In Stillness and Simplicity

Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is.
--Amy Carmichael (1867-1951) Christian missionary to India. 

A scene from Rocky Fork in Unicoi County, TN. Click here to listen to Michael Card's song, In Stillness and Simplicity.

"You're All The World To Me"

To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world.
--Anonymous

Here's my friend Tim's daughter, Hannah, playing on the swings at Steele Creek Park.  To see Hannah's previous appearances on Appalachian Treks click here and here.  And to hear Tony Bennett singing "You're All the World to Me" click below...

BTW...there was a nice article about Spruce Pine, NC in the Washington Examiner.

being free

Can I tell you something
Got to tell you one thing
If you expect the freedom
That you say is yours
Prove that you deserve it
Help us to preserve it
Or being free will just be
Words and nothing more
--Kansas, "Can I Tell You" American Rock Band, 1974

Happy Flag Day! :)

hard times

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body.
--Elizabeth Stone, author

This is my friend, Eddie, with his newborn son. I'm proud of Ed and the man he's become. I've known him since he was 14 -- and I can attest that growing up wasn't always easy for him. Lots of hard times. But through every difficulty, through times of loss, pain and confusion, he sought to learn and grow and encourage others. He eventually joined the army and served for just over four years - including 15 months in Ramadi, Iraq during some of the most violent months of the war. When he returned home he joined the reserve -- and he's now finishing his drill sergeant training. I'm thankful for Eddie and those like him, who serve and sacrifice for our freedom and security with the hope that hard times come again no more.

The song, Hard Times Come Again No More, was written by Stephen Collins Foster in 1854. In its day, the song was well known and a favorite of both sides during the American Civil War. Although many have covered this song over the years, my favorite version is Johnny Cash's emotional rendition recorded in 2003 -- listen here.

Tiger and Sallie Whitehead

A trail crosses a small footbridge across Tiger Creek and winds its way up to a small, secluded hilltop graveyard, a fitting resting place for Tiger Whitehead and his wife, Sallie. Tiger was an east Tennessee legend -- Tiger Creek and Tiger Valley were named for him. The inscription on his tombstone reads, "The noted hunter - James T. Whitehead - Born 1819 (Killed 99 Bears) - Died Sept. 25, 1905. We hope he has gone to rest."

As the story goes, this bear hunter was named Tiger after a traveling circus lost a tiger and commisioned him to hunt it down. In just a few short days, he brought it back from the thick woods alive. Tiger was almost killed once when he only wounded his target and the black bear charged him. Not having time to reload, Tiger shoved the butt of his gun into the bear's mouth and then reached for his knife and killed it. It's also said that when he was near death, his friends trapped a bear and brought it to him, trying to help him reach the 100 mark. But Tiger said, "No! If it's not free and running wild, I can't kill it."

Next to Tiger's grave, lies his wife, Sallie Garland Whitehead. She was just as much a character as her husband. Her tombstone tells her story: "Sallie Garland - Wife of James Chambers and James T. Whitehead - Age 97 years - She was not only a mother to the human race, but to all animal kind as she gave nurse to one fawn and two cubs. She is now resting from her labor." Interesting that there were numerous pennies left by visitors on her grave.  While her gravestone does not indicate her dates, her great-great-grandson emailed to tell me she was born in 1803 and died in 1900.

In the early 1970's Johnny Cash played a concert in Jonesborough, TN -- the next day, his friend Dr. Nat Winston took him to see Grandfather Mountain in NC. On the way, he stopped off to show Johnny the graves of these local legends and to tell him their story. Johnny wrote the song which he included on a 1975 children's album. He actually tells the story of their visit to the grave on the album "Personal File" which was released after his death.

Click here and here to read more about Tiger and Sallie;
Click here to read the lyrics to Johnny's Song; and finally,
Click here to see a wonderful painting inspired by Cash's song.

Thankful

The more you complain, the more you find things to complain about. The more you give thanks, the more you find things to be thankful for.
--Bob Hoffman, Mercer University Basketball Coach

And now, for a little Thanksgiving entertainment...Click here to listen to Josh Groban's inspiring song, Thankful. And click here for beautiful photography set to George Winston's Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't fence me in

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.

--Cole Porter and Robert Fletcher, 1934. Click here to hear Bing Crosby's 1944 rendition.

Above: A fence at Carver's Gap on Roan Mountain.

How can I keep from singing?

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of Heav’n and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His—
How can I keep from singing?

--Robert Lowry (1826-1899) Baptist minister and hymnist

This hymn is gained popularity through the recordings of Pete Seeger, Enya, and most recently Bruce Springsteen. Most recordings follow Seeger's reworking of the lyrics, which removed the Christian references. The lyrics above are the original version, penned by Lowry in 1860. Click here to visit a neat website (if you like old hymns) called "The Cyber Hymnal."

The waterfall above is one of the most visited in the Tri-Cities area --the Blue Hole is a series of four small waterfalls (totaling a drop of 45 feet) outside of Elizabethton, TN. Click here to see my previous posts and to get directions. Click here for a map of the area.

'Tis the gift to be simple

If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.
--Eleanora Duse (1858-1924) Italian Actress

This quote got me singing "Simple Things" and digging through my CD collection to find Copland. Composer Aaron Copland borrowed the traditional Shaker melody in creating his quintessential American classic "Appalachian Spring." Click here to listen to an NPR discussion of Copland's masterpiece ('real' player required). And click here to watch a short 1981 video of Marilyn Horne performing "Simple Gifts" -- and you'll be singing it all day...

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

--Joseph Brackett, Jr. (1848)

Unicoi County Apple Festival

Here are a couple of shots from the 30th annual Apple Festival in Erwin, TN. As you can tell from the sea of faces above, it's a popular event -- the two day event is expected to draw in excess of 100,000 people to this town of approximately 18,000. There's lots of arts and crafts, food, shopping, bluegrass and gospel music, and games and rides for the kids. The festival is typically held on the first Friday and Saturday in October, with hours both days from 8am to 8pm. To the right is a photo of fiddler Joel Shimberg.

Winds of heaven, stuff of earth

There's a wideness in God's mercy
I cannot find in my own
And He keeps His fire burning
To melt this heart of stone
Keeps me aching with a yearning
Keeps me glad to have been caught
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God
--Rich Mullins (1955-1997), Christian singer and songwriter

[click photo to enlarge]. Today I pause to remember and pay tribute to Rich Mullins, who died unexpectedly ten years ago today. He was a Christian musician, singer and songwriter, best known for the song "Awesome God." The title for today's blog is taken from one of his albums -- and it fits who Rich was -- he was drawn along by the winds of heaven, and he sang of the realities we wrestle with here amongst the stuff of earth. In many ways his was a prophetic voice challenging complacent, cultural Christians to fully belong to God and to incarnate and bear witness to His love. Author Brennan Manning likened Rich to a 'wounded soldier' -- so vulnerable in his pain, and yet so passionate for his Christ. For more info, click here and here. What follows are some of my favorite Rich Mullins quotes:

I think we cry at funerals--even funerals of people we don't like--because we realize what a miracle a life is. You realize, 'This will never happen again.' There will never be this exact combination of genes, there will never again be the things that have created this person to be what he was. God has spoken uniquely here, and it's gone. It's over. And I think there's some regret, because we all realize, boy, we didn't pay enough attention.

Every time you go to church, you're confessing again to yourself, to your family, to the people you pass on the way there, that you don't have it all together, and that you need their support. You need their direction. You need some accountability, you need some help.

I think that we were given the Scriptures, not so that we could prove that we were right about everything--it was to humble us into realizing that God is right, and the rest of us are just guessing.

I am a Christian because I have seen the love of God lived out in the lives of people who know Him. The Word has become flesh and I have encountered God in the people who have manifested (in many 'unreasonable' ways) His presence--a presence that is more than convincing--it is a presence that is compelling. I am a Christian, not because someone explained the nuts and bolts of Christianity to me, but because there were people who were willing to be nuts and bolts. Through their obedience to the truth and not necessarily through their explanation of it, they held it together so that I could experience it and be compelled to obey.

When I was in Thailand, I met this missionary. And I was talking to her and I said, 'You know, I just want the Lord to use me.' And she said, 'Well, forget it. God doesn't need you for anything. God doesn't want to use you, He just wants you to love him.

The thing that's cool about music is how unnecessary it is. Of all things, music is the most frivolous and the most useless. You can't eat it, you can't drive it, you can't live in it, you can't wear it. But your life wouldn't be worth much without it.

Don't resist the work of God by asking for an easy life.

If we want to meet Jesus, it won't likely be at church, although I'm a big believer in going to church. I think that when we meet Christ it will be somewhere outside the camp. It will be where people have been marginalized, people who have been literally imprisoned. We will meet Him where we least expect to.

I had a prof one time... He said, 'Class, you will forget almost everything I will teach you in here, so please remember this: that God spoke to Balaam through his ass, and He has been speaking through asses ever since. So, if God should choose to speak through you, you need not think too highly of yourself. And, if on meeting someone, right away you recognize what they are, listen to them anyway'.

Blue Plum Festival

The annual Blue Plum Festival which features music and the arts (along with plenty of food) concluded in Johnson City last night. I've always wondered why it's named "blue plum." I suspected it was chosen to draw attention to the blues/jazz music that is often featured. Perhaps, I thought, it's also a subtle nod to the fact that Johnson City was once referred to as "Little Chicago" (which is known for its blues music). However, standing next to Fountain Square downtown I looked over and read the historical marker which says the following...

Johnson City
Incorporated - December 1, 1869

The town was formerly known as Green Meadows, Blue Plum, Johnson's Depot, Haynesville, then Johnson city. It is situated on land grants of 1782 to Robert and Joseph Young and in 1792 to Joseph Tipton. The town charter was repealed in 1879, but reincorporated in 1885. The name honors Henry Johnson, prominent merchant and postmaster. As industrial and educational center, it is the home of Milligan College, East Tennessee State University, and Steed College.
So now I know. But then another question arose, what the heck is Steed College?!? From the few references I could find, it was a business college that existed in Johnson City from 1940-1982.

Click here for a site detailing the history of Johnson City, TN.

Bluegrass & Honey

As you leave Grandfather Mountain (see yesterday's blog), turn left onto Hwy 221 going toward the Blue Ridge Parkway and Blowing Rock, NC. You will immediately come to a fruit stand on the right side of the road. Odds are Floyd Gragg will be there selling honey and jam. Pull over. You'll be glad you did. Floyd and his family have been selling here since the 1950s. That's him on the left (above) with his friend Mr. Dellinger (I didn't get his first name). If he has his instruments out you might ask for him to play a bluegrass song from the Carter Family like "Wildwood Flower" or "Keep on the Sunny Side." Floyd is an amazing talent and quite the entertainer. Stopping at this little fruit stand may just be the highlight of your day.