Always Lost

by   May 6, 2026 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

If you are one of those people who gets into their vehicle and heads out all willy-nilly without first considering very deliberately which route you will be taking, this will make no sense at all to you. Stop reading here.

However if you tend to contemplate the desired destination and with great effort calculate every turn betwixt where you are and where you’re going, then you may understand when I admit the following. You see… I am directionally challenged. In fact my condition is quite severe.

Even around Salisbury where I grew up… I can’t find my way. Very few things look familiar as I travel. In fact it’s all new to me. Like Jake Alexander Boulevard where I have recently discovered that if I pass Life Church and the Goodwill and Harris Teeter and Aldi’s and keep traveling I shall eventually wind up near the mall. Who knew? When I expressed my excitement over this well-kept secret to my beloved David he nodded his head with great joy at my sudden understanding. “Yep,” he said sweetly. “And you could go bowling…”

The man has patiently given me directions to the hospital and the doctor’s office and the drugstore for years… every single time I leave without him.

“Sooo… will I pass the Dairy Queen?” I ask without a clue.

“Yep. It will be on your right. Keep going but slow down so you don’t miss the turn and our drugstore is on the right before Statesville Boulevard in the Ketner Center.”

“No wait wait wait… too much information. Okay I pass the Dairy Queen… will I see Sonic?”

“Yes… just keep going. You’ll pass Krispy Kreme. If the hot light is on you have to stop. It’s the law.”

“So then Innes Street Drug is next?”

“Soon after… but don’t get turned around when you stop for hot doughnuts. Keep Krispy Kreme on your right and keep going til you pass the barbecue joint with the pink pig. Turn on the right side of the median into the Ketner Center where the florist is. You’ll see our drugstore on the left.”

“Pink pig… hot doughnuts… flowers… drugs… good grief… Statesville Boulevard… got it. Have your phone handy. Hey if I keep going will I be at the mall?”

“Nooo….” He looked at me and cocked his head sideways. “Do you need to go to the mall or is this just a happy conversation we’re having for no apparent reason?” His eyes betrayed him as they shifted past my lovely face to the football game before him.

“NO WAY!!! THAT WAS PASS INTERFERENCE REF! HOW DID YOU NOT SEE THAT?!!!”

Once the disputed play was reviewed to our satisfaction I inquired again of my beloved, “Hey honey… is there still a Cato’s in the mall?”

“I don’t think so… but there’s one over by…” He stopped for fear that he was about to undo the drugstore directions thereby missing hot doughnuts as well as his ballgame. But because he’s a patient man who adores the wife of his youth he tried again. My heart did a little happy dance because he muted the commercial. If you thought I was going to say muted the ballgame sorry to disappoint. He’s a saint but he is not Jesus. He did however look at me with love and understanding.

“When you come out of the drugstore parking lot take a left. You will be on Innes Street.”

“Hey! That’s good because it eventually crosses the square, right?”

“Yep. Keep going and you’ll pass Romo’s where we got the pizza that was so good… remember where Uncle Buck’s used to be?”

“Don’t tell me about what used to be somewhere. That doesn’t help. Pizza… with the white sauce? Yes! On the right! Okay so… keep going. Then what?”

“You’ll come to a stoplight just before the interstate. Stay in the right lane and turn like you’re going to Walmart. Get into the left lane past Bojangles and turn left at the light. Go to the end where they’ve made that little circle thing that you always turn in front of the wrong way and go toward Cracker Barrel. Cato’s will be on the left. You’ll see it.”

“Cool! So all that stuff runs together? Awesome! I can do this!” As I headed out the door I was happy to spot a Kohl’s $10 coupon card beside my keys. “This is gonna work out great. While I’m there I’ll just run into Kohl’s too. Now how do I get to Jake Alexander from here?”

Gazing toward the wife of his youth once again with lovingkindness, he rose from his favorite Saturday spot, turned off the television, and walked toward me. “I’ll take you honey.”

“NO no noooo… I can totally do this!” I exclaimed with great bravery.

He kissed me sweetly then added, “Maybe you should bring the doughnuts back here before you try to find Kohl’s.”

“Good plan darlin’! Jake Alexander here I come!”

“Innes Street honey… the one that crosses Main Street but you can’t turn left at the square so…”

We sighed simultaneously. Bless his heart.

So if you happen to see an old chick pausing longer than you prefer at an intersection please don’t honk unless of course you are expressing your love for Jesus. I will as usual be invoking the Almighty for help as I navigate my way home with doughnuts which may be stale by the time I get there.

Well that’s just pretty! I wonder when they had that done?

Thorns to Protect

by   May 3, 2026 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Rarely do we see thorns as a positive thing, though the loveliest roses are accompanied by them. Perhaps it was an adaptation after the Fall to protect the plant. Usually, however, we are not looking to be surrounded by thorns. They prevent our movement and hinder our freedom to explore.

Yet, there are times when thorns are a good thing, and even the hindering of a path proves beneficial. In the book of Hosea (chapter 2, verse 6) in the Bible, God says of Israel (His chosen people), that in their unfaithfulness, He would put up a hedge of thorns as a wall around her. This would keep her from the liberty to pursue other idols that would ultimately be destructive to her.

Maybe you have prayed for a “hedge of protection” around someone you love or your own family as they embark upon an adventure. I usually think of a hedge as a large, square-cut bush to mark off a territory or to provide privacy. In this passage, God puts up a hedge less to block something from getting in but more to prevent His people from chasing after sinful lifestyles.

Have you ever felt this type of intervention? It may look like being laid off or having more month than there is money. Maybe the hardship is being too busy to stop and pursue things for oneself or for leisure. Chronic health issues may hinder undertakings. Could it be that the Lord knows our struggle to cultivate idle time so that it does not become idol time? He mercifully puts up a blockade to keep us safe from such endeavors during seasons of life that need pause for maturing and growing in God’s Word and wisdom.

I enjoy a walk on a well-maintained trail, but at times, we venture onto unmarked trails through the woods. Occasionally, thorns line the paths, and as a courtesy to those behind the leader, we will either call out “Thorns!” or carefully push them aside while the smaller hikers pass through. However, there are times when a walk leads to an area that is not worth exploring further because of the amount of brush and thorns. We might turn aside or even make our way back to clearer paths.

I love this verse in the song, Already Yours by Ordinary Time:

“You are waiting down all these roads,

‘Round every blind corner You can be found.

But when I turn down my own easy path

Will Your thorns reach out to tug

And turn me ‘round?

May Your thorns reach out and tug me around.”

Maybe you are walking down a path where you can’t seem to make progress. There is pain – not the good kind from working muscles that have been in a state of atrophy – but real hurt or harm. There is heartache, guilt, and shame. You are not making gains in life nor seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

Could it be thorns that are trying to pull you back and turn you around? Don’t keep trudging through the thorns. Perhaps they are merciful hands trying to return you to the straight and clear path.

Making Good Soil

by   May 2, 2026 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Making Good Soil

            Have you ever put in a new flower bed or vegetable garden? It is real work to break up the soil and prepare it for plants. After you do the initial tilling of the soil you have to get the grass and weeds out. Then you need to add soil to the space and till that in before you can think about planting. Adding fertilizer will help things grow, and then putting down some mulch will help to keep the weeds down.

            No matter how hard you try, weeds are going to come back. My pastor did a gardening series a few years ago and brought in a flower pot with some weeds. That pot sat in our sanctuary which stays dark, it had no water, and at the end of the multi-week series the weeds were still alive. Vegetables or flowers would have been dead, but weeds endure. There are always weeds that need to be pulled from a garden or your plants will have to compete for resources, which can stunt their growth.

            There are also weeds that grow in our spiritual gardens. What are some of the things that hinder our spiritual growth? I think it begins with our heart’s desire. What are we seeking? Are we looking for the comforts and pleasures of this world or are we seeking the Kingdom of God? Do we make our hearts a place that is welcoming to the Spirit or are we living to satisfy the flesh? 

            Being distracted by worldly pleasures is easy. It can slip in without us realizing it. Scrolling social media is inviting. There is nothing wrong with social media but if it steals our time and keeps us from the purposes of God then it is a distraction. Having the news on all the time is very unhealthy for our spirits.

            There are many other things that can distract us and keep us from fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. Distractions are weeds. When our lifestyle doesn’t line up with God’s expectations or our bad habits rule us then these become distractions, not only for us but those we hope to reach with our faith. When people don’t see any difference between the way you live and the way the rest of the world lives then you have some weeds in your life that are keeping you from God’s best for you.

            How do we get and maintain good soil in our lives? When I think about my vegetable garden my soil always looks great from early spring through the beginning of summer. But when we get into late summer and every day in the 90’s with 100 percent humidity, then my garden suffers. The weeds take over. I don’t want to let my spiritual life to be like that.

            Good spiritual soil requires taking in God’s Word. It’s not just reading it that makes the difference, we have to find ways to apply it to our lives. Reading and knowing God’s Word does not change us, it’s when we add faith to it that it begins to change our lives. That’s rich soil. Believing and trusting in God, especially during the difficult times, develops deep roots in the soil of our hearts.

            Talking with God through prayer is the water that keeps our plants alive. Prayer is a two way conversation with God. We don’t just talk at God with our list of demands, we talk with God and listen for His voice and guidance. We have to listen for Him in the quietness. He will speak to us but we have to be listening. He wants to guide us through life’s ups and downs. That’s how you develop deep soil.

            Another thing that will help you develop good soil is being involved in a local church and finding your unique way to contribute and serve. Being in fellowship with other believers deepens your faith and trust in God as you share life’s journey together.

            I want to encourage you to examine your spiritual soil. Do you need to pull some weeds? Maybe you need to add some fertilizer or water to your soil. Do you see any fruit in your life? God desires that we produce fruit for His Kingdom. Seeking the Lord will help to deepen your spiritual roots so you can grow a stronger faith. God wants you to have a deep faith that can stand the test of time because life has many ups and downs. Life isn’t easy, but God wants to see you through your trials so you will have a testimony to His goodness and love.

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

Planes, Pines, Birds, and the Lake

by   May 1, 2026 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Today’s morning ride was a cold one which is all-too common in many springs. The sun was just clearing the spit of Lake Norman we live by, and planes busily passed overhead on their way to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The landing traffic here is steady, but not heavy, and I enjoy watching the massive machines seemingly float across our part of the world as they glide into the airport southwest of us. The planes come in from the east at about 1,000 feet and some bank for their landing and others directly approach it, but I enjoy watching them all, especially the larger international planes which, at first glance, appear not to be moving but hovering above in the golden hued morning light. While my view of the air traffic is a relaxed one, I’m sure the workers in the airports and control stations must be hard at work to keep up with all the coming and going. So much technology and human work is involved in accomplishing what I leisurely watch on many morning rides.

But the man-made flights are not the only ones this morning. Across the street is a flock of crows, their rich blackness almost too large for the landscape. They fly from pine top to pine top while telling each other some morning news. Lower to the ground are the robins who, after having established territory, busily build nests made of mud and pine needles which are almost perfect circles.  Behind me the resident mocking bird, named Atticus, announces its presence from the holly tree while the smaller Carolina wren challenges with its own high and melodious volume.

But my attention is held by the bird box attached to a tree directly in front of me. In the past nesting seasons it has been the home of titmice; however, this year its tenants are brown-headed nuthatches or bluebirds. I can’t decide which because there is a dispute going on over who has rights to the bird box. I watch as I ride and note that the small nuthatch seems to have the upper hand because one of the pair occupies the box-its small brown head protrudes from the entry hole and its mate calls from a near-by tree. But the usually timid bluebirds are not giving up and one of them flies from the roof of the box to a tree and back again to scold the brown-headed nuthatch in the box. It is a back and forth with much bird communication between each pair and harsher notes aimed at the opposing pair. I ride and watch. Eventually the bluebirds leave, the one nuthatch remains in the box, and the other glides over from its perch on the tree to take dominion over the box as it sits on the roof.

And while I have watched this dispute in nature, planes continued their approach for landing  at the airport over thirty miles from where I ride. Certainly the speed, the size, the noise, and more features of the planes overshadow those of the crow, the mockingbird, the nuthatch, the blue bird, and the other birds in every way.  The planes provide a service as does the lake I live on with its shoreline of 520 miles. It provides power for citizens of this state, and most civic leaders and other people extol the lakes economic benefits. In 1959 Duke Power began the damming of the Catawba River just northwest of Charlotte and the flooding began–all the way to the 760-elevation line when the lake is at full pond. All this and more for progress we are told, and some of that argument has merit, but not all.

The 42 pine trees in our front yard prohibit us from having a manicured lawn like our neighbors. More than once we have been advised that, if we removed the trees, we could have an overly sculpted, sprayed, and un-natural shade of green grass. That may be true, but we then would be trading the birds, the shade in summer’s hot western sun, the butterflies, and all the other abundant life that, along with us, call this spit of land home.

I have ridden in planes. I enjoy seeing the piece of Lake Norman we live by. But most of all, I cherish the life under, in, and by the pine trees. All 42.

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