My Favorite Picture of the Trip

I forgot to post my favorite picture of the trip. Undaunted by the rain, the Holtons and Joneses continued their sightseeing:)

Last Glimpses of a Beautiful Weekend.....

My heart cries with the poet, "O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!" My heart is so very peaceful and my senses are so full..... Thank you, Lord, for Your beautiful world!

Next to the Last Entry for Today....

Thank you for a Lovely Visit

Thank you, Dad and Bea. It's one we will never forget!

More of Beautiful Macon, Georgia

Yesterday afternoon had a "fairing up", as the Georgians say. Thanks, Bea, for teaching me this phrase. I really like it.... The drive yesterday evening was absolutely breathtaking. Dad and Bea, you were both very patient as Paul and I would ask you to slow down to catch the scenes on our cameras. We were all so deeply touched by the beautiful landscapes, one after another, before our eyes.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church

I'm so thankful that Bea took us back to St. Joseph's. This is the most beautiful church building that I've ever seen. The letters in the top left picture tell so much about the spirit of this holy place. The Latin stands for "All to the Greater Glory of God". A small perish of about 150 people built this gorgeous structure over a hundred fifty years ago, through sacrificial giving...... I'm always deeply touched when I enter the sanctuary......

Macon Cherrry Blossoms in the Rain

What a nice trip to Macon, Georgia, we had this weekend. Paul, Liz, and I met at Dad and Bea's home and were treated to a grand tour of this beautiful city! Even in the rain, it was absolutely spectacular! Thanks so much, Ya'll.... We really enjoyed seeing the beautiful sights!

Chickamauga Reflections

So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19

Yours, oh LORD, are the times and the seasons. What is the life of man but a vapor, a mere puff of Your breath that you lend us for a season....May this mist of air that I call "life" not be lived in vain, Lord. May I be faithful......
As I walked the paths of this old battlefield yesterday afternoon, the granite monuments reminded me of lives lost and wounds earned by gallant soldiers of another time and age. An eagle with his broken wing seemed to guard this holy place. Though wounded and maimed, he held the standard of our nation high. And through almost two centuries, he has refused to release this banner in defeat. His faithfulness challenged my soul......
And as I saw all around me the emerging of the living Spring, I was reminded that it is the blood of the saints that waters the ground for new and lasting life. May my own small wounds be used for Your eternal kingdom, LORD. And may Your honor and glory and power fill our land.....

Chickamauga on a Sunday Afternoon

What a lovely ending to a lovely day....walking in solitude amidst the long shadows on this battlefield of long ago......the stillness of dusk, deer grazing in the pastures, the smells of the mountain dew falling on newly mown grass, optimistic daffodils holding on to their sunlight in the deepening twilight hues, an occasional bird calling as she settles down for an evening's sleep, granite reminders of the lives lost here so many years ago for the preservation of the nation we have today......a time of soul searching and contemplation and preparation for the days ahead......

Smithgall Woods

Spring is coming to the mountains! I can almost hear Dicken, Collin, and Mary crying, "It's wick!" at the sight of the budding trees, the wood violets peeking at the day, the daffodils nodding their heads in the cold breeze. Winter is passing away and a new spring is emerging more with each passing week.... My soul seems so very much alive in these blue hills. How did I ever live without seasons??? Oh Lord, may I never take them for granted.
May the sights and beauty of each morning never be wasted by my old eyes. May I ever drink in the gifts that You have provided for each day. May I hear Your voice with each mountain breeze and each bird's song in the hills. May I see Your creative hand in each budding branch or flower. May each breath of mountain air remind me of Your healing, cleansing Spirit of Life. May my every thought become worship and praise of You......

This Is the Dawning of a Brand New Day

Can it be that this has honestly become my home.....or perhaps a beautiful foreshadowing of my heavenly home to come....
I feel more at home and, at the same time, more of a pilgrim with each passing season. I find that I don't really belong anywhere any more....
But how gracious of my heavenly Father to surround me with beauty and peace on this journey toward my true home....and a yearning in my soul for things to come....

Jan and Harry's Visit

What a delightful day with long-time friends from Baytown yesterday! One of the very few sorrows I have in living here is not being able to share it with others. Having friends from Texas is a real treat! What a joy to share these beloved hills with them. We made the loop from Chatsworth to Ellijay to Amicalola Falls to Delonaga to Blairsville, Blue Ridge and Cherry Log and then back to Dalton. Whew! I know they must have been tired last night, but it meant so much to share my world with the Heinlein's!

View from My Little Terrace Last Evening

Yesterday was like a day in May.....the Bradford Pears, the cherry trees, the daffodils and narcissus and crocus....all peeking out through the brown tones of winter. Much like my soul, which is feeling the surge of life and purpose and joy that will not be contained. I had to sit in silence and wonderment yesterday evening as I viewed this scene....And to think that it's "in my own back yard!" What peace surrounds this place.... All of this....and a little grandson about to make his precious appearance, as well. Life, I cannot hold you close enough!

If Winter is Here, Can Spring Be Far Behind?

Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" rings in my mind and heart this morning.....The chill of the morning Appalachian air....the hills before me beginning to awaken their gentle hues of spring...hints of pink and white and crimson....among the grey and barren branches of the trees below and beyond.....

What joy to wake to this sight, to step out onto our little back terrace, and to be surrounded by the sounds of mourning doves and Canadian geese and bluebirds greeting the coming day.....Lord, thank You for Your grace and for your steadfast and enduring love. Your mercies ARE new every morning....and how great is your faithfulness, Lord, unto me! I cry with Shelley, Lord "Make me Thy lyre, even as the forest is....."

The Tar Baby

Couldn't help but think of Sophie as I was told that the Uncle Remus Museum is about an hour from here. She reminds me so much of the Tar Baby. There was such wisdom and laughter in those classic tales.... It makes me sad that they are all but banned today....

The View from My Window This Morning

A beautiful way to start the day......Amid the horrific news I hear every morning, I see the stability of our Lord's creation, the beauty that shines through the darkness, the hope that underlies our world, and my spirit is calmed. God reassures His faithfulnes, mercy, and justice. All WILL be well!