Welcome

Why a blog from me, someone who has never been a writer, someone who has never been articulate or had a solid grasp of the grammar world. Because God told me to write. Several years ago a life storm invaded my family. God kept telling me to write it all down. I argued, but He would not let up. This went on every day for a couple of weeks until one day out of frustration, (I'd like to say it was out of obedience), I picked up a pen and paper and wrote for 7 hours straight! Do you think maybe I needed therapy and God knew it?

I've been writing ever since and have learned to love it! I started out sharing my stories with friends and family. I've now been published in a Nashville church paper, Our Daily Journey (a devotional site of RBC Ministries), PCCWeb Daily Devotional, Ruby for Women Ezine Magazine, and I am a contributor in the book Alabaster Jars, Life in Abundance Collection 2.

Why Ponderings? During this life storm, God led me to a pond in the woods behind my home. There He met me each time, teaching new lessons, reminding me of old ones, showing His presence and allowing me to feel His love through the surroundings of that pond. I found myself returning over and over to ponder, pray and praise. A healing of my heart took place and out of the experience came my first book, Ponderings From the Pond, then a second book, Ponderings From My Porch, and now a third book is in the works along with a memoir about my storm.

Why am I making myself so vulnerable? Because God has done so much that I cannot keep quiet. I have to share. Jesus's last words to his desciples were, "Go,tell." We are his disciples too and this is just one of my ways of telling.

I'm no scholar but I have heard God's voice in my spirit, experience His love daily, and have a desire for others to experience this also. I would love to share with all who visit and I would love to hear from you. If my sharing gets just one to ponder, to be quiet with the Father, to see and hear from Him or to be reminded of something from Him, then this is worth my vulnerability.

As you visit me, sometimes we will be at the pond, sometimes we will move to the front porch, and sometimes we will just be here, there, and yonder. Thank you for coming and please feel free to come back anytime, you are always welcome here.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

*****EXCITING NEWS*****

My first book, Ya Know What I'm Say'n, has been released.


Ponderings

Ponderings

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Where I Am From

There is a writing exercise going around that came from the reading of a poem called, Where I'm From.  It's about digging into your roots, from where you came from, using all your senses to bring up memories of what made you who you are today.  I wanted to give it a try and now I share it with you all.  Maybe you would like to give it a try yourself. . .

Where I Am From


I am from tornado alleys and where the wind blows red dirt.














I am from a place full of cowboys


and fields full of cows


and wildflowers and blackberry bushes.

I am from where the buffalo roam

I am from terrain where you'll find treasures of arrowheads.
I am from a land full of mosquitoes and scorpions and junebugs and lightning bugs.


I am from the bible belt, churches, old hymns, organs, and little dresses with bows on the back.

I am from sunday school classes, childrens programs, and youth groups.
I am from old pews and new pews, old ministers and new ones.

I am from pigtails, yarn ribbons in hair, and barretts.  I am from saddle oxfords .

I am from shyness, sitting in back rows, blending into crowds, hiding behind skirts.

I am from hopscotch, red light green light, and tag.
I am from mud pies and clover made necklaces, swings and slides.

I am city

and farm.

I am from tall sky scrapers and acres with ponds. I am from smog and cement pavements and also from clean country air and dirt roads.

I am from purple iris's and orange day lilies, swings, hammocks, and metal bouncy chairs, ponds, and cousins, woods and tree houses.

I am from gardens and music and guns and bow and arrows.

I am from piano lessons, recorder and violin playing, recitals and throwing up afterwards.

I am from playgrounds of warm musty attics filled with treasures and breezy barns filled with stacked hay bales to climb on and corn cobs to throw at siblings and cousins.

I am from lakes, ponds, moss covered rocks and poison ivy.

I am from pink calamine lotion and red mercurochrome.

I am from sweet tea, beans and cornbread, yucky lima beans, fried chicken, homemade bisquits and gravy, mashed potatoes, roast beef and roasted potatoes, potatoe cakes,and even frog legs jumping in the black, cast iron skillet.

I am from libraries, Nancy Drew books, writitng tablets and purple banana seat bicycles.

I am from grandpa who was sheriff and farmer.

 I come from grandma who was excellent cook, baker, homemaker, gardner and protector of grandchildren to the point of chopping snakes in two who slithered too close to her babes.  I come from bravery.

I am from grandfather who only had a 6th grade education and yet self taught himself to the point of taking excellent care of his family.  He roasted and sold peanuts, became a barber and invented a machine that supposedly grew hair that brought men from miles around. I come from hard workers.

I am from a grandmother who was another excellent, devoted housewife, cook, sewed, crocheted,loved to work in the yard.  I am from kindness and love. I am from devoted women.

I am from quiet people filled with kindness and compassion.

I am from a distant father

and an ill mother.

I am from depression, broken relationships and distance.  I am from tears of many kinds.  I am from healings, restorations and forgiveness.

I am from stories and love, healings and miracles.

I am from Pat and Jack.  I am from grace and mercy.  I am from God.

Where are you from?


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    19 comments:

    Grace said...

    Beautiful!!

    Reformed rebel said...

    Wow...that was incredible...and I'm glad you are!

    Blessings
    Chelle

    Denise said...

    Wow, beyond fabulous.

    Cora from Hidden Riches said...

    Kristin!!!! You did such a beautiful job on this. Just superb!!! I don't know why, but I always feel these emotions well up inside of me when I read these. It's kind of like someone has taken me by the hand and took me on a journey through their whole life. I feel I know you so much better than I did before. Thank you so much for doing this!!!

    Katherines Corner said...

    this is absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for posting it. I liked it so much Hugs

    Renee said...

    Love this post! How wonderful to think about the lives who went before and make us who we are . . . Beautiful!

    Dea Moore said...

    This was so neat! I loved the pictures with it. It came alive!

    Kathleen T. Jaeger said...

    I loved reading this, especially the pictures and tributes to the people who have gone before you.

    kingfisher said...

    I posted a comment, but it didn't seem to "take". So here I am again.

    Thank you for posting your deep thoughts. I'm so glad that God our Father keeps his eye on the sparrows -- and us!

    May God bless you richly today, and every day.

    Lisa Maria said...

    Oh Kris...this was so beautiful. The pictures gorgeous, the words soul capturing and the you they reveal..just awesome!

    Love you my friend and love learning more about you. (I still have mercurochrome in my medicine cabinet, love libraries and Nancy Drews were my favourite too)

    Lisa notes... said...

    Wow. This is one of those posts that you need to print out and keep forever. Beautiful all the way around!

    Tereasa said...

    Wow. That was beautiful. Thanks for stopping by my blogspot. I am happy to have the chance to meet you. From the beginning of your post, I'd guess you're from west Texas.

    Kristin Bridgman said...

    Thank you everyone! This was a fun post to write. And I am acutally from Oklahoma. Born, raised and married there. But am living in Kentucky now and have been for the last 8 years. It's wonderful here to, except all extended family is still in Oklahoma :(

    Jennifer said...

    I love this! :) Roots run deep and leave lasting impressions.

    Joyful said...

    I enjoyed this post. You have a rich heritage. God bless.

    Unknown said...

    Beautiful, Kristin! I love this!

    lynnmosher said...

    Awesome, Kristin! I loved it! I took a class a couple of years ago and we used this. I turned it into a blog post as well. I love how you used photos with yours. Great idea!

    Cecilia Marie Pulliam said...

    Beautifully, beautifully done!

    Lori Dupes said...

    a beautiful legacy to the Glory of God!