Thanks Part I

by   November 18, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            I am not a very big fan of Halloween and am glad when the decorations people put out have been taken down for another year. When I went out to pick up dinner on the first Friday of November I noticed that some people were putting up their Christmas trees. I couldn’t believe it. I knew stores were going to push Christmas but I thought people would hold off until around Thanksgiving.

            When I was a small child, Santa set up our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. As I grew older, we started setting the tree up about a week before Christmas. I typically decorate the outside of our house during the Thanksgiving break and still hold off on the inside until the first week of December.

            This push that marketing gives us often causes us to glaze over a very important holiday, Thanksgiving. It’s not important because we get to enjoy some great food, although I do enjoy the traditional treats on the table. It’s important because it’s a time to reflect on the many blessings in our lives. Life can sometimes get crazy and distracting. We have to consciously stop and reflect on the good things in our lives.

            Thanksgiving, if we would give it the space in our lives that it deserves, is a great opportunity to help us refocus on all the good things in our lives. I enjoy walking on a regular basis. Sometimes when I leave the house I feel like a gray cloud is hanging over me. If I will turn my heart towards thanking the Lord for His many blessings in my life, then by the time I get home the gray cloud has vanished. Thanksgiving changes our thought patterns and improves our outlook and mood.

            If you feel that there is little in your life that gives you a thankful heart then let me help you consider a few basic things. Consider your health. Maybe it’s not perfect, but there are many things in your body that are probably working very well. I hope you can still walk, use your hands, think, talk, and enjoy a tasty good Thanksgiving meal. All of us have probably had some health issues this year, but if we are in pretty good health then we have a reason for giving thanks.

            Have you considered your family and friends? We are blessed to have good siblings on both sides of our family. We enjoy spending time with our many nieces and nephews. Many of them have started families and made me into a great uncle. I consider myself lucky to have some great friends. My friends have stood beside me through my trials and I have been there for theirs. I am so blessed to have some great friends.

            Have you ever walked through your home and considered the many ways God has blessed you? He has provided for all your needs. We can all look and see things that need replacing, but if we stop and think about it, God has truly blessed us. There are so many people around the world in such desperate need and we have been given so much.

            I thank God that I am living in America. I thank God that I am not living in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, or Palestine. I don’t have to worry about bombs dropping on my house or the military destroying my peace and safety. Most of us live in neighborhoods that are safe and we have good neighbors. I am thankful for mine.

            I am thankful for my church family. We are a close-knit group. We are there to celebrate each other’s victories and to console each other when we experience losses. We are there to pick each other up and to help each other through the trials and challenges of life. I smile every time I think of my church family and how blessed we are to have each other.

            I find myself at the end of my column and there is so much more I want to share with you. I am considering a part two for next week. In the meantime, I want to encourage you to spend some time this week reflecting on the many blessings of God in your life. I have only touched on a few today. We have a God in heaven who loves us, watches over us, cares for us, meets our needs, and has blessed us in more ways than we can count. Take some time to give Him thanks. I promise it will change your perspective on your situation and your life. Happy Thanksgiving!

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

Morning Rides

by   November 17, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

On most mornings I ride my stationary handcycle for thirty minutes. The bike is placed in a corner of our driveway and close to our residential road. The scene of the neighborhood is great, and I can see all the houses that friends have turned into homes. The view of golden poplars,  unmurdered crepe myrtles, and  maple trees full in their multiple shades of red is one that I have learned to expect and appreciate. All of this as a precursor of the looming cold front blew softly through the tall pines, telling of the change to come. Yet, for me, this lovely scene is not the most interesting or important part of my morning rides.

In 1883 Life on the Mississippi was published and available by subscription. The book is part fiction but mostly memoir by Mark Twain. It is, to a degree, a biography of that great river and the people who live on it or near it. I have come to see our little road as a river. Not one like the mighty Mississippi, but a river that each morning offers new experiences and exposures: To people moving up and down our little road much like the steamboats of Mark Twain. And like a person on the Mississippi River in the mid-19th century, I have come to enjoy the approach of each steamboat, but in my case it is not a large paddle-wheeler, but a cyclist, walker, jogger, or neighbor driving to work or on an early morning errand. The drivers pass swiftly with a mere wave or horn honk from their shell. The cyclist pass as well, but some can be heard as they shout “Morning!” But it’s the walkers or joggers who offer the  most because they move slower and are more prone to be enticed to slow or even stop for a chat. Over the years of riding near the road, I have enjoyed these opportunities to talk with travelers on our residential road. Some of them are well-known neighbors who often stop to share news of their lives; some are vacationers who talk of their pleasant visit to Lake Norman; and some are the regulars who I often see and who sometimes stop and visit for a while. No matter: Each is an opportunity to connect with another human being; Each is an opportunity to hear of events in a life separate from mine; Each is an opportunity to learn; Each is an opportunity.

I am reading Revelations on the River (Healing a Nation, Healing Ourselves) by Matthew Dowd. In his chapter titled Fears and Trauma he writes, “The greatest impediment to true, full love-…are our fears and trauma that we have accumulated throughout our life. It is these fears and trauma, whether profoundly real or perceived, that create scars and, as a consequence, walls within us that can prevent our hearts, minds, and souls from unifying in such a way that allows us to go outward from a place of love.”

Now, I do not profess to being a great healer or writer or Matthew Dowd. Yet, I do think that by merely acknowledging a person passing along on our little road, I make a type of connection and by that validate their humanity. Besides, I enjoy getting to know them, the name of their dog, their family plans for Thanksgiving, all of it matters and if we all do enough of “hailing the steamboat” to come ashore then we just may remove some of the walls that divide us.

Salisbury is the Last County Seat

by   November 16, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

I began this long journey in March, expecting to take a year to visit all 100 county seats within the next year. All along, I expected to finish in Salisbury. On Monday, I did. I treated the visit like all the others. I checked Wikipedia ahead for things I didn’t know and what to see. At some point, before or after, I checked the town websites and other sources for historical information. Here is a summary of my visit.

Rowan Court House, by permission of the Colonial Assembly, became Rowan County’s seat in 1753 when the county extended to the Mississippi River. Rowan was originally formed from Anson County and eventually spawned 26 other counties. The name Salisbury became official in 1755 and is the longest continuously populated colonial town in western North Carolina. The original purpose of the county seat was to provide the courthouse and a jail. On the earliest 40 acres granted for the purpose, public buildings were erected near the intersection of the Great Wagon Road, a trade road from Pennsylvania to Georgia, and the Trading Path from eastern Virginia. The first post office was created in 1792 and one has been in continuous service since. The town layout was based on the city of Philadelphia.

Cotton was the main commodity crop as entrepreneurs developed many textile mills in the area. Salisbury played parts in the American Revolution and the Civil War. Salisbury was twice occupied by British troops during the Revolutionary War. Civil War Salisbury was most notable for the housing of Union prisoners in an overcrowded former yarn mill and General George Stoneman’s raid which passed through Salisbury in April 1865. Stoneman destroyed warehouses that stored ammunition, clothing, food and more meant for the Confederate armies. He also wanted to free the prisoners, but they had already been transported to other towns.

The North Carolina Railroad came to town in 1855, and by 1900 train traffic was at an all-time high. Electric lights and telephones were common and street cars followed in 1906.

Numerous houses were built by wealthy planters and merchants in the 19th century, providing the beginning of 10 historic districts with approximately 1,200 recognized homes and other buildings today. I took the walking tour of Salisbury obtained at the Rowan County Visitor Center. My photos are included.

I started the big county seat challenge on March 7 with the closest towns. I wanted to develop a plan and keep the same format with each county seat. I did that all the way through, although some of the smaller towns had very little to see. Usually, I knew ahead a few basic things about the town. Siri almost always took me to the courthouse area, which was a wonderful starting point. I was mesmerized by most of the historic courthouses. Most of the time, the courthouse was in or near the center of the most interesting part of the town.

My Garmin running watch and my iPad, the same one that does photos for my bike trips, along with a pen, notepad and running shoes were the only requirements. Usually, I bought something special to eat in the town, and some of those places are quite memorable. The Strong Arm Bakery in Oxford was one of those, with my first ever whoopie pie. The Goody Shop Café in Albemarle, 104 years old, was another winner.

I ran or walked at least one and a half miles in each town while taking photos and making notes. Some towns were more runnable or walkable than others.

Visits to the big cities like Charlotte, Durham and Raleigh came on the weekends. First county seats were visited on day trips, but gradually two and three-night excursions became the norm. Gas prices locally are some of the highest on average in the state, so I took my available days and planned a round trip through more county seats. The best singular trip included most of the Inner and Outer banks. I received one parking ticket, in Fayetteville.

Certain themes were common. Stoneman’s Raid, Civil War history, the Daniel Boone Trail, the Tobacco Baseball League, murals. I found the visitor center if there was one. And if it was open. A well-stocked visitor center with enthusiastic workers was a real plus. The best were Morganton and Sanford. Historic homes and buildings that were uniformly labeled with construction date and name of original owner showed a coordinated effort to highlight the town’s history. Warrenton, Hertford, Edenton and Beaufort were the best at this. I asked in stores of all kinds and of people on the sidewalk about what to see. Bakeries surprisingly pointed me in the right direction.

I chose a top 10 of all county seats based on my own rating of history, presentation, walkability, friendliness, amenities, storefronts in use, kiosks and signs for directions. In no particular order, here they are.

• Sanford — activity everywhere as it pushes to be a destination point. Amazing visitor center.

• Warrenton — like stepping back to 1850. Ninety percent of the town on the historic register.

• Wilmington — the riverfront and plenty to see that would fill a weekend or more.

• Washington — loaded with history at every turn and a beautiful waterfront.

• Edenton — the most spectacular waterfront, and plenty of history.

• Murphy — the farthest western town that is small but very busy, including every Thursday festivals.

• Wilson — the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, the best attraction in N.C., and super friendly.

• Beaufort — a walk down any street is memorable. Best waterfront area homes.

• Oxford — a real effort to make visitors happy, like offering free bikes to ride around the town at the Strong Arm Bakery.

• Goldsboro — sidewalk and downtown streets redone to make the town more attractive. A massive effort to use all available storefronts.

Honorable mention — Newton, Bryson City, Hertford, Fayetteville, Shelby, Gastonia, Wilkesboro, Statesville, Salisbury, Gastonia, Bakersville.

With this challenge complete, I want to say that I became addicted to the fun of finding out more. As one reader said, “You have inspired us to take day trips!” Go see North Carolina and the county seats are a great place to start!

Thanks again for joining me.

Promise

by   November 15, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

  • A promise is of something to come yet, and we cling to those promises.  
  • There is one person who does not break a promise – and that is for sure the Lord.
  • God is not only faithful, but He is a promise keeper.

Prayer:  Thank You Almighty God that You are a promise keeper regardless of our unfaithfulness at times, You remain faithful and You keep Your promises.  I cling to them Lord and I remind myself of Your promises every day.  Amen.


Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Buttered Cats

by   November 14, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

David opened the can and put it on the seat between us. His reward for going grocery shopping was a tiny splurge on cashews. We headed home when suddenly a little dog ran out into the road. David hit the brakes and screeched to a stop. Someone’s pet was spared that day, but the cashews slid forward and dumped head first, scattering across the floorboard. He looked at me and said, “Next time the dog dies.”


It’s like dropping toast. It will always land butter side down. I heard that if one were to strap buttered bread to the back of a cat they would spin indefinitely because cats always land on their feet. Could this perhaps be a source of alternative energy?
Why not? Who would’ve thought we’d use left-over French fry oil for fuel? Maybe someone should try buttered cats.
My apologies to animal lovers everywhere. I’ve just confessed that my husband loves cashews more than dogs and I would butter a cat to propel an engine if it would save me a buck.


Sorry.


Have you noticed when watching a movie like Quigley Down Under [which is one of my favorites] that the disclaimer at the end says “No animals were harmed in the making of this movie.” Never mind the poor guy being dragged behind the horse… or the Aborigines being pushed off the cliff. Just so you know the horse is okay.


I may sound mean and uncaring about animals, but I’ve been known to set a dish of milk out for a stray kitty meowing at my back door.


I wonder if she’d like a piece of buttered toast to go with that.

Criticism Hurts

by   November 13, 2023 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Clearly, it was not said to encourage. The young student looked at me and asked this question, “Why are you so fat?” I was pregnant at the time, so I had an excuse. Not that I needed one.

A sixth-grade boy was speaking to a sixth-grade girl: “Why are you wearing that ugly bow in your hair?” Negative attention had been brought to something the young girl had considered to be beautiful, but no amount of compliments would be enough to reel her in from the embarrassment and hurt she felt from that one comment. A bow carefully placed in her hair that morning may have felt beautiful, but one negative remark took that feeling away.

Negative comments. The damage can be irreversible. The child or adult can back away, try to blend in, laugh it off or use any conceivable method of dealing with it, but the truth is criticism hurts. Sometimes it hurts forever.

I have seen children not want to go to school or not want to go home because of it.

I have seen teenagers not want to go to church because of it.

I have seen adults become so offended that they shut down because of it.

Do our negative thoughts always have to be said aloud? Can we not just keep them in our minds and not let them slip out of our mouths?

The word criticism is defined as expressing disapproval or speaking negatively about someone or something. More simply stated, criticism is saying something bad about someone or something.

Without the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be masters of negativity and criticism.

A child was sitting alongside her father during a teacher conference. The parent saw one grade on the report card he did not like, and yelled at his daughter, “What’s wrong with you?”

She and I looked at each other, and as I saw tears forming in her eyes, I think she saw the grief forming in mine.

What a waste of a parenting opportunity to show love and support to their child.

It was all I could do to hold in these words to the parent, “What’s wrong with you?”

James 4:11 says, “Do not speak evil against one another.”

Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Lord.”

There are times when difficult conversations must take place, but with God’s Word to guide us, even those conversations can be held without criticism and with words spoken in love.

Most of the time, hurtful words could have — and should have — been left unsaid.

One year, as my fourth-grade students were preparing for the state writing test, we took a list of words we did not need to use repetitively to the playground, where we buried them. The next school year, a new school building had been built on top of our list, so I suppose those words are buried forever.

Maybe we should bury all those critical words we tend to use?

Maybe we should bury them in such a deep place that they are no longer accessible?

Maybe we can find better words to use instead?

Lord, may our words and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight. Amen

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

Counting Blessings Instead of Sheep

by   November 12, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

“It feels like 11 p.m., and it’s only 6 p.m.!” Several nights this week, children have found me wrapped in a blanket (with the a/c on because it is unseasonably warm, even for NC) and snuggled in my bed, anticipating bedtime. Yes, standard time can hit us hard. Falling asleep is not always the problem; waking at 5:00 a.m. is the conundrum – ask any young mom of toddlers and infants. I have more difficulty shutting off my brain to fall asleep as I age, so I occasionally pop a natural sleep aid like melatonin. On other late nights, I wake up with a random thought like – “What was the next line to the song I learned in 2nd grade?” – which prevents the completeness of a good REM cycle. Unfortunately, when that hits at 3 a.m., it is not a good time for a melatonin rescue.

These are times when remembering things I am grateful for can be helpful. For those who are already deep in their Christmas movie watching, a song from “White Christmas” comes to mind:

“When I’m worried, and I can’t sleep

I count my blessings instead of sheep

And I fall asleep counting my blessings

When my bankroll is getting small

I think of when I had none at all

And I fall asleep counting my blessings.”

What does the Bible say about how to rest and have peace?

Psalm 116:7 – “Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”

Proverbs 17:22 – “A joyful heart is good medicine.”

Proverbs 15:13 – “A glad heart makes a cheerful face.”

Recalling God’s bounty with praise and contentment brings gladness and rest!

Isn’t it something that our Creator enabled us to have a memory? Why is that? While some may say it is a natural instinct developed for survival with disregard to a Higher Being engaged with our life, why do we remember more than places to find provision? Why do we feel grateful to someone for things and experiences? Why do we express (or at least SHOULD express) thankfulness? Food for thought.

I can thank my Father for giving me a mind to remember. I can then be grateful for a heart that wants to express thanks rather than having a sense of deserved entitlement. Next, I can regularly utter thankfulness audibly as outward praise and inwardly as that never-ceasing prayer – because prayer is not always an ask but also a language of thanks.

Is your heart troubled this season? Does it struggle to find rest? Foster a spirit of gratitude through prayer and praise. May you fall asleep counting your blessings!

Ashlie Miller is thankful for so much in her journey of life with her husband Chad and their five children in Concord, NC.

It Requires Faith

by   November 11, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

It Requires Faith

            Some people say that having faith is easy or it’s a crutch for the weak. They don’t understand what is required if you want to be a follower of Jesus. It requires surrendering your will for God’s will. I have never met a person who found it easy to give up his or her own will to be obedient to God’s. In my experience, I have found that God requires me to have faith, to believe and trust in Him for everything.

            Faith in God is built on having a relationship with Him. Relationships require communication to be successful. I have to believe that God listens to my prayers and acts upon them. He’s not like Santa Claus granting things on my wish list. But I do believe that because I have a relationship with Him, my prayers carry weight in heaven. If we don’t believe that, then why do we pray?

            This is why I firmly believe that prayer changes circumstances. When the people of God pray it can change the outcome of specific events. No, I do not believe prayer will help one sports team win over another, but I do believe that God will step in because people have prayed for His intervention. I hope this encourages you to pray as you consider your influence through prayer in the circumstances of your life.

            I have been reading in the Old Testament lately and I have read story after story where God put the people of Israel in impossible situations. They might be outnumbered in battle. They might be out of food or water. They might be broke. Time and time again the people were in trouble and hanging on by a thread. That’s when God would intervene. He would wait until the circumstances looked dire and then He would move, proving His love and faithfulness.

            I think God works this way so we can build our faith and trust in Him. He wants us to know that He is watching out for us and that He cares about us. He wants us to know that He will meet our needs. He allows the dark clouds to build and the winds to blow so we will turn our hearts toward Him. He will demonstrate His love and faithfulness to us. He will protect us and be with us through our circumstances.

            My pastor recently shared a story of a time when God allowed his family to be in a very tight place financially. God was testing them to see if they would trust Him. They did, and God came through for them in a big way. It reminded me of my own financial tight spot at the beginning of this year. I couldn’t imagine how it would work out, but God came through for us in a big way too. He is always faithful if we will trust Him.

After reflecting on these stories, I think it would be a good idea to keep a journal of the many ways God comes through for us. Maybe He has healed you. Maybe He has restored a broken relationship. Maybe He has done a miracle in your finances, too. These stories create testimonies of God’s faithfulness. We could read them when we are faced with new challenges and remind ourselves how He came through in the past for us. It would build our faith and trust in Him for our current situations.

            I believe God allows challenging situations to come our way because He wants to prove Himself to us over and over again. If we never faced any difficult situations, why would we need God? Challenging situations require us to stir up our faith. In the Psalms you can see David is facing unbeatable odds, but then he reminds himself of God’s faithfulness. It’s important to remember God’s faithfulness so we can trust Him in our current troubles. He promises to see us through. There is no situation that is bigger than God. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus he sank into the waves. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and trust Him.

            I want to encourage you to stir your faith in God and to trust Him with everything. The Bible says it is impossible to please God without faith. God wants to see our faith and He wants to see our faith grow. Remember that God has been faithful in the past and you can trust Him with today’s troubles and with the future. No matter how difficult your circumstances might look at this moment, don’t forget there is nothing impossible with God.

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

1 … 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 … 174