REST

Rest.  What a seemingly simple word.  It is only four letters.  But, oh, the implications it can have on a life that actually does it!
My husband, Russell, will often say to me, “Sit down…rest.”  There’s that word again.  It’s sometimes, (I’m being a little too easy on myself), it’s often difficult for me to sit down and rest.  We homeschool our children, Will and Sidney, and this year is the first of many years to come of a lot more to do.  Me and our 2 amazing kidsWill is in eighth grade and Sidney is in third grade.  Their workloads are only increasing from here.  So, as I write this, I am looking back on yesterday – a Saturday that we were actually home and not out on the road doing ministry.  I had a terrible day because I couldn’t seem to rest. There’s that word again!
Saturdays, in my mind, were meant for catching up on the things you couldn’t get done during the week.  Well, because I homeschool, I had laundry, tons of emails to go through and send, and just the normal cleaning.  What I needed more than anything, though, was to rest.  There’s that…you get the picture.
Jesus had a few things to say about resting.  He tells us to come to Him, all who are weary and burdened and He will give us rest.  He says our souls will find rest.  He told His apostles to come away to a quiet and desolate place and rest a while because there were so many people needing them that they hadn’t even had a chance to eat!  We are to “be still and know that He is God.”  We are to rest.
I have to realize…it’s okay to rest.  Our bodies are designed to rest.  We can’t function properly without it.  Sometimes we just need a day, or even a few hours, doing things that instill joy into our lives:  playing games with our kids, watching a movie, or just napping or taking a long bath.  Maybe you haven’t just sat quietly and waited for the Lord to speak.  Tell yourself, “It’s okay to rest!”  Say it with me, “It’s okay to rest!”  One more time, “It’s okay to rest!”
Now, I wonder if your family will notice?  I think they will.  I think mine will.  When we’re rested, we can hear The Holy Spirit’s voice louder, easier. We can feel the joy that He intended for us.  I think our Heavenly Father will smile as we take time rest.
Now, can you count how many times I used the word REST?  Oh stop it…go rest!!
Kristi 🙂 

I recently received an email that took me by surprise in a very good way…IMG_0058

“Greetings from Canada. Last spring, my wife and kids were vacationing in Myrtle Beach and arrived very late, and somewhat dejected, one Sunday morning just in time to hear the sermon and your singing of “Hope Now” at Beach Church.

We had just left another church across town where we were turned away at the door because our kids did not want to go to the kids’ ministry. Weird experience. In any case, your singing that day was a welcome healing balm for my family. And I just soaked in the presence of our God as you sang. Thank-you for being His instrument.

I’ve had other such spiritual experiences at churches far away, often without giving thanks to the people involved. I want to change that. To our God all our praise is due, but his hands and feet need a pat on the back every now and then too, for being open to his moving.

So thank-you, and God Bless. We serve such a great God.

Barry – from Canada”

You never know what people are going through. So whatever you do, however you serve, remember that God can use you as a tool in His hands – to breathe hope, peace, love, and healing into someone’s life. People everywhere need to know the Hope that is Christ. Today, let Him use you in His most capable hands to do what only He can do in the lives of others. Who knows, someone from another country, or from the next cubicle, just might need His touch through you.

Russell and Kristi unleash their sixth studio album, No Other Name, today – April 30th 2013!thumb

For their sixth studio album, Russell and Kristi have invested more of themselves into this project than any one preceding – and it shows. Described as “the best album yet,” No Other Name has a feel of definite worship and awe of our Creator.  Each song in the collection was carefully crafted or selected around the central theme of worship for the creator God of the universe. From beginning to end, the album examines our purpose for living – to worship God – and the many facets of God and his unending love.

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This highly anticipated album was sparked by the popularity of the previously recorded song ‘No Other Name’. A last minute addition to the 2009 release, ‘Heart Revolution’, ‘No Other Name’ quickly became a favorite at every event where Russell and Kristi led worship.

IMG_0709The entire project was recorded in the couple’s home studio, warmly nicknamed “The Swamp,” and was produced and engineered by Russell.The duo enlisted the support of their band – Mark Stanley (guitars), Doug Sturgill (bass) and James Poindexter (drums).

Russell and Kristi continue to travel sharing their music and the Hope of Christ as they lead people in worship. Their goal is to encourage the Church (God’s vehicle for redemption through Jesus Christ) and to make Him known. They have shared the stage with dozens of today’s top Christian artists and they share the conviction that God has put them together to share Christ with others through music. Russell and Kristi have also recently founded Adore Marriage, a non-profit organization to strengthen and encourage marriages and families. Get to know them for yourself and you will see that they are a match made in heaven, through their music, their marriage and their ministry.

You can find R&K’s new CD at any of the following:
www.russellandkristi.com
iTunes
GooglePlay
Amazon
CdBaby

 

I was just watching a video from Paul Baloche.  He recently released a new CD and the title song is awesome!  In the video, he is in a urban area, singing, oddly enough, into a red SOLO cup.  The cup is attached to a string and he goes across the city, in various areas, placing other SOLO cups, also attached to strings, where people will walk by.

I watched as numerous people, each wearing headphones, walked by these cups, not noticing the ‘sound’ coming from them that the singer was singing.  Immediately I thought, “They are so plugged in they can’t hear.”  I thought about our fairly recent visit to South Korea and how plugged in they were – a culture that barely talked on the subway, where everyone, and I mean everyone, had an iPhone or some other smart device.  I thought, then, that they were a plugged-in society, not noticing much of anything or anyone around them.  Then it dawned on me…Are they plugged in or are they tuned out?  Are they missing out on things?  Are we missing out on some things…maybe something God is trying to say?

Maybe we, also, are tuned out.  Maybe we need to tune in and plug in to our real Source…of strength, of hope, of grace.

I want people to look at my life and say…

She sure is tuned in!

How about you?

A couple of Easters ago, our church was in a series called ARISE.  During this series, the idea for the song ‘Arise’ developed as I reflected on what Jesus has done for us.  So today, as we  celebrate Jesus Christ’s victory over sin and death, remember this…  Isn’t it amazing that the same power that raised Christ from the dead can live in us!

Here’s a look at ‘Arise’…

Happy Easter!
Russell and Kristi

‘Arise’ from the album Heart Revolution, is available on iTunes.

 

About three years ago, we began meeting with some other couples about a potential marriage event in Myrtle Beach.  At the time, there were no other marriage enrichment events in the Myrtle Beach area, but we felt that God was leading us to begin this ministry.  We have been extremely blessed to be a part of so many great marriage events over our years of ministry, like Lifeway’s Marriage Impact, where we will be again this summer, and God has continually presented us with opportunities and intersections for encouraging marriages. Out of the initial meetings, the Adore Marriage weekend was born.

Earlier this month, we held our second year of Adore Marriage at the Embassy Suites at Kingston Plantation.  I can truly say that God is good and has blessed this ministry immensely.  When the conference team had done all that was humanly possible, we know that God took the next five steps that only He could.  To Him be the glory for all that happened during and around Adore Marriage.  God presented us with a new ministry team partner, Theresa, whose contacts and skills propelled the conference forward by miles.  And in addition to that, we ended up with about 30 couples from 6 different states who attended the conference.

Most exciting for us is the prospect of adding a second Adore Marriage event each year.  With the Myrtle Beach weekend, we sought to keep costs as low as possible and make sure that the most value was given to couples for the costs they paid.  We have tried to keep the costs as all-inclusive as possible, as well, so that when a couple commits to attend, there are no hidden costs.

In the weeks leading up to our Myrtle Beach weekend, we were presented with an opportunity to take Adore Marriage out to sea on Royal Caribbean later this Fall.  While we weren’t actively looking, the opportunity came up and fell into place through God’s divine plan.  So, at our conference earlier this month, we announced an Adore Marriage Cruise setting sail October 19-22, 2012.  We are very excited to see what God has planned for the future of this ministry.

We have a busy summer of marriage events with our ministry partners Lifeway and the North Carolina Baptist Convention.  We will be leading worship for two Lifeway Marriage Impact events later this summer and those events are always fun.  Hosted at Lifeway’s Ridgecrest Conference Center, the weekends offer a great marriage getaway to the North Carolina mountains, along with all sorts of activities in the area.  We will also be traveling to Ft. Caswell to lead worship for a Pastor and Wives event sponsored by the NC Baptist Convention.

For all of our upcoming events, please visit our Concert & Events page.