Earthquake Rattles the East Tennessee Region on Saturday, 5-10-2025 (published 5-13-2025; article #525)

Doha, Qatar, 8/26/2022, photograph by Murewa Saibu on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

 Introduction

The seismic fissures on the structure in the above image were from a few years ago in Doha, Qatar. Three days ago, however, our house shook but sustained no damage. The earthquake at 9:04 AM on Saturday, May 10, 2025, was one to remember!

Welcome, dear reader, to the 35th article in the Appalachia—Northeast Tennessee topic section. If you live in the region, or even in the Carolinas, Georgia, or Kentucky, you may have felt the tremors. It was a literal seismic shift that lasted a few seconds.

The Earthquake

Three mornings ago, the weather outside was mostly cloudy and seasonably cool. Indoors, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman was sitting on a sofa in the living room, watching a television show that only a woman could enjoy. I was sitting at my home office desk, reading an article online.

The time was 9:04 AM. At first, it sounded and felt like a heavy train coming down the railroad track. The track runs parallel near the back of our property. Trains run infrequently.

That was no train! Looking out my office windows, it seemed as if the ground was vibrating. Our ten-year-old “puppy,” Molly, however, was sitting in the driveway normally, apparently unaware of any movement beneath her. Our house must have been shaking slightly. It was disorienting. Glass cups placed closely together in a kitchen cabinet began to rattle. The rather disturbing sensation lasted only a few seconds.

A few minutes after the shaking stopped, a next-door neighbor called to ask if we had felt an earthquake. My wife, who answered, told him yes. Indoors, he said that he had felt it. He said that his wife, who was in the basement at the time, didn't feel anything. He had already called his father, who lives a couple of miles away. His father, outside at the time, said that he didn't feel anything. I heard about people, driving at the moment the earth shook, who didn't feel the earthquake.

Evidently, to feel the earthquake, you had to have been indoors, not in a basement, outside, or driving.

One of several articles about the earthquake is “A Tennessee earthquake rattles homes as far away as Atlanta with 4.1 magnitude,” Associated Press (AP), by Ben Finley and Bill Cormier, 5/10/2025. The federal government account with plenty of details is at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): M 4.1 - 21 km SE of Greenback, Tennessee: 2025-05-10 13:04:20 (UTC).

Conclusion

My wife and I lived in Charleston, Missouri, from 1986 to 1992. We remember the earthquake that shook the ground there in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Looking out a window, I saw the front porch metal rail and posts shaking. Coming down a set of stairs at another location, my wife felt the staircase shake. The earthquake last Saturday was also one to remember.

In the New Testament, the inspired record of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is in Matthew, chapters 5-7. Jesus concluded his sermon in Matthew 7:24-27. The spiritually wise who hear the words of the Lord are like a man who built his house on the rock. Strong rainstorms and wind batter the house, but it will not fall, since its foundation is on the rock.

Last Saturday, our physical house shook but received no damage. Our spiritual house, however, did not shake, for it is built on the Solid Rock, Christ Jesus! See Matthew 7:24-27, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (especially verse 4), and 1 Peter 2:1-10 (particularly verses 4-5).

Dear reader, if your spiritual house is shaken by not having its foundation in Christ, and if you would like to communicate privately, please use the “Contact Form” on this website to email me. That will start our confidential dialogue. My purpose is to help those who need to find firm footing on the Solid Rock.

The AD 70 Doctrine Debunked (published 5-7-2025; article #524)

Photograph by Dmitriy Rundaev on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

Introduction

Did we miss Jesus' second coming? Is Jesus not coming again in the future?

Have you heard the notion that the Lord’s second coming occurred in AD 70, 1,955 years ago? Did you know that some believers think that the resurrection of all the dead has already happened? Who knew that some Christians affirm that the end of the world and the final judgment were in the first century?

Welcome, dear reader, to the 39th entry in the Logic-Theology-Deep Stuff topic section. This article summarizes the AD 70 doctrine and debunks it. The doctrine is also called preterism or realized eschatology.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, preter means “past: by: preterist” from the Latin “praeter past, by, beyond, from Latin prae before.” A preterist thinks that Jesus' second coming has already happened and that it occurred 1,955 years ago in AD 70. Additionally, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, eschatology is the study of last things or the end of time (i.e., the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the transformation of the living, the destruction of the earth by fire, the final judgment, and everlasting life or death). Realized eschatology, in essence, affirms that these last things have already taken place.

Background

On Saturday evening, 4/26/2025, why did I check out my Facebook profile page to see what friends had posted recently? I hadn't done so in a few days. I happened to notice that a brother in Christ—with whom I became acquainted while attending Tennessee Bible College in the fall of 1983 and spring of 1984—had reposted earlier that evening his original 2,520-word entry from 5/11/2021 on another Facebook profile page.

The lengthy Facebook treatise by this fellow Christian—H. N., three years older than me—attempted to explain the meaning of the number 666 in Revelation 13:18. In so doing, he seemed to indicate that the second and final coming of Christ was in AD 70, not a future event, when Jerusalem fell to the Roman Empire.

The Roman Empire conquered Judea and destroyed the Second Temple in AD 70. Source: “Siege of Jerusalem: Jewish-Roman war [70 CE],” Encyclopedia Britannica, by Kate Lohnes, 8/29/2018.

The AD 70 (Preterism) Doctrine

Say what? Do some Christians think that Jesus already returned for the second and final time? Yes, a minority of believers think that the Roman conquest of Judea in AD 70 marked the second coming of Christ 1,955 years ago. Aside from my brother in Christ, who lives in Michigan, I do not know any other Christians who think this way. Do you?

I first heard about the AD 70 (preterist) doctrine in the mid-1980s, forty years ago. It was only a minor footnote in my theological studies. Recently, I came across three online sources, two of which may no longer be active, that advocate the preterist notion. I will allow these sources to present their case. First, I found the International Preterist Association (IPA): About: What is the Preterist View? The website by Ed Stevens was current to 2019, six years ago. Further, I also came across PreteristCentral.com: Affirming Christ’s Second Coming Fulfilled by Kurt M. Simmons. The website does not seem to be active. Finally, I discovered the following source that seems to be current: Bible Prophecy: Preterist Research Institute (PRI): About. Don K. Preston, who has an honorary, not earned, doctorate degree, is the founder and president.

Those sources include several entries that attempt to establish the preterist notion. The purpose of this article is not to explain how they present their case. You, however, may visit those websites and read some of their essays, as I have done. I found none that proved their theory.

In brief, preterists twist scripture. Plucking texts out of their immediate and remote contexts, they set up a pretext for their false doctrine. In 2 Peter 3:16, the apostle Peter warned that twisting and distorting scripture leads to destruction. In the first century AD, the apostle Paul warned against false teachers who taught that the resurrection had already taken place (2 Timothy 2:15-18).

Debunking the AD 70 Doctrine

This section begins with my exchange with H. N. on Facebook on 4/26/2025. Afterward, a brief study of selected scriptures in their proper context will debunk the AD 70 doctrine.

Facebook Exchange with H. N. on 4/26/2025

On Saturday evening, 4/26/2025, I commented on H. N.'s Facebook repost as follows: “Why is this relevant for what? The second coming of Christ, the end of the temporal realm, and final judgment are in the future.”

H. N.'s Facebook reply later that evening was (with my emboldening added for emphasis and grammatical correction bracketed in red font), “Sorry, the Second Coming of the Lord took place at the fall of the temple; check Hebrews 10:37 and its relation to Hebrews 9:28. There are no miracles in your future[,] and a future Second Coming requires the greatest miracle the world has ever seen. Miracles were for forty years (Micah 4:1-7:15).”

I decided to consider H. N.'s scripture references in their immediate and remote contexts. First, Hebrews 9:28 (NIV) states, “... so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews chapter 9 contrasts the Old and New Covenants. The point in verse 28 is that Christ was sacrificed once for our sins. His second appearance (coming) will bring everlasting salvation to believers.

Nothing in the context, immediate or remote, suggests that Christ's second coming occurred in AD 70 when the Roman Empire conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. In fact, the verse indicates a future second coming of Christ!

You see. I am waiting for Christ to come again to bring salvation in its everlasting and heavenly completion! If you are a Christian, dear reader, then are you not also awaiting this second coming?

Next, Hebrews 10:37 (NIV) states, “For, 'In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.'” This verse references Isaiah 26:20 and Habakkuk 2:3. In the pericope, Hebrews 10:19-39, the inspired author encourages Christians to hold onto their faith despite persecution. Patiently doing God's will receives the promised reward of everlasting salvation (verses 35-39). Nothing in the context, immediate or remote, alludes to a second coming of Christ in AD 70.

Finally, in seven chapters, the Book of Micah predicts that Israel would be conquered and restored. The book includes the Messianic prophecy that Christ would be born in Bethlehem (5:2; cf. Matt. 2:6). Nothing in this prophetic book, especially in chapters 4-7, indicates a 40-year period of miracles connected to Christ's second coming. As an aside, it is beyond the scope of this article to prove that the age of miracles ceased when the New Testament canon of scripture was completed, but I can prove this.

Scripture That Debunks the AD 70 Doctrine

This subsection is a brief review of certain scriptures, understood in their immediate and remote contexts, that debunks the AD 70 doctrine. Again, please remember that scripture taken out of context is a pretext for false doctrine.

John 5:27-29

The complete context is John chapter 5. Jesus was in Jerusalem for a Jewish festival. He miraculously healed a man on the Sabbath (verses 1-9). Verses 10-16 explain how the Jewish leaders began persecuting Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath. Jesus answered them in verses 17-47.

In verses 27-29, Jesus presented his authority to judge (verse 27). In verses 28-29 (NIV), Jesus stated, “... a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his [Jesus'] voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”

In AD 70, no historical record indicates that all the buried dead at that time heard the voice of Jesus, came out of their graves, and were judged. Further, since graves now hold the remains of the deceased, the time that Jesus mentioned has not yet come. It is coming. Are you ready?

Matthew, chapters 24-25

Preterists and premillennialists misinterpret Matthew chapter 24 (cf. Mark chapter 13 and Luke 21:5-36). In verses 1-2, Jesus predicted the destruction of the Jewish temple. On the Mount of Olives, in verse 3 (NIV), the disciples asked Jesus the following two-part question: “[W]hen will this [temple destruction] happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Part one of the question inquired about the destruction of the temple. The second part asked about Jesus' coming and the end of the age.

In verses 4-35, Jesus answered the first part of the question about the destruction of the temple, which occurred in AD 70. In verse 34 (NIV), he stated, “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” The Jewish temple would be destroyed, as it was in AD 70, within that first-century generation.

Jesus answered the second part of the question about his coming and the end of the age in verses 36-51. Jesus' final coming, known only to God the Father, will not be predicted by signs. It will be as in the days of Noah before the worldwide flood (Genesis 6:5-9:17).

Please notice that Jesus further explained his future coming and the end of the age in Matthew chapter 25. The parable of the ten virgins (verses 1-13) and the parable of the bags of gold (verses 14-30) emphasize watchfulness and stewardship.

The sheep and the goats (verses 31-46) focus on benevolence. Notice verses 31-33. Jesus, the Son of Man, will come in glory with all the angels. In verse 32 (NIV), Jesus stated, “All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” In AD 70, “all the nations” were not gathered before Jesus to be separated.

Jesus concluded in verse 46 (NIV), “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” From “all the nations,” the goats on Jesus' left will be sent to “eternal punishment,” and the sheep on his right will have everlasting life. In AD 70, “all the nations” did not receive everlasting punishment or reward. Jesus' future coming will judge “all the nations.” Will you be a sheep or a goat?

Acts 1:11

The complete context is Acts 1:1-11. For forty days after his resurrection, Jesus was with and instructed his apostles. They literally saw with their eyes Jesus ascend toward heaven.

While still gazing upward, two angels (men dressed in white, cf. John 20:12) appeared to the apostles and said, “[W]hy do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (verse 11, NIV).

In AD 70, Jesus did not physically return to the earth, nor did any human eyes literally see him return. I hope that I am still alive to see Jesus coming back from heaven!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

To comfort and encourage the church of the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul explains that, at the future coming of Christ the Lord from heaven, believers who had passed away will rise first. Then, believers still living will join the risen dead to meet the Lord in the air.

Verses 16-17 (NIV) state, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

In AD 70, history does not record “the voice of the archangel,” “the trumpet call of God,” or Christians, deceased or still living, rising to meet Jesus in the air and going to be with him forever. That future event is my certain hope!

1 Corinthians, chapter 15

The apostle Paul's inspired eloquence to the church of God at Corinth in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 is a full statement about Jesus' resurrection (verses 1-11), the future resurrection of deceased believers (verses 12-34), the spiritual nature of the resurrected body (verses 35-57), and encouragement that serving the Lord is everlastingly beneficial (verse 58).

Key points found in verses 22-26 refute the AD 70 doctrine. After Christ comes, the end will come. Christ, however, will reign (from heaven) “... until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (verses 25-26, NIV). People, both saved and unsaved, are still dying physically every day. Physical death will end when Christ returns in the future. Obviously, physical death was not destroyed in AD 70.

Further, verses 51-52 (NIV) state, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

In AD 70, the last trumpet did not sound. Dead believers were not raised imperishable. Living Christians were not transformed into spiritual bodies. Looking forward to that future event inspires me to live my life for Christ!

2 Peter, chapter 3

The apostle Peter warned that in the last days scoffers would question the coming of Christ, since life was continuing as usual (verses 1-4). In verses 5-7, similar to the Genesis flood that destroyed the world (Genesis 7:21-22), the coming “day of judgment” will destroy the world by fire as well as the ungodly. Verses 8-9 explain that the Lord's patience before the coming judgment day is because he does not want “... anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (verse 9, NIV).

Peter warned in verse 10 (NIV), “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” Again, in verse 12 (NIV), he states that the “day of God” “... will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.”

The final verses (13-18) conclude the epistle by encouraging Christians to avoid false doctrines and to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (verse 18, NIV).

The coming “day of the Lord” will destroy the temporal realm by fire. The ungodly will suffer everlasting destruction, but the saved will enjoy everlastingly “... a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (verse 13, NIV).

This “day of judgment” certainly did not happen in AD 70. The earth still stands. Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready?

Revelation 1:7-8

Concluding his greetings to the seven churches in the province of Asia, the apostle John wrote in Revelation 1:7-8 (NIV) the following:

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;”
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

An in-depth review of these profound verses is outside the scope of this brief article. In opposition to the theory that Christ returned in AD 70, however, is the fact that Christ has not yet come with the clouds for every eye to see him, even the Roman soldier who pierced him (John 19:34,37), and “all peoples on earth” have not mourned due to his coming. The Lord God is the one “who is to come.”

Conclusion

This article has summarized the AD 70 doctrine and debunked it. The second coming of Christ did not occur 1,955 years ago in AD 70. I know only one Christian who advocates this false notion. Online, I happened to come across a few others who hold the unproven theory.

Is H. N.—mentioned above, the brother in Christ three years older than me who prompted the writing of this article—as zealous in seeking and saving the lost as he is in promoting the debunked AD 70 theory? I hope so. Otherwise, he needs to shift gears and focus on the reason why Jesus came the first time.

In Luke chapter 19:1-9, we read about Jesus' interaction with Zacchaeus, the tax collector. In verse 10 (NIV), Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Ultimately, the purpose of this article is not only to debunk the AD 70 doctrine. It is also to encourage any unsaved reader to be ready for Christ's second coming and the final judgment.

Are you a sheep or a goat, dear reader? If you would like to converse privately by email, please use the Contact Form on this website to email me. I am one former poor and hungry beggar who found the Bread of Life. I want to share that Bread.

Monday, 4-14-2025: Tim Burchett's Town Hall and IRS Extends Tax Deadline for Tennessee Residents (published 4-17-2025; article #523)

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

Introduction

The date was Monday, April 14, 2025. The setting was in the twilight zone of the federal government (“FedGov”), an eccentric world of twisted logic, bickering, showmanship, and bureaucratic ineptitude. The theme was late and last-minute FedGov timing.

Welcome to the 120th article in the humor topic section, dear reader. Let's poke a bit of fun at the FedGov! This journey into the FedGov twilight zone began on Monday evening. It continued into the next morning.

Tim Burchett's Telephone Town Hall

On that fateful Monday evening, my “long-suffering” wife and I had finished supper. Molly, our ten-year-old “puppy,” was on the couch in the living room. Sitting beside Molly, I was settling into watching a televised episode from an old western series. My wife was washing dishes.

In this neck of the woods, unless it is an emergency, common courtesy dictates that you do not call someone between 6 PM and 7 PM. That is the supper hour. At 6:35 PM, however, smack-dab in the middle of the supper hour, Tim Burchett, Tennessee's second-district representative in the United States House of Representatives, called our home phone.

Rushing into the living room, thinking that the call could be from a family member with a real emergency, my wife saw that the call from 865-432-2388 identified as Tim Burchett. The call was not an emergency.

Answering the call anyway, she quickly handed the phone to me. Molly was somewhat confused by the commotion. I wondered why Tim was calling me.

On the phone, I said, “Tim, I am here!” Tim kept on speaking, as if he didn't hear me. Aha! It was a recorded message from Tim Burchett! Our phone recorded Tim's recording. Once his recording ended, my call back to the same number, 865-432-2388, heard the same message repeated from Congressman Burchett.

The next morning, I transferred Tim's suppertime message from the phone to my desktop computer and saved it as an audiovisual clip without video, of course. The following 49-second clip is his remarks:

Later that next morning, I found and read "Rep. Burchett hosting town hall on April 14," Burchett.House.gov, Press Release, 4/7/2025, which states the following:

U.S. Congressman Tim Burchett (TN-02) will host a telephone town hall on Monday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m., with special guest Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21.)

The discussion will focus on legislative wins and other accomplishments in the first 100 days of the 119th Congress. Rep. Burchett will also take live questions from participants.

Telephone town halls provide an accessible and easy way for thousands of constituents to hear directly from the congressman and speak to him about their concerns.

Those who RSVP will receive a phone call on April 14 around 6:30 p.m. with an invitation to join the call. Anyone interested in participating can register at this link or visit www.burchett.house.gov. RSVP registration ends at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 10.

To my knowledge, the press release, issued a week before the telephone town hall, was not picked up by any local media outlets, unless I missed it.

Did you catch the humor? The telephone town hall started on Monday evening at 6:30 PM. Congressman Burchett's recorded phone call came through at 6:35 PM.

Tim, you called five minutes too late! Additionally, couldn't you have started the telephone town hall at 7 PM, after the supper hour? Further, don't you know that common courtesy around here dictates that you don't call someone between 6 PM and 7 PM, unless it's an emergency? Finally, how did you get our home phone number?

Generally, I support Congressman Burchett's positions. I subscribe to and read his monthly newsletters. When I catch him in a televised news segment, local or national, I listen to what he has to say.

IRS Extends Tax Deadline for Tennessee Residents

Another point of FedGov humor on Monday, April 14, 2025, the penultimate day to file a federal tax return, was the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) decision to extend the federal income tax filing deadline for Tennessee residents to Monday, November 3!

If local media outlets carried the news on the 14th, I didn't catch it. Early the next morning, Tuesday, the 15th, federal income tax filing deadline day, I happened to hear the news while listening to a local news-talk radio station.

Later on the 15th, I found and read, “IRS: All of Tennessee qualifies for disaster tax relief; various deadlines postponed to Nov. 3.” Internal Revenue Service (IRS), News Release, 4/14/2025. The first two paragraphs state the following:

The Internal Revenue Service announced today tax relief for individuals and businesses in the entire state of Tennessee affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that began on April 2, 2025.

These taxpayers now have until Nov. 3, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments.

The news release further states that 2024 contributions to Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are also extended to November 3.

Way to go, IRS! All those last-day filers and IRA contributors got a six-month-and-19-day extension. What about everyone who filed before or on the 14th? The IRS news release is silent. Those who filed before the 14th were simply out of luck. IRS, is this your way of saying that procrastination pays?

Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I made 2024 IRA contributions on April 1st (Atheists' Day). We mailed in our 2024 federal income tax return, paying a nominal amount, on April 14th. We joined countless thousands of Tennesseans who were out of luck.

IRS, do not procrastinate future news releases about tax deadline extensions to the penultimate day before the filing deadline! Severe storms hit Tennessee beginning on April 2. The next day, the president signed an emergency declaration for the state. You could have released news about the filing extension for the state on Friday, the 4th.

Conclusion

The 4/9/2025 article was about the new roof on our house on April 2, the president's self-proclaimed “liberation day.” Thankfully, this area received only light to moderate rain on Sunday, April 6, from the storms that began to hit western areas of Tennessee four days earlier.

On Monday, April 14, Congressman Burchett's suppertime call was five minutes late. That same day's IRS news release was at most ten days late. That's FedGov timing for you. Procrastinators do not need to make excuses for procrastinating. The FedGov is their example!

My sarcastic wit finds humor in this. Does yours?

Please remember that tomorrow is celebrated as Good Friday. Resurrection Sunday is coming!

Was Wednesday, 4-2-2025, Liberation Day or New Roof Day? (published 4-9-2025; article #522)

Introduction

To answer the question asked in the title of this article, it was new roof day for this Appalachian-Irishman and his “long-suffering” wife! Welcome, dear reader, to the 109th entry in the life (such as it is) topic section.

Coincidentally, President Trump self-declared our new roof day as “liberation day.” Liberation from what? Tariffs, of course. The first section below presents the president's “liberation day” fanfare and my concise response.

The second and main section focuses on our new roof, which was liberating for us. Three photographs are included. Further, I embedded my brief audiovisual presentation. Will you be able to guess where I was sitting at the time?

Liberation Day?

Did you, dear reader, feel liberated on Wednesday, April 2? President Trump self-proclaimed the day as “liberation day.”

The official audiovisual propaganda is found at "My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. April 2, 2025..."—President Donald J. Trump, The White House (YouTube). In just under two minutes, the pompous address hopes to make “we, the people,” feel enthused and liberated. The cheering audience in the video seems to feel that way. I wonder if they were paid.

What is my response? Well, prices are not increasing—yet. The Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) that my wife and I have, however, are taking a beating, due to recent and significant declines in the stock market. Over time, the market should stabilize and regain losses. In short, I do not feel liberated. Instead, I am concerned. Trade imbalances should be corrected, but will falling international economic dominoes lead to global recession?

New Roof Day!

Wednesday, April 2, liberated our twenty-two-year-old house with a new roof! It was new roof day!

Last year's articles from 12/11/2024 and 12/23/2024 mention the new roof at the homeplace. The same contractor, who installed the new roof there, replaced the roof at our house.

Three Photographs

A week ago today, Arlie and his crew arrived at about 7:15 AM and quickly began to work. I took the first photograph below at 7:35 AM, as dawn was breaking. The temperature was in the 40s Fahrenheit. The view looks southeast.

The five-man crew, three visible in the image, had started to remove the original shingles. On Saturday, 11/23/2024, Arlie inspected the roof, determined that it would endure the winter, and suggested a new roof in the spring. The original shingles were worn, and a few had buckled up slightly.

Where was our 2012 Sentra? I had backed it out of the garage and parked it at the curb. My wife and her sister needed to take their father to a medical appointment that afternoon. By the way, my Appalachian Irishman yard flag is near the left corner of the porch.

The next photograph, taken at 12:51 PM, shows the status of the roof from the back of the house.

The old shingles were still on. The packages on the roof ridge contain new shingles. Removing old shingles is the hardest part of the job. Yes, the yard needed to be mowed. The first mowing of the season was two days later on Friday.

Where's our “old puppy,” Molly? Initially, she was excited by the activity and noise. By this time, however, she had taken shelter near the six cedar trees, unseen in the image, that are behind and to the right of where I stood to take the shot. I checked on her at times, giving her snacks and water. Molly was observing from a safe distance.

Later, at about 1:30 PM, the electricity went out in our area for about 30 minutes. Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) surprised me with a KUB reboot, as I call it. The roofers didn't know. Their loud gasoline-powered generator was not affected.

The final photograph below, taken at 3:52 PM, shows the nearly completed front side of the roof. The temperature was in the lower 80s.

Strong wind gusts blew plastic, old shingles, and other debris off the roof and around in our yard and a neighbor's yard. I helped the crew catch what was blowing around. It was “fun.”

At about 4:45 PM, Arlie and I walked to the separate garage of our next-door neighbors, a husband and wife. The man, whom Arlie knew, was restoring an antique truck. They caught up on recent life events and discussed antique restoration projects.

At about 5 PM, standing inside the neighbors' garage, the area “enjoyed” another KUB reboot, which lasted only a couple of minutes. I had to reset eight timepieces twice, due to two KUB reboots. Thanks, KUB. Of course, we are thankful to have electricity.

Mrs. Appalachian Irishman returned home just after the second KUB reboot, parking our car near the curb.

Audiovisual Clip

Photographs do not capture the noise from the work being done. The generator, up to five pneumatic hammers, and a leaf blower made a cacophony of sound. I should have stuffed cotton in my ears. Molly, with her sensitive canine hearing, stayed safely away.

At 5:22 PM, I decided to record the following concise audiovisual clip on Appalachian Irishman - Podcasts (YouTube): Wednesday, 4-2-2025: New Roof Day! (published 4-9-2025; episode 36). Misspeaking, I said April 4th, instead of April 2nd correctly. On the roof, a man was using a loud leaf blower to blow out the gutter. At least the cacophony from the generator and pneumatic hammers was silent.

Conclusion

Our new roof should last 30 years, when, if I am alive, and we're in the same house, I will be 94. What will happen between now and then? God knows, but I don't. I am liberated from sin by His grace. I trust in Him.

This article is dedicated to two people. It is dedicated to my brother, three years my junior, whose birthday is today. I plan to call him after publishing this article. He may enjoy watching the previously embedded video clip.

It is also dedicated to the ninety-one-year-old father of my friend, whom I can't remember not knowing. His mother and my mother were friends, so we grew up together as friends. Recently, my friend's father endured a brief hospitalization. Thankfully, he is recovering well at home now. After the passing of his first wife, he remarried. His second wife, my friend's stepmother, is not doing as well. Please say a prayer for her recovery.

House Mountain Hike #200, 3-23-2025: Milestone Hike with and for Family! (published 3-26-2025; article #521)

Introduction

A milestone is a significant point. It denotes a meaningful achievement. A milestone is memorable. Last Sunday afternoon was a hiking milestone.

Almost 25 years ago, starting on Sunday afternoon, April 23, 2000, the House Mountain State Natural Area in east Knox County, Tennessee, has been calling me, and I have gone. Before last Sunday afternoon, my hiking record indicates that others (family, friends, former coworkers, and dogs) had accompanied me on House Mountain hikes 38 times. Thus, I had hiked “my mountain” alone 161 times.

Last Sunday afternoon, for my 200th milestone hike on House Mountain, my youngest brother, his wife, and their two daughters ventured with me along every trail and saw the views from all four bluffs! Alone, I still have hiked House Mountain 161 times, but I have now been accompanied 39 times!

Welcome, dear hiking enthusiast, to the 78th entry in the hiking topic section! This article is also included as the 132nd entry in the family topic section. Are you ready to read about my 200th hike on House Mountain? Four photographs from the hike are included. Further, I recorded a brief audiovisual episode at the upper-middle bluff. You are welcome to tune in and watch it. The conclusion includes a personal invitation to hike with me, if you would like to do so!

Preparing for the Hike

Shortly after morning worship, my youngest brother and his family arrived at our house. They came in his Nissan Frontier. Church-going clothes were changed into comfortable hiking attire. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, who was invited to hike but declined, helped prepare a light noon meal for the six of us.

My trusty canteen was already filled with water. I filled another of my canteens and one of my wife's canteens with water for my brother and his family. Hiking shoes on, we were ready for the seven-mile drive to House Mountain!

Interestingly, as I was backing my 2006 Frontier down the driveway, I saw a hawk circling about 20 feet above my brother's truck! His family and he were already inside and preparing to follow me. My wife and Molly, our mature puppy, who was also disinterested in hiking, were near the front porch. Once my brother started backing his truck down the driveway, the hawk flew away. What did that hawk want? That was the closest to the ground that I have ever seen a hawk circle above our house.

Hiking Up the East Trail

The temperature was in the 70s Fahrenheit. The variable wind, strong at times, indicated the coming rain that arrived later overnight. The sky was mostly sunny, but clouds were forming to the north. Arriving at the upper parking lot, we were fortunate to find two open spots.

At 1:16 PM, I touched the marker near the enclosed picnic area to begin our hike. Just before the bridge, smooth rocks were stepping stones across the mountain stream, still full of runoff from recent rain.

Just beyond the bridge, where the trail forks west or east, my sister-in-law and nieces decided to take the east trail up to the ridge. Three noticeable rock outcroppings are along the lower part of the trail. My nieces had to climb up onto the first outcropping! Their mother photographed them. I wish that I had.

Hiking on up, we talked, paused for sips of water, greeted other hikers, and enjoyed the views. The upper switchbacks challenged and invigorated us. My brother, feeling his oats, ran up a part of one section! The final and highest switchback is somewhat treacherous. Cutouts, caused by careless hikers, have eroded the area, making it more steep and difficult.

Once carefully above that switchback, the ridge was not much farther up. Several yards away from the bench and sign at the ridge, I noticed the time on my watch. I had 40 seconds to touch the sign! I ran as fast as my “bionic” right foot and knee would allow! I tapped the sign at 2:16 PM! My brother and his family were right behind me.

We had hiked up the east trail in exactly one hour! I'm glad that I looked at my watch when I did.

Years ago, before acquiring 25 pieces of surgically implanted steel in my left shoulder, right knee, and right foot, I could hike up the east trail in about 30 to 40 minutes, according to my hiking record.

As an interesting point of brotherly competition, nine years ago on Sunday afternoon, 3/20/2016, Molly, about a year old at the time, my next-to-youngest brother, and I hiked up the east trail in 65 minutes. Last Sunday, we hiked up the same trail five minutes faster!

Of course, nine years ago, I almost died on Tuesday, 3/29/2016, when an uninsured female failed to yield to my right of way. March 20, 2016, was my next-to-last House Mountain hike in my “pre-bionic” life. Two now-former coworkers and I hiked the mountain on Saturday, 3/26/2016, three days before I was almost killed. My first “bionic” hike on House Mountain, the loop trails only, was on Thursday, 12/22/2016.

The Upper-Middle Bluff

Enough reminiscing about the upcoming ninth anniversary of my near-death experience! I am still alive and not breathing hard! Let's continue hiking!

After catching our breaths and sipping water, we continued the short hike east along the ridge trail to the upper-middle bluff. Before reaching the bluff, we heard and spotted a woodpecker, pecking away at a nearby tree!

Standing on the largest rock outcropping at the bluff, we gazed at the panoramic views of the valley below us and the mountains farther from us. The mostly sunny sky included clouds blowing in from the north. I wanted to see at least one hawk circling nearby. Over the years, I have seen several. I even recall seeing a bald eagle at least once. Unfortunately, no birds were flying around us.

At 2:43 PM, I photographed my youngest brother and his family. They are a good-looking foursome. That's my opinion. Feel free to make it yours!

The view looks north. The clouds in the background indicated the coming rain.

Last fall, our older niece, in her freshman year, made the President's List at Walters State Community College (WSCC)! When I attended WSCC (1978 - 1981), I focused on my studies well enough to make passing grades, but I also paid attention to my part-time job, dating, and especially to having fun with friends! Our niece, also working part-time, is more mature than I was at that age! Our younger niece, in her freshman year at Cherokee High School, is also excelling in her studies. She is a member of the ladies basketball team. Go Chiefs! Needless to say, my wife and I are proud of these two Christian young ladies and their parents!

Warning my relatives beforehand, I recorded an episode of Appalachian Irishman - Podcasts (YouTube) at the bluff. The episode, published the next day, is House Mountain Hike 200, 3-23-2025: a Family Hiking Milestone! (published 3-24-2025; episode 35).

During the almost two-and-a-half-minute presentation, I honored my father-in-law, whose 87th birthday was the next day. On his birthday, my wife, sister-in-law, her daughter, and I surprised Paw, as I call him, with a birthday supper and party! My sister-in-law is a good cook.

In the episode, I also honored my “adopted” brother-in-law and sister, Mike and Carol Sue. They were married the day after Mike, or Michael, as Carol Sue prefers to call him, turned 18! Carol Sue, I know that you miss your beloved husband. We will see him again in heaven, where he awaits us. The two of you will be even closer than husband and wife.

Hiking to the East Bluff

The short hike from the upper-middle bluff to the east bluff takes only about eight minutes. That section of the ridge trail reminds me of sections along the ridgeline on Devil's Nose mountain in Hawkins County, Tennessee. The topic section Devil's Nose includes six articles.

At 3:07 PM, I photographed the following view from the east bluff. The view looks northeast.

The remnants of Hurricane Helene, which brought flooding and damaging winds to this area late last September, must have toppled the trees. The article from 10/19/2024, part two of my 192nd hike on House Mountain ten days before, focused on fallen trees caused by Helene and includes 20 photographs.

My two nieces like to pick on each other in a playful manner. While at the east bluff, they picked pine cones up off the ground and started throwing them at each other! If it were permissible, the east bluff would be an excellent overnight camping spot.

Hiking toward the West Bluff

Leaving the east bluff, we started hiking west back toward the upper-middle bluff, the lower-middle bluff, and the west bluff.

At 3:20 PM, I photographed the following scene behind the lower-middle bluff. The view looks northwest.

The American flag is on the bluff, the rock outcropping not visible in the image. It is below the higher rock ledge that is in the shot. I hadn't seen that flag before. The no trespassing sign, on the tree to the right of the image, prohibits access to the bluff. Over the years, I have spoken a few times by phone with the owner of the section of land below and up to the bluff. He said that unruly hikers were building fires on the bluff and throwing garbage onto his property below. He put up the no trespassing sign to stop them.

Continuing west along the ridge trail, we saw the “picnic rock,” as I call it. Farther along, I pointed out the water cistern, which is near where the fire tower used to stand. The two-seater outhouse, leaning but still standing, is still visible. Holes are signs of shotgun blasts from the past.

I forgot to point out the “dinosaur rock,” as I call it, but I did pause briefly at the location where, on Sunday afternoon, 12/3/2017, Dr. Antonov examined me and predicted a ten-year recovery. That was during my 141st hike on House Mountain. Dr. Antonov is mentioned kindly in at least the following four articles: 3/29/2021, 8/15/2021, 3/31/2023, and 2/10/2024.

Hiking Down and Out the West Trail

We did not tarry long at the west bluff. My youngest brother and his family wanted to return home before suppertime. At 3:52 PM, however, I took the following stealth photograph, capturing all but my youngest niece, as they began to hike down.

They had started down the marked trail. I joined them by taking my usual route down the steep section beside and below the rock formation to the left in the image. The view looks west.

I caught up with my family members just above the “defiant tree,” as I call it. The seemingly petrified trunk still juts out between two rock outcroppings. Recent photographs of that tree are in the articles from 5/5/2023 and 12/30/2024.

Hiking across the rugged trail below the ridge brought up conversation about the cutouts, caused by careless hikers. Years ago, the trail was pristine and not eroded. The original trail is still visible. I still take it.

The three ladies, moving quicker than my brother and me, were ahead of us, hiking down the six upper switchbacks. They waited for us, before we started down the four lower switchbacks. I asked my nieces to help me find a proper rock to take home as a souvenir of my 200th hike. I had been looking for rocks while hiking down.

The New Year's Day 2021 article includes a photograph of the rocks from House Mountain hikes 125 (10/18/2015), 150 (10/18/2018), and 175 (12/30/2020). It mentions the plaque for my 100th hike (12/31/2013).

Close to the marker near the covered picnic table, my older niece gave me two rocks that she had selected. Thanking her, I asked her to pick her favorite one. She did. I happened to find two rocks also. I came home with four souvenir rocks for my 200th hike!

Taken from my home office earlier today, the following photograph shows, from left to right, the plaque for my 100th hike, the rocks from hikes 125, 150, and 175, and the four rocks from my 200th hike. My nieces' favorite is in the upper left in that grouping of four. Mine are the lower two in that grouping.

As an aside, the 100th hike plaque should read “Tuesday, 12/31/2013, 100th hike,” not “Wednesday” and “100th mile.” In 2015, when I finally decided to place the order, I instructed verbally and in writing the aged owner to engrave “Tuesday, 12/31/2013, 100th hike, House Mountain.” Paying only 15 dollars for the plaque on 2/4/2015, I didn't have the heart to point out his mistakes.

Conclusion

Touching the marker at 4:42 PM ended our milestone hike with and for family on House Mountain. This 200th hike was definitely meaningful and memorable! With heartfelt gratitude, I thanked my brother and his family for hiking with me. My brother replied, “We did it for you!”

Three hours and 25 minutes in the woods with and for family was better than watching “March Madness” basketball games on television! Mrs. Appalachian Irishman chose to do the latter, of course, with her father and sister. It was their family time together. During her grade school years, my wife played on the school's ladies basketball team. Also, her father and she enjoyed attending Lady Vols basketball games, when Pat Summitt was the head coach.

Is House Mountain calling you, dear reader? Would you like to answer that call by hiking with me? If so, you are invited to email me, using the Contact Form on my website's main page. I need to reach my next goal, 225 hikes on House Mountain! I enjoy hiking alone. Hiking with others is better.

House Mountain Hike #199, 2-25-2025: Early Spring and for Smokie (published 3-1-2025; article #520)

Introduction

Welcome, dear reader, to the 77th entry in the hiking topic section! One more hike, Lord willing, will be my 200th hike on House Mountain!

Our niece, my sister-in-law's daughter, and I hiked House Mountain for the first time on Sunday afternoon, April 23, 2000, almost 25 years ago. I started hiking House Mountain more often in the fall of 2003. Hiking records that I started after that first hike are kept up to date.

Family members and I have hiked other locations. For example, the article from 3/31/2023 includes a section titled “Hiking Records: Grand Total of All Hikes, Since 4/23/2000.” Therein, I tallied hikes on House Mountain and other locations at the time. My mountain, as I call House Mountain, is close to home. Thus, I have hiked there more frequently than other locations. I still enjoy the challenge of the rugged trails and the scenic views.

Four days ago, on Tuesday the 25th, I trekked House Mountain for the 199th time. My next hike will reach another milestone. How many more times will House Mountain call me, and I must go? God, in His omniscience, knows. I don't, but I look forward to finding out!

Come on along with me virtually as we reflect on Tuesday's hike! The hike was dedicated to our beloved and deceased kitty cat, Smokie. The conclusion mentions the passing of a friend from grade school.

Felt Like Early Spring

On Wednesday, the 19th, snowfall accumulated to two inches, a dinky amount. The overnight low was 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and the high reached 34 degrees. The next day, when the temperature stayed below freezing, I photographed the snow around the house.

Photograph by M. Fearghail, Thursday, 2/20/2025, 12:31 PM. The view looks east.

Six days later, on the Tuesday of my hike, the overnight low of 24 degrees warmed to a late afternoon high of 72 degrees. If you don't like the current weather in northeast Tennessee, wait a few days. It will change!

Tuesday felt like an early spring day. Under a clear blue sky, the warm and breezy weather made me wonder why I wore a short-sleeve shirt over my T-shirt! I sweated enough.

Up the West Trail

Various tasks at home delayed my start, but at 2:31 PM, I touched the signpost near the picnic area to start hiking up the west trail! The parking lot was full, but I found one open spot. A group of young people and adults was having fun around the picnic area. I passed several from the group hiking out as I started in.

Just before reaching the bridge, where the entrance trail splits to the west or east, I stepped easily across the rocks that provide stepping stones through that wet and muddy area. Rainwater running down the mountain forms a runoff stream in that area. Years ago, I had to be more careful, due to my “bionic” right foot. Thankfully, that foot, despite still not bending forward at the ankle like it should, is much more nimble than before.

By 2:47 PM, I had already passed through the low areas and gone up the four lower switchbacks. The six upper switchbacks were above me. Recent sunny weather had dried other muddy areas from previous rain and snow.

Seven minutes later, I reached the final upper switchback. The trail leading west below the ridge was next. I still enjoy the rugged, narrow, and steep challenges along that section of the trail.

The article from 4/14/2023, in the hike up to the west bluff section, mentions the cutout that uneducated hikers made years ago and my mistake. At that location, I met a family of three who were hiking down. They were trying to go down that steep and muddy cutout! I warned and redirected them toward the correct trail at that section, up which I had hiked. The family had not hiked House Mountain before. The father thanked me for correcting their route.

Hiking theology came to mind. Don't turn the wrong way onto the devil's cutout. Turn right and stay on the godly trail!

At the West Bluff

Reaching the west bluff, I touched the rock that marks my time at 3:06 PM. Thirty-five minutes from the trail entrance to the west bluff must be my “new normal.” In my “pre-bionic” life, during good weather, I could hike up in about 25 minutes or less. My “bionic” right foot and knee still slow me down. I am still an overly cautious “lame mountain goat.”

Starting at 3:15 PM, I took the two photographs below near the west bluff. The first view looks southwest toward the bluff. The second image, taken two minutes later, points northeastward to the ridge trail.

Having seen these views 199 times, they are still remarkable. I was tempted to continue to the upper-middle bluff, but I needed to get back to the house to peel taters for supper!

Down the West Trail

At 3:20 PM, I started hiking down the same west trail, up which I had hiked. I had not gone far when I met three pleasant young men hiking up. One had hiked House Mountain once before. It was the first time for the other two. I encouraged them to hike often and to try to hike up the west trail in 25 minutes. They seemed to enjoy the challenge from this older man!

Continuing carefully down, I happened to meet Trooper and his owner again! They are mentioned in the article from 6/1/2024. Trooper is a large and friendly German Shepherd. I wish that I could recall his owner's name.

Along the way, I stopped to cut down some thorns with my sheath knife. They were growing exactly where they could stab an unobservant hiker in the arm or head.

Again, a hiking theology point came to my mind. Avoid or cut down the devilish thorns of life. Keep the heavenly path clear!

At 4:12 PM, I touched the same signpost near the picnic area to end my hike. An hour and 41 minutes in the woods is better than not having been there!

Smokie

My 199th hike on House Mountain last Tuesday was in remembrance of our beloved and departed kitty cat, Smokie. She died on Wednesday, 2/25/2015, ten years ago.

The humorous article from 6/21/2009 includes a photograph of Smokie, resting near the entrance door to my home office. Her eyes seem to ask, “Why are you taking my picture?”

The 2/27/2021 article, about life such as it was then, recaps how my wife and I got Smokie and about how she died.

Smokie was a good cat. Molly, at age 10, is our great old puppy. Molly would have liked Smokie. Smokie would have tolerated Molly.

Conclusion

Before publishing this article today, a friend from grade school, who lives in Hawkins County, called to tell me that a mutual friend since those days, who was living in Florida, passed away a day or two ago. Saddened by the news, I hoped, before he passed away, that our mutual friend had cut down the devilish thorns of life and opened the heavenly path.

Dear reader, please hike along the right trail in life. You will come out right if you do. If you would like to begin a private conversation, please use the Contact Form on this website to email me a message. I am just a former hungry beggar, who found the Bread of Life. I want to share that Bread.