About Me
Hi, friends! Ella Patterson here :) I’m just a 22 year old who’s crazy in love with Jesus. I find joy in family time, road trips with my people, my role as the oldest sibling, hype + full of laughter dance parties and game nights, playing basketball + working out, taking care of little kiddos (baby fever 24/7), and Bath and Body Works candles (hint, I have a closet shelf FULLY stocked). But, truly, my heart is filled by my time in worship and reading God’s Word, serving in my church, faith-filled talks over coffee, and fellowship with my community. I was born in Austin, Texas, lived in Dallas for ten years, and now live in Birmingham, Alabama where I’ve found my church home at Church of the Highlands and attend Samford University.
My prayer for this blog is that it would be a place of praise to the Lord. I pray that the life stories + heaven-sent wisdom shared here would show way less of our minute human lives and glorify the never-ending, all powerful, and sovereign goodness of God. I pray lives would change, wounds would heal, and hearts would be set free. All in the name of Jesus.
How It Started
Simply put, this blog started because of the merciful move of Jesus to save my life. In high school I walked through intensive treatment for an eating disorder, anxiety, and depression. Most days I thought, and even wished, my struggles would be the death of me. But God.
I believed, and still believe, that the Lord had purpose for His growing kingdom through my suffering. I knew my passion to help and serve and nurture others was deepened through the pain. So, in July of 2020, I launched my blog, My Beautiful Scars. There I shared my testimony, what I was learning in therapy, and what God was revealing to me in my day to day living. Not all of the posts from the first attempt at blogging have made it through this remodeling process and those that have may have some edits!
Renaming my blog from My Beautiful Scars to To My First Love was an important change as I obeyed God’s call to further surrender my past. I have walked out of the life of focus on the pain and hurt and trial, and into a life of acknowledging the struggle, but focusing on the One who pulls me from the pit, places me on solid ground, breathes life into my dry bones, and gives me a new song to sing.
To my First Love,
My “thank You” could never be enough. May my every day be an altar of Your love, grace, and truth. And as I remember what You have saved me from, I pray that my only response would be to fall to my knees.
Amen
