Iva Marie Gutowski

Iva Marie Gutowski Preserving the Appalachian Culture & sharing Mamaw's & Papaw's Wisdom! Follow me on all the socials

12/15/2025

This is for Christians. Not the world. Not unbelievers. Christians.

Jesus said,
“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
Luke 6:46

So let me ask something that is being asked more and more, even inside the Church.

Are you a Jesus Christian
or a MAGA Christian?

That question exists for a reason.

Jesus did not avoid hard topics.
He confronted corrupt governments.
He exposed abuse of power.
He openly rebuked religious leaders who used God’s name while harming people.

And His strongest words were never aimed at unbelievers.

They were aimed at religious people who claimed righteousness while producing rotten fruit.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites.”
Matthew 23:27

Today, many Christians say they follow Jesus while remaining fiercely loyal to a party, a person, or a label. Even when those things directly contradict the teachings of Christ.

Scripture is clear.

“No one can serve two masters.”
Matthew 6:24

When someone continues to defend cruelty, dishonesty, dehumanization, or abuse of power because it comes from the “right” side, that reveals something uncomfortable.

It reveals where their true loyalty is.

“These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”
Matthew 15:8

Jesus did not give us room to add exceptions.

Whatever you did to the least of these, you did to Me.
Matthew 25:40

There is no political footnote on that verse.
No national exception.
No “but times are different now.”

God is all knowing.
Jesus meant exactly what He said.

Now let’s talk about judgment, because this is where Christians are causing real harm.

Christians are not called to judge unbelievers.

Scripture is explicit.

“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?”
1 Corinthians 5:12

Yet many Christians immediately tell nonbelievers they are going to hell.

That scares people away from Jesus.

And Jesus warned us about that.

“If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a millstone hung around their neck.”
Matthew 18:6

People are not rejecting Jesus.
They are rejecting Christians who do not look like Him.

Scripture told us this would happen.

“The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Romans 2:24

That should stop us cold.

The Bible says judgment begins where.

“For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household.”
1 Peter 4:17

This is not persecution.
This is accountability.

Jesus said we would be known by our fruit.

“You will know them by their fruit.”
Matthew 7:16

If the fruit is fear, cruelty, arrogance, nationalism, and contempt for human life, then it is time to stop defending the label and start examining the tree.

Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” belongs to Christ.

“Only the one who does the will of My Father.”
Matthew 7:21

So let me ask this honestly.

If we simply did what Jesus told us to do
loved our neighbor
cared for the poor
welcomed the stranger
refused violence
rejected corruption
told the truth
walked humbly

do you not think the things we argue about
the things we fear
the things we claim are “too complicated”

would already be resolved?

Because Jesus said they would be.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33

So again.

Are you a Jesus Christian
or a MAGA Christian?

And what does your fruit say?

And let me say this plainly.

We are now at a point where speaking against Christian nationalism or MAGA Christianity is labeled by some institutions as “extremism” or “anti-Christian.”
People are told that calling out political idolatry inside the Church is dangerous.
That it puts your name on lists.
That it flags accounts.
That it brings scrutiny.

If that is true, and if telling the truth about Jesus puts my name somewhere I did not ask to be, then so be it.

If anyone doubts that this even happens, they are free to verify it themselves. Public reporting, government statements, corporate policy changes, and surveillance partnerships are not hidden. This is not secret knowledge. It is documented.

And if my name ends up on a list because I refused to merge Jesus with a political movement, that will be the only list I am proud to be on.

Because Scripture already warned us about this.

“Whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father in heaven.”
Matthew 10:33

Jesus did not say,
“Unless it costs you safety.”
“Unless it costs you status.”
“Unless it makes your life harder.”

He said what He said.

And when I stand before God and He asks me if I stayed silent to protect myself,
if I softened the truth to avoid being targeted,
if I chose comfort over obedience,

I will be able to say no.

I did not deny Him.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”
Matthew 10:28

If following Jesus now costs reputation, comfort, or safety, then we are finally understanding what He meant when He said,

“Take up your cross and follow Me.”
Matthew 16:24

11/20/2025

"Remember the Way"
By Iva of Appalachia

"They came across the waters, fleeing kings and cruel decrees,
They sought the quiet mountains, and the shelter of the trees.
No lord to own their labor, no crown to take their bread,
They carved a life from granite, and the land became their stead.

They trusted not the mighty, nor the hand of government men,
For promises were broken time and time again.
They leaned upon each other, their word was all they gave,
And taught their sons and daughters that a people must be brave.

They found their strength in silence, in the work their hands could do,
In fields of corn and sorghum, in the timber split in two.
Their voices carried wisdom, in story, song, and prayer,
They left us all a legacy that still is living there.

Now hear the call, Appalachians, the hills remember still,
The creeks that sing our history, the graves upon the hill.
Turn back from false salvation, from the merchant’s hollow schemes,
The truth is in your bloodline and the mountains of your dreams.

Do not forget your elders, the ones who walked before,
They asked us guard the homeland, and betray their trust no more.
Stand firm against the tyrant, and the lies of polished men,
Come back unto the mountains, and be whole again."

08/17/2025
The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. Such a beautiful place full of so many memories for so many different people. Please don...
08/09/2025

The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. Such a beautiful place full of so many memories for so many different people. Please don't forget Appalachia.

Important Notice - Lake Lure Flowering Bridge: It is with deep regret that the Town of Lake Lure, NC announces that the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge must be taken down due to the significant structural impacts from last September 2024. The historic structure sustained severe damage during Tropical Storm Helene. After thorough assessments by two independent engineering firms, it was determined that the bridge is beyond repair and cannot be restored.

Following a competitive bid process, the Town has awarded the contract for removing the bridge to Mitch Contracting. This process will likely take several weeks, but the project will begin on August 18, 2025.

* For everyone's safety, it is crucial that the public avoid the demolition site at all times.

* This includes the area on the east side of the Bridge as well as the area on the West Side, near the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Education Center.

* Please respect all posted signage and barriers.

The Town of Lake Lure recognizes the historical significance of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, and we remain mindful of what it has meant to our community and to the countless visitors who have come to tour it. We can never thank the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge volunteers enough for their dedication and commitment to beautifying the Bridge and the Town of Lake Lure over the years. For over a decade, they worked tirelessly to create a gateway to somewhere beautiful!

Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this difficult transition. You may read about the history of the beloved Lake Lure Flowering Bridge at the following link: https://www.townoflakelure.com/community/page/history-lake-lure-flowering-bridge

Please share and help get the word out. This is in what I claim as my second hometown. Both of my hometowns are right wh...
08/07/2025

Please share and help get the word out. This is in what I claim as my second hometown. Both of my hometowns are right where Hurricane Helene hit in Western NC. Since then we've had more flooding, (never even mentioned in the news), from other storms, insane fires, this the other day, then more flooding. This old house was ALWAYS so beautiful coming right into town. I even remember always looking for it out the window as a kid as we drove by. It has amazing local history as do the people who originally lived there.

07/20/2025

The ghost town of Lost Cove, hidden deep in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest, is one of the most legendary abandoned communities in the Appalachian region. Likely founded during the Civil War era—though some say settlers from a Daniel Boone expedition arrived even earlier...Lost Cove thrived as a remote agricultural town before booming in the early 1900s with logging and railroad jobs. Its isolation above the Nolichucky River made it a prime spot for moonshining, as revenuers struggled to reach it. As the timber ran out and the railroad shifted routes, the town slowly faded. By 1957, the last residents had left. Today, you can hike the Lost Cove Trail to see the crumbling cabins, chimneys, cemetery, and scattered relics left behind.

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Morgantown, WV

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