Doug’s Columns

By Doug Creamer

            For many years my brother and I teased each other about our work. My brother is a supervisor who walks around and points at things and tells his employees to do this or that. What is so hard about pointing and grunting at employees? I am a teacher and he teased me that someone was paying me to talk. I loved to talk as a kid, and I still love to talk today. He couldn’t believe that I got someone to pay me to do what I love to do. “You call that work?” we would ask each other, and then we would laugh.

            I retired from teaching back in June of 2019. I taught online for over two years, and now I am teaching part-time at the community college. I was thinking today, while I was at work, what a great job I have. I still love teaching. I am being paid to talk. I sure feel lucky.

            My new job has kept me very busy, and I have had little time to catch up with friends and family. Things are beginning to settle down into a more manageable routine and I am hoping to catch back up with some friends. As Covid numbers continue to fall, I hope I can meet some friends for meals in restaurants. It is good to share a meal and fellowship together.

            Actually, I have shared a meal with a couple of friends recently. We talked about our churches. We discussed our spiritual lives, family lives, and our work lives. We talked about health challenges we and our families are facing. Both friends talked about their children. Both guys really love their kids and are so proud of them.

            In both cases, the meal ended but the conversation continued to flow like a river. We continued to talk about a variety of things. Both guys love Jesus and our friendship is anchored in our faith. The meal we shared is just an excuse to build and strengthen our friendships. Another thing that happens when you spend time together is that you learn better how to pray for each other and how to encourage each other. That’s the heart of fellowship.

            There are several pictures and decorative items on the walls at my church that focus on the importance of gathering. There is rarely a sermon from our pastor when he doesn’t emphasize the need for us as Christians to be in fellowship with each other. We had a men’s breakfast recently, and it was a great time. The women have also gathered for fellowship.

            COVID has kept many people from gathering. Justifiably, many families have avoided family gatherings or reunions for fear of spreading COVID. Unfortunately, isolation is not good for people. We need each other. We need to share our stories so we can encourage and be encouraged by each other. Life is hard. We all fall down sometime and need a helping hand.

            The same thing applies to the family of God. There are times that we may need to stay home because we are sick, and that’s okay. We may need to be away from church because we are caring for loved ones and that’s okay, too. We do need to remain vigilant against COVID, but the fact remains, we need fellowship. We need each other. Being together helps us see that we are not alone in our daily struggles. Being together helps us encourage and challenge each other to keep walking the walk of faith, to keep pressing on when we feel like quitting.

            Being together helps us know how to pray for each other. After spending time with my friends and knowing their hearts, I know better how to fight with them in prayer. I know how to support and encourage them because I know the battles they face. I can also rejoice with them about the good things happening in their lives. We can also spend some time laughing together. You know that laughter is medicine for the soul.

            I want to encourage you to look for and take advantage of opportunities when you can be with your brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to be safe and considerate of other’s comfort level with gatherings. Thankfully, warmer weather will allow for opportunities to gather outside. I need my family and am thankful that we are close, but I need my church family and godly brothers and sisters in my life, too. We can pray for each other and encourage and challenge each other to a closer walk with God. United, we can help each other make it until that great day when He comes to gather us and take us to our eternal home.

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

By Doug Creamer

            Have you seen your first robin of Spring? There have been a few in our yard over the last couple of weeks. There is a part of me that hopes that they are right, while the other part is still hoping for one last snow. I can see some trees are budding out. My blueberries will probably bloom within a week or two. Spring flowers are blooming everywhere you look. But we can’t be fooled by them. I have plenty of pictures of spring flowers blooming through the snow.

            We started to do some of our spring tasks outside. We pruned back the butterfly bushes and the hydrangea. With the string of dry, warm days I couldn’t help myself; I got out my garden tiller and ran it through part of my garden. We have four raised beds for the vegetables; I tilled two of them. It was so good to be out working the soil.

            I know that we are a long way off from planting anything in the garden, but I am getting the gardening fever. I stood out there daydreaming about where I would plant things. I was looking over the fences; they need a little work to tighten them up. There is a lot of work that we want to do.

            There is another wonderful thing that the warmer weather allows, and that is lunch on the front porch. I love to be outside as much as possible, except for the extreme cold of winter and the extreme heat and humidity of summer. There is something peaceful about sitting on the front porch. I enjoy reading out there. I also enjoy just sitting quietly. I can feel His presence. I enjoy praying and talking to the Lord in the peacefulness.

            Speaking of peacefulness, I enjoy how quiet it is late at night when I take the trash out. When I take the trash out my wife knows that I might be outside for a while. I love looking at the stars and watching for shooting stars. Whenever there are meteor showers I will drag a chair outside and lay back and watch for a long time. It is so quiet. I can hear the soft rustling of the leaves in the breeze, or one of the neighborhood dogs barking. It’s another time that I can quiet my mind and my spirit and just be with Him.

            I guess when I think about it, I love spring and fall because I can be outside more during those times of the year. However, my sinuses don’t like spring and fall because of the allergens in the air. Regardless of my allergies, I am going to spend as much time as possible outside. I love working outside and spending some quiet time with the Lord.

            I have learned an interesting lesson in recent years. I will go to the Lord with an area of my life that I think needs to be improved or changed. I know that I can and should do better in that area of my life. I make plans for improvement and tell Him to help me.

            The trouble with this approach is that I am telling Him what needs to be done. The result is that He sits down and everything in my life seems to fall apart. My attitude stinks, my behavior get out of line, and the weeds of sin sprout and grow unchecked. But I stay focused on that one area and find little success in changing myself.

            What I have learned is to go to Jesus and ask Him where He would like to work in my life. It’s interesting because He chooses something that I didn’t even know needed His attention. When we work together we make great progress. The amazing thing is that not only do I see improvement in the area where He is working, but all areas of my life seem to be improving, even those areas that I thought needed improvement. 

            I want to encourage you to spend time with the Lord and allow Him to choose what areas in your life He wants to work on. He wants to make us all like Jesus, so that means we all have areas for Him to work on. True change comes when we cooperate with Him. When we allow Him to work, He uses the tools of grace, the power we need to change; mercy, unwarranted forgiveness; and His perfect love, which constantly reminds us that we are securely in His hands. Let’s choose to work with Him and watch our lives bloom in His presence.

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

By Doug Creamer

            What have you been doing the last week? I have been looking at the news every chance I get to see what is happening over in Ukraine. You would have to be living under a rock not to know that Russia has violated the sovereignty of another nation. They have committed an act of war against the people of Ukraine.

            I look at multiple websites, trying to develop a balanced view of what is happening in the world. Each news source slants the news to fit their political views. Whatever your source of news, there are certain undeniable facts: women and children are suffering, families have been divided, and young men are dying…those are circumstances of any war.

            The images from Ukraine are not pretty. Missiles have hit apartment complexes and tanks are driving down roads that should hold cars and trucks. Schools are not places of learning but places where people hope to find shelter from the falling bombs. Places where children once laughed and played are now silent.

            We know little of what the governments around the world are doing. Wisely, they keep quiet lest they become targets of Russian attacks. We wonder what the governments can do to stop this aggression. We know that governments have stopped the flow of money and refused to allow Russian planes to enter their airspace.

            We also know that some countries have sent supplies and weapons to help in the fight. We may wonder why countries haven’t sent military men and women to help Ukraine. If a country sends military help into Ukraine, it would be joining a war and therefore committing that whole country to help fight in the battle. It would also open the door for Russia to attack that country. The answer to this Russian invasion is not easy.

            Each country will have to struggle to answer the very difficult question of how to help. Some will call for military intervention, while others will protest against any involvement. Sadly, the losers in these situations are the families who have been displaced and those who lose loved ones during the conflict. There is much suffering for both sides. 

            Last night I thought about the people in Ukraine while I took my shower. I thanked God as the warm water rolled off me, wondering how many of them had not had a warm shower in a week. I got some ice cream, brushed my teeth, and climbed into my very comfortable bed. As I lay there I couldn’t stop thinking about them sleeping in bomb shelters on hard floors. They were probably hungry, cold, and wondering if they would make it through the night. My prayers seemed so feeble, but I prayed hard for them.

            This morning I stood at the kitchen window watching and listening to a beautiful cardinal singing a cheerful song. I thanked God. For the last couple of days I have been especially thankful for each of my meals. I imagine many in Ukraine are not getting three square meals. I am also thankful for the safety I feel here at home.

            I walked around my yard this afternoon, enjoying all the signs of spring. There were some beautiful flowers blooming, my blueberry bushes are budding, the saucer magnolia tree is blooming, and the sun was warm and comforting. It was amazingly peaceful in my yard today and I thanked God for all that I had seen and enjoyed. My life is good: the power is on, the water flows, and the house is good and warm.

            My wife shared a ray of hope from Ukraine last night. The world-renown chef José Andrés is in Poland at the Ukrainian border serving meals to thousands of refugees trying to escape the fighting. Chef Andrés is the founder of World Central Kitchen, a non-profit which provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. I have seen him interviewed; he is awesome. It never ceases to amaze me how good people can rise up in the worst of circumstances and do incredible and wonderful things for others.

            I want to encourage you first to be thankful for the many blessing in your life. Maybe things are tough for you, but there are always things for which we can be thankful: our food, shelter, a good job, and great friends. Secondly, I encourage you to pray for the people of Ukraine and the world’s leaders. Your prayers make a difference. We serve the God of the impossible. Trust Him, give your life to Him, and thank Him for His many blessings. 

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

By Doug Creamer

            The Easter bunny came for a little visit last Sunday. I’m getting ahead of myself here; let me start at the beginning. I was walking around the side of the house after church last Sunday when I saw a neighbor out in her yard, so I waved. She called out, “Do you own a rabbit?” I responded, “No, why?”

            There was a beautiful white rabbit hopping around my backyard. We watched it for a little while and were both concerned for its wellbeing. We’ve seen hawks and owls in our neighborhood. It was friendly and we both petted the little bunny. It was obvious to both of us that this rabbit was someone’s pet.

            I decided to catch the rabbit. I got out our cat carrier and some gloves to be careful, and scooped the little rabbit up. He was just about in the cage when the rabbit began to kick me with his strong back legs. With his head inside the carrier, I thought I had won. When I released my grip he twirled around and hopped away.

            He didn’t run very far. He was playing a little game with me. I swooped around and captured him again. This time I put a hand around those strong back legs. He slid right in the carrier this time and I got the door closed. Mission accomplished, but now what?

            My neighbor and I looked at the beautiful rabbit and then we got a carrot for him. While he munched on it, we talked about options, including keeping the little guy. We each encouraged the other to keep it. I don’t think either of us was ready to adopt a new pet.

            We called another neighbor and asked if she would post about the lost rabbit on our community Facebook page. We took some cute pictures and she posted about it. Wow, did that create a stir. There were tons of comments on the little rabbit. No one said it was their rabbit, but there were several who were willing to adopt it.

            The last I checked on it, the bunny has a new home. I have heard through the grapevine that the family is very happy with their new rabbit. That little rabbit may not know it, but it brought a much-needed ray of sunshine to our little community. I admit it; the little white rabbit brought sunshine to my soul, too.

            I like a happy ending, when the lost become found. This little rabbit who lost his way has found a new home where he will be loved and cared for by a warm, loving family. Does that story remind you of any other story? Yes, me too.

            All of us know people who are like that little rabbit. They seem content, hopping around in their daily lives, but their souls are lost and unprotected. Their souls don’t have a place to call home. They are in need of someone to come along and rescue them.

            Some people don’t even realize that their soul is in danger. They don’t know the perfect peace that God gives His children. They have never met Jesus and discovered His love. They don’t realize that Jesus has paid for all their sins and made a way for them to come home. They don’t have a safe place from the storms of life because they don’t know their Creator.

            Sadly, these souls don’t realize that there is a family just waiting for them. The family of God has opened the doors and their hearts to receive them. I know the family of God is not perfect, nor is any family on earth. My family isn’t perfect, but I love everyone in my family and pray for them often. The same holds true for my church family. We aren’t perfect, but we are a wonderful family who love each other deeply. We laugh hard and hold each other close when the road gets rocky. I wouldn’t exchange my church family for anything.

            I want to encourage you to get connected with a church family. I know you haven’t figured everything out yet, but that’s okay, we haven’t either. I know your life is a mess, that’s okay, because none of us has a perfect life either. I know you may be afraid and you want God to answer some questions, that’s okay, too. None of us knows all the answers, either…that’s what faith is all about…trusting God with what you don’t understand. Come home before it is too late. Come home where it is safe. Come home where you can find love and acceptance. Come home to the family of God. Come home!

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

By Doug Creamer

            I have always believed that our words are more powerful than we could ever imagine. I have to be careful with my words because I like to have fun and I am a bit of a prankster. I know that my words can hurt as well as heal. My words can bring laughter and bring tears. The words we choose are important because of their impact on people’s lives.

            Recently, I was talking with a colleague about my new job at the community college. I was telling her how much I am enjoying the job and the students. While I acknowledged that I was working really hard to learn the curriculum and prepare my lesson plans, I am really enjoying the whole experience. I told her that I loved being a teacher.

            In response, she said something simple yet very profound for me. She said “You love being a teacher because that is the way God made you.” I thought about her statement for a moment and was speechless. “That is the way God made you.” Even now, the statement still gives me goosebumps. God created me to be a teacher. I love being a teacher. I love doing what God created me to do.

            Many people have searched their whole lives to find their purpose, why God created them. I have known my purpose was to be a teacher for most of my life. Of course, there are parts of every job that aren’t fun. But I get great joy out of helping someone learn something they didn’t know…and that applies to both the natural and the spiritual realms.

            I was emailing another friend about my new job and how excited I am to teach. She said it was easy to see how much I was enjoying my new job. But then she said something that caught my attention. I explained to her that I was working long hours creating curriculum, lesson plans, PowerPoints, and handouts. I am working hard to stay one step in front of my students. I am tapping deep into my creative energy and things are flowing beautifully.

            My friend is a very creative person and she knows how that energy can flow. She said it sounded like I was burning the candle at both ends. She said you can do that for a short while, but I needed to consider slowing down and allowing my creative batteries to recharge. If I wanted to maintain the current creative flow I was enjoying, I needed some down time.

            I read her words several times. I saw the wisdom in what she was sharing with me. I love and thrive in the creative process, but all work and no play isn’t good for the creative process or for the students in my classroom. I took a deep breath, acknowledged the truth in what she wrote, and unplugged…for a little while.

            If our eyes are open, we can encounter wisdom from many different places in our lives. One of the greatest sources of wisdom comes from King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live. I have been reading Proverbs lately and enjoying my journey through the book. There are so many wise sayings about every aspect of life. He offers many practical applications on how to live everyday life.  

            There are other places to look in the Bible for practical wisdom. There are many stories which illustrate the benefits of keeping God first in our lives. The experiences in the stories are there to guide us and give us wisdom. Age does not dictate the amount of wisdom you possess, the amount of the Word of God hidden in your heart will determine that.

            Wisdom alone doesn’t determine your path in life; it also comes from your choices. We know the difference between right and wrong, yet we all choose wrong at different times. We need to slow down and consider our choices and the paths they will lead us down. We can’t choose for each other, we have to choose for ourselves. We can learn from each other and gain wisdom from each other’s life experiences.

            I want to encourage you to gain wisdom. There is a difference between wisdom and knowledge; choose wisdom. Wisdom can be gained by reading and meditating on God’s word. It can also be gained from listening to others who have walked down the same paths. God wants you to have a good trip through life, so listen for His voice and learn from His insights. God can and will give you wisdom even from good friends and co-workers.

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

By Doug Creamer

            I like to pray about as much as I like weather. I can hear you laughing! My fascination with weather stretches back to some of my earliest memories. I can remember watching the weather reports on the evening news. I knew all the weather personalities. I always want to know about the next storm, the new cold front, and when will it snow.

            But this column is about our prayers. We pray over our food, we pray together when we are at church, and we say our prayers before we go to sleep at night. We ask for God’s blessings and His divine protection. These are good prayers, meaningful prayers, ones that bring us peace and comfort.

            Sometimes our prayers don’t feel like enough. We ask God for His help, but it seems unheard. Someone is in the hospital and they seem to be going from bad to worse. Someone is struggling with the demons of drugs and/or alcohol and it feels like they are losing the battle. Depression and anxiety have taken someone into captivity and our prayers for them feel like they are hitting the ceiling.

            Our heart aches for the ones who struggle. We believe that prayer works, but why aren’t we seeing the evidence? We rush in to fix things ourselves only to watch situations slip through our fingers. Where do we turn for answers when it feels like prayer isn’t working? How do we maintain our hope when everything feels so hopeless?

            The first place we have to begin is in our thoughts. Our minds tell us that things look hopeless. We know better. God is faithful and He will never leave or forsake us. God loves us and those who are in need far greater than we can ever understand. God is well informed about every situation in our lives. Nothing escapes His attention. Those are facts that we have to tell our minds to get them working in the right direction.

            We also need to change our thinking about how we pray. There are times when we approach God with our lists. We pray for family and friends and those people who are facing terrible situations, the very ones we are talking about today. Those prayers that don’t seem to get answered were a part of our list that we brought to God.

            I think we may need to re-think our approach to God. If you have a computer or smartphone, look up the song, “Talking to Jesus.” Take a few minutes and listen. Let the song sink in. I think there is a difference between praying and talking to Jesus. Both are vital, but I think we often forget the power that can be found in talking to Jesus.

            I know there are times when we must get on our knees and intercede. There is a place for absolute brokenness before the Father. We should bring our lists to God because the Bible teaches us that God loves us and cares deeply about the desires of our hearts. But there is a difference between those prayers and “Talking to Jesus.”

            When you are talking to Jesus it’s like talking with your best friend about whatever is on your mind. You tell Him what you are thinking and feeling, even if those feelings seem wrong. You pour out your heart to Him because you know He cares for you. It’s okay to pull out the yucky stuff that is way down inside of you because you have a friend in Jesus. It’s okay to tell Him you are dealing with doubt, fear, anxiety, worry, and even hopelessness. He won’t judge you and He will appreciate your honesty.

            Do you know what is going to happen when you talk to Jesus like that? He will lift your burdens. He will assure you of His presence in your life. He will trade all the bad stuff for His perfect peace. You may not get the answers you want as fast as you want them, but you will know that He is on the job. If He sees every sparrow that falls and knows the number of hairs on your head, He’ll take your burdens. He’s got it!

            I want to encourage you to start talking to Jesus. If you have children, let them catch you talking to Jesus so they can learn from your example. In fact, you can teach them how to talk to Jesus. The next time you go to the hospital or you face what feels like impossible odds, start talking to Jesus. He is your best friend and He will walk with you through your circumstances.

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

By Doug Creamer

            I like to watch a variety of movies. Naturally, as a guy, I enjoy action movies. I liked the Jason Bourne series, and who doesn’t like a good James Bond movie? I enjoyed the Indiana Jones series, but that does go a ways back. Westerns are high on the list, especially a number of the old ones. Yes, I enjoy some science fiction movies, too.

            There are some movies that I have watched numerous times. Some Christmas movies I watch every holiday season. Honestly, there are too many to mention by name in this space, and some of them might get me quite a ribbing from a few friends. I will admit that there are some rom coms on the list, but you have to remember I am married and I enjoy watching movies with my wife.

            Since the beginning of this pandemic we have watched a number of movies. We watch a movie every Friday night and sometimes another one on Saturday night. If you count the weekends since this pandemic began, you will come up with quite a large number of movies we have consumed. I don’t think we are alone in our movie consumption since the pandemic began.

My wife has found many movies that weren’t blockbusters that we have really enjoyed. We both enjoy movies with quirky characters. We have also enjoyed movies that are thought-provoking. Some movies have challenged our beliefs, or at least made us consider things from a different point of view. She has introduced me to some British movies and programs that we have really enjoyed.

            We have watched a number of black and white movies. There are some great ones from way back. They move slower, but we enjoy the pace. There are some old comedies and mysteries that hold up well. We both like some of the stars from back in the day. We also enjoy that the movies were less graphic in those days.

            We both enjoy a great story. We have watched plenty that were based on real life. Some people have lived very hard lives and their stories offer a sense of hope. If they can walk through those trials, then I can endure the things that I face.

            The Bible is filled with many of those kinds of stories. We see over and over again that people faced insurmountable odds, but with God’s help they overcame. We see people who made mistake after mistake, and God still used them to accomplish His purposes. That means that He can use someone like me to do His will, too.

            I have been reading through the Psalms and I love how the psalmist calls out to God from terrible circumstances, and then God intervenes. Sometimes the palmist ends the psalm with a declaration that he will wait and trust in God, while other times God has already shown up. It seems the psalmist catches a vision of his great big God and loses sight of his terrible circumstances.

            I like that the Bible tells us of David, a man after God’s own heart. David was one of the greatest kings, yet David made plenty of bad mistakes that weren’t swept under the rug. He counted the troops against God’s will and many people lost their lives because of that mistake. We all know he committed adultery, yet God used him in mighty ways. So yes, God can and wants to have people like that in His family.

            I love that Peter is included among Jesus’ disciples. While Peter had great faith, he also committed many big blunders. He said and did the wrong thing it seems, more times than he said and did the right thing. Yet Peter was among Jesus’ closest men. Peter is the rock upon which the church was built. Peter walked on water and healed many in his life. Peter led the church and wrote some of the books from the Bible. Peter is a hero of the faith.

            I want to encourage you to read about these and many others in your Bible who were ordinary people with ordinary faith in an extraordinary God. God is looking for someone just like you and me to be light in this dark world. He wants us to tell our stories of our journey of faith to those who don’t know of His marvelous deeds. The stories from the Bible are truly inspiring, but your story can be equally inspiring to others who are struggling. Share your story; who knows, maybe they will make a movie out of it one day.

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

By Doug Creamer

God Moves Unpredictably

            When I moved to North Carolina back in the 1980’s, people told me about the March that it snowed three Wednesdays in a row. Any story about snow is a good story. I have heard that story more times than I can count. I did a little research, and that was back in 1960. Well, it might just be possible that we could have three snowy weekends in a row if some of the models are right. Two weeks ago we had snow and sleet. Last weekend we had snow again, and it is possible that we could see snow again this weekend. What stories will come of this?

            I have to admit, last weekend’s snow was a surprise. I had been watching the models for over a week, trying to determine what I thought would happen. I send out storm alerts to some friends and followers, but I never sent anything out on that storm. A few friends pressed me, and I told them we could see between 0 and 6 inches. I guess I was right since we got three inches at my house.

            Weather is so unpredictable, but I love the challenge and the excitement of following storms. I love following storms, severe weather, and hurricanes, but my favorite is snowstorms. I have been fascinated by weather since childhood. I love to watch it snow. It doesn’t happen that often, and most people agree it is beautiful to watch it come down. The trouble is that I like to see it pile up, too. Last Friday night it started to snow while I was getting our take-out dinner. I turned on the spotlights when I got home and I watched it snow all evening. It was one of the nicest evenings I can remember in a long time.

            That storm was very unpredictable. Every model run churned out different results. One run I thought we would see heavy snow, then the next run we weren’t going to get any at all. I thought as we closed in on the storm we might find clarity. It never happened. Most forecasters were surprised by the amount we received. In their defense, what we received was a powder snow, and powder snow is very hard to predict.

            We normally get snow, then sleet and freezing rain, finally ending as snow again. That’s another reason it is very hard to predict winter weather. I love following it, but mostly I just want to look out the windows and watch it snow.

            Weather’s unpredictable nature reminds me about God’s unpredictability. I am not implying that He is undependable. We can count on God. But His ways and methods are very unpredictable. If you think you have figured out God, look out because He will surprise you. The Bible tells us that His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.

            People say that God will work the way He did before. That’s not always true. God is creative and can work in many wonderful different ways. Think of the many ways that Jesus healed people. Sometimes He spoke to them, other times He placed His hands on them, and still other times He spit on the ground and made mud to put on them. We are all different; God can approach each of us in different ways.

            What I love most about walking with God is how He surprises me. Sometimes He comes for a visit late at night. Sometimes we are singing a song I have sung many times at church, but on this Sunday He shows up in a special way. Sometimes I open an email from a reader and God shows up in an unexpected way to bless me. Maybe this has happened to you…you pray for something and God provides an answer in an unexpected way.

            We have to stop putting God in a box by saying, “He can only work in this way.” The Bible tells us of many different ways that God has worked in the past. We know that He can work in those ways again, but we can’t say that those are the only ways He will work. We have to expand our faith and believe that God can move and work in unexpected ways.

            I want to encourage you to open your heart to God and allow Him to do something unexpected in your life. He wants to bless you. He wants to encourage you. He wants to strengthen your faith. He wants to give you good gifts. Pay attention to what is happening around you. God is at work in many unexpected ways to express His love for you.

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

By Doug Creamer

            If you read my columns regularly, you know that I had a busy week last week keeping an eye on the winter storm. A couple of weeks ago the storm showed up on the models giving us multiple feet of snow. What we ended up with was a mess. I am very grateful that we received sleet and not freezing rain. We are all enjoying our power because we got sleet the other day.

            Last week was really crazy because I started my new job. It was hard to focus on my new job and follow a major winter storm, too. People wanted to know what I thought was going to happen with the storm, and I was working hard to stay one step ahead of my new students.

            The trouble with the storm was I knew that if the cold air mixed with the moist Gulf storm, we could see record snowfall in our area. Until we were only a few days out, I hadn’t considered the possibility that we might get an ice storm. Then I watched the forecast take a downward turn and the possibility of an ice storm became very real.

            Preparation for an ice storm is different than for a snowstorm. There is a better chance you will keep your power through a snowstorm. The ice potential was looking bad and the possibility of power loss was high. The Boy Scout in me turned on. I began to prepare.

            I got out our camping stove and lit it to make sure it worked. I started the gas logs and made sure they were working properly. We charged up all our electronics. I cleaned up around the outside of the house. I went to the store and got food in. I didn’t overbuy because I knew we would get out this week sometime.

            The last thing I had to do was get the battery powered lantern loaded with batteries and check all the flashlights. Flashlights…check. One of the lanterns had a leaky battery a few months back. I had removed and cleaned it well. It worked with the leaky battery, so I figured it would work fine with fresh batteries. The batteries for the lantern were either leaking or dead. The storm was a few hours away and I had to go to the store for batteries. This was wrong!

            The Lord looks out for His children. The store had plenty of batteries. Not the ones I needed for the lantern, but plenty of others. I went to the back of the store and found a flashlight that could be used like a lantern, and plenty of batteries to fit it. We were set. Thank God we kept our power and none of this was needed.

            But you can be sure that I am going to be looking for another lantern and shopping for some new batteries before the next storm. Being prepared is so important and something that has been drilled into me since my Boy Scout days. Preparation applies to all areas of our lives, including our spiritual lives.

            The Bible tells us to be prepared in season and out of season to give an answer for the source of our hope and faith. Each of us has a story of how God reached out to us and saved us. Many of us have additional stories of how God intervened in our lives to bring healing and restoration. Many people have stories of being healed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Others have stories of how God delivered them from drug and alcohol addiction. We still serve a miracle-working God and people need to hear your stories. So be prepared to tell them.

            The Bible also tells us to be prepared for His return. I have friends who believe we are within a few years of Jesus’ return. Regardless of when He returns, we need to be prepared to meet Him. The first question He will ask is “Have you accepted me as your Savior?” The next thing He will want to know is what have you done for His kingdom. Your reward in heaven is based on the work you have done for Him here on earth.

            I want to encourage you to accept Jesus as your Savior. That’s the most important decision you will ever make. I also want to encourage you to prepare your story and then share your story. Someone in your life needs to hear it. Someone needs to hear that God really cares about our individual situations, and that He will act to help and deliver us. Those stories never get old to me. Get ready, because someone needs to hear from you.

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

By Doug Creamer

            Just before Christmas I received the news that my job teaching Chinese students was coming to an end. The rumor mill had been running for months before, declaring the end was coming. The end finally arrived, and I hated to see my Chinese students go. I also hated to see my income go, especially at the holidays.

            I had applied for a job late in the fall and never heard a thing about it. About a week before Christmas I received an email asking if I could do an interview over Zoom. Naturally, I was very interested. The interviewer and I connected almost instantly. We have the same heart and the same desire to help people.

            I love being a teacher. The job is teaching students who are working to earn their GED. I am teaching math and English. I am so excited about this new opportunity. My creativity is exploding inside of me with ways to help my students understand their material.

            I have lots to learn about the specifics of what my students need to understand so they can be successful when taking their GED test. My supervisor has provided tons of resources for me. I want to look at all of them and figure out all the lessons all at once. I have to quiet myself and focus on what I need for tomorrow and the rest of this week.

            I am really looking forward to teaching in a classroom again. But with COVID numbers being so high, we are teaching virtually for now. I have been up to my classroom several times and can’t wait to teach there. I’m looking forward to doing some planning there just so I can be up in my room. Having the opportunity to engage and connect with students is so fulfilling.

            The truth is I am facing quite a bit of work setting up these new courses for the first time. The first time you teach anything, it is always very demanding. I want to find all the best materials for my students. I also want to discover the best method to get the material across to my students. Naturally, I want to do all this perfectly. While my heart knows it is impossible to be perfect, my head keeps pushing me toward that goal.

            I know that after I teach these courses a few times I will build a solid foundation for what the students will need to know in order to earn their GED. After that I will need to figure out how to vary the instruction depending on my students’ strengths and abilities. Being an educator is always a process of improving and developing new methods of instruction.

            A new adventure has begun. It is hard to see the path ahead, but I know beyond a shadow of doubt that God is leading me on this new adventure. He has given me numerous signs of confirmation along the way. Some people believe that when God is leading us the path will always be easy. God often leads us down paths that challenge us so we can grow in our dependence on Him.

            God is more interested in our spiritual growth than any of us might realize. God’s desire it to make us more like Christ. If that means leading us into places that will challenge us, then that will be the path He chooses. The good news is that He will walk with us down this new path. He would never leave us alone. He will always be there to strengthen and guide us along the way. He wants to see our spiritual muscles grow stronger.

            God loves us so much that He doesn’t want to leave us in the condition in which He found us. He wants to see us mature. He wants to heal our brokenness. He wants to see us grow in our relationship with Him. He wants us to become light to those who are living in darkness around us. In order to do all this, He has to push, pull, and sometimes even drag us out of the mess He found us in.

            I want to encourage you to be willing to go on a new adventure with God. It might feel scary to take those first few steps, but God is going to be there for you. He promises to never leave you or forsake you. He also promises that He is making good plans for your future. He wants you to grow and prosper. So connect your faith with God and see where the adventure takes you.  

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