Shopping

by   December 6, 2022 with No Comments

By Ann Farabee

The wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus. They were gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

If the wise men went shopping, so should we.

Thanksgiving Day — 3 p.m. Stores were opening. The shopping season had begun. I refused to believe that Black Friday had the best deals.

Not me. I opted for shopping from home on Thanksgiving Thursday. A cup of coffee, a slice of pecan pie and my computer. I smiled as I saw that everything was 40% off! I knew it! Shopping with the crowd on Black Friday had no real advantage!

I shopped. I did it! I got $600 worth of stuff for only $360. I proudly shut down my computer — and rewarded myself with a turkey sandwich. I was a super shopper!

Friday morning arrived. An email informed me that everything was now 50% off. Mental math informed me that my $600 purchase could have been $300 — not the $360 I had spent. It was heartbreaking.

Too much time had been spent looking for what I thought was the best deal — and it ended up not being the best deal.

However, there is one great deal none of us can afford to pass up! Here is the info:

DEAL OF THE DAY! IT’S FREE! You do not even have to make the purchase! Jesus died on the cross for our sins to purchase our salvation!

Don’t know how to locate the deal? Here is the special access code: John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

As for Black Friday?  And the greatest Door Buster?

No sale — or gift of any price — could begin to compare with the gift the world was given on the darkest Black Friday — as Jesus gave His life for our sins.

And three days later, He became the real Door Buster, as He burst forth from the tomb, giving the world the greatest gift ever given  — victory over death!

It was — and is — the deal of a lifetime!

Lord, help us to never become complacent about the gift of a lifetime that You freely gave to all who will accept it. Amen.

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

Listening

by   December 5, 2022 with No Comments

Have you ever just needed to talk with someone? Well, there is a man named Al who will listen. I want to encourage you to LISTEN to this story by Steve Hartman. Be encouraged…..

The Difference

by   December 5, 2022 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Last week we rented the old John Wayne movie The Cowboys. Why you ask? What better way to celebrate 50 years together! In the year of our Lord, 1972 a very quiet guy in my high school took a chance and asked me to the movies. He had no idea that John Wayne was an icon in our home; the picture of all things tough and heroic. I guess the Lord saw to that small detail ahead of time. But even better, the next week he asked me to a Bible study. Not John Wayne… my new friend David. That night my life changed. It was the first time I understood why Jesus went to the cross. Suddenly it made sense. I could never measure up to God’s holiness, so He died in my place. OH! What a difference that single decision made. Because a quiet young man stepped waaayyy out of his comfort zone and asked a feisty girl to a homemade Bible study, at least the next 50 years were changed.
I went home and spoke to my little sisters about Christ. One trusted Him right away; the other understood a few weeks later. Fast forward to the families of us three sisters. We each married men who love the Lord, raised three kids apiece to honor Him; they in turn are raising children to love Him as well. The ones who don’t have children yet are making a difference in the lives around them. Sure we have a few prodigals in the mix, of whom I am chief. The point is not to brag on our great family. Lord knows that’s not the goal. We sure don’t want to invite the scrutiny that would bring. The moral of the story is to say, take a chance. Invite the stranger. Reach out to someone the Lord puts in your path. Who knows what ripple effect you could cause in the next fifty years.
Maybe even for eternity.

Peace

by   December 3, 2022 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            My neighbors and I work hard to decorate the outside of our homes over the Thanksgiving weekend. It seems that almost all my neighbors put out some kind of Christmas decorations. I like seeing them during the daytime but really enjoy seeing the whole street lit up at night.

            We want to bring the spirit of Christmas to our community. We chat and encourage each other as we are out there working. Each year I think we are beginning to question how many lights we are going to put out, but then as the season rolls around we find the energy to decorate again. It makes me feel good to see all the Christmas lights.  

            We used to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday and I would return home to a Christmas wonderland. I would feel the need to get going on the decorating when I got home. We haven’t traveled the last couple of years so I have been able to decorate over the Thanksgiving weekend. Actually, I think I need more time. I think it has something to do with the gray hair on my head.

            I should clarify that the outside is all decorated. I haven’t even considered starting the inside decorations. This is an area where we have kept to our family traditions. When I was a small child Santa came and decorated the house and set up our Christmas tree on Christmas eve. I could never figure out why my parents were so tired the next day since Santa did all the work. As we grew a little older Santa needed our help. Our tree would go up about a week before Christmas and come down on New Year’s Day.

            We have decided to find a compromise between those who put their tree up the week of Thanksgiving and sometime right before the big day. So while I am itching to get started, I am glad to take a breather after getting everything put up outside. In the meantime, I enjoy walking through our neighborhood and seeing everyone’s trees shining through their windows.

            Many years ago, I was walking through Lowe’s looking to see what was new for Christmas and I found something called a yard card. It is a four-by-eight-foot banner that says “Peace” with a beautiful white dove on it. It has more parts than you can count and takes a while to put together. I love it and look forward to putting it out each year. We’ve had it for a number of years and it is showing some wear. The strings have broken and been repaired. The stakes have also broken. One of the poles snapped a few years ago but I was able to reinforce it with some tape. The banner itself is holding up well. It takes some tender care, but it is up again this year and looking good.

            I stood out in the street to admire my work the other evening and my eye was drawn to that old peace sign. With all the tender loving care I have given it, the sign shines brightly in the spotlight. Peace, it proclaims. Peace on earth and good will towards men. If only the passers-by knew how tattered and tenuous that peace was in my yard.

            The sad truth is that peace does not exist in our world. It seems almost weekly there is another mass shooting in the U.S. The war between Russia and Ukraine still rages on. North Korea is shooting off missiles. China is experiencing unrest and even protests. Where is this peace on earth that was promised?

            The peace He promised is not a worldly peace but rather an inner peace. The world may go crazy around you but the peace of Christ can reside in your heart. The only requirement is that you ask Jesus into your heart so He can bring His perfect peace to you. His peace is like nothing else. It is available to all who would open their hearts to Him. It is the peace that goes beyond understanding that can guard your hearts and minds. You only have to invite Him in.

            I want to encourage you to invite the Christ of Christmas into your heart and allow His peace to fill your heart and mind. The holiday season can be a crazy and stressful time. Don’t allow all the craziness to distract you from that little baby born in a manger who came to bring you a peace and joy that will far outlast this holiday season. May His peace encompass you and your household this holiday season.  

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

Doing That Which is Required

by   December 2, 2022 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee 

Bob Graham

Mr. Graham’s obituary was printed yesterday which is not a surprise because, as a 97-year-old Lake Norman business leader, John Robert Graham, Sr. had planned everything. The obituary told of his long marriage with Louise; the names of their five children and their families; and of his business successes. It told of his church memberships and his civic involvements and his enjoyment in playing golf.  His service in the U.S. Navy during WW II was also mentioned.

Mr. Graham and I met about five years ago when he stopped me as my wife and I were leaving a local restaurant. Noticing my wheelchair, he asked how I had been injured, and during our first of many long conversations we discovered we lived on the same street. Just like that, a friendship formed.

Over the next years Mr. Graham would stop by our house whenever his caregiver Marilyn and he ran errands. When he became less mobile and moved into an assisted living apartment, they stopped when they checked on his home. Our conversations, always on our driveway, were lively as we argued politics and religion. He would say, “Let me ask you a question.” After my answer, he would offer his explanation of why I was mistaken. Only a strong friendship can weather such discussions, and ours grew stronger and stronger after each of his visits.

But we discussed other topics. One advantage or disadvantage of meeting someone later in life is that much shared experiences are missed by both parties, but we worked to cover that lost time. Once when I asked, “Tell me about Mrs. Graham,” he settled himself into the car seat, looked up to the tallest pine trees, and said, “I miss Louise,”  as his eyes became moist. He also shared on occasion that he regretted not being much of a reader over his lifetime, and more than once he bemoaned ever having smoked cigarettes, as he became more and more dependent on a portable oxygen tank. “That was a stupid mistake,” he often pronounced.

But, most of all, I cherish Mr. Graham for his service- during WW II and afterwards. Like so many of his generation, he explained that “I did what I had to do” when after high school graduation he joined the Navy. In one of our driveway conferences he asked me what I thought of Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb. He then shared what he and all his buddies felt about that as they shipped across the Pacific—on their way to invade Japan. “We felt bad for the Japanese,” he confessed, “but were happy for ourselves. It was awful, but we wanted to live.”

An obituary is just printed words, and none, no matter how well crafted, can capture a life. Yet Mr. Graham’s well lived life was founded on his generation’s belief in doing what was asked.  His generation has been called “the greatest,” but those mere words cannot describe their courageous responsibility.

What I am Thankful for…

by   December 1, 2022 with No Comments

By David Freeze

What I’m thankful for:

The opportunity to do this column year after year. Life changes and so do perspectives, but we have blessings worth remembering and therefore so much to be thankful for.

Friends, like or unlike ourselves, who often offer different perspectives. Especially young adults who help keep the rest of us young, often while considering their opinions.

Hot hands, wool socks and Vaseline for use on the recent cold morning runs to keep fingers and toes comfortable.

A Bible verse a day, a morning devotion and a long prayer. A good start to the day.

The smells of Pine-sol, Dial soap, freshly mown grass and cured hay, Coppertone and wood smoke.

Books, the source of knowledge, escape and inspiration. A day without reading, a least a few pages for ourselves, is a lost opportunity. My sister Patricia, who passed away in January, collected books, and I’m reading them now.

The Salisbury Post, good for me and good for you. Great people and close friends who work hard to put out the Post in hopes that many of us won’t have to say, “I hadn’t heard about that.”

Our local PDs, FDs and other first responders, I can’t miss thanking them in every one of these columns. Special thanks to Sheriff Auten and Chief Stokes, good men who will be missed.

Falling stars and snowflakes. I get excited every time I see one.

Dreams, adventures and passion! Never stop having them, no matter what your stage in life.

Ex-wives, regardless of how many, always have something good to offer, then and now.

Challenges that we can embrace, We are what we can overcome.

A granddaughter named the Booper, always worth a better day when I see her.

More than 20 great running/walking events in Rowan annually that each benefit our wonderful charities. I hope to see many of you at Salisbury’s Thanksgiving happening, The Forum’s Butterball 5K.

That America is still the best place to be and full of people just like you and me, proven every summer on my bike rides. Hardly a day passes when I don’t meet someone who would make a good neighbor.

All the readers who follow those rides and other things I’m so fortunate to write about.

More places to visit, just like my card says, “I haven’t been everywhere yet, but its on my mind.” Next summer’s trip is already planned, as much as it can be, with the freedom and hopefully the knowledge to adjust on the fly.

Two great daughters, their husbands and the rest of our family.

Veterans like James Deal! He’s a true hero, as are all those who proudly wear the uniforms of our country.

Volunteers, the heart and soul of so many worthwhile activities and community organizations. No greater gift than your time can be offered.

Christmas parades, where everyone is young again with the thrill of the season just ahead. I love a parade and one day I will see the Macy’s parade and the big balloons in person.

And finally, as the old hymn says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, see what God has done!”

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Focusing Our Hope

by   November 30, 2022 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

  • Our hope (positive expectancy) is in the Lord and not in government, finances and all the things we know.
  • Renewing the strength would imply that our strength not only can but does get drained at times, therefore we ought to continually put our hope in the Lord.
  • So, we will not grow weary (tired) or falter when we put our hope in Him, expecting always for God to come through.

Prayer:  Hallelujah!  I raise my hands and praise and glorify Your wonderful name because I can put my hope in You and I do choose to put my hope and expectancy in You and I refuse to look at circumstances or situations, You have never failed me and I trust in You.  Amen. 
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

We Might Oughta Pray

by   November 28, 2022 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Could we fast forward five or so years? Let’s project ourselves into the near future and let’s suppose our country has taken a turn for the worst. Our economy did not recover and our crops have failed due to unusual weather patterns. Food is scarce and we worry about how we will feed our families. The energy crisis has escalated, causing most to be unable to afford fuel. Traveling to work, generating income and even heating our homes are very difficult. The basic necessities of life are no longer readily available.

Would we wish we had prayed for our nation more?

Speaking to a different nation, God observes a terrible time in their economy. They are being destroyed, not by war, but by famine and disease. As their defenses crumble, other nations attack them in their helplessness. In their recent history, God had poured out all manner of blessings on them, only to have them ignore Him and His call to a change of heart.

Therefore He gives this evaluation:

“But you never ask for help from the One who did all this. You never considered the One Who planned this long ago.” –Isaiah 22:11b

“But instead, you dance and play… You say, ‘Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!’”-Isaiah22:13

Are we wise enough to pray before the same is said of us?


This series was written for our church in September 2012, almost 10 years ago. So no need to read into it any current political leanings. Instead, I hope you’ll enjoy using it as a prayer “springboard” for the next thirty days. Each day we’ll have a short out-take from the book of Nehemiah, followed by a specific prayer for our churches. For if our churches are strong, our nation will follow suit. May the Lord be honored as He hears from us.


“Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the One you should fear. He is the One Who should make you tremble. He will keep you safe.” –Isaiah 8:13

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