by faith alone

If, on a quiet sea, toward Heaven we calmly sail,
With grateful hearts, O God, to Thee,
We’ll own the favoring gale. 

But should the surges rise, and rest delay to come,
Blest be the tempest, kind the storm,
Which drives us nearer home. 

Soon shall our doubts and fears all yield to Thy control;
Thy tender mercies shall illume
The midnight of the soul. 

Teach us, in every state, to make Thy will our own;
And when the joys of sense depart,
To live by faith alone.

--Augustus Montague Toplady (1740-1778) Hymnist. 

"If, On a Quiet Sea" is not especially well known, I don't even think it makes it into most hymnals today, but it's one of my favorites.

Relax!

The man who doesn't relax and hoot a few hoots voluntarily, now and then, is in great danger of hooting hoots and standing on his head for the edification of the pathologist and trained nurse, a little later on.
--Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author. 

The Mountain Magnolia Inn is a beautifully restored 1868 Victorian mansion in the quaint mountain village of Hot Springs, NC. Located on 3 1/2 acres, the Inn features lodging and fine dining (dinner only, reservations recommended). The Inn, originally known as Rutland, was the home of Colonel James H. Rumbough and his wife Carie and their eight children. Pictured to the right is the foyer and the parlor (click to enlarge). For more information, photos and directions, click here.

crayola sky

Artists are just children who refuse to put down their crayons.
--Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003) American caricaturist

house of prayer

 

The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.
--Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) Danish philosopher, theologian and author.

Above: 'Primitive Baptist Church' (built 1887) located in Cades Cove within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  To the right is a view inside (click to enlarge).

rejoice!

We consider Christmas as the encounter, the great encounter, the historical encounter, the decisive encounter, between God and mankind. He who has faith knows this truly; let him rejoice.
--Pope Paul VI (1897-1978)

Above: Stained glass window, Hopwood Memorial Christian Church, Milligan College, TN.

Merry Christmas!

If Everyday was like Christmas

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
--Charles Dickens (1812-1870) English novelist. 

 Above: The beautiful Saint John's Church (dedicated in 1862) in Valle Crucis, NC.

Click here to listen to Elvis sing "If Everyday was like Christmas".

Christmas is all in the Heart

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.
--Roy L. Smith. 

Click here to listen to Steven Curtis Chapman's Christmas is All in the Heart.

Christmas waiting

Time always seems long to the child who is waiting for Christmas.
--Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961) Swedish author

My friends' son E.J. (21 months old) with Mimi watching for Santa (well, actually watching their dad turn on the outside Christmas lights...)

hope

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
--Helen Keller.

This is the first iPhone photo I've posted on Appy Treks. While the images often lack the resolution and clarity of those taken with my Nikon SLR, it certainly is handier to carry around! I've been busy grading final exams, so I haven't been able to get out much lately to enjoy this amazing weather. This particular shot was taken on a rainy day last week from my front porch.

disruptive innovation

Just as a stream flows smoothly on as long as it encounters no obstruction, so the nature of man and animal is such that we never really notice or become conscious of what is agreeable to our will; if we are to notice something, our will has to have been thwarted, has to have experienced a shock of some kind.
--Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) German philosopher.    

If you haven't yet ordered your 2012 Appy Treks Calendar -- you can now get one for 50% off! Use code HOLIDAYSUPERSAVINGS355 when ordering thru 12/31 (save up to $15).  Order yours today! :)

2012 Appalachian Treks Calendar

The 2012 Appalachian Treks Calendar. This twelve-month calendar features a different landscape each month of a beautiful scene from the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. The calendar is full-color, spiral bound, measures approximately 11"x17" when opened, and is printed on high-quality card stock.

Give the gift of Appy Treks this Christmas!  :) 


 
Special Offer! Lulu (my printer) is always putting out promotional codes for the products it lists. Here are the ones I've found that I'd recommend trying during checkout: HOLIDAYSUPERSAVINGS355 (50% off), DECPHOTOS30 (30% off), and NINECAL (15% off). Thanks in advance for your order!

dew dance

Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf.
--Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)  Indian author. 

Still time to order an Appy Treks 2012 Calendar in time for Christmas!  Use code 'COUNTDOWN305' during checkout and get 25% off! (thru 12/14)

a penny for your thoughts

The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer.
--Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American Essayist, Poet and Philosopher. 

A view of Holston Mountain from a farm in Sullivan County, TN.

that man is a success

The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it.
--Author Unknown 

A scene from along the Erwin Linear Trail...