Apple Mountain Retreat

    I'm up before the others. 7:54am.  My Fitbit says I haven’t been reaching my sleep goals - it has me averaging 6.5hrs/night here. So odd. At home with that much sleep I’m “dead man walking”, but here I am exhilarated. I don’t want to miss a thing. 

I never fancied myself an “outdoorsy” person, but I am. I do love being outside. Being out in the fresh air is like being in heaven. I’m pretty sure that when God created all this beauty it was His intention for us to live in it. To live among it, and as part of it. The Natives had that part right...way more than white man, yet white man built a gazebo atop their sacred burial mound and it’s now on the cover of a tourism brochure.  [Rabun County, GA]

What about the lineage of the Native people, who lived here for thousands of years without raping the land? They’re the suckers? The ‘moral majority’ are God’s people? The industrialists? The military machine? I am asking us to consider, not judge. Maya Angelou said “when we know better, we do better.” I learned that phrase from others who have not learned to walk the walk. I do not judge them, rather I have pity. Rage is in the hearts of those who wish to hurt others. Peace is among those who are slow to anger and quick to have mercy. [1]  I get no satisfaction in seeing others suffer now. I wish only to spread joy. As I look at the world through the lens as one of God’s children, although marked by sin yet thriving by His grace, I see now so much than I ever did before. I pray that more of us can open our eyes, not only to the beauty of the world, but to the struggles of others. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. [2] I feel I have, and the joy of it is immeasurable.

 

 

     Chattahoochee stables brought out the "fat people" horses for Jack and I.  Of course Jack’s not fat, he’s just large because he's so tall.  At 5'1" my weight compared to my 6'2” tall son was indiscernible.  The lady actually said to Jack and I, "Whichever of you two who's bigger weight wise, this one will take you."  We laughed it off, but I realized the life I was enjoying here is living not designed for those of us in less than optimum physical health.  

This really is a beautiful place.  It seems like all the houses in Georgia have metal roofs.  That’s not a sight I’m accustomed to seeing.   Given the mountainous terrain out here I’m thinking roofers aren’t gonna want to have to redo jobs in another 10 to 15 years.  Although I’m not sure what kind of weather they get here so their roofs may need to withstand  more adverse conditions.  Maybe they’re all way more wealthy in Georgia.  Where we live only people with lots and lots of financial resources choose metal roofs.  I’ll take the 71 degrees on December 31 anytime, happily!!  God is great!  All. The. Time!

[1] adapted from James 1:19, Psalm 145:8

[2] from the Beatitudes Matthew 5