5 Reasons I Want You To Have This Album
1. It’s packaged hope. This project was conceived out of hurt, nurtured through healing, and will be delivered as hope. Discovering hope for yourself after hurt takes time, but it can be transferred in a moment. Sometimes you need to borrow other people’s faith when your faith is faltering. I would listen to worship songs in my car after Amanda passed that would infuse hope into my soul. When you listen to these songs my prayer is the hope that has been stirred in us even in the greatest of hurts will also be transferred to you.
2. It can provide hope for not only you, but also for other people in your life. Everyone of us knows someone who is hurting and needs to hear truth in the midst of their trial. Don’t just buy a copy for yourself. Buy several for your friends and family. I’m praying this album and the message encased it’s lyrics and licks will be the catalyst that keeps someone from committing suicide, stops someone from hurting themselves or someone else, calls someone into ministry, that draws someone to relationship with Jesus for the first time. I’m praying this does more than just tickle their ears. I’m praying it pricks their heart.
3. It will equip you for the trial you’re not yet in. I’m not sure when trial and tragedy will strike your life, but I can be sure of one thing . . . it will. None of us are exempt. We each experience our own degrees of pain. We don’t get to choose the cross we’re going to carry, but we can be sure we’ll carry one. It’s imperative in the good times to, as my friend Pastor Levi Lusko (LeviLusko.com ) says, "train for the trial you're not yet in.” These songs will arm you with an anchor of truth to lower when storms buffet your life.
4. This is more than just an album, it's a weapon to take with you into a very real, albeit invisible, battleground. When we recorded this live album, our aim was to take back territory the enemy had stolen from us. God has designed us to be warriors and conquerors. He does not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power (2 Timothy 1:7). For that reason we decided to commemorate the year anniversary of Amanda’s death by recording a live album that documents the healing process and the redemptive work of our God. We held the event at First Baptist Church in Elkhart, IN - the church where Amanda grew up and where she and I got married. This was another way for us to run toward the roar (read about that here). Several hundred people showed up that night for the recording to remember Amanda and to honor Jesus. We went to war armed with our worship, and we came out victorious. It was a powerful night, and it healed our hearts. I want you to have glimpse into that. Some of you couldn’t be there because of distance, schedule issues, or other conflicts, and I want you to experience the power that was packaged in that night. Some of you were there and you’re providing background vocals for the album! How awesome is that?
5. This is huge part of Amanda’s legacy and continued ministry. Our goal is to reinvest the revenue produced out of this project to do more ministry - to help hurting people, to break generational sin cycles that plague our city, to broadcast the message of hope to the world. You can play a huge part in that by purchasing “Ever With Me” on our website or on iTunes.
May the listening of this album bring you as much healing as the birthing of it has for us. Enjoy!