The hills of Tennessee

I live in East Tennessee.  The volunteer state.  Recently we have been dealing with drought and wild fires.  Last night the fires reached Gatlinburg.  Gatlinburg is a resort city that is visited by tourists year round as an access point to the Great Smoky Mountains. 


My heart is so heavy as I write this.  I will lose no property in these fires.  I have no loved ones that are effected by this tragedy, and yet I am moved to tears by the loss that is occurring in these beloved hills.  I am contemplating what this means.  What is the bigger picture?  What is the Why? 


On a larger scale our nation has so many horrible things going on right now.  So much anger and venom being blasted around by "them".  "They" don't know what we are dealing with.  "They" are so horrible.  "They" only want what's best for them!  We are One Nation!  We are one people.  We all want for good things. 


Do not focus your thoughts solely on yourself.  Look at the bigger picture.  What is the Need? 


These fires came without warning.  There was no way to plan, to protect yourself from them. We can not put our hope in earthly things.  People have lost everything, but you know what?  The sun came up today.  Blue skies and sunshine fill the world with hope, they may not be visible through the smoke and clouds but they are there. 


I am a Christian, my hope comes from the Lord.  There is a verse that keeps popping into my head today. 


Psalm 121 1-8
I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. 

Criss Cross Applesauce

Can someone please explain to me when sitting indian style became sitting criss cross applesauce?  Is it because sitting indian style is too racially insensitive?  If you answered yes to this I have a follow up question...  What other phrases that I have been saying my entire life is now considered inconsiderate?

Are we heartless callous individuals if we ask woodchucks how much wood they can chuck because that stresses them out to insinuate they are not able to perform at a level as high as their peers?

Are we stressing Old MacDonald out asking about all his different animals because he is choosing to only focus on free range chickens?

What about Peter Peter Pumpkin eater?  Has anyone called social services to see why on earth he is keeping his wife in a pumpkin?

Don't even get me started about the plight of the three blind mice!!

I feel that we are becoming a nation that is too sensitive for its own good.  Thicker skin...a sense of humor....these are good things.

God Bless America, please.

It is your right, it is your privilege, it is your responsibility to vote.  You can be cynical and think that the election process is corrupt that your vote won't matter anyway.  You would be wrong.  You can be negative and say that neither candidate stands for anything that you believe in so therefore you will not vote.  You would be wrong.


The two candidates in this election are both riddled with negative points.  Neither one deserves the title President, but these are the two individuals that we the American people have selected through our processes. 


The world that we live in got this way because of choices we all made.  Our government is the way it is because we voted the people into office be it right or be it wrong.


Tomorrow the sun will rise.  The world will continue on.  This country that we live in is a great one.  It has suffered through politicians before and survived. America is not a great country because of one person that sits in an oval office.  America is great because of its many people that come with different backgrounds, different beliefs, different convictions.  Do we have crazy cousins that we would like to hide in the back of the family picture?  Of course!  Do we all need to see a job that needs to be done and do it rather than wait for someone else to do it because "it's not our responsibility?"  (Oh heavens yes, but that is another entry all together.) 


Please.  Today, cast your vote based on your own convictions.  Be educated in your voting. 


God Bless America, please.