A Father’s Guidance

by   June 26, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            My dad lives about an hour away and we see each other for holiday gatherings and occasionally for lunch. It is always a good time when we can get together. We share our news, catch up on life events, and share a few laughs.

            My dad often sends me articles or video links that he thinks I will find interesting. Some challenge my beliefs, while others reinforce what I believe. Either way, it opens the doors to a discussion about the topic. Often, we find ourselves on opposite sides of the topic. He might even take the opposite side if he thinks it will create a more interesting discussion. This skill helps me to strengthen what I believe with supporting thoughts.

            My dad has always had strong political views. While they have changed some in his golden years, they are still strong and vibrant. My dad loves to watch the political pundits and will exuberantly engage in any political hot-button discussion with whoever is within earshot. I am less politically motivated and avoid this topic with my dad.

            My dad likes to talk about religion, too. He recently sent a video link from his Sunday school class. His teacher was discussing how the church has been affected by the pandemic and how we must consider doing church differently if we plan to engage people. She brought up a very interesting question for people to ponder: Is the church the building we go to each Sunday or the people who attend? Dad and I have yet to have that discussion, but I am looking forward to it.

            My dad enjoys playing golf, and in his retirement plays several times a week. Some of my best memories with him are on the golf course. Several times in my childhood we had houses that backed up onto golf courses, and we would go out and play a few holes after dinner some evenings. We also did a lot of ball hawking, which is what we called searching for golf balls. I have fond memories of my dad on the golf course.

            My dad has always had a different way of looking at things, which comes in handy when you are trying to make big life decisions. He can draw on his own life experiences to help you see things from many different angles. His unique perspective can help you avoid pitfalls and problems that you may not have anticipated. I may not have always taken my dad’s advice, but I can look back on some specific times I did and I am thankful.

            I have never been a dad myself. I always wanted to be a dad. I am not sure whether I would have made a good one or not. I hope that I wouldn’t be one of those helicopter parents. I am sure I would have developed the skill of worry if I had kids.

            I did get a little surprise this year for Father’s Day. Several of the young adults at our church brought me Father’s Day cards. It was hard to keep the tears from leaking out as they approached me and gave me these cards. One of the cards thanked me for being a great uncle. The young man calls me Uncle Doug.

            Each of these young adults, in their own unique way, thanked me for taking time to listen to them, showing concern when I could see they were struggling, offering guidance to them as they made life choices, and encouraging them to pursue their passions and dreams. I guess those are qualities of a good father, and maybe to some degree I do possess them.

            I think we all need someone we can lean on for some good advice, whether it is our father, a spiritual leader, a good friend, or our Heavenly Father. I think we often choose a person or people in our lives instead of going to our Heavenly Father. The truth is that God wants to speak into our lives and give us His heavenly perspective on our life situations. If we would only stop and look to Him, He would give us the best guidance.

            I want to encourage you to look to your Heavenly Father for whatever is troubling you today. He cares about you and your situation. He sees your circumstances in ways you can’t.  He always makes good plans for your future. So turn to Him and listen for His voice. Your Heavenly Father loves you far beyond what you can imagine. Put your hand in His and trust Him to guide you into a wonderful future.

Doug Creamer has a new book at Amazon: EncouragingU: Summer Stories. Contact him at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Exercise to Waylay Memory Loss and Cognitive Decline

by   June 22, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Many years ago during high school, I was fortunate to live with a grandma and aunt, both of whom lived together. For their own reasons, they chose to help me through a rough time. Eventually, our family lost both of them to long-term dementia.

This was long before exercise became important to me. I was active in some sports but never thought anything about the long-range benefits of regular cardiovascular, heart-pumping exercise. But I began to wonder as both their mental and physical declines persisted for several years, could anything have helped them? Both stayed busy but neither exercised nor took their diets seriously.

I’ve been interested for years in researching how to hold off memory loss and cognitive decline. With the past week’s news of a drug that potentially could slow these declines, I thought this was a good time to visit what we can do, prompted by a radio podcast where two doctors said that 90% of cognitive decline is preventable.

We know that exercise has plenty of physical and mental health benefits, reducing cardiovascular disease and diabetes while strengthening the bones and muscles. Jonathan Graff-Radford, M.D, at the Mayo Clinic said, “It appears that regular physical activity benefits the brain. Studies show that people who are physically active are less likely to experience a decline in their mental function and have a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Physical activity is one of the known modifiable risk factors for dementia. Plus, regular exercise helps combat other Alzheimer’s disease risk factors, such as depression and obesity.”

He suggests that exercising several times a week for 30 to 60 minutes is likely to do the following for the brain:

  • Keep thinking, reasoning and learning skills sharp for healthy individuals
  • Improve memory, reasoning, judgment and thinking skills (cognitive function) for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment
  • Delay the start of Alzheimer’s for people at risk of developing the disease or slow the progress of the disease
  • Increase the size of the part of the brain that’s associated with memory formation (hippocampus)

Dr. Graff-Radford said, “Physical activity seems to help your brain not only by keeping the blood flowing but also by increasing chemicals that protect the brain. Physical activity also tends to counter some of the natural reduction in brain connections that occurs with aging.”

More research is needed to know how, and how much adding physical activity may improve memory or slow the progression of cognitive decline. Nonetheless, regular exercise is important to stay physically and mentally fit. And for older adults, even leisurely physical activity offers health benefits.

There are other ways to fight back. While some things some such as age and heredity can’t be changed, others can. The simple things like lowering blood pressure and high cholesterol reduce risk factors. Some autopsy studies show that 80% of all who had Alzheimer’s also had coronary disease. Those autopsy studies also show that the plaques and tangles in the brain have a much higher risk of leading to Alzheimer’s when there is vascular disease.

Current evidence suggests that heart-healthy eating may also help protect the brain. Heart-healthy eating includes limiting the intake of sugar and saturated fats and making sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. No one diet has proven best. Two diets that have been studied and may be beneficial to lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s are the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet.

  • The DASH diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, nuts and vegetable oils. The DASH diet limits sodium, sweets, sugary beverages and red meats.
  • A Mediterranean diet includes relatively little red meat. It emphasizes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fish and shellfish, and healthy fats like nuts and olive oil.

Leading a healthy social life and challenging the brain regularly also appear to be major pluses. Getting involved with community activities and seeking mental stimulation matter. Exercise and dietary improvement can still make a difference when cognitive impairment has already begun.

Rowan’s next two races are right around the corner. The Shiloh Missions 5K on July 3 and the Greenway 5K on July 17 are next up. Look for them and other events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Hide and Seek

by   June 21, 2021 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

No doubt we have all participated in a game of hide and seek.

Everyone knows the rules.

The person who is “it” counts aloud to a pre-selected number like 10, while everyone hides.

“It” then says something like, “1.2.3.4.5.6.7.10! Ready or not, here I come!”

“It” begins looking for the people who are hiding.

The word look is different from the word seek.

To look means to see it or pay attention to it.

To seek means to go in search of something.

If you are playing with children age 5 or under, and you are “it,” finding those who are hiding while playing indoors can be pretty simple. Look around. Stand still. Listen for whispering, giggling and rustling sounds. Walk toward those sounds.

As “it,” I never let the children know that I know where they are. I make a huge scene  while slamming doors and wondering aloud, “Where in the world could they be?” Then, I make loud announcements like, “I think I will look in the kitchen! I bet he is hiding in there!”

There was that one time though…

One little hider had not been located.

I looked everywhere.

Looking everywhere was not successful, for I was only looking with my eyes.

I needed to seek for him.

I knew he had to be near — so I called out his name.

No answer.

I noticed the blanket on the floor of the closet I had looked at earlier.

This time — I decided to lift up the blanket, so I could seek for him.

There he was.

Safe, secure and soundly sleeping.

Seeking for him had mattered.

Looking for him had not been enough.

Does God’s word mention hide and seek?

Adam and Eve hid from God, but God knew exactly where they were.

Jonah hid from God and ended up in the belly of the whale.

“He is our hiding place,” — Psalm 119:114

“We are to seek him while he may be found,” — Isaiah 55:6

Hiding from God? Impossible.

He knows exactly where we are.         

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

Is God Testing Us

by   June 19, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Is God Testing Us?

            I taught school for 34 years, and for the last couple of years I have been teaching Chinese students online. I love being a teacher and having the opportunity to help people learn something new. Sometimes I use props to get my point across. Often, I tell stories; I love to tell stories. I will spend hours working on a Sunday school lesson or a sermon, trying to figure out the best way to get my points across.

            One of the things I learned early on is that it is important to test your students in the learning process. If you don’t hold your students accountable, they will not apply themselves to learn. Students have asked me hundreds of times, “Is this on the test?” before they “wasted” their time taking notes.

            Testing occurs in every classroom to ensure that students are learning. Most students take the routine tests to the best of their ability. For the teacher, it is a barometer to determine if the students really learned the curriculum. I strongly believe that tests can be more than just paper and pencil; they can also be the application of the skills acquired. I wanted my students to demonstrate what they had learned through projects and presentations.

            Most students performed very well on the projects and presentations. What bothered me the most was when students gave no effort during final exams. One smart student explained the 50 she earned by telling me that she only answered every other question. She said she didn’t care what she earned because she was going to pass my class, regardless. I gave another student the answer sheet and by the time I came back around to give him his test booklet, he handed me his answer sheet completely filled out. I was frustrated beyond belief.

            Testing is a part of all of our lives, whether we like it or not. I imagine the worst kind of testing is when the doctor sends us for tests and we have to wait for the results. Many jobs today require additional training and testing to maintain and keep a job. I prefer not to face any more tests. The trouble is that God is in the testing business, too.

            The Bible tells us in first Corinthians that we all face common temptations. Being tempted is a test! Sometimes I pass them and walk away, other times I fall flat on my face. But the important thing that first Corinthians teaches us is that God always provides a way to pass the test. God is on our side and rooting for us. That’s good news! I just need to learn to cooperate with Him.

            Temptations don’t come from God because He cannot be tempted with evil and won’t tempt us with evil. So does God test us? Yes, He really does test us. He wants to see if the character of Jesus is growing within us. He wants us to see for ourselves that we are really getting stronger.

            Are there people in the Bible who were tested? Yes. Abraham was tested when he was told to sacrifice his son Isaac. He passed. David was given two opportunities to kill King Saul and take the throne. David did not believe in killing God’s anointed leader. David passed his tests. Joseph, Jacob’s son, was tested many times. He passed his tests and was instrumental in saving not only the people of Israel, but also the Egyptians. Peter wasn’t so lucky. He failed his test in denying that he knew Jesus. But Jesus tenderly restored him after He rose from the dead, and Peter was instrumental in spreading the gospel on the day of Pentecost and beyond.

            What I like about Peter’s story is that Jesus was there to help him back onto his feet and to restore him. We have all failed God in many ways and there is nothing we can do to fix it. Jesus went to the cross to fix all the things that were impossible for us to fix. Through Jesus we now have a right standing with God and access to the resurrection power to live a better life.

            I want to encourage you if you feel discouraged because you have failed God. We are broken people and God knew we were going to fail. That’s why He provided a way for us to be restored to Him in good standing. It is a free gift, but we have to accept it. I don’t like tests, but I do like knowing that God is on my side, cheering for me to succeed.

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

Totally Covered

by   June 16, 2021 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Psalms 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

  • No doubt that there are challenges and storms and deserts in our lives and often we feel abandoned.
  • But God never fails, He is always there and He will cover us through that difficult time if we will just let Him.
  • His faithfulness is a shield and we only need a shield when there is a difficulty ahead of us.

Prayer:  Lord I praise You that You cover me today with Your feathers and I yield to Your covering and Your protection and I will not panic or get fearful of my circumstances.  I will rejoice in You always in Jesus name.  Amen. 
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Overcoming Fitness Fears

by   June 15, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I worked at the YMCA for about four years and one of the best conversations revolved around getting started in fitness. Fear and concern usually came up in the discussion. In fact, my office was in an area where people could go to exercise if they didn’t want to be in a large open room with others.

When we do our beginning runners classes, most of the questions up front are concerns about a certain fear of being able to keep up with the class. Often I get asked, “Do you think I can do it? What if I just can’t stay on track?” My answer is always, “Yes, you need to believe you can and make sure to do your homework.”

There are lots of excellent fitness pros in town like Ester Marsh from the YMCA and Rayna Gardner from The Forum who hear about these fitness fears all the time. Here are some tips that will make your chosen workout easier and hopefully instill some confidence.

Talk to someone who is knowledgeable and can provide insight for your personal journey towards better health. Personal trainers, some of the long-time ones especially, have heard lots of concerns and reasons for success and failure. They will be glad to help.

If you aren’t sure what to do, take some groups classes at the gyms or find a workout partner. Then a small group or partner can help hold each other accountable, discuss what seems the most fun and peaks your interest while providing support.

I often hear of reasons why someone can’t exercise. One with the easiest to refute goes something like this, “I’m afraid I won’t have the time.” All it takes here is a realistic analysis of just what keeps this person so busy. Journal what goes on every day. I have yet to meet the client yet who can’t make 30-45 minutes a day to exercise, although quite a few would deny it. Find the time that can work for you and schedule it. Make your exercise a priority instead of the movable piece of the day that often doesn’t get done. “I’m so tired at the end of the day!” Fine, then schedule a morning workout and ride the boost that you’ll have all day long.

Another reason not to exercise is concern or unwillingness to cover the costs. Yes, it does cost to exercise and wearing comfortable clothes and shoes do make the workouts easier. But even the best shoes and clothing will be insignificant compared to the cost of long-term health care. A sort of pay it now or pay it later.

There are certain reasons I love to hear because it opens a big discussion. One of these is, “What if I get hurt?” I could get lengthy on this answer but won’t. Yes, the chances for an injury go up when moving the body. The other option of not moving and sitting on the couch or in the recliner every night is guaranteed to erode the strength you have, and yet your organs would prefer activity. Most initial injuries amount to little lasting concern anyway. An unmoving body opens lot of avenues that you don’t want to visit.

And finally, my very favorite reason for not exercising was already mentioned briefly, “Everyone will be looking at me!” I have heard that said over and over by some who want better health but are afraid of others watching. Know that all those others have their own issues and reasons to concentrate on what they are doing. But if you follow through, people might look at you and say, “Yes, I wish I could do that.”

Make the first step towards overcoming those fears. It will be the hardest step and then each successive one will get easier.

Look for upcoming races and events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

He’s Always Been There

by   June 14, 2021 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Psalm 71:5: “For you have been my hope, my confidence since my youth.”

As a 13-year-old, I began attending church and became involved in a youth group. I knew little about God’s word, but there were people at the church who did. I accepted Jesus into my heart, and began my journey toward spiritual understanding.

When I went away to college, I stopped going to church. Spiritually, I was in a season of indifference. But the spiritual seed that had been planted in my heart remained. I had my Bible with me in my dorm room, and sometimes I would take a peek inside the covers of God’s word.

I knew that Jesus was my hope — and had been since my youth — and that my confidence in Him had remained.

Psalm 71:14: “But I will hope continually, and will yet praise you more and more.”

I finished college and began teaching. God began to work in my life. He put the right people in my life at the right time. As years began to pass, I began to realize that I was turning toward Christ and desiring a closer relationship with him. Living for Christ was the desire of my heart. The years were filled with seasons of success and seasons of failure, but my Christian walk was growing stronger every season.

The spiritual seed that had been planted during my youth continued to grow. I had a teaching career, but I also spent those years serving the Lord while being a part of the local church. One day I realized I had begun feasting on his word and was growing and growing and growing.

He became my comforter…my protector…my savior…my provider.

And so much more.

He has been my hope — continually.

How could I help but to praise him more and more?

Isaiah 46:4: “Even when you are old, I will take care of you. Even when your hair turns gray, I will support you. I made you and will continue to care for you.”

I think my hair may now be gray, but I have a magician friend, who makes the gray disappear before I see it. I do admit that I am starting to feel older. The physical is more difficult. The mental is more difficult. But the spiritual — grows sweeter every day. The word of God has come more alive in my spirit. I can open my Bible — and sometimes my heart begins to race as I sense his word coming alive through the power of the Holy Spirit. There is something about the season of gray hair — even though mine is not gray — that is full of the sweet savor of my savior.

God has always been there.

We are never alone.

He made us.

He will continue to care for us.

If God be for us, who can be against us?

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at  annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

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