Faith, Hope, & Love

by   September 5, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Faith, Hope, And Love

            It’s been a rainy, lazy Monday. I sat quietly on my front porch listening to the falling rain. It has been a peaceful day and I have enjoyed some extra time with the Lord. The rain- cooled day has been a welcome change to the hazy, hot summer days. The extra rest is appreciated because I know some cooler fall weather is on the way and I will become very busy working in the yard.

            I did a little extra reading today. I was near the end of the book and wanted to get it finished. I always hate to come to the end of a good book. I don’t want to say good-bye to the characters that I have grown to enjoy. When I finish a book, I will take a few days off to savor it.

            One of my favorite authors has a signature style that I really enjoy. His books begin with male and female characters who have recently become broken people due to some tragedy in their lives. The author pens a pulse-racing story that throws the characters together as they travel around the world to save humanity. They are constantly being chased and always seem to narrowly escape. In the end, the two accomplish their mission, find healing for their broken souls, and yes, fall in love.

            The author I finished today writes well. I have enjoyed reading his books. This author takes on issues that are difficult to stomach. He has tackled such issues as human trafficking, extreme poverty, the foster care system, betrayal and infidelity, and he has a beef with the traditions in churches that keep people from connecting with Jesus in a personal way.

            My personal beef with him as a writer is that his stories’ climaxes are often gut-wrenching human tragedy that you can imagine pages before you read the events. He describes these events in detail, leaving me wrung out. He then adds a final chapter that tries to put a positive spin on the lives of the characters that are left behind. Somehow I keep coming back to this author because he writes such a good story that challenges me to remember that faith requires action and that the church needs to do something about the issues he raises.

            As a writer, I know the importance of creating conflict to write a good story. While I strongly prefer books and movies to have a “happily ever after” ending, I realize going in that there must be challenges and difficulties before we arrive at the end. A good writer knows how to weave those together to craft a well-written story.

            I want to read a story or watch a movie that gives the audience hope at the end. The world is full of plenty of difficulties; I want to escape into another world. I want a book or movie to take me away, and in the end, I want to be lifted up with a sense of hope.

            Every one of us has our own set of challenges in life. We know life isn’t perfect and that sadly, there are many tragic things that happen in our world. Simply turn on the news for plenty of examples. In books and movies, the author has an opportunity to show the kinder, brighter side of humanity. I want to find some kernel of faith, hope, and love.

            I have read books and watched movies where people have risen above unbelievable circumstances with the help of faith and hope. When I look back at my own life, I know my faith has pulled me through many dark places and times. Leaning on God and having hope that tomorrow will be a brighter day can give us the strength to put one foot in front of the other and keep walking.

            I know that many people feel like their circumstances are overwhelming. If that is you, then I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to stir up your faith. The difficult place that you find yourself in today is not the end of your story. You believe in a God who is greater than your circumstances. Your God has made good plans for a better and brighter future. You are loved, not only by your family, friends, pastor, and church family, but you are loved by the God who created the entire universe. He knows your name. So I say it again, stir up your faith because you are loved and you serve a God who will give you hope and a good future.

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

A Little Sweeter

by   September 1, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

I sat down beside my four-year-old granddaughter to watch her enjoy some chunks of watermelon I had put in a bowl for her. As soon as she took the first bite, juice began rolling down her chin onto her neck, her shirt, her shorts, the chair and the floor. I grabbed a napkin, as she looked toward me and said excitedly, “It tastes sweeter than it did last time.”

It seemed more like juiciness to me, but the sweetness was definitely flowing everywhere as I began to wipe her chin.

The watermelon, according to the book of Hope, was a little sweeter than it had been the last time.

I totally understood.
For it reminded me of my life.
Of many of our lives — especially over the last few months.

The simple things we may have never even noticed before, somehow now seem to have become a little sweeter.

Things like:

Walking in the doors of our church to worship — a little sweeter.
Walking in a grocery store — a little sweeter.
The new school year beginning — a little sweeter.
Going to work — a little sweeter.
Getting together with a friend — a little sweeter.
Spending time with our family — a little sweeter.
Walking in our neighborhood — a little sweeter.
Watching a child eat watermelon and not worrying about the juice — a little sweeter.

Yes. It is flowing everywhere — the sweetness of our lives.

She then reached into the bowl, handed me a chunk, and said, “You wanna taste it and see?”

When I heard her words, I answered with these words, “I sure do.” I tasted it. I saw. I was a bit too proper to let the juice run down my chin, but tears were running down my cheeks, as I said, “Yes, Lord. I have tasted and I have seen that You are good. And… it sure does get sweeter every day.”

Psalm 104:34 says, “My meditation of Him shall be sweet.”

Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in him.”

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

Found – the site of a Historic Mill

by   August 31, 2020 with No Comments

By David Freeze

    For most of my life, history has fascinated me. I read all the time, book after book, and most have some historical element. And I’ve been fortunate to see at least some portion of all 50 states by bicycle, always searching out historical sites along the way.

    With all that said, a great mystery has been unfolding less than a quarter mile from my farm. I heard a few years back from a landowner on Millbridge (note the spelling) Road something that went like this, “Oh, you bought that farm where the pre-Civil War mill used to be.” I listened, intrigued, but asked for more info with no results. My farm is located on Weaver Road, between Millbridge and Patterson Roads.

    A handful of years passed by. I figured the phantom mill had to be water driven and my land is bordered by Sloans (listed this way on the 1903 map) Creek. I borrowed a metal detector and walked along the creek on my side, finding lots of hits, but nothing above ground. And nothing that looked like an old mill site. The search was on my mind, but not at the top of my to do list, until the past few weeks.

     After a conversation with a neighbor on the other side of Sloans Creek, I got the OK to go check out the area from their side. What I found was a much wider and deeper pool of water with huge, non-native rocks, some as big as a small truck bed that seemed to have been placed just beside and into the bank. There is also a small dam.

      I live less than two miles from Mill Bridge community and have for 35 years. I knew a little of the area history and much about the famous Kerr Mill at Sloan Park. After mentioning my quest for the history of another mill to long time area farm residents Buddy Hoffner, Bobby Harrison and Ollie McKnight, a certain level of excitement began to drive us all. Add in Brooke Taylor and Gretchen Witt from the Rowan Public Library and Ed Hall of Thyatira Presbyterian’s history room and we got some things going. Buddy came up with a most riveting book ‘Kerr Mill and the Mill Bridge Community’ by Bruce Cheeseman that was published 41 years ago in conjunction with the Rowan County Historical Properties Commission.

     After reading the book twice through, I was more than amazed at the history of the area. Cathey’s Settlement was populated by a group of farmers from Pennsylvania and Delaware area in 1747-48. They followed an old Indian trading path to this area, especially happy with the quality of the soil and the available water. At the time, Salisbury and especially Cathey’s Settlement were on the frontier, with the area west controlled by the Cherokee and Catawba Indians. Rowan had been virtually uninhabited until the late 1740’s. Explorers considering heading west had those Indians and lack of livestock feed as huge issues.

     Almost immediately, just 10 miles west of Salisbury, considered by some the best town in the state, this little band of settlers began to grow. They built a water driven grist (for grinding flour) mill called Cathey’s Mill which can no longer be located. In the 1790’s, several larger plantations began to dominate the area. In 1822, the Kerr family built their plantation home and then followed the next year with the mill that is now the centerpiece of Sloan Park. Most, but not all, of the productivity of that mill was used for the plantation.

     By about 1850, Cathey’s Settlement had become Mill Bridge and was a productive community with about 175 families, two general stores, a school for children, a resident doctor and eventually a post office. Near the junction of the “Trading Path” from the James River in Virginia area and the “Great Wagon Road” from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, Mill Bridge was thriving.

      John Locke Sloan built a second water driven mill, this one intended as a merchant mill, meaning that the mill was open to the public. He chose Sloans Creek for the site, near Weaver Road and not far from Millbridge Road. In the April 9, 1885 issue of the Carolina Watchman, a traveler described the area with all the amenities mentioned above. He also described that second mill, “One of the finest flouring mills in the county, owned and operated by JL Sloan and Son, who are doing a very fine business.” The mill also provided cornmeal and livestock feed.

     Sloan later added a steam powered flouring mill, a sawmill and a cotton gin, although it appears from the 1903 map that these ventures were located about a half mile away. John Locke Sloan remained one of Mill Bridge’s leading citizens until his death in 1901. Sloan Mill probably had a lesser capacity than Kerr Mill, producing about 2/3rds. the volume of flour of its nearby competitor in 1860. One of John Stone’s sons bought Kerr Mill in 1908.

    Thyatira Presbyterian Church remained as Mill Bridge’s community center, but farmers gathered at the local mills to exchange information on new farming methods, political opinions and some plain old gossip. Milling establishments usually were paid by an in-kind arrangement where 10-20% of the grain was kept to sell to others without grain and in need of mill products.

      In the 1880 census, Rowan ranked first statewide in the production of oats and hay and second in Indian corn and wheat. The NC Department of Agriculture called Rowan the finest grain growing county in the state.

     So, after a decade of wondering, I’ve found the mill site. There is still some exploring and digging to do, a neighboring landowner to inform and maybe a little dreaming too. Just as another friend said, “What if we could somehow go back and visit that mill in 1860?” I sure wish we could.

A Check Up

by   August 29, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

A Check Up

            I just came back from my annual physical. I don’t like going to the doctor. What interests me is that many of my doctors have told me that they don’t like going to their doctor, either. Even though I do not like going to the doctor, I have always liked my family doctor.

            I have had three family doctors since I have become an adult. I have been fortunate to have doctors that take time to talk with me about my health. Many years ago, I started to write a list of things I want to discuss with the doctor. Since I try never to go, I want to make sure I discuss anything that is on my mind.

            Each year before I go, I work on my list. I review previous years’ lists and make sure I don’t leave anything out. I spend a couple of days thinking about any concerns or questions I want answered. I refine my list and make sure I am as concise as possible.

            I am thankful that through the years I have a family doctor who will take time to go through my list and answer my questions. I know some doctors are in and out in less than five minutes. I feel lucky that mine have all taken time to talk with me. I have always felt like my doctor cared for me and that I wasn’t just number 7 for the day.

            While my list is for my doctor’s eyes only, I will tell you that I asked about his thoughts on COVID-19. We have all heard so much through the media about it, but it was interesting to talk with my doctor about it. He says it is still mysterious in some ways to the medical profession. It acts so differently from one patient to another. The bottom line being we all know what to do to keep safe and that it is not something we want to get if we can avoid it.

            The good news to me is that my physical is over for another year. I am in good health. All my concerns have been discussed and I can rest easy for another year. I will follow his advice and recommendations, be careful to avoid COVID, and do my best to try and stay active, which he says is key to continued good health.

            I wonder how a spiritual doctor would evaluate my health. I wonder what questions I would want answered from a spiritual doctor? How would the doc take my spiritual pulse or temperature? Would I lie down? Clothes can stay on, right?

            The Bible encourages us to examine ourselves. We know that if we look and can see sin in our lives, any way in which we are walking contrary to God’s plan for our lives, that the prescription is repentance. We all have sin and need that prescription daily. It’s best to ask God if there is anything in us that displeases Him and allow Him to take it out.

The doctor would want to know about our nutrition. What are we feeding our spirit? If your Bible is covered in an inch of dust, your spirit can’t be very healthy. We need to read and think about God’s word; what is it saying to us? I like all kinds of music, but I need to feed my spirit with some Christian music.  

            Next, the doc wants to know if we are exercising our faith. Some people are bloated with God’s word but have never done anything with it. God’s word is intended to be active in our lives. Faith without works is dead. We have to move our faith muscles. We have to believe God, trust Him, and walk with Him.

Finally, the doc wants to know if we are talking with God. We need to pray and talk to God. It is vital that we listen; God wants to talk with us. He wants to share with us His good plans for our future. He wants to guide us through the tough places in life. He wants to comfort and encourage us.

            I want to encourage you to honestly examine your spiritual life. Jesus is the kindest doctor you will ever meet. He already knows all about you. He will be patient with you as He helps to restore good spiritual health. He wants to lead you into a good future filled with His promises. He already sees the trials, failures, and difficulties in your future and He wants you to have the kind of faith that will persevere. We can all achieve good spiritual health with Doctor Jesus. Check-up, anyone?

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

Cone of Uncertainty

by   August 27, 2020 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Currently there are two hurricanes headed for the Gulf States; twin harbingers of chaos and destruction named Laura and Marco. Twins are like that you know. My mom used to tell of taking us three girls to Noah’s Five and Dime in Landis when we were small. My sisters who are twins would immediately wrench their little hands from our mother’s grasp and take off in different directions. It was a fun game of cat and mouse… until mama got them home. This regular occurrence was not due to lack of discipline. Believe me, there was plenty of that. I think it was more about what my two younger siblings considered to be fun. Apparently they inherited our daddy’s talent for mischief. I remember one time coming back to the house from the garden with mama and finding the screen door locked with those two goobers inside. Like a couple spider monkeys they sat on the kitchen counter with a box of vanilla wafers, stuffing as many in their mouths as possible. Through the screen mama implored them to unlatch the door.

“Cain’t,” mumbled one of them. “Stuck,” mumbled the other. Eventually mama convinced them to use the broom handle to pop the latch off. It took a while as there were many cookie breaks between tries. Sometimes I wonder how mama held it together raising us three. Of course I was a lovely child never prone to wander. So at least there was that.

As David and I watched the weather channel the other night detailing the projected paths of the twin hurricanes, the weather person pointed to the map and a large red swath moving inland from the Gulf. With a solemn voice meant to relay the severity of the situation she intoned. “This is the cone of uncertainty.”

We looked at each other and laughed. “Really? So that’s what that looks like! Only shouldn’t it cover the entire world at this point? Or at least our whole country?” If you’re like us, life feels a lot like a big fat cone of uncertainty. Chaos and destruction are reported on every hand. You can’t watch a Braves game without Covid being mentioned a hundred times. At least the victory celebrations have gotten more interesting. Grown men dancing in the outfield approximately six feet apart is kind of fun.

For now, I think I shall relax in the uncertainty. Though I am not one who likes surprises I’ve learned. It’s not about what I like. We’ve lived long enough to have suffered loss of loved ones, loss of homes, loss of churches and health and jobs. When you’ve been through a few crap storms you grow to realize. There is only One Who knows the end from the beginning. He is not surprised or caught off guard at our current events. The important thing to do is to pray. Hand it all to Him. I’m telling you this from experience. Giving Him the load to bear and trusting Him for the outcome is the only way to navigate the current cone of uncertainty. That way, when the dust settles, the troubles we have are not of our own making; like ulcers from worry, high blood pressure from irritation, or guilt from an angry response. In fact, I think a vanilla wafer might be in order. Perhaps with a little peanut butter. The world can yell through the screen door all it wants. The Lord is in charge of me. He alone is faithful.

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