When the probability is low...

I remember the day on a family vacation, we were all hanging out by a beautiful lake. So distracted by the scenery, it must have slippedthrough our minds to check our belongings before we left the picnic area. We were staying with friends in Vermont, and it wasn’t until much later that we realized the video camera was gone. Tracing our steps back to that picnic area, we searched with flashlights under the moonlight.

Nothing.

I remember that sense of despair as we got back to their house. The probability was next to zero that we’d ever see it again. I tried comforting my mom, who was the one behind the camera, freezing all the moments in time. The video camera wasn’t that important, it was the hours of filming she had done, still in the camera bag. We’d never get to re-live them years down the road.

Around the kitchen sink all of us grabbed hands and prayed. Yes. Even for a video camera. God, if there is any way for us to find this again, please help us. It’s gonna be miracle. Only you can do this.

Wherever I am, God is awake. Prayer is not a formula, it’s not a complex style that you have to stand on one foot and look in one direction. He knows where you at, and He wants to commune with you. “You have not because you ask not.”

Then our friends had an idea. They got up early the next morning and made signs to post in the local diners and coffee shops. If someone had seen it or picked it up, they could call the number. Kind of like a missing cat sign you see on the neighborhood light pole. I thought about the slim chances of anyone being at the lake AND at the restaurant the very next day.

We left Vermont and headed home. While unpacking and settling back in, my dad checked the voicemail messages. It was a man with a deep voice talking about a sign at the diner for a missing camera. He found it at a lake and took it home, hoping to find a way to get it back to the owner. He left his number and said to call him back.

We were all in complete shock.

The probability WAS close to zero, yet God doesn’t look at probabilities. We got our videocamera back and I learned that there is no such thing as a petty prayer. You can come to Him about everything. Prayer is staying connected to Him.

He won’t always answer us the way we think would be best, but the essence of our journey with Him is trust.

A prayerful life is a powerful life.

-Becca

Stronger

Some days I feel like a little child standing barely tall enough to reach the knees of my Father God.  With my arms fully extended, I   reach for Him to pull me into His embrace.  “Hold me, Daddy.”

It’s okay to be like a child with God.

One thing that brings me to this place more than anything is sickness.  I used to be so aware of germs that my friends would even call me a ‘germ-a-phobe’.  But, I’ve learned that there are sicknesses that aren’t caused by germs.  When I experienced hoarseness in my voice for a long period of time, it was so unusual.  I had it checked by the doctor.  He said everything looked fine, but the problem persisted.  I’m singing all the time, as you know, so this wasn’t good.  We can’t always have immediate answers when it comes to sickness we live with.  When this happened to my voice, I resolved to find an answer.

I recently read a story in the book of Daniel where King Nebuchadnezzar searches for wise men to tell him the meaning of his dream.  He demands that they tell him what his dream was first.  After many attempts, no one could do this!  Then a guy named Daniel shows up, and God reveals the dream and it’s interpretation.  King Nebuchadnezzar declares in Daniel 2:47, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries…”

When I kept doing Google searches and sorting through possible causes for my persistent hoarseness, it felt like I was hitting a dead end, over and over. It’s so natural to worry, but I kept reminding myself that my God is the revealer of mysteries.  Psalm 18 has moved me to see how powerful my God is:

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears….

The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook…

He parted the heavens and came down He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind…

Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them…

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

This God, who delights in you, and in me, is our Refuge and Deliverer. We can count on Him every day, no matter what kind of distress we wade through.

I remember coming to the week of recording our last album and I was hit with sickness.  Singing “By Faith” in that recording booth never felt more real as I sang the words, ‘Your strength is enough for me, Your grace is all I’ll ever need’, knowing I could have been stronger for the recording days, but God was going to make up for that.  This is grace!

It’s a tricky life being a vocalist with allergies and so many physical things to slow me down – needing to perform at the top level, to deliver a great song every time.  When we become unable to solve riddles in our lives, God gets bigger in our eyes.  I see how weak I really am and how I need God to rescue me.  He knows the answer.  He is my Healer.  What is a situation in your life that puzzles you?  Let it bring you to a place of child-like dependence on God.

-Elissa

Unwrapping Oregon

The smell of fresh ocean air and the quiet roar of waves welcomed me to Camp Bradley in Oregon this past weekend. The most cozy and fantastic seaside cabins were given to us to stay in! The beauty – so different from our mountain home, overcame me.  I love the water! It reminded me of the chilly coast of England.

150 ladies gathered to worship and dig into the Word with Kari Patterson, our retreat speaker.  Let me tell you, even though I am quote ‘ministering’, I am fully receiving. My life is changed so often when we travel to lead worship!  Kari is a sharp teacher and I loved getting to know her sweet heart.

One thing God illuminated in me is that I'm prone to worry.  And this uncovers a lack of trust. Often times, my mind spins through thoughts of how I can avoid problems. My husband knows how I enjoy being a human calculator, too. If things add up to a good outcome, I'm settled.  But if it doesn’t add up ‘my way’, I'm back to worrying.  This process began on my flight home to Colorado Springs before I chose to slam on my mental breaks to stop the worrying.

"Do you trust Me?" God prodded. I remembered what Kari said about trust.  It's comes down to humility, knowing that God is bigger than me.  I need to admit that I can't calculate the future, but that God can.  “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28

Now, I can't promise anything that grand ("All Things Work Together", an oldie by Twlia Paris from my iTunes library came on in my ear buds while I flew over the clouds).  In my hands things often fall apart. I need to remember how capable God is, and humbly admit how incapable I am to carve out a good path for myself. I need the divine Guide.

This got me thinking about the circumstances that allowed us to travel to Oregon it the first place. Our return to Trail Christian Fellowship to lead worship for the women's retreat was set up through divine navigation.  In 2009 my family had a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Maui together.  Enjoying the pool at the resort, my parents met a couple from Medford, Oregon who suggested we visit a church in Eagle Point when we were on tour later in 2009. So we did!  The friendship we made at Trail was awesome and this summer we remembered our time there.

Recently, seeing a gap in our calendar, Becca asked me, "Do you think Trail would want to have us back some day?" Little did we know that the very day our email was received, the women's director was caught in a bind and needing a worship leader for their retreat coming up in a couple weeks!  Perfect timing. We booked our tickets and came to fill the need.  God is certainly the best guide we could ever ask for!

I try to entrust so many things to my own care – figuring out finances, health, my calendar, family situations and friends... it's a habit that only through humbling myself I will break. I will give way to the most able Savior, Jesus Christ. “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’.” - Psalm 91:2

- Elissa

Lessons from Undaunted

I recently finished a couple books that have truly left a mark on my heart. The latest, Undaunted, by one of my new favorite people, Christine Caine, left me highlighting something on every page – not like I haven’t heard some of these truths before, but they literally made sense in my heart for the first time. I hope to meet Christine one day. This woman is a fighter!

I closed the last page of the book (ok, not really. I read this on my iPad) and felt different. I felt less like a discouraged, disappointed, weak person striving to make something of myself in my own strength, and more like Moses or Esther. They were ordinary people with flaws. However, they trusted and obeyed the words from their Heavenly Father and saw incredible things happen. It’s true; I haven’t spoken before a pharaoh or seen that burning tree in my backyard.

But…

If I just stop and think about incredible things that HAVE happened, small ways I am able to be a part of a supernatural change in someone’s life, then my burning bush isn’t so incomprehensible.

So often we overlook these things in our lives. We’re so busy climbing the mountain we miss the whole point: the journey. Esther was on a journey. Moses was on a (long) journey. God met them on their highways. In Undaunted, I got to see glimpses of Christine’s journey. I was so inspired by her approach to every ginormous obstacle that stood in her path. As if she would say, “Um, my God is bigger!”

All along this journey, keep your eyes open. Burning bushes are all around us. They are signals, signs on the highway that our God is bigger. Don’t give up or slow down! As crazy as it sounds, I believe God speaks to us. If we’ll listen, this journey can be so much more than reaching the top of the mountain. A scrapbook isn’t about the last page. Every page is significant, and leads up to the last page. Each day is like a page in this story God is writing through you. What will it say today?

 -B

Not just another map

Sometimes, it’s hard for me to take statistics seriously and to really see them as individuals.  Can anyone relate?  Numbers can seem so disconnected.  Like, more than 9 million children under age 5 die every year. More than 6 million of these deaths are preventable.

Then it all happened for me when I walked the streets of El Salvador.  Breathing in the air, shaking hands and hugging young ones that came up running.

Recently, after one of our concerts, the Compassion table was buzzing.  A little girl urged her mom to let her sponsor a girl from Africa.  Though this single mom felt she couldn’t afford it, she decided to trust God to provide.  They took the plunge.  Her daughter was willing to find some odd jobs to help cover it.  I was so amazed when she wrote me just a few weeks later to tell me the miracle.  They did find jobs, and earned enough to sponsor for a full year!

I’ve got a basket full of maps in my office…state maps, trail guides, downtown directories... but this map here is different:

My husband Bryan made this at my request (isn't he good?), it represents where Compassion works.  Each country represents a story, and chapters of the story are tragic and sad, unjust and devastating.  But when Compassion moved in, it started a new chapter of HOPE.  Each of us has the opportunity to help write this chapter, because we’ve been changed by God’s grace and salvation – we can bring that same grace and salvation to a boy or girl, and their family – and even their entire village!

Numbers are actually real people, and when we realize that we can touch one life that will cause a ripple effect, these “statistics” become an opportunity for God to surprise us.

Just like that little girl with wide eyes at our Compassion table weeks ago, we can have the faith of a child, and trust that our Father in Heaven will help us as we each take the plunge and sponsor a child.

And could it be that your heart will change?  Could it be that your gift to that child will be the greatest blessing in your own life?

-Becca

Find out more about Compassion.

Flight Delays and Thoughts on Belonging

I've spent so much time in the Dallas, TX airport this week that I memorized the place. Got my guitar, iPad in tow and a carry-on roller bag. I think I'll either write a blog or play my guitar for these travel-weary folks!

Before any music goes out I want to tell you about my weekend in eastern Pennsylvania. It welcomed us with lush green hills, winding rivers and the extravagant skyline of Pittsburgh. We came for the girls of Christian Center and surrounding churches near Belle Vernon for the I AM HIS retreat.
Preparing for this retreat stirred a lot of thoughts in me about belonging to God. When you think I am _____ what do you feed into the blank? What we do or how we feel is usually the case; lonely, happy, depressed, a student, a friend, singer...

When we fill in the blank do we ever just say I am His?

I'm boarding the plane home with my husband tonight - finally. With hours spent in this airport incurred by multiple flight delays and cancelations, I've had time to encounter a lot of people traveling. A Muslim man in a corner doing his ritual prayers, a business man making transactions on his cell phone, a woman frantically trying to get a standby on our flight. Our identity as a son or daughter of God needs to be the identity most prevalent in our lives so we can reach others and they find freedom in being God's child too.

Elissa

With the boys on the road

Last weekend we headed out for a cross-country tour with our husbands.  Touring with them is the best!  My husband Chad is serious on the electric guitar.  He can play most any genre of music – & he joined us on Sunday morning in Des Moines.  Bryan, Becca's husband, can carry any beat on the djembe, so he handled the rhythm at our concerts.

Our first stop was McCook, NE (third visit since 2008).  After the show, several girls shared with me me that they were counting on us coming back this year.  I’m glad we were able to!  It was good to sing our new songs, and meet two girls who drove 2 hours to see us (when they saw our tweet) - awesome!  Making amazing friends wherever we go makes what we do that much sweeter.

A few days into the tour I was introduced to the 'Walking Taco'.  Ever had one?  It’s genius.  A bag of Doritos (or Fritos) is filled with lettuce, shredded cheese and ground beef.  You chow down with a fork.

Our concert in Iowa was hosted by KJYL in a beautiful country church.  About to celebrate 135 years serving the farming communities in central Iowa, this church has seen more than a century of change and progress.  It stands this day as a picture of our God – unchanging, faithful, steadfast.

Thank you everyone who drove to our concert in Lanyon.  We loved worshiping with you and packing out the sanctuary!

-Elissa

{Check out our Media > Pictures page for new tour pics}

Made to Shine - behind the song (video)

Check out our new video: Made to Shine!

This video is about the girl that inspired our song "Made to Shine", and her struggle with bullies at school. Find "Made to Shine" on our new album "By Faith". www.Sonflowerz.com.

Evacuee, a word I never thought I'd be

"The first time I saw the plume of smoke I was coming out of a wedding reception. “Oh no, that’s close,” I thought. The blaze had started less than 5 miles from my house and thousands of other residents in the Colorado Springs area. We couldn’t see the actual fire, but the smoke engulfed our neighborhood by Saturday night...."

Read more of Elissa's thoughts on the wildfire in the newest edition of Christian Songwriters Magazine!

Download this edition and read Elissa's story.

Dearly Loved

One song really seemed to impact people last week in Wisconsin. Our second time at Lifest, we packed 3 days with leading worship, teaching a seminar, interviewed with a radio station, and two concert sets at different stages and times. I think my Mom set up our merch table more times in one day than could count. She is amazing.

Each time we played “Dearly Loved”, a new song on our album “By Faith”, it seemed that people were hearing they are loved for the firs time. You know, we hear that God loves us, but sometimes it doesn’t sink in. It’s like watching a movie in a foreign language. But when you really get it, really, it changes everything! A sweet girl named Grace thanked me for the song after a concert, expressing how hard it is to sometimes see herself as truly loved and beautiful.

Dearly Loved
By Elissa Leander Tipps, Rebecca Leander Nicholson (Copyright 2011 Sonflower Worship/ASCAP)

Hasn’t anyone told you / Don’t you already know that your name has been written on His hands and on His heart / See the way He has given / His own life He laid down so that you could be with Him and know truly from the start that // You are loved even more than words can describe / Dearly loved from before the first dawn of time / You are loved even if the whole world tries to convince you otherwise / Forever you are cherished and dearly loved // I saw you walk away slowly / A solemn look on your face / You don’t believe you are worthy in light of your mistakes / A guilty conscience has stolen your understanding of grace / But God will never forsake you / Nothing you could do will change that // His love is enough to hold you together / Always enough to conquer your fears / His love is enough and someday you’ll know just how much

Our newest friend from Lifest, Tiffany Thompson, brought us potted sunflowers (real ones) one morning. These became the staple at our merch table. Lifest is one of those festivals where everyone feels like family, and you can be guaranteed that backstage will have cheese curds at the salad bar. I LOVE it. (Oh, and the custard in Wisconsin is incredible.)

Romans 5 talks about the Holy Spirit being the evidence of God’s love. It’s a gift from God that the Holy Spirit within us is our guide, our comforter, and our strength. I definitely experienced it first-hand on this tour. Each day was packed (no days off) and very demanding. I felt like a runner in a marathon, with each stride asking for God’s help to keep going and not give up.

Identify yourself as a recipient of God’s love and you will even be glad when situations require endurance. It becomes a strength and draws us closer to God.

-Becca

UK Tour Journal (Part 2)

Real life touring is a crazy experience!  The day before we left Wales to drive to London, we had a hic-up in our plans.  The rental van broke down at the very top of a parking garage.  Thanks to our Welsh friend Abi, who saved the day and gave us a ride to the rental car place.   Still, there weren’t many options for us…no vans in the company’s lot.  Once we got a ride to our flat, we waited for them to bring us a new van, from a city 2 hours away.

Another issue rose from this.  The van they brought us was smaller than the first. Oops.  There’s no way to describe how awkward the drive was with 4 adults crammed in 3 seats.  (Since this experience we’ve promised ourselves to find a twelve-passenger van next time in the UK!)

Stopping at Windsor to see the castle where the Queen is in residence, made the trip exciting.  The town of Windsor is quaint & classic: exactly the place I would imagine the Queen living.

The next morning began by singing for over 300 kids ages 8 – 11 at a public Church of England school.  One teacher commented that the kids were ‘mesmerized’. Well, it was like a field trip for them!  We explained the love of God to them and how He answers prayer.  The faces of these precious kids are forever impressed in my mind – so attentive and buzzing in their seats at the same time.

Around lunchtime we visited another school with Jr. high and High School students (the school was so big we couldn’t find the front door).  God gave us a word to share between songs, which came from John 10.  The teacher explained that this happened to be the verse for the year. (It’s another Church of England school – although most students are unsaved.) 

Later in the day we sat around a box of pizza with the youth worship team from the church who was hosting us.  It was shocking that about a dozen girls made up the worship teams!  It’s more common to see boys joining worship bands in droves, I think.  We answered their questions about being part of a worship band and living your calling.  It was really awesome to connect with the future worship leaders of England and to have this chance to inspire them!

Lastly we preformed a rockin’ concert in Ealing.  Folks came from other churches in London and the place was packed with all ages.  With my husband on guitar and Becca’s husband on percussion, we were jazzed by our awesome quartet. 

The crowd seemed so engaged in the lyrics of the songs, which were projected on the screens.  I knew God must be moving in many hearts that didn’t know Him.  After the concert it was clear that many people had been inspired and strengthened in their faith. One woman told the pastor “I came tonight as an Atheist, but I don’t think I’m leaving as one.”   Another women wrote in an email that she felt moved by a particular song and that it was helping her overcome her depression.

Great things are happening in the UK church!  We were “chuffed”, as they say in Wales, to experience it this year.  Time to start writing my own songs in Welsh, I think.

-Elissa

Becca's take on our UK experience

As I sit on my couch going through an entire box of tissues due to this icky cold I’ve caught since I landed, all the memories of this tour are being replayed in my mind like a camera roll. The UK means running into old friends and meeting a lot of new faces.

The country is getting geared up for the London Olympics, and they have splashed the shop windows with Union Jacks and spontaneous souvenir shops commemorating this historic time.  On top of the Olympics, it’s the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, which in my humble opinion, is a bigger deal than the Olympics.  She has reigned 60 years, which is amazing to imagine.  I might as well be 8-years-old when I think about the Queen and her elegance, dignity and grace.  She is one of my heroes.

Traveling through the UK this time was a breathtaking sight.  Yes, it rained a lot, but the subsequent effect was a green manicured canvas with brightly colored flowers everywhere.  When people say a visit to the UK is like walking into a fairy tale, it’s simply true, not an exaggeration.

Bryan and I grabbed coffee in the city center of Cardiff, Wales one afternoon on our day off to shop, and outside the window was a medieval church.  Everything around it had changed drastically since those stones were laid (don’t think Starbucks existed in Robin Hood days), but the church has remained untouched.  Beauty and history everywhere.  I’ve stamped my passport in London over 22 times, but I am never bored with this place.

Our team were troopers.  Touring isn’t all glam and bling, daily massages, expansive buses and cappuccinos on demand.  We crammed way too much gear and luggage in a way-too-small vehicle (um, Hertz) but we stayed in good spirits.

Wales “the land of song” was our first stop.  We led worship for a women’s conference, heard worship songs sung in Welsh and listened to our friend and pastor Kim Trobee speak.  Despite it being a first-time event, the church was packed and the women were excited to be there.  I was once again deeply moved by the passion in their worship and eagerness to receive prayer following the message.  It was so inspiring to me!

I became familiar with the distinct Welsh accent more on this trip than others in the past.  Perhaps I just listened more.  We saw over 300 teens from youth groups in Cardiff gather for four days to transform local communities, rain or shine, in practical ways. The morning worship meetings before the kids ran off to various places were the main event in many ways.  Our friend Dai Hankey stirred us up with a powerful message (and so many Welsh slang words I can’t even count)!  We gave a boost of spiritual energy to these teens before they poured out their hearts and served the needy.  What a privilege to be part of IgniteHope 2012!  Truly an epic weekend.  Heavy downpours didn’t stop our plans and this tough and determined Welsh spirit prevailed.  As a result 150 people responded to the Gospel message!

High notes and unexpected lessons

I was recently asked about my most embarrassing moment. Luckily for them, it had happened the day before and I had a quick answer. We were leading worship and I added a song to the set list last-minute, but forgot what key we normally play it in. It came time in the set for the song, and I began playing it in the wrong key, which was several steps higher than what I was used to. The chorus came around, and the note I was stretching for was so high the glass windows could have shattered. I saw the look on Elissa's face, and as sisters we knew exactly what each other was thinking...quick...move on to the next song!!!

I learned to double check the song key from then on. And engrained in me when I remember that moment is that it's not about me.

True freedom is living without the pressure to impress. I'm not singing to make friends. Embarrassing moment or not, I'm just being obedient to follow Jesus, what He asks me to do, and that is to serve Him by serving people.

Becca

Along For The Ride

On Valentines Day my husband and I began our crazy trip from Colorado to California. While most couples were planning dinner reservations and buying flowers, we were about to drive 1,200 miles!

My husband tours with the Jared Anderson band throughout the year. You may know Jared’s worship songs, “Amazed” or “Hear Us From Heaven”. Many people wonder how we make it work in a marriage with two full time touring musicians. Well, we are home often for starters. And we find loads of excuses to jump on tour with each other’s band!

For no other reason than a disdain for being apart from each other, Chad and I decided to drive the band’s van across the country to meet up with Jared’s tour this February. Except for the tire we had to change in Laramie, Wyoming it was a superb Valentines Day.

My big idea was to hit Salt Lake City for some shopping on the way, and then settle in Lake Tahoe before crossing into California. Lake Tahoe was a highlight boasting magnificent sunshine! Did you know Lake Tahoe never freezes – it’s too deep. And perfectly clear water, you can see right to the bottom. Amazing!

Catching up with the guys on the road was fun. I managed 3 days with them! (8 guys and 1 girl in a van can have it’s hilarious moments.) It wasn’t too rough for a girl who knows tour life better than most. We kept our spirits high in Sacramento with In-N-Out down the street! (In-N-Out is the most famous burger joint)

I’m welcoming Chad back home this week! Next, I’m up to bat touring-wise with a trip in March to Pennsylvania. Can’t wait!

-Elissa

3 Bits

Gearing up for girls' retreat season. :) Starting tomorrow with "Tapestry", we will be leading worship and sharing our hearts with hundreds of girls at retreats around the U.S. this Spring. So cool how the Lord provides opportunities to encourage young women. He knows every need in their hearts, and longs to reveal His love to them. And sometimes he sends us, imperfect but willing, to express that.

Can I give you three bits of advice that I learned through my teen years? These three helped me along the way, navigating and growing up, and all the change that comes with it. Looking back I can see how these choices really made a difference, and brought me to where I am today.

1. Spend more time with God than is easy to do. Nothing great is produced by just doing what is "easy". It takes some sacrifice and determination to do the hard things. But there is a reward.

2. Find godly women you can look up to, and ask them what choices they made that brought them to where they are today.

3. Never quit going to church, even if your parents stop going. I'm thankful my parents were consistent and involved in church, but even if its not the case with you...find a way to plug in and never unplug.

-Becca

Love Is...

I love designing rooms. I love Chick-Fil-A. I love Starbucks Vanilla Lattes. But love is much deeper than that…Love is about people.

Today I’ve been thinking about the relationships that are closest to me. My husband Bryan and I enjoy serving the Lord together and are committed to doing marriage with Him at the center. It’s also a journey that God has used to sharpen my character. My family relationships are a gift from God. They know me so well and yet love unconditionally.

If love is about people, how should that affect us on a daily basis, if we are to be people who love well? I heard a truly profound perspective on worship from Tim Hughes yesterday:

“Worship much more than singing songs. It’s about our response to a God who first loved us. God is love and when His followers live as He encourages us through the Bible to live, it makes a difference in society. We begin to love people. When we worship and connect with God we catch His heart and His vision. We are loved by God so that we can love those around us.”

I love to lead worship, but this is a reminder to me that it’s not about what I do on-stage; it’s mainly about what I do off-stage. Love is about people. Worship is about God. It’s not about us.

-Becca