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

Monday, February 20, 2017

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 and miracles.

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

Where are you from?

8 comments:

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

I am from the farm with sheep and cows. My dad a farmer, as his dad. My mom a housewife and they both loved the Lord. I'm from a state of agriculture, lovely snow capped mountains, strawberries, ocean, lakes, waterfalls. I am from a family who are military veterans {grandpas, uncles and cousins and a brother} and include me and my husband. I am from a church going family, still believing God is alive and in our hearts.

Kristin Bridgman said...

I love it Becky! Thank you for sharing :)

lynnmosher said...

I love this, sweetie. I did this exercise a few years ago. I always love reading them. Great fun! :D

a joyful noise said...

I came from a very small close knit town in ranching area of California. We moved to the big city when I was 5 years old and lived there raising our children in the wonderful city of Oakland, California. Now I am from a small city nestled at the Oroville Dam, California. We live above the dam and over the mountain, so feel relatively safe. What ever is our stay, God is our refuge. Loved your post.

Stacie said...

My goodness! I loved reading this, Kristin. So very beautiful in so many ways....

Rebelishly said...

You write so elegantly and with purpose. I'm so glad I found your group posting today and connected. BTW, I'm from the red dirt roads of Oklahoma too. Blessings and prayers!

Domesticated Rebellion

Aritha V. said...

How are you, dear Kristin. Long time ago we react on each others blog. But you aren't blogging any longer?

You wrote a book?

Lot of Love:
Aritha

Kristin Bridgman said...

Hello Aritha! I continued to write but life got busy with ministries and caregiving my aging mother. I post mostly on FB now. Thank you for writing me. I'm surprised you saw this in 2021 but so glad you did! I'll come check out your blog again.