Making the Most of a Not-So-Snowy Day

by   January 19, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

We were braced for it: a well-stocked pantry for cozy recipes thanks to an email newsletter; boots brought from the garage to be warm enough to welcome eager feet; gloves paired into actual matches to protect hands for snowball fighting. 

At the first sign of flurries, I popped a couple of frozen hash browns into the toaster oven, switched on the electric hot water pot, and opened a sleeve of hot cocoa powder. The littlest kids were ready! I sent them to the treehouse with treats in hand (or, rather, mittens). I spied upon them from the kitchen-nook window as they nibbled on their salty potatoes, sipped their decadent cocoa, and wishfully watched the flurries fall. 

It was not long before the teens came out, ready for adventure. One took the siblings through the woods to “Big Rock” – our name for the boulder along the survey line of a neighbor’s backyard. It isn’t quite Narnia, but one can believe it is nearby. Later, they successfully had a snowball fight. Where did enough snow for that come from? Well, Dad had forgotten to remind them not to scrape off the snow from the cars – oops! 

“Can we make snow cream?” my daughter asked as she presented a small monolith of snow in her mittens. “Is there really that much snow?” I asked, bewildered. The snow bowl that had been optimistically set out was scant; she had scraped snow off the dirty railing. Oh dear, it really has been too long for them to remember any snow etiquette. 

With hopeful hearts, the children finally came in for a dinner of fireside stew by the gas-fire logs (naturally). We decided to watch “Prince Caspian” from the Narnia series because we had rewatched “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” during Christmas break. These movies feel quite wintry.

Topping off the evening were small bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes that I had frozen recently to thaw out for the perfect occasion. This certainly seemed to be shaping up to be such. 

However, as you know, the evening did not end with more snowfall but rather ice, sleet, and cold rain. Wistfully, we all went to bed. The next day did not look magical; it looked disappointing. But, I still had a couple of little people eager to get the most out of the barely used sleds – sleds purchased at a yard sale maybe a couple of years ago, still in like-new condition. And guess what – you can slide pretty successfully on frozen grass, even if it looks just like normal brownish-green grass! It may have only given an hour’s or so worth of fun, but it was fun just the same. 

Sometimes our expectations are not met. More likely, it is truer to say they are seldom met. I am a realist and feel more like a pessimist at times, but slowly, I am learning to make lemonade from lemons. No, we can’t make snow cream out of dirty snow. But rather than sulk or blame the weatherman, we can choose to foster gratitude in the little people watching us. Little eyes are watching me. They are still making memories. They won’t all be awesome, but good enough can be sufficient, too.

Ashlie Miller and her family grass-sled in Concord, NC. You may email her at: mrs.ashliemiller@gmail.com.

God is in Control

by   January 18, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

God is in Control

            I have a few weather friends and we like to make amateur predictions about winter storms and hurricanes. We have fun guessing and giving each other a hard time when we miss. I send my predictions to about a dozen friends who think I am pretty accurate, but I think they are being kind because I miss it just like the professionals. I like to watch the weather models and follow the trends. There are some people putting out wild forecasts that I caution you to avoid following. Look to trusted forecasters who offer balanced forecasts.

            Some friends have asked me to post my predictions on social media. The recent storm demonstrates why I don’t. I thought we would get snow here in Salisbury but we ended up with mostly sleet and freezing rain. The professionals predicted some measurable snow all the way down to Charlotte. People on social media were cruel and hateful to social media predictors and professionals for missing the forecast. It’s a shame that the hatefulness is driving one local social media forecaster to quit following his passion and sharing his weather predictions for our area.

            I once met Ray Boylan, who used to be on Channel 9 out of Charlotte. He told me that the mountains and ocean have a huge impact on the weather here in the Piedmont. Mountains can zap storms and the ocean can feed them. I remember Eric Thomas from Channel 3 sharing one night how a wobble in a storm had ruined his forecast. That time we got more snow than he had predicted.

            Weather is something that has so many variables that can impact what we see out our windows. Brad Panovich from Channel 6 recently pointed out on a Facebook post that a tenth of a degree can change what falls from the sky. All this unpredictability fascinates me about weather. I love to watch the models every day and follow reliable social media forecasters. My Facebook feed is filled with all kinds of weather related posts.  

            The big trouble with weather forecasting is that most people forget that the forecasters are not in control. We have to remember that God is in control. He has the weather, the planets, the stars, and you and me in His hands. He is in control. I understand that sometimes it doesn’t feel that way, but you can be assured that He has everything under control.

            Sometimes it’s hard for us to understand and accept that God is in control. When the doctor says cancer… When the phone rings and you receive tragic news…When circumstances at work have soured… When family drama unfolds… We have to turn to God and ask Him to intervene and trust that He will lead us and be with us because He is in control. None of this is easy. In fact, it’s hard to have faith when things feel out of control. We must turn our eyes on Jesus, asking for guidance and believing that He is in control.

            God knows everything. He knows the name of every star. He knows the exact number of hairs on every human head. He saw the beginning and He sees the end. He knows every detail of our lives. He knows each of us better than we know ourselves. He is in control in spite of what we may think in difficult moments. We have to give Him room to work all things out for our good. We have to trust and believe that He can work in and through our circumstances.

            The news is tragic…God is in control. My circumstances are hard…God is in control. I am struggling with doubt and worry…God is in control and He can do exceedingly, abundantly beyond anything we can imagine. One day Joseph is lying in a dungeon, the next he is second in command of Egypt. Lazarus was dead for three days and then Jesus called him out of the tomb. Peter was locked away in a dungeon and then an angel had to wake him up to help him escape. Sometimes we have to go through things with God. He has a good plan for our lives.

            I want to encourage you to never give up because God is in control of even the craziest of circumstances. We must keep the embers of hope alive. Ask close friends to pray for and with you. You are not alone! God is with you and He will bring good out of your circumstances. He can rescue people from fiery furnaces, huge fish, sicknesses, and even the grave. He will come through for you. GOD IS IN CONTROL!

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

Poimen and Tekton

by   January 17, 2025 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

            Robert Fitzgerald, the highly regarded translator of Homer, writes in his postscript of The Odyssey: “… It [The Odyssey] can no more be translated into English than rhododendron can be translated into dogwood. You must learn Greek if you want to experience Homer….” Not a reader of any foreign language, I am glad to have such a translator as Fitzgerald who admits that his craft is not sufficient to do justice to the original.  I recently encountered David Bentley Hart’s new translation of the New Testament which I enjoy and use. In our Sunday School, we are reading and studying The Forgotten Jesus by Robby Gallaty to better the Eastern Rabbi, Jesus.

            Reared as a Southern Baptist, I grew up reading or hearing the KJV translation of the Bible. As an adult I wandered– sometimes a Catholic, a Lutheran, a Brethren, and sometimes a none. Yet, as an English teacher, I read and sometimes taught stories from the KJV. No translation I read had its poetry and grace. We memorized the 23rd Psalm and Lord’s Prayer and knew what the archaic words meant. And out of the KJV I held to certain beliefs, such as from Matthew 13:55: “Is not this [Jesus] the carpenter’s son?” Then last week I read in Gallaty this: “Read aloud Matthew 16:18; 21:24; and 1 Peter 2:4-5. If Jesus likely grew up working with stones as His father did, ….” I thought Gallaty had made a huge mistake or the printer did, but when I asked Pastor Steve about the passage, I learned that my understanding of Josephs’ craft was wrong and came to realize that I had been a lazy reader of Scripture who accepted Church tradition. As if to follow that experience, this past week in Wednesday night Bible study, Pastor Jerry taught about sheep and shepherd. Another enlightening followed by my friend Mike who directed me to my favorite commentator, William Barclay, and his view of Mark 6: 1-6.

            I faced my arrogance and re-read and listened. I discovered the various meanings of tekton. I learned about the relationship between a 1st century shepherd {poimen) and his sheep, I felt like some of the disciples who asked Jesus to explain certain parables. For a brief and silly time, I felt as if I had been betrayed by my cherished KJV. But as I listened to my two Pastors, I came to realize that, just as I had told my students of literature, I had to be an active reader of my text and commentaries. I had to see the wisdom of Gallaty and his guidance into the life of an Eastern Rabbi during the 1st Century.  It was then that I came to see Joseph and Jesus as craftsmen (Hart and Barclay’s word) or carpenters, or handymen and could grasp the idea of Jesus as a shepherd over His flock. Then I came to a deeper understanding of foundations and shepherds.

            And perhaps I will try to lean Greek. Then I will not be dependent on any translator.

Stu Stepp Continues His Recovery

by   January 16, 2025 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Stu Stepp Continues His Recovery!

      SRR member Stu Stepp grew up in Hendersonville NC where he began his running journey at Flat Rock Jr. High. Stu joined the track team in 9th grade, then as a junior and senior at North Henderson High School he qualified for four state championship events, the open 400, the 4 x400, the 4 x 200, and the 4 x100. Stu said, “I was the anchor on all three relays. We were state runners-up both in ‘95 and ‘96 to North Rowan. I did cross country too, but I was a soccer player and wasn’t good at running distance.”

     Stu stopped running until about 2008, when his doctor said to lose weight or go on Lipitor. He said, “I met some local people and eventually we formed a running group in Salisbury. The madness began as I ran 28 total full marathons from 2012 to 2022 and completed five 100 mile running races, as well as numerous other ultra marathons. It’s hard to explain all of this to my non-running friends but call it a form of healthy coping. Healthy in the fact that if I wasn’t running, I could have been coping another unhealthy way.”

     Having qualified twice for the Boston Marathon and three times for the Western States 100 miler, Stu possessed a good mixture of speed and endurance. He said, “I redefined what an ‘accomplishment’ in running meant to me. To go out and participate and to do the race, the event, is the accomplishment. There is glory for all runners, walkers, adventure seekers in doing the event. Being fast and strong is great but just finishing in my opinion is the greatest accomplishment.”

      Stu completed the Indiana Trail 100 miler in October 2021 and would complete a 5K and two half marathons after it. He completed all three races while not feeling well, then realized he was having trouble breathing when running. At 5:15 am one morning while running from the YMCA, Stu couldn’t breathe and walked back to his car.

      He said, “I’ll never forget that day. A few days later, I had developed a blood clot in my left leg and learned the reason I couldn’t breathe was because of clots in my lungs. While I was having surgery to remove the clots, I unfortunately had a ‘shower of strokes’ and since have been on this new journey of redefining my life.”

     A former teacher at West Rowan Middle School, Stu said, “I am now a tutor at RCCC, which isn’t teaching but is close, and I am the “stroke advocate” for Novant at the hospital, a volunteer position. I speak to as many stroke survivors as I can and tell them my story which hopefully offers them inspiration for their recovery. With the help of Novant, RCCC, and the YMCA I am in the process of starting a stroke support group here in Rowan County. I also have a big goal of going to graduate school with the hope of getting a master’s degree and possibly working full time again. And one day I will run again.”

     With no feeling on his left side, Stu said, “My entire left side is a lot weaker and although I’ve come a long way, I still have a good bit of trouble with my left hand and arm. My walking has slowly improved over time, along with almost everything else. Getting into water was the biggest game changer with my therapy, giving me balance and resistance and making me feel alive.”

        On New Year’s Day at our Resolution Run 5K, Stu was one of 73 finishers. This Saturday is the 3-year mark since his strokes. Stu said, “Walking the 3.1 today definitely wore me out but it’s something I can do once a month or so. Just like anything else we do, the more repetition the easier it gets. For me and other stroke survivors this is true because it’s just repetition on a much bigger scale. I enjoy being at running events and around those I used to run with. I still have big goals of walking a little faster and going a little further. I will always consider myself a part of the running family regardless of if I run again one day.” 

       He continued as a stroke survivor, “Work on the small goals and have bigger goals that you want to achieve. Everything is therapy. Keep showing up. Keep doing the work. Some of us are made to climb mountains, I truly believe I can, survivors can get back a lot of what we lost but it takes a lot of physical and mental work. One foot after another.” 

      Stu will lead his first stroke support meeting at the Hurley YMCA on Jake at 7 pm, February 3rd.  Lasting for an hour, meetings continue the first Monday of each month at the same time and location. Stu will soon have a Novant email address for those with questions. It’s for survivors and their supporters. We will post it when available.

Gotta’ Run: Stu Stepp continues his recovery

Future Things

by   January 15, 2025 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Jeremiah 33:3 NLT Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

  • God is omnipresent.  He is in the past, He is in the future, He is in the present.  He knows all things to come.
  • All we have to do is ask.
  • He will tell us things that are unknown (secrets) but there is a purpose that we may be devoted to Him and full of confidence in Him.

Prayer:  Lord I do ask that You reveal and show me the way and things to come that I can be prepared in my heart.  I am confident in You that You are in control and that I am not to be afraid.  Teach me and show me Your ways.  I belong to You.  Amen.

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Feisty Woman

by   January 13, 2025 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

Twenty years ago today, my mama passed from this life to the next. Oh how we miss her. At 72, she was the strongest, healthiest person I knew… until she wasn’t. She died of a rare disease which at the time doctors said affected only 3 in one million. Praise God, her suffering was over within two months. I think of her often.

Sometimes I send her little messages through the Lord. I’m not sure how things like that work. I don’t think she can hear me, but according to our faith, she IS with the Savior. So I ask Him to relay to her things of home and how good the great. grandbabies are doing. Stuff like that. She probably smiles that beautiful smile and hopes I know that her new home is just as wonderful as we thought it would be. She and my mom-in-law Nina are probably yukin’ it up so much that Jesus can’t get a word in edgewise. After she passed, I remembered a verse she sent me in a letter while I was away in college. To me it was perfect. She had been so worried about my finances when I left home. But this verse she copied from Scripture had obviously comforted her.

“In the multitude of my thoughts, Thy comforts delight my soul.” -Psalm 94:19

I love it. Even now, twenty years later, in the middle of all my thoughts, He comforts me. Mama is truly doing just fine. And though I miss her, so am I.

Shared Stories, Changed Lives

by   January 12, 2025 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Holidays sometimes provide unique opportunities to hear grand stories of someone’s life. You may have collected some new ones yourself over the past couple of months: things you never knew about a person, hints into mysteries of family ‘lore, retellings of big stories that are almost legendary. But then, there are those important stories that were forever life-changing. 

While visiting my folks’ home on Christmas I happened upon my mom’s devotional books and Bibles resting on a table in the sitting room where she often read. Tucked inside a book, I spied a couple of sheets of lined notebook paper. I fingered the folded sheets, gently opening them, as though I was trespassing upon something sacred. I instantly recognized the handwriting. Though she rarely journaled and only signed her name “Mom” on birthday cards, I remember her handwriting from all those years of notes left conveniently on my bathroom counter reminding me to complete chores that she listed (boy, did I try to avoid going to the bathroom early on a summer morning – ignorance is bliss!). 

Though not a lengthy note, it briefly detailed her life’s story – at least the most significant parts she found worth sharing. It was a story of searching, finding, getting off track, and finally feeling freedom from the chains of sin – freedom still felt even while going through great tragedy and sorrow. The details are private, but the idea of writing out or sharing a testimony is priceless. 

I shared photos of my newly discovered treasure with my son, interning at a retreat and camp center in Western NC. Even through a text, he felt more closely connected to who she was. He felt closer to home. The timing of sending it was divine: he had been dealing with a particularly trying weekend. Sharing testimonies is encouraging. 

Another week, a young missionary shared a brief testimony during our Sunday service. She related an encounter where she had to ask God to move in hearts and open the door for her to speak the gospel when a door seemed almost impossible to maneuver. God answered that prayer. An hour after that service, my son called asking for prayer to connect with a young camper uncertain of his eternity. I shared the missionary’s testimony with him, cautioning him against manipulating moments but rather waiting on the Holy Spirit to do the work He promised to do of convicting. Sharing testimonies is encouraging and can give direction.

It’s not a new story. The Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 8 in the Bible, who ministered to Elisha, the Lord’s prophet, and whose son Elisha raised from the dead, had a remarkable testimony. It was so moving that the king of Israel heard about it, met her, and was so astounded that he restored the land and produce she had left while escaping a famine. Testimonies are powerful!

Many years ago, I remember my mom being on a personal mission to gather testimonies from friends – friends whose stories had been forgotten or remained unshared a generation later yet were a big part of who they became. I am so thankful for those stories she shared with me and even more thankful for the one I stumbled upon on Christmas evening.

Testimonies of the Lord’s transformation in lives, His presence and direction, and His mighty power move lives. They are not meant to be kept to ourselves. Sharing them empowers and encourages others, often when we have no idea they need to hear them. Maybe you need to hear one. Ask someone who you see walking in peace and joy. Perhaps you have one that needs to be heard or retold. When you feel a prompting, share it with someone who may not know the path you have walked.

A Change of Routine

by   January 11, 2025 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

A Change in Routine

            I went for a walk the other day and noticed that most of my neighbors had taken down their outside Christmas decorations. I also noticed twinkling lights coming from inside a number of homes, evidence that the Christmas tree was still up. Mine is still up and I am still enjoying it. It has been nice to just enjoy it without all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

            With the holiday season behind us, people are beginning to think about the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day. While many might be hoping to bypass winter and move right into spring, I am looking forward to some snow. I am also looking forward to spring and a new gardening season, but I am content to look out the window for some snow for now.

            I know many people are glad to be getting back to the routines of life. The holiday season brings a welcome break from routine, but after all the travel and craziness many find themselves longing to return to the routines of life. People want their children back on school schedules and bedtime routines. People want to get back to work so they can pay all the bills from the holiday season. People want to get back to their regular routines.

            I think this is a good time to break away from the rut of our routines. If we are honest with each other, there are some routines that need to change. The trouble is that it is difficult to change our lives and routines. But after having a break from them during the holiday season, maybe now is a great time to assess and change some routines.

            What needs changing? I know that I need to work on not staying up so late at night. I did some reading before bed over the holidays and I liked that. I would like to add that routine. Maybe we need to look at what we have been eating. While the holidays lead all of us down temptation alley, there are probably some things we need to change in our regular eating habits. We probably all need to move our bodies more. Exercise is good for our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

            I enjoy scrolling through social media, watching videos, especially weather videos, and watching TV. We all need down time, but can we limit that in order to do something else like reading, writing to a friend, or spending more time with our family. Speaking of the family, imagine the positive impact on your family if you chose to spend time together as a family or spending one-on-one time with your children. Pick something the two of you can do to connect.

            Simple changes do not mean we have to give up the things we enjoy. It means we might do those things less in order to do something we want to do. That was how I started writing my weekly column. I wanted to write and I decided I could give up TV one night a week in order to write. It’s been over thirty years filled with great rewards.

            One area we can all work on is spending more time with God. God wants to be invited into our lives. He wants to know that our relationship with Him is a priority. Some people like to spend time with Him at night, but sometimes He only gets a few minutes before we fall asleep. Others choose to spend time with Him in the morning, but some mornings He is squeezed out because we have a busy day scheduled. God is jealous when we ignore Him. He wants one-on-one time with us AND He wants us to invite Him into our daily routines. We often invite Him when we face a crisis but He wants to be involved in every moment of our lives. He wants to connect with every area of our lives.

            I want to encourage you to incorporate a few small changes that will allow you to connect more with God. He wants a closer and more intimate relationship with you. Pray that God will help you become more aware of His presence. Open the doors to connect with God while you are exercising, running errands, taking the kids to their activities, and while doing routine things. God wants to connect with you. He wants to speak through you. He wants to demonstrate His love for others through you. Make more room for Him in the midst of your routines. Welcome a deeper relationship with Him this year.

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

Just a Paperback Copy

by   January 10, 2025 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

One advantage for me during the pandemic is that there is more time for reading. While it is true that I, as a retired person, did  not have the pressures of a job and young family before the pandemic, there was time for outside activities, such as church and meals in restaurants. The pandemic has caused those activities and others to be curtailed, so more reading has filled the slot.

One day this past week, I decided to re-read A Month in the Country, the delightful and powerful novel by J.L. Carr. The author states in the foreword that he was trying to write  “a rural idyll along the lines of Thomas Hardy’s Under the Greenwood Tree.” Carr accomplishes that and more in his story of Tom Birkin’s brief time in a remote Yorkshire village after the Great War as he restores a church painting depicting the apocalypse and his own re-healing seen through his eyes years hence.

In 2000 or so a fellow teacher recommended Carr’s short novel, and since then I have read it several times, given copies as gifts to fellow teachers and friends, and even owned a signed first edition. However, I gave that copy to my friend Druin who lives near Oxford, England. I had introduced Druin to Carr one summer while working in Pembroke College, and he is the one who pilfered my copy of The First Saturday in May, Carr’s nostalgic remembrance of a cricket match in 1936. Over the years, every time I mentioned First Saturday, Druin admitted his taking of the book while refusing to return it; so when my wife and I visited him and his family in 2010, I decided since he had one he might as well have the other, so I gave him my signed first edition of Month-one pilfered, one gifted.

Another friend that I shared Carr with was Joy, a lady and poet who I worked with at NCS for ten years. She was quite a literary person who enjoyed a strong poem, a well-crafted story, and chocolate. She was my best editor until her death, at age 90, in January 2020. (I often think that her death from heart failure was a foretelling of the dreadful year to follow.) Years ago I had introduced Joy and Druin via email and read many of their literary discussions with awe. One, a writer in Northwest DC and the other in Oxford, England, both sharing their delight in writers such as Carr and many more. Druin and I enjoyed Joy’s pleasure when she received, unannounced, a copy of Druin’s latest book, The Shape of Things to Come.

Now here I was removing the thin paperback from a bookshelf before I settled in to read a bit before the urge to nap took control. But I quickly became puzzled  by what I saw on the insider page when I opened the book,  However, the puzzlement soon evolved into a pleasing appreciation for life’s unannounced moments.  In the upper right-hand corner was a pasted label with Joy’s full name and address. A neat, diagonal line crossed through the label and below it in Joy’s neat hand was written: “From Roger B. 2/14/01” but below that line was written: “To Roger B. 9/23/15.” I had given her this copy of Month not long after I had “discovered” it, and she returned it for some reason fourteen years later. I flipped through the book and noticed pencil highlights that I had made during some reading but stuck between pages 22 and 23 was a bright colored piece of paper on which Joy had written these words from the novel: “And, at such a time, for a few of us there will always be a tugging at the heart, knowing a precious moment gone and we not there.”

I am writing this on Christmas Eve afternoon and wondering at how good literature and good friends intertwine in our lives. This past year, such a difficult one that has been full of toil and trouble and death, is also the one of Joy’s death. But the lines she copied onto that sheet of paper tell much about her and all of us. James, the brother of Jesus,  writes, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

I did not nap, but instead placed Joy’s copy of Month beside my signed copy of Carr’s What Hetty Did in the class bookcase.. No longer will the small paperback sit on the shelf for reading copies.  Once in her last year, Joy told me that she was having too much fun living to die. That was all! No fear of death. No tugs of her heart.  Just a recognition and appreciation for life’s “precious moments.”

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