crowders mountain.

"It's only a mile up to the top, and then a mile back down," I said. TJ immediately asked me what kind of rating it had, and I quickly replied with, "Well, it's strenuous. BUT it's only a mile, AND I'm only twenty-three weeks along. This can be our last 'tough' one until after Braxton is here." The look on TJ's face was one that clearly told me he thought I was crazy, but he agreed to it, anyway. We made the relatively short drive to Kings Mountain, North Carolina and arrived at our destination a little over an hour later: Crowders Mountain State Park. I chose the Backside Trail because, although it was the steepest trail that led to the top of the mountain, it was also the shortest. The trail, itself, was a great workout that required Mama B to stop and drink water every few minutes, and it wasn't until we got to the stairs that I began to call myself crazy for thinking that being twenty-three weeks pregnant was not a big deal. I slowed down my pace a good bit as we climbed the steep three hundred and thirty-six stairs that stood in between us and the view from the top. Did y'all read that? Three hundred and thirty-six stairs! Whew. My achy-breaky back was beyond exhausted once we reached the top, so much so that I wasn't sure that I could even walk back down the stairs.

We stayed at the top for about half an hour and enjoyed the view while being reminded of the greatness of our God. Perspective was my motivation was for this particular trip, and that's exactly what I got in more ways than one. Oh, how humbling it is to stand on top of a mountain and behold the earth laid out before your very eyes as you are reminded that you're only seeing a very small fraction of the handiwork of the Creator. He is mighty. He is able. He is infinite. My heart sings a never-ending song of thankfulness as He tells me over + over again that though He is everywhere, He is also near to me. There is no one like my God.

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

-Psalm 18:2