Doug’s Columns

By Doug Creamer

            I was walking into work this morning, chatting with a co-worker about the nice weather. I hope we are saying good-bye to the 90’s for this year. The air was crisp, not cold. The sun was shining brightly. The hot weather has its place and purposes, but I am always glad when the cooler air of fall overpowers the hot and humid weather that persists so long here in the Carolinas.

            The cooler weather bids me to come and enjoy lunch on the front porch and to get busy on the many fall chores. I have pulled multiple wheel barrels full of weeds from the vegetable and flower beds. I want to trim some trees before it gets too late. I am also hoping to clean and straighten up the shed before cold weather sets in.

            We still have some time before the leaves fall. I am still holding out hope for a few fall veggies before the frost puts an end to the gardening season. A few of the neighbors have put out their fall decorations, which can only mean that we are only weeks away from the stores putting out their Christmas decorations. I wish they would hold off until mid-November.

            Some friends have asked me what kind of winter is on the way. The almanacs are predicting a milder winter. It looks as though we will have a La Nina winter, with a catch. The last few winters we have had either a strong El Nino or a strong La Nina. This winter looks like it could be a weak La Nina, which means it might follow a different pattern. One long-term forecaster suggested that a weak La Nina might give us a colder than normal winter. The thing to remember is that each winter is unique and that various weather phenomena can impact what ultimately unfolds. As most of you know, I am hoping for some snow.

            For now, there is plenty of time to enjoy the cooler fall weather, and we know that winter will ultimately provide some cold weather. Whether we get some snow or not is yet to be determined. Many forget we are still in hurricane season and we need to remain vigilant. My plans are to enjoy the onset of fall and prepare for the upcoming winter.

            We were reading a story in class today about a young guy who wished his life away thinking that the next stage of life was going to be wonderful. The trouble was he never enjoyed any stage of his life because he was always wishing for the next stage. Sometimes we can all fall into that trap. We miss the joy of the moment because we are focused on things ahead. We worry about tomorrow and forget to look around and take in the wonder that is today.

            It’s easy to do. Sometimes on my walks I will catch myself staring down at the road. I fail to look around at the beauty of the Carolina blue sky or I miss the flowers that are blooming in someone’s yard. I fail to enjoy the cool breeze that caresses my face. There are some birds singing and I missed it because I was stewing about something that really doesn’t matter. The worst one is when I get back from my walk and realize that I didn’t recognize that my Heavenly Father was walking with me. How did I miss Him?

            It is important to plan for our future but we have to learn to live in today. We aren’t promised tomorrow. As I get older I realize that days, weeks, and months pass by so quickly. We have to learn to be present in the present. Enjoy each person, each interaction, each moment that God gives us. Appreciate and enjoy the beauty and the wonder of the world around you. Look up at the stars. Breathe in the fresh air. Taste and appreciate the good food God has provided for you. Hold a loved one close for just a moment longer. Listen to the symphony that’s outside your door.

            I want to encourage you to live in the moment, to live the life you are given today. Enjoy the people who surround you. Look and see the beauty that God created for you. Be thankful for the big and little things in life. It is important to be prepared for what’s ahead, but don’t miss the here and now. While I am curious about the winter that will soon be upon us, right now it’s time for my walk and I want to go out and enjoy Him and His creation.   

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

By Doug Creamer

            For the past two months I have had “extra” stuff I had to do after work and on the weekends. Life can be busy and sometimes crazy with just the “normal” stuff that has to get done. But when you add all the extra stuff that comes up, life can feel too busy. Looking ahead to September I feel a slight sigh of relief, as my calendar looks less busy.

            Some of the extra stuff was good, like family time. My newlywed niece came east to join her family at the beach for a week. There was a family gathering to celebrate the couple since some of us were unable to attend their wedding in Idaho. It was great to spend time with them. I also got the chance to meet my nephew’s new girlfriend.

            The best part of spending time with these four young adults is to see the fire and passion they have for life. Each of them has a heart to make a positive difference in the lives of the people God puts in their path. Their love and desire to serve God is evident in their eyes and their words. It was both a blessing and an encouragement to my spirit to spend time with each of them and to hear their positive outlook on life and the future.

            I had another opportunity to spend some time with young people last week. My boss asked if I could help judge some fifth graders to determine who would get to attend Ron Clark’s Leadership Academy. The fifth graders were given multiple tasks to do while being judged by multiple groups of adults. Right there I would have flunked as a fifth grader. Not these kids! The students that I evaluated spent three minutes in another room learning a skill, and then they had to come into my room and teach that skill to a sixth-grade student they had never met. These fifth graders walked into the room with poise and confidence. Most walked up to me with great eye contact and introduced themselves. They asked me my name and shook my hand.

            Then they proceeded to teach the skill that they had just learned. Obviously, they performed the task in varying abilities, but they all did a very good job. I was hugely impressed by these young people. How could these fifth graders develop such confidence? I believe that the school bought into a program that will change the trajectory of all the students’ lives. They are teaching skills like how to get along with others, how to include everyone and leave no one behind, how to help others live up to their potential, and how to be a great team member, knowing that each member plays an important part of the success of everyone.   

            This school is teaching fifth graders how to be great role models for the younger students. Can you imagine the impact that will have on their community? There are some future corporate leaders being molded in that school, movers and shakers, people who will become shining examples for their employees and the companies they lead.

            I wish I had the confidence these young people have when I was in fifth grade. Can you imagine the difference we could make if we had that kind of confidence in our faith? What would happen if we could lead lost people to Jesus through our confidently shared example? Imagine the impact if every person stuck in sin would encounter the love of God confidently shining through us.  

            We have the light! We have the hope they need! We know the way! We have the truth inside of us! We know and have experienced the love and acceptance of God; how might our communities change if we let that flow through us like rivers of living water? We need to believe in ourselves like those fifth graders. The lost need to see the love of God in our eyes. They need to hear our positive outlook in a future filled with hope and promise.

            I want to encourage you to believe in yourself and in the testimony of God’s work in your life. He has revealed Himself to you and proven His love and faithfulness to you. Now we need to let our lights shine in the darkness. We need to believe that our testimony is worthy to be shared. We have trusted God and seen Him come through for us. When we confidently share our story, it will touch and change lives in ways we cannot imagine.

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

By Doug Creamer

            Do you find making decisions difficult? Some people are able to make decisions quickly and easily, while others struggle. Some decisions are easy, like deciding what to drink. Give me a glass of sweet tea. It’s the south, tea should be sweet! Other decisions require much more effort and time.

            Decisions are difficult because one decision can impact others. Some decisions might challenge our moral fiber or cause us to bend our values. How far will we compromise in order to move forward in life? Some work-related compromises might be as simple as having to rise earlier in the morning or stay later in the evening. Others decisions might require far greater.

            Promotions are great, but at what cost? If you had to move to another state, would you take the promotion? If you are single, that decision might be easier than if you are married with children. What if the promotion required you to go from first shift to second shift, would you take it?

            Deciding to buy a car is a big decision. Do you buy a new or used one? That sports car looks fun, but what will the insurance cost? One decision can impact another. Buying a house is another big decision. Which neighborhood is best? What schools will the children attend? How far is the house from work? What style house do you like?

            Another part of good decision making is seeking out great advisors. Seeking professional advice might initially cost you some money but ultimately save you money in the long run. If you choose the wrong plumber, lawyer, or doctor, you might not get the service you expect. The wrong plumber might be too expensive. The wrong lawyer may not make the right case for you. The wrong doctor could negatively impact your health. So how do you make the right choice?

            It all begins with prayer. You might argue that God is way too busy to help with my little decisions, but you would be wrong. God cares about every little detail of your life. The Bible teaches us that God knows every hair that is on your head, so that means He cares about all your decisions, even the little ones.

When you pray, ask God for wisdom and guidance as you approach the decision. I believe the most important part is to be willing to hear any choice God might have for you. Most people approach God and tell Him what they decided and ask Him to bless it. What if your decision is not His best plan for your life? How can He bless what He knows will turn out badly for you?

This step requires faith. God might open a door for you that doesn’t look like a huge blessing or a great opportunity, but in the end might be far greater than you could ever have imagined. God sees things you don’t. He might be planning for this decision to be a stepping stone, testing your obedience, before He blesses you.

I believe that seeking spiritual guidance from your pastor or other trusted spiritual leaders in your life is vital to good decision making. Spiritual leaders want the best for you and can seek God on your behalf and get a sense which direction you should go or avoid. God can use spiritual leaders to provide biblical guidance and a deeper sense of inner peace.

Ultimately we have to believe that God is in control and that He wants and will provide what is best for our lives. We also have to understand that God is going to lead us down a path, not a super highway. Paths create challenges for us. Paths cause us to seek and cry out to God for help. Paths require us to be in God’s Word so we can find our way. Paths will make us build a deeper relationship with God where we will see and experience Him as our Heavenly Father.

I want to encourage you to bring every decision before God and seek His guidance in your life. I understand that daily routine decisions don’t require us to seek God but we have to understand that God wants to be invited into our daily routines just as much as life’s bigger decisions. He has made great plans for our lives and has hidden treasures along the path for us. We have to slow down, seek His face, listen, and be willing to wait on Him if we want to make good choices. His wisdom and love will guide us if we seek and invite His direction.

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

By Doug Creamer

            How many of you struggle with left and right? It has always been a challenge for me. If you tell me to turn right, there is a reflexive action that will happen. My fingers will move to pick up an imaginary pen. I am right-handed and I will pick up the imaginary pen with my right hand. 

            When it comes to following directions, I am proficient. I have friends who struggle to get from place to place. If I go someplace one time, I can pretty much get there again. My best friend lived out in the middle of nowhere that required many turns on twisty roads, but I was always able to find my way there.

            Google Maps helps us find our way. If I am going someplace new, I will look at Google Maps and then bring up street view so I can see what corners and turns look like in real life. I am a very visual person and these aids can make a big difference.

            Doors can pose the same challenge as directions: “Should I go through that open door?” Open doors are inviting, but they are not always inviting us through them. Many people keep their doors open on a nice, sunny day, but that does not mean it’s an invitation to enter. Doors in many ways represent choices that we have to make in life. Do we go through the door, take advantage of the opportunity, or do we walk past the door?

            I think that many people believe that when God opens a door for us it will mean we are heading down easy street. They believe that everything is going to work well and that there will be no problems. While I firmly believe that when God opens a door for us it is intended as a blessing, I also believe that open doors often equate to growth opportunities. The blessing comes with challenges that will grow our faith and trust in God. An open door means that God wants to bring us into a deeper, more mature relationship with Him.

            An open door often means that God is giving us an opportunity to develop skills and abilities that He sees in us. That implies that we will have to work hard and push ourselves in order to grow into the opportunity. As we grow and improve our skills and abilities we will discover the many blessings God intended for us.

            I ran the cooperative education program for most of my career. I placed students on jobs and had a training plan for their growth and development as student workers. Maybe it is because of this background that I firmly believe that God has a training plan for us. He wants to develop our character. He wants us to know we can trust Him. He wants our faith muscles to grow strong.

            Think about King David’s training plan. He fought the lion and bear long before he defeated Goliath. After Samuel anointed him as king, his father sent him back to watch the sheep. He served King Saul by playing music for him. He also served Saul as a military leader long before he was in charge of the entire military. Some of David’s earliest followers were thieves, thugs, and the rejects of society, who he trained to become his mighty men. All of these combined to train David into a great king.

            If God has opened a door for you then I want to encourage you to be strong and courageous as you walk through that door of opportunity. This door does not lead to easy street. God is going to require you to step up into this opportunity, to grow, to mature, to build skills and hidden abilities, to overcome, and to work really hard. You will have to depend on God and build those faith muscles. But I firmly believe that God has hidden some wonderful blessings for you along the way. He sees great things in your future, but some of those things are going to require you give it all you’ve got. I believe you can do it. Take God’s hand and head on through that door, that opportunity, God has for you.

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

By Doug Creamer

            Every August I head outside late at night to watch the sky in hopes of seeing some meteors. August is the time for the Perseid Meteor showers. They tend to last for over a week, with one or two peak nights. I have a folding chair that almost reclines, and I take that out to a dark place in my yard and watch the sky for a magical show.

            This annual tradition all began over forty years ago. My sister was a lifeguard on the Outer Banks and worked for the National Park Service. She invited me to come and stay for a few nights with her. She would work all day guarding and I would hang out at the beach. After work we would eat dinner and then always did something fun.

            One night as I was heading to bed she told me about the meteor shower that night. She said she was getting up in the middle of the night to go out and watch them and asked if I wanted to go out with her. Sometime in the middle of the night she woke me up and we went out and laid on the picnic table to watch for meteors.

            When I looked up I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Where did all those stars come from? I had never seen that many stars in all my life. It was absolutely beautiful. Then the meteors started to fall. We were having a great time watching nature put on a fantastic show. Then straight overhead a meteor hit the atmosphere that lit up the night sky. It was a pure bright light that lasted for only a second or two. We both exclaimed, “Wow!” at the same time. It was spectacular! It left a trail in the night sky that lasted for over a minute. We were both so excited to see such an incredibly beautiful sight.

            I have gone out every year since, hoping that I might see something like that again. I have been lucky enough to see a few small fireballs through the years. I have also seen one huge fireball on a different night that was seen from several states. But the memory of that one night with my sister has kept me looking up every August in hopes of seeing something special once again. I love getting someplace where it is dark, especially at the beach, where I can look up at God’s wondrous creation and admire its beauty.  

            The darker you can get your surroundings the more you can see and appreciate the beauty of His heavenly creations. In the darkness, the slightest light can shine brightly. This is something we need to apply to our spiritual lives. God has placed His light in our spirits and we have the responsibility to let that light shine in the darkness.

            Many people live their lives walking around in spiritual darkness. They are hopeless. They are trapped in their sinful lives. They don’t know any way out or any different way of life. They are lost and in need of a savior.

            That’s where we come into the equation. God has put His light in our hearts to be a beacon of hope to those who don’t know His love and forgiveness. Our job is to share the light so they can discover God’s love, mercy, and hope. People who are stuck in their sin don’t realize that God has a plan for their freedom, and better yet, a plan for their future.

            God’s plan includes breaking their chains of sin and hopelessness. He wants them to experience complete forgiveness and total acceptance. He wants to exchange their anxiety and depression for His joy and peace. He wants them to stop feeling abandoned and join the family of God. He wants to change their destination from being separated from God to heaven where they will know His love and care for all eternity.

            I want to encourage you to let your light shine in this dark world. Boldly share your faith and the reason for your hope. Let those who are walking in darkness know that they can experience God’s unconditional love right here, right now. He wants to guide them into a life of fulfillment and peace. It’s available to them today if they will only open their hearts to receive God’s love and forgiveness. You can be the light that can lead people to God’s love. So let your light shine as a testimony of God’s love. Let your light offer hope to all who will come.

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

By Doug Creamer

            Everyone who knows me knows that I love weather. I watch the weather every day and keep track of storms. I may not know the high temperature we are expecting on a particular day, but I can tell you about storms that are on the way. My favorites are snowstorms and hurricanes. I will start tracking them long before the weather people on TV begin to mention them.

            I used to know all the weather people from both Charlotte and Greensboro stations. The internet allows me access to the models, which I follow very closely. Since I gained that access, I have almost stopped following the local weather personalities. I check out some of their websites, follow a few weather bloggers, and go to the Weather Channel website, too. I still prefer to drill down into the data myself and see what I think based on the models.

            When snowstorms and hurricanes are brewing, I check the models as soon as they update.  I have developed an email list of people who want to know what I am thinking about a major weather event. It is all for fun and to see how accurately I can “guess” what will happen. I include side notes about some possible extremes just for fun.

            It is Tuesday evening as I sit here at my computer. Hurricane Debby is now tropical storm Debby and she is planning to give us lots of rain. While we will experience some flooding in our area, the people along the coast will be experiencing significant flooding. The number one search on Google for that area is: how do you build an ark? But seriously, keep them in your prayers.

            When Noah built the ark it took a long time. His sons helped, but it still took a long, long time to build the ark. If we were given that assignment today, it would take large crews of men working overtime to complete such a huge project. All the crews would become good friends as they worked long hours beside each other to get everything complete.

            Working beside someone can help build connections, relationships, and even friendships. Deep friendships don’t develop overnight. It takes a personal investment of our time. Once a friendship is established neither time nor distance will break the bonds.

            My best friend and I became friends at work. We ate lunch together every day and talked about work, personal struggles, or whatever was going on in our lives at the time. Our friendship developed naturally over time. We spent time together at work and socially. We helped each other out. He helped me move; now that is a true test of friendship!

            Early in our friendship we developed two boundaries. We decided not to talk about politics because we were on opposite sides of the aisle. The interesting thing to me is that we both thought more alike than we realized. We could have discussed our different ideas because we were willing to meet in the middle and understand our different perspectives. The media portrays us as a divided country, but I believe if we could just sit down together and talk that we have more in common with each other than we realize and that we could become friends.

            The other topic my friend quarantined was faith. His faith was personal and private. I am very outgoing when it comes to talking about my faith in God. A couple years before he passed I was at his house when he told me that I was a good writer. I asked him how he knew. He said he had printed out and read all my columns and kept them in notebooks. His faith was deep and rich. I drove home that night reflecting on our friendship. We had talked faith for all the years we knew each other…we just didn’t use words. I miss my best friend mainly because we were real with each other and we were there for each other in spite of any differences.

            I want to encourage you to treasure your friendships. I was reminded recently that true friends look past different opinions to look at the heart. Someone who will stand with you through thick and thin is a true treasure. I miss my best friend, his laughter, the joking, the comradery, and the true judgement-free connection. It is hard for some to accept, but God wants to be best friends with you. All you have to do is open your heart to Him and spend some time with Him…the friendship will develop naturally, deeply over time.  

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

By Doug Creamer

            My garden has been weighing on my mind. With all the hot weather I haven’t wanted to work in the garden. The recent slightly cooler temperatures encouraged me to get out there. The weeds had taken over in two of my raised beds. I wanted to take back my garden beds and get them growing vegetables again.

            I got two wheelbarrows full of weeds and spent vegetables out of the garden. I did get a small harvest of potatoes and butter beans out of the weeds. I was glad to get something out of that space. Once the weeds were gone I planted seeds in hopes of getting a nice fall harvest.

            Most years I try to replant my garden around the beginning of August in hopes of getting a second harvest. It is normally hot so I will work late in the evening when it is cooler. I have actually been out there as late as midnight, weeding and planting my garden. I worked until about dark getting the two beds cleaned out and planted.

            Last fall we got some of the best green beans that I have ever grown. We are hoping for the same result this year. I always plant some sunflowers for the birds. I have tried some broccoli and lettuce. I tried some pumpkins a couple of times but they weren’t ready for Halloween. One year I had a good crop of peas and beans but lost them all to an early freeze.

            I never know what will produce and what won’t before we get a frost. Some years I have gotten lucky with some late tomatoes. It is hard to imagine cold weather when we are so hot. I have been lucky with late gardens in recent years, but gardening is a game against Mother Nature. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

            I am not a big gardening gambler. I will wait until the average last day for frost before I plant and I will use sheets to cover plants if a frost is possible. Sometimes I take chances, especially with a fall garden because I like to watch things grow. Planting seeds and watching them pop through the soil stirs hope inside me.

            It should be the same in our spiritual lives. We should share our faith in Jesus with others. When we do, we are planting seeds in their lives. No one knows which seeds will grow and produce a harvest. We don’t know if our words or actions might be the thing that helps a person turn and accept Jesus as their Savior. We know the results if we don’t share our faith.

            The trouble is that it is hard to share our faith. We take the risk of being rejected or ridiculed, or called a hypocrite if we aren’t perfect. Since we know that we aren’t perfect then the risk factor increases substantially. The other factor is that the enemy whispers to us that we aren’t worthy of sharing our faith. We know ourselves, so we sometimes listen.

            We have to take our eyes off ourselves and look to Jesus. Do you want anyone to miss eternity in heaven with Jesus? I don’t. That means I have to swallow my pride and put all those worries and concerns out of my head. I need to be willing to take the risk, open my heart, and share why I believe in Jesus. There are so many ways God has come through for me in my times of need. Those stories are my testimony to God’s love for me. Those undeniably true stories can penetrate the darkness and hard hearts that I hope to reach.

            Your journey of faith is a story that reveals the hand of God in your life. It reveals His faithfulness. It illustrates His mercy and forgiveness. It tells of His grace. It magnifies the depth and breadth of His love. It exposes His compassion and tenderness. Your story, my story, is worth repeating to anyone who will listen. It can melt the hardest heart and bring light into a lost person’s dark world.

            I encourage you to share your story with people. To those of us who are saved, it encourages us as we deal with the daily struggles of life. To the lost it offers hope that there really is a God who cares deeply about our needs and wants. So many people see God as being far away when in reality He is really close. Our stories illustrate God’s love in vivid detail. Take the risk; you never know whose heart might be ready to respond to God’s love.

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

By Doug Creamer

            We have been enjoying some nice rain showers at our house lately. After a long, hot, dry spell it has been a very welcome change. With the rain, we have enjoyed some slightly cooler temperatures. Anything under 90 for a high is appreciated. One of the real struggles with the really hot weather is maintaining my walking schedule. I love walking in the spring and fall but it is hard to make myself walk in the heat and humidity.

            Since I want to hibernate in the air conditioning, I don’t want to go out and work in my garden. I have gone out and picked tomatoes and some other treats from the garden. With the rain-cooled air I went out to inspect the garden the other day and discovered that I am losing the battle with the weeds. While I have been hiding inside, they have worked overtime to take over the garden. I pulled a wheelbarrow full of weeds the other evening and looked out from the house and I could hardly tell I had done any work at all! Bad weeds!

            I guess we are in the middle of summer. Some call it the dead of summer. I guess that comes before the Dog Days of August. I was thinking about the term “dead of summer” and realizing we have the term “dead of winter” for the middle of winter. There is no such thing as the dead of fall or spring, so why do we call it the “dead” of summer or winter?

            I guess it refers to the time of summer when most people prefer to be inside avoiding the most oppressive part of the summer heat. The dead of winter is the same, the holiday season is over and all we have to look forward to is the bleak winter while we wait for spring to emerge. The dead of summer and winter are the same in that we all stay inside waiting for the weather to change and become more tolerable. We can’t abide the extreme heat or cold.

            When we get to the middle of anything it seems hard to press on to the end. As runners get to the middle of a race they talk about getting a second wind. It’s a new deposit of energy to propel the runner to the end of the race. One runner friend says that sometimes as you hit the middle of a race there is a desire to quit but that the runner must persevere if they want to find the second wind.

            I believe there is a similar call to us in our Christian walk. We encounter struggles and challenges that try to push us down or knock us out of the race. In those moments God is calling us to dig deep inside and find the courage to persevere. Don’t give up. Keep trusting that God is in your situation and that He is fighting for you.

            I think that our ability to persevere is dependent upon where we have our eyes. Are we looking at the situations we are facing and feeling overwhelmed? Or are we looking at Jesus who is the source of our strength and keeping our eyes focused on Him? When we focus on our circumstances then we will obviously feel overwhelmed. If our circumstances are only minor inconveniences there is no need for faith to overcome. We will simply push ourselves through.

            However, when our circumstances seem overwhelming and our eyes are focused on them then we will find ourselves discouraged and feeling defeated. When the bills are greater than the income… When the medical situation is not improving… When loved ones are losing the battle with addiction… When worry, anxiety, fear, and depression are oppressing our minds… We have to refocus our minds and thoughts on how big our God is in EVERY situation.

            There is nothing too difficult for Him. There is no situation that He can’t turn around. There is no one beyond His reach. There is no bill He can’t pay. Peter walked on water until he looked at his circumstances and realized he shouldn’t be able to do that. He took his eyes off of Jesus. We have to keep our eyes on our Savior…Our provider…Our deliverer…Our victory!

I want to encourage you to press on, to persevere in and through your situation. We all need to remind ourselves of His many promises and allow them to propel us through our situations into His arms. We can persevere with His help. We can depend on our Heavenly Father. We just have to keep our eyes on Him and persevere.

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

By Doug Creamer

            Life has been challenging recently. We have both been dealing with some personal issues that have dragged us down. I feel like we are both running in low gear. There are things that need to be done but neither of us has any energy to get them done. We are staying afloat but we are just not seeing any headway. We also see God’s hand of grace and help.

            When I step back and consider the challenges we are facing and overcoming I realize that we are fortunate. I have neighbors who are facing far greater challenges. They are having to dig deep and trust God in far greater ways to overcome their challenges. Often when we are facing trials and challenges we try to make it on our own. Those are moments when we need to lean heavily on our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to draw on the energy of the prayers of those who stand with us as we go through our trials and storms.

            In moments of great challenge, especially when we are dealing with health issues, we have a tendency to pull back from our church family. We feel that resting at home will do us more good than being together with our church family. When we are struggling, we need to be with our church family so they can see our struggles and know how they can better pray for us and stand with us.

            That leads me to another way we struggle. It is hard for most of us to allow someone else to do things for us. When someone comes to help us in practical ways or make us a meal we struggle to receive that help. I am not sure what keeps us from being on the receiving end of a blessing. Most of us are good at blessing others but find is hard to receive blessings.

            I recently asked my Sunday school class: how do you see God in the middle of your struggles? Some look to God like Santa Claus, asking Him for everything without really wanting a relationship with Him. God has a deep desire to connect with mankind. He wants a relationship with each one of us. He doesn’t want to be Santa or a Genie in a bottle.

            The Bible teaches us that God has many names and I want to explore a few of them with you. First, He is Jehovah Jireh, God our provider. He meets our needs. Many think that is limited to our financial needs. God cares about ALL your needs and wants to help you discover how to meet them. It’s okay to express your needs to God. He cares about your situation and needs.

            He is also Jehovah Rapha, God our healer. I know that many of you need a touch from God in your physical body. I encourage you to let God know about your health needs. I believe God is still in the healing business today. I also believe that God will lead us to doctors who can help us and bring healing through procedures or medications. Our part is to trust Him as we walk through the process. He will be with us all the way!

            In our turbulent world, many struggle to find peace of mind. If you watch the news on a regular basis it is easy to see why you are struggling to find peace. There is no peace in our world. We all desire peace but it eludes us. The good news is one of God’s names is Jehovah Shalom, God our peace. Shalom is wholeness and peace of the body, mind, and spirit. We can find peace in God. When we turn our hearts and minds over to Him, He can give us an inner peace that helps us overcome the anxieties and worries in this world.

            There are so many other aspects of God that I have not even touched upon, but I want you to know that we have a great big God who is on your side and with you whatever you are facing. I want to encourage you to take your needs to God and then wait in His presence. Listen for His voice to guide you through your circumstances. He has a plan. He will see you through. He is greater than your circumstances. He will guard your heart and mind. Trust Him with the details. His love for you is greater than you can ever imagine. Let God surround you and meet your needs, Jireh; heal your body, Rapha; and give you perfect peace, Shalom!

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

By Doug Creamer

Time Flies

            Why does time move so quickly when we are on vacation? I just had a little time off from work and it seems like it went by so quickly. We stayed busy most of the time. Time doesn’t fly by like that at work, but it sure moves quickly when you get some time off.

            A chunk of the time was devoted to traveling to visit family. It is always nice to catch up with family and to enjoy some good food. I spent one glorious afternoon sitting on the beach with my sister, who lives just a couple of blocks from the water. We shared about our busy lives. We laughed about all kinds of things. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day on the beach.

            There is so much that has to be done before we travel and then there is always much to do when we get home. That time flies by so quickly. I also scheduled a couple of doctor appointments while I was off…more time evaporated. I could have scheduled those doctor appointments for another time, but that makes work weeks feel so busy.

            The Fourth of July fell during my time off. That was a great day that went by too quickly. My family gathered at my brother’s house for our annual feast. There were burgers and dogs along with all the traditional trimmings. The best parts were enjoying a meal with my brother and sister, spending some time with my parents, and cheering for the fireworks.

            I stayed behind to help my brother clean things up. When everyone was gone I asked my brother if he wanted to shoot a game of pool. My brother is competitive and very good at pool. I mainly enjoy the time we get to spend together. Basically, my brother always beats me unless I hit a particularly hot streak. I lost the first game. He accidently hit the eight ball in on the second game, so I won. Then fate pulled a fickle trick on my brother and allowed me to win. I was up two games to one. I quit while I was ahead. I am not sure if that is a rare event or if it ever happened before, but I can assure you that I will not let my brother forget it.

            I am really glad that I got to spend some quality time with my family on both sides. I realize that we are all getting older and that time truly does move quickly. Maybe it is not just vacation time that moves so fast but it’s time in general. I think we have a choice in the midst of time’s movement. We can choose to enjoy and connect with others and learn to treasure the time, or we can let it slip through our fingers and miss the memories.

            My Dad pointed out that my beard is mostly white. I told him that I am getting older. My brother and I talked for a little while about some decisions we were making and he said he appreciated my wisdom. The passage of time does afford us some wisdom and perspective if we will glean it along the way. We have to choose to learn the lessons of life as time moves along. Age is no guarantee of wisdom; we have to acquire the lessons.

            It is hard for me to understand that time does not exist in heaven. God saw my birth before it happened and He has seen my ending. He has an eternal perspective that is not restricted by time. When we pray about something and it seems like God is not answering, it only seems that way to us because we are living in time. He has answered our prayers and has worked everything out…we just have to wait to see the results.

            Whatever situation you are facing right now that seems to have escaped God’s attention… let me encourage you that God knows every detail of what is on your heart. It’s on His heart too! He has already acted on your situation. He sees it as done, fixed, and complete. He sees you on the other side. He sees you as overcoming. He has already answered your prayers. I know you can’t see it yet…but the key word is YET. Trust Him. Believe in Him. We live with time and yes, I do believe it flies until we are waiting for an answer from Him. Fear not! Your Father loves you and He will come through for you. It just takes a little more time.

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