Every time I look around Sedona, Arizona
I cannot deny the existence of God.
He's helped me see the beauty in everything
& I think that is what I adore most about Him.

I see it in how the sun stretches its fingers
into every nook and cranny
the mountains try to hide.

I bet even the mountains
feel alive within the warmth
of the sun's grasp.

I hear it in the tiny pebbles rolling
downstream or down crevices
to new homes.

I see it in new beginnings.

I think I'd like to get married in Sedona
because it's the first place I've ever fallen in love with.
And the only place I still believe in beauty.
In simplicity and purity.
And in forgiveness.

It's the only place I can go to find myself
and when I sit within the valley
of two red rocked mountains
that could pass as monuments,
I feel closest to God.

And whether that is because I feel like
I'm nestled between the powerful palms
of an endearing God
or because whenever I see the sun
reflect off those red washed walls
I realize God didn't just paint these rocks for me,
they are his masterpieces as well.
Where he too can seek refuge when the rest
of the world gets a little stormy.

It is in Sedona, Arizona (population 10,000)
where I realize
I truly am made in God's image.