacular splashes we can see and feel, and even the smell of nature. 

My five-year-old son proved that the wonder and awe of these experiences and the presence of a Creator were not lost on him. Watching him discover the sound and the massive power of the energy in the falls as we approached was overwhelming to his small frame. After taking in the sight, his first question was, “Mom, is this heaven?”. He was not parroting an overused phrase. These were the best words he could find to express his joy. Later, throughout the hike, he declared, “This is the best vacation day of my life!”. The wisdom of toddlers and kindergarteners is refreshing! We can learn so much from them. 

What makes your draw drop when you explore nature? Or when was the last time you allowed yourself to wander to wonder? Many “ologists” (biologists, geologists, etc.) get lost in books and theories; I wonder if they miss the awe aspect of what they study, forgetting what likely lured them into the field in the first place.

We in the West have plenty of access to special revelation through Bible apps, multiple translations and versions of the Bible, and ample churches that still teach biblically. However, we must also couple that with general revelation by enjoying God’s creation. 

How can you do that soon? Plan a trip to an apple orchard, a hike, or a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. How can you get lost in wonder today? Savor each bite of your food, watch the critters gather for winter, or spend time with a kindergartener in the backyard. I promise you’ll be able to get lost in the wonder of it all!

Ashlie Miller plans to get lost in wonder with her family either in the backyards of Concord, on day trips to hike, or driving for fall foliage color.

A Boring Day

by   September 23, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            Have you ever longed for a boring day? You know what I mean;a normal, run-of-the-mill day. I am thinking of the kind of day when everything goes boringly smoothly. You accomplish much because everything you work on goes exactly right. All of your customers, co-workers, and supervisors are in pleasant moods and things just flow. At home, the kids are all well-behaved, nothing is broken, and the tasks that must be completed are done with ease.

            I am thinking about the kind of day that from the moment your feet touch the floor in the morning until you lay your head on the pillow at night, not one thing goes wrong. There is no crisis. I love those days when the honey-do list might seem long in the morning but by the evening all the items have been checked off. You got a lot done!

            I am old enough to know that life is full of many ups and downs. There are going to be problems that we must face and handle. While I love life and tend to see the good in most situations, I know that the storybook ending of, “they lived happily ever after” is reserved only for books. That’s okay with me and it’s not what I am talking about here.  

            We all get the kind of day that I am describing. The problems you do encounter are met with simple solutions. Negative encounters with individuals are met with easy resolutions. You find yourself humming a song as you work. Any minor irritation is easily brushed away. The day flows like a lazy river carrying you sweetly along.

            I think we don’t appreciate those days until…we encounter those days when everything seems to go wrong. Sometimes those days all gather into weeks. You keep trying to turn the day or days around, but the harder you try the more it feels like you are just spinning your wheels. You try to maintain your positive attitude. You remind yourself that you are an overcomer but you feel like you have been overcome.

            That’s when we find ourselves longing for a boring day. We wish and pray for them. We want one of those days where everything just goes our way. But the problems pile up at work and when we get home to what we hope is our refuge…things are falling apart there, too.       Sometimes in those moments when it seems like everything is going crazy around us, we might begin to wonder, where is God? Did He forget about us? Is He too busy caring of a major crisis in the world to notice that things have gone a little crazy in our lives?

            I don’t believe that He has left us. He hasn’t deserted us. I think it is like when Jesus was with the disciples in the middle of the storm. Do you remember that story? The disciples had just witnessed some miracles and heard Jesus’ teaching. He told them that they were going to go to the other side of the lake. He promptly falls asleep and then they encounter the storm. These were seasoned fishermen who had experienced plenty of storms. Somehow this particular storm seemed overwhelming.

            Where was Jesus when they were struggling in the storm? He was right there with them! Nothing was going to overwhelm them. They were not going to drown. They were going to make it to the other side because He was with them. He wanted to see their faith and trust in Him grow stronger. The trouble was they put their focus on the storm and not on Jesus who was with them.

            When you find yourself wishing for a boring day because life has gone crazy, stop and look around, because I am convinced that Jesus is right there with you. He hasn’t overlooked you or missed one thing about your crazy day. He wants to help you solve those problems and be the overcomer He created you to be. He wants you to remember that there is nothing too difficult for God your Heavenly Father.

            I want to encourage you to hang in there if you are going through a difficult patch. God is with you. It’s okay to lean on Him. It’s okay to cry out to Him like the disciples did in the boat that day. He will get up and either quiet the storm or He may quiet you as you walk through the storm. He is the God of all comfort. Run to Him! The storm will pass soon. I hope and wish for you a boring day really soon!

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

Our Pine Forest

by   September 22, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Almost four years ago Mary Ann my wife purchased our house on Lake Norman. I had not physically seen it, but the photographs supported her wisdom in choosing this house that would become our home. Some months later when I first drove into the driveway, I noticed  the many large longleaf pine trees in the front yard and resolved before I had parked the car that as soon as possible I would cull them. After all, forty-two of any type of tree is too many for one yard, especially trees that drop an abundance of pine needles, cones, and pose a potential danger to our house. Because the yard had been neglected by the previous owners, I first began removing the layers of pine needles on the edges of the driveway and lawn. Before that first fall, the front yard had been cleaned of the mat of needles that had taken residency under the trees, on the driveway, and even sections of the walkway. Now it was time to turn my attention to the removal of some of the looming pines. Fortunately, some decisions are changed before damage is done.

When I made inquiries about removing some of the trees, a contractor told me his price. I swallowed hard at the monies it would take to do what I wanted, but he also told me that all the trees looked healthy and that they supported each other’s root system. They, he said, hold each other in place, so he saw no danger of any falling except in a storm such as the destructive Hugo long ago. Relieved by his advice and the unspent dollars, I went about my business settling in our new house on Lake Norman. I began riding my stationary bike on a part of the driveway, picking up pine cones and small limb debris each morning after my ride. I collected bird nests blown out of a tree by powerful wind. I became accustomed to the sound made by squirrel claws as one chased another up, down, and across the thick bark of a pine. I sat in their shade of the pines and thought of Thomas Merton’s words: ““Nothing has ever been said about God that hasn’t already been said better by the wind in the pine trees.” Over time I came to admire and value all the pine trees. Each day bird song of titmice, robins, mockingbirds, and others filled the air under the trees. By the arrival of our first winter here, I realized that the abundance of trees was more valuable than I had realized. One morning as I rode under the canopy I remembered my visits to a small, English village made famous by a poem.

Binsey is a small village upstream of the Thames River from Oxford, England, opposite  Port Meadow. Saint Margaret’s Church, a small Medieval church, is a short walk from the village along a quaint lane. The church has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries and many people still visit St. Margaret’s which is thought to be the resting place of St. Frideswide and her maidens as she fled from her aggressive suitor Prince Algar. The adjacent ‘Treacle well’  is believed to contain healing waters. While I enjoyed many visits to the church and the great village pub, The Perch, Binsey changed my life when I was introduced to a Gerard Manley Hopkins’s poem. Written in 1879 by the Jesuit priest and poet, Binsey Poplars may well be the first ecological poem. In the poem Hopkins laments the felling of a row of poplar trees that had lined the lane leading from the river to the village. Hopkins writes, “O if we but knew what we do/ When we delve or hew —/  Hack and rack the growing green!”

Riding, cleaning, resting, or working under all those pine trees is a blessing that I almost ruined because of my desire to control nature instead of living with nature. That is a lesson re-learned and worthy of all living.

Completely a Gift

by   September 20, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–

  • Salvation – a total gift!  Never deserved.
  • It is by faith that we are saved, not by any effort by our own parts.  It is all a gift from God.
  • We ought to never have to work for our salvation, but receive it with great joy as a gift.

Prayer:  Father how I rejoice in this wonderful salvation and everyday I give thanks.  Help me to share this wonderful message on a daily basis and also to be reminded of Your kindness and salvation towards me.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

The Eyebrow Situation

by   September 19, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

One of our favorite TV personalities made a remark that caused us to laugh. As the show continued David tipped his head and asked. “What’s goin’ on with her eyebrows?” I looked at him and wondered when he started noticing such things. Turning back to the pretty lady I realized he was right. Her brows were perfectly matched and a bit wider than normal. “Why would she do that?” he asked again. It was almost as if they’d been carefully colored in. The fact that I engaged in this conversation gives you a glimpse into our exciting life.


“Well… when I lost my hair during chemo, I was told there was a stencil I could get to draw in perfect eyebrows. Maybe she got hold of something like that. Although I could never quite get mine to look right. I always came off looking angry. Or shocked.”


He pushed his hair back and raised his eyebrows looking surprised. “Like this?” he asked.


“Yep. Just like that only not as bushy.” I smiled at the man. “I guess I should have splurged on the stencil. I kept thinking I could do it myself. But at the time, eyebrows were the least of my problems. It’s funny how they never grew back.” He leaned forward between our matching* recliners and looked at me closer.


“Hmm. They’re there. They are just very light. I guess you could draw them on. Just remember, ‘Less is more.’ You don’t want to look like the TV lady. That’s just weird.” A small part of me was pleased that he liked what he saw when he looked at me and didn’t want me resembling a celebrity. At least that’s what I heard.


I pulled up a phone picture our youngest daughter had taken of us the day before. As I held it up for him to see, again he considered the eyebrow situation. “Maybe our eldest daughter could draw some on the picture. She’s techno-savvy.”
I looked at the photo we hoped to use later for a family thing. “Yep. She could do that. Back when she was in high school she had big eyebrows, like Brooke Shields. So pretty. If anyone has a good appreciation of eyebrows it would be Stephanie.”
He nodded and I wondered if we should be watching the Braves game instead. Surely none of those guys have stenciled eyebrows. If so they’d be melted off in the Georgia heat. A bit later I dug through my make-up for an eyebrow pencil. As I looked in the mirror I envisioned looking like Sela Ward or that gal that plays in Ant Man. Remembering David’s words I tried to use a light hand. Suddenly I recognized the image in the mirror. It was Mr. Potato Head… using his angry eyes. Sela Ward was nowhere. But I did look expressive. So there was that.


A hot washcloth and a few scrubs later I came to a conclusion. Maybe I’ll be just fine without eyebrows. No more surprised looks or angry eyes. This way I can do what comes natural. Maybe keep people guessing with my blank look. I plan to hold onto my eyebrow pencil though. Considering our life, my confused look will surely come in handy in the future.


*Disclaimer: The mentioning of matching recliners is not intended to sound highfalutin. They DO match because his is brown and mine is orange and blue and brown paisley. However, they were not bought as a set. We are not that sophisticated.
Obviously.

Be Quiet

by   September 18, 2023 with No Comments

Being quiet can be our greatest weapon.

Seems like it should be easy. But… it is always a work in progress.

Teachers have more effective strategies now, but during my earlier years in the classroom, an often used strategy was to give students ‘the look’ followed by the words, “Be quiet.”

I am fairly certain God sometimes gives me ‘the look’ and I’m 100% certain He tells me to be quiet.

Quiet can be defined as a place, time, or situation without much noise, activity, disturbance, or interruption. Finding quiet is easier said than done.

Here’s a way to start:

**Be quiet AND listen. Quiet the mind and the soul will speak. Find private moments in our day – early morning, late night, taking walks, in the yard, on the porch, places in nature… whatever works for you.

I have two favorite quiet spots for listening time. One is early wake up, while the family sleeps. Early mornings are great! The other is alone car time. I can be at home all day trying to figure something out, but when I get in the car to run an errand, it seems that God always pops a much needed idea right into my head.

**Be quiet WHEN we listen. The quieter we are, the more we will hear. Speak only when we have something to say, not because we have to say something. We tend to regret what we say more often than we regret what we don’t say. I like this quote: A wise man once said… nothing.

The and and the when make a difference. The and is about letting God speak. The when is about letting others speak.

Talk less? Listen more? Why not?

Seek it.

Savor it.

Lamentations 3:26 says that it is good that we both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

*Quiet wait is worth it.

1 Peter 3:4 says that a quiet spirit is of great price in the sight of God.

*Quiet spirit is valuable.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 says that it is better to have a handful of quietness than both hands full of travail and vexation of spirit.

*Quiet handful is better.

In case your New Year’s Resolution has fallen by the wayside like mine, let’s try this Mid-Year’s Resolution: I will have a quiet wait, I will have a quiet spirit, and I will be a quiet handful.

Shh….

Overcoming Obstacles

by   September 17, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

As a teen and young adult, I babysat often. One of the boys I spent time with loved to build obstacle courses through the house – over, under, through, across, around. Challenges like these are fun when you are a child not so much when you are an adult. We see them as impediments and stumbling blocks – sometimes quite literally when our bare feet discover scattered Legos on the floor in the middle of the night!

In the life of a Christian believer, many hindrances can get in the way of doing the things God wants us to do, particularly for others. What obstructs the door of hospitality in our lives?

Anna began hosting within her home with little confidence. Social anxieties can be crippling and feed lies that speak into our hearts – “You are not enough” or “This event will not be impressive.” However, Anna puts faith in who God says she is, leans into what He is asking her to do, and trusts Him to take care of her limitations so that she does not have to rely on herself. She beautifully demonstrates a welcoming atmosphere and engages with each guest, even when there is a houseful, as I have witnessed.

While you, the host, may not be shy, there may be family members in your household who are introverted and can be overwhelmed by too much “peopling” – spending time with people. In Lizzy’s case, one child joins the group for the meal but then is welcome to enjoy the quiet of his room while others receive a dose of hospitality from his Mom. Lizzy still shares hospitality with the child as she takes note of his own needs and addresses and accommodates appropriately, but does not let that obstruct developing this trait in her home.

For some, like Ellie, the hurdle can be fear of lacking the gift of organization and pulling things together just so, though guests do not bear witness to that. The greatest lesson we can learn from our limitations is that simple is better than perfect. Consider that for yourself. When visiting another home, do we truly feel most welcome when everything is ideally in line, or do we feel more like family when flaws are present that we graciously overlook or maybe even embrace? The end goal of hospitality is not to impress but to welcome, include, and have opportunities to express care.

Then, there is the restriction of our personal calendars. Being intentional with hospitality will demand a ready, willing spirit and forethought. Wishful thinking and dreaming of a perfect time and setting can get stuck in a world of intentions. Sometimes, we have to grab life by the calendar, looking at our days, remembering our routines, and scheduling time to connect with others on a specific day. We must also cultivate a life of open hearts and homes to bring people into our routines. We may have to plan preparation or even recovery days if “peopling” drains us (introverts, I’m talking to you…er…us). We may have to push through exhaustion. Still, the end result – sharing the Light of Jesus through personal connection and welcoming others into outlives – is worth it!

What could happen if we looked at our gloriously busy fall and winter seasons ahead of us and planned to include others in our homes? What could change for them, us, our communities, and beyond?

Ashlie Miller navigates literal and figurative obstacles regularly in pursuit of hospitality in her home in Concord. You may contact her at ashliemiller.com.

Remembering Unity

by   September 16, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Remembering Unity

            Today, as I sit at my computer, it is September 11th. Every reader who is over 30 will remember what they were doing on that day in 2001. We all remember how we first heard the news. We all remember the disbelief. We all remember how the news did not stop for several days. We had to turn it off at some point to allow our minds to rest.

            Every year I have talked with my students about what they experienced. I ask how they felt as they watched the events of that tragic day. I always tell my story and what I experienced. They listen patiently and have always treated the stories and experiences with respect.
            I have also told my students my sister’s story. She was flying back from England and her plane was diverted to Gander, Canada. This little town opened their hearts and homes to people from all over the world while we waited for planes to fly again. If you have never heard or read about it, take some time and research what the little town of Gander did on that terrible day. The story will lift your heart and spirit.

            Recently, I have reflected quite a bit about the days following 9/11. I remember driving to and from work noticing there were no plane trails in the sky. There were no planes flying over our country. I also remember seeing the American flag flying everywhere. People had them in front of their homes and businesses had them flying or displayed in front.

            One of the things I especially remember in the days following 9/11 was the unity in our country. We were Americans and that spirit that unites us rose up in such a powerful and profound way. I imagined it was the same thing that our country felt during the World Wars. People came together. We didn’t see the differences. It didn’t matter which political party you were in, we were Americans.

            Americans always pull together to help in times of need. When Americans put their mind to accomplish something, everything is possible. Nothing is impossible. After 9/11, everyone wanted to do their part to help those in need. Firefighters, EMS workers, and rescue workers were our heroes. People were voluntarily signing up to join the military. We, as a country, wanted to fight for our honor and integrity. We stood shoulder to shoulder and were willing to do whatever it took to recover from that tragic day.

            We were unified, the United States of America! United! Nothing could separate us. Yet…here we are twenty-plus years later living in a very divided country. Politicians lead the way in dividing us into two camps. The major media no longer deliver unbiased news but their own flavor of commentary on the events of the day. Social media tracks the things we like to see and only delivers information that fits with our point of view.

            We are living in a very fractured country. Even in our churches, we are divided. I do believe that many churches have unity within their own walls, but there are others that are divided. Certainly there are divisions between churches. If a church down the street is struggling or has been through a tragic event, other local churches rarely step up to help. Shouldn’t other local churches, other brothers and sisters in Christ, be there to help in times of need?

            I believe that we as THE CHURCH need to demonstrate unity to our country. We can stand up and demonstrate to the world through love, kindness, generosity, caring, and being there for each other how unity of the spirit looks. I believe we can turn the tide on division and help heal the brokenness in our country. I believe when we become shining examples of love and unity we will change our communities and the world around us.

            I want to encourage you to pray for the unity of THE CHURCH. Pray that we become united in heart, mind, and spirit. Our nation and the church need a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. God can heal our differences and restore our unity. God can help us find ways to help our neighbors whether they are families or churches. When any kind of tragedy strikes Americans come together. I hope THE CHURCH can come together without a tragedy to move us and develop a unity that is infectious. I pray that the unity will exemplify the love in our hearts, the compassion through our actions, and a kindness that comes from the heart of God. Father, help us to love and live in unity.

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

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