Listen to Bill Johnson share on the power of the Holy Spirit. Be encouraged…..
The Holy Spirit
November 13, 2022
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Lessons in Life
November 12, 2022
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By Doug Creamer
Last Friday I worked at getting up the leaves from my yard. My preferred method is to use my lawnmower and bag the leaves. I like to collect them and put them in my garden to enrich the soil. I worked for a couple of hours getting the leaves up. I went inside and got a glass of tea and relaxed, feeling that wonderful sense of accomplishment.
I looked out the window a few hours later to bask in my accomplishment, only to discover that my yard was covered in leaves again. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The wind had blown a whole new group of leaves down. The new leaves will have to wait until next week.
On Saturday I got some pansies and violas from the local garden center and worked on planting them in our planters. My wife and I like to see things blooming. In the middle of the bleak winter we can go outside and enjoy these wonderful flowering treasures. While I was busy planting them I watched my neighbors working hard to collect their leaves. They created a huge pile in front of their homes. The next morning there was a whole new crop of leaves waiting for them, too.
Some fall chores, like getting the leaves up and cleaning the gutters, have to be done multiple times during the season. I guess in some ways it is similar to pulling weeds. As soon as you finish there will be a whole new crop waiting for you. So we go out and do these chores over again as often as it needs doing. It seems to me that leaf collecting persists into early January.
I was thinking about how the Lord works hard at teaching us lessons. Some lessons we are bound to repeat over and over again, like getting up the leaves. Some lessons in our spiritual walks come easy and we learn them quickly. But if you are like me, some of life’s lessons take a few times through to actually learn. I think about forgiving myself when I stumble and fall. I find it much easier to forgive others than to forgive myself. So God brings that lesson to my attention again until it finally sinks in.
God wants us to learn and grow in our spiritual lives. The only way to grow is through lessons. Being a teacher, I work on ways to construct lessons so my students will grasp the concepts and grow. My lesson starts with a solid foundation and then pushes them. God does the same thing with us. He looks at our lives and picks an area that needs improvement… we all have plenty of those areas. Then he designs a lesson to drive the point home.
This year God has been working on teaching me how important exercise is in my life. I have always been an active person but can become inactive in the extreme heat of summer and on the coldest winter days. I am content with waiting for better weather. My doctor talked with me this year about the benefits of walking. He told me that walking has physical, mental and spiritual benefits. Walking gives me the opportunity to think and process things as well as the opportunity to talk with my Heavenly Father.
When my allergies kicked up in October I stopped walking. I hardly had the energy to walk to the kitchen to eat. When my allergies quieted back down I did not return to my walking routine. It’s easy to stop good habits. I was busy with other things; I didn’t have time to walk. The trouble is I could see physical, mental, and spiritual declines in my life. I couldn’t figure out why. God was trying to whisper the answer but I wasn’t listening. I wasn’t walking, thinking, or praying like I should have been. Lessons!
I want to encourage you to continue working on the lessons God is working on in your life. He is there knocking on the door of your heart, wanting to help you learn your lessons. I know it requires work, but the benefit is that He will help you because He is trying to mold you into the image of His Son. If you are still struggling with the same lesson over and over again, don’t worry, He will be patient with you. He sees great potential in your life and wants to bring out the good things He has stored up in you. You will pass the test soon enough because He is helping you to overcome and succeed.
Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com
Election Day
November 11, 2022
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By Roger Barbee
Election Day, 2022
On election day morning, 2022, I went out to ride my stationary handcycle as I do most mornings. The day was warm, even in the early sunlight, and as I rode the forty-two pine trees in our front yard showered the grass, the cars, the driveway, the roof, and me with pine needles. At each puff of the morning breeze they would fall, slicing through the morning air; each a thin, three-pronged mark on the calendar, a hallmark signifying the ever-present cycling of life. I cranked the cycle, watched for walkers coming by, and thought of the day’s importance for America.
Later that day, in the early dark of standard time, my wife and I were watching the news when we both saw it—a massive, full moon appeared over our lake cove. It was not the blood moon of the night before, but a bright and reassuring symbol of eternal change, much like the pine needles of the same morning.
Pine needles. Full moons. Morning breezes. Fall sunrises. All of that I have seen during my blessed life, and I bet you have, too. Nothing new here for you or me; yet is there something of this day for us to grab hold of like we would a glass of cold water on a hot day?
November 08, 2022 was an important day for our country because it was the day when all citizens have the privilege of voting. Think of that! Some of those who came before us died so that we could go to a polling place and voice individual opinions, and we each got to help decide on our government. So I, and many others, carried a bit of excitement or even anxiety yesterday.
However, I offer that everything from the falling needles to the massive moon, to more not seen in yesterday’s cycle, offers us a lesson. In his short book, the disciple James writes about life and how to live it. He asks the question: “For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (KJV)
Our government and our leaders matter. Our lives also matter and are affected by the leaders we elect on election day. But it all is but a vapor that lives briefly. To paraphrase Dr. Clarence Jordan, don’t get all tangled up. Watch the moon rise or hear the wind travel through the pine trees or follow a falling pine needle and don’t take our comings and goings too seriously.
Long COVID affect on Exercise
November 10, 2022
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By David Freeze
At least in my circles, I have heard recently of some long-time local exercisers who are having trouble getting back to their regular exercise after having COVID. While it seems that most have bounced off of it and able to return to normal activities, at least the concept of a slow return to normal is widespread and also getting some national attention.
While most have listed at least a month of poor exercise following COVID, some are lingering much longer with no apparent reason otherwise. Health magazine has reported that long COVID can drastically reduce a person’s capacity for exercise and physical activity. Researchers analyzed 38 different studies on how long COVID affects exercise and their recovery. Findings say that exercise intolerance can steal away up to a decade of exercise ability.
“This roughly translates to the expected decrease in exercise capacity by aging one decade,” lead study author Dr. Matthew Durstenfeld, a cardiologist and clinical researcher in the department of medicine at the University of California. This could look like going from the ability to do light jogging to only being able to do a brisk walk, he added. While this may not be the case for everyone with long COVID, it does show that long COVID’s impact on exercise is varied and can be extreme.
“As this is an average, some people experience no decrease in exercise capacity at all,” Durstenfeld said. “And others experience a really profound decrease in what activities they can do. It’s associated with heart and lung function and is a common symptom of many chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes and heart failure.”
Regarding long COVID and exercise intolerance, Durstenfeld and his colleagues looked into the connection after seeing participants of another study — the Long-Term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus study — regularly report that they weren’t able to exercise as much or at the same intensity as they had before having COVID.
“For some, it was going from being an elite cyclist to ‘normal,’ and for others from being able to exercise normally to an inability to do their regular activities,” Durstenfeld said.
Researchers analyzed 38 different studies with a total of 2,160 participants, and ultimately homed in on nine studies including 464 individuals with symptoms of long COVID and 359 without. The studies relied on cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to measure exercise capacity, specifically their peak oxygen consumption (V̇o2).
Researchers found differences in the peak Vo2 among people who had symptoms of long COVID more than three months after a bout of COVID, and those who did not. Researchers also said the reduced exercise capability goes beyond just deconditioning, or the physiological changes that come after a period of inactivity. People also experienced dysfunctional breathing, chronotropic incompetence (inability to increase heart rate during exercise) and impaired oxygen uptake and utilization.
As with most information surrounding long COVID, much is still unknown about the condition — including its connection to exercise intolerance. “No single mechanism emerged as to why long COVID contributes to a decrease in exercise capacity,” Durstenfeld said. He and his colleagues concluded that more research needs to be done on the connection, but that exercise intolerance should be considered a potential symptom of long COVID.
If you suspect you are affected, please see your doctor for the latest treatment.
The self-defense training clinic offered by Sidekick Karate and the Salisbury Rowan Runners is filling up. While planned as a result of recent female runner deaths nationwide, the session is open to men as well. The training clinic will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Sidekick Karate from 10 a.m. to noon. Reserve your spot by emailing me at david.freeze@ctc.net . Look for this and other activities at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .
The Divine Agent
November 8, 2022
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By Ann Farabee
The people of Cana of Galilee may not have realized that a divine agent and his mother were in attendance at the wedding. His mom told the servants at the wedding to do what her son told them to do. Apparently she, the mother of Jesus, already knew he was the divine agent from God — and would become known as not only the Savior of the world, but also as the miracle worker.
Did the servants take heed? Yes, they did exactly what Jesus told them to do, which was to fill six pots with water.
They probably did not understand the purpose, but they filled those pots to the brim. That simple act of obedience led to a miracle, because when they drew water from the pots — that water had turned into wine.
Jesus was the miracle worker:
• Fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish.
• Healed a diseased woman when she touched the hem of his garment.
• Sent a demon out of a man who had an unclean spirit.
• Walked on the water on the Sea of Galilee.
• Restored the sight of two blind men.
• Healed 10 lepers.
• Restored a man’s ear.
• Raised Lazarus from the dead.
Do you believe Jesus performed those miracles? I do, too.
Do you believe Jesus performs miracles in 2022? I do, too.
The same Jesus I learned about as a child, through Sunday school quarterlies and flannel board pictures, is the same Jesus that now lives in my heart. If we can trust Jesus for our salvation, we can also trust Jesus for our miracles!
When we need a miracle, we do not see Jesus standing physically by our side, delivering that miracle like He did for those in the Bible.
What we see is even more amazing — Jesus lives in our hearts — which is even closer than face to face. Since Jesus is in our hearts, our miracles are there, as well.
Why do we sometimes not receive our miracle? Is it because we do not do what Jesus tells us to do? Is it because our faith is weak? Is it because we are not expecting a miracle?
“Why can’t I have my miracle, Lord?” I prayed. I sat. I waited. I listened.
“You do,” the Holy Spirit spoke tenderly to my heart, “You do have your miracle.” Immediately, understanding came. Even if I do not see my miracle, it is on its way and it is from God.
A miracle can be defined as an extraordinary manifesting divine intervention in human affairs that cannot be explained by natural or scientific laws and therefore is considered to be the work of a divine agent.
For me — my divine agent is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Amazingly, He lives in my heart and can live in your heart at the same time. Now, that is a miracle!
Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.
Little Things
November 7, 2022
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By Lynna Clark
Chapter 3 of Nehemiah starts the building program. Notice in verse one, the spiritual leadership started the construction. None of this standing around in coat and tie, symbolic hardhats perched on lofty heads, with beribboned shovels. These guys threw down! Somebody had some organizational skills to get this many different personalities working together! Scripture lists all kinds of folk who stood shoulder to shoulder in this enormous project. The Lord names family after family, their children, their occupations, their skills. One guy was a perfume maker. [Neh. 3:8] I bet he had some blisters! But it was probably the best pain he ever felt. Chapter 3:12 names a man and his daughters who built a section. We have three grown daughters. They are the Godliest, strongest women I know. Anytime the family has a building project, they are not home making muffins. They are right there, in the mud and the muck working as hard as they can. It’s good to get the family involved in something bigger than self!
Back to Nehemiah chapter 3: Did you notice that God gives details down to the bolts in the gates? He’s like that, this God of ours. He loves details. Someone has wisely observed that the closer you look at things made by man, the more flaws you see. But the closer you examine the things made by God, the more beauty and detail will be discovered. A flower is pretty in a field. But under a microscope, the Designer is obviously brilliant. God is a fan of details like bolts, and whispered prayers, and kind words, and hard work, even if no one else notices. This God of ours warns often of the destruction pride can bring. But He loves servants so much, He washed some pretty nasty feet just to illustrate that no one is too important to get their hands dirty. He notices stuff no one else pays attention to, like the widow’s penny, and the short guy in the tree, and me, and you.
When you greet folks at church…when you sit by a stranger and ask them how they are, and listen…. When you pray for them… When you open your Bible for even a minute, and listen. …When you breathe a prayer over an email about someone hurting…
Details. Little things. Dedicate each day, each moment for His glory. Start today with a prayer that your service, your life, your work, be an offering of praise to Him. Then throughout the day, take advice from Hebrews 13:15 which says, “With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of His Name.”
More: Psalm 8
Your Identity is Rooted in Promises
November 6, 2022
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Listen to Graham Cooke share on your identity. He wants you to think of this as God speaking to you directly. It is positive and encouraging. You WILL enjoy it. Blessings….
Choices
November 5, 2022
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By Doug Creamer
Many trees have dropped most of their leaves, but if you look around you can still see some beautiful fall colors. October has been a crazy month and I haven’t been able to enjoy the fall colors as much as I normally do. But every once in a while I look up and see some spectacular colors that stop me in my tracks.
One thing that I am ready to see come down is all the Halloween decorations. Some of the decorations are the cute pumpkins or the ghosts hanging in trees. I like those decorations. What I can’t stand is how gruesome we have become with many of the Halloween decorations. So many of them are over the top; I am ready to see them come down and wish they wouldn’t come out ever again.
Don’t misunderstand; I love the little trick-or-treaters that come to the house. They have some of the cutest costumes on and I always look forward to giving out the candy. Many of the parents walk their kids up to the door and encourage them to say thanks. That part of Halloween is great and brings back wonderful memories from my childhood.
Like I said, I am ready to see Halloween packed up and put away for another year. The trouble is that some people will take down their Halloween stuff and put up their Christmas stuff. I can bet you that someone will have their Christmas tree up by next weekend. I have been to Lowe’s and Walmart; I know that they have had Christmas decorations out for several weeks. I will confess to looking at them myself. I have to get a few new things this year and I was checking on the prices.
I have also seen the ads running on TV. There were a few about mid-October. Now you can be sure the retailers are going to be pushing the holiday season. The only thing getting in the way of complete bombardment of Christmas ads is that we have to get through the political season. I am ready to see those ads disappear. When did we lose our ability to be civil when talking about politics? I hate all the attack ads on TV. We mute them or change the channel.
Well, Thanksgiving is only three weeks away and Christmas is a month behind that. Like it or not, the holiday season is upon us. It’s going to become very busy all too quickly. We have an opportunity right now to catch our breath and make a choice about how we enter the holiday season. We can choose to sprint through them and miss some of the joy of the season or we can choose to embrace each family event and enjoy spending time with our loved ones.
Believe me, I have run from one holiday event to the next for many years of my life. The trouble is that we are rushing so fast that we forget to enjoy the moment. Granted, some things we are expected to attend, but even those events can be enjoyed if we will breathe and embrace the moment. Remind yourself that these are special moments with people who are important in your life so embrace them and the people too.
Choose which holiday events you want to enjoy and take them in as you do. Choose the people you spend time with and be present while you are together. Choose the food you want to enjoy and savor each bite. Choose which decorations you want to put out and enjoy and realize that you don’t have to drag out everything. Choose which traditions mean the most to you and enjoy engaging in them.
When making all these choices make sure you choose to connect with your family, friends, and co-workers. The next two months are going to fly. Decide now how you can slow down and really engage with the people in your life that mean the most to you. We always find ways of making time for what is important in our lives.
I want to encourage you to begin making choices now that will lead to a joyful and fulfilling holiday season. Choose to prioritize your family and friends. Decide what memories you want to create and engage in those activities. Plan the menus, traveling, and shopping so you are present and enjoying all the holiday experiences. I know mayhem can take over so easily but you can make some choices that can help you connect with those you love. Connecting, loving, sharing, and eating plenty of good food. Here come the holidays…make the right choices.
Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com
A Popular Symbol
November 4, 2022
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By Roger Barbee
We all like, use, recognize, and value symbols. Every team has a symbol, usually called a mascot, and every organization has its unique symbol that conveys an idea or philosophy in a visual representation. But can a symbol be a reality or is each one destined to be just a graphic depiction of a firm, team, philosophy, or whatever?
For example, there are many types of crosses. However, the type that interests me is the Latin cross, the one derived from the Latin word crux, which means stake/cross and was an instrument of torture for the Romans. The Latin cross is used by Christians to symbolize the Crucifixion and their belief in Christ and a representation is mounted on every Christian church steeple, will be found throughout such churches, and is worn around the neck of many Christians. It has also evolved into an ornamental piece of jewelry worn by many folk.
The Romans most likely learned the art of crucifixion from the Carthaginians, but they perfected it. It was a gruesome death caused by asphyxiation when the weight of the condemned prevented breathing. It was used as a public means of control and only the worst criminals suffered it. The Roman politician Cicero describes it as “the most cruel and hideous of tortures.”
Yet the Christian crosses seen today are neat and tidy. Their metal shines and there is no blood, sweat, excrement, or skin left on the vertical or horizontal wood pieces. I have even heard discussions in Sunday Schools centered around what method of killing would be used today that is comparable to what Jesus suffered. Can any method of execution compare to crucifixion except perhaps a lynching as done during Jim Crow?
Small, gold crosses are often worn by various folk, and when I see one adorning the neck of a person I assume that that person is a Christian, a Christ follower. No problem with that as long as the person realizes that when he or she places that tidy cross around the neck, they are cloaking themselves with Jesus Christ and that cloaking, if being sincerely done, has demands. Or, like so often done, the small, gold cross can be a symbol, making it an empty gesture.
However, a short conversation with such a wearer will reveal if the cross worn is a symbol. When a wearer speaks for discord and supports lies and is rude and espouses vile beliefs of other persons, it is likely that the cross is just a symbol. Their words and subsequent actions show that they are not true Christ followers, just opportunists who wear the cross for show. And this person likely wears the cross on the outside of clothing in such a manner that everyone can see it—a public display.
Oswald Chambers, the Scottish theologian, wrote in 1911, “The Cross is a Reality, not a symbol.” For a Christ follower, the reality of the cross on which our Savior suffered is so honest that such a believer would not make it a prop. The truth of the cross is too painful and while it must be held close and maybe used in places of worship, we must be truthful and not allow it to become a mere symbol. In so doing it becomes about us and not Him.
A Self-Defense Seminar
November 3, 2022
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By David Freeze
The topic of self-defense, especially for women, has become a highly discussed topic with the recent killing of Eliza Fletcher who went out for a 4 a.m. run and did not return. Fletcher was a teacher and mother of two when abducted in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Her body was found later after she was forced into a dark-colored vehicle. At least six female runners and one female golfer playing alone have been killed in recent years.
The dangers women face while simply exercising outside are in the spotlight again and locally the Salisbury Rowan Runners and Sidekick Karate are offering a self-defense seminar and training session on Nov. 5. The event will be held at Sidekick Karate at 520 South Main Street from 10 a.m.-noon. There is no charge and both men and women are welcome. You do not have to be a walker or runner to attend. A limited number of spots are available. Please reserve yours by emailing me at david.freeze@ctc.net
Most runners, at least at one time or another, want to train to get faster. Working to get faster is hard and often painful, but commitment to a good plan is usually successful. Training to get faster almost always pays off relative to the amount of time and effort invested.
I used to read Runner’s World religiously and other related magazines until it seemed they were recycling the same ideas over and over and just titling them differently. It remains my belief that runners in general used to train harder and push themselves more. Yes, it is a different time, but we all want to be good at something and what is better than any benefit to your physical and mental health?
Last week, I ran across what a Navy Seal teaches to his trainees when they must break very fast mile times, particularly when a lot of them are large men. Usually the bigger the body, the harder it is to run fast. Navy Seals have to train for a 1.5-mile time trial clocking of 9 minutes, that’s 6 minutes per mile. Here is what Navy Seal trainer Stew Smith says: This is a workout for conditioned athletes, so dial yours back to something doable and in line with your abilities but keep with the basic plan. I am going to do this once a week.
Warm up with the following — Keep going up the ladder until you reach set 10.
- 1 squat, jog 100 meters
- 2 squats, jog 100 meters
- 3 squats, jog 100 meters
Then repeat the below workout four times:
- Run 400 or 800 meters at goal pace. If you choose, you can do the squats and lunges every other set.
- Squats: 20
- Lunges: 10 per leg
- Stretch as needed but at minimum rest between sets
You could begin with four 400-meter runs and do the squats and lunges every other set. Then work your way up.
After you complete the middle segment, finish the full pyramid that you started with and use it as a way to push a faster run pace for shorter distances. The final section looks like this:
- 10 squats, run 200 meters fast. You aren’t sprinting but running faster than your goal pace.
- 9 squats, run 200 meters
- 8 squats, run 200 meters
Keep going to one squat and a total of 10 x 200-meter runs.
This workout will be most easily accomplished on a track. 100 meters is one quarter of the track, 200 is about half the track and 400 is one complete lap. Of course, the secret to this workout is the squats and lunges. You are waking up leg muscles while stretching them out as well.
Look for this coming weekend’s two races, Saturday’s St. Matthews 5K on Oct. 29 and Sunday’s Spooky Sprint at Salisbury Community Park on Oct. 30 at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.