Doug’s Columns

By Doug Creamer

Peace & Rest

            Is it just me or does the world seem to be a scary place? I watched the volcano erupt in Hawaii, which was cool and scary. Did you see the images from the recent plane crash in India? Last year we had terrible flooding in western North Carolina, and we are now starting a new hurricane season; do we need to be concerned?

            There are a number of wars going on around the world that are scary. The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for three years. Few people realize that India and Pakistan are fighting each other. Israel has been fighting with the Palestinians and now they are engaging in a war with Iran. I would hate to live in a war zone. 

            The humanitarian needs are growing daily around the world with many people unable to find food and shelter. Did you hear about the assignations and the attempted assignations up in Minnesota?  I am beginning to wonder if the whole world has gone crazy! We are lucky and blessed to be living in America where most of us can meet our daily needs for food, shelter, and have a general sense that we are safe.  

            Yet many of us fail to live with a sense of peace. It is hard to feel peace when so many in our world are suffering. I believe most people want to get up and go to work, come home and have dinner, watch some TV with their family, and go to sleep in their own beds. People crave the routines that many of us want to escape when we take our summer vacations to the beach or the mountains.

            I know we need to be aware of things that are happening in our world today. We need to be up on the news, but we need to learn to limit our intake of news and breathe. Feeding our minds all that bad news is going to give all of us anxiety and fill us with depression. Awareness is one thing but allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed is something entirely different.

            I have been encouraging my Sunday school class to turn off their TV. There are some great and wonderful things happening all the time that the news will not tell you. For example, last year after the terrible floods in the mountains I know relatives and neighbors who went up and helped people who were suffering. No one knows when someone reaches out to help a neighbor or elderly person. People like you and me do kind and nice things to help others all the time, but there aren’t reporters out there putting that on the evening news.

            Jesus tells us that if we are feeling overwhelmed by our circumstances or the world around us to come to Him and He will give us rest. Philippians 4 tells us not to be anxious about anything but to pray to God with thanksgiving. If we do that, He promises to give us His perfect peace. We are further challenged to consider our meditations and to think about good and beautiful things. God will help us, but we have to do our part.

            God’s peace is available to all of us. We have to read and meditate on His word. We also have to go to Him in our prayers and lay our burdens down. The trouble is we want to pick those burdens up when we leave His presence. We have trust Him with our problems, our families, our jobs, our homes, our cars, our communities, our nation, and our world. We need to look for the good and beauty around us. We need to seek Him with our hearts and minds. We have to make room in our minds for His peace.

            I want to encourage you to be aware of what is going on in the world but not to let it overwhelm you. We serve a great big God who remains in control in spite of what things may look like to us. Release your burdens to Him and accept the gift of His perfect peace. No matter what is troubling you, He can and will help if you let Him. It may not work out the way we think it should but we have to trust Him with all the details. When we can take the steps of trusting Him and believing in His goodness, we can find the peace that we all need. I speak the PEACE of Christ to you…to your heart, to your mind, and to your spirit. Receive it! Now rest in it!

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

By Doug Creamer

Father’s Day

            When I was growing up, I had everything I needed. I look around the world today and I see stories of so many who lack their daily needs or live in a war zone. We are so blessed to be living in America. My parents made sure I had everything I needed for a successful launch in life and for that I am so grateful.

            We weren’t wealthy but we had everything we needed as kids because our parents sacrificed for us. They put aside their wants so we could have the things that we needed. They provided a safe place for us to grow up and they provided a safety net for us as we spread our wings and learned to fly. They caught each of us and helped us to learn from our mistakes. That means they gave us room and grace to make those mistakes without making us feel like failures.  

            My parents did a good job raising us. I would not say our home was perfect…no one has a perfect home. The TV examples of “Leave it to Beaver” or “The Brady Bunch” are idyllic places that we loved to watch as kids but were not reality for any of us. The single father household of “Andy Griffith” who was tasked with raising Opie with the help of Aunt Bee presents an unobtainable dream home where everything seems perfect.

            These TV shows set a standard for dads that is impossible. No dad could ever be that perfect, but we love to watch and dream. My Dad liked to have a catch, shoot some basketball, play a game of pool, and take us golfing. My Dad, who is over 90, still loves to play golf. He and I played in a father-son golf tournament when I was young and won second place, a trophy I still have to this day.

            My Dad admits that he wasn’t a perfect dad. Sometimes he fell asleep on the couch instead of coming outside to shoot some hoops with his sons. Other times he would send us outside to “warm up” while he stayed inside and snuck a few extra cookies while no one was watching. Yeah Dad, I caught you more than once on that one. He also got upset and yelled at us kids, but sometimes we deserved it, like the time my hamster escaped and got into the wall of our house. My brother helped me retrieve it.     

My Dad also took us on adventures. One time we were driving through a tunnel with no lights and he turned off the car lights. Several times he took us out to the airport and we sat near the end of the runway watching the planes take off or land. He took us to see a ship that had been raised from the bottom of the ocean and was being restored. We explored castle ruins. He took us to a presidential debate when we were kids.  

            One advantage of being married is that you gain a whole new family, including another father. My father-in-law welcomed me to his family as a son. He taught me how to fix things. We did a couple of home repairs together. He shared some wisdom with me about marriage, work, and life in general. I think what I miss the most about my father-in-law are his stories. I would love to hear another of his stories of the fascinating people he knew growing up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

            Whether all your stories about your earthly father are good ones or they are mixed, as most people’s stories are, you can be sure that your Heavenly Father is perfect. He also loves you unconditionally. He sees the best in you. He has great plans for your future. He is closer to you than your breath. He will never leave you or forsake you. You can run to Him for wisdom and guidance. You can call Him 24/7. He will ALWAYS answer.

            I want to encourage you to remember the good things about your father. Forgive and forget all the ways he may have fallen short. Turn to your Heavenly Father and ask Him to heal any of the brokenness in your life left by your earthly father. Connect with your Father through His Word and prayer. Allow His love to wash over you and fill you to overflowing. Dad, thanks for all you did for me – Happy Father’s Day! Heavenly Father thank you for your love and forgiveness and for being a good, good Father!

By Doug Creamer

What is Faith?

            How can it be June already? I have so much I still want to do outside before it becomes too hot to get it done. Most of my garden is planted. A local farmer is advertising that he will have corn this weekend and mine just got planted. I need to replant my beans for a third time, not because of the rabbits that love to eat them, but because the seeds did not germinate. I am also hoping to put out some sweet potatoes.

            Gardening has a lot to do with faith. We put things out in the ground with faith that we will get a harvest from our labors. The reality is, things happen. One year we got so much rain that my potatoes rotted. We fight pests that require us to spray pesticides. Then we have the rabbits, and this year we have quite a few. The squirrels beat me to my corn the last couple of years. Then the deer have learned to jump my fences so they can enjoy my vegetables, too. If I can outwit all these challenges, I might get a harvest.

            That is where faith comes into the equation. Gardeners have faith that our work will give us the harvest we are working to achieve. Faith is believing and trusting that God will reward your hard work. Here is the part that some people forget. I can’t just plant seeds; I have to do many other things if I want to see the harvest. I have to water my seeds. I have to weed the garden. I also have to do the work of preventing all the above named pests from getting my harvest. Even then things like weather conditions can ruin a harvest. It requires faith!

            If gardening requires all that faith and hard work to achieve any level of success, then why do we believe that our spiritual journey will be an easy one? The idea that I can walk the aisle and ask Jesus into my life and then expect I will live on easy street is crazy. It requires faith to ask Jesus into our lives, but if we believe the hard work is over we are sadly mistaken. We have to work to protect this seed of a new life in Jesus so it can grow and produce a harvest for His kingdom.

            The enemy is like a squirrel which will come and dig the seeds up and eat them before they can germinate. If the squirrels miss out, then when the first leaves of our faith emerge the rabbits will be waiting to eat them and keep us from growing. If we keep them out, the weeds of distraction will grow up and choke our seeds. If we get past that we have to watch out for the deer of doubt, fear, and worry that will try and steal our harvest from us. Yes, spiritual gardening requires faith and hard work.

            If we can manage to defeat all the critters that want to steal our harvest, we still have to do the hard work of growing roots. Our roots will grow as we read God’s word. Here is the important part about reading the Bible: we have to do more than just read it. We have to add faith and then apply it to our lives. Some people can quote the Bible but they have never applied any of it to their lives. Knowledge without faith and application will not produce a spiritual harvest. Faith in God’s word requires application.

            Another important part of growing faith is having a conversation with God. Some people believe that prayer is talking at God. Prayer is a two-way conversation. We need to listen for God’s voice in our lives. He can speak to us through the Bible, but He also wants to speak to us in our spirit. He will nudge you, guide you, and give you thoughts. Naturally, we need to carefully weigh what we hear and make sure it lines up with God’s word. Hearing from God requires faith!

            I want to encourage you to grow your faith. Growing faith requires hard work. It requires daily maintenance. The enemy wants to distract you, separate you from other believers, and keep you in a state of doubt, fear, and discouragement. God is with us. He is fighting for us. He wants to see us grow a strong faith that will endure the many tests we must face in our spiritual journey. Having faith is not easy, but the reward is great because we will get to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

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

By Doug Creamer

Remembering

            I slept in this morning and it sure felt nice. When I woke up, I lay in bed and enjoyed the peacefulness. I didn’t have to rush anywhere. I ate a leisurely breakfast and then sat quietly on my front porch. It was a cool morning with a light drizzle. My prayers were lazy but filled with thanksgiving. I started to think about what I was going to write, but was not in a hurry to start.

            Why was I afforded such a wonderful morning? Today, as I write, it is Memorial Day. I know that I only work part-time now, but it is still nice to have a day off. The reason I was given this opportunity is because today is a day that we remember those who sacrificed their lives to give us the chance to live in this great land. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and many around the world wish they could live here.

            As I spent time reflecting on those who gave their lives, I began to think about those who were left behind. When someone in our military dies while on active duty, they leave behind loved ones who must deal with the tragic loss. There are children whose parent is not returning. There is the spouse who must pick up the pieces. There are siblings with holes in their hearts. There are parents who must face burying their children. The pain and grief these families must bear so we can live in a land of freedom must never be forgotten.

            I did a Google search this morning on the number of military deaths that have occurred. These numbers include deaths from battle, infections, and diseases while in service. These numbers are estimates, and in most cases I took the lower end of the estimates. Over 25,000 from the Revolutionary War. Over 620,000 from the Civil War. Over 116,000 from World War I. Over 407,000 from World War II. That is over one million people who died while serving our country. That’s a lot of families who sacrificed greatly so we could live in this great land of ours. We owe a great debt of gratitude to these families.

            When it comes down to it, freedom really isn’t free. Those families paid the highest price so we can live in America. We all come from different backgrounds, have varying political stances, and even different religious beliefs, but on this one thing we can be united. We must honor those who paid with their lives or their loved ones lives so we can live free in America.

            When it comes to those who gave their lives for us, we as Christians owe a debt to those who paid with their lives so we can have the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that most of the disciples were martyred for their faith. Peter was crucified upside down. Tradition holds that Paul was beheaded. Some early Christians were imprisoned, tortured, or fed to the lions.

            There are many people throughout history who were mistreated in order to spread the Good News. These people gave everything to give us the opportunity to have a relationship with God through Jesus. Jesus paid the highest price to repair our broken relationship with God. Jesus was beaten with 39 lashings so we could be healed from all our emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual brokenness. His blood bought our forgiveness. He made a way for us to walk into the Father’s presence without fear, worry, guilt, or shame.

            It is hard to believe that there are still places in our world today where believing in Jesus could cost you your life. There are places where the Bible is a banned book. There are places where if you are caught together with other believers worshipping Jesus you could be imprisoned. We must remember the missionaries who are still putting their lives on the line to share the hope of Jesus with a lost world.

            Memorial Day should remind us to pray for the families of those who gave their lives for our country. I also want to encourage you to pray for missionaries from your church and others who are out there on the front lines sharing Jesus with the lost. They need the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance if they hope to make a difference. I hope their sacrifice will embolden us to share our faith with those who are living in darkness. People need the Lord. We are the light of the world…let’s let our lights shine in our little corner of the world.  

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

By Doug Creamer

Who is He?

            Have you ever been out and you see someone you know…but they are out of place so you don’t remember how you know them? You know them from somewhere, but you just can’t place them. Then this person sees you and greets you warmly. Naturally, you return the greeting just as warmly…still trying to place them. Has this ever happened to you? It happens to me more often than I want to admit.

            My wife tells me it’s because I know so many people. I talk to the stockers in the grocery stores. I talk to waiters and waitresses. I know my cashiers. There are so many people in my professional life that I knew from East Davidson. We have been out of state and people have come up and greeted me. My wife once asked, “Is there any place we can go where someone doesn’t know you?”

            Remembering names has always been a problem for me. I will also go blank at the absolute wrong time. I once went to introduce my pastor and couldn’t come up with his name. He laughed so hard at me. Being a teacher makes this flaw very challenging. I go to call on a student and the name won’t come to me. It drives me crazy!

            I know that I am not the only one who struggles to remember names. I have seasons when I remember names really well, and then there are days that no one’s name comes to mind. Okay, that is a bit extreme, but I wish I could change this part of myself. I want to show honor to people by remembering their names.

            I find it interesting that God is called by many different names. Often the name is related to a quality about God that we need in our lives at a particular time. For example, one of the names of God is Jehovah Jireh, which means God our provider. God provides for His people. Sometimes God will test us to see if we will believe and trust Him, especially in this area. God has always met our needs through the good times and the financially lean times. He is and has always been faithful.

            If you are struggling with your health, you may turn to Jehovah Rapha, which means the Lord who heals us. We have all been in places where we needed God’s healing touch for ourselves or a loved one. We cry out to God for His healing touch. I have witnessed and know people who have received a miraculous touch from God.

            Some people may be calling out to Jehovah Shalom, the God who is our peace. If you find yourself struggling with worry, anxiety, or depression, then you need Jehovah Shalom to bring you the peace of God, which transcends all understanding. God does not want you to live in mental distress because He can provide the peace you need in your daily life. Even when life seems to be turned upside down, you can live in God’s perfect peace.

            I think one of my favorite terms for God comes from what many Jewish children call their father, Papa. The Bible uses the term Abba. It is an intimate term. I believe in the crazy world in which we find ourselves living many of us might need to call out to our Abba, Papa. I was unfamiliar with the name Papa because I refer to my father as Dad. During a season of my life when I was seeking a deeper intimacy with God I started calling Him Daddy. Some may wonder how I could call God Almighty Daddy, but I believe it reflects His desire to draw closer to us. I believe that God wants us to crawl up into His arms and allow Him to pour out His deep love upon us.

            Whatever your need in life, I want to encourage you to see God as the One who met you at your place of need. He is God Almighty, yet He desires to draw closer to us. He wants to reveal more of Himself to us. He wants us to see Him as the God who will meet our needs. No request is too big or too small. He wanted a deeper relationship with us so badly that He made His Son pay the price for us. Our salvation and relationship with God cost Him dearly. The good news is that God has opened the door to anyone who will open their hearts to Him. Who is God to me? He is my Daddy. There is room in His arms for you, too!   

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

By Doug Creamer

Gardening this Year

            It is a busy time for gardeners. It’s time to get the vegetable garden ready for a new season of growing. That means pulling the weeds, running the tiller through the beds, and getting everything planted. A gardener also has to go to garden centers and find all the plants and seeds. It is an exciting and hopeful time. It is a wonderful time of the year!

            We also need to trim the bushes and get our annual flowers planted. There is more weeding to do in the flower beds. Have I told you that I do not like weeding? It’s my least favorite gardening task, but I have to admit I like the way things look when all the weeds are cleaned out and fresh mulch is applied. I am glad for the longer days and the opportunity to work outside in the yard.

            My gardening excitement this year has been tempered. Several weeks ago, I was working outside and I took a tumble, landing on my back. I lay there for a minute. Getting up was not easy. A massage therapist I went to once taught me some back stretching exercises in which I slowly engaged. It has been a very s-l-o-w but gradual recovery. I saw a new massage therapist who shared her gift with me and helped to ease the pain and move me closer to recovery.

            While there is no good time to have pain, I have explained to several people that this is a terrible time to be struggling with back pain. There is so much work that needs to be done outside, but I am limited on what I can do. I have recovered enough that I can handle carrying groceries and light items. I can drag heavier things, but still I have to be careful doing that, too. No matter how careful I am, by the evening my back is sore, which makes me tired and weary.

            Because of the pain, I have had to approach my vegetable garden differently this year. I normally run the tiller through my raised vegetable beds. I till in the leaves and some new soil, preparing a great place for my new vegetables to grow. I couldn’t run the tiller this spring because of my back. This year I pulled the leaves back and mixed in some bags of soil and then planted my seeds and transplants. I am leaving the leaves around what I planted in hopes they will help keep the weeds down. I have heard of this idea; it’s called no till gardening. I haven’t tried it before, but necessity led to experimentation.

            It’s challenging when we are forced into changes. I want to garden as I always have, but pain forced me to make some changes. I do believe that God is still in the healing business today. I have experienced healing and seen too many healings of others to believe otherwise. But I also firmly believe that God will lead us through things because He wants to teach us more about Himself. He wants me to know that His grace is sufficient for me. He wants me to know that He will always be with me.

            Some may wonder why God didn’t protect me, but I argue that God did protect me from something far greater that the enemy wanted to do to me. God did something miraculous a few days after my fall. He gave me a supernatural peace. I struggle to maintain my peace at times in life, but I have felt His presence as I have struggled to recover. He has helped me to do some things…slowly. I have also had to humble myself and ask for some help, which I am very bad at doing. These are important lessons that I have been learning.

            The bottom line for me is this: I believe that God is actively involved in our lives but sometimes we have to look a little harder to find Him. I want to encourage you as you are going through your struggles…and I know we all have them…to look closer and see God in the middle of them. He is the God who will see you through your struggles. He loves you, but He wants you to learn more about who He is for you in the midst of your struggles. He cares for you. He will see you through to the other side. He is faithful. He is the Master Gardener who wants to produce fruit in your life. Let Him work the soil in your life and produce a harvest for His Kingdom.

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

By Doug Creamer

Love and Appreciation

            Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers! Prayers and blessings to all those who hope to be mothers. Peace and grace to all those mothers who are missing their little ones. Mother’s Day can evoke many emotions, from love, joy, and happiness, to various levels of sadness. While it is considered a happy occasion, it can be difficult for some.

            My siblings and I were lucky kids because God gave us a great mother. She gave each of us tons of love as we grew. She encouraged us to spread our wings and fly when it was time to leave the nest. She has been a cheerleader for all of her kids as we have all experienced successful launches. If you are lucky as I am, then you are blessed to have a good mother.

            My mom is the news keeper for our family. My siblings and I are all busy and while we keep in touch we don’t know everything that is going on in each other’s families. That’s where my mom plays a vital role; I affectionately refer to her as News Central. If something is going on in the family, just check in with News Central; she has all the details. So when we visit or call my mom we all find out what is happening elsewhere in the family. There is great comfort in knowing you are in the family information loop.

            While we are blessed with good mothers, God must have decided to bless my wife and me twice when it comes to mothers in our lives. When I was at college I ran into a bad living situation. An older couple decided to step in and help me out. They invited me to live with them for a semester. They became my “adopted parents.” My wife and I were close with them while we were in college. They shared dinners with us and took us on many adventures. We have many great memories of time spent together. We have stayed in contact with them since we were in college.  

            Our parents and adopted parents have been a great blessing in our lives. In return, we have strived to show our love and appreciation to them. We visit with them, try to be helpful, call, and send cards. It is important to give back and express our love and appreciation to those who gave so much to us.

            The question that rolls around in my mind is, how do we show God how much we love and appreciate Him? You can’t send Him cards. You can’t take a trip “home” for a long weekend or for the holidays. I know we can “call” Him, but aren’t those calls reserved for needs and emergencies? What can you offer and bring to God as a gift when He owns everything?

            I think we begin by talking to Him like we would our best friend. Tell Him what is in our heart. Tell Him about our hopes and dreams. Tell Him about our day. Thank Him for our many blessings. Thank Him for all He has given us. Thank Him for the special people in our life. Maybe, if we dare, ask Him about His day. Ask Him what is on His heart. Ask Him if He would like to talk with us about something. Talking with God is a two way street. Listening for His voice is critical.

            Next, I wonder what can I give God? I think we begin by giving thanks and praise to Him. Praise Him for the sunrise or sunset. Praise Him for the beauty in creation. Praise Him for saving your soul. Just praise Him with all your heart. Let that lead you into worship. He deserves your praise and worship. He is the God of all creation. Express your love and gratitude to God. These are things He doesn’t have until you offer them to Him.

            There are so many ways to show God how much you love Him, including reading the Bible and getting to know Him. I want to encourage you to demonstrate your love by expressing your heart-felt praise and thanksgiving to Him. Talk to Him any time you want during the day. You don’t have to be in a special place because He is everywhere. When you think about Him in the middle of your busy day, just send Him a little “Hello” which will bless His heart. God loves you unconditionally and He proved it by sending Jesus into the world. Let your heart respond to His great love.

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

By Doug Creamer

Work Rest Balance

            I have worked with people who watched the clock and when it was time to go, they were gone. I never watched the clock that closely. Granted, there were times that I left as soon as I could, but that was the exception. Generally, I put in many more hours than was expected and I know I was not the exception. There are many teachers who put in long hours.

            I think I may have had workaholic tendencies. For most of my career I put in way too many hours. It wasn’t until I was winding down my career that I began to develop a better work-life balance. I have been retired for nearly six years now and my former school still goes on. Soon it will be time for prom, reviews for the final exams, and another graduation. All that will continue and I am not there.

            Of course, teachers are not the only profession with workaholics. Doctors, lawyers, firefighters, and the list goes on. There are people in every career field who could be considered workaholics. The employers may like it, but it is not healthy. That mindset can take a toll on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We have to learn to take a step back and figure out how to create a better balance so we can live a fulfilling life.

            Jesus and the Old Testament both teach us the value of resting. In the Old Testament the Jewish people were told to take a Sabbath day. This was a day of rest, reflection, prayer, and a time to reconnect with family and friends. In other words, the people were encouraged to slow down and enjoy life and each other. The Sabbath day was a call to connect with God. To rest in His presence. To be refreshed.

            Jesus would have obeyed the command to rest on the Sabbath. Jesus went to the temple on the Sabbath. Jesus healed people in the temple on the Sabbath. Jesus taught on the Sabbath. Jesus taught His listeners about the love of God. After Jesus fed the five thousand, He dismissed the crowds, sent His disciples away in a boat, and then went up into the hills to a quiet place to pray, rest, and be refreshed.

            Jesus understands our need to rest. He calls to us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” He knows and understands that life has a way of taking a toll on us. In those moments, He calls to us to come to Him where we can find rest and peace. God wants to meet with us and lift our burdens, comfort us, restore us, and renew our strength.

            Running to Jesus is not a call for us to be selfish, self-centered, or self-indulgent. He calls us to Himself to be refreshed and renewed so we can be ready to serve in His Kingdom. The reason for any self-care is preparation. Jesus wants us to take good care of our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing so we can be ready to fulfill His purposes. If we allow ourselves to get burned out, how are we going to be useful to Him? Being ready for service is the purpose for self-care.

            The struggle is developing a balance in our lives. Is it okay to take a break and go on vacation? Yes, we all need time to get away. Does God expect you to do and be a part of everything? No, but He expects you to connect with others in the family of God where you can be encouraged and challenged to grow deeper in your relationship with Jesus and where you can do the same for others. He also wants you to be in prayer and His Word every day so you can develop a closer relationship with Him. There are so many things pulling and distracting us from being with God. Connecting with God will help us maintain a balanced life.

            I want to encourage you to examine your life and see if things are out of balance. If you have allowed things to distract you from maintaining your spiritual life and connection with God, then it’s time to get life back in balance. A life centered around God is a healthy life. A God centered life will give you peace, joy, strength, energy, and a purpose. There will be more opportunities to be used by God if you draw close to Him. He wants you rested and refreshed so you will be ready to serve Him. 

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

By Doug Creamer

            I was invited by a reader to come and speak at her church’s community senior’s group. Mt. Gilead church is located near Sophia. They invite local seniors to join their members for a nice lunch and a guest speaker. I was honored to be invited as their speaker. Actually, I was scheduled to speak back in February, but we got snowed out.

            It was a beautiful day to drive out to the church. It was down some twisty roads in the rolling part of Randolph County. The drive was so peaceful and the people were so welcoming. I spoke before we ate so I kept a close eye on the time. The aroma of the food wafting from the kitchen made my mouth water.

            I started off my presentation by honoring a man, Tom Watson, who was buried not far from where I was speaking. I had never met the man, only talked with him on the phone years ago. He took about thirty minutes of his life to listen to my dreams about writing and encouraged me to contact a local paper and begin writing to build my skills. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t be writing as I am today. I wanted to honor him.

            Next, I told them about a time when I was looking for a new church. I told them about some churches where no one spoke to me or welcomed me to their church. I talked to them about the importance of having greeters at the door. I also reminded them it is everyone’s responsibility to make visitors feel welcome. Why would someone want to join a church where they didn’t feel welcome when they walked in the door?

            The main message I shared with my listeners is the need every church has for spiritual grandparents. I explained to them that God does not have a retirement plan. In the room that day sat incredible wisdom, life experiences, and testimonies to God’s faithfulness. I told them that there were people in their church that needed to hear their stories. Your story can change someone’s life. We just have to be brave enough to share our experiences with others.

            I illustrated my point by talking about the stages of life. I asked them to remember being newlyweds and having their first argument and how it felt like the world was going to end. I asked them to remember what it was like to have your first baby and all the worries. Then consider the terrible teen years or becoming empty nesters. These were just a few of the many stages of life they had all navigated and survived. Their stories could help others.

            Speaking of survival, I told them that I knew there had to be some cancer survivors in that group. I asked them to remember the devastating day when the doctor told them they had cancer, but here they were survivors. I told them that there were people in their church who either recently received or would receive that same news and how their testimony of survival could make a huge difference in those people’s lives.

            I encouraged the older men to invite the younger guys along on a fishing or hunting trip. There is so much that can be imparted in a casual, relaxed environment. Just being in fellowship opens the door of opportunity to pour into each other’s lives. I told the older women that the younger women needed their guidance on how to balance work, family, social, and church life. I told the women that younger women look up to them and because of their experiences might find it easy to talk with them about life’s ups and downs. All retirees can be great role models for younger folks, a source of encouragement, and powerful prayer partners.

            If you find yourself like me being put in the category of being a retiree or a senior, then let me encourage you to step up and offer your stories of God’s goodness and faithfulness to the next generation. Your stories need to be told. People need to know that God still comes through for us. He’s still in the saving business. He’s still in the fixing business. He still forgives and restores us. He cares, listens and works on our behalf. We have to have faith and trust Him. He is the all-powerful God of the impossible! Nothing is too difficult for Him. No one is beyond the reach of His love. We all have stories and testimonies to share. Let’s open our hearts and lives to others and allow Him to use us.

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

By Doug Creamer

Another Year

            I received a text from a friend this week congratulating me on another safe trip around the sun. He was wishing me a happy birthday. I enjoy having birthdays until we get to the year when I have to put a zero at the end of my age. I don’t like changing decades. Thankfully, this was a non-decade changing birthday.

            Age is just a number. It’s more important how you feel and how well your body is holding up. The reality is that as we add years there are some side effects. One of the things I’ve noticed is that I need to sit down and rest a little more often while working in the yard.

            I still feel young when I am teaching at school. My students think of me as “older,” and compared to some of them, I guess I am. I think the prime of life seems to be the twenties, thirties, and forties. I am also discovering why we need to retire. It takes longer to do certain tasks so we need to retire to allow more time to get things done.

            When I mention any of this to my parents, who are both in their 90’s, they tell me that things change considerably after you cross the 90 mark. While my parents both have good days and bad days, I think they are doing well for their age.

I qualify for a senior discount but I haven’t asked for it yet. I have received the discount at Harris Teeter a couple of times and I have to admit that I liked it. It is a small savings so I am not sure what I would do with it. I guess I need to start taking advantage of the opportunities this white hair on my head has earned for me.

There is one other thing I have noticed about being older. Time seems to be moving more quickly. It seems like we just finished putting Christmas away and here we are at Easter. We’ll blink and be at the Fourth of July. Then fall breezes will begin to blow. Once fall arrives, we will be back in the holiday season. We need to slow time down! I need to get my garden planted. I am dreaming of my first tomatoes.

I realize we can’t slow time down. We can only choose to live in the moment and enjoy the time God has given us. Easter is here! My wife and I both love spring, watching Mother Nature come alive and seeing the beauty blossom in front of us. There are streets lined with dogwoods that I will purposely drive down to enjoy their beauty. The azaleas have been beautiful this year. I love and appreciate spring’s beauty.

It seems appropriate that Easter falls in spring. Jesus died on Good Friday and then rose from the grave on Easter morning. Earth’s awakening each spring should remind us of the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus paid the price for all of our sins. We are forgiven and we can now have a relationship with God the Father because Jesus paid for all our debts.

I taught children’s church last Sunday and one of the kids mentioned that Jesus went to heaven when He died. I told the kids that Jesus didn’t go straight to heaven but that He actually went to hell. They looked at me in shock. I told them that He had to go down there to let Satan and all the demons know that He had fulfilled God’s plan and redeemed mankind. He took back the keys of life and death and set the captives free.

I thought about that interaction with the children. Jesus paid the price for all my sin through His shed blood. Jesus paid for my healing through His broken body. Jesus has opened the prison doors to all who find themselves trapped by depression, anxiety, and/or addiction. Jesus set the captives free. Jesus restored the broken relationship between God and mankind. Jesus gave each one of us access to grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace, joy, and God’s unconditional love.

I want to encourage you to open your heart to God this Easter. He offers you life and hope in exchange for your brokenness. The gift of Easter is a restored relationship with your Heavenly Father. Whatever age or stage of life you find yourself walking in today, God wants to be a part of your life. He opened the door and paid the price for you. All you have to do is receive this precious gift, which leads to eternal life with God in heaven.   

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