Doug’s Columns

By Doug Creamer

Trusting God

            My former pastor told us a story many times about getting a skin cancer diagnosis. No one wants to have any kind of cancer on or in their body. The doctors had taken a biopsy and when he called to check on the results, he received news that he didn’t want to hear. He was away from the house when he got the news. When he arrived home his granddaughter met him at the door and asked, “Do you want to hear my Bible verse?” He looked at her and said, “Yes.”

            The Bible verse was Hebrews 10:23 – “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” Isn’t that just like God? The world gives us some bad news and He sends us some good news. God promised that He was going to be faithful even in the midst of a cancer diagnosis. The end of the story is that God kept His promise. The doctors removed the offending cancer cells and he was completely healed.

            That story came to mind recently while I was sitting in my dermatologist’s office. It was time for my annual checkup and I had a cyst I wanted him to check. The nurse greeted me warmly and escorted me back to the exam room. Before I could tell her why I was there she asked about the cyst on my arm. I told her about it and the previous cyst that had been on my arm. It had been hit by a door jamb when I rounded a corner too quickly and there was a scab where it had been. 

            She explained that it didn’t look like a scab to her and that the doctor might want to take a biopsy of it. She left me to sit and think about it. The doctor came in and immediately focused on my arm. I explained what had evolved over time. He told me that he was very concerned about it and that he had never seen anything like it. He also informed me that he was removing it before I left the office that day.

            In a way, I was relieved to have it removed, but also concerned because the doctor thought it might be cancer. It didn’t take him long to remove the offending thing from my body. I asked the doctor what we needed to do if it happened to be cancer. He looked straight at me and said “Don’t worry, we got clean edges and there is nothing further for us to do.”

            I took the doctor at his word and have not worried about the outcome of the pathology report. But the big bandage on my arm has caused many people to ask what happened. As I have shared my story with others, I have learned that many people have had similar experiences.  

            My dad told me not to worry, that this was only the beginning of other little things to be removed from my body. He has had some things zapped or frozen off his skin. He has also been cut like I was and recovered completely. My mother has had skin cancer removed from her body too, and she has completely recovered.

            The stories that family and friends have shared have been a source of encouragement. I am not sure I really needed it as I have obeyed my doctor’s orders and not worried. He said I would be called this week with the results of my pathology report, but I think he is more concerned that my skin heals up properly.

            I share my story with you to encourage you to get things that don’t look right checked out. If doctors get to things early enough it is only skin deep and you will probably recover quickly. If you wait, it can grow deeper and cause more complications or even spread to other places. You know the moles that have been there your whole life and those that have changed or suddenly appeared. Be wise and get things checked out.

            It is vitally important that in all things we trust God. He is our source, protector, and healer. He keeps His eye on us, watching over us day and night. Nothing slips by His attention and nothing catches Him by surprise. He is with you and will walk with you through whatever you are facing. His right arm is not too short for you. His angels stand ready to fight for you. Nothing is too difficult for God. Nothing is impossible for God. Call upon Him and trust Him.

Doug Creamer has a new book at Amazon: EncouragingU: Summer Stories. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

By Doug Creamer

            It seems like summer barely begins and they are running back-to-school ads on television. Teachers and students need a break and time to be refreshed before the new year begins. The last couple of years have been challenging for teachers and students with the pandemic. The hope is that we will have a more normal school year this year. With the Delta variant spreading fast, school systems are announcing masking requirements. Let’s hope it works so students can be in school with their teachers and classmates.

            When school let out this year I caught up with a former colleague to see how his school year went. We talked for several hours, and he shared about the impact of COVID on sports and the classroom. It was amazing to hear how cooperative the students were about wearing masks. The students preferred to be in school, so wearing a mask was by far better than taking classes virtually. 

            It was so good to hear about my former colleagues from East Davidson. I miss being at school and around the students. It is also interesting to hear about leadership changes around the county. My friend concluded that I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed teaching the last two years with the pandemic, and I am afraid he is probably right.

            My friend is a coach so I asked how that worked out. Outdoor sports worked better than indoor sports. The seasons were moved around because of the pandemic. Most of the sporting events did not allow for spectators, which had to be different for the student athletes.

            I like to listen to my friend share his coaching philosophies and techniques. He has a unique approach to coaching which has led to growth and successful seasons. There are always those tough years when all your best athletes graduate and you have a young team. Being a coach is a challenge, because you have to help students think about the good of the team and not just individual performances. You also have to help students through personal challenges.

            Listening to him share reminded me why I liked sponsoring DECA. You can only connect with students at a certain level in the classroom. When you take students off to DECA events you have the opportunity to get to know them better and to share more of yourself with them. It’s also great when you can help students win competitive events and teach them how to handle losses. These life lessons are different from classroom instruction.

            Students in high school do not realize that learning is a lifelong process. Some think that when they graduate from school they will know everything. I learned more during my first year of teaching than in four years of college. Learning is an ongoing process in our personal, professional, and spiritual lives. Even now I realize there is so much more to learn.

            I am constantly trying to grow spiritually. I have lost count of how many times I have read the Bible, yet it seems that every day something new jumps off the pages at me. I get new insights, new perspectives, and my journey with God deepens. God is so big and infinite and our minds are so small and finite that no one could possibly know everything about God.

            We don’t get to graduate from our spiritual school until the day we go home to be with the Lord. Something inside of me says that even then our learning will not end. I think that even in eternity there will be things about God and His ways that we will be learning. He is awesome, too marvelous for words. His ways we can’t even fathom.

            There are many ways you can learn about God. The first place to begin is reading His love letter to you, the Bible. Next, connect personally with God through prayer and talking with Him. You can also learn a great deal about God through other people’s experiences with God. He reveals Himself uniquely to each of us and that different perspective allows us to learn more about Him.

            I want to encourage you to get yourself ready to go back to spiritual school. There are always new things to learn about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit. We each have a limited knowledge and perspective on God. That means we need to keep working, growing, and maturing in our walk with God. This school never closes and the Teacher is great!

Doug Creamer has a new book at Amazon: EncouragingU: Summer Stories. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

By Doug Creamer

            How is your garden doing? I went out the other day and checked on my potatoes. I have never learned the proper time to dig potatoes. I wait until the plants have died back and it doesn’t look like there will be any more growth. My timing can’t be all wrong. I got one of the best potato harvests I’ve had in several years.

            We’ve had several meals of green beans and butter beans. We got a few ears of corn, but the squirrels have really enjoyed them. We enjoyed some squash, until one night the deer noticed that I had forgotten to close the gate and they ate the squash leaves. I didn’t know deer would eat squash plants. We’ve been enjoying tomatoes for the last couple of weeks. I have a few watermelons and cantaloupes coming along, and I discovered the turtle in that part of the garden the other day. He was just checking to see if they were ready.

            It’s time to get things replanted if I want to get a fall harvest. I need to clean out where things are done. I have the seeds already, I just have to pick an afternoon and go for it. I don’t think I am going to grow the squirrels any more corn. I am definitely going to plant more beans. I have sunflower seeds. It’s too early for broccoli, but I might try some more squash. Whatever I decide, I better get busy or I am going to run out of time.

            We are at about the midpoint of summer. We are facing the hottest few weeks ahead. It is hard to keep the garden watered in these hot, dry times. Soon gardeners will be facing tropical storms and their remnants. There are always challenges, between the weather, garden pests, bugs, and diseases. Then you will face frosts. No matter what the conditions, I am still going to fight to grow things in my garden.

            The thought that runs around in my head is that I don’t want to run out of time. I have to get out in that garden sooner versus later or I will run out of time. Time is an element in all of our lives. My pastor has been teaching us about eternity. He tried to talk to us about forever the other day, but that is a concept that none of us understands. Our whole lives have been related to time. We are going to be with Jesus forever. We can’t understand forever, but we will experience it.

            I am looking forward to whatever heaven will be, but I still have more gardening and writing that I want to do while I am here. The more I think about it, there are lots of things that I still want to do, including traveling and spending more time with family and friends.

            With the pastor talking about eternity and what heaven and hell are going to be like, I feel a stirring in my spirit that I want to make sure everyone I know and meet will find their way to heaven. I don’t want anyone to be separated from God’s love, and that is a very biblical thing because God feels the same way. He wants everyone to come home to heaven, but He leaves that decision in each individual’s hands.

            Our eternal destination is our choice. The invitation has been sent to every heart. If we discard it or ignore it, then we have made our choice. The doors are open while you have breath in your body to accept Jesus as your savior or to walk away from an eternity with Him. I hope that everyone whose eyes fall upon these words will make their choice to be forever with our savior in heaven. You don’t need to understand everything or have every question answered, you just need to trust Him and make your decision sooner rather than later.

            I can assure you that God wants you to be with Him in heaven. So I encourage you to make that decision now before it is too late. I know some people who believe that Jesus is coming back in our lifetime. The Bible tells us that no one knows the day or the hour of His return except God Himself, and He hasn’t even told Jesus. But the Bible also tells us that we can know the signs of His coming. Some signs are pointing in that direction. Our personal clocks are ticking and biblical prophesies are suggesting that the end could be close.  Make your decision soon. I want to see you in eternity.

Doug Creamer has a new book at Amazon: EncouragingU: Summer Stories. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

By Doug Creamer

            The rumor that Larry Macon allowed me to fly his plane solo is just not true. I am going to have to stop spreading that rumor! I did go to the airport the other day. I went to see Larry Macon receive the FAA’s highest honor for a pilot. He has flown planes for 50 years without any accidents or mishaps. Larry is a step above professional.

            I walked out to see his plane after he received his award. It is a beautiful biplane. I walked up to see where Larry sits and any passenger who dares to ride with him. I am not sure there is a place for my long legs. It is a very tight space.

            I am not sure I am brave enough to ride with Larry. You see, Larry doesn’t fly the plane in a straight line. No, his plane doesn’t work that way. I think there must be a warning sign that says, Caution! This plane flies straight up, straight down, sideways, upside down, but NEVER in a straight line. I like flying, but not upside down so my food ends up all over the canopy.

            Larry flies with absolute excellence and precision. He competes all up and down the east coast, and when he enters a competition it’s a pretty high probability that he will win. Every time he flies his plane upside down or straight up until it stalls, he is executing moves that will be graded on how perfectly he completes the maneuver.

            Larry has been trained by some of the best in the industry, and he can train you if you want to learn to fly. If you ever get on a commercial flight and see Larry sitting on the plane, you can rest easy. If anything were to happen to the pilots, Larry could get everyone home safely…safely, that is, after he flies the plane upside down over the airport and then back around for a perfect landing.

            I have known Larry through our church, where he is the church administrator. He brings the same precision to our church finances. Every dollar that comes into our church is carefully accounted for and with complete transparency to our church congregation. I love numbers and I can assure you that Larry does everything right. He lives his life at a higher level and raises the bar for anyone who comes in contact with him.

            I have always tried to live my life right. I want to be perfect for my Heavenly Father. The trouble is that I fail miserably. I can’t seem to live an hour, much less a day, without having wrong thoughts, attitudes, choices, and behaviors. I need a savior who can wash me with His blood and present me clean before the Father.

            If you are striving to live perfectly, give up! No one is perfect. God doesn’t want or expect us to live perfectly. But I do believe that God wants us to live with a level of excellence. Living life with excellence means that we bring our “A” game to everything we do. I don’t like it when someone tells me that they are a Christian and then they do lousy work for me.

            We can lead our lives with integrity. We can lead our lives as good examples for others in our field of work. We can treat people fairly and honestly. We can be a role model for children.  Again, not perfect, but choosing to live right for God.

            I am dependent every day on God to make me a righteous man. I am dependent every day on Jesus to forgive my sins and failures. I am dependent on the Holy Spirit to guide me in my decision-making and to lead me on the path of life.

            If I will spend time in His word it will wash my mind and refresh my soul. If I will seek His kingdom and His righteousness then I will find life. If I will choose to listen for that still, small voice, I will discover a life filled with integrity. I believe I can achieve excellence by following in His steps.

            I want to encourage you to stop chasing perfection, which is unobtainable, and seek excellence. You can choose to live your life with integrity and bring honor and glory to God. Work hard at the tasks God gives you to do. Give it your best and leave the rest in His hands. Making the right choices in life requires God’s help. Lean on Him. Trust Him. Walk with Him, He will show you the way.

Doug Creamer has a new book at Amazon: EncouragingU: Summer Stories. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

By Doug Creamer

            Last weekend we planned to have an author signing at Father and Son Produce Market for our new book, EncouragingU: Summer Stories. We had hoped to have the whole gang show up, but life happens and kept a few of the writers away. So David Freeze, Jane Patterson, and I greeted the produce-hunting folks that stopped by to see us.

            It is so nice to meet people who follow our writings. When you sit down to write a column you never know who will read it and what impact it will have on the reader. You share a little piece of yourself, hoping that your words find a way to lift someone’s burdens, if only for a few moments.

            David seemed to know everyone. He told stories and shared laughs with the customers. Some of the people who stopped didn’t know any of us, but they wanted to find out what we were doing there. Once they heard, some of them bought our book, while others shared their stories with us. It was really special to connect with people.

            There were moments when no one was engaging with us, which gave us a chance to talk among ourselves. I didn’t know that David and Jane grew up together. They shared stories of their past with me. They kept me laughing with some of their adventures.

            Each of us took time to regale the others with stories from our background. Jane talked about growing up on a farm. David shared tales of his bike trips. My favorite was when he met a grizzly bear and almost became the bear’s lunch. I shared my stories.

            The conversation and the stories flowed smoothly among us as the temperature rose. When our time was up I am not sure we were ready for the conversation to end, but we all had other things that needed our attention.

            We met some readers. We told some wonderful stories. We sold a few of our books. I considered it a wonderful morning building friendships with David and Jane. My favorite part was the opportunity to swap some stories and to connect with fellow writers.

            The gift of storytelling has been around since the dawn of time. It’s one of the tools that Jesus used to teach us. Jesus taught his disciples in parables. Parables are stories with a lesson or moral. I have often wondered why Jesus taught using parables. The more I reflect on it, the more I realize that Jesus wanted His listeners to remember what He taught them. It is hard to forget a good story, and it is easy to retell it.

            Jesus wanted his followers and us to remember His spiritual truths. His stories were designed to help us live the victorious life that He promised. If we would apply the principles of His stories to our lives we will overcome and live transformed lives. We know His resurrection Spirit lives within us, and that gives us the power to break free from our past.

            Change is not an easy process. Old habits die hard. Jesus’ parables provide us with examples of people who succeeded. These stories should give us the courage to take the steps in our own lives to change and be transformed. Jesus didn’t offer us a life that was impossible to obtain. His stories illustrate that with a little faith, we too, can live our lives differently.

            With a mustard seed of faith the prodigal can come home. I know that what I sow in my garden is what I am going to reap. Our Father is in heaven and we are His children. We have found the pearl of great price. We have built our house on the solid rock, not the sand. We have found the narrow path and we will continue to ask, seek, and knock. We hope that when others look under the leaves of our lives, they will discover the fruit of the Spirit.

            I want to encourage you to remember the stories that you have heard since you were a child in church. Those stories hold the power to help you with whatever you are facing in your life right now. Jesus knows everything about you and He loves you. He also knows that if you will stir your faith to believe and apply the principles found in His stories, you will overcome your circumstances and experience His resurrection power in your life. Stories are powerful teaching tools, and when you have experienced your transformation be sure to tell others your story, too.

Doug Creamer has a new book at Amazon: EncouragingU: Summer Stories. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com