DECA Club

by   February 27, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            High schools offer some great clubs for students. There is FBLA for business, FFA for agriculture, HOSA for health occupations, and my personal favorite, DECA for marketing students. I sponsored the DECA club every year that I taught school. It was a great opportunity to connect with the students in a deeper, more meaningful way.

            I can’t remember all the different fundraisers we did, but we sold about everything you can imagine. I sold a lot of candy. I also sponsored a number of fashion shows. Some of the shows were for spring, summer, and prom. Some shows were exclusively for prom. One year, one of the girls wore a wedding gown to end the show.

            I took the students on many trips through the years. We went to the Women’s Show, Spring Show, radio stations, TV stations, newspapers, and sports arenas. Early in my career I took a group of students to New York City. I do not think my students realized how nervous I was taking them up there.

            I went to the International DECA Conference a number of times in my career. I will never forget what wonderful experiences they were for my students. I will also never forget the students and the great fun we had on those trips. I have some hilarious stories that I have told through the years.

            The big story every year was going to the state DECA conference. All DECA members attend the district level of competition. From there I usually took six to twelve students to the state competition. It’s a three day conference where you are up against students from across the state. It was always a great experience and something I looked forward to as a teacher. The students took tests, completed role plays, and wrote papers in competition to go to the International Conference. Many of my students had never stayed in a hotel before, so it was a fun adventure.

            For over ten years I have worked with the election process, where the students elect their state officers for the next year. Last year we got the conference in right before COVID. I figured the conference was out this year. Then I discovered they were having a virtual conference. It is amazing that they figured out how to hold the conference without having to get together.

            Right from my living room I hosted a committee meeting. A group of students interviewed the various officer candidates. The committee members and the candidates did an outstanding job. It went super smoothly over Zoom. If the whole conference goes as smoothly as my part, DECA will have a great 2021 state conference.

            While I would prefer meeting and seeing the students in person, I liked how things worked out. It’s hard facing restrictions on gathering together. While things are always better when you can get together, we have to figure new ways to do things.

            I think the same thing applies to church. My pastor is passionate about discovering ways that we can safely gather together. We need fellowship. We need each other if we hope to persevere through these trying times. Since this pandemic began and the meeting restrictions have been put into place, he has encouraged and challenged us to find ways to stay connected.

            I attended our church service online for a while, and it is good to hear from my pastor what God is saying to our congregation. But it is still not the same as gathering together. We need to be able to encourage and challenge each other to stay true to our faith. We have limited gatherings at my church now, and I am so glad to be back in the house of God again. We do so much to keep our people safe, but everyone has to do their part or we could lose the opportunity to gather together. There are three simple things that we are requested to do: wash our hands, social distance, and wear a mask. Sadly, people around the globe resist, and the virus continues to spread.

            I want to encourage you to determine how you can safely gather with fellow believers. Can you join a Zoom meeting and connect? Can you connect by phone, email, social media, or Facetime? Soon the weather will break and we can gather in some way outside. We need the human connection, that word of encouragement, knowing we are standing together and that we aren’t alone. Gather by phone, Zoom, through the computer, and at church when yours is open. We need each other now more than ever.

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

Exercise and Caffeine

by   February 23, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Runners everywhere have used caffeine to their advantage for years. I was one of them. Through the 1980s and ’90s, I raced nearly every weekend, spent time doing 75-100-mile weeks and knew I had found my best sport. The quest to be good drove a lot of my competitors to extreme means to place high in the best races, with rumors including performance enhancing drugs surfacing. Racing was serious business then, with a devoted group of focused athletes often driving hundreds of miles to find a race. It was a different time!

Today, runners seldom put in the work that we did then. And if they do it for a while, the sustained effort often doesn’t last. With a few possible exceptions, the most competitive races are past us. I sometimes felt like a NASCAR driver going from track to track racing the best.

I can’t drink coffee though friends have often tried to get me to. But during this racing period, I loved Mountain Dew and an occasional Diet Coke. In the beginning, I didn’t know why but I soon found out that either gave me a certain boost on race day. On the drive to just about any race, I started with a 2-liter bottle of diet Mountain Dew, mixed half and half with water, and one of my favorite snacks. My goal was to arrive at the race well-hydrated and with a caffeine buzz. This mixture worked for some amazing race times.

But how does caffeine enhance performance? The International Society of Sports Nutrition says caffeine increases calcium availability, which helps your muscles contract more forcefully and delays muscle fatigue. It also increases exercise metabolism and the availability of glucose and glycogen, which will allow you to run longer without having to slow down. Most importantly, caffeine stimulates your central nervous system (CNS), which has a number of effects on your body, including pain suppression.

Some studies have also shown that caffeine may modulate the release of dopamine into your bloodstream as well, which can impact alertness, pain, motivation and effort. The group’s findings also support a certain placebo effect, meaning that your mind expects to run well and you do.

I watched some of the best racers for years drink a cup or two of coffee within the hour before a race. In fact, there is an old photo of a pair of running shoes with a Styrofoam coffee cup in each shoe, both items supposedly ready to go to work.

There are many ways to get caffeine today besides drinking coffee or soft drinks. Currently, energy gels, shots and drinks, plus mouth rinses, chewing gum and pills all can provide the caffeine boost.

What are the side effects and how much is too much? The Olympics and the NCAA both banned caffeine in excessive levels but that level is almost impossible to reach without excessive pill use. Studies say that past a certain level, any kind of performance enhancement levels off and likely will even decrease. Turns out that the two regular cups of coffee are about right for the average individual, but not for all.

Coffee and energy drinkers sometimes drink too much caffeine, and where that tipping point is depends largely on the individual. Negative side effects include tachycardia, heart palpitations and anxiety, and the ISSN paper highlights that 50% of elite athletes face mental health problems at some point in their careers. High levels of caffeine consumption could potentially make the problem worse.

Caffeine’s impact on sleep is perhaps the most significant negative side effect of the drug when it comes to physical performance. Some athletes’ sleep is less affected by caffeine than others’, and the paper explains that this has more to do with genetics than anything. My own feeling is that sleep and hydration are the most important performance factors and must be done right, so weigh the above information with your own judgement.

The Will Run for Food 5K at Centenary Methodist is just ahead on Feb. 27. This and other upcoming events, including the spring Beginning Runners Class, are listed at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.

Mark My Words

by   February 22, 2021 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

His name was John Mark, but we call him by his last name — Mark.

He was younger than those he hung out with.

It was hard for him to stay with a task.

He got excited at times.

One could safely say he was impulsive, impetuous, and impatient.

Mark wrote an account of when Jesus was betrayed and arrested. All the disciples had left, but one young man was following the crowd, wearing just a linen cloth. As they tried to arrest him, he left the cloth behind and fled. Yes — he ran naked through the crowd.

When Mark wrote this, he failed to mention that he was this young man who left his linen cloth behind and fled.

But — on his behalf — this happened in the middle of the night and he ran outside to see what was going on. He probably did not have time to get dressed.

Mark decided he wanted to go on a mission trip with his cousin Barnabas. Paul, who was in charge of that trip, did not approve. He felt Mark was too young, but he finally allowed him to go. Mark made it to the second stop of the trip, abandoned the group, and headed home. I would think that perhaps Paul said to Barnabas, “I told you so!”

Paul’s next mission trip was being planned and Mark again wanted to go.

Paul refused. But, as time passed, Mark matured and began going on mission trips.

Second Timothy 4:11 tells us that as Paul was preparing for a later trip, he said to Barnabas, “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is a great help to me in ministry.”

That spoke volumes. A young boy had grown up and had become a great help in ministry.

Mark is considered to be the writer who most shared the human emotions of Jesus. Perhaps he acknowledged some of those emotions because he felt them, too.

So, how about Mark? Mark was just Mark being Mark.

He was being who God made him to be.

Mark my word — he was one who wanted to be in on the action — but he also had a heart to serve.

So, how did Mark become a great help to Paul in ministry? Some credit goes to his mother. The home he grew up in — was the home where people would often gather to pray.

Mark grew up around prayer warriors.

Mark grew up learning to pray.

Mark grew up learning about Jesus.

Mark made mistakes.

Mark had trouble completing tasks.

Mark needed strong leadership in his life.

It appears that Mark was imperfect, but God used him perfectly.

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

Looking up to Elders

by   February 20, 2021 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I had lunch with some of my family the other day. My nephew, who is moving his family from Montana to North Carolina, was there. He is moving both his family and his business to be closer to family. In a way, I felt a little bad for my nephew as he was on the hot seat, as we all asked him lots and lots of questions about his big move.

            My nephew is building and growing a business, which has many challenges. Then he complicated the issue by deciding to move his business from one state to another. He has done a ton of research to create a unique product and to build and define a market for his product. He is pursuing a lifelong passion.

            As we enjoyed our lunch, the family offered ideas, insights, and probing questions to help him think through the process of how to set up and expand his small business. Listening to my nephew share his dreams and vision for the future stirred all of us. His entrepreneurial drive was almost as contagious as COVID.

            I hope my nephew thought his family was being encouraging, positive, and supportive of his adventure. There was much wisdom to be gained at that table. While none of us wanted to tell him what to do, we did want to offer advice, insight, and encouragement to spur him on to success. I think my nephew was open and receptive to the ideas being shared.

            There is so much help available at our community colleges for people who have entrepreneurial dreams. There are also groups like SCORE, which is an organization of volunteer working and retired professionals who want to help fledgling and established small businesses thrive. Our family wants to support my nephew and see him make it.

            Last week I wrote about the need for developing a team to support and encourage you in your Christian walk. This week I want to focus on our need for elders to guide us as we pursue a life of faith. When I use this term elder, I am not limiting it to the people who have that title at our churches, or to people in our lives who are older.

            In my mind an elder can be someone who has been through what you are walking through in your life. If your parents pass away, an elder for you can be someone who has navigated that grief process. Having someone who has walked in your shoes can be so helpful.

            I imagine a college student can be an elder for a high school student as they finish high school and embark on the college adventure. Sometimes someone who might be close in age to you, but has walked through what you are experiencing, can give you an elder’s guidance.

            I know that I have talked with several friends who are going through the retirement process from the school system. I love sharing my experience and helping people understand what to expect and how to make the critical decisions that will impact retirement.

            The Christian faith is not an easy path to walk. While it is critical to have teammates who will encourage and challenge us along the way, it is equally important to find elders who can guide us. We need people to look up to, someone we can emulate. I know no one is perfect. We are all sinners saved by grace. Even our elders can make mistakes and bad choices, but elders have the scars and experience we need to show us the way.

            Some may call elders our spiritual fathers and mothers. Spiritual parents have a way of looking out for us and wanting the very best for us. Pastors often make great elders, but they don’t have time to be an elder for every member of their congregation. We need people who are walking down similar paths. We need someone who has been there and done that. Elders will encourage and challenge us much like our teammates, but their experience, wisdom, and deep personal care for our success help them to stand out.

            I want to encourage you to look for someone who is on the path ahead of you that you respect and admire. See if they have time to invest in your future. Is their faith strong and do they challenge you to a closer walk with God? Are they willing to share their wisdom and experiences with you? A good elder will probably grow into a good friend, someone you will treasure as you walk along the path that they have blazed ahead of you.

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

Don’t Even Think of Doing These Things…

by   February 16, 2021 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Runners and walkers are nice people, almost always. But once in a while, one of them will forget their ethics and manners. After participation as a runner or volunteer in 1,500 races over 44 years, I thought I had seen it all and sometimes have said just that.

A brain low on oxygen must be the excuse for something that happened recently at Winter Flight and also at the Santa Run. One of the top runners cut the course at the Santa Run and did it not far from the finish. Then, at least two more people did it at Winter Flight and a blatant occurrence happened at a race in Statesville last weekend. For sure, stay on the designated course. And if there are turnaround cones, go all the way around the cone. Cheating the course will be a guaranteed immediate disqualification in future local races. The last disqualification occurred a few years back when the race leader cut across the grass to shave off seconds on an asphalt course at Salisbury Community Park.

If the race brochure or website states that no dogs are allowed in the event, don’t bring yours to run. And if its not stated, make sure you call ahead to see if dogs can be allowed by starting in the back of the pack. All registration sites have a phone number or email to ask these questions. Numerous accidents with dogs and especially their leashes prompted these rules.

Regardless of the situation, whether your best friend or wife or sister couldn’t make it, don’t run the race under someone else’s name using their bib number. The mass confusion that this causes with tabulating the results is a surprise to most who do it. Especially when every single race held in Rowan County will gladly help transfer a registration to another person because of sickness or for just about any other reason. We want you in the event, just go to the trouble to do it right.

And even worse, don’t run in a race without registering. There isn’t a good enough reason to do that. Recently, we’ve had parents that wanted to run with their child just to accompany them. Rowan County races have safe courses and registration fees that are half of Mecklenburg County races and remain very affordable, especially considering the value of the shirt, refreshments, awards, door prizes and that a local charity is the beneficiary of the proceeds.

Worst case of the above is a runner that intentionally comes to the race to “bandit” the course. In other words, they let the race start and then jump in at the first curve, turn or congested spot. Then, they test themselves against the real participants, before sometimes but not always getting off the course just before the finish. And the lowest of the bandits work their way through the refreshment area before slinking to their car. No, the road is not free during a race!

And finally, once you’ve finished the course as a properly registered runner, go enjoy the refreshments and any vendors or entertainment. But do not head for the area where the results are being tabulated, either by manual or chip timing, and then start asking questions of those hard at work. They don’t have time to look you up! When left alone, they will very likely have those results by the time you’ve enjoyed the other amenities.

Bottom line, yes, these events are competitive. But do your racing honestly on the course and honor those that work hard to provide the races and the charities that receive the proceeds! Don’t do the above things. A runner who doesn’t follow the rules or demands special attention because of poor manners means you didn’t act as a you should on race day.

Don’t be the runner that volunteers, participants and spectators go home talking about with a frown on their face!

The next race is one of our best, the Will Run for Food 5K and fun run at Centenary Methodist on Feb. 27. For more information, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .

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