God gives us beautiful things. Through my camera in the past 4 years I have come to understand what that means. I have learned to appreciate the beauty that art brings and let it touch my soul. Last week the houses my grandfather built and the furniture and quilts that were still inside were lost in the Gatlinburg fires. The houses and the things inside were so beautiful and I am glad that I got to see them. It was hard to loose those beautiful things.
It is important that we learn to love the giver of beautiful things more then the beautiful things. As my daughter reminded me, all things on earth are fleeting. Through my tears, I know that God is always the same and he will give us more beautiful things. This is his promise and it has always been true in my life. I remembered two other horrible fires that destroyed beautiful things - Henderson Hall at Carson-Newman and First Baptist Church, Jefferson City. They have both been replaced with beautiful things and wonderful memories.
I am grateful for the mountains and all the beautiful things that God has given me. The mountains and the memories will always be a part of who I am. There will be more beautiful things in the mountains again. As long as I love the Giver of beautiful things more than the beautiful things, there will always be hope and a way to deal with tragedy.
Here are some pictures of beautiful things from the mountians. They show the glory and splendor of our great King who loves us so much.