Signs of Things to Come

by   September 6, 2026 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

I saw it on Monday, the last day of August. I was out on a very early morning walk, and as I approached the neighborhood entrance, fallen leaves of gold adorned the path. I instantly felt a slight, brisk chill despite the early-morning humidity. You’ve likely seen signs of autumn coming as well – acorns or walnuts on the ground or maybe your local barista’s fall menu – without needing to look at your calendar.

In North Carolina, however, we know not to set our hopes up too high. Fall may begin September 22, but Carolinians understand we will likely have a cooler week before that date and still welcome fall with 85 degrees or higher. It’s just the way it is here – still too early to put out real pumpkins. That won’t stop many from preparing, though. Maybe you have already grabbed that first PSL (pumpkin-spiced latte) of the season. Perhaps you plan to put away those summer white skirts and pants. Others will continue living a North Carolina extended summer for 6-8 more weeks with no thoughts or interest in the changing season.

Also, this week, I was reminded of a passage in Matthew 24 where Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure from them. They had questions about eschatology – the study of end-time things. Picture the kid in the back seat continually asking, “Are we there yet?” They wanted to be sure they would not miss it…or HIM! A fair question, considering the many turn-the-world-upside-down things that Jesus had been teaching them.

He assured them that no man would know the day nor the hour of His return. People would continue to live their lives, unalarmed, just like people were doing during the days of Noah – that time the earth literally was turned upside down in a global flood.

I thought about that phrase “in the days of Noah.” Like any preschooler who attends church or has ever been in a nursery, the first image you probably envision at the mention of his name is the ark that Noah built. If you have seen the replica in Kentucky, you know how large the original vessel was. It was not easy to miss. Depending on the theologian you follow, the building of the boat took anywhere from 50 to 120 years! Again, word would have gotten around – not an easy project to miss. Yet, somehow, they did miss it – the message. They continued living their hedonistic lives, knowing full well what Noah was up to. They mocked him for it or willfully chose to ignore him – until it was too late.

That is what the coming of Jesus will be like. Many world events indicate that the stage has been set maybe for quite some time. Sometimes it is as evident as a massive boat under construction for almost a lifetime. Jesus’ soon coming is, well, sooner than it was before. There are warnings and calls for repentance, but we continue living complacently or willfully choosing to reject or mock the warnings.

Do we really need to know the date of Christ’s return to know that He will? We still live ordinary lives, but perhaps we should live them differently, knowing something extraordinary is coming. Can we ignore the evidence of a coming season because we do not know its arrival? The signs of a season do not announce a date, but they do tell us a change is coming, whether we are ready for it or not. Are you?

Our Reputation

by   September 5, 2026 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Our Reputation

            You have to be living off the grid to not be aware that Dolly Parton passed away. She was an American treasure. She was a kind and giving person. I did a little digging and discovered that she gave away about half of her wealth to people in need. That is hard to imagine. I heard that she hosted Saturday Night Live and only gave them two rules about her appearance on the show. She would not use profanity and she would not make fun of Jesus. 

            The way we live matters. Notice I didn’t say that the way people think about us matters. There will always be people out there that put others down. The Bible even tells us that this will happen. It then instructs us to live in such a way that their accusations will fall to the ground because everyone will be able to tell they aren’t true. If we live in a way that honors God, we can be assured that He will take care of our reputation.

            Most of us face a much bigger problem than the way others see us; our problem lies in the way we see ourselves. Some people think way too highly of themselves, but honestly, that is not most of us. Most of us think too little about ourselves. We think bad thoughts about our character. We assume our failures and sins define who we are in God’s eyes. We focus on our flaws and shortcomings and fail to see ourselves the way God sees us.

            If we have confessed our sins, God promises to forgive and forget them. God does not remember any of your sins or failures. He only sees Christ in you and who you will become. God has many great plans for your future and He sees you fulfilling His purposes in your generation. He sees you as His son or daughter. He sees you as His servant and His best friend. He sees the potential locked up inside of you and wants to bring that out. He sees you as an overcomer.

            If God sees us that way, why do we get stuck seeing ourselves in such a negative light? We live in a fallen world and often forget that the resurrection power of Jesus lives in us. While our thoughts and the devil’s lies try to keep us down, God and a great crowd of witnesses are cheering us on. We have to stop looking in the mirror and seeing the flaws and start looking with eyes filled with faith toward our Heavenly Father. We need to learn to see ourselves through His loving eyes.

            We should work hard to protect our reputation. The Bible teaches us that a good reputation is more valuable than gold. That means that when we are at work, we should look at our work as working for God, not the customer or our boss. We should give our best to the things we have been given to do. We want our work to bring glory and honor to God. If we cut corners, do poor work, and rip people off then our reputation will suffer. When our reputation is tarnished our reflection of God is impacted.

            What do we do if our reputation has been tarnished by our past? First, we need to have the integrity to take the responsibility. Then we will have to work diligently to repair the damage. Hard work pays off in the long run. I think true humility and honesty about your abilities and skills will help build a positive image. Learning from others with more experience will help you build a stronger reputation. Let others know they can trust you and that you take your work seriously. If you break your trust, fail to perform as expected, it takes a long time to rebuild it. A strong work ethic takes an inner commitment that will be proven over time.

            I want to encourage you to consider your reputation carefully. What do people say and think about you? Does your work and the way you lead your life reflect positively or negatively on God? Are people attracted to God when they spend time with you or are they repelled? God wants us to be lights in a dark world, helping those who are far from Him to find their way home. Love and forgiveness open the doors to people’s hearts. That’s why Jesus taught us to love our neighbors. Our reputation can help people make a vital connection to God or it can close the door. How we live really does matter if we hope to reach people who are looking for God.

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

Pleasing Our Wonderful Lord

by   September 4, 2026 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Ephesians 5:10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

  • There are things that the Lord finds distasteful and He separated Himself from – 
  • There are actually things that attract us to God.
  • Throughout the word there are indicators of the things that excite, please, and attract God to us – let’s explore them continually and pursue them and He will make them known to us.

Prayer:  Hallelujah!  I want to please You in every way Lord, and I am looking for those things that please You and make You happy and not just man’s ideas or religious thoughts, but what Your word says that You are pleased with.  Teach me these things and I will follow them gladly.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Historic Stagville

by   September 3, 2026 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Historic Stagville

   Booper and I headed north from Salisbury on August 6th in hopes of visiting NC Historic Sites at Stagville and Bennet Place. Both are in the Durham area. I read about Stagville and couldn’t wait to hear the story.

     From 1776 to 1865, the Bennehan and Cameron plantations spread across 30,000 acres of land. They had jointly invested in slavery at Stagville. The Camerons inherited complete control in 1847. Hundreds of enslaved people were the backbone of the complex of farms, workshops, mansions and mills. Those enslaved families suffered separation, violence, hard labor and disease. They resisted with varying levels of sabotage, direct action, cultural traditions and freedom seeking. In 1865, 900 people were enslaved on the plantation.

    What we found is the 165 acres that make up the Stagville State Historic Site that is one of the few plantation sites that remain in the nation that focuses on the lives, culture and labors of enslaved African Americans. We made it just in time to take the walking tour with Assistant Site Manager Adarra Blount      

    Dominating the visitor center portion of the tour was the Bennehan House, built between 1787 and 1799. It was a busy house as the center of the plantation complex. We were not able to tour the inside of the home, but heard how the enslaved people, especially those that worked inside, thought the luxury of the house was built on violence, forced labor and the sale of human beings. The house remained as the plantation centerpiece until a much grander mansion was built by the Camerons in 1847.

    A kitchen foundation remains and is located nearby because many of the period homes kept the kitchen in a separate building safely away from the main structure. Nearby too was the foundation of the domestic slave quarters for the Bennehan House. Servants and cooks used their skills to survive, memorizing the etiquette, expectations and personalities of the Bennehan and Cameron families. The cabin was probably a small sanctuary for them away from the trials of serving the owner families. The Camerons referred to enslaved people as family but demanded a spirit of subordination.

    We also visited the Great Barn, built in 1860. A three-story structure, it has withstood the weather since then with only minor damage. Horses and mules were housed here as well as their feed and hay. The barn was bult with pegs, not nails, and is located in the section of the historic site called Horton Grove.

     Also in Horton Grove, in my opinion, is the real centerpiece of today’s historic site and the wonderful tour. A row of slave dwellings from the plantation are well preserved and we toured inside the bottom floor of one of them. Each building housed four families, one to each room. Whether the family had  three or 11 members, they still had only one room. Though the room was large, each room was heated and cooking was done from a fireplace. One of the rooms we saw was furnished, the bare basics of the place for family time after work rest and comfort area. Most notably in the chimney of the first slave quarters building were fingerprints in the bricks, originally molded from local clay. Enslaved residents of this area were field workers. One notable statement concerned the birth of a new family member who immediately became property and were subject anytime to be sent away to other holdings of the Cameron family or even sold eventually.

     The largest of the enslaved quarters is the Hart House. The Harts were a formerly enslaved family that remained on the plantation at the end of the Civil War. In April 1865, when the residents were freed, many stayed and many left. The freed people advocated for land ownership. Through overseers, discriminatory laws and Federal Troops, the Camerons were able to regain control of their land. Many people that stayed, like the Harts, lived through long decades of sharecropping and Jim Crow discrimination. They struggled for civil rights, fair work, equality and land.

    We heard harsh stories of violence and mistreatment, and several intense ones of how specific individuals fought back and occasionally won their freedom. Stagville descendants are organized and now reside around the world. Their story is often heartbreaking and incredibly powerful! This was another wonderful NC Historic Site and well worth your visit. The report on Bennett Place Historic Site will come soon.

     Remember SRR’s Prediction Run on August 29th at City Park, beginning at 8am. And another of our beginning runners classes is just ahead and set to begin on September 8th at the Salisbury PD. It is eight weeks of increased running distance and pertinent classes each Tuesday evening that includes subjects like shoes and equipment, stretching and strengthening, running form, nutrition, safety and injury prevention. The rate for the class, a training shirt, membership is SRR and one free race entry remains at $65. You can register at runsignup or at the first class, all of which begin at 6pm.

    Look for these and more upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org

Gotta’ Run: Historic Stagville

Walk Worthy

by   September 2, 2026 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

We really enjoy watching the Atlanta Braves play. In fact we’ve been fans long enough to remember the days of Andrew Jones, Javy Lopez, John Smoltz, and long before that Dale Murphy. Now we appreciate all the new guys. I think what makes it so enjoyable is that the team is having a good time. They joke with the opposing fans and players. They laugh at each other and make fun of their own mistakes. I kinda love it. Plus all the winning is fun too.

The other night something terrible happened. One of our favorite players, Charlie Culberson, got hit in the head with a ninety-one mile an hour fastball. He immediately went down. As Charlie lay bleeding in the dirt, we waited… and prayed.

The third base coach, Ron Washington is a seasoned veteran who tends to treat each player as a son. As Charlie suffered, Papa Wash, as David dubbed him, kneeled in the dirt beside him. While medics attended his head, gently he patted Charlie’s leg as if soothing his son.

Eventually the medical staff was able to get our wounded player onto a cart. As they drove away Charlie lifted his head to search out the National’s pitcher Fernando Rodney. The men exchanged a moment of grace when Charlie simply gave him a thumbs up. Rodney was visibly shaken and struggled to maintain control when later he continued pitching.

A fastball to the head is serious. Most likely Charlie is out for the rest of this season. If bones are crushed near the eye socket his entire career could be over. I remember years ago when a player was hit with a similar pitch. Because of a shift in the position of the bones around the eye, the man no longer had the depth perception he needed to play. I’m sure both men were aware of the severity of the injury. Yet one simple gesture said in essence,

“It’s okay. I know the ball just got away from you.” 

I felt almost as sorry for the pitcher as I did for Charlie. I wanted to hug him and usher him away from the field. Like Papa Wash I wanted to kneel in the dirt by Charlie. Like the man on the cart holding a towel on Charlie’s head I wanted to put an arm around his shoulder and tell him I’m proud of his reaction toward Rodney. Had I been there I would have tipped my cap and saluted the Washington fans for the silence they gave to the moment and later for their standing ovation as Charlie was carted away.

The Braves announcers were so sickened by the moment that Jeff Francoeur could hardly continue. Chip Caray chose his words wisely and promised us updates. He too expressed sympathy for the pitcher and even the manager of the opposing team.

I know.

None of them are perfect. But I love the Braves. They reminded me of something valuable. People are hurting all around us. May we kneel in the dirt, pat someone on the back, or gently speak a word of grace.

No matter where life takes us, may we do our best to walk worthy of our calling.

What Dolly’s Death Reminds Us

by   August 30, 2026 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Whether you think Heaven got a little sweeter or the earth a little sadder since Dolly Parton died last week, you are among many other like-minded people. Maybe you were a huge fan of almost every aspect of her life. Maybe, like me, you didn’t follow her music or keep up with much of her life. I did respect the work she did for her Tennessee community and that she seemed to put her money where her mouth was. She also enabled many homes to encourage literacy among children with her Dolly Parton Imagination Library, where children under the age of 5 receive a free book monthly. My own family benefited from building our little library for a few of my children. We still love family read-alouds!

Perhaps you have more intimate stories. I was amazed by how many of my friends had personal encounters with her, either working with her, for her, or getting to meet her in some way that impacted them. That certainly changes the way you respond to this great loss.

I have younger friends who often respond with very heavy hearts when there are deaths of public figures. It isn’t that they are necessarily devotees of the celebrity or national leader. Sometimes, they confess they are not even sure why they feel the loss so profoundly. Maybe it is, in part, because in the last 25 years, much of their life has been engulfed by large, national tragedies. With our instant access to news (usually bad), loss and tragedy are part of our daily lives. We hurt more because we know more.

My husband and I have found great solace in a book entitled “Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, and Hope.” In it, Douglas Kaine McKelvey offers liturgies for seasons of death, dying, and grief. It has been a source of immense help and encouragement to us personally and in sharing with others. His liturgy: “Lamenting the Passing of a Public Figure” provides some insight as to why deaths such as Dolly’s impact us so deeply:

* We have access to so much of their life, and they seem more familiar to us than they truly are. Dolly was known for making time for people, even at risk of her own health and safety at times.

* These passings stir our emotions in memory or anticipation of deaths closer to us. Loss was not meant to be a part of the life that our Creator intended for us in His original design. Death was not supposed just to be part of life. We may not realize it in the moment, but our heart is resonating with a greater sadness of what life was supposed to be – immortal enjoyment of God.

* Although every life is of equal worth in the eye of the Creator, we may notice the loss as a whole community differently. Their presence was big on earth; the hole left seems enormous. Dolly may have been petite, but she was a big personality and was generous in many ways. That will certainly be felt for some time to come. For some, that hole feels more personal because of other attachments. Perhaps Dolly encouraged, inspired, or helped you through dark times. Maybe God allowed her to be a conduit for His Grace and Mercy in your life.

What now? As with any death, we learn to live with grief. Perhaps, though, we can see in this sadness what God was trying to teach us through someone: He has image-bearers on earth to show us beauty, creativity, and glimpses into His character or even His message (no matter how flawed the individual may have been). He is teaching us about love, and also that loss was not His original plan. But even His created image-bearers have an end date. Hope found in temporal things or beings is…well…temporal. He has an even GREATER Hope and Peace found in Jesus – the One who will never fade or end.

I pray you find this hope.

Ashlie Miller and her family live in Concord, NC. You can contact her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

Photo by Ashlie’s son!!!

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