Back in 1989 I was appointed to the Belfast-Midway Charge in the Tazewell District of the Holston Conference. My first appointment out of seminary, it was my first charge as a pastor, and I was given the reigns of two … Continue reading
Saturday my wife and I, and her cousin were sitting with him in his room when he drew his last belabored breath in this life. One of his last requests was for my wife to take him “up the mountain.” When men from his family say that, they are referring to something more final than a trip up a hill. Continue reading
There’s something about the way we mountain people view health. I think we value our health, but we have odd feelings about medicine. For instance, one of the most widely practiced ways of getting people well in these hills and … Continue reading
Nine generations of the family lived in the lap of mountains. Like doting grandparents they watched over us, protected us from whatever was beyond and taught us lessons in silence. The sounds of our stories and songs echoed from the … Continue reading
On the farm, we try to take care with things and use them as long as we can, since cash isn’t growing on trees. At least not on our farm. So we do things with the things we have so … Continue reading
One of the ancient Christmas traditions in our family, living near the south bank of the North Fork of the Holston River, in Scott County, Virginia, was to gather in at the old family homeplace. Granddaddy Ketron was still living … Continue reading
