Spread Your Roots and Fly

It’s been awhile since our last update, but not for lack of eventful news. I left off when we were in the middle of our mountainous adventure in Colorado and we were on our way to Santa Fe for Ranier and Will’s (friends from Maui/Minneapolis) wedding. There we spent 5 glorious days staying in a beautiful adobe style mansion with friends of the couple, along with 4 of my dearest friends from highschool. We had such a blast and were able to return the favor of helping setting up a beautiful wedding, as so many did to make our wedding a success. This is also where we spent David’s birthday, and celebrated with old and new friends… more on that in David’s Top 10 Post.

Then began our trek across Arizona. As we planned this leg of the journey we both decided that it seemed most logical to drive straight through and spend as little time there as we could. Not much good can come from Arizona in August, so we thought. But we had 2 weeks before the next show which was in San Diego and not much of an idea of what to do with it. So we decided to take a few days to see what there was to see. We started by making a stop to enjoy Petrified Forest National Park, which was fascinating, and then made our way up to the Grand Canyon. While we enjoyed our free time hiking and scootering around the Grand Canyon, we got an email from Adam DeCuir, a friend of a friend who had heard about my music and our adventure, and was interested in having us down to his church in Southern Arizona. So before long we were hitching up and driving South to Sierra Vista, or as David likes to call it, Northern Mexico. We arrived and met our gracious hosts, Adam and Jess. Jess is from Sebring, Florida (where David and I attended Bible school) and we had so many mutual friends from within that small community… it was kind of surreal! They are both musicians and have hopes to one day pack up all they own in a trailer and have a similar adventure of doing ministry through their music. One morning during our stay with them I awoke to find Jess scouring Craig’s List for RV listings. They were inspired by our obedience and we, by theirs as they serve in a church that is doing well to disciple a community of believers to know the Word and live it out. It is an incredible thing to be moving with God and ministering to people…. we go into a situation looking for how we can bless and encourage others, and we end up feeling over-the-top blessed and encouraged by the very ones we have attempted to minister to! I was able to share in the weekend services at Thunder Mountain Community Church and then they allowed me to hold a concert on Monday evening where I could share the entirety of my songs from my new album and the stories behind them. It was a great night that ended with them praying over us and encouraging us in our ministry. See The Middle of the Circle. We are really seeing that when we allow ourselves to poured out by God, He fills us up again to overflowing. What an incredible mystery of His Kingdom. By the time we left Arizona we were leaving with some new dear friends and a church we hope to return to one day… and most of all a renewed realization that God’s thoughts are far higher than ours. We thought, “let’s spend as little time in Arizona as possible”, and God thought, “I’m going to do some things in Arizona that are going to blow your mind.”

Our drive across the desert to San Diego was long and hot and took a couple of days, but as we got closer and closer to the coast, we began to feel that familiar ocean breeze. We were refreshed as we pulled in to the neighborhood of Tom and Debbie Anderberg. They are a couple that we met in Israel last spring while we were studying with Pastor Randy. They were a part of a church group from California that came on the tour as well. We had gotten to know each other a little on the trip, and they came to our minds recently as we thought of who we could connect with in San Diego. They were so excited to have us in their home, and they had set up an evening where all the people who came with us to Israel could come and listen as I shared the music and messages God had given me since we had all seen each other last. It was such an encouraging night as we saw how God takes the little encounters that we don’t think will ever go anywhere, and He uses them to accomplish His plan. We are reminded to make the most of every interaction, never knowing what God could have in store.

We had the weekend with an old friend from Maui, Jen Janzen. She was a great tour guide and she introduced us to her thriving church community at Barabbas Road on Sunday morning. I shared a couple songs in their service and once again saw as God orchestrated the plan, as the sermon was, in principle, the same story as my song Take Courage, which I shared right after. We loved getting to see a church body that so mirrored the things we are passionate about. They are teaching the Word, allowing it to change lives and draw people deeper, and being very intentional about discipleship among their young congregation. We loved being a part of that community for the weekend. As we shared our adventure with someone that afternoon they said, “So you’re Musicianarries”. We liked that are now claiming the title.

It seems to be the trend that once God gives us an open door and we walk through it, it is only then that the illumination for the next step comes. So Sunday afternoon I heard back from a few contacts, and now our week is full once again with things we didn’t foresee, but we will make changes accordingly so that we are walking where God would have us walk.

Tonight we sat in the middle of a circle of people we do not know well, and yet we are family. The precious people of Thunder Mountain Community Church surrounded us with prayers and gratitude, thanking God for bringing us to their church to encourage them and challenge them with a call to preparation. I had only just finished singing and sharing the stories from the Word that have inspired these songs, and the group had already began to surround David and me to pray for us and thank God for sending us. As I sat there holding tightly my husband’s hand, my eyes were closed, but I could see so clearly. I caught a glimpse… one of those rare and beautiful moments where it all makes sense and you can see what God has been doing in you. God has been putting this vision on my heart for over a year to share these songs in churches to bring encouragement to the discouraged and the distracted. The vision has grown and been refined as time has gone on and as steps have been taken to move forward. So many nights I laid awake on my bed and I imagined what this ministry God was entrusting to me would look like. I dreamed and hoped and then laid all those thoughts at His feet, knowing from the beginning that he had told me to let Him define success. And tonight as we were being prayed for I thought, “this is happening. God, you are doing this…. for realsies!” Tonight we sat in the middle of the circle of His will for us.

more to come about this last leg of the journey soon… but now, bedtime so we can wake up and drive to San Diego tomorrow.

Sitting in a chocolate and coffee shop in Ouray, CO, a little historic town nestled in the mountains, the clouds have just started to descend into the valley and shroud the jagged skyline of rocky peaks that look so close you could reach out and touch them. A light rain has just started to graze the window in front of our table and it couldn’t be a more perfect moment to settle in, let the storm pass, and write an update.

We decided to take the scenic route to Santa Fe, so the last couple day’s drive has been so beautiful we can barely find enough space in our brains for more… but we still have the alleged “best drive in the nation” yet to come, from Ouray to Durango. But first, let’s start where I left off in Fort Collins.

I had my first official house show on 7/31 at my grandparent’s home. Family and friends crammed into their living room and I shared my new songs as well as some old favorites that they requested at the end. It was an incredibly intimate occasion. It is a strange thing to share your heart and your music for a room full of people who’s stories you know well. I knew which songs were ministering to which people at certain moments, and couldn’t help but be impacted anew by the messages of these songs as I shared them. They were especially personal that night. It also confirmed that the living room full of a small group of people is still my favorite venue.

In the next few days we left for Denver where we reconnected with some different family members and friends. Sunday, the 8th, I was invited to share at City Presbyterian, a church full of really cool people who are obviously committed to serving the city they live in. They just lost their senior pastor, however, so it was a timely visit to bring some encouragement through my songs. It was awesome to see how God orchestrated the service without us planning it; the preacher talked about Lamentations, how God has to bring us to the end of ourselves in order for us to learn that the only true hope is in Him. And then I got up and sang Naomi’s Song, the same principle in a different story. Then we took communion. The officiant said, “Christ died, Christ rose, Christ is coming again.” and I began to sing, “don’t lose heart, I’m coming back for you…” It was a powerful service and it was encouraging to be reminded that God is so involved in this process. (Also, a side-note to say that we sold enough CD’s in Colorado to make it to the next state, which was our hope from the beginning…. this may actually work!)

Then began our journey West on I-70 into the mountains. Then we headed south, intrigued by a National Park we had never heard of. Motivated by our need to make the most of the year-long parks pass we purchased at the beginning of this adventure, we made our way towards Black Canyon of the Gunnison Nat’l Park. When we arrived at the North Rim we walked to the edge and looked over to see one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. It took us both a few minutes to get our breath back after leaving the edge. The canyon was immense, majestic. As we stood gazing into the gorge, I was thinking about how God is so much more immense and majestic; He looks down and sees that canyon at the same time he sees Mt. Everest and Russia and every other thing that seems huge to me. And it is a speck of dust compared to Him. If I am left feeling literally like I can’t breathe just looking into a 2700 foot ravine, how is it going to feel when I look at His majesty. I have no idea. But I am excited and terrified and I honestly can’t wait.

And that brings us to where we are now, in this cozy old brick building looking out and up into the mountains. Soon we will pack up my computer and hop back in the truck and make our way to the next place, but we have plans to return to this town for more than 15 hours some day! And we definitely won’t soon forget the amazing roads that got us here.

We left Billings on July 15^th and began our life on the road. As we journeyed south we spent some time in Yellowstone and Grand Teton Nat’l Park; both were packed with people and we actually heard these words as we scrambled for a campsite, “you have the absolute last spot in the entire park.” Not bad…Unless you were in the car behind us. Then we drove across the very exciting middle of Wyoming. We met up with David’s cousin and his family at Alcova Reservoir, which was a blast. We found the most perfect campsite overlooking the lake and spent a few nights there.

Even though we haven’t had the most calculated plans (not hard to imagine if you know David and I), we have ended up in the most beautiful places! We feel like God is guiding us to His favorite spots and giving us precious moments to enjoy in them.

Our next stop was about building relationships as we pulled into Douglas, WY for a night to visit David’s mom’s side of the family. They were happy to host us and we knew that it was time well spent to invest in those relationships. David’s grandmother was so excited to take us to her church and show off her grandson to all her church friends and tell them about what we are doing. A very special conversation I had with Grandma Doris was enough to make this whole trip worth our while.

Then it was on to Fort Collins, CO, a very cool town full of my mom’s family and some of my closest friends. We have been here for a week and plan to be here for one more. We have spent quality time with lots of people we love and we’ve taken this time to work on following up with people in the next few stops on our route. We’re seeing more doors start to open so we are encouraged. Also it’s been a good amount of time to recover since David had his yearly back-throwing-out. He’s on the mend and feeling much better today.

Yesterday was my first official opportunity to share my music in a church since we left MT two weeks ago. I shared at First Presbyterian in Fort Collins. The people there were so kind and excited to hear my songs. We spoke to many afterwards who were touched and went home with my CD to hopefully get SUPER blessed by it. Also, just as we suspected, opportunities for more are presenting themselves as we move forward with the small steps of obedience we have in front of us.

We feel so blessed that this is how we get to spend the first year of our marriage! And it’s not just adventure for adventure’s sake… we truly feel guided by God and entrusted with a ministry!

That is the quick update on the last week or two. Our plan after Fort Collins is to head down through CO, stopping in a few spots along the way and end up in Santa Fe in the second week of August to celebrate with some friends as they get married. Then we’ll head through Arizona on our way to San Diego and then eventually up the coast. I’ll post when I have concrete dates for shows in those areas!

Blogging seems to have taken a backseat to huge life events, hence the 2 months of silence from me. May was the month of finishing my CD and almost-the-wedding plans. June was completely full of family arriving in Montana to celebrate, a glorious wedding weekend, and a beautiful honeymoon on Maui. July already seems to be flying by as we are back in Montana for a short time to get ready to move in to “our” camper and head out to the open road! My real reason for not writing so far is that I really have no idea how to sum up all that has taken place, how to express the richness of these last couple months as God has brought so many dreams to pass. Should I just carry on and start writing about the next thing? Or should I attempt to share it all with you so that you know what’s been going on in my world?

Well, I suppose I could attempt to sum it up.

It’s all about relationships.

That is the theme of every story in the past weeks and months. Yes, there were some important events… but even in the ways that those events unfolded it was clear that God was clearing space for relationships to grow and deepen. Take our wedding for example: We had planned a beautiful outdoor event in the forest with a reception in the backyard of some family, with me thinking, “it’s June… the weather will be perfect.” Ha! The morning before the wedding day, a layer of snow covered the ground that needed to be very dry in order for things to go according to OUR plan. So that Friday morning plan B kicked into full gear. The only thing was, plan B wasn’t exactly planned besides the church where it was going to take place. As my plans came crumbling down, I watched as the friends and family that surrounded us rolled up their sleeves and dove in to make this wedding happen. And not just happen, but it was more beautiful than I could have hoped, because it had been built on the love and hard work of people who David and I have deep relationship with. As we stood in that room surrounded by people that love us, I felt so cared for and carried by them… much more than if they had just been guests at a perfectly planned event.

This theme of relationship continued into our honeymoon on Maui, the small island packed to the gills with people who have known me since childhood. In the plane on our way over the Pacific, I coached myself in saying “No” to people who wanted to spend time with us, since afterall, this was OUR honeymoon. But as soon as we arrived I felt my attitude beginning to shift. I was realizing that Maui isn’t just a beautiful place that i wanted to show David, it is an island of people that I wanted to show David. We talked about it and decided to throw ourselves into the lives of people that are incredibly invested in me and my family, and now, into David’s life as well. We spent such sweet time with precious people in those 2 weeks and not once did we feel overextended or like we didn’t have enough time for each other. And we were over-the-top blessed by them as they poured out on us with generosity and support of our new direction to share my music on the road. The blessing of God was unleashed as we said yes to HIS plan, which as always, was people.

And we feel that this has all be preparation for the next step which again will be about investing in and nourishing relationships we have across the country. Our entire route for our tour has been planned based on where we have a friend or family member who wants to host us and believes in my music.

So feeling very refreshed (and very tan) we are getting ready to head out this week! We will be making our way through Wyoming, visiting some family of David’s, and then on to Fort Collins, Colorado, where we’ll be spending some time with my family and I’ll be sharing music on a few occasions as well. (If you live in either of those places and have an idea of a way for me to share my music in your community, please let me know so we can make the most of every opportunity!)

This blog will be where I make frequent updates on our travels and share stories from the road, so stay tuned!

If you are reading this, it is quite likely that you are one of those people that we have the blessing of relationship with…. Thank you! We love you!

Just a quick note to let you know that my CD is done and ready to be in your hands!… or even better, in your CD player or iPod!

Enjoy! And may God use these songs to draw you into deeper intimacy with Him, and into the story that He is telling!

In Jewish tradition, when a man and a woman were engaged to be married, the time of the wedding was set for whenever the groom finished preparing a space for them in his father’s house. The bride’s job was to be ready for him at any time. She didn’t know when he might be done and come to sweep her away to the wedding ceremony. If she wasn’t ready at any given moment, she could be caught unprepared. Even in the night, an oil lamp was lit to let him know that she was ready for him then.

Jesus said to his disciples in John 14, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

Jesus is calling His disciples His bride. He’s saying, ‘I’m going away for awhile, but don’t for a minute think that I’m not coming back for you.’ And here we are, 2000-something years later, and we have yet to be retrieved by our bride-groom. But His promise is as true as the day He spoke it. He has been preparing a place for us so that we may go and be with Him, and meanwhile the story continues here on Earth. So we wait for His return, we anticipate our wedding day, though we don’t know the day or the hour.

Though, as I look around, it seems that instead of anticipating His return, we have forgotten altogether that we are to be waiting for Him. We’ve become distracted and discouraged. Distracted by the deafening call of the world to buy into the thought that this is all there is, we’ve believed the lie that life is about you finding your own happiness and fulfillment, so go out there and make it happen. It’s all about the Here and Now.

But there is supposed to be a hunger in us. There is supposed to be a longing that can never be quite filled. Because He has set eternity in our hearts, and we are made to hunger for heaven, to hunger for the day we will be face to face with our Creator.

Yes, but the Here and the Now is so easy to grasp, so satisfyingly instant. So we become distracted. Then when the world’s promises for fulfillment fall short, we become disillusioned and cynical. This is so far from what we need to be as those who hope in Christ! He is calling us to lift our eyes and fix our gaze on Him, the author and FINISHER of our faith. He has yet to bring this story to close, but He will. And we must be ready.

Have we become a bride that has forgotten that our groom is coming for us; asleep…disheveled…fallen out of love? Because He has not forgotten about us.

It is my firm belief that as the bride of Christ in this nation, we must get serious about the work of preparation, clothing ourselves with truth, love, unity, and a seriousness about God’s Word. Jesus is coming back to bring us to the wedding, and it is our responsibility to make ourselves ready for Him. I do not want to be one who finds herself unwilling and unable to run out and meet Him because I have not cultivated my readiness for Him. I am determined to grow an intimate anticipation for the moment that we will get to be together.

This has been a growing passion in my heart for the last year. This is the heartbeat of most of the songs I have been writing. This is the message I want to deliver. So, in my quest to find beautiful and poignant ways to say this one thing, I was able to collaborate with my dear friend, Erin Williams, who is a talented photographer, and who has a similar heart and style. We created a photo-series that visually portrays the story of my song I’m Coming Back, which embodies this message.

Please check it out to see the fruit of a serious labor of love… There are some ridiculous and fantastic stories that could be told about the making of this video, but perhaps that will be for another blog. For now, just watch and listen.

I’m Coming Back//Photo-Story

It is spring here in Montana. Well, today it is. The sun is shining into the breakfast nook at which I sit, the remnant of my breakfast still on the table, surrounding my computer. The mountains I am glancing up at between sentences are capped with snow and blaringly bright in the brilliant sunshine. There are trees outside, but no leaves yet, though some are the deep dark hue of evergreen. There is some green appearing in patches on the ground, as the grass decides that it will live again. This is particularly astonishing to me, as there were about 5 inches of snow on the ground yesterday. Today fits the bill for what spring is supposed to be. Yesterday, not so much. This manic rollercoaster between winter and spring, sometimes within one day, has left me trying to grasp ahold of a rhythm that keeps illuding me.

It also doesn’t help that I moved here one month ago from Florida… Spring, possibly even summer, in Montana is more winter-y than winter in Florida. I am by no means an expert in the seasons, seeing as I spent the larger part of my life in Hawaii, where we tell seasons by which coast the waves are hitting, and whether or not there are guavas on the road to Hana.
But even in the few years I have lived in places with distinct seasons, I have come to realize what a gift the seasons are, and how much I am designed to live within some outward rhythm that keeps me moving, yet keeps me grounded.

I’ve been thinking about these ideas for the last couple days after recently reading these words from CS Lewis’, The Screwtape Letters (in case you’re not familiar with the story, it is a series of conversations between demons, talking about how to keep people from having real relationship with God, whom they refer to as ‘the Enemy’),

“The humans live in time, and experience reality successively. To experience much of it, therefore, they must experience many different things; in other words, they must experience change. And since they need change, the Enemy (being a hedonist at heart) has made change pleasurable to them, just as He has made eating pleasurable. But since He does not wish them to make change, any more than eating, an end in itself, He has balanced the love of change in them by a love of permanence. He has contrived to gratify both tastes together in the very world He has made, by the union of change and permanence which we call Rhythm. He gives them the seasons, each season different yet every year the same, so that spring is always felt as a novelty yet always as the recurrence of an immemorial theme.”

These words ring true for me. I feel those 2 things at work at the same time inside me. I have sometimes thought my inner conflict between the love of change and love of permanence was a personality disorder… how can I want to live on the road AND collect teacups. Those two things just don’t go together! And though those two things may actually not practically go together (RV+porcelain=bad), the ideas behind both are from God. I value new experiences and exploring the unknown, and at the same time I value knowing that some things never change and there is a thread of constancy through my life.
He has synch-ed me to a Rhythm in which I am always changing and keep moving forward, but He is my Permanence, the Unchanging One, the Corner Stone. He is my immemorial theme.

So on this true Spring day (I’ve got to end this so I can go outside and sit in the sun!) I am reminded of God’s kindness to provide for that part of me that loves an adventure, and the part of me that loves a good cup of tea in grandma’s antique cup.

The update goes like this:
-My upcoming CD, The Coming Glory, is going to be done in few weeks! Keep an eye out for your opportunity to get a copy very soon! If you haven’t downloaded the 2 freebie songs, find those links on my last blog.
-We have an RV!… well, a truck and a 5th wheel camper… close enough! Thank you thank you to Eric and Shawna Nickisch who have offered theirs to us for the duration of the Kirsten Melrose+David Nickisch tour 2K10!
-Plans are coming together for the Melrose/Nickisch wedding extravaganza in June!
-We’re starting to set actual dates for performances this summer. Please let me know if you’re interested in helping set up a church or house show in your area!

I woke up with these words in my head…. Some may trust in instruments, some may trust in voices, but we will trust in the name of the Lord. A perfect reminder as we started the day full of recording and then preparing to play in church in the evening…

That night I had the opportunity to be a part of leading worship at Frontline Arlington, a church full of really creative and talented young people. They set up for church every Monday night in an old theater that makes for such an intimate atmosphere, not to mention, a perfect place for playing and listening to music. This community of believers is incredibly vibrant… people were bringing food and coffee to give to the homeless, 4 people got baptized, their pastor spoke on what it means to authentically worship the Lord… it was such a beautiful thing to get to step into their world for the evening and see such passionate people. I was able to share with them my song I’m Coming Back, and to share the story behind it: Christ’s longing for His Bride, and a challenge for us to examine our lives and see if we are truly making ourselves ready for Him; Are our eyes and hearts fixed on Him, and not just on the here and now of this world? Do we live with a holy longing for ever-deepening intimacy with Jesus? And to play I’m Coming Back with such talented musicians who complemented the sweet and subtle song so beautifully. We also played my song This Is What I Bring, the perfect match for a service that was all about how true worship is submission and honesty. It was truly a pleasure to be a part of Frontline Arlington, and my prayer for this community of believers is that they continually have their eyes lifted, their gaze set on Christ, as they serve Him and the people He puts in their path, with diligence, until Christ’s return!

Click here to visit Frontline’s website!

Also, the album is coming along quite nicely, and to let you in on a little of what it’s sounding like, follow these links to download two songs for FREE! A-Yo!

Click here to download “This Is What I Bring”

Click here to download “I’m Coming Back”

I’m sitting in the cutest little house in Spingfield, VA, watching snow fall on the woods outside the warm livingroom. Downstairs is a beautiful studio with a microphone that seems like it was made for my voice, a gorgeous guitar that is taking the place of my poor Takamine that once again cracked it’s neck on the flight up here. I’m sipping Jasmine Green tea loaded up with honey to soothe my throat as my unfortunately timed cold takes it’s toll this morning.

So many things about this experience so far have seemed absolutley unfortunate. Tony (the guy who’s recording me) has been sick with food poisoning and he has had to conduct things from the couch in his control room. The next day I was battling stomach flu symptoms all day, too weak to do much other than sit and listen as we tracked drums all day on 3 of the songs. The area has had record breaking amounts of snow, causing some homes to lose electricity, which would bring this project to a swift halt.

But at the same time, so many things about this experience so far have seemed absolutely perfect, as though God’s hand is directing it and this was the plan from long ago. I am personally amazed at how much peace I have in the process. God has His hands gently supporting mine as I open them, letting go of my plans and saying YES to His.

I could get discouraged as I look around at the circumstances, but then how could I go downstairs and sing Take Courage, which tells the story of God’s encouragement to His people when things didn’t look the way they thought they were going to look.

I could cling to my own plans and dwell on the ways God seems to be emptying me of myself, but then how could I honestly sing Naomi’s Song, the story of God’s refilling of His precious presence when He empties us of ourselves.

I could just buckle down and crank out these songs though my heart isn’t in them, but then how could I allow myself to call the Church to stop going through the motions and surrender their hearts hearts to intimacy with Christ, as in Where Is Your Heart? I am challenged by the very words I am recording myself singing, and I need to be the first one to be taught by them if I want them to have any impact at all.

The more opposition we face in this recording, the more I am assured of the fact that God is doing something big. And in moments of discouragement I have been so grateful for the people that are surrounding me in prayer and support. Your prayers hold my arms up as I walk out what God has given me to do! Thank You!!

In the midst of all this, I am very pleased with the way things are coming together. The songs are really coming to life in a new way as some really talented musicians do their thing. It seems that we’re ahead of schedule as well… that’s one good thing about being snowed in, there’s nothing to do but lock ourselves away and get down to business! I’m excited to be able to share this album with you soon!