Close to Home

by   May 25, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

It has been an early goal to tally most of the counties that I could visit on a same day trip. Very few of those remain, but I did get three more on the weekend of May 6-7.

My first visit was Statesville, one that I knew would be enjoyable. The legislature decided to divide Rowan County in 1788 and Statesville was established as the county seat of Iredell in 1789. Iredell was named for James Iredell, a justice in the first Supreme Court. Statesville was a North Carolina leader in production of tobacco and tobacco products, plus blended whiskey.

The old Iredell County courthouse in Statesville was built in 1899 and is undergoing a major outside renovation with scaffolding all around. An earlier courthouse and post office, later used as city hall was across the street, having been built in 1891. One other building has always been my favorite in Statesville, the Mitchell College main building, built from 1854-1856. Other beautiful buildings highlight the campus which sits at the top of the highest hill in Statesville.

While there, I noticed carriage rides were being given in town and found them originating at the Colonel Silas Sharpe Alexander house, built between 1860 and 1865. A large sit-down party was being held in the backyard, with everything decorated to celebrate the coronation of King Charles. The front of the house, one of the oldest in town, was decorated too. Sharpe was sworn in as the first mayor of Statesville in 1867.

Historic Broad and Center streets were busy on a Saturday afternoon. A charity motorcycle ride was being hosted in downtown with live music ongoing for the riders who appeared to be mostly combat veterans. Along with the usual restaurants and bars in the area were a lot of outdoor provision suppliers. I stopped in at Andrea’s Ice Cream and Sweet Shop to see what was available. Andrea had been in town for nine of the business’s 10 years. She told me that business was good, partly crediting the downtown social district, and that they were about to get busy from 5 till closing at 9 p.m. I got wonderful pumpkin ice cream and a tasty store-made bagel.

Speaking of bagels, I next headed to Charlotte, Mecklenburg’s county seat. Employed here for 12 years, I didn’t spend much time downtown and dreaded the heavy traffic. On Sunday, May 7, I followed Siri’s directions that always leave me close to the county courthouse. This time, I was deposited in the middle of the government area, with the old and new courthouses nearby.

Charlotte is the 16th most populated U.S. city and third fastest growing city, and the second largest banking and financial center. It is also considered the center of the nation’s motorsports industry and that of professional wrestling. Mecklenburg County evolved from changes made to five other counties as the population headed west. Incorporated in 1768, the city was first called Charlottesburgh and Charlottetown on some maps. The Great Wagon Road became Tryon Street as it passed through Charlotte.

Many veins of gold were found in the area and Mecklenburg was the nation’s top producer in the early 1800s, leading to the construction of the Charlotte Mint. Other sources of income revolved around the railroad and cotton production. Charlotte has been the most populous N.C. city since 1930. The state’s largest running event, the Turkey Trot 5K and 8K, happens on Thanksgiving Day.

Among the many famous Charlotteans are Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, early cowboy actor Randolph Scott and performer and songwriter Maurice Williams of the Zodiacs, famous for “Stay.”

I ran and walked around the relatively quiet downtown area, still in awe of the skyscrapers and many new condo and apartment buildings under construction in the area. I saw the Spectrum Center and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, then visited Einstein Bagels before leaving town. At least 20 people were waiting up to 20 minutes for their orders, but the cashier grabbed mine on the spot.

A quick 30-minute ride on Freedom Drive and I-85 took me to Gastonia, county seat of Gaston County. Gastonia was incorporated in 1877, the year that Civil War reconstruction ended. The crossing of two railroads and the beginning of the city’s textile industry brought opportunities for employment and social life. The initial population of the town was approximately 200 people, all located within one square mile.

I found the 1901 Gaston County Courthouse right away, now home to many government and community entities. Two other areas stood out as I toured the town. The Gastonia Honey Hunters baseball park, very much state of the art, seems a center of the downtown social life. The 1901 Loray Textile Mill building has been renovated and hosts multiple businesses and lofts.

Additionally, the 1922 Gastonia High School has been renovated with 74 upscale apartment homes. On the national register of historic places, the school opened with a pipe organ and indoor swimming pool. The original early 1920s Gaston Hospital has also been repurposed as 75 apartments.

A fun and artsy downtown is interesting and had live music early on a Sunday afternoon, even with a baseball game being played nearby. Gastonia is another town worth visiting.

I’m now at 37 county seats visited, while 63 remain. I had 4.71 miles running/walking in the three visits. I can’t wait to see more of our state!

Obedience

by   May 24, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

  • Obeying and doing what God says in itself purifies and sanctifies our heart.
  • Being sincere in love can only come from a dedicated heart to the Lord who Himself is love.
  • We ought to love one another – our family of God – deeply and from the heart.  It is essential and evidence of God’s presence in our lives.

Prayer:  Lord I look at the times that I often don’t always sense or feel that love then I realize that I am not always fulfilling my relationship enough with You or dwelling in Your presence.  Lord I pray that You fill me with Your love that I will genuinely love people without any effort.  I need more of You Lord and more of Your love.  Help me because I am weak while You are so strong.  I do want to be all that You ask me to do and even love the unloveable.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

The Fearless

by   May 23, 2023 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

Mother’s Day was campaigned for as a United States holiday by Anna Jarvis, who had no children, but believed that your mother is the one person who “has done more for you than anyone in the the world.” It is now the biggest day of the year for flowers and cards, and is the third biggest day for church attendance.

The holiday has expanded to recognize all women — mothers, non-mothers, the grands, the steps, the in-laws, the out-laws…

Let’s face it — women are amazing! Working mothers labor approximately 98 hours a week — 14 hours a day. (No, that’s not an exaggeration.)

We are invincible! We are strong! We are woman, hear us roar in numbers too big to ignore! We are fearless!

Well, maybe not.

I find Linda Wooten’s quote to be on point, “Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.”

The truth is we often face fear, especially where our family is concerned. Being fearful is not confined to the weak.

It can happen to all of us, at any time and in any circumstance.

A short list of some of a mother’s greatest fears:

• My baby sleeps alone the first time

• My child will get sick or be injured

• My child’s first time driving alone

• My child leaves home

• My child won’t be successful

• My child will make poor decisions

Yes, the list of fears is ongoing.

The book of Joshua tells how fear kept the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for 39 years. If we aren’t careful, we will do the same thing.

What can we do when we face fear? We need to fight it. If we fail to fight it, fear tends to hang around.

God’s Word is where to start — and finish — the battle.

Romans 8:15 says we are not slaves to fear, but we are children of God.

If we take hold of that and compare our love for our children to how much greater God’s love is for us as His child, we may begin to understand how protected we actually are.

Still not convinced?

Then try Isaiah 41:10 where we read this command: fear not!

So, let’s stop being a “No fear, Mom” where we have to convince ourselves that we don’t have to live in fear. Yes, the comma is used as a pause, because we are always having to give ourselves a talking to, “I won’t live in fear. I won’t live in fear. I won’t live in fear…

No fear, Mom. No fear, Mom. No fear, Mom…”

Instead, let’s become a true no fear mom!

No comma, no pause, nowhere to stop.

We do not have to be in bondage to fear. Give it up, walk and live in victory — every day.

Yes, there is a lot of labor involved in mothering, so join me in accepting delivery from fear right now. Let me know how your new fearless life goes.

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

Time Matters

by   May 22, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Can I take the time to tell you about my mom? Her name was Claudia. She was strong and very smart. She was meticulous with cleanliness, details, efficient with the day to day. She loved her family. Like me, she had three daughters and three sons by marriage, and one love from the time they were very young & newlywed. Beautiful white wavy hair. Great smile. She worked at Happy Day Care in Landis, NC for around 30 years. I think she potty trained the bulk of Rowan County. I didn’t have all the time I wanted with her.

As I mentioned on day twelve, we lost her to a horrible disease. Technically called Crutchfield-Jacob’s it is actually Mad Cow disease. Yes. Here in the US. She never travelled farther than the beaches of North and South Carolina. It is so ironic how she died. She was very careful with hers and daddy’s health. They walked 3 miles every morning and many evenings as well. We grew up on vegetables, fresh or frozen from a huge garden. Meat was for Sundays and holidays. They seldom ate out. She washed bananas before peeling in case there would be a lurking germ. Who does that? She would work cross word puzzles with an ink pen. No need to erase. I’d look at those words and think, “Woman, you are from China Grove. How do you even know what that means?” She was the youngest seventy two I have ever met. So energetic and strong, she could work circles around me. But her time here was up. God took her. She experienced at that point the ultimate healing, and for the very first time, the truest, sweetest love of a Father.

Time. We do not know how long we have to complete this mission of ours to reach all we can for Christ. But every day is valuable because it involves eternal souls who do not hear about the One Who loves them. Every day someone gives up. Every day someone loses their life to tragedy. Just today, one of my favorite radio hosts died unexpectedly. Darren, of the morning show on WBFJ brought encouragement into our home daily. And the front page of the Post has a smiling picture of a handsome young man only 20 years old, who was tragically killed on the job. His little family, wife and 1 year old daughter, had just moved here. Had anyone invited them to church? Is anyone there to take them a meal or love them through this horrible time? I still grieve the loss of my mom and I had nearly 50 years with her. People need us. Time is of the essence. Every moment matters. “Only a minute, but eternity is in it.”

Nehemiah’s project was completed in record breaking time. 52 days! Unbelievable! Pray for God’s timing. Pray for a smooth completion of all projects. Pray for the world to look on and be amazed at what God is doing on our behalf. Let them look at us as in Neh. 6:16- “They realized that this work had been done with the help of our God!” Your prayers will make a difference.

More: Ephesians 5:15-17 Colossians 4:5 Nehemiah 6:15-16 Ps 90:12

Gardening & Mom

by   May 20, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            It’s been a busy spring but I finally got things going in my vegetable garden. I needed to amend the soil and work on my fences around the garden. One fence was working well against the deer but needed to be lowered to help keep the rabbits out. The other fence was a plastic mesh that the rabbits were making holes in to access the food I planted for them. I replaced that fence with a metal one in hopes of keeping those pesky rabbits out.

            A number of years back I switched to raised beds for the vegetables. My beds were getting depleted of soil. I wanted to get a dump truck of soil but it didn’t work out for this year. I got a variety of soil additives which I mixed into the beds. I have most of my garden in with a few exceptions. I feel hopeful and upbeat about the chances of a good harvest.

            My love for gardening was birthed many years ago. My mother has always enjoyed making things grow and she shared her passion with me. She taught me to work the soil, to plant the seeds or transplants, and to water the garden. I know she tried to instill in me the importance of weeding, but that particular aspect of gardening didn’t take hold.

            Mom has always been a champion of neglected plants. She loves to nurture them and revive them to their former glory. My mom loves to see things grow and she loves a variety of different plants all growing together. She sometimes forgets the names of her flowers but never fails to make them grow and bloom.

            Wherever my mother lives she makes things grow in her flowerbeds. Mom loves to get things growing in the front of her house and the backyard, too. She doesn’t limit herself to growing plants in the ground. She has plenty of things growing in pots, as well. She is also willing to share if you see something you like. Just point at something and say you like it and the next time you come around she will have a baby started in a pot for you.

            Mom isn’t limited to growing flowers. She loves vegetable gardening, too. She often wants to compete with me and see if she can get things going sooner. She almost always beats me in getting the first tomato or squash. I do remind her that she has more time to get things going since I still work, but she doesn’t allow that to stop her from teasing me.

            When it comes to sharing, my mom doesn’t stop at flowers and vegetables. My Mom is quick to share her faith with you. Mom has always had a strong belief in God and has allowed that to infect every area of her life. Mom taught me how to draw closer to the Creator while I was working out in the yard. I have learned to expand that to include anytime I find myself outside, including gardening, walking, sitting on the porch, and especially, walking the beach.

            We all need to take a page out of Mom’s book and learn how to pass along our faith. I know it isn’t as easy as passing along a flower or plant, but it doesn’t have to be a daunting task. When we allow faith to infect every area of our lives and we invite God to join us in our daily lives it becomes easier to share Him with others.

            Sometimes what we share might be an encouraging word to a brother or sister in Christ. God has given each of us the ability to lift each other up when life gets us down. Other times God will open the door for us to share the reason we live with hope. People who do not know God or His goodness look at how dark the world feels and wonder about the source of our positive outlook on life. They need to hear our story, our reason for hope in darkness. They need us to share Jesus.

            I want to encourage you to share your faith with others in your life. Whether it is an encouraging word or your favorite scripture, those words will offer life and hope to those in need. God chooses to use people like you and me, people who are broken and don’t have it all figured out, to bring light and hope to those who are lost. When you step out and share you are helping other people grow their gardens of faith, their flowers of hope.  

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

Rest

by   May 19, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

            This morning, the last one of November 2013 was extremely cold when I took the hound out for his morning ramble. The sun’s rays had not yet cleared Short Mountain, but they gave the few hovering clouds a warm, pink hue. However, that was the only warmth we had, so the trip was quickly finished when the necessary duties were accomplished. Yes, I thought as we passed the new garden just planted in the fall, earth is in her winter mode, at rest. Her seasonal nap was evidenced by the heavy frost on dead grass, the browned, bent stems of the mums, the limp hostas, and the frozen water in the small bird bowl. It was so cold that not even crows or blue jays had emerged for the day.

            The Ancient Greeks explained this change in weather by the myth of Persephone who was kidnapped and made to wed Hades. Her mother, Demeter, was furious and demanded her fair daughter’s return to earth. But because Persephone had eaten some seeds in the underworld, she could not live all the time on earth. Thus, when she came to earth her arrival was marked by new growth of plants in the spring, but when she returned to spend time with her husband, the earth’s plants turned the brown and lifeless of winter. Not a scientific explanation of earth’s tilt on its axis, but a colorful one that has entertained people across the ages.

            As I scurried into the house with the hound, I was thinking of how dull everything was, even with the sheen of heavy frost reflecting light and making small diamonds on the grass and leaves. Settling in at the breakfast table with a cup of coffee and Mary Ann, I watched this last morning of November 2013 unfold into one I had not anticipated.

            Naps. I had not thought of naps in a long time, but as I watched the morning come in the dead cold of November, I saw our few acres as napping.  I can still recall as a child fighting to keep from taking a nap, doing anything to keep off that quilt pallet on the living room floor or if in the summer, spread on the cool grass under the shade of a maple tree. I recall wanting to stay awake for those few afternoon minutes because I did not want to miss anything that may happen. Now, as an adult, I take a nap at the first chance, even in some late mornings. And that is what our land is doing now—taking a nap, getting some rest, re-charging batteries, or whatever you want to call it. Yet it seems that in our modern world we have lost touch with naps and the beneficial rest they give us.

            We seem so intent on doing in our modern lives. We seem to value each day by what we have done, not by how we have done. Thinking that way, we are always doing something whether it adds value or not to our lives. We have, it seems to me, to have become a culture of doers always busy with some task. Yes, being productive is good, but a time of rest is as important as a time of work. Each compliments the other when balanced together.

            This past week at school I had a conversation with another teacher about a mutual student who was scheduled to be two places and in two activities at the same time. The other teacher asked if there was some way we could help the student do both. I explained that, in my mind, life was about choices and that the student could choose what activity to do after discussing options with his parents. It was his choice to make, but I wanted nothing to do with helping him believe that he, or any one of us, could do all we wanted. We agreed to let him choose and to support his choice. However, too often I see parents and other adults helping youngsters “do it all” by over planning each day that has no nap time.

            Often at school, I see students scurry to the cafeteria, get a tray, and rush to a classroom to do some academic work while they munch on their food. I question the quality of the work being done, and certainly the quality of the time set aside for eating. It should be a time of rest, but it has, too often, become a time to get more done.

            As I began my second cup of coffee, I considered these things. We are so busy with doing it, it seems, that we do not see the thrill of life in front of us. We rush from one thing to the other in the belief that we are accomplishing some great achievement. But I wonder.

            Maybe if we each took some time in each day to rest and reflect, we might get more done. I am re-reading the collected letters of John Keats, the poet, and marvel at the number of letters he wrote to family and friends. And he did this with a quill and little paper. Yet, we have computers and all of their technology, but do we accomplish what Keats did? It seems that we are so busy doing that we do not do.

            Take a nap. Just sit. Stop and be still. Listen to your inner self. Reflect. Perhaps you will, in the end, get more done and be better for it.

David’s Travels Continue

by   May 18, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

With a tight schedule this week, I was amazed to find four North Carolina county seats within 69 miles on the same road. U.S. 74 was my “road of the day” for Tuesday, May 2.

My first stop was Wadesboro, founded in 1783 as New Town and then changed to Wadesboro in 1787 to honor native son and Revolutionary War commander Colonel Thomas Wade of the local regiment. It’s the county seat of Anson County.

A settlement had grown along the banks of the Pee Dee River, but a more centralized location was needed for the county seat. The new site was found, and 70 acres of land were purchased by Patrick Boggan. Streets were laid out and named for Revolutionary War notables including Generals George Washington, Nathaniel Greene, Daniel Morgan and Griffith Rutherford; Colonels Thomas Wade and William Washington; and Governors Richard Caswell and Alexander Martin.

The most famous event in town history was the 1900 total solar eclipse. Scientists, astronomers and journalists came from around the world to view the event in what they deemed the best location possible. The eclipse lasted about 90 seconds according to one newspaper account. Blind Boy Fuller, a blues guitarist and singer, has his own mural. Father and son, Hoyt Patrick Taylor and Taylor Jr., both served as North Carolina Lieutenant Governors.

Wadesboro has steady heavy truck traffic through downtown, past dozens of historic homes and buildings. The downtown and historic courthouse sits on a knoll looking down to U.S. 74. Prominent and historic buildings in the downtown were Parson’s Drugs, in place since 1875, and H.W. Little and Co. hardware, open since 1894.

My next stop was Rockingham, the county seat of Richmond County. I found a town undergoing a 10-year revitalization plan that has new businesses opening. The first flat town in a while was good for my legs. U.S. 1, the highway that I followed by bike from Maine to Key West in 2014, goes right through one of the prettiest historic districts I’ve seen. A 173-year-old Lebanon cedar tree has its place on the National Register of Big Trees.

The town of Rockingham, founded in 1784, was named for the Marquis of Rockingham, Charles Watson Wentonworth, a strong friend of the Colonies, who was British Prime Minister in 1765. Richmond Community College has a new three-story location across from the old 1923 courthouse. Several stores and bank buildings built just after 1900 highlight the downtown near a fountain on the square which lights up in different colors at night.

I continued east on 74 to Laurinburg, the flattest town yet and the seat of Scotland County. Though not incorporated until 1877, Laurinburg by 1852 was a town that had a saloon, a store, a few shacks and a new private high school. The Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherfordton Railroad laid tracks through the town, but the first train didn’t arrive until 1861, four years before the railroad’s shops were also moved to Laurinburg in hopes of keeping them safe from the Yankees. The Yankees did burn the depot and the temporary shops, but the shops were rebuilt.

Economic issues that have hurt the town included the Great Depression, low cotton prices, the Belk department store moved away, and Hurricane Florence in 2018. I found the town had most of the storefronts occupied but very little happening and many of the stores closed when their schedules listed that they should be open.

The most famous citizen was Terry Sanford, a World War II paratrooper, N.C. governor and U.S. senator.

My final stop on U.S. 74 was at Monroe, county seat of Union County. Incorporated in 1843, the town was named for James Monroe, our country’s fifth president. I found the blocks around the courthouse to be very busy with traffic and plenty of restaurants, trendy bars and even a bread bakery. I was hungry but resisted the urge to stop in even though the smell was wonderful. The old-style movie theatre was set to show “Jaws” this weekend, complete with an all-you-can-eat popcorn and drink deal. More beautiful old homes were within just a few blocks of the courthouse on the southern side of town.

Most would count U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms as Monroe’s most famous past resident, being born here before becoming a five-term U.S. Senator. I also found that one of the three Black women who became world class mathematicians for NASA and were documented in the fantastic book Hidden Figures and the movie of the same name is also from Monroe. Christine Darden became an aeronautical engineer and the first African American to reach the level of senior executive service, the top rank of federal civil service.

The 1886 Union County Courthouse is one of the biggest I have seen of the grand old courthouses. The middle part was the original building, and the two wings were added in 1922. The old Monroe City Hall was originally built as a jail and is likely the oldest building in town after construction in 1847, although another plaque says 1848.

All the towns were historic and interesting along this portion of U.S. 74, and amazingly close together. My total miles on my feet for the four towns was 6.27, much of it flat. Our county total is now 34, with 66 left to visit. See you back here soon!

God’s Leading

by   May 17, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut


1 Thessalonians 4:2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

  • God gives authority to those that are trustworthy with all things.
  • We submit to the God given authority and receive instructions that we may prosper and be blessed in the Lord.
  • God raises up leaders that we submit to and we become ourselves leaders and have responsibility to help and instruct others.

Prayer:  Lord help us to recognize always those in authority spiritually and to take it seriously when You are leading us and giving us instructions that we may be strong, healthy and prosperous and even fruitful in Your kingdom to the highest possibilities.  I bless Your holy name because I belong to You and know that You are the King of all Kings.  Amen. 
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

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