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Garlands of Praise Blog

Goodbye Dear Friend

Goodbye dear friend. Most of the alumni know about the fire that destroyed Gate Cottage. The memories that flowed from that building will be hard to replace. However, we will work hard to preserve each one. A big thank you goes out to the people who logged in on tfchistory, not only to view the photos taken by those who were eyewitnesses, but also to leave notes of remembrance on our comment page. As many of you pointed out, God promises to bring “beauty from ashes.” This is His personal word to us as we go forward into the future.

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Trees of Righteousness

After a devastating fire in March 1913 threatened to close the college, God gave Dr. Forrest a promise that has become the college’s anthem of faith: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners . . . to comfort all who mourn . . . giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of

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The Remains of Summer

Summer in most of the country may almost be over, but it lingers in the south. This little flower was photographed along a familiar path—one that Dr. and Mrs. Forrest would have traveled often on horseback. It was the old post road or the old mail road that led to Asheville, North Carolina. The wagon wheel ruts are long gone, but the evidence of lots of foot traffic remain even today. — Angie ‘88

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Evelyn’s London

It was May 3,1930 and the first time Evelyn Forrest had flown in an airplane. She and husband Richard (co-founders of Toccoa Falls College) were flying from Paris, France to London, England. Recently, I had the opportunity to retrace her steps, especially through the center part of the city. What fun it was to think about her standing in the center of Piccadilly Circus and wondering which bus she and Richard should take so they could visit the British Museum. In an entry in her diary dated May 4, 1930, she wrote, “By the time we reached the English Channel

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One of Her Favorite Things

When Evelyn Forrest began planting flowers at Toccoa Falls, one of the first ones she considered was wisteria. She loved the fragrance of the flower, especially on spring evenings when opened windows naturally ventilated Forrest Cottage with cool mountain breezes. Her efforts yielded quite a bounty. Today college lawn crews work diligently to contain the remaining wisteria vines that are tightly woven into the fabric of the hillside near Forrest Cottage. Over the years the plant’s tenacious and evasive nature has proven to be quite a challenge. However if she were alive today, more than likely, Evelyn Forrest would still

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Little Falls

Photo of Little Falls area If you haven’t been up to Little Falls recently then you probably have forgotten how beautiful the area is. Few colleges have this type of scenery and it is a wonderful place for a picnic because it borders on nothing commercial. In fact the closest neighbor is the National Forest. Evelyn Forrest named this place Glenn Falls after a small river that flowed near her home in Cecil County, Maryland. So, while we know it as the Little Falls, she knew it as a area that reminded her of the place were she was born.

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Favorite Photo of Dr. and Mrs. Forrest

This is one of my favorite photos of Dr. and Mrs. Forrest. Her niece Mrs. Betty Rhinehart gave it to me several years ago during a visit to her home in Punta Gorda, Florida. I had the opportunity to sit for hours talking with this dear woman who remembered Uncle Richard as a very godly man but also as a person who loved to laugh. “Before he would leave,” she said, “he always said, ‘Well, let’s have a little prayer.’” The Forrests were very balanced people and this is what they conveyed to everyone they met. They loved to have

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Middle East Then And Now

Editor’s note—The yellowed map of Iraq clipped out of newspaper was discovered in Mrs. Forrest’s Bible. We had no idea of its significance until we

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May 15, 16, 17 & 18, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Thursday, May 15, 1930 On the Atlantic — S.S. Andania Both of us slept late this morning.

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May 11, 12, 13 & 14, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Sunday, May 11, 1930 Atlantic Ocean The Cunard Line, Steamship Andania It was very rough all night.

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May 10, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Saturday May 10, 1930 Glasgow, Scotland This is sailing day. Praise the Lord! We will both be

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May 9, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Friday, May 9, 1930 Edinburg, Scotland Had another fire this morning for it was still cold. After

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May 8, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Thursday, May 8, 1930 London, England 6:45 a. m. This is rather early for the “Honeymoon” but

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