OK, I get it! Every crow thinks their's is the the blackest. But my Boone is something special. I've been saying for quite some time that he is going to be a preacher or a Christian politician--a real one, not these absolute fakes ones we see every day on the news! He made me an even bigger believer on our vacation this week. Twenty years from now, he might even look back and say this is the week he realized he was called to the pulpit.
I teach my kids God brought them all here for a reason, and the reason is not about them! It is about serving the one and true God, Jesus Christ. So there we were, inside a church built in the 1800s in Cades Cove in the Smokey Mountains. And Boone announces that he wants to preach to us--and a few other people on the tour. He didn't even care complete strangers were sitting in the pews. We were all shocked when he marched up to the pulpit and started "preaching"; especially when he said, "Be quiet and bow your heads." An old lady sitting across the room said, "I think he is going to be a preacher." She then bowed her head, and Boone prayed and started his sermon. Like any good preacher, he got a little long winded, so we finally had to tell him to wrap it up. He said a closing prayer, and we moved on to the next stop. Videos of Boone's first sermon are below.
Cades Cove Methodist Church 1830. It was built by Rev. John E. McCampbell in 115 days for $115. It had two doors and a physical divider to separate males and females.
Boone preached at both the Methodist and Baptist church in one day! I guess that makes him both a Methodist and a Baptist!! So what do you think of that?!!
John and Lucretia Oliver introduced the Baptist denomination to Cades Cove in 1825.
The other kids are all torn about what to think about Boone. On the one hand they think Boone is too cute and they themselves can't help but laugh at him. On the other hand, they think I show him a little too much favor. We have now nicked named Boone "Little Jo Boone" from the Bible story of Joseph. Of course, it is NOT true!!!!!!!!!!! Although Mike did threaten to buy Little Joe Boone a coat of many colors.
Joseph's father had twelve sons,
Had twelve sons, had twelve sons.
Joseph's father had twelve sons,
Oh, what a family.
Joseph's father loved him best,
Loved him best, loved him best.
Joseph's father loved him best,
Oh, what a family.
A coat of many colors was his pride,
Was his pride, was his pride.
A coat of many colors was his pride,
Oh, what a family.
All his brothers were so jealous,
Were so jealous, were so jealous.
All his brothers were so jealous,
Oh, what a family.
His brothers threw him in a pit,
In a pit, in a pit.
His brothers threw him in a pit,
Oh, what a family.
Egypt bought him as a slave,
As a slave, as a slave.
Egypt bought him as a slave,
Oh, what a family.
God caused a famine in the land,
In the land, in the land.
God caused a famine in the land,
Oh, what a family.
By then Joseph was a mighty man,
Mighty man, mighty man.
By then Joseph was a might man,
Oh, what a family.
His brothers came to him for food,
Him for food, him for food.
His brothers came to him for food,
Oh, what a family.
Joseph forgave and fed them all,
Fed them all, fed them all.
Joseph forgave and fed them all,
Oh, what a family.
According to Wikipedia, Cades Cove is an isolated valley located in the Tennessee section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. The valley was home to numerous settlers before the formation of the national park. Today Cades Cove is the single most popular destination for visitors to the park, attracts more than two million visitors a year because of its well preserved homesteads, scenic mountain views, and abundant display of wildlife.
Remi invited her cousin Lain on this trip. Remi went with Lain to the Smokies last Fall.
We got a close up look at this deer and a few others driving through Cades Cove. No bear sightings though.
The next morning we had breakfast and Boone had the Smokie bear pancakes-the only bears we got to see!!
Me: Boone remember how bad you were in China when we got you, and I had to take you to the restroom?
Boone: Yeah...
Me: Preachers are not suppose to be bad.
Boone: In China I didn't know I was a preacher. You didn't teeeelll me... duh.
