Chimney Tops ..take one.

The Smoky Mountains! If heaven could manifest on Earth, this is where it would happen! Swear!

I'm a Georgia girl - born, bred, and raised a Dawg. But Tennessee is where the heart's at! From the mountains to the Southern atmosphere, this is where I choose to be - always. If there's an opportunity for that to happen, I'm on it! Hands down. No questions asked. 

This weekend, Jonathan, Mandi and I ventured up to take a stab at the "Chimney Tops" trail. It was fun - it really was! But we did quite a few things wrong, which just means we'll have to do it again to get it right!

For starters, I worked two days before this adventure took place. Now remember I'm not only a nurse, but a critical care nurse. We're busy, lives depend on us, and there are rarely any breaks. So after two-three days, I'm exhausted, dehydrated, and in dire need of sleep. We also didn't prepare food and clothes until the night before (remember I didn't get home until well after 9 to start with). It was after 11 before we climbed into bed and we left home at 6. 

I was tired. dehydrated. and already out of shape.

I knew the hike would be strenuous - many people had said that online. What they failed to mention is that the entire two mile hike is completely, 100% uphill. No pauses. About a quarter into the hike, I began to feel funny - like my head hurt, and my head felt funny, and I began to get nauseous. This only progressed as we climbed. We made it about 3/4th up and I just couldn't go any further. I felt defeated, sick, and like I had let the team down. 

While the hike was unsuccessful, the three of us did have a good time. We saw amazing mountain-top views and finished out the day with brilliantly cooked apple fritters!

4.11.15
Great Smoky Mountains.

Until Next Time Chimney Tops,

V

Easter 2015.

Happy Easter, y'all!

Easter 2015
Hickory Grove Baptist Church
4.5.15

This morning, I had the great pleasure of listening to one of my oldest and dearest childhood friends preach. He preached of how unashamed Jesus was went he allowed men to beat Him, torture Him, mock Him, and nail Him to the cross to die. He wasn't ashamed of me. Let's repeat for emphasis, He was NOT ashamed of ME, Victoria Lynn White. Instead He allowed Himself to be kill and then won victory over death, for ME! 

Now let's think a little bit. How many times in my life have I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to be embarrassed, or teased, or socially shunned because of my beliefs? I'm ashamed to say that the number is exponentially high. And if we'll all be honest, this is how we all behave from time to time. It's easy to say you're a Christian when you're sitting on a church pew. It's easy to declare you're a Christian when a religious holiday pops up. It's easy to stand up for our Savior when something goes right.
But.
What about those times when you're the only believer in the room? What about those moments when you're caught in the middle of a valley and people start to ask where your God is? What about those moments when you seem all alone and nothing is going as it should?

I'm here to tell you friends, even in those situations, God is still God! He is mighty and worthy to be praised! Better yet, even in those situations, He wouldn't have been ashamed of YOU! He wouldn't have been ashamed of ME! And even when we feel like He should just walk away because we've done X, Y, and probably Z .. He never leaves. He holds our hand. He holds us safely in His arms. He protects us. He never gives up on us! Why then, is it so hard for us to do this very same thing in return?

I urge each of you to take this to heart, to converse with God, to stand up for God, to allow others to know what He's doing and done for you, to work for a deeper relationship with God! After all, He's already done so much for each of us.

Peace and Love Y'all,

V