Krissy Nordhoff / Thank Him Stories Behind the Songs

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 at 12 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com

It All Comes Down To Mercy
"While in Costa Rica on a mission trip, I felt as though I was living simply to love other people. It was an awakening to how the Lord wants us to live and to what really matters to Him. When I returned home, I lost that feeling and felt so distracted by this world. But I realized that the Lord knows my intentions and has mercy."

Heal Me
"So many times I’ve looked back at the days when Jesus walked the earth and wished I could have been there, especially when I needed healing. But as I studied the words He spoke: “Your faith has healed you” I began to understand that He still rewards faith with healing today."

Ninety-Nine
"In studying the scriptures on the Good Shepherd, there was an amazing reassurance and sweetness that I began to feel. I will forever be smitten that Jesus cares more about each one than He does about the crowd. "

Love You Like Crazy
"Before I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in 2002, there were times I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be here. I felt sick in many ways, but when my fingers could barely play the piano, I was scared. I decided that if I only wrote one more song, it would be for my husband. This song was to remind him of my deep love for him for the rest of his life, just in case I couldn’t be here to tell him."

* BONUS - Watch Krissy's testimony of God's healing power below!



Thank Him
"I believe that life and death are in the power of the tongue. I am learning to speak what the Lord has promised me rather than speaking doubt and fear, even when I don’t feel like it. When walking through a trial, keeping focused on that promise from the Lord gives me more freedom to learn from the suffering. "

Where There’s Your Will
"So many times when we are right where the Lord wants us to be it is a bit uncomfortable. The Lord can work better when we are weak, because then we will turn faster to Him for strength. "

Daisy Days
"After moving to Nashville in 1996, I went through a very lonely time. The toughest time was going to church alone, since it had always been such a treasured family time growing up. I wasn’t quite sure where my place was. Thankfully, I found that the family of God is everywhere. "

Free Me Up
"When faced with writing one of my first wedding songs, I couldn’t help but squeeze in the image of my favorite creation—butterflies. This song brings back many sweet memories to me and was my “trademark song” early in my writing career. "

Doubt my Doubts
"Even though people should know we are Christians by our love, it’s not always the picture we create. This song acknowledges the hurt I felt from a church split. The temptation is to equate God’s character with His people. However, I learned through the experience that all people will eventually let me down, but God never will. "

Little Things
"I am so glad that I have the opportunity to be a mommy to my boys. When my husband Eric and I have a long night up with them, this song reminds us of our favorite things about this precious “little” time and how blessed it is."

You are a River
"Ecclesiastes 1:7 says, “the rivers flow into the sea, and yet the sea is never full.” I love thinking about that as a picture of our relationship with Jesus. No matter how much He pours into us, we will never be too full."

Love
"There is no more beautiful love song in my mind than Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13. Of all the definitions of love, this is the most selfless I have ever heard. To me it is both refreshing and convicting at the same time."

tags: krissy nordhoff, thank him stories behind the songs

Tammy Trent Interview

Monday, November 17th 2008 at 10:49 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com

ITT: Any advice / encouragement for InTheTimes.com girls who desire to be a professional singer like yourself?

Tammy: Well...I'd say to first make sure you're plugged into your local church's Worship Team and making yourself available to serve the Lord on any level there. That will tell you a lot about yourself and your heart for ministry.

ITT: Give InTheTimes.com girls a little insight on the songwriting process for you--how long have you been writing, is there a specific type of song that you prefer to write or that you feel you are gifted to write, etc. ?

Tammy: I wrote my first "real" song in my mid-twenties. It's a song I recorded and put on my very first CD called "Letting Go".

It probably wasn't until people started telling me that my song really touched their hearts that I realized I had some kind of gift with words. I was like, "Wow, I wrote a song that matters." (smile)

I love writing and singing songs that speak to the deepest parts of our lives; trying to encourage the hopeless one that just can't see past their circumstances. I have traveled a journey of deep loss myself, after the tragic death of my husband, and I feel like my personal daily journal back to healing has become the songs of my heart now, put to music to share with the world.

ITT: Above all, what is the goal of your music / concerts--why you do what you do, what you hope your songs will communicate to the listeners, etc. ?

Tammy: The goal for me is to communicate clearly that we have a "God of Impossibles" and that He can take any situation that we might be facing right now and turn it into something beautiful if we will just believe and let go.

It might not be exactly what WE had in mind, but that's part of trusting God and knowing that He sees the bigger picture of our lives and completely knows what's best for us. I know letting go can be so hard to do, but I have come to know that I am truly HELD when I let go.

My hope and prayer for those that pick up my new album STRONGER would be that the words would become their own and that the hope I sing of, will become their hope, too. My message will always be about a real God, living in a real world, caring about our real lives, and His longing to be a part of it daily.

tags: tammy trent, celebrity interview