Heavenly Perspective

by   June 6, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            CBS has given us a nice summer treat. They are running old movies on Sunday night. My wife and I have really been enjoying seeing these movies from our past. I was particularly looking forward to the one last Sunday night. They were showing “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Naturally, there were lots of commercials, but we endured them because we wanted to see Harrison Ford and Sean Connery.

            There was five minutes left in the movie when our local station, WBTV, decided to cut in with breaking news. Naturally, we were concerned. When the reporter appeared she said that the streets of Charlotte were quiet tonight. They cut to another reporter who was at the police station and told us that the situation was much calmer than it had been the night before.

            With five minutes until their news broadcast, WBTV broke in to tell us that the streets were quiet in Charlotte. I am grateful that we had a quiet evening after all the unrest, but they couldn’t wait five minutes to tell us that during their regular newscast?

            Our country is struggling right now because an officer of the law, someone we trust to keep us safe, did the unthinkable. That act should spark outrage among all of us. That behavior cannot be tolerated and should be prosecuted. The world and heaven are watching to see how we handle the situation. I hope justice will prevail in this situation.

            The truth is that there are bad people in every profession. I saw it as a teacher. The majority of my colleagues gave their best every day in the classroom and during all the various afterschool activities. But there were some whose behavior was unacceptable. When the public puts their trust in a group of people’s hands, we cannot misuse that trust. We must live up to a higher standard.

            The same kind of problem is occurring with COVID-19. In some places the truth about the number of cases is concealed to make things look better. Different agencies report different numbers. The situation is complex and confusing and it is difficult to know what to believe.

            The problem comes down to our perspective. No one thinks what the officer did in Minnesota is right. But when it comes down to COVID-19 there are so many different perspectives. Some believe we should close the country down, crushing the economy and many people’s lives. Others want the economy open and say let the virus do its thing. Some firmly believe in masks, others refuse to wear one. Who’s right? It depends on your perspective.

            God has been challenging me to consider my perspectives on many issues this week. I am looking at the world from my point of view. That’s natural, we all do that. But God has been challenging me to take on His heavenly perspective. That’s difficult. My priorities are not His, my ways are not His ways, and my thoughts are not His.

            God hates injustice. God hates verbal, mental, physical, and sexual abuse. God hates when one person thinks they are better than another for any reason. God loves grace, mercy, forgiveness, and peace. God hates sin because it separates us from Him. God loves a humble and broken heart. God hears our plea for mercy even when we don’t deserve it. God’s love covers over a multitude of sins and failures.

            God loves every human being from the moment of conception until their final breath. He always hopes and believes that people have the capacity to repent and come home to Him. God desperately wants a relationship with each person alive, from the vilest sinner to those that think they are saints. He wants every person to be saved from their sin.

            I want to encourage you to pray for our county. Pray for our leaders to have wisdom in knowing how to deal with the civil unrest and COVID-19. Pray that truth will prevail in our criminal justice system and in the news. Pray for peace and that our fractured communities will find ways to heal. Pray that the Gospel will spread like wildfire and that people will discover the faith, hope, and love that they need from their Father in heaven. What we really need right now is for the love of God to wash over us, cleanse us, and to renew our hearts and minds. Peace to you, your household, your city, your state, and this great nation of ours. 

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

Listen for the Voice

by   June 2, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Her voice. It stayed with me for years. I would hear it in my dreams — or hear it in my head. It always helped me to not miss her quite as much.

She left for heaven quickly without giving us much time to prepare, but we did have a beautiful moment by her bedside as we sang, “Amazing Grace” and held on to her as tightly as we could.

Losing your mom is hard. She wasn’t with me nearly long enough. So glad I have pictures and memories, my favorite being her sitting in “her chair” reading a Grace Hill novel, Reader’s Digest, or her Bible.

But years later as time has gone by — her voice — slipped out of my mind. I still try to hear it, but it will not come.

I looked up “voice” in my Bible concordance and surprisingly, it was in Psalm 29:3-9 seven times, sandwiched between four of my favorite verses — Psalm 29:1,2,10,11.

I had drawn an arrow pointing from verse 1-2 down to verse 10-11, like the in-between verses were nothing.

Guess I should have learned a lesson from my mother when she used to offer me a “nothing” sandwich every time I could not make up my mind about what kind of sandwich I wanted. You guessed it — I got two slices of bread with nothing in-between.

Those “in-between” verses. I should have known not to skip them all these years.

For those verses are about the voice of the Lord — and they are beautiful.

As I thought about my desire to hear my mother’s voice, my heart began to sense a bit of the magnificence of the voice of our Lord.

The voice is upon the waters. The God of glory thunders. When the waters are deep, we tend to listen to the roar of the waves. But those rushing waves are overpowered by the clap of the God’s thunder as He speaks from above.

The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of majesty. It is a voice of honor, royalty, beauty, and power. Psalm 104:3 says that he makes the clouds his chariot, and walks upon the wings of the wind.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. Thirty feet in circumference and up to 129 feet in height. Only the most powerful voice could split the most powerful cedars — and we can hear that voice.

The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. Who could do that? No one. But God’s voice can. The flames listen to the voice and melt the hearts of men.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. A wilderness is neglected, abandoned, uncultivated, or in a position of disfavor. The voice can shake our wilderness.

The voice of the Lord makes the hinds to calve, discovers the forest, and in his temple everyone speaks of his glory. The voice makes the deer give birth, strips forests bare, and everyone says, “Glory!” We will be so overcome by his voice that the word, “Glory!” will spew right out of our mouths.

I can almost hear it, can’t you?

Clap! Crack! Boom! Roar! Snap! Swish! Crackle! Rattle! Glory!

It is like God’s Word is giving us an audible display of his power!

Sounds like the fireworks of the Holy Spirit to me!

Oh, Lord, give us ears to hear it!

Will we know the voice when we hear it? Of course! If I heard my mother’s voice today, even though I have not heard it in 25 years, I know I would recognize it immediately!

Hear the voice — it is all around us.

Contact Ann Farabee at annfarabee@gmail.com

Sneeze of Shame

by   June 1, 2020 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Too bad the Corona virus hit during allergy season. Most of us don’t know if we have a week to live or if we should just take a Zyrtek. My poor husband was in line waiting to get into the grocery store during “senior hours” the other morning when he had a sneezing fit. He felt obligated to shout loud enough for everyone standing six feet apart to hear that it was just the pollen trying to get out of his head. Who would’ve thought that a sneeze would prompt dirty looks instead of the traditional Southern blessing? So I’ll say it instead. Bless his sweet heart. He’s doing all he knows how to lighten the mood when he has to go out. He’s friendly and makes funny comments about washing his hands so much that he no longer has fingerprints.

“Eventually that’s gonna come in handy since everyone is used to wearing masks, even to the bank.” I’ve begun to notice that his laugh is a little suspect. Silently I wonder if he’s got a plan to stimulate our own personal economy.

Our son-in-law finally found toilet paper at the Family Dollar. He didn’t realize it was lavender scented until his son informed that he didn’t much care for it. The general consensus is that the bathroom should smell like either flowers or poop but definitely not both at once. David found hand soap and bought it even though we don’t care for the floral variety. Like our grandson, there’s just something amiss about honeysuckle combined with certain odors.

I feel sure we’re all making do and learning new things during this funky time. I had my six month cancer check-up online last week. Somehow we opened a portal and the nurse practitioner, who was working from home, got to view my lovely giant head on her screen as she conducted the exam. She had to stop at one point to check on her kids. I was just thankful she opted out of the virtual breast exam. Praise God for small favors. My regular doc, beloved Ms. Adams, had her nurse Kourtney call to check on me too. These women are bound to be exhausted. But what kindness! Nobody has to shout “Bless you!” for me to know I’m blessed.

David’s learning to work from home during all this. He can make calls and set appointments through his laptop… unless the internet dies. For three days he struggled with lost signals, dropped calls, etc. until finally a nice guy in tech support tried to help. Though eventually Raul lost connection and David had to start all over, Rosette stepped in to rescue. Several hours later, access to the World Wide Web was once again at his fingertips. Like me when I figured out how to enter the Medical Portal of Wellness, the man was nearly dancing with joy over his accomplishment. When I asked how he got it hooked back up he shook his head. “I have NO idea.” I think if he could, he’d send Rosette flowers. Perhaps she would enjoy a virtual bouquet.

It used to be considered an act of kindness to rewind our videos from Blockbuster. Currently I think kindness is about realizing that everyone is going through an unusual set of circumstances, then doing what we can to lighten the load. Here’s to those of you going the extra mile. Please accept this virtual bouquet from my heart to yours. May God bless you even when you must sneeze the sneeze of shame.

God’s Got it all in Control

by   May 30, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

God’s Got it All in Control

            The other night I woke up in the middle of the night. I am a deep sleeper; usually nothing wakes me. But I remember dreaming about a terrible smell. As I rolled over, I noticed the smell was in the bedroom. I sniffed the air and thought – “skunk.”

            I have only smelled a skunk once in all the years I have lived in this house. My sleep addled brain couldn’t process the foul odor. I quietly eased myself from bed so I could investigate. Stepping into the hall the pungent odor had my attention. I walked through the house assessing the situation; the overwhelming smell was everywhere.

            As I was heading back, I thought about the fact that the gas hot water heater is right outside our bedroom door. Could that be gas? My sleepy brain didn’t know. I decided to go outside and see if I could smell the skunk. The air was fresh and clean.

            I walked back in the house and the smell seemed to be stronger. That’s when I thought I would search the internet. Natural gas can smell like rotten eggs or possibly have a skunky smell. That was it. I became convinced that I was smelling gas. I woke my wife and we agreed that something didn’t smell right.

            I decided to call the gas company. The lady who answered was very kind and patient. I explained the situation and she decided that they were going to come and check for us. I felt bad, but she said if it woke me up, it was worth checking out.

            The young man that arrived was professional and polite. He came in and smelled the odor too. He said it smelled more like skunk to him, but he stayed and checked everything for us. He took me outside and opened the gas line so I could smell what natural gas smells like…rotten eggs. Neither of us knows why we got that smell in our house, but thankfully we were okay.

            As I reflect on this crazy event I realize one very important thing…God is in control. No matter what happens in life, we serve a God who has everything under control. I have been thinking about Joseph, who was thrown into a well and then spent several years in a dungeon. I imagine he wondered if God was in control. Then you have to consider Paul, who was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. The governing authorities didn’t see why he should be in prison, but God did some of His greatest work through Paul during that time.

            When Jesus hung on the cross, God was in control. When Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den, God was in control. When Stephen was martyred, it’s hard for me to believe, but God was in control. When Mary gave birth to Jesus in an old cave, God was in control.

            When Egypt enslaved Israel for several generations, God was in control. People suffered and died. Even during tragic times when people suffer and die, God remains in control. By the time you read this, we will have surpassed 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 in America. I can’t imagine the sorrow and suffering that some families have endured during this time. Surely God is weeping with those families.

            No one knows how this pandemic will play out. I have read some staggering numbers from past pandemics and hope and pray that God will intervene. I am hoping that all we have done around the globe has helped to stem this awful plague. There has been so much suffering economically and health-wise, not to mention the grief that so many have experienced.

            What we have to remember is that God is with us no matter what we are facing. He has not forgotten us. He is holding us in His right hand. Sickness is not from God. He loves each one of us and wants to draw us close to Himself. He longs to comfort us and to lift our spirits. God is for us. God is bigger than COVID-19. No matter how crazy the world gets, God is still in control.

            I want to encourage you to lift your cares and concerns before God. He hears your prayers. Run into your Father’s arms where you will find the comfort and love you desperately need. We serve a God who is in control and who will see you through whatever you are facing. There is nothing too difficult for Him. He is our hope and strength during this time of trial. There are still many difficult days ahead, but I believe we will get through. I have faith that God is going to bring good things out of all that we have and will endure.

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

The Balm

by   May 26, 2020 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Poor little fellow. It was a lot to bear for a three-year-old. Fears and tears filled his eyes, as he yelled, “I got a splinter!” Screaming and thrashing about ensued, followed by, “It hurts!” Getting him to let us look at it was the next challenge. Letting us help with removal was going to be an even more difficult task.

We tried reasoning. You don’t want an infection, do you?

We tried to sneak in from behind. The element of surprise did not work.

We tried to force him. That got tricky.

We tried taking a break. Peaceful — but not helpful.

We tried holding him down. Not a success. Perhaps a slight injury. Not to him — to me.

Nothing would work if he would not receive the help. The splinter remained.

A splinter can be a small thing that breaks off from a larger thing and gets stuck. If it does not come out, it can disintegrate, spread, become fully embedded, and infected. It can alter our actions and movements. It can hurt. It can create problems, for it does not need to be there.

Realizing that our personal efforts were not enough, we reached out to a pharmacist who said the words we needed to hear, “There is a balm that helps.”

It was named ichthammol. The black, sticky, tar-looking stuff flowed out like a gift from God onto the splinter — once our little guy was willing to receive it. We covered it with a bandaid, let it seep in, and begin the work it was going to do. Help had come. He became still, relaxed, soothed, and his fears and tears went away. He trusted in what the balm was doing for him. It was just the medicine he needed. Shortly after, the splinter was easily removed.

In God’s Word, balm was highly valuable. It was a specialty item. It was uncommon. It was fragrant. It eased pain. It produced healing. It had soothing powers. It never stopped working.

Some say balm is a metaphor of the healing power of God — pain can be eased and healing produced.

I say that a serious problem needs a serious medicine.

You would buy it if you or a loved one needed healing, wouldn’t you?

Yes, you would go right over to the pharmacy and pick it up.

Well, it is readily available for each of us. No — not ichthammol, but the healing balm God sends that can take a splinter out of our lives — or a boulder out of our heart.

But, just as a three-year-old reached out to accept the balm that would bring his healing, we have to reach our arms out to God to accept the balm that is for our healing.

Need healing? I think we all do.

Let’s pray:

As we stretch our hands to thee, Lord, we accept the balm that you are pouring over us. May it overtake us — body, mind, and spirit. May we believe — and receive — our physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual healing. Thank you for the balm that covers us and sends healing our way. Amen

Let me know how your healing goes.

Let me know how the balm flows.

Contact me at annfarabee@gmail.com

Write this Down, Make a Note

by   May 26, 2020 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

In the olden days we called them diaries. Now that we’re sophisticated we say we’re “journaling.” I don’t keep a diary or a journal. I probably should. But then again, no one would believe it. However, for many years I’ve written brief notes in my Bible so I would remember the crapstorms that so easily beset us. Little things like “Lord help us in our dealings with Horace and Doris; [not their real names thank God] Spring through Fall 2013.” I was so mad when I wrote those words beside Psalm 4:4 which says: “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.”

Eventually their actions led to a great loss on our part. But as I read that passage this morning I was reminded. Even when the worst thing we can imagine actually happens, by God’s grace it all shakes out in the wash. Seven years ago we lost our house, filed bankruptcy, had a few major medical emergencies and THEN lost our jobs.

It felt like the sweet Psalmist of Israel read my mind when he penned,

“The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around; death laid a trap in my path. But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; Yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry to Him reached His ears.”

It’s a bit late for advice… or sympathy. So why rehearse all that to you now?

Think of the worst time in your life… the hardest thing you’ve ever been through.

Was it terrible? Were you crushed? Was your heart broken? And… did you live to tell about it?

Now think on the current situation. Is it really so bad compared to what you’ve been through? The media would have us flailing our arms and wringing our hands in panic. That’s why they love the term “Pandemic.” It’s a very scary word. Fear and drama make for excellent ratings.

Don’t fall for it. I would suggest following our local man of integrity David Whisenant on Facebook. He does a quick informative video on weekday mornings giving the latest updates. He is honest enough to report the facts, yet wise enough to relay the positive things going on in our community.

Another place with an honest perspective is the book of Psalms. “Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but You. Listen to my voice in the morning Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” Psalm 5:3

Write out your fears so that later when all this blows over, you can remember the time the Lord took care of you.

Then someday you can pass your valuable experience down to your grandkids. And your story won’t even involve walking to school in the snow uphill both ways.

Red Hot Mammas

by   May 25, 2020 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Two of my best female running friends in Salisbury have decided to try something with new with their long-distance relay group, The Red Hot Mamas. I have known Meredith Abramson and Delaine Fowler for many years and found them both to be simply amazing in so many ways. Both are excellent runners and triathletes and have put their exceptional organizational skills to work on a big project.

Abramson put together an all-women’s team of 12 to first compete in the 210-mile Blue Ridge Relay in 2010. She said, “Over the last decade, we have grown from a group of 12 Salisbury and Rowan County runners to dozens of runners that now can be found along the I-85 corridor from Charlotte to Burlington and then on up to New York, Bloomington, Indiana and Cleveland, Ohio. When our group ran the virtual COVID-19 Miler as our first true fundraising event, we had 49 runners join in and wound up raising nearly $1,000 as a team beyond our race registrations.”

Fowler joined the group a few years after its inception. She added, “The COVID-19 miler raised money for personal protective equipment in the Charlotte area. This excitement and engagement got our minds going as to what we might be able to do locally to help people in need. We long for that feeling of connection in these disconnected times.”

The group, now even including a few men who are not red hot, decided to try a fundraiser here at home for Rowan Helping Ministries. Abramson said, “It may seem silly, but we share the same initials (RHM), so it seemed serendipitous. There are so many great organizations in town, and we know there are and will be many more people needing RHM to serve their needs as we slowly crawl out of the pandemic. Every little bit helps, and we hope all the money we can raise is a true representation of the Red Hot Mama way, ‘Being good, seeing good, and doing good in our community and beyond’.”

The Red Hot Mamas designed this relay to combine some of the favorite parts of events they have done in the past. Fowler said, “We love running as a team and running farther together than we can as a single person. We also love races that have set relay points where we can gather and support and cheer for each other. Obviously, we won’t have a large gathering for this particular relay, but having the same course helps logistics and allow us to do drive-by cheering.”

Due to the pandemic, only two people will run at a time, but we will ultimately have 48 runners who run for one hour in pairs for a total of 24 hours. Fowler said, “If all goes really well, we can build on it in the future to include multiple teams at a time when we’re no longer concerned about gathering limits.”

Currently, The Red Hot Mamas are seeking sponsorships with 100% of all funds raised going to Rowan Helping Ministries. There are five- and six-mile courses for relay participants.

Fowler said, “Every hour we will air hug, air high-five and send the next set of runners on their way. We hope if anyone sees us out and about, they will cheer us on.”

At press time, we still hope to have the Bare Bones 5K in some form on June 6. Gov. Cooper threw the Salisbury Rowan Runners and City of Salisbury for a loop with lower-than-expected Phase 2 limitations, but discussions are still ongoing. Look for more information as it develops on Bare Bones, one of Salisbury’s oldest races, and other future events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org .

Peace & Joy

by   May 23, 2020 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

My wife and I love gardening. I focus on planting and growing the vegetable garden. She loves to create planters with beautiful plant combinations. She has a number of perennials that come back every year. Our back patio and front porch are filled with beautiful plants which makes spending time outside like being in an oasis.

            I like to sit outside among the plants and enjoy the peacefulness. Our street is generally quiet and I can always hear some birds singing when I am outside. I enjoy walking around the yard and looking at all the beautiful flowers and vegetables. Each plant has its season which I anticipate with great joy. There is always something to see in our yard.

            I finished planting the vegetable garden the other day just before all the rain hit. Everything is looking good and I am excited about the new growing season. There are still more flowers to plant and I am always scheming about how I can get a second planting in my vegetable garden. I just love having my hands in the dirt and seeing what I can get to grow. I often talk about working in the garden, but it doesn’t feel like work. Being out in the yard gives me such great pleasure.

            We have some fruit growing out back, too. I love red raspberries and have a good sized bed full of them. We also have some blueberry bushes, although I want to plant more of them. I can eat blueberries all year long. I would like to grow some strawberries one day. There is nothing like eating something you grew.

            I am fortunate; I find peace and joy in many things. Gardening or just being outside around things that are growing ministers to my spirit. I also find joy in teaching my Chinese students. I also experience joy and peace when I am writing.

            There are so many things that can steal our peace and joy. Some people are working overtime on their jobs, especially in the health care field. Imagine the UPS, FEDEX, Amazon, and US mail employees who are delivering packages to our houses since we can’t get out and go shopping. Then you have to consider the retail that is open, grocery stores, pharmacies, and the restaurant workers who are all working hard to provide goods and services for us. I wonder if they are able to disconnect from their work and find the peace and joy they need.

            Then you have to think about all the people who aren’t working because of Covid-19. They want to work, but the stay-at-home orders have kept them from their jobs. The financial stress and worry that these people are facing has got to be stealing their peace and joy.

            As a retired teacher, I think about schools. Teachers get such great joy out of imparting knowledge, skills, and abilities to students. There are no students in physical classrooms now. Students are missing athletics, clubs, and all the after school activities. They are missing their friends at lunch and in the halls. They are missing milestone moments like prom and graduation. It’s easy to lose your joy and peace when you are missing a major part of your life.

            Finding your joy and peace comes back to two main things. First, our main source of joy and peace comes from being in our Father’s presence. God is the source of perfect peace. He longs to fill your heart with joy. Sometimes we don’t have it because we don’t ask for it.

            The second source of joy and peace is a little more challenging because we have to analyze ourselves. What can we do that gives us joy and peace? For some it is found in music. For my little sister, it is going for a run. For others it might be doing something artistic. Many enjoy working on their vehicles. Each of us enjoys doing something that brings pleasure to our lives. Discovering your pleasurable activity and participating in it can help to restore your peace and joy.

            I want to encourage you to spend time with God who is our source of peace and joy and allow Him to stir that up within you. I also want to encourage you to spend some time on yourself. You know what brings you peace and joy. Take time to do those things. Allow the Lord to renew your spirit so you can share your new found peace and joy with your family and friends. We all need a refreshing dose of peace and joy. I pray God will restore yours.

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

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