I am from...

I went to a new church today and the preacher talked about being "from" somewhere and it really made me think about where I am from. This is what I came up with:

I am from the gymnast mat and a pink bedroom.

I am from a mother who sparkles and who can love deeper than the deepest ocean.

I am from a father whose fierce determination and strong leadership have shaped my life.

I am from a sister who is so beautiful that every time I uncover a layer of it I find there is another more.

I am from cowgirl boots and red high heels and running shoes.

I am from the great smokey mountains and a grandmother's flower garden.

I am from a quick wit and sassy sense of self.

I am from a young couple in the church who adopted me as their drama child.

I am from a college and youth pastor who never gave up on me.

I am from the most competitive of classrooms and the most sincere of belly laughs.

I am from the debate stage and the youth group's drama.

I am from "Away in a Manger" to "The Old Rugged Cross."

I am from the friends who have taught me how to love and trust and fight.

I am from an eating disorder that tried to destroy me from my core and from a God who taught me to love a broken masterpiece.

I am from summers that pushed me to the edge and then off the brink to teach me how to fly.

I am from betrayal and forgiveness.

I am from a hunger for justice and a desire for mercy.

I am from an old dirt road and the city street.

I am from childhood memories and grownup dreams.

I am from pancake breakfasts I will never forget and more love than I have ever deserved.

I know where I am from and even though I may not know where I am going to I know that the journey is always the best part.


"To make living itself an art, that is the goal"