19 years and 11 months.

19 years and 11 months ago.

That’s when God placed in my heart this idea to tear apart a few old baseballs and craft them into an American flag. And this is what it looked like - the first ever “America’s Game” artwork.

As we commemorate today the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I will always remember how my small artisan business using tattered baseballs was birthed out of the brokenness we felt as a tattered nation that day.

As I often point out in themes related to my artworks, we are not defined by the scuffs and the ripped seams in our lives. Rather, adversity provides a means for us to develop perseverance; to grow in character; to transform our lives into something new. Something better. As a nation, we still have some work to do.

It’s my prayer that when you look at my artwork, you see past the leather and seams and reflect on a time in your own life where something beautiful grew from a tattered time. Never forget where you’ve been so that you can be a light to those still unraveling at the seams.