Many of you know that I moved to Arizona in 2009 to go to grad school at Phoenix Seminary. This is what I thought too.....until recently. Let me explain....
When I was about 17 years old, I got a guitar, and I started teaching myself how to play with a chord book and very easy, three-chord worship songs. I was so passionate about playing that I would stay up late after long evenings of sports practices and homework just to play guitar. After a while I started singing along with the songs to keep myself on track. Then one day as I was practicing in my room, I had a sudden burning desire to lead worship. I knew that this desire could only be from God, because I had never sang publicly or even spoken into a microphone, nor did I ever have the desire. I knew that this desire somehow came from Heaven and dropped into my heart. I actually was afraid to tell anyone because I didn’t think they would believe me. I finally mustered up the courage to tell my parents, and they believed in me. By this time I was a senior in high school, and that year I joined choir, was invited to play and sing for my high school chapels, and started leading acoustic worship for a small youth group in Sun Prairie,WI.
God flung open the doors for what seemed like an impossible venture.
I knew that I wanted to be a worship leader for the rest of my life. As a senior in high school, I started looking into colleges where I could grow as a worship leader. I applied to some Bible and secular schools, but when I got accepted to the University of Wisconsin, I knew that was the one for me. You might wonder how that makes sense. I did ☺. BUT I went in faith, with my dream to lead worship on the line. I decided to get on an established worship team of a campus ministry, but I felt my heart tugged to join an entire ministry that was not even established on campus yet, Chi Alpha. I really felt stretched to do this because my brain did not understand how I would ever grow with worship at UW especially if I committed to Chi Alpha. To my delight and surprise, the first four members of Chi Alpha were musicians: pianist, bassist, drummer, guitarist & singer (me)! AGAIN,
God flung open the doors for what seemed like an impossible venture.
I led worship with them for the rest of my college years.
After the UW Chi Alpha years ended in 2009, I moved to Arizona to attend Phoenix Seminary for an MA in Counseling. I have attended for three semesters, and at the beginning of my fourth semester I decided to put school on pause. This was a difficult decision to make because I really like to finish the things that I start. It bothered me to stop, but I felt a tug on my heart to do it. Then, I remembered the moment I decided in my heart to move to AZ. I was not visiting seminary or even thinking about it. I was leading worship for the Two Rivers Church youth camp over spring break. I realized that it was worship that moved me across the country, and I realized my purpose in the Kingdom.
I didn’t always understand it, and it often seemed impossible but God has been flinging doors wide open for me to do the impossible all along, and He is not stopping. I know my purpose for my time on earth is to write songs that reflect the Truth: Jesus Christ. I must walk in obedience to his call, and this blog is to give you glimpses into my journey with the Lord. I hope that my life experiences and songs encourage you to turn your eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of YOUR faith, in whom you find your destiny, your calling, your solid ground and the glorious life you were created to live!
