Henry Horton State Park

Wilhoite Mill and Village were developed in the mid-1800's and were home to a three-story inn, post office and a mill and dam. The mill operated for more than a century. The wooden structures were destroyed in the early 1980's leaving only the metal gears and wheels that remain today.
Oak-hickory is the most prevalent type of forest in Tennessee which comprises nearly 3/4 of all forested land.
The Duck River runs for almost 270 miles and runs through Henry Horton State Park.

Can't Get Enough of the Amish Countryside

Amish Country

Stop in for Breakfast or Lunch & The best Darn Fried Bologna Sandwich in Middle Tennessee! Or maybe you’d prefer the World Famous Amish Slaw Burger! Hey, you get free Sweet Tea with your food order.
Those are just a few items served at the Amish Country Mall. Last week the "girls" had a day out and drove down to Amish Country about 45 minutes south of us. It was a beautiful day even though warm and a bit humid. I’ve only been a little bit curious about the Amish but actually visiting their farms and seeing them driving down the road in their horse drawn buggies peaked a greater interest. It is said that the majority of the Amish here are from the Old Order Amish. They do not own or drive cars and they live without electricity or indoor plumbing. They speak a dialect of German, known as Pennsylvania Dutch. There are about 200 Amish farms in Lawrence County who began migrating here in 1944.
The Amish run their own schools and they begin at age 6 and continue until the age of 14. Then they work for their family business until the age of 21 when they are to leave home and begin to support themselves.
While driving around the Amish community, their farms were open to the public to purchase a variety of items they produce--from fruits and vegetables, to candy, furniture or porch swings. (By the way I found a beautiful one but we have no place to hang it at the time.) If they have anything to sell, they put signs up at the end of their driveway.
One interesting site was to see the clothes on the line. The reason this was interesting was because it was a line that went from the house, across the yard to the top of a telephone post (at least that’s what it looked like) with the use of a pulley. So thhttp://bl129w.blu129.mail.live.com/att/GetAttachment.aspx?tnail=1&messageId=93385b82-a20c-4784-a38a-532410e558c4&Aux=44|0|8CBF6537B87C320|ere was ALL kinds of laundry--meaning quite a bit. The little boys were dressed in their dark blue longsleeve shirts and long pants with a dutch-boy cut under a straw hat. The ones we saw at one farm were rather shy and hid from us.
In one of the pictures, you’ll see what looks like a wooden cage. I’m not sure of the name but it hooks to the back of the horse or mule and holds the corn as it is picked from the stalks. (And the sweet corn was delicious.)
We saw several mules and donkeys which must make for sturdy work animals. One type of mule was beautiful. I was told by a friend that it might be a Belgian cross. There is a picture of it on this page.
All of the farms are closed on Sunday which is the day they have church. The churches are usually held in their homes and Sunday evenings the young people gather for the Singings where they can visit with other young folks their age.
In town there was a Dutch Bakery with some delicious baked treats including Amish Friendship Bread, as well as canned jams, jellies, pickles, etc. We hope to go back real soon for some more of that sweet corn.

Homeschooling

I want to give a "shout out" to all the homeschool moms and dads out there. You all do a great job caring for your children and teaching and training them to be the young people God wants them to be.
I began homeschooling our three (at the time) back in the early eighties before teaching your children at home was "the thing to do". At the time, we lived in Washington state. No one that we knew was homeschooling at that time. We had no support system except for one another and my family. Jim comes from a long line of public school educators so they weren't real keen on the idea, however they weren't too negative over the years and finally seemed to be okay with the idea.
We soon found a support group that helped us through the first couple of years. We met with a credentialed teacher once a week and had opportunities for classes and field trips.
The first books I ever read on homeschooling were:
No More Public School by Harold Bennett
Teach Your Own by John Holt
Though these authors weren't necessarily Christians, they made some important statements that I tended to agree with. Even Christians in our "sphere" thought we were a little eccentric for trying something so "new" to them. At the time I really felt this would be a good match for our family.
Though I had read the books beforehand, we didn't take the children out of school until 1st and 3rd grades. The two oldest were going to a Christian school at the time and we were happy with it for the most part. When our fourth came along, we decided to homeschool him as well.
Over the years, we belonged to support groups through both public and private institutions. I taught classes for other children as well as my own, concentrating on literature, science and world geography/missions.
The main question was always "What about socialization?" and I imagine that is still asked today. Well, our children were always involved in a variety of outside activities, whether that should make a difference or not. They were in sports, church activities and family activities--they kept busy.
As the children have grown, they've decided on their own when it was time to take a class they had an interest in. Our eldest is a freelance photographer having had a couple of basic courses on the subject from a community college but most of his training has been on the job as a photographer's assistant. He's worked with Yamaha, Nike, City News in Seattle magazine, as well as various catalogs. Our next has taken a few courses through Youth With A Mission University of the Nations and was a missionary in Madagascar for 9 years. Our third child has had a passion for music since a very young age and has used that experience as a music buyer and working for a Christian music distribution company. Last but not least, our youngest is deciding on his future and is very involved in music as well and currently apprenticing with a music producer and working on the side. Though only one received his education at home all the way from K-12th grade, the others homeschooled most of their school years. I'm quite proud of all four of my children and what they've accomplished, and have yet to.
HOORAY! for homeschoolers all over the world. Let's pray for those who struggle with unfair laws.

Worship in Pink

There's always that thought in the back of my mind--"It could return at any time." What could return? The cancer. However, today's mammogram looked good, for which I'm thankful, but I'll wait for the final word from the oncologist.
"Worship in Pink" is coming up August 28-30. If you'd like to support breast cancer and bring awareness to others I encourage you to wear pink to church on one of those days.
In October I hope to be involved with the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure"
5K Run/Walk. Check online for a race near you: 5K or 3 day walks at ww5.komen.org/findarace.aspx
I do what I can to prevent the return of the "cancer monster"--regular check-ups, popping meds and routine mammograms. Trying to eat healthy.
I tend to get razzed that my pills make me crazy--actually moody, and I often zone out while listening to Emmylou Harris, but, hey, I figure I can blame it all on meds and senility. LOL!

BE AWARE--TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF--DON'T FORGET YOUR SELF EXAMS!
EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES!

Keith Green's Final Message

Following is a condensed version of Keith Green's last message before his death at the age of 28. Along with 2 of his children, he lost his life in a tragic plane crash. He loved the Lord with all his heart, soul, strength and might and God had given him a heart for the world.

Why should you go to the mission field?
1. Because Jesus has told you to go. "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15) Jesus made it clear exactly what His disciples were to do--they were to spread His teachings in His name, preaching salvation unto the ends of the earth. If you are a believer, then you must consider yourself a disciple of Jesus--no less called and chosen than the very first 12 apostles. Every believer is called to spread the Good News about Jesus to those who have not yet heard. We must go because our great General has commanded us to go.

2. You should go because the need is so great. "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest." (Matt. 9:37-38) Today the need is the greatest it has ever been in the history of mankind.

3. You should go because so few Christians are obeying the call, making the need even greater! "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ...how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:17, 14)

4. You should go because God gives special anointing and grace to those who leave their own land, people, and culture to do God's will and spread the Gospel.
"And the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country and from your relatives, and from your father's house...and I will bless you and make your name great; and so you shall also be a blessing; and I will bless those that bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'" (Gen. 12:1-3)
From Noah to Abraham, from Moses to Jonah, from Daniel to Paul, God has always given special blessing to those who, leaving the comforts of home and relatives, cross the boundaries of their little worlds to bring God's message and blessing to the nations.

5. You should go because America (and some other western nations) is literally drenched with the Gospel, while most other countries and cultures of the world do not have any continual, relevant witness at all. "And thus I aspired to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build upon another man's foundation; but as it is written, 'They that had no news of Him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand.'" (Rom. 15:20-21)
We here in America have Christian witness and ministry all around us, from churches on nearly every corner to Christian radio and TV. From bumperstickers and billboards to Christian bookstores. This is not all a bad thing though--much of it is good, winning many souls to Jesus but is it God's will for there to be so much Gospel preaching and literature available here, while there is comparatively little or even none in many places outside this country? Is it God's fault that so few on other continents are hearing the Gospel--or is it the church's?

6. You should go because, as Oswald J. Smithe said, "No one has the right to hear the Gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once." "But if our Gospel be hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost: in whome the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (II Cor. 4:3-4)
Jesus wants every creature to hear the Gospel. There needs to be a spreading out of the soldiers of God, to fight the enemy where his greatest strongholds are--"where Christ is not already named"!

7. You should go because the time is short. More and more countries are closing their doors to missionaries and the Gospel, and we must go now. "We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day: night is coming, when no man can work." (John 9:4)
Many countries, where missionaries used to be welcome, are being closed to them entering. Though it is true that many Christians can still go to be subtle witnesses as doctors, teachers, engineers, etc., the Gospel can no longer be openly preached in many lands. We need to sense the urgency of this hour, and obey God by reaching out to those lost in the darkness "while it is still day."

8. You should go because the Holy Spirit is speaking to Christian leadership all over the world that it is God's desire for there to be a great final missionary thrust with the Gospel before the end of the age. It is His desire that every people should have the Gospel preached to them, and that the Gospel should be published in every nation and in every language. And unless YOU get involved personally, there is no hope of that ever happening in our generation! "...And you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to th remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) "And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come." (Matt. 24:14) "The Lord is...patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9)
Do you believe God wants everyone to be saved? Then why are we so timid about getting involved in this great thrust to bring the Gospel to all the nations?

next post will be "The Most Commonly Heard Excuses"

from No Compromise by Melody Green

Jesus wants you to be part of what he is doing. God is calling forth a radical generation of fierce worshippers. You can be part of the new breed. Don't compromise with the world. Stand up for what is right. Speak the truth. Show mercy. Befriend the lonely. Defend those suffering injustice. Love the unlovable. Be passionate for Jesus. Don't be ashamed of the gospel. And always remember to show compassion to the young, the poor, the hurting, and the lost. No matter how old you are, where you live, or what you have--you can help someone with a need. You can pour the balm of hope into a heart that has none. Melody Green--wife of the late Keith Green