Gene Autry and the Big Black Bear

I grew up in North Carolina with an ocean to the east, and mountains to the west. I love both, but in my heart of hearts I'm a mountain girl. My family went to Tweetsie Railroad, Blowing Rock, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Gatlinberg, and I've hiked the Chimney Tops and even chased a bear or two.

The most recent bear chase was this December when I took my son, WillMcJ to see my beloved Smokeys. Okay, we didn't chase the bear, we ran from the bear, but it was a really big bear, and I know you're not supposed to run, but we couldn't seem to get that message to go from our brains to our feet before we were high-tailing it back to the river. We tried to run like we weren't running, you know, the way kids do when you tell them not to run in the house.

We had a Gene Autry souvenir pocket knife with us. Fortunately, the bear did not feel threatened by it in the least. A guitar would have been as helpful, maybe more so. You know what they say about music calming the savage beast.

My friend Dawn tells me they're blasting the tops off of MY mountains, leveling some of them. I'm sure they have good reasons, that there is big money and there are valuable resources involved, but my heart is breaking over it. The means is certainly not worth the end of the many lifetimes cradled by that blue Appalachian glory.

We saw a devastated mountain on our way home from Gatlinberg this December. We were devastated, too. I'm so sorry, WillMcJ, that your children and grandchildren will be left with this horrible lesson in greed and lack of respect for God's creation. I'm going to write to my government officials and ask them to please help. There IS a better way. I promise you, Will, I care enough to learn more about this and do whatever I can to help. Let's check it out together:

Google search: LEAF-mountaintop removal and you can read all about it.

Much Love for ALL of God's creation,
Kim

The Gift That Keeps Giving

In a scratched up wooden frame behind a broken piece of glass these words are written in beautiful calligraphy and hanging on my music room wall:  "I press on toward the mark for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus." It was a gift when I was a teenager from someone at my church in N.C., someone whose kindness I remember but whose name I have forgotten. This little plaque has moved with me many times; that's how it got broken. The words are from the Bible, Philippians 3:14. I have felt like that little broken frame carrying God's word around in my heart, trying to live by it. I was never quite sure what the goal was that I was suppose to be pressing toward, I just tried to press on in God's direction and hoped it would take me to the right place. I have learned that sometimes simply pressing on is enough. Press on for more of God, and I promise He will meet you more than halfway.

You're going to love the prize.

Much love,
Kim