Doug’s Columns

By Doug Creamer

            For more years than I can count, the tradition in my family has been to gather at my brother’s house for Easter. Everyone would go to their own church for Easter services, some even venturing out for sunrise services. Then we would all make our way to my brother’s house for a great lunch, followed by an Easter egg hunt.

            I am really going to miss the gathering this year. Mom always brought the ham. Everybody else brought all the trimmings. My favorite was all the different types of salad that were there to enjoy. Naturally, there would be many different kinds of dessert. One thing that was really popular with the kids (when they were younger) was the Jell-O eggs. I never took one because I thought the kids were supposed to get them, but I will miss seeing them this year.

            After the big meal, my brother would look over and nod his head. That meant it was time to go out and hide the Easter eggs. I know we accumulated hundreds of plastic eggs through the years. We would put them out everywhere. As the kids got older, we worked hard to really hide the eggs. I know some of my nieces and nephews were teenagers and still hunting Easter eggs. All the older adults would sit on folding chairs and watch the kids run around collecting eggs.

            There would always be some basketball games, my brother and I would shoot a few games of pool, and there was always plenty of catching up. There would be little conversations here and there, and always plenty of laughter. You can’t get my family together without the prankster coming out in all of us. The laughter would slowly fade as each of us would head our separate ways. Stomachs filled, hearts warmed, and still chuckling as we drove home. 

            Easter will be different for families everywhere. The highways will be less busy. There won’t be as much good food to eat. Easter egg hunts will have to wait, or at least become more creative. The hugging, the family games, but most importantly, the laughter, will all have to wait. It will be alright. I know that in my family we will get together once this stay-at-home order is dropped. The fun and laughter will resume and we will all have stories of what we did during our time of being home.

            There is one thing that this Corona virus can’t stop, and that is the real meaning of Easter. It’s hard to believe that there are still people who don’t know what Easter is all about. I assure you that many churches have launched online and live versions of their services. You can attend Easter Sunday service right from the comfort of your home. I have links to a number of churches that are having live services each Sunday at EncouragingU.com.

            We know the message of Christmas is that Jesus came to earth born to be our savior. The message of Easter is the fulfillment of his mission. Jesus was born to be the sacrificial lamb that would take away our sins and restore a right relationship with God. God’s law required a blood sacrifice to cleanse us from our sins. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price we could not pay.

            His death is not the end of the story. At sunrise on Easter morning, Jesus rose from the dead. No other religious leader did that. He experienced death’s sting but came out the other side a resurrected king. He has all authority and power. He has set us free from sin and death. He has given us forgiveness, joy, and peace.

            You see, the Corona virus can’t stop you from experiencing the true meaning or the true gifts of Easter. All you have to do is open your hearts to the living God. He’s done the rest. He paid the price for your redemption. If you accept Jesus as your savior, you can be assured of your place with Him for all eternity. While you are alive here you can experience His love, joy, peace, forgiveness, and His abiding presence. It’s yours for the asking and receiving.

            I want to encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart. Easter is symbolic of the life-changing power that is available to you. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave is now available to you. You don’t have to clean yourself up first. He is awesome at taking broken lives and transforming them into something beautiful. I promise He will do it for you.

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

By Doug Creamer

            I was driving out of town the other morning, along a familiar route. It was the route I took every day for work. My mind was on other things, and my car was on autopilot. Then something snapped my attention back to the present. That’s when I looked at my surroundings.

            Every house on that road has dogwoods in their front yards. The dogwoods were coming out, their white and pink blooms exploding. It was a sight that renewed my soul. I loved seeing the dogwoods every spring on this road. I don’t drive down that road everyday now, so I didn’t realize that I was missing this wonderful sight.

            I drove down another road and saw several yards full of azaleas in every imaginable color. I wish somehow that my camera could capture the wonder and beauty of nature as she begins to wake up each spring. We have several Japanese maples in our yard and they are wonderful to watch as they put out their first leaves.

            There are pansies, violas, daffodils, and tulips, all of which can be seen from my front porch. While out driving I’ve seen iris blooming, too. I have seen a few neighbors putting out their annuals. It is so good to see everything coming back to life.

            That’s the point of what I am writing. With all that is happening in the news, I mean with the corona virus, I am afraid we will miss what is happening right outside our windows. Maybe God is allowing us to have such an early spring to help us. He knew that we were going to need some hope, so He sent an early spring.

            I went for a walk the other evening, and besides taking in all the spring beauty I noticed something else. I heard so many birds singing. It actually made me stop for a moment to take in all the different songs I was hearing. As I began to look around, I saw the birds in the trees.

            As I continued my walk, I saw more and more signs of spring that literally surrounded me. The more I looked upon the beauty, the more my soul felt refreshed. My spirit was renewed as I shed off my worldly concerns and immersed myself in the beauty of His creation. In doing so, I felt the joy of the Lord deep down in my soul.

            It is so easy to allow the cares of the world to squash the joy and the presence of the Lord right out of our spirits. When you think about it, it comes down to a choice. We choose how much news we watch and when we turn it on and off. I believe it is important to be aware of what is happening. But we are choosing to take in less. The little bit we take in can still feel overwhelming, so we have to work at thinking about other things.

            I have consciously chosen to think about good things. I love to work in my yard. I am going to start planning and working on my garden. I am going to look for good news, like the fact that some of the schools in China are beginning to open again. I am going to read and watch some funny things; we all need to laugh. I started a novel the other day. I need to think about the author’s created world.

            My pastor talked about another choice. I am going to choose to live by faith, not in fear. The facts in the news can create a sense of fear. I want to be up-to-date with the facts, but I don’t want them to imprison me in fear. I want to live wise, like washing my hands and practicing social distancing, but not afraid, because God is with me and protecting me. I want to meditate on the goodness and faithfulness of God. I want to pray for family, friends, and fellow church members for more things than protection from the virus.

            I want to encourage you to let your light shine during this dark time. People need to see the difference that Christ makes in our lives. People need to see the hope and faith that is in our soul. We have the answer. I encourage you to make choices that will help your head and heart be firmly planted on the Rock of Jesus Christ. He is our hope and in Him there is no reason to be afraid. Don’t miss that.

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

By Doug Creamer

            We tend to be behind the curve on movies. It has been a long time since we went to the movie theater. We wait for them to come out on DVD or our streaming service. Current movies to us are actually ones that have been out for a while.

            Last week we watched Tom Hanks in, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” Neither of us grew up watching “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.” We were both aware of the show and have seen bits and pieces but it wasn’t one we watched. We both watched “Captain Kangaroo.” I am not sure that these two shows would work with today’s shortened-attention-span kids.

            Naturally, we like to watch Tom Hanks in about anything he does. He has the powerful ability to disappear into the character he is playing. Since neither of us watched Mr. Rogers, we weren’t busy trying to comparing the two of them. We just enjoyed the movie.

            The movie is really about a journalist who is assigned the task of writing a story about Mr. Rogers. The journalist asks Mr. Rogers at one point why he is attracted to broken people. Mr. Rogers smiles and tells him that he isn’t broken. He then reminds him of several very critical things that are building blocks to help this character turn around.

            As I watched the movie, I couldn’t help but think that we all need a Mr. Rogers in our corner. We all need to be reminded that we are loved and appreciated. Sometimes the circumstances of life can blind us with pain, suffering, and loss. I also think that worry and anxiety can keep us from seeing the world and those around us.

            We are all destined to walk through difficult things in life. We have a choice. We can walk through them alone or we can lean on friends and loved ones to help us see more clearly who we are and how much we mean to those around us.

            In the Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Baily doesn’t understand the impact he’s had on the world around him until the angel shows him. Each of us is broken in some way, and we need friends or an angel to help us see ourselves and our little corner of the world from a fresh perspective.

            We need our friends and our family when our minds feel overwhelmed by all that is going on in the world around us. This Corona virus has shaken all of our worlds. So I need you and you need me.

            Maybe the best thing we can all do is watch a little less news and spend a little more time with each other…as long as we stay at least 6 feet apart. We can watch a movie, play a game, or maybe go for a walk. We need to engage with each other, help each other to laugh, encourage one another, and help to lift this heavy burden we are all carrying.

            We need family. We need friends. We also need to check on our neighbors. In our country we have seen hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, ice storms, fires, earthquakes and many other tragedies…and what happens? We come together for each other. It doesn’t matter who we are, we are there for each other.

            I saw in one of the memorials for Kenny Rogers that he was a part of the song, “We are the World.” We need to come together like that again. We may come from different backgrounds, but we are all brothers, sisters, friends, and neighbors in this world. In moments like this we have learned how to put down our differences and come together as one.

            I strongly believe that everything the enemy intended for evil through the Corona virus, God can turn into something good. We will be there for our neighbors, friends, and family. We will come together in unity to discover the victory and overcome this evil with good. I believe that love triumphs over all sorts of evil.

            I want to encourage you to check on your family, friends, and neighbors. Help in any way that you are able. We are all able to pray, so lift us those who are suffering whether it is from health or economic issues. We serve a God who is more than able to meet our needs. I need you to make it through these troubled times, and somehow I believe that you need me, too. If we can act like good neighbors to each other we will overcome and come out better on the other side.  

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

By Doug Creamer

            You would have to be living under a rock and totally disconnected from all media not to know about the Corona virus. Initially the news changed daily. Now the news is changing hourly, and by the time you read this it will be changing by the minute.

            I never imagined that we would be dealing with such a bad situation. I thought it would be something like all the previous viruses that have spread around the world. The news media would talk lots about it, but that it would not affect my daily life. It would be just another virus for the record books.

            It is very sobering to see the world-wide impact of this virus. We have some incredibly intelligent people in the medical field; you would think that something would be developed to reduce the impact of this virus. Yet medical science’s best advice at this point is to stay away from each other. I am a very social person; this is difficult for me.

            I normally go to the grocery store on Tuesday and Sunday. For various reasons, I decided to go to the store on Monday afternoon. It was busy, but I was pleasantly surprised by how polite people were being. Everybody was pleasant and talking to one another, much more than usual. I saw the manager and asked if he was having fun. He laughed.

            I was also encouraged to see that there were plenty of groceries on the shelves. Yeah, stock was lower than usual, but there was plenty for everybody. Well, the toilet paper aisle was empty, but that isn’t news. I took a picture and sent it to a few folks for some laughs. I have seen the news where they are showing long lines, much like in the south when they mention the word snow or a hurricane coming our way.

            If you are feeling stressed, worried, and concerned…you are totally normal. I try not to live with fear, but those feelings have crept in. Ask God to give you His supernatural peace. Believe me, I have asked numerous times in the last couple of days and He has been faithful to give me the peace I need.

            I believe an important thing to help quiet our spirits is to be prepared. Think of it like the first snowflakes have started to fall or the first band of rain has reached the shore. There is still time to prepare for the storm ahead. I believe Jesus would tell each one of us, “We are going to make it through the storm.” It is prudent to get some supplies in so we are ready for the worst part of the storm.

            I also believe it’s important to be wise. It seems the best solution for the moment is washing our hands and keeping our distance from each other. This does not mean that we disconnect. I have been in contact with my pastor and my family and friends. We need each other. We need to laugh. We need to encourage each other. We need to help pull each other out of all the media negativity and remind each other that the Lord our God is good and that He will not leave us or forsake us…even if we happen to get the Corona virus.

            The hardest thing we have to do is to live in faith. Doubt and fear are pounding on my door. I’m sending Jesus to answer the door for me. There is no fear in Jesus. But the Corona virus is going to test our faith. The result will be that our faith will grow stronger. God wants us to draw closer to Him. God’s desire is to always be closer to His children. We will persevere. We will overcome. We will emerge victorious.

            We live in the world and sometimes the germs of this world will get on us. If you find yourself getting sick, don’t lose faith. God will walk with you through the storm. We are not alone. God is with us. God loves us. He will comfort and heal us. The name of Jesus is superior to the Corona virus and any other thing you are up against.

            I want to encourage you to stir up your faith and pray. Prayer is a powerful weapon against anything that comes against us. Banish doubt and fear from your house and grab a hold of the life preserver of hope called faith. We are going to make it through this storm. We are going to emerge victorious. Our God is with us, who or what can stand against our God?

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

By Doug Creamer

My in-laws needed us to come home and help out around the house for a few days. We packed up everything we would need and headed in their direction. We were able to go help them. We couldn’t have done it several years ago, so it is nice to be in the position to do it now.

For many years when we went home, they would take care of us. You know how moms are, they want to feed you and take good care of you. They want to hear how life is going and send you home with treats. They remind you that you are their children and that they care deeply about you.

As I get older, I am discovering that my parents and my in-laws are now in places where they need my assistance. It’s an odd thing to take care of your parents.  Everything seems normal about them. They still talk and interact and have their strong opinions, but they need assistance with more daily tasks than in the past.

I am not complaining. I actually enjoy serving them. They have been great to us through the years. It’s nice to pay them back for all their many kindnesses.  I know it is hard for them to accept our help, so I always make a joke about it. I get them laughing and then give them the assistance that they need. It many ways it helps me, too. It takes the focus off of what I’m doing.

Maybe all this is worth thinking about in light of the Corona virus. We really don’t know what is going to be expected of us in the days to come related to any potential outbreak. We hope that we are seeing the worst at the moment, but we really don’t know how this is all going to play out. We have to consider how God might use us to serve each other if things were to get worse.

Imagine one of your neighbors were to get sick. Would you be willing to make a Walmart or grocery store run for them? Would you take care of their children if the parents were sick? If you have elderly neighbors, what would you be willing to do to help them if thing got difficult? It’s challenging to think about what we would and would not do if things really got difficult.

In a broader sense, we as Christians are called to serve our brothers and sisters as well as our neighbors. Maybe God is looking for the church to rise up and be His hands and feet. There is so much that needs to be done and so many opportunities for us to reach out to our neighbors with the love of Christ. We shouldn’t need a virus to motivate us to action.

When Jesus came to the earth, He did not come to be served, but to serve. He is our example. He looked into the needs of others as He traveled around preaching. He prayed for the sick. He healed not only their diseases, but also their broken hearts.

I believe that He wants us to reach out with His forgiveness. He wants us to reach out with His compassion and show empathy for those in need. I am suggesting that we can reach out to our co-workers, fellow students, next door neighbors, and members of our churches. People around us are hurting every day, and I don’t mean from a virus. People are hungry and hurting because they are lost and in need of a savior. We have the answer that they desperately need.

I want to encourage you in the days and weeks to come to look for ways that you can serve your neighbors. Who are your neighbors? I believe that anybody that is in need qualifies as a neighbor. If your neighbor is in the hospital, maybe you can visit them or help to take care of their home while they are away. Maybe we can help someone who needs a simple helping hand, being careful of those who want to take advantage of us. Sometimes a neighbor might just need a listening ear or a warm hug. It is amazing what God can do through us if we will simply stop and make ourselves available to Him. I hope that God protects all of us from the Corona virus, but I hope more importantly that we will all look out for our neighbors and our families.

Contact Doug at doug@dougcreamer.com

By Doug Creamer

            I am always careful with the computer. I do like to watch YouTube and videos people post on Facebook. But if you were to look at my history on the computer, you would see mostly weather related websites.

            We have always had some type of virus software on our computers because we know that there are some vicious people in the world. I keep my virus software current and it does catch things from time to time.

            Several years ago I got into something that caused me to pay for a stronger virus protection program. Once installed, things cleared right up. I didn’t renew the product and returned to just the basic virus software for the last couple of years. That was until this past weekend.

            I heard a story of a celebrity Christian who was healed of cancer. His story was powerful and encouraging. I discovered that he has a website similar to EncouragingU where he posts positive and encouraging stories. The stories are professionally produced and I wanted to create links from my website to them.

            I searched for the name of the site and found one of the results labeled, “Official Website.” I clicked on it and it looked right. There was the celebrity and the stories looked interesting. I clicked on a couple stories which did not lead to what was labeled. Then as I clicked on things multiple windows started opening. The windows led to products and services I did not want. I quickly realized I hit the wrong site and left.  

            I found the correct site and it was great. But I was having all kinds of problems. Every time I clicked a link on any other site, uninvited windows were opening. I did virus scans and updated my ad-blocking app. Things started to improve. I thought I had it licked. I was cautious. I noticed that the uninvited windows would still open, but more sporadically.

            I thought I would try shutting down. When I brought the computer back up, whatever had found a home on my computer had shut down my virus software. I couldn’t access it and it warned me that I was unprotected. I went to the website to download a fresh copy. I was immediately diverted. Naturally, my blood pressure and agitation were rising.

            Thankfully I know a few things about computers and was able to finally get the virus program resurrected. The company offers a stronger program which I downloaded, with quite a few hassles. Once the “Pro” version of the program was running, I ran another virus scan and found over a dozen viruses had moved in thinking they found a new home. I deleted them and now I am hoping my computer is virus free.

            What a crazy waste of my time, energy, and money. I called Lifelock and my bank to be sure nothing suspicious was going on there. I was pleased to know all the levels of protection they both have in place. It is sad to think that we live in a society where we have to have these kinds of protections.

            I know that many of you have a different virus on your minds. I see the news, too. Actually, I am teaching kids in China through the internet. My kids have been out of school for a while, but all the families I deal with seem healthy. We have to choose how we will live. We can live in fear and filled with worry, or we can live in faith. I am choosing to live in faith.

            I know God wants me to pray, not only for our nation, but for the people in China. I can also do what I do for any virus – wash my hands, use sanitizer, and be wise. I am going to continue to gather with my brothers and sisters in Christ, pray, and worship a God who is bigger than any virus. I am asking and believing that He is at work to protect us. I am going to live with joy in my heart, faith in my God, and hope for a bright future.

            I want to encourage you to pray for all the people who are suffering from some type of virus, not just the one. I also want to encourage you to build up your faith, hope, and trust in a good and merciful God. Be wise, wash your hands, and put your faith in God. I am hoping that the computer virus will be the only one we will fight in our household. Peace, blessings, and God’s divine protection for all of us.

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

By Doug Creamer

By Doug Creamer

            At the beginning of the year, my pastor did a series of sermons on taking steps. At the end of the series he gave us each a keychain with a foot on it. It’s on my key chain to remind me that this year God wants me to take steps of faith. So, naturally I asked God, “What steps of faith do you want me to take this year?”

            I had an idea for a major step of faith concerning my EncouragingU website. Thankfully I discussed it with a former pastor who has a strong business background. He reminded me that the Bible says to count the cost before building. The wisdom we need about life is often available if we are willing to listen and obey.

            Just because the major step I was going to take wasn’t the right one for the moment didn’t mean that there weren’t any steps to take. I have been taking smaller steps to move the website along. I was ready to take a leap and God just wanted me to take steps.

            God started stirring in my spirit that He wanted me to take some other steps. I have to be honest, I struggled to obey. Ironically, I was willing to take a leap of faith, but a little less willing to take the steps that He was setting before me.

            I have been making videos on YouTube sporadically. I felt like God wanted me to do them regularly. Many of my videos have been done outside, about gardening. It’s winter and I couldn’t think of any topics that would be interesting for regular videos.

            I was lying in bed late one night praying and talking with the Lord when I felt His Spirit encouraging me to do the videos again. I asked Him what He wanted me to do in the videos. Isn’t it amazing that we can wonder about something and feel no direction simply because we haven’t asked? As soon as the question was off my tongue, an idea dropped into my head.

            Many years ago a traveling minister and artist would come to our church. He challenged the congregation many times with a simple idea. He said that if anyone read a proverb a day and wrote a reflection on some verses from that proverb each day for the 31 days, he would give them a print of one of his paintings.

            As I lay in bed thinking about this challenge, God suggested that I read and meditate on a proverb a week and do a short video on my reflections. While the idea was clear and the execution very plausible, I resisted His idea. This was going to be different than what I had been doing and what would people think? Probably more importantly, would anybody care or watch?

            When God asks us to do something, He isn’t seeking our opinion or permission. He wants us to take steps of obedience. I admit I wrestled with God for a few weeks. I wanted to be obedient, but the idea felt…well, crazy. Who would want to hear what I thought about a few verses from the proverbs every week?

            I decided that obedience trumped my feelings. What I have discovered over the last few weeks is that it is more about me seeking God’s face and meditating on His word than it is about me doing the videos. God wants to talk to me about me and my life through the proverbs. God wants me to spend more time meditating on His word. A by-product of me reading and meditating on His word would be the videos.

            It is difficult to understand the Lord and His ways. Sometimes we get the best understanding when we look in the rearview mirror. It’s interesting when I reflect on my prayers recently; I keep telling God that I want to draw closer to Him. What does He tell me to do? Read and meditate His word. What has the result been so far? I have a renewed mind and my heart is stirred even more to want to get even closer.

            I want to encourage you to ask God what steps He wants you to take this year. How can God grow and stretch your faith? What steps will you take this year to draw closer to God? If you want to join me on my journey, then look for my videos on YouTube. We serve an awesome God who works behind the scenes to draw us closer to Him and to make us more like Christ.

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

By Doug Creamer

By Doug Creamer

            Last week was a busy one. It wasn’t overly busy; it was the “just right” kind of busy. I have a crazy schedule where I get up before dawn and teach online courses to children in China. I love my little job and I especially love the kids. This early morning interruption of my sleep often causes me to take a nap later in the day. My cat loves to curl up with me when I lay down.

            Last Friday, Valentine’s Day, we decided to order food out and to avoid all the lines. We did some domestic engineering so we could have nice romantic evening at home. We watched a romantic comedy and had a great evening. At the end of the day I felt like I had worked in the yard all day.

            Saturday found me resting and laying low all day. I had a few other symptoms and told my wife that I would probably go to the doctor on Monday. I rarely go to the doctor.  I sent a few emails asking for prayer. Something was up.

            On Sunday, I woke up feeling worse. I considered staying home from church, but it was my week with the children and I wanted to be there for them. I also wanted to go ask for prayer. While I believe in modern medical science, I always like to check with my Heavenly Father first.

            After the music part of the service, the pastor asked anyone who needed prayer to raise their hand. I raised both my hands. The congregation gathered around those of us who raised our hands. The pastor prayed for us, while those standing around us also prayed. The presence of the Lord was sweet.

            The first thing I noticed when the prayer was over was the feeling of fatigue was gone. I still had some pain, but it was less. By evening, I thought that even the pain would be gone by Monday morning. That wasn’t the case, but I felt better and decided to wait on seeing the doctor. I am hoping and believing that everything will be better.

            Why did God stop and notice me on Sunday? Did all the others who asked for prayer receive what they asked for, too? I know that we are all special in God’s sight. We are, after all, His children.

            I have known some people who were in stage 3 and 4 cancer who were completely healed, and others who went home to be with the Lord. The question we all want to know is why? We don’t always get to understand everything on this side of heaven.

            I will share with you some personal insights. When Jesus died on the cross between two criminals, only one got into heaven – the one who asked. I think we often forget to ask God for His healing touch. Maybe we falsely believe that God is too busy. He’s never too busy for His children. We also need to combine faith when we ask, believing that God can and will heal us.

            Sometimes God heals, and sometimes God chooses to walk with us through the medical procedures. I don’t know or understand why. I do know that I have many friends who have gone through incredible medical nightmares and discovered that their faith grew in leaps and bounds. They have a testimony they share every chance they get, and God gets the glory. I know firsthand that when you walk through the storms of life, God walks incredibly close to you. AND He will see you through.

            I know that our God is faithful and He will NEVER leave or forsake us. It may feel dark and you may feel alone, but I promise you that God hears your cries and He will answer your call. God never promised an easy path in life, but He did promise to be with us. Don’t give up. There are so many promises in the Bible for you. Spend time searching and finding them. Write them out and keep them in front of your eyes. God’s promises will never fail.

            I want to encourage you, yes you, to ask God, to fan the flames of your faith, and to trust your Heavenly Father who loves you more than any human being ever could. It’s scary to ask for a touch from the Master’s hand, because He may not bring an instant healing. But I believe that God can guide the doctor’s hands, give the doctor wisdom, and I KNOW He will walk with you as you go through this terrible storm. I am praying for you, believing with you, that you will soon have a testimony to share.

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