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"Shine Like Crazy": In this song we are reaching
for the passion and joy that once captured us. If Christ has set us free from
sin and despair and this is a gift, then our lives should explode with the
volatile concoction of gratitude and grace. Watch us run and laugh and love and
dance and sing—the picture of a contagious faith! How exciting it was to write
and add this song to the record at the last minute. Scott wanted one more
up-tempo song so we returned to this title and music that he had already been
working on. We gathered the players together again and had one terrific day in
the studio. It turned out so well that we decided it should be the first radio
single.
"Truth Breaks Through": A collage of pictures of people who
love so well that the gospel has real impact on those they touch. My friend Dina
inspired the first verse: she cares more about seizing the moment with her
children than about cleaning the house. I'm learning a lot from her. "Faith
shows herself by what she does." The second verse was inspired by a
ministry called Harvest USA headed by John Freeman. Based in Philadelphia,
Penn., these people minister to the sexually broken and their families who are
seeking help and healing. The truth of Christ breaks through because the hearts
at Harvest are humble and brimming with love and compassion for those who
struggle with this type of sin. "The changes come when love shows up!"
"Brave": Here we are trying to be courageous, uncircling the
wagons and setting out with fear and trembling; but at least we're setting out!
Committed to living joyfully in the never-knowing-what's-around-the-bend. Our
oldest daughter, Carina, has a wild imagination, especially at night before she
falls asleep. I remind her to sing this song when she's concocting frightening
scenarios in her head. No more shadows in the mirror.
"What's It Gonna Be": In keeping with our 'brave' theme, I ask
myself what it will take to make me live without fear. It's time to grow up. If
faith has changed the boundaries and His love has set me free, then I have
nothing to lose. In this song I picture myself soaring above like a bird, part
of the world yet unconnected to its trappings and agendas. On the ground, my
worldview is limited to small stories and temporary struggles. When I lift my
eyes above, I am closer to eternity and the expanding horizon of a completely
sovereign God. The worries fade as the trees are replaced by an endless stretch
of glorious forest.
"With All my Heart": I am called to love God with all my heart,
mind, soul and strength. I struggle with the knowledge that I barely skim the
surface of obedience to this great commandment. But the new covenant, a crimson
river, floods my soul with the fact that Jesus died for me while I was yet a
sinner. In days of brokenness, gratitude runs deep into the cracks and I catch a
glimpse of what it would be like to love the One who first loved me … with all
my heart. The musicianship on this song is lovely. The producer and players
moved to an exquisite level of subtlety and substance that echo the resounding
hope we have in the arms of Christ.
"Waiting": It's all about not waiting but getting a move
on. Pressing against the stifling worry about a journey that comes with few
guarantees. No signals, signs or singles necessary: we know the other side is a
certainty. Scott and I had already recorded five projects when we suddenly found
ourselves AWOL (artists without a label). This is the disruption that the Lord
used to move us on to better things. But in the midst of the turmoil of 'what do
we do now?' we lost some momentum. It was difficult to move forward without
heavenly direction. Slowly, we began to realize through our own conversations
and through those with friends that, regardless of our circumstances, we still
had a gift and calling from God. This standing invitation to serve Him,
wherever, soon led us on to Rocketown Records, where we made, with much
gratitude, this latest recording.
"Tell Your Story": There can be an incredible lifting of a
burden when it is shared with those who love you well. We are all sinners and
victims. To trust someone with your story of sadness and shame can dispel the
power it has in your life. I (Christine) have a group of women friends with whom
I pray once a week. My friend Laura Lyn mentioned how sharing her burdens with
us had helped to dispel the strength they had over her. Soon after, during our
retreat, all six of us experienced the blessing as we took turns telling our
stories and bearing each others' burdens. This is one of my favorites. Monroe
(Jones) got us to sing some cool background vocals.
"Out of the Ordinary": A man is a bundle of contradictions.
Made in the image of the Creator of all things and yet capable of any sin
imaginable. And somehow in the craziness, knowing the hope of Christ puts us on
the path of the Extraordinary. Scott sings beautifully in this song (says his
wife) and expresses well the lyrics he wrote. Our friends, Ken and Chris, who
also make great music with us as our band on the road, co-wrote this one. And if
you listen closely at the end, you'll hear my newly-discovered (by accident)
vocal technique which I call "inhaled singing." Don't try this at
home; it requires the breathing skills of a professional. Or not.
"The Words": Sometimes language seems so inadequate to express
the depths of the heart, and sometimes the feelings there don't even make sense.
A relationship between a man and woman can be quite complicated and beyond
words. I find that sometimes my well of words has simply run dry, and my husband
must trust my love and commitment to him beyond the stream of consciousness. As
we build unseen and unspoken bridges between us, their strength and length will
span the gaps that naturally occur in marriage. And they do. The foundation and
building blocks are from the Lord Jesus Christ. (This song also has a cool
guitar solo from Scott!)
"I Want Everything": Inspired by The Sacred Romance, a
book by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis, this song addresses our deep-seated
dissatisfaction with life. Our hearts are truly longing for the love of Christ
and will be restless until we are resting in His arms. So we refuse to settle
for less than everything He promises us! The book challenged us to see God not
only as the Author of the tale we're involved in, but even more so as the Hero
who is fighting our battles and is willing to die for us. As we wait for His
return, we can hold the emptiness we sometimes feel, as a promise of its
imminent fulfillment. My friend, Tammy, when she first heard this song, worried
that it would offend people. At first it sounds selfish and, you know, a bit
worldly. But upon closer listening, she discovered what we were trying to say:
God wants us to want Him and all the good gifts He gives like holiness,
loveliness, grace, passion and poetry. Oh yeah, and coffee, too.
"Grace, Mercy and Peace": A simple prayer, inspired by the
Apostle Paul, that reveals with simplicity the bounteous gifts that await anyone
who comes to Jesus Christ. I really enjoyed singing this one in the studio.
Having a great microphone and vocal sound, thanks to our engineer, Jim Dineen,
inspired better performances in me. Being able to hear myself "bigger than
life" helps me to be more accurate, subtle and creative. I also pictured
our three children as I sang this, knowing that this is the ultimate desire I
have for them: that they will always know Jesus' grace, mercy and peace.