Mela Kamin – What I Say in between Songs

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It’s safe to say that if I could be anywhere but here at home, I’d choose Nashville. I am blessed to get to make music there, I have some dear mentors there and some truly think-of-them-as-family friends in that area. I just stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in February for the Blissdom Conference. It’s a beautiful, enormous structure. It’s like the size of the Mall of America or bigger – seriously HUGE.
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I was at a retreat in a rural area of central Wisconsin over the weekend, participating in and performing at a women’s retreat. It was fabulous, soul-nourishing, fun and uplifting. I was unplugged, only checking my iPhone at night to see if I had a voicemail and I only was able to check in with my kids in the morning before worship.
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Then, I came home and plugged back in.
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While I don’t watch the news, my Twitter feed is filled with many Nashvillians and I was utterly stunned as I read about and saw videos and pictures of the devastation. That gigantic hotel I stayed in? Flooded. The Grand Ole Opry House I watched the DOVE Awards at last year? Water is over the pews.
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I immediately checked on my friends. Were they ok? Were their houses spared? Do they have friends who lost everything? What can I do to help?
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This video by Ed Stetzer answers that question. As I started watching it, I was struck by how awesome it is that the body of Christ is able to glorify Him through their actions – during and immediately after the storm and now in the midst of the damage, recovery and rebuild efforts.
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I want to do something. I called my parents and am in the process of scheduling a trip with my Dad down to Nashville. The funny thing was that my Mom had talked to my Dad about this very thing just this morning – great minds think alike!
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Watch the video. Consider how you can help. Donate to the Red Cross, Samaritan’s Purse or through the relief efforts of a specific church, like CrossPoint.
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Here are some highlights from the video:
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Pete Wilson, Pastor of CrossPoint Church, Nashville
“God is most powerfully present even when he seems to be most apparently absent. If this is a 1,000 year flood, this is an opportunity we’re only going to get every 1,000 years as a church to step up and reach people in the name of Christ and show them His love, His grace and His passion.”
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Rice Broocks, Pastor of Bethel World Outreach Center, Nashville

• “(this type of event) brings us into awareness of our vulnerability”
• “He is lifted up high especially in a storm.”
• “Sometimes on our way to something else, we bump into a need. – Good Samaritan lesson”

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Much of the country didn’t know anything about the flood and the media coverage has not been stellar. As you know from other disasters, once the media puts attention on something else, help and support goes with it. Please remember to pray for Nashville and the surrounding communities. And, consider helping if you can.
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I’ll keep you updated on my trip plans.

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My cousin Amy recently invited me to join her church’s teen girls’ “Free to Be Me” retreat. The gathering was based on the popular Francesca Battistelli song of the same name. Great song, great truth.
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Amy’s husband, Jason is a dynamic Pastor in a small, rural community and they are a tight-knit church family. They are involved in plenty of camps, but this was their first teen retreat, just for girls, at the church itself – Friday to Sunday.
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I was able to share my perspective, some of my story – even the broken pieces – and perform a concert after the emotion-filled day. Tiffany Thompson of Life Promotions, a funny, adorable, powerful, passionate speaker was also there. She spoke into these girls’ and women’s lives, including my own. She has a mighty story to tell and we were all moved by her candidness, humor and Biblical insight. I’ll be seeing her again in June and I can. not. wait. I’m hoping she gets her book published soon – it will be A-MAZING.
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I went into the weekend with a plan of what I was going to share. I wanted to impart some wisdom, to make an impact, to help build them up. I wished to be an encourager, but how do you tell girls to ignore society’s idea of perfection, when you struggle with this very issue yourself?
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. . . by telling them I struggle.
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Most days, I know the Truth and receive it, but as Tiffany shared, those “lizard lies” keep cropping up and creeping in, trying to shake us. I wanted to tell the girls it gets easier. I wanted to be able to show them how to avoid the mistakes I made. I so wanted to save them from the hurt, despair and emptiness.
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But I can’t – those things will come from living – simply living in this sinful world will bring pain.
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But God says . . .
There is hope and grace.
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And I can encourage these young, fresh hearts/eyes/ears/minds to receive that and use God’s Word the way He intended

• as a shield to keep attacks from hitting too hard
• as a comforter to wrap up in when life is too much
• as a magnet to pull in goodness, mercy, light and love from the world around them
• as a stepping stone to stand on and see the world through God’s eyes
• as a megaphone to drown out the lizard lies they will be told

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The girls were so open and honest. They shared some of the hurt places in their hearts and the lies they often believe.
What struck me was their confidence in who they are – they walked and talked with such self-awareness – something I didn’t at their age. That, in itself, is a gift and one that will serve them well.
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I pray for them to discover & share their gifts – not big, money-making traits – but the God qualities they each possess – as Tiffany said, “the invisible stuff no one can see are the ways in which we are most like God” – characteristics like compassion, kindness, love, forgiveness and mercy.
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I want them to learn to recognize each others’ strengths and to point them out – together they make up an awesome team of Godly girls.
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What I hope they took away, is that through Christ’s great sacrifice, they have complete freedom from the lies that we are defined by society and unworthy of love. They have freedom to be who God created them to be – zits, curves, braces, brokenness, scars and all.
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Galatians 5: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

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From Pg. 64: His Presence – Remember that I am both your Rock and your Redeemer . . . the more you take refuge in Me, the more aware you become of My overflowing Love. In Me you are utterly safe, for I am your rock of everlasting Love!

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This is a beautiful, purse-sized book. Its detailing is definitely feminine and worthy of gift-giving to your favorite teen, Mom or women’s ministry leader. I have Young’s Dear Jesus- Seeking His Light in Your Life, which spoke me to – I loved the way she wrote it – with a prayer and then her delivery of what Jesus might say to you in response. Jesus Lives – Seeking His Love in Your Life is its companion book. This volume is focused entirely on Jesus speaking to you. It’s based squarely on scripture, with several passages on the opposite page to help you dig deeper into His Word. It’s an easily digestible format – either to use for personal devotion and prayer time, or seeking encouragement for a friend in need of a good Word.
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This small, yet delightfully rich book covers a hefty amount of issues- making this instantly helpful for those of us needing specific encouragement. Adversity, Assurance, Fear, Forgiveness, Peace, Protection, Trials, Trust, Weakness, Wisdom, Worry & Worship are just a few of the many themes tackled.
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Letting someone hear from Jesus and His Word about His great love – that’s a gift. I highly recommend Jesus Lives. I’ve reached for it many times for my own use and to share a comforting Biblical Word with a friend.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.