Wedding Vows & Power Outages

by   September 14, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

They say that rain on your wedding day is a good luck sign for a solid marriage. If that is the case, what does it mean when there is a large power outage during your wedding? That will be a follow-up question years from now for the bride and groom of the wedding my husband attended last weekend. 

It was an overcast day, but as we approached Mooresville, it was clear that rain would put a damper on the plans. I checked the wedding website, theknot.com, to see if there were alternate plans for the outdoor wedding on the greens of the golf course. Nothing was listed. Well, this could be interesting, I thought. 

Things were not looking up as we approached nonworking traffic lights, the closer we came to the venue. Very interesting, I thought. We pulled into the world-class golf club and walked with an umbrella over our heads in the slight drizzle to wait with no specific direction under the awnings of a building. Suddenly, “Okay, it’s happening, let’s go!” a photographer announced. Still unsure of where we were going, we walked towards an outdoor area, watching employees wipe down seats with pool towels. The fans and paper parasols intended for a hot late summer evening were only as much help as shielding from the slight drizzle. There was at last enough of a reprieve that a condensed – but still legal – wedding ceremony commenced. After the I do’s and a kiss, the happy couple bounded up the aisle, followed by a large ribbon of lightning across the horizon. Yet, no one bolted up the aisle. With joyful decorum, the wedding party exited up the aisle. 

I do not know how many of us were concerned over the reception menu as we waited for the wedding party. There were hors d’oeuvres, and people gathered to chat. One only noticed that it was dimly lit because there was still plenty of clouded daylight. We sat down at a table with candles that were now valued more for their functionality than their ambiance; the chandeliers only glistening thanks to these humble lights below. Caesar salad before me, glancing at the menu (filet mignon and chicken), I wondered how they were going to pull that off. Answer: They couldn’t. After the ceremonial dances, the father of the bride announced, “Things haven’t gone as planned, aren’t going as planned, and won’t go as planned.” With a smile, he hinted that he would know what’s for dinner at the same time we would. I began to hear whispers of “Chick-fil-a.” 

Surely enough, the servers brought CFA nuggets and what my refined French fry palate determined to be Wendy’s French fries (do any others stay so crispy upon delivery?). A server elegantly brought out Heinz ketchup packets in a silver creamer. There was no overly apologizing for what was not being offered, but service with excellence. No one would have known it was the club’s first time dealing with such a crisis on a wedding day. 

Who was really there for the food anyway? We delighted in conversation and seeing the happy bride and groom celebrating this long-awaited day.

What a metaphor for marriage: Life hasn’t gone as planned, isn’t going as planned, won’t go as planned. But that’s okay. We can serve each other with excellence and care, and joy can be in making it through it together, with a smile and a dance…and maybe some chicken nuggets and crispy fries. 

Seeking Wisdom

by   September 13, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

Seeking Wisdom

            Have you ever needed help to figure out something in life? Most people Google the question and find the answer. You might turn to AI to generate a solution. Would you consider a computer-generated answer wisdom? It’s nice to get the answer to questions or help on how to repair something, but I am not convinced that the internet can give me wisdom.

            I believe that wisdom comes from life experience. If you are having a relationship issue, I don’t believe that Google is going to be able to help you solve your problem. You need the wisdom of someone who has been through similar situations. While the internet may be able to offer you insights and symptoms for your medical condition, it’s the doctors who are going to be able to offer you wisdom. The same thing applies if you find yourself in some legal problems. It’s best to seek the wise counsel of a good lawyer rather than the internet. Wisdom comes through people and friends who care about you.

            I found myself seeking wisdom recently. I was talking to a friend, seeking his wisdom, when he told me that he knew I would find the wisdom I needed. He said that when you seek the advice of many counselors the scriptures say you will discover wisdom. He said that after I had gathered all this advice I knew the next step, seek the Lord in prayer. He said that God will show me the right path forward.

            I find that I am a little anxious as I walk on this new and unfamiliar path. The more I have learned and the more notes I have taken from wise people, the better I understand the decisions I have to make. I also realize that I can take a little more time making the decisions. Becoming more informed helps to bring a peace. I also know better how to pray for His guidance and wisdom.  

            As a teacher, I realize that this is a good life lesson. I can apply what I am learning now and what I have learned in the past to make the best decision for my situation. I think back to when I was considering retiring from teaching. I remember seeking out people I trusted and asking about that process. With each conversation came a deeper understanding and a stronger peace. When I finally made that decision, I knew I made the right decision. 

            The more I think about this new path the more I realize that life is full of big changes for all of us. Choosing where to go to college. The stages of life. Starting families. Changing employment places or careers. Moving. Retirement. Each of us approaches big decisions in different ways. We each process and consider them uniquely. Hopefully, we seek the wisdom and guidance from those who have our best interests at heart. We can take each of their perspectives, insights, and wisdom and apply them to our decisions.

            All this gathering of information does not complete the process, we must take the knowledge we have gained and ask God for His wisdom and guidance. God is not bound by time and He can see the outcome of our decisions. He knows which paths will lead us in the right direction and which will bring about bad results. He knows each one of us individually. He knows what is best for us and the long-term results. I have heard friends say that God was leading them to make a decision that didn’t look like the best one on the surface, but several years down the road ended up being the best thing in their lives. That’s why we have to trust Him, not our feelings, or what looks like a good thing at the moment. Prayer works. Getting others to pray for and with us in the midst of our big decisions can point us in the right direction.

            I want to encourage you to take your big life decisions (and your small ones, too) to God, your Heavenly Father, who will help you choose the best thing for you in your situation. Be willing to give up what you think because there are always things down the road you can’t see. He is watching out for you and wants the very best for you. It requires faith. It requires trust. You have to believe that He loves you and cares about each decision that you face. Seeking wisdom is important but nowhere near as important as seeking the Lord in prayer.

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

Hope

by   September 12, 2025 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Two articles from last week’s reading resonate with me—one from a religious magazine written by a minister and the other in a major newspaper written by a columnist.

The columnist writes about “feelings of hopelessness and self-hatred [that] can leave you to live with a smoldering rage.” He writes that the problem facing Washington, D.C. is not one of moral failure but “public health problems coming our way at the point of a gun.” He asks, “But what are we doing about what we already know about the forces driving violence?”

The minister shares her need for heaven, but not the heaven “beyond clouds, harps, and chubby baby angels.” She objects to “Our culture’s images of heaven [that] are so saccharine, so sentimental, so boring.”  What she wants is for us to have a heaven with the “possibility of actual peace, reconciliation, and abundance for all.”

Both writers want the same thing—an assurance for a better world, one free from hate, poverty, chronic pain, violence, and more. They both want a world of justice, one full of hope. But how do we give hope to those who suffer from the massive violence of our country-the violence not only of guns, but the violence of injustice, the violence of a low-paying job, the violence of chronic pain, the violence of addiction,  the violence of believing that this is all there is? If we can give citizens hope, then they will more likely be equipped to fight the obstacles of modern-day life.

One writer’s obvious way to combat the ills she faces in her personal and cultural life is her religious faith and “The hope of heaven is the glimmer of steady light that guides and protects me in the valley of  the shadow of death.” Her hope drives her days.

However, the newspaper columnist tells us that “The exposure to violence does something to you.” It is that violence lived and seen daily that probably causes there to be “no hope in the future to drive the day,” so why not gravitate to the easy path of drugs, guns, wanton sex, and alcohol that make life something not cherished but something cheap and expendable?

How do we give hope to such a life as that? We can’t by ways of large government programs. They can help, but we should have learned that large government won’t succeed because we have tried for years to give hope to downtrodden members of our communities through that channel.

I grew up in a single parent household during the segregated south of the 1950’s and 60’s. My mother hemmed washcloths in a cotton mill and reared 6 children. We were poor. We were White. But we were not trashy because our mother demanded of herself and us children. She once told a sister that she, a fine-looking divorced woman, could have spent every weekend at the beach, but she stayed home with her children, doing the hard work of a single parent. She made us go to church, and she had expectations  of us. She parented us. She was not perfect, nor were we, but we all grew into professionals who contributed to society. She showed us “hope in the future to drive the day.”

Governmental programs, as churches and schools,  help individuals succeed. However, when an individual faces the brutality that some of us do each day, that person needs an adult to guide him or her as if lost in a dense forest. A map of that forest is like governmental programs—it can help, but it can’t offer encouragement at each step and turn the same way as that of a guide. The guide not only leads but gives hope, and that kind of hope can only be built from the intimate involvement of an adult who gives unconditional love at each  step on the path through the dense forest. We all need maps, but we also need guides who will help us, not hinder our journey. And the best guides are parents like my mother who did the difficult work of guiding and encouraging.

This kind of hope comes from a belief that there is more to life than what is seen. It comes from a belief that there is something larger than self—call that something whatever suits you, but real hope comes from believing that each of us is a part of a larger existence. This kind of hope will give a future to drive each day.

Great Lakes Day 5

by   September 11, 2025 with No Comments

By David Freeze

   Monday, August 4th was one of the more fun days so far because I had just a guess of the agenda and could change it at any time and all would be fine. I spent the night in West Ishpeming, different because there are hills here. The motel was the Triangle and although he had a “Full” sign on the door, the owner found me a room at a very reasonable price. To pay him back, I cleaned the room and took my trash with me. I always imagine the cleaning person when they first look at the room!

    I decided overnight to visit downtown Marquette, Michigan this morning. I read a few things that were interesting and had to check them out. First was the Marquette Maritime Museum where I was disappointed to find that it is closed on Mondays. And it is only open 11am to 4pm when it is open. I knew by this time that the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse was the main draw anyway and it was close by. In fact, several buildings including the keeper’s house and a boathouse were next door too and I think another building was the lifesaving station, left over from Coast Guard service.  

    Finding the steps to the lighthouse chained off and a fence all around it, I followed paths of others trying to get a better view. The steep rocks kept me from climbing them, so I stepped over the chain on the stairs to go up and around and get a great photo. Not a person was ever in sight.

   Several boats were outside, including two Coast Guard boats used in storms, one of which was self-bailing and could not turn over. There was a lifeboat similar to the ones onboard the Edmund Fitgerald which I learned about yesterday at the Shipwreck Museum.

     By this time, I am really in my element and soaking up history. Then I realized that runners, walkers and cyclists are passing by constantly. Marquette has a very long paved trail along the waterfront which can connect to another one in Presque Isle Park, a showcase of Lake Superior scenery, wooded areas and the ability to watch iron ore ships being loaded. Yes, right beside the park is a massive iron ore loading setup where train cars bring the ore and it slides down massive chutes into ships. Train cars are high above the ship.

    Knowing that I had two options meant a decision had to be made by late morning. If I went west for about 120 miles, I would close the bottom loop on Lake Superior to where I had been before. But there was little to see going west. Or I could proceed by starting south toward Green Bay and drive the western Lake Michigan shore down to where I hoped to see a longtime friend. I chose the second option, knowing that I would find something else along the way to see and remembering that from Marquette, I had about 1200 miles to drive home.

    The drive south was wonderful, except where I had to use another gravel road. By midday, the sky was hazy cloudy, and I couldn’t distinguish between the water and the sky. I missed seeing my friend due to his VA appointments, but I did stop in Green Bay for old times sake. I worked there for a winter to train for a new job and found out what harsh winters really are. Over the years, and during the Northwest Tier bike ride that ended in Green Bay, I have discovered a convenience store from that area called Kwik Trip. They always have freshly made pastries and many other things in the store on special. I was looking for my first one and found it on Ashland Street. I loaded up cheese rolls, cookies and a Long John pastry to eat while I was riding. I can get away with this when riding a hundred miles a day on the bike, but not when driving. But what a treat this was! There is a sign on the outside of the store that says something about not staying longer than 30 minutes and all the parking spaces were full!

    I asked GPS for a route home without tolls and got started south toward Milwaukee. Just 20 miles or so later, I saw the sign for another lighthouse in Manitowoc. With no particular agenda, I took a left off the interstate and found another Wisconsin city that I had not previously visited. And what a beautiful city Manitowoc is. Downtown is alive and there is yet another maritime museum there that I didn’t know about. The Wisconsin Maritime Museum has the submarine USS Cobia from WWll. It was too late to visit today, and I needed to keep moving.

    But I did walk 1.35 miles round trip to see the Manitowoc Breakwater Light. It is a beautiful site from a distance and up close. Visitors have taken to hanging locks along the chain link fence. I first saw this done on a chain-link door next to the Mississippi River in New Orleans. I will miss the maritime museum this time as I have to be home by Wednesday night and I still have almost 900 miles to go.

     This was a great day, totally unscripted and better because of it. I am spending the night in Belgium, Wisconsin at what might be the best buy on a motel yet. I will report on that tomorrow. Meanwhile, there is another Kwik Trip right outside the door. I avoided the Chicago rush hour traffic by asking Siri for motels nearby and had a deal just four miles ahead of the exit.

    Hope to see you tomorrow!!

Bad Guys

by   September 10, 2025 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Though David’s only been gone about seven weeks, I’ve started seeing someone. First it was Andy. He’s a nice enough guy. But the fact that he can’t keep his uniform pants outside his zip-up ankle boots really bothers me. Somehow one or the other is always hiked up over his shoes all willy-nilly. So I moved on to Lucas. Lucas McCain otherwise known as The Rifleman. Now the house is not so quiet. And that big ol’ rapid fire rifle makes me feel safe. He’s got the cutest son named Mark. I was curious if the actor playing Mark, Johnny Crawford, had gone on to star in other shows. I got sucked into a rabbit hole on the web and never did find out. I did see that before The Rifleman, Johnny was a Mouseketeer. It saddened me to see that he died in 2021 of Alzheimer’s. Hard to imagine. As I was looking at facts about actors playing different parts on the series, it didn’t take long to figure out that they used some actors in numerous episodes. One guy was simply listed as “reoccurring bad guy.” In one episode he’d be a hobo, then the next he’d return as a bank robber. It’s funny to me how they used to recycle their actors back in the day.

I have a reoccurring bad guy. He visits often. Sometimes he whispers very negative thoughts making me feel terribly inadequate. Other times he shows up as a bump in the night. Mostly he tries to push his agenda that things will never get better because my true love is gone. He makes my heart hurt and my weaknesses look overwhelming. Though he takes on different roles he is still the same old bad guy. I think his real name is Fear. And I don’t love him.

Years ago I was telling our daughter Stephanie about my lack of brain cells as I try to write something worth reading. In fact I may have called myself a doofus. She quietly replied with words I’ll treasure forever. “Mama, I don’t know where those words are coming from. But they are NOT from the Lord.”

Paul wrote to young Timothy good solid words of wisdom. “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7. I know I’ve used that verse several times lately. But it is the Truth that God is reminding me of in my current season. It is also my weapon against my own reoccurring bad guy.

When I feel fearful and hopeless and unlovable and even a good bit crazy, it’s good to know this precious promise of God. What a weapon! Better than a rapid firing rifle with twelve rounds!

A Lifelong Dream

by   September 9, 2025 with No Comments

When should you give up on a dream? When should you keep pursuing it? Steve Hartman tells of a youthful dream that gets fulfilled late in life. It’s worth watching. ENJOY!!!

Pastor Spouse Appreciation Day

by   September 7, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

“Do you ever feel lonely?” “Are you wiped out after connecting with people each week?” “Do you have to wear a mask? Do you get to be your authentic self?” “What do you do for the church?” These are some of the questions I’ve received in my role as a pastor/church-planter’s wife. I had many of the same questions (that I never asked) growing up in church and serving in different churches over time. 

Many know about Pastor Appreciation Month in October, and often that extends to his whole family. But I never really knew about a National Pastor’s Spouse Appreciation Day (it just so happens to be this first Sunday of September) or the whole month with them in mind (in March) until the last couple of years. 

These wives are pretty special, and I’m humbled and honored to serve in this way as well. I cannot speak for all of them. Just as each pastor is unique, so are their wives. There’s not one personality or qualification that is cookie-cutter. Here are some ways we may differ and other things we have in common:

She may have dreamed all her life of being a wife to one in ministry. 

She may have never imagined that she could or would be the wife of one in ministry. 

If her husband takes the pastorate of an established congregation, she may be welcome to serve in a way she feels called. Or she may be serving a congregation that presumes that she is a second, unpaid employee who will also fulfill various roles, such as leading a group or ministry or playing the organ. My husband has said he never married a pastor’s wife. That was not and is not my identity. He also never has had a specific expectation of my role in serving the church, which frees me to serve in the only way that is unique to me alone – to provide solace for our family. That benefits our entire church community.

She may be extroverted and thrive on social interactions, and be able to talk to anyone, but is working on the sanctification process of not being a people-pleaser. She may be introverted and able to go deep in spiritual and emotional discussions, but is working through her own sanctification process of being comfortable around large groups or initiating small talk. 

She is often at her best when she is discerning, able to listen to others and give counsel, flexible in her schedule due to demands of ministry, but also able to be a gatekeeper appropriately when needed, and embracing of hospitality.

She is human. 

She has her own struggles, obstacles, temptations, needs, and process of sanctification. She may feel lonely at times as she sees the distance brought by others who view her as more than something she is. She may trust in God but struggle to trust her cares and concerns to others. Her circle of acquaintances may be broad, but of friends, small. You likely think more of her than she deserves. You likely think less of her than she deserves. And I’ve been guilty of both.

The pastor’s wife you are thinking about may be many of these things or very different. The one common thing – these sisters all need prayers and encouragement from loving members of the congregation. And that you can do any day or month of the year.

Ashlie Miller is wife to Pastor Chad Miller of Mission Bible Church in the University City area. You may email her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

A Breath of Fresh Air

by   September 6, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

A Breath of Fresh Air

            When I went off to college in the Shenandoah Valley many years ago, my parents helped me move in. They stayed overnight, and one thing we all noticed was the temperature really dropped that night and the next morning was quite cool. I remember putting on some jeans. It was August and I wanted a pair of jeans. That didn’t happen on the coast where I grew up. There were some warm nights later on, but that particular morning was cool, much like we are experiencing right now.

            I am used to the dog days of August that are unbearably hot and humid. The end of this August and the first week of September are a welcome change. I have been enjoying eating my lunch and reading on the front porch. I know this is not the perfect weather for those going to the beach, but for those of us who are home, it’s wonderful!

            I spent Labor Day weekend catching up on some sleep and working on some chores. I pulled several wheelbarrows full of weeds. I was able to mulch some garden beds and they look great. The plans for a fall harvest were messed up. The beans and peas were looking great until the deer wiped out everything in one night. I replanted, but am not confident I will get a harvest due to the late date.

            While I am really enjoying the cool days, I am not fond of the thought that fall is on the way. I have noticed that the days are getting shorter. I worked outside until after eight and it was quite dim before I got inside. I have also noticed that I am getting up in the dark. While the cooler weather is welcome, I am not quite ready for the full onset of fall.

            There are a number of fall chores that I want to get done this year. For example, my raspberry bed needs to be cleaned out, fresh soil brought in, and new plants put out. I love my raspberries and have missed them the last couple of years.

While I need to pull weeds in the natural, there are some things that probably need attention in my spiritual life, too. Have you ever spent more time thinking than praying during your quiet time? Have you ever been worried about a conversation that needed to take place and practiced it instead of praying about it? Have you ever sat down to read some scripture and you read it but your mind was far away thinking about something else? Have you ever missed quiet time with God?

            I went for a walk the other day and I was part way through my walk before I realized He was walking with me. I have been so distracted by all that has been going on in my life that I haven’t noticed that He’s been with me. One thing I have noticed is that my heart and mind have been encased with His peace. For that I must thank all those who have been keeping me and my family in your prayers, because it is unusual for me to be walking in this kind of peace.

            I look around my spiritual garden and see it needs attention. I feel this abundant grace that God understands and He is filled with compassion and love. He has sent friends who will share their stories and listen patiently to mine. Friends have stood with me and held me up. Spiritually I feel that I have been granted a breath of fresh air. A moment to rest. A moment to catch my breath. A moment to realize that life has changed and it will be okay. A moment to receive from others when I would much prefer to be the giver. A moment to see a new and different future. A moment to see God in a new way and know we are going on a new journey.

            If you feel life has been moving too fast or you have been overwhelmed by some circumstances, then I want to encourage you to stop and take a deep breath. Pull out of the fast lane and breath. Sometimes we need perspective and to know that God is not in a hurry. He is there and been there all the time. He is waiting for you to take your eyes off the craziness of your life and to put them on Him. He knows the way. He is the peace you need. He provides the joy that will ease your tension. It requires you to slow down, breath, and turn your eyes upon Him. It’s like…a breath of fresh air. 

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

Constant Strengthening

by   September 5, 2025 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

  • It’s by grace that we are saved and by grace that He sanctifies us and keeps us.
  • We always have this good hope and encouragement in our hearts because of who He is. 
  • We are strengthened with words (which are important) and the things we do because His name is glorified through it.

Prayer:  Lord I do want to be strengthened in good deeds and words by Your Holy Spirit I lean on You for that and all the good hope and all the grace that You give.  I look to it today and I praise Your name for it.  I receive it Lord and I will not let the enemy steal from me my joy and confidence in You.  Amen.

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

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