When I was eleven years old, I was given my first guitar for my birthday. It was a cheap Epiphone acoustic, and I named it Ellie. I started out picking simple melodies until I finally had enough coordination to strum, which is a large feat for someone as uncoordinated as myself. :) Soon it started a fire in me to write music. My very first song was about my neighbors. No, it wasn't about how they showed up on my back porch every day wanting me to come out and play, or about how we rode our bikes up and down the street every day pretending we were race car drivers, not even about how we snuck on to the golf course across the street and played in the sand pits (still wondering why we thought that was a good idea.) I wrote about their lives, the struggles they had to face at such a young age and the grace that is freely offered them. Just as that grace is offered to everyone freely.
Today is my nineteenth birthday, and that fire is still in me!! It's been eight years since I first started writing, and I wouldn't change a moment of this journey. I've chosen a career path that is not guaranteed success, and that can be scary, but it's also taught me to trust in God to provide every need. In the moments I think I should give up, God reveals Himself in ways I would have never imagined and His still small voice reminds to keep going. He reminds me that the last eight years were not in vain, but were a process of growth.
So, to wrap up this blog post, I just want to say thank you to every person who has supported and listened to my music. If you've been following along since my first release when I was thirteen, or you're just now discovering my music, you are so appreciated. I believe God uses music to bring us together when we wouldn't otherwise have made a connection. Life is a process and a journey and I'm so thankful for everyone who has joined me in mine. I want to connect with you, and know how I can come alongside you, pray for you, do life with you!! Send me a note through my contact page, or send me a message on Facebook or Instagram.
Want to know what the best nineteenth birthday gift would be? Head over to Spotify and give my music a listen. Start at the beginning and hear the progress!! Each project is a new chapter in my story, and I can't wait for you to read the next chapter soon. Here's to another year of music with the best music family in the world!