Little Switzerland

Take a few days off to head up the mountains, a big huge gargantuan pot of chilli, a few friends, and you will have an awesome weekend full of deeper friendships combined with a lot of gas. Sandy!

A group of us went up to stay at Sandy's parents mountain house in Little Swizerland, NC. It was the type of weekend where you go with the full intention of doing nothing for a few days. I mean nothing. Of course, eating is always a huge part of anything I want to be involved in, amen. Sandy, me, meredith orten, and amy wyatt went up on Thursday night to get a jump start on the weekend. Sandy and I went shopping to make sure we had all the right fixins. Fun times at the local wally world. Did you know that powder sugar only costs 1.00. I thought that was quite a deal. Anyway. Everyone else came up on Friday night. Rhett Cheatham, Loren T., Whityey, Joe S, Tavaras B, Melodacious, and a co-worker of mine, PEDRO whom we call Pedo, which means, the fart. It was a name given to him at work and it has just stuck. hilarious.

We did absolutely nothing the whole weekend. I'll define nothing by saying...a few games of cards, foosball, celebrity, and sitting by the fire drinking hot chocolate, apple cider, and bringing in wood every now and then. It's good to get away from everything and just take a break from what you call your life. A place where cell phone signals are few, emails are not popping up, and you are just alone with nature, friendships, and a really cool view of the mountains. We laughed the entire weekend.

Saturday night, we had a time where we all sat down for dinner. Melody made spaghetti and it twas good. It's amazing that we don't really sit down in big groups for dinner as much as people like our parents did in the past. We live in such a fast paced Zaxby's kinda world. I shouldn't say that Zaxby's is fast paced because they actually pride themselves on preparing your food in a timely manner and they are NOT a fast food restaurant. Anyway. It was really neat to sit at a table with your friends and just talk, eat, and have fun. Sandy said it was a tradition to talk about something good that has happened in our lives in the past week etc. So we started it and went around and shared. Everyone had something to say that was meaningful to them. It was really encouraging to sit and listen to everyone share something from their heart. It's SO easy to speak from the surface of our lives and just say that things are good, when they are not, to say that finances are good, when we are broke, to say that you are growing and learning, when well, you are not. Everyone opened up and shared and it was like you could see faces and hearts start to really open up. It's amazing that we long for that type of interaction but we don't really work for it. I think I know why. To really get to know someone and dig into their life, you have to let them see your life. You have to lay yourself bare and allow them to see your sin for what it is. You become vulnerable. I don't know of one single person, much less man that desires to be vulnerable in any way or form of the word. I think I am learning that it is okay to be vulnerable and for people to know your struggles and problems. When we open up and share our intimate thoughts and feelings, it creates an atmosphere where others can also feel comfortable to share theirs, and we can all grow together.

As believers, we are called to love each other, to care for each other, to share our struggles as well as our blessings.

This weekend taught me a lot about the power of friendships that go deeper than the topsoil. God is continually showing me more and more of what He desires me to be. The hard part is that it hurts to be scaled down and broken apart. He wants what is good for us and in return we will glorify Him by pointing people to His Son by the love that we have for each other.

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart, oh God, you will not despise"