“We have to rehearse God’s greatness.” Those are words of wisdom we all need to hear.
If this is a hard season or even just a hard day, I want you to know that we are talking about hope in this episode. And we all need hope, don’t we?
Today, I am truly honored for the conversation I’m sharing with you. Blind since age three, Ginny Owens became a household name when she won the Gospel Music Association New Artist of the Year award a little over 20 years ago. Her music has impacted both Christian and mainstream audiences from the Sundance Music Festival to the White House. She is also the author of a new book called Singing in the Dark: Finding Hope in the Songs of Scripture.
Ginny believes that we are all a little blind this side of Heaven, and as a result, our stories don’t always feel like they make sense. In this conversation, we talk about how to hold on to the truth of who God is when it feels like our world is falling apart, how parents are leaders, where to start in the Bible if you’re new to it, how to combat the negative voices with songs of truth, and more.
I’ve wanted to meet Ginny for quite some time and I had dreamed of getting her to do music for one of our conferences when I was leading Hearts at Home. So it was an honor to chat with her for this episode, and I hope it encourages your heart today!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Ginny Owens Website
- Listen to Ginny on Spotify
- Connect with Ginny on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
- Ginny’s YouTube Channel (and here’s a link to one of the “How I See It” videos!)
- [Book] Singing in the Dark: Finding Hope in the Songs of Scripture
- Gotquestions.org
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks!
My Key Takeaways:
1) Following Jesus doesn’t mean we will never encounter hardships. God has not promised a life free of difficulty. We still experience darkness and seasons of despair. If you are in a season like that, know that you still have hope and help in tough times! Our God is right there with you. If you aren’t in a season of darkness right now, how are you connecting with God and reflecting on His truth to hold tightly to when the hard seasons do come?
2) During times of darkness, we need to have a song to drown out the voices that discourage us. You likely know how hard it can be to counter the thoughts in your head. At times they may reflect something that was actually said to us or it may be a manifestation of how we view ourselves. When those thoughts are the loudest, we need to practice speaking truth to ourselves. Sometimes that comes in the form of memorizing scripture, participating in a deeper study of who God is, or literally playing a song in repeat out loud or in our mind.
3) Praise is the key to perspective. When we are overwhelmed by our circumstances, praise reminds us of how powerful our God is. Take a moment to remember all that God has done – in the Bible and in your own life. Is He overwhelmed by the state of your life right now? Is He concerned about how the future will turn out? The answer is no. Our God is powerful and all-knowing. When we look at our circumstances through the knowledge of our Lord, we can rest secure because He is worthy of praise and He has all things under control.
About Ginny:
Ginny Owens became a household name as the Gospel Music Association’s 2000 New Artist of the Year. Growing in notoriety as both a singer and a songwriter, winning 3 Dove awards and multiple ASCAP Awards along the way, Owens has sold over a million records over the course of her career. A top performer on the Christian radio charts with hits like “If You Want Me To,” “Free,” and “I Wanna Be Moved” among others.
Blind since age three, Ginny has learned how to “see” the world differently than most. And believes that we are all a little blind this side of Heaven (1 Cor. 13), and as a result, our stories don’t always make sense. In her latest book, Singing in the Dark, Ginny introduces us to powerful ways of drawing closer to God and how the elements of music, prayer, and lament offer rich, vibrant, and joyful communion with Him, especially on the darkest days.
