KXOJ of Tulsa had me come out for their summer concert series on the Riverwalk just yesterday, and little did I know as brief as the visit was, how my heart would be stirred and broken and encouraged. I was able to talk with so many precious people before and after the concert and was deeply touched by their stories. During our time of worship, it was nothing short of awe-inspiring to look out at my new friends and see them pouring out their hearts to God in song, some even with tears.
I have received countless e-mails and messages from people who have been touched by “You’re Not Alone,” and in reading these testimonies, I have been completely humbled and have cried through many of your stories. When I wrote this song during Thanksgiving of 2006, sitting at my parents’ baby grand in North Carolina, I had no inclination of how the Lord would use it to deeply minister to the hearts of broken, lonely people. All I knew at the time was that He was singing His promise over me, reminding me that He had been by my side all along, and ministering to my broken, lonely heart.
Jacob and I are making the familiar drive from Nashville to Chicago as I write this. For most of the journey I have been staring at my computer screen reading a PDF of the novel by Chris Coppernoll entitled "A Beautiful Fall" set to release in a couple months. Chris interviewed me during GMA week back in April, and because of his genuine nature and original questions, it turned out to be one of my favorite interviews, so naturally I was honored when Chris asked me to endorse his new book. I just finished the last chapter, and my heart was so very encouraged by the redemptive story.
So I'm sitting here in our hotel room in beautiful Mission Viejo, California, thinking about our time of worship tonight at Saddleback as Jacob works on tracks and clicks for the band. I can't tell you how honored and humbled I am to be a part of the worship conference here this week, surrounded by tons of worshippers and leaders from all over the country, gathering here like sponges waiting to soak up every ounce of wisdom and insight and refreshment that the Lord would offer through our times of worship in music as well as teaching from humble men and women of God.
As some of you may know, I recently got married. Much of the reason I have been MIA from the world of blogging is because I have been in the land of wedding, a world of flowers and DJs and guestlists and countdowns...plans and details like I have never known before. All for one Day. One Day that, 8 months before seems like it would never get here and 1 week until seems like it all just flies by like a speeding train. As the Day quickly approached, there were times I felt as if I was being run over by that speeding train, but alas, we survived.
