Neal Pollard
I’ve been asked that most of my adult life. Being raised in Georgia and receiving my college education in Alabama and Tennessee, I was asked that from the time my family and I moved to Virginia in 1994 and am constantly asked that since we moved here to Colorado in 2006. My accent gives away my geographical heritage. While I was a student at Faulkner University, my parents moved up to a community informally known as Mud Puppy, Georgia–several houses off Gold Mine Road north of Blairsville. People always got a kick out of my answer when they asked, “Where are you from?”
New Orleans is “the big easy.” Las Vegas is “sin city.” New York City is “the big apple.” Chicago is “the windy city.” Miami is “vice city.” Boston is “Beantown.” Tagline Guru has the names of some lesser known towns, too. Did you know that Cape Hatteras, NC, is known as “the graveyard of the Atlantic”? Forestville, CA, is “the poison oak capital of the world.” Nashville, TN, is called “the protestant vatican.” Gallup, NM, is “the drunk driving capital of America.” My favorite is Algona, IA–“The world’s largest Chee-to” (www.taglineguru.com/monikerlist.html).
The final paragraph of Ezekiel describes the twelve gates of the new city. The prophet said the city would no longer be called Jerusalem but rather “Yahweh-shammah.” “The Lord is there” (48:35).
Would you not love to live in a place whose citizens and characteristics were truly such that the town’s name or nickname would be, “the Lord is there.” The Hebrews writer describes the church as “the city of the living God, the new Jerusalem” (12:22-23). We should so conduct ourselves as a congregation that all who come among us and visit with us come to identify us as “Yahweh-shammah.” The Lord is there!
The Preacher Pollard Blog 
That one hits home w/ me too, brother! Born in Akron, OH, lived in Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and now, Kentucky again. People ask me, and I say, “I was born in Akron, that’s all I know.” Excellent application. There is one people – and one accent – in the kingdom!