Doug’s Columns

By Doug Creamer

By Doug Creamer

Keep Watch

            If you think I am hiding from COVID-19, you are wrong. Yes, I am staying indoors, but it is not the virus that is doing it. I am hiding out from summer’s heat. The TV weathermen could actually take a vacation at this time of year in the Carolinas. All they need to do it record themselves saying, “Today’s weather will be hot, with highs in the 90’s with some scattered thunderstorms.” That forecast will work from now until September.

            The high heat and humidity have a bad effect on me. I tend to stay inside in the air-conditioning. I go out in the late evening to water and try to keep our plants and garden alive. Some evenings I can be out there for over an hour watering things and feeding the hungry mosquitos. It is hard to maintain a healthy garden and pretty plants.

            I find it so amazing that the plants and vegetables you want to grow struggle so hard, but the weeds seem to grow beautifully. I don’t think I have ever seen a weed wilt in the summer heat. I need to get out in the garden and clear out both the weeds and the plants that are done and put in some things in hopes of a fall harvest.

            We have been enjoying some tasty treats from our garden as well as some from local farmers. The peaches and strawberries have been good this year. It seems that there is not enough room in the refrigerator to store all the summer treats. A watermelon can take up an entire shelf. This is when I miss the old refrigerator in the garage.

            I have been unhappy about two things this year. My blueberry bushes looked full early this spring. I was excited about the potential harvest. I did my duty and covered the bushes with mesh to keep the birds away. As I watched, I noticed that the bushes kept losing the berries.

            We have quite a large population of squirrels this year. I have looked out and seen a half dozen around the birdfeeders. Where is a hawk when you need one? Those squirrels were crawling under my mesh and eating my blueberries.

            My mouth has been watering as I watched the corn tassel and the silks start to show a little color. Then I went out to water the corn the other day and I saw one of the ears had been eaten. The others looked fine. The next day about a half dozen ears were mutilated. I blamed some raccoons because we put up fences to keep the deer out. I saw the corn doing an odd little dance this morning. When I went out to inspect, two squirrels went running for the woods. My corn was done. They had eaten all of it.

            Farming, I am convinced, has to be the hardest occupation. You have to fight the weather, bugs and pestilence, rodents, and deer. It reminds me of the battle we face every day to maintain our Christian walk.

            We have an enemy that wants to destroy us because we have decided to follow Christ. He infests our lives with doubt, fear, and shame. He knows all of our hot buttons and presses them often. He knows which sins easily entangle us. He sows discouragement in our hearts. He works hard to keep us distracted from following Jesus. He makes us feel unworthy of God’s love. He will do anything to keep us unfruitful for the Kingdom.

            We have to guard the seeds of God’s word in our hearts. We need to water those seeds with God’s promises and prayer. We have to stir up faith in our lives. We have to pull those weeds of doubts and fear from our lives. When we feel distracted or tempted to sin, we need to ask for help. God knows we can’t win those battles alone. We need to live our lives in such a way that we bring glory and honor to God, which is our spiritual fruit.

            I want to encourage you roll up your sleeves and prepare to get sweaty and dirty. We all have spiritual gardens to maintain. We need to encourage each other and challenge each other to a deeper walk with God. Those deep roots will help us during dry spiritual times. Ask God to make His word alive as we read it. Pray for your friends and loves ones, your prayers are making an impact. Never give up, because the fruit you are producing will have eternal rewards. We need each other if we intend to see the harvest that God intends.

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

By Doug Creamer

By Doug Creamer

            I like to have my quiet time on my front porch. I do this most of the year. It is a quiet place and I sense the Lord’s presence when I am out there. During the warm months, my wife has some beautiful plants on the porch. I like watching my neighborhood and praying.

            When we get into the dog days of summer when the heat and humidity can choke you, I don’t spend as much time on my porch. Some evenings if we get a nice rain shower, I will go out and enjoy the cooler air. I really miss spending my quiet time out there, even though I know that we can pray anywhere.

            In my recent quiet times, I have been reading in the books of First and Second Timothy. Paul has a lot to teach the young pastor. While there are many great theological lessons packed into these two books, I was struck by a simple passage that I have overlooked in the past.

            In II Timothy chapter one, Paul mentions Onesiphorus. Paul hopes that God will show mercy to Onesiphorus because he often refreshed Paul. The scripture says that Onesiphorus searched for Paul and was not embarrassed by his chains or imprisonment. The two men spent time together and when they parted company, Paul was refreshed.

            The word refreshed means to regain your strength and energy, to be revived, or to be invigorated. I can easily imagine Paul being discouraged because of his imprisonment. Who wouldn’t be discouraged if they lost their freedom? I imagine the conditions in the jails at that time were not very good. No heat, comfortable beds, or three square meals a day.

            Paul says that spending time with Onesiphorus revived and refreshed his soul. There are certain people that I really enjoy spending time with because I feel refreshed after being with them. They stir up my faith. They encourage me in my walk with the Lord. They challenge me to grow and become more mature. Sometimes they are willing to give me a swift kick in the rear if I am walking out of line or struggling to do what I know I need to do.

            My pastor and many previous pastors have talked tirelessly about the need to be in fellowship with other believers. It is easy to become discouraged, especially since that is one of satan’s favorite tools. I need you and you need me so we can stay encouraged, challenged, and refreshed. The best way for that to happen is through fellowship.

            It’s hard to be in fellowship with other believers when we are supposed to be social distancing because of COVID-19. So many people have avoided gathering together to be safe, but at the cost of losing that sense of refreshment when we can spend time together.

            I usually meet up with friends for lunch in the summertime. I haven’t even thought about doing that because we haven’t eaten in a restaurant since all this began. We have eaten plenty of take out, but not actually in a restaurant. So the thought of meeting friends in restaurants is not appealing. But, I still miss the fellowship we share over a good meal.

            I am an extravert. I need to talk with people. I need the connection. I thrive on talking and listening to my friends. That is the way I recharge my batteries. I am refreshed by the fellowship of good friends.

            Choosing to follow Jesus is the single most important decision we will ever make. Maintaining that walk with Him is not easy. We have an enemy who will use an arsenal of tools to keep us distracted and off track. But good friends will help you, encourage you, and refresh you along your spiritual journey. The trip through life was never intended to be a solo trip. We were intended to share our experiences and to help pick each other up along the way.

            I want to encourage you to find ways to be in fellowship with other believers. It’s important to have similar interests and other things you can talk about, but it is critical that you spur each other on in your spiritual walk with the Lord. We all, including this upbeat and positive writer, need to be encouraged, strengthened, and refreshed in our walks with Christ. Take time to notice and to encourage others. You’ll be a blessing, just like Onesiphorus.

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

By Doug Creamer

By Doug Creamer

            I recently wrote about a lightning strike at my neighbor’s house which had some affects at our house. What I didn’t know immediately was that my garage door opener was affected by that strike, too. The control board got fried and I had to buy a new garage door opener. Buying one and installing one are two different things. I needed help installing it.

            I called my brother and he agreed to come and help me. Basically, that means he did most of the work. I handed him tools and the parts so he could put it together and install it. We had fun doing the work and spending time together.

            He brought his chainsaw with him, and after we got the garage door installed, we decided to do some cutting. When the big tree fell a while back, it damaged some other trees that needed to come down. So he helped cut them down and get them into manageable pieces for me.

            While he was here, he pointed out that many little trees had grown up along the property line. I really hadn’t noticed because I see them every day and hadn’t picked up on the changes. There were some trees that were touching my house and others were leaning towards my house.

            He pointed out that the leaning trees would never really grow right because they would always be reaching for the sun and leaning towards my house. In fact, he said that if we got a good wind storm they might fall onto my house. We took a few of those trees down before he left but he warned me that more trees needed to come down to protect my home.

            I walked along the property line the other day and took note of how many trees have been growing my way. The grass has always been thin on the side of my house, but I now have no grass over there because of the trees. The more I look, the more I realize that the woods have been creeping over on me.

            When I stop and think about it, I never realized how the woods were creeping over into my yard. It is a slow process and if you aren’t watching, they will take over. I remember cleaning up one area several years ago so I could see into the woods really nicely. I looked over there the other day and I can’t see into the woods at all. When did that happen?

            All this got me to thinking about how things can creep into our lives. I am at the age where I can add a few pounds of weight easily without even noticing. Bad habits can start as something small and insignificant and before you know it they have taken over. A sin can slip under the radar and it might be so insignificant that we even forget to repent for it. But that sin is like a seed. Once it gets planted in our mind, attitudes, and actions, then it can take over. That simple, unnoticeable sin and turn into a habit.

            Negative attitudes and thoughts can easily slip into our minds. If we don’t deal with them quickly, they will take root and become more difficult to fix. Bitterness, anger, and un-forgiveness can grow into huge trees if they aren’t dealt with when the problem is small. The Bible tells us to bring all our struggles and sins to Jesus quickly because He knows how to handle them. He wants to help us eliminate the saplings before they become trees.

            I have to admit I can become lazy and not notice an attitude or thought as it slips in. I have even excused things that I needed to repent from. The Bible talks about those sins that so easily entangle. We all know our own areas of weakness. Jesus promises that if we give our weaknesses to Him, He will grow strong in those areas. Do you know what that tells me? I can’t do it alone. I need to call for help and let the Master, who knows what He is doing, fix it.

            I want to encourage you to look around in your life. Do you see areas where some little saplings have grown to become trees? I know a great tree man. He is a carpenter, but He is a Master at cleaning up messes. He doesn’t care how it got there; He just wants to help you clean it up. He loves you and He loves doing the work. Life is cleaner, freer and better when we let the Master do His job.            

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

By Doug Creamer

Gardening

            We have been enjoying getting some delicious treats from our garden. We have enjoyed some green beans, squash, raspberries, and a few blueberries. The squirrels have been eating more blueberries than we have. We need a cold winter to get rid of a few of them. We are anxiously waiting for the tomatoes and corn to come in. We got some corn from a friend the other day and it was wonderful.

            The watermelons have begun to flower and the cucumbers had a late start. The butterbeans had to be replanted because a rabbit got into them. I am not sure I am going to get many, if any, potatoes this year because of all the heavy rain we had early in the season. The weeds are growing well. I will have to get out there and work on them soon. I am already plotting what I want to plant in order to get a fall harvest.

            It’s been a little dry lately, but the forecast is giving us better chances of getting some rain in the next couple of weeks. I am hoping we get some showers because we know that August tends to be hot and dry. Between the animals, rain, and weeds, gardening can be a challenging hobby, but it remains one that I really enjoy.

            One of the things that give us great joy from late May through mid-July are our daylilies. We have quite a collection with the desire to get more. It is amazing to me that God creates such beautiful flowers that only last for one day. Every day from mid-May through mid-July we go out to see what has bloomed.

We both take lots of pictures of the beautiful flowers God created for our enjoyment. I am so glad we live in a digital age where we can take lots of pictures and aren’t limited by the cost of film. Sometimes I secretly wonder if God walks through the daylily beds and enjoys seeing all the flowers too. I hope He does.

God is such a creative being He must take time to enjoy the beauty He makes. The other day a shower passed to our east and the sun hit the falling rain just right to create a beautiful rainbow. I came out of the grocery store a few weeks ago to a double rainbow. I sure hope God enjoyed seeing it as much as I did.

The last couple of weeks I have seen some stunning sunrise and sunset pictures on Facebook. All the dust from the Sahara has created some beautiful sights. I saw some thunderstorms go by over the last couple weeks and watched the lightning dance around in the clouds. I hope God enjoys these sights.

            Maybe I should wonder if we are enjoying His creation as much as He is. When you bite into a fresh, juicy peach and the juice runs down your chin, do you praise Him? When you smell the bacon frying, slice your garden-grown tomato, and make that delicious BLT, do you give Him thanks? When you smell and taste a fresh cucumber or take your first bite of cobbler that was made from fresh fruit, do you remember Him who gave it to you?

            When you see the flowers blooming around your home, does it cause you to remember the beauty of His grace? Have you ever stood in the shade under a big tree, enjoying a cool breeze off a thunderstorm on a warm summer day? Have ever enjoyed a slice of cold watermelon during the dog days of summer? Can you imagine Jesus sitting with you, laughing and enjoying it too?

            God has created a beautiful world that surrounds us. I am afraid people get so busy or wrapped up in what is going on in their lives that they fail to notice God’s beautiful creation. There are so many reminders around us of His goodness, faithfulness, kindness, and love. We are so distracted that we don’t take a moment to stop and thank Him, to express our appreciation for all He has done for us. He takes good care of us and deserves our thanks.

            I want to encourage you to stop for just a minute and look around. There are so many things surrounding you that God has blessed you with. Consider your home, your family, pets, flowers, vegetables, His provision… I hope I am giving you a good start. God really does look after us and gives us so much. In these trying times, we need to nurture a heart filled with gratitude. This is the day He has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

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

By Doug Creamer

            I can smell the grills already. My mouth is watering just thinking about all the good food that we will be enjoying this weekend. My family will gather at my brother’s house for the annual Fourth of July celebration. In this crazy time, we need family gatherings to help us remember what is really important in life.

            There will be hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, salads, and so much more to enjoy around a table with our family together. There will be laughter, joking, and lots of stories shared. There will be various games played and if there were any sports on TV, they would be watched, too.

            I usually head for home when the family heads out to the fireworks. I am not sure if there will be any fireworks this year. I usually get home and watch the Capital Fourth of July celebration on PBS. I am looking forward to this Fourth of July tradition.

            One thing I am hoping can happen this Fourth of July is that we can all come back together and realize that we are all Americans. It doesn’t matter where we have come from, we are united as Americans. One of the great things about our country is that we can think differently about various topics, but in the end we are Americans. We unite and come together to solve our problems and compromise on our differences.

            It seems to me that we have lost our way on the values of compromise recently. We have forgotten that critical lesson from childhood that we can’t always have our own way. We seem to have forgotten that people see things from different points of view. Your point of view and mine can be complete opposites and we can still come together and celebrate that we are Americans.

            We can have different political, religious, and social views and still come together as Americans. It seems we have forgotten how to celebrate our differences in love. When we speak in love towards each other, even though we think differently on various subjects, we are speaking God’s language. God is love. When we speak hatefully, as many have been prone to do lately, we are not speaking God’s language.

            I recently watched a great TV series called “The Chosen,” which you can stream for free. I strongly encourage you to watch it. I love their depiction of Jesus and all the biblical characters that surround Him. In the series, Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. Jews of His day were supposed to hate Samaritans, yet Jesus talked to her. Jesus not only talked to her, but revealed Himself as Messiah to her and offered her the gift of salvation.

            America is known as the melting pot: many different people from many different backgrounds all as one people: Americans. Christianity is similar. Every person who is alive on earth is invited into a personal relationship with Jesus. If we are working to fulfill the Great Commission, then we want to reach all people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

            Do we do that by speaking hateful things to each other? I think it goes back to that old hymn, “They’ll Know We are Christians By Our Love.” How can we say that we want everyone to get saved in one breath, and then speak hatefully towards that same person because they have different beliefs or commit certain sins that we find offensive?

            The Jesus that I read about in the Bible ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. He spent three days with the Samaritans. He healed the Roman soldier’s servant, the government that oppressed the Jews. The only people whom Jesus spoke harshly towards were the religious leaders who were making it difficult for people to connect with God. That should remind us to be careful that our words and actions should not hinder people from a relationship with God.

            I want to encourage you to consider the things you say, whether it is on social media or to the cashier or waitress that serves you. Are your words and actions loving, and do they encourage people to have a relationship with Christ? None of us is perfect; I’ve blown it more than once. But I want to live my life so that people will know that I am a Christian by my love. A good place to begin is in our home towns. When we meet someone who looks, acts, or thinks differently, will we respond to them with the love of God? I hope we will. Happy Birthday America! I hope you enjoy your Fourth with your family and friends…at a safe distance!

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

By Doug Creamer

By Doug Creamer

I haven’t got time…

            I had a wonderful great-aunt and uncle. They were almost like an extra set of grandparents and we traveled to see them several times a year. My uncle was a jokester. He had lots of fun pulling pranks on me and the memories he created have lasted a lifetime.

            They had an above-ground pool and we used to like going there for a few summer days. My uncle would take my brother and me fishing on his small boat. Sometimes we would get a bushel of crabs and eat them at the picnic table under a tree. At night we would gather around the table and play games. There was always laughter and lots of fun.

            My aunt kept us well fed. There was always something good to eat; we especially enjoyed her homemade applesauce. She kept full candy dishes around the house and I know I snuck more candy than I was allowed. Some nights we would get a huge watermelon and we would wipe it out.

            If you asked my aunt, “Is today Saturday?” She would always answer, “All day.” I remember thinking how good life looked for them in retirement. I would make some wide-eyed comment about how wonderful old age and retirement looked and she would say to me, “Douglas, old age doesn’t come alone.”

            I didn’t understand what she was trying to tell me. My mom tried to explain to me that there are aches and pains with old age. I looked at them and they didn’t act like they were in much pain. They were active, laughing, having fun, and enjoying life.

            I thought of my aunt the other day. I woke up thinking about all the things I wanted to get done. I lay in bed a few extra minutes, enjoying the comfort. When I finally rolled over I noticed I was feeling a little stiff. I stumbled out to breakfast and thought that when I got something to eat, I would feel better and be ready to go.

            Before breakfast was over, I was beginning to have some sharp pains in my lower back and hips. I did some stretching exercises that usually help. I applied an icepack. My wife found me on the floor with a pillow under my back. When I finally reach for Advil, I’m in trouble. It took most of the day for the pain to finally settle down. The list did not get done.

            I talked with a friend who told me his back went out when he was playing with his child, and he is much younger than I am. One time mine went out while I was washing my hands. I guess my aunt was right, older age doesn’t come alone.

            In moments like that, we all learn to pray. Lord, we need a miracle. I know people who have experienced a touch from God in that kind of moment. More often than not the answer comes back, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

            I believe in the miracle power of God. I have witnessed it and experienced it. I know God can and will move to bring about the miraculous. That’s why I firmly believe in the power of prayer to make a difference in our lives.

            Sometimes God chooses to walk with us through our pain. This is when we lean on the promises in the Bible, such as: “He will never leave or forsake me.” There are many scriptures that teach us that God is our healer, comforter, and friend. A friend stays with you through the difficult times in life. They listen to you whine and complain and they are still there.

            Isaiah 43 promises that we will walk through the river and the fire and we will get through to the other side. Jesus took His disciples on a boat where He slept. A terrible storm blew up and they thought they weren’t going to make it, but they got through to the other side. He keeps His promises and walks with us THROUGH the storms of life.

            I don’t know what you are facing; pain, sickness, loss of a loved one, financial stress, a child who has gone wayward, a loved one suffering from dementia, whatever you are facing…I want to encourage you that God will walk with you through your situation. I know it is hard and you might be struggling with doubt, but I promise God is right there with you. You are not alone. I know His eye is on the sparrow and I know He is watching you and me. Lean on Him because I know you are going to make it.

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