Tag: mountains
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Lord, Let Me Offer My Breath as a Prayer
The mountain air is clear and crisp this morning. I inhale its freshness, releasing a deep sigh. Oh, how thankful I am to return to Appalachia. Its sheer beauty calms my troubled soul. I offer my breath as a prayer—not knowing exactly what to pray, I allow the Spirit to work in me and through…
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I Think I Can: A Mindset of Confidence
When my children were young, one of my favorite stories to read to them was The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. Now that my grandchildren are old enough to listen to books, I find joy in this classic tale once again. The best line in the story comes as the little engine chugs…
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Change is Never Easy
Nearly two years have passed since my husband and I made the decision to move out of state from our Indiana home. We both love the Smokey Mountains and the time seemed right to take a leap of faith. In July 2021, we purchased our dream farm in East Tennessee. But change is never easy….
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One of God’s Greatest Masterpieces
Autumn is by far my favorite season of the year. The crisp morning air and the earthy smell of dry leaves crunching beneath my feet captivate me. But these attributes of fall pale in comparison to the vibrant hues dotting the vistas near my East Tennessee home. From a lofty vantage point, the view reminds…
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Hidden Aqueduct: A Source of Life
Behind our farmhouse, a natural spring flows down the mountainside. You might not notice it as it moves through the lush fern gully strewn with moss covered rocks. But this spring provides the water for our home and the surrounding barns. This hidden aqueduct is a source of life for us as well as the…
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Bearing With Bears and Other Wild Critters
Bearing with bears and other wild critters is all a part of living in the mountains of East Tennessee. With the Cherokee National Forest all around us, encounters with animals are expected. But what I didn’t expect was a bear in my garage. Yes, just a few days ago we found evidence that a bear…
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Nostalgia: A Longing for Home
The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing-to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from-my country, the place where I ought to have been born. Do you think it all meant nothing, all the longing? The longing for home? For indeed it now feels not like…