Category Archives: music

Closure and Opening

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It’s 10  pm now and I am finally sitting down to write a little about the past few weeks on our journey. We will be waking up at 4  am tomorrow to get to the airport on time for our flight to Hawaii. It just never seems to stop that we have a new place to head to! Sometimes our choice for this year feels like an extended vacation and sometimes it feels like an exhausting (but rewarding) job as we are constantly on the move without a spot to call home. But difficulties though there are, we would not trade a moment of this year for anything. It has been God’s gift to us that we are forced to find our sense of Home and Rest in Him. And you can only complain about  traveling too much for a second before you realize how fortunate you really are…. or someone tells you to zip it.

It has been a very significant few weeks as we had our last few stops along the tour trail, and made our way back to Montana for some quality time with the Nickisch clan. To catch you up, we spent just over a week in Avon, Indiana, a little town outside of Indianapolis, In with some friends of mine from my time in YWAM Amsterdam. They are so much fun and I had a blast reconnecting and reminiscing with them. Amanda also claims to be one of my biggest fans, so as soon as she knew we were going to be making our way through, she was on the job of getting opportunities for my music to be heard. They are a part of a really neat church in Avon called Nehemiah Project. I led worship on Sunday there and shared in the house groups throughout the week. That community of believers just rallied around us as they caught the vision of what my music is all about and our heart in traveling around to share it. This town is also where I got to play in, officially, the COOLEST venue ever! One of the families at the church have an old barn on their property that they let friends sometimes use for weddings and concerts. We turned the inside of the barn into a concert venue with old tree branches, mismatched chairs and couches, an antique frame propped up behind where I sat, and about a kajillion candles. It was the moist beautiful setting to sit and soak in some heartfelt folky tunes. It was such a successful venue that we planned to make our way back through Avon and have another show in the old red barn in July. But this time it will be a Singer/Songwriter showcase since there are a number of talented musicians in their church body and surrounding community. I am really excited to revisit this little town and see if we can draw even more people in for a one-of-a-kind show!

After Avon we made our way north to Goshen, IN with an exciting yet strange thought looming… this would be my last show on the tour. We had set our date to head back to Montana months before in order to be back for David’s baby sister’s graduation from High school, and now that date was only 2 days away. It had seemed so distant a little while ago, but how time has flown. So anyways,  after a passing a few horse and buggy’s, we arrived in Goshen where we met up with Jeremy Byng, whose dad we know from Sebring, at Grace Community Church. Jeremy was kind enough to rework their normal once-a-month worship night so that I could share my songs and their stories for part of the night. After I did so, Jeremy and I led some worship together, which was awesome. People were very responsive and there were a few people that shared with me that how they had really heard from God in a specific and impacting way through my songs. We also got to share about our plans for the next step in our lives of working as the Site Coordinators for the Great Commission Bible Institute in Sebring, Florida. A couple interested young people grabbed us to express their interest in the program so  it was a fitting end to the tour; I got to share my music and then we got to sing the praises of this awesome Bible school we get to be a part of. It left us feeling a sense of closure and a sense of a new chapter opening at the same time. God is good.

Now we are back in Montana… well, at least for another 7 hours until we will be in the air. We’ve spent the week wrestling with nieces and nephews, snuggling newest little additions to the family, and enjoying the Montana air (which David swears is fresher than anywhere else). What an amazing journey it has been to see a vision realized and to see that the God of the Universe is leading us and guiding us in the details of our lives. We are truly blessed to be walking with Him and seeing His goodness to us displayed over and over again.

Recent Adventures: to New York City and beyond!

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When we heard that we would be staying with my brother’s friend in NYC who has a guest bedroom, we were excited, but we had no idea just how amazing that statement is. An extra bedroom?… in New York City?… most New Yorkers we ran into couldn’t even believe that exists. Why in the world would you use the few square feet that a New York apartment provides in order to offer space to people that aren’t even helping pay the ridiculous rent?! That kind of hospitality is hard to find in NYC, but it exists in Lauren Ross. She was our awesome host in the Big Apple for a week. The room was… let’s call it, cozy. It was big enough to hold the bed and about a foot of space around the 2 edges that aren’t pushed up against the walls. But it was our little cubby-hole for the week, and we so appreciated the space. We spent the week exploring the streets of the city and seeing as many of the sights as we could without spending city prices. It was just long enough to be there to start feeling like we could make our way around the subway system and know which way to turn when we emerged onto the street from the station below.

My brother Matt was our tour guide when he wasn’t at work; we had so many awesome moments with him as we got to share our hearts and to hear the ways he’s been growing in recent years. It was a very significant time in our relationship with him, which was a reminder that this tour is as much about relationship as it is about sharing my music. But there was opportunity for that as well. I shared with Matt’s fellowship group, one of the small groups that are made up of people who attend Tim Keller’s church, Redeemer Presbyterian. It was a great night. Matt was so proud to have his younger sister sharing with his friends, especially in a context that has meant so much to his recent spiritual growth.

A few days later David and I grabbed my guitar and made our way the few blocks to Central Park where I set up shop in one of the many tunnels along the path. I played for a couple hours while Matt played photographer with his iPhone and every so often a passersby threw in coins, dollar bills, and even $12 to walk away with one of my CDs! It was definitely fun, and worth it for how excited Matt was… plus I made $14.45 which is some significant income when your traveling around the country without jobs!

As we were looking toward leaving NY and heading West, it became clear that some of our contacts had fallen through and we were all of a sudden unsure where we were supposed to go and what we were supposed to do for a week. Our departure date from NYC was looming and we were totally in the dark about what was next. As we have done many times on this tour, we fell to our knees praying, “Lord, we’ve made our plans but you are directing our steps. You take over!” Obviously He wanted us somewhere other than where we thought, so we began to try to tune into what He may be doing. I ended up getting in touch with someone who I’ve never met, but have heard a lot about through a mutual friend. This new friend lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania a few hours from NY and in the general direction of where we are trying to get to next. We were thinking, “This is awesome, we have a free place to stay!” And yet God had much more in mind than just a place to stay. Shannon, our new friend in Lancaster ended up being a divine appointment as we got to encourage her in her walk with God meerly by sharing our story of walking in faith and surrender. She also set up 2 different opportunities to share my music with her church community.

It was was such a cool few days as we were reminded afresh that God is moving us around to the right places at the right times for us to do the work He needs done. His eyes are roaming to and fro through out the earth looking for hearts who are willing to lay down their plans and pick up His, willing to surrender their sense of control over their lives, in order to let Him be shown strong. It is amazing to be used in this way! We are so blessed to be able to make ourselves so available during this season of our lives.

different jobs, common goal

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Since I last gave an update, we have been from a suburb of DC to the rural forests of Maryland to inner city Philadelphia. It has been interesting to be in such vastly different environments in such a short time. Just when we begin adjusting to one place, it’s time to move along and acclimate to another. But slightly jarring though it is, it has been very exciting to see thriving ministries in each place; the Body functioning in some very different jobs, but with a common goal.

As I sit to write this, outside our Urban Hope guest apartment is a symphony of sirens, battling sound systems blaring regetone and hiphop, and the occasional playful screams of neighborhood kids. We are in North Philly. On Sunday, I led worship at Urban Hope Community Church, a ministry in the heart of the inner city that my step brother and his fiance (Tommy and Magie) have recently moved into the neighborhood to be a part of. It has been inspiring to be around people who are committed to seeing the gospel lived out in a place where life is raw and struggle abounds. But there is a pure beauty to seeing the lives in this place that are being transformed. People who were once wrapped up in a life on the streets, who have seen the power of Christ free them from addiction and hopelessness. Even in the service on Sunday, many people stood to receive Christ and many stood to express a desire to  walk more closely with Him. We shared a meal together with this congregation during a communion service that night. People were asked to share their most deeply cherished promises from the Word that keep them going when things are hard. Person after person stood to recite verses that had become like anthems to keep them marching forward. It was very encouraging to be reminded of the power of the Bible… God’s words are living and active, transforming us and renewing us, and His promises to us are certain no matter what rages on around us.

Rewind a few days and instead of sirens, sound systems and screams, all we were hearing from our  room with a view was the intermittent neighing of horses  and  Adrielle’s (Ben and Chrsitina Ogden’s baby girl) sweet little voice in the other room. We were in the hills of River Valley Ranch in Manchester, Maryland. It was a very peaceful setting and our time with our friends there was equally as peaceful. It was a pleasure to be around their little family; David especially got his baby fix (he’s counting down the days til he gets to snuggle his nieces and nephews in Montana). We got a glimpse into their world there… we went hiking, ate some meals in the cafeteria, and David tackled the climbing wall. It was fun to be around that kind of a ministry that really reminded me of my dad’s love of outdoor education. He would have loved this place, with it’s bon-fires, high ropes course,  and it’s mission to use the outdoors as a learning ground for our need for God and each other. I shared a concert on Thursday night with a room full of staff and interns at the Ranch. Afterward we sat around drinking hot cocoa and answering their questions about what we have experienced in the course of our journey. An added bonus of our time there was that a few years ago, Ben and Christina did the job we are about to step into at the Great Commission Bible Institute, so we picked their brains about that and left feeling more prepared and confident in our role.

A few days before that we were a short ways from DC, staying with our very dear friends who I recorded The Coming Glory with. During this time we also made a trip to Lusby, Maryland, where I had a chance to meet some more Nickisch’s! David hadn’t seen this particular cousin since highschool, and since they both began a walk with God. We were so encouraged to get to know some family who are also walking out a relationship with Christ. They set up time for me to share in a college group in their church. Somehow, people were singing along by the end of the concert! And it seemed like God, that through this small group of broke college students, He provided above and beyond what we expected financially, instead of through the mega-church that we were counting on for some CD sales. He continues to keep us on our toes and remembering that He knows far better than we do. He is ultimately the One that provides.

So tomorrow we leave for New York City and we will get to spend Easter with my brother, Matt. We have a week to explore the city and then on Tuesday I will share my songs and  our story with Matt’s Fellowship Group  from Redeemer Presbyterian.

It has been to cool to see how God has allowed us to bring what we have to offer into so many different types of environments, and yet it has translated to each one because we are lifting up the Word. And no matter where you are or who you are serving, the Spirit of God moving through the Word of God is what unites us and keeps us moving towards a common goal.

Brighter and Brighter

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The path of righteousness is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

Proverbs 4:18

 

This morning I am thinking of the path before us and how true this proverb is;  the light continues to get brighter and brighter as we walk forward, asking God to help keep our feet on the right path. Sometimes we have to step out in the darkness of dawn, when it seems like there is only the hazy promise of light that is coming. But as we walk forward and plant our feet sturdily on the path we know is right; slowly, steadily, the light of dawn breaks and we begin to see the path before us with growing clarity.

So we are on the road again. And this proverb could be our anthem. When David and I left Sebring, FL in the middle of March we had a pencil sketch of where we were headed up the East Coast to continue sharing my music. We started off in the mountains of Western North Carolina where we tucked ourselves away in the cutest little cabin for a week of quality time with each other before we embarked on a journey of being in other people’s space. It was a deeply refreshing time with each other and with the Lord. Then we scooted up to Greensboro where a couple of our dear friends from Sebring are living right now. We got to see their world there and were introduced to a thriving community within their church. It was really special to see them doing so well. I got to share my music with them in a house concert on Friday night.

Then we were on to Richmond, where a friend from our year at Bible school lives. We did some exploring of this cool town and really enjoyed the time we spent with our friend and her family. They hosted a house show on Saturday night (which was preceded by watching the college basketball Final Four game since VCU, located in Richmond, was making an unexpected appearance so far along in the tournament). So after VCU lost I got to serenade their broken hearts (Naomi’s Song really hit home since they felt like they had been emptied;D).  Sunday night I shared in our friend’s youth group with a group of really amazing teenagers that love the Lord.

Monday morning we made our way to Springfield to stay with my friends that I recorded my CD with.  I got to play at their church, Frontline Arlington, again on Monday night. I led worship with their team and sang a few of my own songs as well. Tuesday was my birthday! Started out the morning with some excellent coffee and pastries at a cute cafe in Arlington and spent the rest of the day just hanging out and answering Birthday calls from the people I love. David treated me to some birthday shoes (super cute). And then our sweet friends hosted a little get together to celebrate with us and we got to meet some really cool people. An impromptu house concert ended up happening and our new friends were so pumped about what David and I are doing, and they all went home with CD’s ready to listen on their way home! It was a really great birthday. Today, as soon as I finish this post, we will go take in the sights of DC on this beautiful spring day (the cherry blossoms are amazing right now I hear).

Every day of this week has held opportunities to share my music, some planned and some not! It is exciting to realize that when we stepped out on the path forward in the dim light of dawn, the light of day has become brighter and brighter to direct us into each new step of obedience.

 

The results are His!

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One of the benefits of our time in Sebring has been the privilege of sitting in on classes at this year’s Great Commission Bible Institute. Some of it is review, some of it is covering material we didn’t cover during our year, but it is all so good. There is even more to be absorbed after having almost 2 years to study on my own and figure out where my gaps are in my understanding of the story. We sat in on a class a few weeks ago and dove into the book of Jonah. There have been a few thoughts about it that have been lingering in my mind and have inspired me to share because they pertain to the work of preparation that God is doing in my heart as we set out soon for the road once again.

After God brought Jonah through all the consequences of rebellion (think 3 days in belly of whale) and pulled his life back up from the pit, He confirmed his call. Jonah’s call hadn’t changed because he had proved himself unworthy… God already knew that. But He still wanted Jonah to go to the people of Nineveh with a message. And Jonah was finally ready to be obedient. He steped out to share God’s word, and what followed is what seems like an immediate response from the king and the people; a response of obedience and readiness to get right with God. This was a huge deal! Nineveh was the capital of Assyria… the nation that had taken Israel into captivity. They were know for their brutality and for their pagan practices. And yet they instantly recognized the truth of a God that had a claim on their life, and they recognized Jonah as a messenger of God.

As we covered this I was thinking, “why was it that easy? it’s never that easy!”

But the discussion began talking shape about how this chapter is a picture of what ministry looks like when God has gone before you and prepared hearts. That is when true ministry happens.

My responsibility is to show up and to be walking in obedience with Jesus. I need to have made sure that I am personally ready to share the words that God has given me to share, and then share them with a pure heart. And then the response is completely dependent on God. I am not a changer of hearts! But He is. So it has been my desperate prayer that God would go before me and do the work of preparation that only He can do.

Not only are the results dependent on God, they are are decided by God. The next part of Jonah’s story that struck me was Jonah’s selfish response to what God did. When he saw the way God decided to show compassion and turn His wrath away because of the genuine repentance of the people, he was mad! In one sense, he had a reason to be angry as he had seen his people abused by this nation. The last thing Jonah wanted was for God to have mercy on them. He wanted judgment to fall on them! But he is stuck in his own assessment of the situation and he can’t lift his eyes to the bigger picture. So the lesser known final chapter of Jonah is him throwing a pity party for himself because God didn’t move in the way he wanted Him to.

I found myself relating to this attitude a little too deeply! In fact, I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit and had to ask for forgiveness right there in class that day. Too often I have been nearsighted and let the physical outcome of my work in ministry decide whether or not I am going to feel successful. Sometimes God is doing something totally different than I think He is, and I need to be willing to trust Him in that. My sense of success can never be dependent on whether or not people respond in the way that affirms me. God’s view of success is SO much bigger than mine… as much bigger as His view of the universe is than mine, and right now I can only see the computer in front of me. Over and over His call to me has been to lay down what I think constitutes success and let Him be in charge of that. Don’t count people in chairs, don’t count CD’s being sold, don’t even count how many people said they were blessed. Even if none of those things happen, I can know that God holds the results and there may be deeper ones than I could even quantify with my petty lists. My only sense of success should come if I can lay my head on my pillow tonight and know that God is pleased with how I used what He’s given me. Obedience is my responsibility and the rest is God’s. It’s relieving, actually.

There’s No Place Like Home

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The recent weeks have been about returning.

We returned to Montana, and as we made the drive through the ever-so-slightly snow-capped mountains, David turned to me and said, “Do you have the same joy deep down in your soul that I do right now?” It was definitely a joyful moment. We had made it;  our west coast loop was complete. We had spent 3 incredible months exploring places that we were discovering together, some for the first time. The adventure and novelty of it all has been exhilirating, but this was the first time in a long time that something had felt familiar. As amazing as it has been, it did our souls some good to feel a sense of home again.

We spent a few days reconnecting with family and close friends in Bozeman, where David and I lived before we got married. David got to fish the Gallatin River again, which is possibly the thing he misses most about Montana. It was such a beautiful time to share stories of our adventures and my songs with those in the church we had been a part of before we left. It was the first church on this tour that felt like a return visit. People we singing along during some songs as some had purchased the CD before we left. It was encouraging to see that people there feel very invested in us. The night I shared was such a special occasion. People really got it. The got the heart of it. More than just thinking the songs were pretty or enjoying the diversion; people were drawn into the stories, and the principles and challenges from God’s Word hung heavy in the air as they soaked into people’s hearts. It was a night where we really sensed God was ministering….. so AMAZING to be a part of!

Our time in Billings was so good as David got to snuggle his new nephew, Benjamin to his heart’s content. And although everyone called him a “baby hog”, you couldn’t help but smile at the sight of this tender-hearted uncle. Time with David’s family was great. They were eager to hear about our adventures, and impressed to see our newly earned skills at backing up the trailer, as we parked it back in it’s winter-long spot, and traded it in for David’s regular car that we will be using from here on out. It was a sad goodbye to the trailer after so many happy memories, but as soon as we filled the gas tank of the chevy mailbu again, we were able to console ourselves about it. :)

Also, our time in Billings allowed us a new kind of music venue we haven’t explored before. David’s grandma was eager to have me play in her assisted living home, so I shared my music there on a Sunday afternoon for an appreciative crowd of seniors as well as all the Nickisch’s that live in the area. It was sweet to see them all in the same place, showing their support of us. I think it did Grandma’s Nickisch’s heart some good to have everyone around her and we were happy to help make that happen.

We also spent a few days in Great Falls visiting another of David’s brothers and his family. I sang for a group of people they invited over for some fall festivities and live music. It was a good night and we were touched by Jason’s generosity to turn off the World Series while I shared. ;)

It was a monumentous trip to Montana also because I finally experienced David’s home town, Forsyth, in all it’s glory. It is a sweet small town, kept alive by the railroad tracks that run through it. It was fun to get a glimpse of David’s childhood and to finally get to see some pictures of him as a baby and little kid, and I can report that he has had dimples and blue eyes from day 1.

Then it was off to Minneapolis, which felt like returning for me. It is one of the small handful of places I feel like are “home”. We stayed with our sweet friends Nikolas and Sharne, who have the most peaceful and beautiful sanctuary of a home in the midst of what may be considered inner city Minneapolis. It is a community house connected with the Salvage Yard, the church I was a part of when I lived in Minneapolis. We had lots of happy times with them and their amazing daughter, and all of the sweet people that live there together. I got to lead the community in worship on Tuesday night, and then had a house concert the next night. On Sunday morning I shared some music in the service at Bethany church, another place I had attended for a while in Minnesota, a vibrant church in the midst of what may be considered suburban America . We were moved by how different these 2 churches were, so varied in their expression of the body of Christ, yet so dynamically reaching the community that God has placed each of them in. I was reminded that God wants me to be who I am, nothing more and nothing less, and to let Him fill me and use me in the unique expression of Him that I am. Walking with Christ doesn’t produce robots or cookie-cutter Christians, it produces real people with real passions and gifts and cirlces of influence that God calls us to use to tell His story.

With our time in both Montana and Minnesota, it felt like God was giving us each a respit in a place that felt like returning home. He’s so good like that, to give us what we need and knows exactly when we need it.

All of this returning has made us contemplate a piece of life that we do feel like we have been missing. We long to belong some place, to allow ourselves to invest in lives and be invested in by a consistent community of people. It has been such a cool experience to meet so many new people and see different places, but we feel a desire to be a bit more rooted than we have so far. What we think this looks like for now is that we will make our way down to Florida around Thanksgiving and spend the holidays with my family there. Then we hope to continue our time in Sebring, making plans for short term tours up the east coast and throughout Florida, still looking to make connections with churches in these places for me to share my music. But this will allow a place to come and go from, a home church and a room to come back to in the house my brother’s family is renting. We are excited to see what this next season holds, and to finish out this current season really well, knowing that God still has things He wants to accomplish with us in our life on the road for a couple more weeks.

Recent Adventures: from LA to world’s largest tree

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Since my last post, we extended our stay in San Diego for a few days to make the most of  a couple more opportunities for me to share at another church and a home group. Then we made our way to LA. We were quite anxious about driving through infamous LA traffic with our view-obstructing trailer. But we made it there on Sunday night and were greeted by some new friends, the Vascillero’s, who hosted a concert in their home complete with backyard BBQ. They moved their dining room furniture to set up a stage with a personal sound system! They’ve always wanted to do a house show, but never made it happen, so when my friend Kelby put the word out to her church community about me looking for an opportunity to play, they volunteered their home. It has been amazing to see people we don’t even know putting themselves out there for us. Kelby was an old family friend from Maui who I haven’t seen since I was 11, but it was such a pleasure to share our hearts with each other and realize that God has cut us from the same cloth. It was a small intimate group, and they all seemed to have loved the songs and caught the vision.

After our night in LA we decided that we were ready for a week in the woods. We were tired. It was time to plug into the Source and recharge. As GENEROUS as everyone has been, there is just something about having a little time to yourself and not feeling like you’re in anyone’s space. Plus, we’re trying to milk this honeymoon concept for all it’s worth; a perfect excuse to escape and spend some time with just each other. Honestly, I felt like God gave us some time to just rest and reflect on what He has been doing. I needed some time for Him to re-convince me of everything I had been testifying to. So we made our way up to Sequoia Nat’l Park (think World’s Largest Tree) for a couple days and then Yosemite Nat’l Park (think granite cliffs and towering waterfalls) for a few more. We took in the beauty and the fresh air like sponges. We hiked and dunked our feet in snow-melt-cold water. We enjoyed the glory of being at a National Park post-Labor day… it was the retirees, the Europeans, and us! And also the perfect time to go as the air in the mountains begins to cool and causes you to take out your homemade socks from Lindsey Silva for their first use. ;)

We said yes to a few open doors in the San Fransisco area in late September, so we had a week and a half to figure out what to do with. We have spent a few days reconnecting with and playing copious amounts of Yahtzee with some family just south of Yosemite in Oakhurst (thought it would be worth the space to announce that I rolled an unprecedented 5 yahtzee’s in one game last night [I have witnesses to verify]). We plan to head in to the Bay area on Sunday to explore and prepare for the 3 upcoming shows this week.

Then we are booking it North! Apparently snow has already been spotted in Montana! So we are trying to fit in as many places to play before we have to beat the snow and make it over the 3 mountain passes between eastern Washington and Billings, MT.

Thank you for tracking with us! We covet your prayers as we are very aware that there is a battle for our obedience, and we so desire to bow our knees daily to the One who has called us heavenward.

Adventures of the Musicianarries

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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.

the middle of the circle

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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. :)

hOuray for the scenic route!

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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.