Enjoying The Boils at the End of a Homeschool Day
The people of Jackson County, Tennessee, have long enjoyed the recreation opportunities of Roaring River, especially its unique geologic feature called The Boils. For many years, The Boils were a mystery to local folks, so the spot began to play a role in Jackson County folklore.
At one pretty spot beside Roaring River lies a beach and a tranquil pool. In that pool is a small area that appears to boil. That is the area we call The Boils. Geologists tell us that it is a karst spring. This spring is unusual because it is large, and it comes out of the ground under pressure.
In 2006 the state of Tennessee designated 119 acres of shoreline along Roaring River and Blackburn Fork (which is a major tributary of Roaring River) as The Boils Wildlife Management Area. The rock beach beside The Boils is a popular spot for swimming and for launching kayaks for a float down the river. I’m sorry I don’t have a picture showing the bubbling Boils but here is a photo of our grandson (now 9) sitting on the beach when we celebrated his second birthday there.
This week a young mother told me about finishing up one of her children’s homeschool days at the Boils. In contrast to the cold and snow we had a week ago, the day was warm and beautiful. In that peaceful and fascinating setting, she read aloud primary sources that went along with her children’s history, and she read to them from the Bible. What a pleasant way to end the day. What a beautiful example of the opportunities available to homeschoolers.
In Deuteronomy God inspired Moses to give the Israelites essential teaching while Moses was still alive and before they went into the Promised Land. In the following verses from chapter 31, God told the Israelites to gather to listen to His Word. The passage goes along with my messages for today and the last few days:
- Reading God’s Word is essential.
- Families matter.
- God loves people from every land.
- Children need to know God.
Assemble the people, the men and the women and children
and the alien who is in your town,
so that they may hear and learn
and fear the Lord your God,
and be careful to observe all the words of this law.
Their children, who have not known,
will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God,
as long as you live on the land
which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”
Deuteronomy 31:12-13