Doug’s Columns

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

By Doug Creamer

            All Christians should look forward to the time when we will be in heaven with Jesus. The trouble with getting there is that we have to take that big step between here and eternity. It’s the mystery of the unknown that keeps us here; besides, God has a very important purpose for us while we are still alive.

            Our purpose is to know Him and tell others about God’s love. I personally believe that God calls every person into a relationship with Him. Many people turn away from God. So God, not wanting to give up on anyone, wants to use you and me to reach out to them. God persistently keeps trying to reach everyone because He doesn’t want anyone to miss heaven.

            When God first found us, we were a mess. The good news for us is that we heard His voice and responded to His call. We ran into God’s arms and accepted His love. We needed to be cleaned up so He washed us in the blood of Jesus. The cleansing power of the blood of Jesus can wash away every wrong-doing that we have ever done. Even the best people you know need the blood of Jesus to find forgiveness. No one can do enough good to wash away the bad that we are all guilty of committing.

            Once we are clean, God can begin the process of healing our broken hearts and lives. If you live in this world your heart has been damaged by the people in your life. Damaged hearts create ruined lives. God can heal all the brokenness in our lives if we will turn to Him for help. It’s hard to expose your sin and brokenness to God, but that is the path to healing.

            God has seen everything you have ever done. The good news is once you turn and confess your sins and failures to God, He promises to forgive you and to forget you ever did those things. He wipes them from His memory. We can remember them so we have to forgive ourselves. It’s very hard to forgive ourselves, but if God forgives you then you can forgive yourself. You are a broken human being that needs God’s love, forgiveness, and healing.

            We have two main purposes once we accept all that God has done for us. Our first purpose is to spend time getting to know God. How do you get to know an invisible God? He wrote you a love letter: the Bible. That’s His story. There is so much in the Bible about who God is and how He interacts with people. You can learn about His love, mercy, and character. The Bible is God’s story.

            We can also learn about Him when we pray and talk with Him. Some people think that prayer is only a one-way conversation. We go to God and tell Him all our concerns. Well, He does want to hear our concerns, but He also wants to talk with us. He talks to us through the Bible, but He also wants to talk to us directly. He speaks to our spirits to guide and encourage us through life. We need to turn off all the noise of this world so that we can hear Him.

            Our second purpose is to tell others about what God has done for us. Remember, I said that there were many people who chose not to listen and respond to God’s call to them. He’s hoping that they might listen to our story. There are many people in the world who have been broken by the world in the same way we were broken. When they hear our story of how God healed, forgave, and restored us then they might turn to God and discover those same things for themselves. God wants to speak through us. I promise there are people in your life who will respond to your story of forgiveness, healing, and hope.

            I want to encourage you to share your story. God has done a miraculous thing in your life and people need to hear about it from you. God has interacted with you in a unique way and the people in your life will see the evidence of the goodness of God. That evidence, a changed life, may cause them to finally find the courage in themselves to turn to God. Your Father is hoping you will share your story so those who are lost and still searching will find Him. Then they will be forgiven, healed, and have their own story. To know Him and share our story, that’s our purpose.

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

By Doug Creamer

            I went to my mom’s recently and she had a box of old photographs for us to look through. There were many family pictures from when my siblings and I were little and all at home. There were many pictures of relatives that I didn’t know or had only met a few times. Mom told me who they were and how I was related to them.

            There was a picture of my mother as a child with a small dog, but she said she couldn’t remember ever having a dog. There were other pictures of my mother and her brother when they were teenagers. It is hard to imagine your parents were ever teenagers.

            My mom and dad were high school sweethearts. There were pictures of them together and it was interesting to see them. There was a picture of Mom and Dad on the night of a big dance they attended. Mom described her dress in detail. My dad was a good-looking young man, especially in the suit he wore that night.

            There were pictures of my parents as young parents. There weren’t as many pictures taken back in those days because you had to pay to develop the film. Most of the pictures of the four kids were taken at Christmas, birthday celebrations, or when we were on vacation. I did find some pictures of the first day of school. Those were required photos when we were wearing our new “back to school” outfits.

            Most of the pictures had dates, so we could figure out how old we were in them. The ones that didn’t required extra thought to determine our ages. There were pictures of some of our houses through the years, which brought back memories from living in those places. We talked about how some of our houses were laid out. We also talked about when I shared my bedroom and when I got my own room.

            It was fun to walk down memory lane with my mom. It was really fun to hear her tell stories of when she was young and the fun she had growing up. I know my parents grew up during some very difficult times. They didn’t have all the possessions we have but they were able to find pleasure in the simplest of things. It was fun to listen to Mom’s perspective on her youth and on our family. There were some old classic stories and many new ones that I hope I can remember and treasure the rest of my life.

            There are many things that we treasure. I think about all the special things we have for the holidays. We have some very special Christmas ornaments that are real treasures. I consider my books to be treasures. I own beautiful pieces of pottery. I also have wood turnings that were made by my best friend, which are treasures. Naturally, our own pictures are treasures.   

            While we all treasure things mainly because they trigger good memories, we need to consider where our most precious treasures are stored. All of our earthly treasures are wearing out. But if we store up treasures for ourselves in heaven we are promised that those treasures will never rot, spoil, or wear out. Those are the kinds of treasures that I want build up.

            How do we build treasures for heaven? When we support our local church by bringing our tithes and offerings, we are building treasure in heaven. When we serve others in the church, God promises to reward us in heaven. When we give in any capacity to those in need, we are building treasures in heaven. When we find ways of serving and helping the elderly, you can be assured that God notices. When we plant seeds of faith in children and help to train them in the way that they should go, we are doing God’s work. When we reach out to the lost with God’s love He will help us and remember our work.

            I want to encourage you to build a great retirement in heaven where the value of what you have will not depend on the stock market. Investing in the Kingdom of God pays out-of-this-world dividends. God remembers everything you do for Him. Be diligent to invest in your heavenly destination. Your devotion and hard work here will pay incredible eternal treasures for you to enjoy for all eternity. Where are you most precious treasures? I hope in heaven!

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

Here is a video from the beach about shells. Okay it’s about us and God…. Enjoy!

By Doug Creamer

            Thirty years ago this week, I went down to meet with the editor of The Stanly News & Press and asked if she would consider letting me write a column. She looked over some things I had written and decided to give me a shot. Thirty years, four newspapers, five books, and two websites later I am still writing. I have never made enough through my writing to support myself, but if the Bible is right, I have laid up some treasures in heaven.

            The journey began with the simple desire to write. When I first started writing, I just wrote about any topic that I found racing around in my mind. It was one of the typesetters at the paper who told me that I needed a signature to my writing. I needed something that set me apart.

How did I want to be seen? I asked her how she saw me, and she said that I am always so positive and encouraging. The word encouraging stirred deeply in my spirit. That’s how the opening line to my last paragraph was born…I want to encourage you…

            There are two writers with which I wish I could share my columns and books. Both writers took time to encourage me when I was starting out, but they have since passed away. The first is Og Mandino. He was an internationally known best-selling author. I loved his style and I met him at an author signing when I was in high school. I asked him tons of questions, and even wrote him a letter. He graciously responded, and ended his letter to me with, “Go get ‘em, tiger.” 

            The other writer was a friend of a friend of mine. He was a columnist in many papers around the country, and took an hour one evening to talk with me on the phone. He was the one who told me that I needed to get some experience, and that I should try to write for a local paper. His advice pushed me to try my craft and to hone my skills as a writer through my weekly column. I went to his grave a long time ago to express my thanks and to plant some flowers.

            Through the years I have met some of my own fans. It always takes my breath away when I walk into someone’s office and see one of my columns hanging on the wall. It humbles me when someone tells me that my words helped to bring comfort. Some have said they wonder how I knew exactly what they needed to hear. If you have written to me, I still have your letters, and they are treasured.

            Writing five books has been a magical dream. I have even been able to share my books with some well-known people. I gave one to Elizabeth and Bob Dole. Elizabeth wrote me a nice note of thanks, which is one of my treasures. I also gave one to Carol Burnett and had the opportunity to talk with her for a few minutes.

            I enjoy keeping up my personal website where I post my columns and links to everything weather. I really enjoy keeping up the EncouragingU.com website. I hope to find more writers who will join our little group. We are also working on another book.

            I am so thankful for the opportunity to write. I am also thankful for readers like you who continue to read. I have had so many wonderful experiences because I write. I am not sure how much longer we will be able to meet through newspapers, but if you will keep reading I will keep writing. I still have stories to tell and hearts I hope to encourage.

            I want to encourage you to keep reading and sharing your stories with me. The truth of the matter is in our Christian walk I need you and you need me. The same applies to writing this column. I enjoy writing, but the reason I do it is to encourage you in your spiritual walk. We all get discouraged in life and need a helping hand to get back up. Sometimes I am the lucky one who gets to lift you up through my words. But sometimes when I open an email or a letter from you…you get to do the same thing for me. Isn’t it amazing how God works through each one us? He knows what we need and sends His word to strengthen and encourage us. Thank you for reading, sharing, and encouraging. See you next week. Bless you one and all! Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

By Doug Creamer

            I woke up last Saturday and knew I had two things I needed to get done. One of our ceiling fans was making a grinding noise and I knew it had to be replaced. Fans shouldn’t make those noises, and it was an old fan. The other thing on my agenda was planning some lessons for the upcoming week. I needed to discover new ways to approach topics so I could challenge and push my students.

            I studied the fan and saw that there were four screws and then the wiring. After breakfast I opened the new fan box and read the directions. The new fan came with two hooks that held the fan up to the ceiling while you wire it, and then you swing the fan up on these hooks and screw in the canopy. It looked like a one man job, but I was wishing my brother was around to help.

            The old fan came down pretty easily. The new fan required wiring for electricity and assembling the fan. The wiring part was amazingly easy. The assembly of the fan went pretty well. The light kit required a little finesse. But with minimal sweat I got it up and working. The fan company deserves credit for the assembly design and for putting the parts in uniquely labeled bags that corresponded to the directions.

            One task done; it was time to move on to planning lessons. I was much more confident in that job. I looked at the objectives I wanted to cover and began looking through some resources. I spent a couple of hours reading and choosing the best instructional materials to match the objectives. Discovering activities that will instruct, challenge, and allow students to be successful requires time and energy.

            After teaching for 37 years, I have developed those skills and abilities. I enjoy the work, especially when I get in the classroom and the activities are effective. If I had to choose between hanging a ceiling fan or planning lessons, I would always choose planning lessons. The reason is simple, I have worked hard to develop this skill. It fits in my comfort zone.

            When I reflect on my skills and abilities, singing or playing an instrument is not on my list. If my church asked me to sing or play an instrument, we would immediately lose members. I think the only one who appreciates my singing is God, and I imagine even He prefers someone else. I am very conscious of my lack of ability in this area. I have great appreciation for the singers and musicians at my church who can lead me right into the presence of God.

            I think many people do not realize all the things that need to happen at a church and how their skills and abilities might help. I imagine in many large churches people are paid to do behind the scenes jobs that smaller churches can’t afford. Suppose a toilet starts to leak at a church; most of us have fixed our own toilets at home. Couldn’t we help fix the toilet in God’s house and be a blessing to our church?

            I imagine that every reader has some beautiful flowers blooming at your home. Could you use your skills in gardening around your church and be a blessing to all the people who attend your church? Most of us have picked up a paint brush in our homes, what about God’s house? Could you use that skill to help make your church look better? Every one of us washes dishes at home, could that skill be helpful after a church potluck?

            Many people think that the only help that is needed around our churches includes singing in the choir, preaching, Sunday school teachers, and ushers. There are so many other ways that you could help around your church. Sometimes you might need to step outside your comfort zone to help, like in the children’s department, or helping with the youth group, or even going on a mission trip, but God needs us to get the job done.  

            My pastor has a saying, “God is not looking for those who can, but for those who will.” I want to encourage you to be willing to help out, especially if you have the skills that are required to get the job done. If what is needed is slightly out of your comfort zone, then pray and ask God to help you. He will honor that prayer. I believe you will be a stronger person, blessed by God for using your gifts in His house.

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

By Doug Creamer

            I am not good at fixing plumbing problems. I have fixed leaky faucets, changed shower heads, and repaired toilets many times. Those are relatively minor repairs. Some of those repairs might result in a little cup to catch the drip, but the drip will normally stop after a few days.

            We have a bathtub in our master bathroom. We both take showers. So when the faucet got stuck in the shower position I didn’t see any problem. It works well and neither of us takes baths. My wife mentioned the other day that maybe she might like to take a bath, but since it didn’t work, she couldn’t.

            I decided to check on the situation. There is a push pin diverter that makes the water go up to the shower, and it was stuck in the shower position. All it probably needs is a little tug to change it back for bathing. When I gave the pin a tug it popped out. Problem solved, right? Wrong! Now water flowed in three directions: up to the shower head, down to the tub, and out the pin hole…all at the same time. I pushed the pin back in and it didn’t stick. The new water flow pattern wasn’t going to work.

            I thought about calling my brother, who can fix anything. My brother figures out how to fix things by asking his phone and then watching YouTube videos. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I used my computer and asked Google. I looked through my options and found a guy who had a shower setup just like ours. His video was about three minutes long. It couldn’t be that easy, could it?

            The video showed removing three screws, removing the broken diverter, inserting the new one, putting the three screws back in, and turning on the water. I followed the directions. I had it repaired quicker than it took me to gather the tools for the job. Now we can choose what we want a shower or a bath. My wife says it is nice to have the choice.

            I still can’t believe that I fixed something so quickly. I wish I could apply the same principles to my spiritual life with the same success. Fixing ourselves spiritually is challenging, and maybe impossible, without God’s help. Some things in life we can fix if we work hard at it.

            If your doctor tells you that you need to exercise and lose weight, then that becomes a matter of choice on your part. You can choose to listen and work on taking off some weight. You can choose to exercise or not. If you choose to listen and work on it, you can change your lifestyle and improve your health and well-being. 

            I believe that spiritual fixes require the power of the Holy Spirit. Our flesh does not want to cooperate with the Spirit. We struggle and resist God’s leading in our lives. Sometimes we think we know what is best, until we make a huge mess of life. Then we turn to God and expect instant results after failing to listen.

            Romans chapter 7 paints a picture of the mess we make with our lives. Paul writes that he keeps doing the things he hates, and doesn’t do the things God wants him to do. Then you read chapter 8, which tells us that God does not condemn us for our failure because He knows we are sinful and live in a broken world. He asks that we turn to Jesus and cooperate with the Spirit. The Bible is clear that I cannot earn my way to heaven, but I can accept the free gift of God through Jesus His Son. God gives us forgiveness, peace, and hope, in one simple breath.

            The truth is I can’t fix me. I only create a big mess. But with God’s help my life can be completely different and I can make a difference in the world. We have to work with God and allow His Spirit to work in and through us. When I allow Jesus to live in me, amazing things can happen.

            I want to encourage you to stop trying to fix yourself all by yourself. Invite God into your life and allow Him to work with you, to help you make the changes in you. Your spirit will feel refreshed, your heart will experience the forgiveness of God, your mind will experience a peace that goes beyond understanding, and you will be assured of your eternal destination. There is nothing greater than accepting Jesus and knowing the Creator as your Father and Friend.  

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

By Doug Creamer

            This morning began on a concerning note. I was driving to work when I saw a car coming from the opposite direction being chased by three police cars. As they zoomed past me all I could do was pray for everyone involved. I hope that no innocent people were hurt and that the situation resolved in a positive way.

            This evening’s garden check also included a disconcerting sight. I discovered a black snake wrapped up in the netting that I have wrapped around my blueberry bushes. He was so tightly wrapped that I thought he was already gone. As I started to cut away the mesh he started to move. I worked for a while to free the snake but he got anxious and kept opening his mouth towards me. I didn’t want to get bit in the process of setting him free, but eventually I was able to cut the netting away and free the snake.

            These two events reminded me of a discussion I had this week about writing. A group of us were talking about how authors get ideas for their stories. I said that authors choose topics or themes about which they are passionate. Some of the themes we discussed were love, coming of age, growing older, overcoming, revenge, good versus evil, and addiction.

            The topic of addiction struck a chord with several in the group. One individual shared how an addiction had destroyed the marriage of a co-worker. He went on to share that when the person finally got help for his addiction he was able to turn his life around.

            Another woman shared how she had gotten free from addiction through faith in Jesus. She struggled to understand why others she knew did not want to be freed from the same addiction in their lives. Despite numerous attempts to share her story, they continue on in their addiction. “Why don’t they follow the same path I found?”

            Several in the group tried to explain to her that the nature of addiction keeps people trapped, even when they can see a path out. One person put it best, “people will remain trapped in addiction until they finally decide that they want to be free.” She kept asking us, how can she help these people? We told her that prayer was her best and most powerful tool. We all also encouraged her to never give up on her friends. We told her to keep encouraging them, praying and hoping that they would take the path to their freedom. 

            One individual concluded that we are all weak and broken in different ways. We each have a need for our Savior’s help to change and overcome the struggles that we face. Your struggles are real to you and my struggles are real to me. We all want to live right for God, but we have to learn to let Him help us.

            The Bible tells us that none of us are righteous or always make the right choices. Thankfully, the book of Romans teaches us that while none of us is good enough to earn God’s favor, God in His mercy and love made a way for us to be right with Him. When we invite Jesus to be our Savior, He comes to live inside us. It’s Him living inside of me that makes me right with God. The Bible makes it clear that there is nothing I can do. It is the free gift of God to all who will open their hearts to receive it.

            The only hope I have to change is inviting Jesus to live inside me. He will help me change, making me righteous in the process. Anything I might try to do in my own strength counts as nothing. I have to learn to work with Jesus if I hope to bring lasting change and eternal rewards. If I ever hope to live a better life I have to live by faith in Christ and what He does in and through me.

            I want to encourage you to invite Jesus to live in you and to work through you. Real change in your life comes when you allow Christ to work out your salvation in and through you. Knowing you don’t have to do it on your own ought to give you courage to press through the challenges. He wants the best for you and will work in you if you invite Him in. Open the door of your heart to Him and watch what He can do as you cooperate with Him.

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