set us free

Gracious God,

Turn us loose, but never let us go.

Set us free, but never let us go.

Let us find our own path, but never let us go.

Let us work it out for ourselves, but never let us go.

Let us suffer from our own mistakes, but never let us go.

Receive us to Thyself, never let us go.

We leave this Thy house, but never let us go.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 --Fred Craddock (1928-2015) Minister, Professor and Author (Benediction from his sermon, "The Cloud of Witnesses")

Some scenes from the beautiful area beneath South Holston Dam of the Weir Dam at Osceola Island. For more images, discussion and directions, click here.

blessings

May brooks and trees and singing hills join in the chorus too,
and every gentle wind that blows send happiness to you.
--Irish Blessing

forgotten

May you never forget what is worth remembering, nor ever remember what is best forgotten.
--Irish Blessing

I don't know the history behind this old chimney found along the Appalachian Trail between the High Knob Shelter and the Old Cloudland Hotel site on top of Roan Mountain.  Can anyone fill in this bit of lost history for us?

A Christmas Prayer

Bless us Lord, this Christmas, with quietness of mind; Teach us to be patient and always to be kind. 
--Helen Steiner Rice (1900-1981) American writer

St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Abingdon, VA, established in 1846.

Giving Thanks

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Above: Kiner Creek Falls found in Laurel Run Park, Church Hill, TN

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

may sunshine light your day

May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day. May songbirds serenade you every step along the way. May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.
--Irish Blessing

Rain, rain...all day long. Couldn't get out and do much, so I searched through my photos for a sunny and colorful one to help chase away this sleepy, dreary day.

Saint Teresa of Avila Prayer

Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours.

--attributed to Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Carmelite nun, Doctor of the Church,
monastic reformer, mystic, writer

blessings

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
--Numbers 6:24-26

This blessing is commonly used as a benediction (which literally means 'good words'), the final blessing often spoken over a congregation at the close of worship. For those graduating from Milligan College today, Congratulations! I hope that as faculty we have been a blessing to you, just as your presence in our community has been a blessing to us. And we trust that as you go out into the world, you will be a blessing to others. Blessings to you and your families, and on your future endeavors.

Blessed

May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.
--Irish Blessing


Mile 303 of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The Merton Prayer

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
--Thomas Merton, (1915-1968) author


[For a beautiful shot of uncoiling ferns, check out photographer Jerry Greer's blog...]

Dutchman's Breeches

Lord, make us mindful of the little things that grow and blossom in these days to make the world beautiful for us.
--W.E.B. du Bois (1868-1963) Sociologist, Author & Civil Rights Leader

The unusual name for this wildflower comes from the fact that it looks like pairs of baggy pants hung out on the line to dry. While they look large in the photo, actually these blooms are very small, about a half-inch tall. Walking through the forest, it is easy to miss this interesting plant. For a very helpful guide to wildflowers complete with beautiful photos, check out Kris Light's website, East Tennessee Wildflowers.

a blessing on you and your travels

May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and a smooth road all the way to your door.
--Irish Blessing

The above shot was taken somewhere over Indiana during my travels over the holiday. In the middle is the moon -- to the left are reflections from the window. I always feel a little weird reaching down to get the camera out at 30,000 feet -- it's like I know the guy across the aisle is staring intently to see if I'm trying to light my shoes on fire. And I want to say, "Hey relax, I'm just a photographer, not a shoe bomber."

Here are some very basic tips if you ever want to capture the scene outside your window seat... a) try to clean off the smudges on the glass; b) turn off the flash; and c) set the camera to manual focus (on SLR cameras) or infinity or landscape mode (on point-and-shoot cameras) so that the camera won't try to focus on the window. More tips here.

Stephen and Lauren

May God be with you and bless you.
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortunes and rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.

--Irish Marriage Blessing

[I really felt privileged when Stephen and Lauren asked if I would take their engagement photos earlier this summer. We had a lot of fun going to different locations that were meaningful to them. This particular shot was taken on a hill overlooking Buffalo Mountain near Johnson City, TN. They were married yesterday, and I wish for them a life filled with love and laughter!]