My First Buechner

by   September 2, 2022 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

  My first Frederick Buechner arrived this week;  Speak What We Feel (Not What We Ought to Say)  is his reflections on literature and faith.                                                                                                         

Now, I have always been a reader. Not a good student, it is my reading that helped me salvage my academic and intellectual self. Because of my reading I managed to attend college and even read through to obtain an MA. My modest library contains books about literature, biographies of writers and other leaders, examinations of religion, political studies, investigations of nature, and more. As a life-long learner, I subscribe to the words of Abigail Adams quoted by David McCullough in his 2008 speech at Boston College’s commencement: “Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought with ardor and attended with diligence.” McCullough goes on to tell the graduates to “Read! Read, read…. Read for pleasure, to be sure. But take seriously-read closely-books that have stood the test of time.” Those are words I followed, taught my students, and still follow in my retirement. And I especially like Adams’ use of ardor and diligence. However, I share my reading history not out of arrogance, but so that the reader can better appreciate my feelings when a good friend recently asked me had I read Buechner. My friend, also a retired educator with whom I worked, shared with me how Buchner had influenced his teaching, faith, and life. Interested, I later typed in Frederick Buechner on the Internet search engine only to read that he had died a few days before. I read of  his peaceful death at an advanced age, but I was swept away by the tributes to and the deeply felt appreciations of such a writer/thinker that I only had not read, but one of whom I had never heard. I wondered, as I read, exactly where had I been while Frederick Buechner was being such an influencer of all kinds of folks. Feeling ignorant and a bit self-cheated, I ordered two books—the one mentioned above and my friend’s favorite, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC.

          To the present, I have only read the first two writers Buechner reflects on in Speak, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Mark Twain. His reflections of the writers at first encouraged me to rush on into this thinker’s words. Yet, reading a sentence such as the following one he writes to describe Hopkins cautions me: “Again and again Hopkins chooses words open to so many interpretations that, like prisms when the light touches them, they cast across the page a whole spectrum of possible meanings.” That is a sentence to chew, taste, and savor for what it says and how it says it. If you doubt Buechner’s insight, read The Windhover and then wonder at his depth of compassion that leads to  his deep understanding for Hopkins and Twain.

I look forward to reading and studying Buechner in the same manner that Abigail Adams advises to approach learning–with ardor and diligence.

Changing Direction

by   September 1, 2022 with No Comments

By David Freeze

 Just as the sun was starting to rise, I pedaled away from the Quality Inn  at Clarksdale. Forecasts called for a chance of thunderstorms and not quite as hot. I decided to pedal south on US 61 and then make a call or two along the way. I wanted to go to Greenville because the river might touch the town, but I wouldn’t know for sure until I talked to the visitors center there.


   On the side of a four lane busy road but out in the driving lane due to Mississippi rumble strips, I passed by exits for Duncan, Shelby, Winstonville, Mound Bayou and Merigold before hitting the busy town of Cleveland. Cleveland has about 12,000 residents, very large for this area. Afterwards, only Boyle and Shaw were towns as I pedaled into the heat and Leland. It was decision time.


  I called the visitors center in Greenville and asked the question. Did the river touch the town? Politely I was told by a friendly woman that it did not, unless you pedaled south of the city limits and went to a park. There was a lake in town, but I decided to skip Greenville and get a jump on Vicksburg. Instead of pedaling west. I stayed on US 61 as it cut down to a two lane road with no shoulder just past Leland. It was a beautiful area of crops and enhanced by a yellow crop dusting plane that I continued to see for much of an 82 mile day. At last sighting, he was just past 50 miles from his home base which was also on 61 South.


   Supported by positive winds all day, I could see storms starting to build and felt the wind changing to a strong headwind. Approaching Hollandale, massive corn harvesting was happening all around me. Huge combines and other equipment pushed until the minute rain started to fall. Suddenly it was all shut down and the corn in the bins covered.


    With rain all around, I was looking hard for Cotton Country Inn. I had called this morning and arranged for a room, just a basic room but sight unseen. Thankfully this one turned out well, with good WiFi, ice and plenty of room. The only food stores in town are Dollar General and a Stop and Shop small grocery store. Everybody in the grocery store seemed to know everybody else.


    I am not a fan of Mississippi roads and this afternoon, I discovered another reason for discontent. Only cyclists would notice but sometimes two slabs of concrete have a two inch gap between them, just enough for a bike tire to fall into it. Twice it happened this afternoon. No damage so far.


  Today wasn’t thrilling and nothing unusual happened except for the weather. As early as possible, I plan to get to Vicksburg and do the city and battlefield tours plus spend some time at the waterfront. Vicksburg was a pivotal city in the Civil War and it’s rumored to be one of the most beautiful in the Deep South.


  So with that, I will close for tonight and meet you back here tomorrow with another new city with much to explore. Thanks for riding along and for continued messages and prayers!

Always There!

by   August 31, 2022 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Psalms 42:8 By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me– a prayer to the God of my life.

  • Whether by day or by night, God is involved in our lives very deeply.
  • His love is complete, unfailing, and He directs us all day in His love.
  • We sing and praise Him after a day of experiencing His goodness, and bringing the evening sacrifice to Him.

Prayer:  How I praise Your holy name, that You love me and have done and still do so much for me. That I bring my praise to You continually I worship You.  There is no one like You Lord.  Hallelujah!  Amen. 
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Hottest Day Still Nets a Nice Experience

by   August 30, 2022 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I mentioned earlier that Mississippi is a long state based on my route. I started to plan it last night, hoping to begin to make sense of my days and where the nights will be spent.


    Things ended up OK at my second motel last night. After a longer day than I had hoped, I still got great food, WiFi and sat down just in time to watch the Yanks attempt to play winning baseball. They didn’t.


    It was already warm and humid when I left the room this morning just at sunrise. South Memphis is rolling but had plenty of lanes for the traffic heading out of town. Almost as soon as I left town, I crossed into Mississippi. Back on the Great River Road and US 61, I started Mississippi with rumble strips forcing me into traffic and rough roads.


   Tunica was the first real town after North Tunica which must be a gambler’s paradise. A golf course and several tall buildings set in the distance had signs pointing toward casinos. I stopped briefly there at a visitor center and blues museum, but didn’t take the time to tour the museum. I did get some good maps and information for what is coming up as I pedal south into Mississippi. Two things I got were a better Mississippi map than I had and a list of famous people from the state. None of my ex-wives made the list but a massive list of notables did. Did you know that Greenville, Mississippi is the towboat capital of the world? I am headed there tomorrow!


   After Tunica, a nice little town of just over 1,000 ( I thought it was bigger) according to Wikipedia, I had 50 miles of flat and hot without a town for my much needed ice. Sort of reminded me of last year’s ride. Endless crops planted in huge fields on both sides of the road included some corn that is close to maturity, lots of soybeans, cotton and rice. All of it looks beautiful. Speaking of hot, the highest temperature I heard today was 97. I started with another headwind that came around thankfully as a side wind this afternoon. Various road conditions came and went, but only a short section with a bike shoulder. I was very dry when the first convenience store finally came into view.


  A ride of 72 miles netted me an evening at the Quality Inn in Clarksdale. I spoke to the desk attendant around noon and she gave me a good price and suggested I come by. I did, and right away met Shaquille, the general manager, at the front desk. He helped with my reservation, got my cycling clothes washed and set me up as a Choice member, plus he gave me a way better water bottle than the one I have been draining constantly.


  Here is my plan for the next few days, all of this having come together this afternoon. It was 72 miles to Clarksdale today, should be about the same to Greenville tomorrow and then another ride of about the same distance to Vicksburg on Wednesday. Then on to Natchez for Thursday and again about 72 miles for that trip.


    One reader was disappointed about my ice cream consumption on this trip. It hasn’t been neglected, as I have had at least some ice cream for the last five days. The South Rowan YMCA for some reason did away with their ice cream budget support for this ride, a real disappointment! But there have been few other disappointments on the trip so far and I hope you continue to enjoy riding along. Join me tomorrow as we pedal deeper into Mississippi!

Tidbits of Truth

by   August 30, 2022 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

It always helps to cling to a few tidbits of truth. A tidbit is defined as a pleasing bit of information. Finding a tidbit that sticks with us throughout our day can remind us that God is for us, and if God is for us, who can be against us?

Here are a few tidbits of truth to get us started:

The impossible can happen. If we can trust Jesus for our salvation, why would we think He could not do the impossible on our behalf? If we can believe for heaven, we can believe for our circumstance. Luke 1:37 says, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

What should we do when we are struggling? Spend time with Jesus. No matter where we are in life, He is still the potter and we are still the clay.

Can faith replace fear? Fear can come from being in a dark place in life, and a dark place is where negatives develop. Fear is a spirit, and you need to tell it to get away from you. If we are fearful, God wants to speak peace.

David knew what he was going to do before he went on the battlefield. He said, “I’m not coming in my name! I’m coming in the name of the Lord!” The giant was so big David could not have missed him!

Replace, “What if?” with “Why not?”

No one or nothing is bigger than God’s plan.

God is calling us. We are shielded by God. Don’t look back — we aren’t going that way! Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Forget the things that are behind — and reach forth unto these things which are before.”

We must press forward.

Philippians 3:14 says, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Do we believe? God can help us with that. Lord, help our unbelief.

Adversity can change us in good ways. A potato is hard, but it changes when boiled and becomes soft. Coffee beans put in water will change the water, and we can have coffee.

God loves our worship. It lifts us up closer to Him.

1 Chronicles 16:23 says, “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.”

No need for me and God to stay awake. Faith honors God, and God honors faith.

Rest and be at peace — God is in control. Our weakness is an opportunity for God to use us, and His grace is sufficient for us.

Jesus is coming — take comfort in those words. They give us a true perspective of what life is about.

Our daily worries can fall away as we think about the promised return of Jesus!

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

Numbered

by   August 29, 2022 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Yesterday we talked about God giving us ideas. Today let’s look at Nehemiah 7: 5 -73. The idea that God gave him was to make a list. Lists are great! I love lists. They help keep me on task. They remind me of what’s important. Lists are our friends.

The list in this passage is a list of families. It is also a record of how many men were returned from exile. Listed are those from the family of Beth-azmaveth with a mere 42, to the clan of Pahath-moab, with 2,818 [I bet they drew names at Hanukkah instead of buying gifts for everyone; cause you know you have to cut back somewhere]. Looks like God is interested in numbers. Maybe it’s because each number is a person; and each person has a story; and each story needs to be told; because each life has a purpose.

Numbers matter. When I get my checking statement, I tear it open to see if we have won “Beat the Bank” this month. Just kidding. We can’t play that anymore since we have entered the age of suck that money out of your account as soon as you swipe the card. Yep. Numbers determine if we get to swipe our card some more… or not.

In our family, on my husband’s side, there are 41 in the immediate family. Most of us eat lunch together every other Sunday. And a bunch of these bring girlfriends and boyfriends. I look up sometimes and think, “Do I know you?” My beloved mother-in-law has hosted lunch like this for longer than the 40 years I’ve been in the family. When they line up to fix plates, she says without fail, “Here comes the thundering herd!” When you’re preparing lunch, numbers matter. In fact, I can’t think of a place where numbers don’t matter, especially when they represent people.

Prayer for today: Lord God, the One Who shows us continually that You love details, bless our church with numbers. Not just bodies in chairs. Please bless our church with more salvations and more souls committed to serving and loving You. And as our numbers grow, strengthen each of us to take care of the ones You bring to us. Help no one fall through the cracks unloved and unnoticed. Because You love every single soul.
More: Acts 2:41-47; Matthew 10: 30,31; Matthew 18:12-14

A Headwind

by   August 28, 2022 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Just after the sun topped the horizon this morning, I was on the bike and pedaling south. I had sort of a plan, ready to revise if needed. My initial goal was to make West Memphis, Arkansas and set myself up for a run through Memphis, Tennessee on Monday morning.
  I rode four miles on I-55 and then pedaled the rest of the day on other roads. US 61 South was back and initially had a great shoulder and beautiful farm scenery. The weather lady on a Memphis station said winds would be significant out of the south, making the first real headwind of my whole adventure. All the farmland was flat and that probably aided the wind gain some intensity.
   The first segment was on a portion of 61 named the Americana Music Highway, largely because the highway was notable in the careers of BB King and others from the Memphis area. Traffic was light as I passed through a series of very small towns named Bardette, Luxura, Osceola, Driver, Wilson, Bassett, Joiner, Frenchman’s Bayou, Terrell,
Clarkedale, Jericho and Sunset. That run ended on State Road 77 at Marion, a productive and busy town.
  I could see the river levees at times and stopped in Osceola to ask if there was anywhere to see the river. I was told there was not and the roads would lead away from the river ahead.
    My focus was on making West Memphis, but all along if everything went right, I wanted more. I started analyzing last night how to cross the Mississippi on a bike legally. Jeff from the New Madrid Museum said that he heard something has been done to make it possible. In 2016, the Harahan Bridge, formerly used for railroad traffic, was repurposed to get pedestrians including cyclists across the river safely. I used a mixture of city streets and a very nice bike path to access the bridge while interstate traffic from I-55 and I-40 buzzed all around. Just as I reached the bridge, a train started over the upper level of the Harahan Bridge, proving it is still very much in use.
   By riding over the bridge, I am now in Memphis, Tennessee, not too far from Graceland and the Peabody Hotel ducks which I visited while here to run the Memphis Marathon years ago.
   Coming off the Harahan Bridge, I had to ask two locals for help understanding how I could get around the trains and back headed south, unbelievably once again on US 61 South. I found it with a little luck and started looking for a motel, not interested in the upscale ones downtown, I checked Siri for options. One called the Relax Inn was close by but wouldn’t give a rate over the phone. Another was at least $25 too much. I stopped and got a room at another one, then got a refund after I saw the inside. And getting that refund wasn’t easy, but I did get it.
   Finally I am settled in the Regency Inn, the first motel run by a woman and also the first I could understand. I got my dinner from the nearest convenience store that included pizza, ice cream and watermelon chunks way cheaper than the grocery store prices.
    Today’s ride was 80 miles, but I am positioned to head south in the morning and will be quickly entering Mississippi. I’m happy with the progress so far but will have to pull out several maps to plan tomorrow. After Mississippi, only Louisiana remains but there are still lots of miles to cover and plenty to see. Hope you will plan on joining me right back here again tomorrow!

Love Being Teachers

by   August 27, 2022 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I drove down into the heart of Stanly County the other day. A former colleague is working on her first book and wanted some help submitting it to Amazon for publication. I drove down after work and enjoyed seeing some old familiar sights. There were also some new sights, as some new businesses have sprung up.

            I had to get on a rolling country road to get to my friend’s house. She lives out in the country, where she has some beautiful horses and donkeys. I saw some cornfields that looked a little thirsty. I saw some other fields that looked lush and green that I thought could have been soybeans. My friend said that there were some cotton fields that I passed, but the cotton wasn’t blooming yet. It was a peaceful drive.

            My friend and I haven’t seen each other in several years. We are both retired teachers. We knew each other when we both taught at North Stanly. She retired from there and I left to teach in some other places. We were a close-knit family at North Stanly. I stay in contact with a number of my colleagues and think of them often.

            My friend and I talked about our aging parents and the health problems they face. We talked about how our own bodies have aged and the health problems we have encountered. We talked about old friends from North Stanly and a few that have gone on to their heavenly home. It reminded us of the preciousness of life.

            We talked about how things have changed in the teaching profession that we both love. We talked about how COVID has changed the way students are taught. We are both hands-on teachers and find teaching over the computer to be a bit challenging. We both know teachers who tell us that the classroom has changed since returning from COVID. I think we were both pining for “the good-old days.”

            We focused on our work: getting her book ready for publication. Her computer skills are going to help her see her dream turn into a reality. I can’t wait for her to experience the joy and pride of completing her first novel.

            When we were done, I had the opportunity to meet her four-footed family members. We greeted her furry family members and talked more about teaching. The afternoon was waning and I needed to head for home. There is one thing I thought about on my journey home. We both were born to be teachers, we love teaching, and we both hope to continue finding ways we can share that love with students.

            I am lucky that my part-time job is teaching in the adult basic education program. I love my job and enjoy working with my students. I can’t explain the joy a teacher feels when a student learns something new. I have had the pleasure of watching my students grow, blossom, and achieve success. I see their potential and love having the opportunity to encourage them to reach for the stars.

            Jesus was many things, but one of them was teacher. He knew there was a better way to live. People didn’t know how to live to please God, but Jesus came to demonstrate how each one of us can do just that. Jesus gave each one of us unique talents, skills, and abilities, and He wants us to use those to be a blessing to people around us. We are not all called to be pastors, but we can fulfill God’s purposes by doing what we were made to do. When we are a blessing to others by being a plumber, mechanic, or teacher, we are fulfilling God’s purpose and plan for our lives.

            I want to encourage you to do your occupation to the best of your ability. When you give all of yourself to being a janitor, bus driver, doctor, lawyer, or teacher, you are fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. God needs you to be His light in this dark world. He needs you to bring hope, grace, mercy, and God’s love to the people you encounter where you work. I believe He put you there to represent Him. I believe He can use your hands to lift someone’s load, and your lips to speak faith, hope, and love to people who are desperate to hear such good news. God needs each of us to do what He made us to do. For me, that means being a teacher and a writer, because that is what I love to do and was made to do.

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

Standing Corrected

by   August 26, 2022 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Many years ago a fellow member of a church I then attended gave me a small piece of paper. As he handed it to me, he said, “I’ve always tried to live this poem.” On the paper was printed “A Better Way”  below which were twelve lines of rhymed poetry. At the bottom of the  page was printed Edgay [sic] A. Guest. While I did not like the poetry in and of itself, I did like the message by Edgar A. Guest.  I tucked the small rectangular piece of paper in my Bible and read it or referred to it often. Recently I even used all twelve lines of A Better Way in an essay. Until yesterday.

Yesterday our pastor used a poem in his weekly message to the congregation. He shared how he had read the poem in the 7th grade and was influenced by it. The poem he referenced was Live Your Creed by Langston Hughes. My wife noticed the similarities between Guest’s and Hughes’ poems, and she asked me about them. Oh, what I discovered about the poets and me.

 Edgar Guest was born in Birmingham, England in 1881, and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan when he was ten. When his father lost his job, young Edgar worked odd jobs after school and in 1895 was hired as a copy boy for the Detroit Free Press, where he would work for almost sixty-five years. When he was seventeen his father died, and he began working full time for the paper. He slowly worked his way up and his first poem appeared in the paper in 1898, and by 1904 his weekly column, “Chaff” was published. Eventually his verses became the “Breakfast Table Chat” which was syndicated to over 300 United States newspapers.

Guest broadcast a weekly NBC radio program from 1931 to 1942, and in 1951 his show “A guest in Your Home” appeared on NBC television. He published over twenty volumes of poetry and has been called “the poet of the people.” Concerning his poems, he said,   “I take simple everyday things that happen to me and I figure it happens to a lot of other people and I make simple rhymes out of them.”  Edgar Guest died on August 5, 1959.

Now, I was more familiar with Langston Hughes and his poems. I had even taught some of them and admire his work. However, after much looking on the Internet and reading the listed poems in the PDF of The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, I can find no poem titled Live Your Creed composed by Hughes.  I did find many praises to the poem for its inspiration written by ordinary folks like me, but no references from serious scholars.

The two poems are too similar: The Sermons We See begins: “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day”, and Live Your Creed, as quoted by several admirers,  begins: “I’d rather see a sermon than to hear one any day.” One word (in bold) difference. I found that Guest wrote his poem in 1926 and that the poem I had carried all these years was just the first two stanzas of Guest’s four stanza poem and “A Better Way” was not the title. The original poem had been all hacked, and I had blindly accepted the fake. Now I know better, but I still have not found out all I want to know about the poem alluded to Hughes. I now stand corrected and better informed about Guest and will continue reading and searching more about Hughes.

Some Days Just Feel Right

by   August 25, 2022 with No Comments

By David Freeze

 My mind had several scenarios rolling last night that kept sleep from being the best. I was excited for what the day might bring in New Madrid, Missouri. The desk clerk at the Super Eight in Sikeston told me not to miss the town or the museum. I was still unsure about whether to take 61 South or use I-55, which is obviously way quicker because of the quality and width of the surface in the breakdown lane. Determined to make it a good day, I used I-55 except for the route from the interstate to downtown New Madrid.


    A quick 22 mile ride got me to the waterfront and just ahead of the 9am museum opening. The Mississippi was especially beautiful in the early morning sun from an observation area that makes viewing the river even better. Instead of a wall, New Madrid has a levee, dirt built up to a high flood level and then stabilized by grass and in this case a walking/ driving road.


  New Madrid is a beautiful little town of over 3,000. In 1811, one of the world’s most powerful earthquakes to this day occurred with all sorts of wild claims of what happened during that day and the next. New Madrid sits on a fault line that spawned earthquakes for the next year and from 5-25 per year since. One claim was that the Mississippi River flowed backwards during this time, which scientists think that parts of it suffered upheaval and actually did change the course of the flow for a day or two.


   Just as interesting to me was a Civil War battle that took 20,000 Union forces to overtake New Madrid and her two forts. One of those was on Island #10, which has since been washed away by the ever changing Mississippi. Those events helped the Union forces eventually control the river.


   I took about an hour for a tour of the New Madrid Historical Museum. Administrator Jeff Grunwald was the perfect host. My bike was a popular conversation piece while I was in town.


    I left New Madrid for a 50 mile ride that included US 61 and then more of I-55. I passed Portageville, the soybean capital of the world, but not much else on another perfect weather day. A tailwind and low humidity with mid 80s for a high.


     Some fun was yet to come as I had called and left my name last night for a room at the Super Eight Motel in Blytheville, after the success of the previous two nights. I found the motel near my exit off I-55 and rolled to the door. Nothing looked good, the door was locked and plenty of unusual characters were hanging around. I called the Quality Inn, Days Inn and America’s Best Value Inn and got the perfect room for a great price from Dana at ABVI. And for the first time on the trip, I will have a real breakfast included. Complete with eggs! I really enjoyed talking with Dana about the trials of finding a good motel on the fly and her interest in cycling.


   Another interesting tidbit from the day included my anticipation of crossing into Arkansas and whether I could continue on the interstate. With just 5 miles, left to Blytheville, I crossed the state line and kept pedaling, possibly a little faster. I stopped at the Arkansas welcome center and talked to the attendant who told me, “Yes, I’ve never been told you couldn’t.”


    Blytheville is one of those interstate exits that has everything. Dana told me there was a Waffle House, but I found one actually named Waffle Inn and not open tonight for some reason. I settled for the Impossible vegetarian burger and ice cream from Burger King. Then I rode to the nearest convenience store and struck up a conversation with Jaimee Williams about the bike ride. I loved her upbeat attitude and appreciation for what I had done on this trip and the others previously. It was great to talk with Jeff, Dana and Jaimee today, all positive and fun and the very best thing about going on these bike adventures. Good people cross my path continually.


    About all I have planned for tomorrow is that I will likely head toward West Memphis, which is still in Arkansas and see if I can cross the river and ride down the Mississippi side for a while. It’s still up in the air but the Arkansas side only visits the river one more time until that side crosses into Louisiana.


  After 79 miles today, I am less than 500 miles to New Orleans. Highlights still ahead include crossing the river near Memphis and visits to Vicksburg, Natchez, Baton Rouge and the finish in New Orleans. I count this as a very good day and hope you enjoyed reading about it! See you back here tomorrow!

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