Fishing with much younger buddies at the Outer Banks, daddy lept over a steep washed out shoreline into the surf. Snatching up the twenty-two inch puppy drum which had fought its way off the hook, he made his way back up the embankment to the amazement of his friends. My brother-in-law Milton said he caught sight of daddy in mid-air as he took quick action not to lose the catch of the day. One of the guys asked, “How old did you say he is?” “Eighty!” he responded as they all shook their heads in wonder. Daddy’s a little bit amazing.
He called me last night and we had the best visit. He wanted to thank us for the Veterans’ Day card. I said, “Thank you daddy, for your service!” His reply was puzzling to me.
“I never have thought of myself as ‘serving.’ But I guess somebody had to do it. I was just on an aircraft carrier during the Korean War. I didn’t really see action.”
Everyday heroes are my favorite. Folks who just do whatever’s needed without any fanfare. Steady in the day to day, serving behind the scenes, making things easier on others.
Maybe you are that person.
Someone’s day is better because you made coffee. No big deal, except for the person who needed the coffee. [You may have saved a life or two!]
Your wife has a happy heart because you made dinner.
Currently you’re teaching your toddler where her nose is. That’s sure to come in handy one day.
Your pastor is not quite as weary because you gave him a word of encouragement.
The prisoner you know has a little speck of hope because you dropped him a postcard.
Everyday heroes are my favorite…even if they aren’t agile enough to snatch puppy drums from the surf.
My always interesting daddy!
“Lord, when did we ever see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?”
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you were doing it to Me!” –Matthew 25:37-40
As I enter my senior yearsI often ask myself, “Have I done all I can do for the Lord?”
My heart longs to share all that God has done for me with others. What is our life’s purpose? How many ponder that question sometime during their life? To have purpose and direction is a wonderful thing. To know that purpose is even greater.
Sharing Gods grace and love is the most fulfilling path in life. I have many gifts and talents given by God and I endeavor to use those gifts to bless others. At the end of my days I hope to have peace knowing that I have shared Gods love with as many people as possible.
God in His infinite wisdom made us His vessels to carry His love to the lost and hurting. We each have an assignment, to love and bless one another. May we finish our assignment with victory and hear Father God say, “Well done.”
Decimals – little marks that make a huge difference in answers. I’ve been helping my daughter work through decimals recently in mathematics. I introduced her to the concept of multiplying or dividing by 10s, 100s, or 1000s, which simply means how far over you move the tiny little point (.). She got it and enjoyed that that was the extent of the lesson.
It reminded me of when I was first introduced to them myself. How could anyone recall something so trivial? Well, it was the circumstance in which I was taught. I was attending a local Christian school at the time, which included elementary through high school. My 4th-grade teacher was married to a junior high school teacher. One day, she came to me during recess and asked me to come with her for something. Maybe she told me why, but being a compliant child who made good grades and didn’t get into trouble, I heard nothing about the details after she called me to come with her. That was usually a sign of trouble (or bad news). I was already shy, and now I was pretty frightened. However, we made it to the trailer classroom where a math lesson was already in session. I was brought to the front of the room by the chalkboard, with my teacher by my side. Her husband began explaining decimals and their placement when multiplying or dividing. After the brief lesson, he handed me a piece of chalk and asked me to demonstrate where to place the decimal in the equation. As an adult, I probably would have thought it a trick question, but at the time, it was easy to just quietly but confidently answer. I looked at my teacher, who smiled down on me, her husband thanked me for the answer, and I left with my teacher. Although uncertain of what took place when I left, I imagine he must have then said to his students something along the lines of, “See, it really is simpler than you are making it.”
This is not so much a story about one’s self-confidence as it is about the confidence others have in us. I am grateful for teachers in my past and friends in my life today who have seen strengths where I see weaknesses or press me on to do just a bit more than I think I would be comfortable with. I’ve been spurred to lead students of various ages, speak in front of others, get into running, get into writing, consider homeschooling, and many more things that have challenged and enriched my life. I wonder at times how long it would otherwise have taken me to embrace each of these things on my own.
While there are several passages in the Bible about stirring up and rekindling flames already within us, there are likewise several that prompt us to encourage others toward love and good works. For many of us, we need someone else who can see what we are capable of and hand us the chalk. Church leadership refers to this as the ICNU (“I see in you…”) principle. Often, when we let people know that we need them to use their gift for the sake of someone else, they will step up even if it is reluctantly. But reluctance can lead to confidence and growth! And particularly in the kingdom of God, it can lead to building up a whole body of believers.
When is the last time you encouraged a friend, peer, or student towards something you knew would enrich their lives as well as the lives of others? When is the last time you reluctantly accepted a challenge that a friend or leader knew would be good for you to help others? Are you ready to take that next step?
Ashlie Miller attended Christian elementary school in Salisbury, NC. She currently lives in Concord. You can email her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.
I used to wear a tie to work almost every day. I have quite a collection of nice ties. I have special ties for the holidays, including an extensive collection of Christmas and snow ties. I would always wear the snowflake ties to indicate to my students that snow was on the way. I like my ties but my desire for comfort caused me to leave the ties at home…and I haven’t missed them.
I also have some nice dress shirts. Clothes have an impact on the way we feel about ourselves. While I enjoy being dressed up, I would rather wear casual clothes. When I retired from full-time teaching my wife found me some shirts that I call my “retirement shirts.” They are comfortable and I feel so good in them. I have comfortable dress shoes for work but I can’t wait to take them off after work every day and put on my tennis shoes. If I had my choice, I would be in my jeans, tennis shoes, and my retirement shirts.
We all know that chicken soup is good for you when you are under the weather. After a stressful day or when you aren’t feeling good, what foods bring you comfort? Lasagna is a comfort food for me. Besides the fact that I love it, lasagna reminds me of my Mom and the comfort of home. For many, desserts like pies, cakes, cookies, and ice cream are comfort foods because they taste so good.
The older I get the more I find myself seeking comfort, whether in clothes, food, and especially, furniture. I recently got a new chair for my home office. I went to the store and tried lots of different styles of chairs out but it came down to comfort. Now don’t misunderstand me, I want things to look nice, whether it’s clothes or furniture, but I think comfort has become increasingly important.
Our homes and cars are filled with things to make us feel more comfortable. The world has become an increasingly more uncomfortable place to live so we want our comfort and security at home. We find ourselves wanting to retreat to comfortable places.
We don’t like things that make us uncomfortable. The news is filled with all kinds of bad things that happened somewhere in the world. Don’t get anyone you know started talking about politics because that is a very divisive topic. Churches aren’t immune from divisive behavior, which can make the most faithful uncomfortable.
If you are like me and you desire to find comfort and peace, where do you look? I am fortunate in that there is comfort and unity in my church. But I believe the best place to find comfort is in God’s word. Whatever problem you are facing there is a promise from God’s word for you. He promises to comfort us. He promises to be with us and guard us. He promises to guide us and protect us. He promises to answer our prayers. There are more promises in God’s word then there is space in the paper to include them all.
When I find myself struggling, I often turn to Psalm 23 and Psalm 91. There is so much comfort for us in these Psalms. Isaiah 55 and Ephesians chapter one are also places that can encourage us in difficult times. I imagine you have your favorites, too. We have to learn to seek God in our dark moments and allow His word to be our light and hope. Leaning on Him and trusting that He’s got you can bring a comfort that nothing in this world can offer. The Bible tells us that we will have trouble in this world, but we can know that God is keeping a close watch on each one of us to comfort us in our difficult times.
I encourage you to seek comfort in God’s word and in His presence. I pray that God will make you more aware of His presence every day so you can be confident that He is watching over you. We may find ourselves troubled in our minds, but we have to listen to our spirits and find the comfort we need in God’s promises. He is closer than our breath and assigns angels to watch over us. God’s peace and comfort is available to us if we will keep our eyes and hearts focused on Him and not the circumstances that surround us. I pray God’s peace and comfort to you as I remind myself of the things I have just written!
Tucked in the driver’s door of my
van is a small CD case. Most of the CD’s in it are commercially made, but a few
were made by friends. Last week I removed one from the back of the case that had written on it “Good
ones” in the precise black ink penmanship of Connor, a deceased brother-in-law
who had complied many CD’s for me before he died. After his funeral, I gave the
ones I had to his granddaughter, but
this one had somehow remained with me, tucked away.
The note on it is correct: The
jazz, soul, rock, and blues songs are by various artists and all are good. It
is a soulful and restful gathering of vocals and instrumentals, but none of the
songs or the musicians are identified. Yet, I put it in the slot and listened as
I drove around on errands. The ninth song on the CD grabbed me: A rendition of
Bob Dylan’s song from the 60’s, IWill Be Released. Driving about
town I would push the repeat button each time the song finished, listening to
the voice that I could not identify but liking the way the unknown woman had
arranged the song of injustice. After about a week of driving and listening, I came
into the modern world and typed the song title into the search engine of my
computer. Mercy! This old dog finally found Nina Simone singing the version
that Connor copied for the CD.
When you have 4:21 to spare, go
to: https://youtu.be/w-du8MDE8nk and
treat yourself. You will hear Simone’s
great voice and the fabulous musicians give life to Dylan’s song. But as
much as I like the rendition, it is the first fifteen seconds that cause me to
remember Connor.
Listening carefully, you will
hear the musicians beginning, but something goes wrong and Simone says to them,
“Y’all pushin’, you’re pushin’ it,
you’re pushin’ it! Just relax, relax.
You’re pushing it. It’ll go up by itself! Don’t put nothin’ in it unless ya
feel it! Let’s do it again, please.”
Relax she says and it will go up
by itself. While Simone is speaking about the cutting of the song, her words carry way over into
living. I like to think that she knew that, and I know that Connor did. He lived that. He never
pushed because he knew that it would go
up by itself. He was not indifferent or lazy. In fact, he was quite successful.
But he enjoyed living. He loved people. Being around him was relaxing and fun
and it required nothing but feeling life: The good living he modeled by feeling
it.
What a chance for me on removing
the gold CD from the back of the case. While Connor comes to me through the
music on the CD, he especially does through cut number 9 and Simone’s charge
not to push it, but to relax and feel it. It will go up by itself.
Winter Flight Postponement and Chiropractic for Runners
The expected extreme cold and snow forecast caused race officials to postpone Salisbury’s signature running event last Wednesday just a few hours before I wrote this column. What started as a normal race day forecast of low 40s and partly cloudy quickly deteriorated to as much as six to eight inches of snow and windchills not good especially for course volunteers. Hosts Catawba College and the City of Salisbury quickly helped us pivot to a two-week postponement.
New race date for the Forum Fitness 43rd Annual Winter Flight benefiting Rowan Helping Ministries is now Sunday, February 15th. The half mile fun run, open to anyone is free and begins at 1:30 pm, the wheelchair 8K and 5K both start at 1:58pm, with the 5K and signature 8K heading out at 2pm. All races finish on the track inside Shuford Stadium. All finishers in the 5K and 8K get a commemorative hoodie, a participation medal and a chance at age group awards. Additional awards go to NC State Championship winners. For more information on the Winter Flight races and how to register, go to www.salisburyrowanrunners.org
I’m a believer in Chiropractic for better performance in sports. At least three times, I have had severe sciatica and Dr. Andy Jeter at Jeter Chiropractic helped me get back on the road each time. Chiropractic treatment just recently helped me with a nerve issue in my right leg. I was concerned about getting chiropractic treatments after my broken back recovery, but Dr. Eline’s staff gave me the go ahead. It was my first chiropractic treatment in nearly two years, and it brought immediate improvement.
I asked Dr. Jeter, a former college swimmer, what are some of the other injuries that he sees often with runners/walkers? He said, “Sprained ankles, hammer toes, claw toes, runners knee/jumpers’ knee, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis to name a few!” In most cases, they can continue running/walking during the healing process. Dr, Jeter said, “Yes, we want people to stay active in their recovery. It may be slightly restricted in the beginning with a ramp up to normal activity over time. Get back in the game of life, let alone the respective activity!” He continued, “Proper alignment means less wear and tear on the body. No differently than if you had your car’s front end out of alignment and ran new tires in that condition. Soon, the tires would show wear and tear. Did you know that there is a high chance that one of your legs is longer than the other? Just two mm or the thickness of two credit cards can make a significant impact on your lower body, hips, and lower back! We help runners stay fit in their form with ankle, knee, hip and low back alignment! Function equals form and form equals function. You can’t have one without the other. Don’t be crooked.”
“There’s a saying in the Chiropractic profession: Chiropractic adds years to life and life to years! If you have teeth, you need dental care. If you have a spine, you need chiropractic care. It’s that simple. People spend more time, energy, and effort taking care of their teeth and mouth than they do any other area of their body. However, you can live without your teeth. You cannot live without your spine!”
I typically feel an extra boost in my step after an adjustment. Dr. Jeter said, “You’re never too old to start taking care of your body! Athletes around the world know this, which is why there are chiropractors involved as part of the healthcare for sports teams around the globe. Every major university, professional sports team, and many major industrial corporations have a chiropractor working for them. It just makes sense! Some side effects of chiropractic care include more energy, better breathing, better digestive habits, and better sleep to name just a few. If you ever wanted to know if Chiropractic could help the condition that you were suffering from, just google it! There is a ton of research out there that supports chiropractic care for many conditions you would never ever think Chiropractic could be helpful for. Try it!”
Feel free to call or text me at 704-310-6741 about Winter Flight questions. It’s a great celebration of running and walking in Salisbury, nationally recognized as a runner friendly community, but made better if you are there.
I was in the midst of changing clothes when my beloved walked in. “It still looks a little jiggly,” he stated. My head came up and my mouth flew open. “I beg your pardon?!”
“The pie,” he said. “The timer went off, but I think it needs more time in the oven. It’s still a little jiggly.” He turned to go before I could hurl a shoe at his head.
I guess we’ve all been misunderstood before. Especially now with so many words flying around on social media. It’s almost like we have to dissect every comment we make to be sure we don’t offend someone. While that’s not a terrible thing, it would also be nice to experience a little grace. There’s a word used in the old KJV that I love. Forbear. I had to look it up because it’s a bit outdated. Wait. I DID NOT say the King James Version is outdated. What I meant was, the word forbear is not used in everyday speech that often. But its meaning is sweet. Forbearance is “out roofing” or covering for someone when they need a bit of grace. I get the picture of standing by a friend in the rain and covering them with an umbrella. I like it. I know I need that grace an awful lot since I’m such a wordy wordsmith. In my limited understanding it seems to be like giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Instead of suspecting ulterior motives, just assume the better option.
When I was telling my daughter about her father’s untimely comment, she asked, “What kind of pie?” I shook my head and thought, “So that’s the part you picked up on?” It was a strawberry custard and turned out delicious. While I am struggling health wise, David is learning to bake. He’s always been a fabulous cook, but now baking too? What a man. Perhaps that’s why some of us are a bit jiggly.
Annyyywayyy… here’s the recipe.
Right now, while strawberries are coming in from not so local places, they need a little forbearance. So slice and sprinkle them with sugar. While they rest, preheat your oven to 425 and make the custard.
Combine and beat with a whisk until frothy: 3 eggs 2 c. milk 1 t. vanilla 1/2 c. sugar 1 T. cornstarch pinch of salt Drain strawberries well so your crust doesn’t get soggy. Spread berries into two unbaked pie crusts; Pour custard mixture over berries. Place pies on cookie sheet for easier movement to oven, then bake at 425 about 15 minutes; reduce heat to 325 then bake 30 or so minutes more. Insert a knife to see if the custard is set or if it is still jiggly. In the meantime, let’s practice this:
“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;” -Ephesians 4:2 KJV “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” -Col. 3:13 KJV
Like strawberry custard, forbearance is a sweet treat; especially if you don’t mind things that jiggle.
The mailman (or in some cases, mailwoman) comes to our houses six days a week. I think we all wish we had a mailman like the one Steve Hartman highlights in this story. ENJOY!!!
Life takes us on many journeys. Some journeys are with others some are alone. Life takes many paths, some solitary, some together with companions. Being alone can be peaceful and reflective. The quiet and slower pace can be like taking a deep breath and feeling your mind and body relax.
Sharing the journey can be very special. Enjoying conversation, discovering new things together and the warmth of friendship.
Jesus sent the disciples out in twos. This could have been for many reasons. One being safety. Another being the strength in two witnesses rather than one person testifying of who Jesus is. The Lord said “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am also.” There is strength in numbers.
There is a scientific principle in gardening for companion planting. Certain plants thrive more when side by side with other certain plants. And there are some that actually discourage growth if they are near each other.
Cucumber Beetle and Squash Bugs can be destructive pests in the garden. I have personally seen them kill a plant in no time at all. Through research and experimentation I discovered that planting Squash or Cucumbers along side Dill and Nasturtiums will repel these pests. Garlic is known to repel many pests in the vegetable garden also. And there is something about Basil that will make Tomato plants more healthy and productive.
Together we also can be healthier and more productive when we have companions. Quiet alone time is nice at times but if we fnd ourselves isolating or withdrawing from life we will open ourselves up to the pests and weeds that can take over our minds and souls. God admonished us to stay close and be faithful to the body of Christ. Companion growing and planting will gives us strength in our lives and walk with God.
