Lara Hartman - Pieces of Me: My Journey to Self-Discovery

Behind These Walls

Not So Picture Perfect

Living on the Edge

Life Interrupted

Rocky Road

Second Chances

Two Words

Born Again

Faith Renewed

Fresh Vision

Spiritual Strength

Identity Made New

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

One of the most enjoyable pleasures to me is taking a few moments to pause and look up at the sky, day, or night, and just watch the brilliant movement of the world I live in pass by above. We really are such a tiny part of a much larger and expansive universe. The nighttime sky, especially for those growing up in Texas, is an event to see all on its own. As soon as the sun goes down, the stars twinkle and sparkle so intensely it is as if they are taking center stage, ready to put on a magnificent show. The moon just seems so much bigger, brighter, and closer here that maybe if I stretched my arms far enough, I might be able to reach out and touch it.

Then thoughts slowly begin to creep in and fill my mind with questions such as why God, who blessed us all by creating such glorious beauty, would allow cruel and damaging life-altering storms to darken my view of all He created, including why I was created. Why does the world have to be so dreary and dark? So evil and scary?

I have lived in Texas my whole life. It is truly the best state to live in, and yes, I am being biased, but there is a lot of truth to it as well. The geography of Texas offers something for everyone. The rugged mountains out in West Texas have some of the best spots for stargazing in the state, then there are the thick piney woods of East Texas, the beautiful rolling hills of North and Central Texas, and of course the Gulf Coast. Every city and town in Texas are steeped with southern hospitality, a rich history, and local residents who are always more than willing to proudly share that history with anyone, especially out-of-towners.

What I love the most about living in Texas are the sunsets, country roads, spring wildflowers, and football season. Sunsets in Texas are just beyond spectacular and breath-taking. I refer to them as Gods paintings. It is some of the most vivid colors of orange, yellow, red, pink, blue and purple that I have ever seen. The changing of seasons from winter to spring is marked every year by the appearance of Texas wildflowers. Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrushes, and Pink Evening Primroses border the highways for miles and miles as well as completely enveloping hillsides in stunning fashion. The best way to see the wildflowers is to take a drive on winding back country roads.

Of course, I cannot mention the greatness of Texas without including football. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the fall is all about football. What better way to spend a weekend than getting together with friends and family cheering on our favorite teams, and for me that is the Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys. It is just a way of life in Texas and really in the South. What can I say? We love our football and are passionate about it. Another thing about living in Texas that I oddly enjoy are the loud, powerful, and downright nasty thunderstorms that are pretty much the norm year-around. This also includes the threat of tornadoes because Texas is in the southern plains region, which is also known as tornado alley.

I will never forget the time a tornado almost touched down directly on top of a house we were living in while I was in high school. The storm blew up just like the local weather stations had said it would. The skies became very dark very quickly, and next thing we knew the tornado sirens were going off. We all huddled in a closet, except for my father who went outside to look at what was happening. My father told us later the funnel cloud that produced the tornado passed directly over our house. That tornado touched down across the highway from the subdivision we lived in and destroyed a gas station. Thank the good Lord no one got hurt that day. It was for sure scary.