LAND OF THE LIVING MAGAZINE - Magazine - Page 25
I love that you travelled the world and
then God called you to the middle of
nowhere Mississippi. How have you
seen God's heart is for the nations but
also the little bitty cities that can
ripple effect into the nations?
This is my Dad's analogy, but I had to take it
on as my own to get through being apart of
the mission my family was on by living in
Starkville, MS. The Lord showed my Dad a
picture of ripple effects in Starkville and
there are young people here that you will
be happy to pour into and the nations will
actually have even more of a chance to be
reached because of your yes to Me then
they would if you were to stay in Asia.
We live in a small college town and I see
those young adults being activated and
sent out into missions. When I hear their
stories and what they are accomplishing, I
realize that He could use this tiny place to
impact the world in a way that the schemes
of man couldn't have imagined.
What was your major in College and
how did that play into your calling?
I was undeclared for a while but finally
chose after taking one class of
Anthropology and was hooked. It's the
study of culture and man. At the time, I
knew I wanted an influence overseas and
wanted to go having something to give on a
practical level. I studied Ethnomusicology,
which is anthropology and music
combined, which is like missions and music
so it couldn't be more clear to me that's
what I was supposed to do. I believe it's the
heart of the Father, to go to a culture and
see what He's already doing, see what His
thumbprint is and how He is moving before
we instantly start saying, "Here's a symstem
that's worked for America!"
"There's countries in the world where that
could be true for them too, where they
could write for themselves and their
nation as well."
How as a songwriter, do you bring your
sound to the table?
I can't remember a time where I wasn't
singing and songwriting. When I was 16, I
started playing guitar and writing in my
room, which increased my initimacy with
Jesus because I was putting my own words
to music and expressing heart cries to the
Lord. I know the power of music. Some of
our most profound moments with the Lord
can be a worship song or album. Music is
such an evangelistic tool too. My mind can't
help but go to the places who haven't been
spoiled with songs like we have. As
Americans who speak English, we have
rarely experienced singing a song in a
different language and it not bearing as
deeply if it were in our own language but
for the rest of the world, that's their reality.
I am so grateful for translations but could
happen if a generation was raised up to
write songs for their own heart and nation
and see the effects of that for their
country?
Who are some of your heroes?
Steffany Gretzinger has definitely been a n
all time favorite. Back then, she looked
crazy and now that's more normal, but she
paved the way for costly worship in modern
day America. Lindy Conant is another I've
grown to love. She writes music that when
you listen, you can't stay complacent.
Natasha Bedingfield, Regina Spector, Ingrid
Michaelson, Nora Jones, are all inspirations.
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