Hope for an “Old” Future

by   September 9, 2024 with No Comments

By Rhonda Sassano

Hope for an “Old” Future

Why is “I’ll Fly Away” stuck in my head?  It’s an ambulatory surgery, for Pete’s sake… what am I worried about?  Just because I died once already… lol, doesn’t Scripture say that man is appointed once to die?  That must mean I’m living until the Rapture! I say that very tongue-in-cheek, btw. How well I do know that I’m not in control of my life, and certainly not in control of when this life might end.  🎵 Many things about tomorrow … I don’t seem to understand … but I know who holds the future…   and I know Who holds my hand.🎵  The hardest thing about the future is that … I’m old in the future. Well, older than I am now. I’m not crazy about the idea.  In my mind, I’m about 32, 33 maybe.  And I fully expect my body to still be 16! The face in the mirror is a stranger to me sometimes… but this week, I’ve been suddenly all caught up.  Recovering is not as easy as in the past.  And, I cannot expect it to be any easier next time.  

“Rhonda,” you say, “I thought this was supposed to be an encouraging piece… you’ve not been very encouraging thus far.”  You are absolutely right!  So I’m encouraging you:  stop aging!  Haha, just kidding.  Aging is part of life, meant to make us turn to the Father for help and hope.  And He never fails to give them both.  

I regarded the surgery as trivial.  But my friends and family took it more seriously and really held me up in prayer, to the point I could feel the prayers surrounding me.  And despite my best efforts to make light of the serious surgery, their deep concern for me has served as a point of hope for me: hope that I will make a full recovery, hope that Father is just as good as He has promised, hope that the future will be good, also… maybe somewhat painful, but still good.  🎵 All my life, You have been faithful… All my life, You have been so, so good!  With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God! 🎵

And life is worth the living, just because He lives…

“God is not looking for those who can but those who will.”

After the Storm

by   September 8, 2024 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Unlike a walk after a good storm on the beach looking for treasure, a walk at home after a storm does not have the same level of excitement. Indeed, one assumes that a walk after some of our recent gusty storms would only be to assess the neighborhood’s damage. 

Because recent events and schedules prevented my early morning walks lately, I was excited to go on a walk after a previous night’s downpour. Usually, I look upwards and all around to notice plants and critters scampering about. However, I looked downward on this walk because I was introspective while listening to music. I almost looked through all of the fallen debris before me for a while, not seeing its unique beauty. But then, something caught my eye – some acorns on a small branch. Tiny, green, perfect. I began noticing other gifts from the recent rainfall scattered along my path – interesting chunks of moss, a persimmon, and small pieces from a tree limb covered in textured lichens. Instead of photos of flowers and trees, treasures on asphalt filled my Facebook stories that day.

I think I needed a good reminder that God was (is) taking care of me even in my storms. Despite how things may feel and the seeming evidence to the contrary, He is faithful in caring for me. These little treasures that had been violently tossed to the ground may have looked like storm litter, but to me, they were little reminders that there is still both provision and beauty on the path before me, even on the days I feel I can’t lift my head. 

Yes, I believe that Christians should lift their countenance upward toward the heavens. Our hope is on high. But a Christian can also weather turbulent seasons with a melancholy introspection that turns into a contrite heart and a hopeful spirit confident in Christ. God often sends encouragement to remind us of His faithfulness if our eyes are open to see and receive.

Perhaps a storm has come your way. I’m not speaking of a spring or harvest-time shower filled with the promise of bearing fruit (like Leviticus 26:3-4 talks about). These are torrential, blustery rains that spring up almost from nowhere. Unlike well-forecasted physical storms, you cannot see this coming, and suddenly, you find yourself in the middle. How can you send for reinforcements? You’re not even sure what you need or when the storm will pass. It is a stripping type of storm, leaving debris and litter scattered throughout your life, causing you to feel quite fragile.

But if you look carefully, there are whispers of care and glimpses of God at work. A friend sends something your way that seems trivial to them and unconnected to your sorrow, yet fills you with renewed hope. A long-forgotten message reaches your ear or eye; you know it is  Providential. An opportunity you would have never considered before the storm now is the answer to a prayer you would not have known to pray.

We are still in the middle of hurricane season. You may find yourself in a season of raging storms. Maybe you have a hard time looking up. If you do find yourself looking downward, don’t miss the beautiful gifts God has placed in your path to encourage you.

Ashlie Miller and her husband Chad have weathered many storms together with their family in Concord, NC. You may contact her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

Believing in Ourselves

by   September 7, 2024 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            For the past two months I have had “extra” stuff I had to do after work and on the weekends. Life can be busy and sometimes crazy with just the “normal” stuff that has to get done. But when you add all the extra stuff that comes up, life can feel too busy. Looking ahead to September I feel a slight sigh of relief, as my calendar looks less busy.

            Some of the extra stuff was good, like family time. My newlywed niece came east to join her family at the beach for a week. There was a family gathering to celebrate the couple since some of us were unable to attend their wedding in Idaho. It was great to spend time with them. I also got the chance to meet my nephew’s new girlfriend.

            The best part of spending time with these four young adults is to see the fire and passion they have for life. Each of them has a heart to make a positive difference in the lives of the people God puts in their path. Their love and desire to serve God is evident in their eyes and their words. It was both a blessing and an encouragement to my spirit to spend time with each of them and to hear their positive outlook on life and the future.

            I had another opportunity to spend some time with young people last week. My boss asked if I could help judge some fifth graders to determine who would get to attend Ron Clark’s Leadership Academy. The fifth graders were given multiple tasks to do while being judged by multiple groups of adults. Right there I would have flunked as a fifth grader. Not these kids! The students that I evaluated spent three minutes in another room learning a skill, and then they had to come into my room and teach that skill to a sixth-grade student they had never met. These fifth graders walked into the room with poise and confidence. Most walked up to me with great eye contact and introduced themselves. They asked me my name and shook my hand.

            Then they proceeded to teach the skill that they had just learned. Obviously, they performed the task in varying abilities, but they all did a very good job. I was hugely impressed by these young people. How could these fifth graders develop such confidence? I believe that the school bought into a program that will change the trajectory of all the students’ lives. They are teaching skills like how to get along with others, how to include everyone and leave no one behind, how to help others live up to their potential, and how to be a great team member, knowing that each member plays an important part of the success of everyone.   

            This school is teaching fifth graders how to be great role models for the younger students. Can you imagine the impact that will have on their community? There are some future corporate leaders being molded in that school, movers and shakers, people who will become shining examples for their employees and the companies they lead.

            I wish I had the confidence these young people have when I was in fifth grade. Can you imagine the difference we could make if we had that kind of confidence in our faith? What would happen if we could lead lost people to Jesus through our confidently shared example? Imagine the impact if every person stuck in sin would encounter the love of God confidently shining through us.  

            We have the light! We have the hope they need! We know the way! We have the truth inside of us! We know and have experienced the love and acceptance of God; how might our communities change if we let that flow through us like rivers of living water? We need to believe in ourselves like those fifth graders. The lost need to see the love of God in our eyes. They need to hear our positive outlook in a future filled with hope and promise.

            I want to encourage you to believe in yourself and in the testimony of God’s work in your life. He has revealed Himself to you and proven His love and faithfulness to you. Now we need to let our lights shine in the darkness. We need to believe that our testimony is worthy to be shared. We have trusted God and seen Him come through for us. When we confidently share our story, it will touch and change lives in ways we cannot imagine.

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

Reading Old Journals

by   September 6, 2024 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

                                                Reading Old Journals

Reading old journals can be an unsettling or a rich experience. Having thought of some of my journals from the mid-1990’s and later that I had shoved into a drawer of a file cabinet residing in a closet, I decided to pull them out and organize them in chronological order. I realized that I would need to read them, not too closely, but close enough to get the flavor of whatever day, month, and year in which I had written. I opened the first one remembering that Rick Bragg writes in All Over But the Shoutin’ “…dreaming backwards can carry a man through some dark rooms where the walls seem lined with razor blades.”

Reading the first journal that is over twenty years old opened a window to a life half-forgotten. Reading my thoughts of events and people in my then life, most entries surprised or pleased me and a few read as if they were of someone else’s life. Yet one entry was not about me but something I had thought enough of to copy into the journal without naming where I  had found it. Fortunately I had cited an author, whether correct or not.

A July 2000 entry read “Found this” and was followed by what I had copied from somewhere– “Walker’s Decalogue by Howard Zahniser.” Like so many entries, I did not remember anything about this one and not knowing anything about Howard Zahniser I did a quick Internet search and read about his brief but impressive life. His accomplishment as the primary author of the Wilderness Act which Congress passed in 1964 reveals his love and appreciation for wilderness. In his 2016 essay about Zahinser’s  achievements, Max Greenberg for the Wilderness Society paid tribute to him in these words, “He was just a dogged man who did the good, hard work of preserving our natural heritage for generations to come.”

However, what I was most interested in was the “Walker’s Decalogue.” Whether Zahinser had written it, or I had been mistaken in my journal entry of 2000 became secondary. Regardless of its authorship, here is what I had written in my journal, and I am as awed by it now as I obviously had been when I copied it.                                                        

Walker’s Decalogue by Howard Zahniser

1.         Don’t pack your troubles in your rucksack

2.         Don’t grouse at the weather

3.         Don’t miss opportunities of friendship with man or beast

4.         Don’t walk half a yard in front of your companion

5.         Don’t overfeed your body

6.         Don’t starve your mind

7.         Don’t overwork your legs

8.         Don’t lose your temper if you lose your way

9.         Don’t leave anything behind you but a good impression

10.       Don’t take anything away but pleasant memories

Now, I grant that a reader could argue that the decalogue is too negative because of the Don’ts, or a reader could argue for subtraction or addition to the ten. However, I ask the reader to see the decalogue as positive suggestions for a metaphorical journey since we all, whether out on a hike or just travelling to work, are on a journey. In fact, our lives are packed with journeys such as a trip to a grocery, or a drive to visit a friend, and any number of longer/shorter journeys whether we walk, ride, run, fly, or float-we are sojourners.

Any list is bound to engender a discussion for favorites, and I admit to being partial to Don’t number 4 because every journey is made better when shared with another traveler.

Piedmont State Parks

by   September 5, 2024 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Piedmont Region

   Back on the road, I had a wonderful visit to Morrow Mountain State Park on Monday, August 12th. Nearest to Badin, the park of 5,881 acres was established in 1939. At the opposite end of the parking lot from the visitor center, I found a wonderful heritage museum that contained plenty of facts about the area’s history and the park’s early years. With interactive displays, the museum is unmanned but still first rate.

     The park has plenty to see and do, including an Olympic size pool, 30 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. An old quarry where Civilian Conservation Corps workers took argillite rock for the park’s buildings, walls and bridges can be seen on the Quarry Trail. My favorite trail was the Fall Mountain Trail. Moderate and 4.1 miles long, much of the trail is along a beautiful segment where the Yadkin River becomes the Pee Dee River and then Lake Tillery. The river is wide and reminds me of the great rivers I have cycled past. With plenty of hardwoods along the trail, this would be a phenomenal fall color hike.

     With 54 miles along 11 hiking trails and 33 miles of bridle trails, I was very impressed. The Mountain Loop Trail around the top of Morrow Mountain offers fantastic views of the river and the surrounding forest below. Also, most notable were the reconstructed Dr. Francis Kron house, office and greenhouse. Dr. Kron was the first formerly trained doctor in the piedmont and also supplied veterinary services while making his own medications. He bought his land in 1834, established his practice and then played a big part in establishing Stanly County where the park is located.

      My first visit very early on the morning of Wednesday, August 14th was the Eno River State Park. The river is the star of this 4.319-acre park. With plenty to see and I do, I kept hanging around for more on a morning when time was short for me. I stopped at the old visitor center first and found a map and immediately walked most of the 1.5-mile Buckwater Creek Trail that followed the river upstream. I met a local who told me what to see as he walks this same river trail every morning. While challenging over rock steps and stairs in a few areas, I enjoyed the river trail and a nice section of rapids past some big rocks. Just before leaving, I noticed a large group of kids loudly enjoying the water around the rocks and the rapids.

       I next found the new visitor center near Few’s Ford and talked to a very interesting attendant who gave me the park stamp and asked if I had seen the suspension bridge. I had not and immediately headed that way, then found the impressive piece of engineering. I watched a man walk across it fast and the thing was jumping up and down, but when I walked across it was steady and only slightly moving. Very cool!

      Another unusual find not far from the visitor center was a cabin built in the early 1800’s, yet a very well done and unusual “cabin” it is! Usually in this historic era, a cabin was very small and rustic. Located near the popular Few’s Ford crossing, the large Piper-Cox cabin is still going strong after 200 years.  Before bridges were common, travelers usually crossed rivers at places where the water level was low while the underlying surface was rocky to lessen the chances of getting wagons stuck.

    Water powered milling was popular along rivers during that era and 32 mills operated along the Eno. Several including grist, flour and sawmills operated at one time in the Few’s Ford area. Full of history, the park also has canoeing, kayaking and rafting along with fishing from its banks. Camping is only in back country sites and requires a permit. Other river access points within the park are Pleasant Green, Cabe Lands, Pump Station and Cole Mill. The park has an extensive and varied list of 18 hiking trails of lengths from .5 miles to 7.5 miles.

     My final visit this past Wednesday was the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, but still on the list of 42 state parks. It is managed by the nearby Eno River State Park where I got the passport stamp. Rising more than 350 feet above the Eno River, the mountain summit is said to be the highest point between nearby Hillsborough and the Atlantic Ocean. The park is the smallest I’ve seen at 190 acres and is named after the Occoneechee Indians who lived on the Eno in the early 1600s. Many of their descendants remain in the area. The park does not have its own office but does have two metal boxes with trail maps and other information.

     The park has four hiking trails between .10 and 2.2 miles. All are rated moderate to easy, and most have something to do with the mountain summit. There are abundant flora and fauna, much of it usually found on higher mountains. Rhododendron and mountain laurel, as examples, are usually found at much higher altitudes, as are brown elfin butterflies. Two well-stocked fishing ponds are on-site.

    19 state parks done, 23 more to go.

Gotta Run: More state parks in the Piedmont region

Peace

by   September 4, 2024 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Psalms 119:165 Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

  • So many of us look and long always to have peace, but God Himself is the author of that peace.
  • When we love His ways and pursue all that God is peace comes naturally and we can walk in it.
  • When we follow the ways of God and His principles and His teachings we walk continually and do not stumble.

Prayer:  I praise Your Holy name Lord for all that You are and I thank You for the peace that I experience and enjoy.  I do pursue Your law and Your way and Your principles.  They are my life and my source, I belong to You.  Amen.

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Saying Good-bye???

by   September 3, 2024 with No Comments

I never experienced many things, parenting is one of them. So I don’t know how you help your child give up their pacifier. This guy went all out…I mean he went ALL OUT to help his child say…Good-bye to the pacifier. Enjoy Steve Hartman’s story….

Why do They Have it so Good?

by   September 1, 2024 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

I have long appreciated the honest thoughts in the Psalms— songs of joy and lament and songs of pondering the realities surrounding the writer.

Consider Asaph, a song leader for Psalm 73, who felt envious as he looked about himself, seeing wicked, arrogant, godless people prosper. As we often do, he over-generalized what he saw – they have no pain until they die; they don’t experience trouble like the rest of the world. Ever feel that way? Ever start saying “they never, they always” when you look at others and think it is unjust that they prosper despite what you know about their character?

Asaph is in a pickle. He does not know what to make of this. However, verse 16 is key to unlocking understanding. He is weary in pondering until he enters the sanctuary of the Lord. While worshiping with others and looking upwards, he recognizes the end of those who live recklessly and selfishly, though perhaps successfully, on earth. 

I wonder what he heard when he was in the sanctuary of the Lord on the Sabbath. Maybe it was Psalm 92, titled A Song for the Sabbath. Take some time this weekend to read it. Within it is a comparison of evildoers and the righteous. Both flourish in some way. But one is only like the grass, doomed to destruction and scattered about, while the other is like a stately palm tree abiding in God’s presence. Maybe as it was read, Asaph looked over to the family who had been through pain yet exuded joy and hope. Did he see the old-timer still bearing the fruit of righteousness in old age and, though poor in material things, was rich in life and love? Moments of communal worship and the truth of God’s word can bring discernment.

The writer of this psalm goes on to confess that his heart had been embittered, and he acted ignorantly and like a beast toward God. Though you may have felt embittered, have you felt like you could lay out those words before God the way Asaph did? I marvel at his honesty. 

After looking out at the world and becoming embittered, then worshiping with others and hearing the truth, Asaph looks at himself and sees that he, too, was unworthy of grace from his Father. Yet even in his beastliness, the difference is that he longed to declare God’s uprightness and sovereignty. The wicked rejected that, relishing in their mockery.

Maybe Asaph felt guilty for acting so beastly and judging God’s goodness of bestowing common grace to the wicked – allowing them to have any earthly success. After all, that is all they would ever have. Yet, God accepts Asaph, beastly and all – “Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold my right hand…My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:23, 26).

Christian, are you frustrated by how good “they” seem to have it with no recompense? Gather with fellow believers in the church and look upward. Be reminded of what is true in the household of truth as you declare God’s righteousness.

Ashlie Miller and her husband, Chad, live in Concord where they raise their family. You may contact her at mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

How to Choose

by   August 31, 2024 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            Do you find making decisions difficult? Some people are able to make decisions quickly and easily, while others struggle. Some decisions are easy, like deciding what to drink. Give me a glass of sweet tea. It’s the south, tea should be sweet! Other decisions require much more effort and time.

            Decisions are difficult because one decision can impact others. Some decisions might challenge our moral fiber or cause us to bend our values. How far will we compromise in order to move forward in life? Some work-related compromises might be as simple as having to rise earlier in the morning or stay later in the evening. Others decisions might require far greater.

            Promotions are great, but at what cost? If you had to move to another state, would you take the promotion? If you are single, that decision might be easier than if you are married with children. What if the promotion required you to go from first shift to second shift, would you take it?

            Deciding to buy a car is a big decision. Do you buy a new or used one? That sports car looks fun, but what will the insurance cost? One decision can impact another. Buying a house is another big decision. Which neighborhood is best? What schools will the children attend? How far is the house from work? What style house do you like?

            Another part of good decision making is seeking out great advisors. Seeking professional advice might initially cost you some money but ultimately save you money in the long run. If you choose the wrong plumber, lawyer, or doctor, you might not get the service you expect. The wrong plumber might be too expensive. The wrong lawyer may not make the right case for you. The wrong doctor could negatively impact your health. So how do you make the right choice?

            It all begins with prayer. You might argue that God is way too busy to help with my little decisions, but you would be wrong. God cares about every little detail of your life. The Bible teaches us that God knows every hair that is on your head, so that means He cares about all your decisions, even the little ones.

When you pray, ask God for wisdom and guidance as you approach the decision. I believe the most important part is to be willing to hear any choice God might have for you. Most people approach God and tell Him what they decided and ask Him to bless it. What if your decision is not His best plan for your life? How can He bless what He knows will turn out badly for you?

This step requires faith. God might open a door for you that doesn’t look like a huge blessing or a great opportunity, but in the end might be far greater than you could ever have imagined. God sees things you don’t. He might be planning for this decision to be a stepping stone, testing your obedience, before He blesses you.

I believe that seeking spiritual guidance from your pastor or other trusted spiritual leaders in your life is vital to good decision making. Spiritual leaders want the best for you and can seek God on your behalf and get a sense which direction you should go or avoid. God can use spiritual leaders to provide biblical guidance and a deeper sense of inner peace.

Ultimately we have to believe that God is in control and that He wants and will provide what is best for our lives. We also have to understand that God is going to lead us down a path, not a super highway. Paths create challenges for us. Paths cause us to seek and cry out to God for help. Paths require us to be in God’s Word so we can find our way. Paths will make us build a deeper relationship with God where we will see and experience Him as our Heavenly Father.

I want to encourage you to bring every decision before God and seek His guidance in your life. I understand that daily routine decisions don’t require us to seek God but we have to understand that God wants to be invited into our daily routines just as much as life’s bigger decisions. He has made great plans for our lives and has hidden treasures along the path for us. We have to slow down, seek His face, listen, and be willing to wait on Him if we want to make good choices. His wisdom and love will guide us if we seek and invite His direction.

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

Another of the Greatest

by   August 30, 2024 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Driving out of the cemetery, my wife and I passed the worker’s truck. Parked a respectable distance from the grave site we had just left, it was loaded with the equipment and supplies needed for its work:  Shovels, rakes, and folded, green pads that were designed to imitate grass. An attached trailer carried a small backhoe. Soon, after all the friends, family, loved ones, and funeral home employees had left, the workers would drive the truck with its load down the hill to finish the covering of a life. This grave was like all the others in the cemetery, just newer; but also different because it was Paul’s, one of The Greatest Generation.

In 1998 Tom Brokaw published The Greatest Generation, an examination of American’s lives who were born between WW I and WW II. Paul was born in 1926, not many years after the Spanish Flu and WW I, and just in time for the Great Depression. Later, after graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and entered WW II.

The Greatest Generation is called that because they endured the hardships of the Great Depression, then a world at war.  But the lessons from the Great Depression and the war are what helped form the character of Americans like Paul. During the Great Depression they learned the value of a strong work ethic, being frugal, and “making do.” During the war they fought, died, sacrificed, and joined forces to defeat an evil so that the world would be a better place. Yet their struggles did not make them bitter or resentful but caring and loving and appreciative of each other and a stable life. All of them, soldiers, ship builders returned home and carried on with their live.  Their fight against the evil threatening the world was just what they had to do.

Paul and Jean were the first people we met at FBC of Mooresville. On our first visit, they welcomed us and on the second visit Jean told us, “We’re so glad you returned.” That was over three years ago, but I still recall their kind words and impeccable manner and dress. However, before many Sundays, they stopped attending church for health reasons, but their imprint had been made on my wife and me.

These were my thoughts yesterday as I listened to the minister, sang the songs, and heard the shared memories of a son-in-law. The small, well-dressed man we knew from Sunday Service had helped establish a local church. He had led a full, vibrant life in his beloved community, and he was loved dearly by his family and friends.  We had met him late in his  life, but as I watched his grandsons tearfully carry his flag-draped casket from the hearse to the grave, I was reminded that while I had met Paul late in his life, I was still fortunate to have known him at all because, even in those waning days, he exhibited courage, loyalty, and sacrifice. His experiences in a depression and war had marked him; however,  the mark was not a stain but a badge of honor. Brokaw used the adjective greatest, and that is fine. However, other adjectives such as magnificent, extraordinary, or grand well-describe Paul and his generation. But the adjective is of no matter because Paul and his are The Great Generation.

I suppose that by the time we had arrived home from the service, the workmen had finished their task and Paul had, as King David wrote, “gone the way of the world.” But he and all his generation-the soldiers, the planters of victory gardens, the ship builders, the children who collected metal for the war cause, and more-are honored by those of us who still value honesty, loyalty, sacrifice, and duty to a just cause. They are not “suckers” or “losers” as some think, but lives lived for a common good. They made our world safer and better. We owe them to continue their work.

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