With Harriett, Javura, and Millie from the Ugandan Children’s Choir

Rachel with a perfect 50.

The beautiful tea at Island Christian for Mother’s Day

Some of the worship dancers with me leading worship at Island Christian

What a very interesting and strange week I’ve been having. Never thought that would be the collection in a title!

A little over a week ago, our family went to a special welcoming party for a traveling choir of Ugandan orphans. We were housing some of them during their time in Columbus, and we got to meet and take home our three teen girls, Millie, Javura, and Harriett. We weren’t at all sure what to expect from the time, but it was such a blessing. There were definitely uncomfortable moments, like when all three of the girls at different times got lost in our house (they’d never been in a multi-story house and could not find the rec-room in the basement where they were sleeping), or when they didn’t know why anyone would keep a dog in the house on purpose and our schnauzers just kept barking at them, or when we had a hard time understanding them (even though their English was great), but we were shocked by how quickly they made their way into our hearts. They were with us about 5 days, and we had a good bit of family time together, visiting the zoo and eating dinner together, and going to several gatherings at different host homes between their concert events. Their concerts were amazing too!

Their last morning was absolutely wrenching. I had no idea I could fall in love so quickly. They all started crying at breakfast and had written us letters to thank us for our hospitality, and all expressed that they wished they could stay with our family forever. I wish they could too, and I’m not just saying that. Only about 2% of the world’s orphans are actually legally free for adoption – the system is so complicated. And none of these girls were. But I can say honestly, we would have welcomed any of them into our family. The have touched my heart, and I will be praying for them!

After they left for their next stop in Michigan, my daughter Rachel and I also left along with my mom and drove to Louisville, KY, about 4 hours from our home so Rachel could compete in the Nationals for archery. We sort of stumbled onto archery as a sport several years ago (it’s not common in our hometown!) and Rachel has a serious knack for it. She is not remotely phased by the huge crowds of watchers or archers. Last year she placed 8th in the country for her division! This year was not as good, she was in the 20s, but she still shot well, and her team did great, placing in the top 5. I watched her shoot and then I ran across the street to the airport and flew to NY and my mom drove her home.

The next morning I was at Island Christian Church for a Mother’s Day brunch and also stayed with them to do the worship services on Sunday morning. This is such a dear church! The first time I was with them was right after Hurricane Sandy and I went out to do a disabilities conference. They have a huge heart and I just love the lead pastor and his wife! There is a huge disabilities ministry there which says so much about the heart of their church, and we had a beautiful tea with several hundred women. The next day I sang at all of their services, and had the fun surprise that there was a team of teen girls who did worship dance during my worship leading as a special thing for Mother’s Day, so that was fun to coordinate with all of them! Wish I’d gotten to watch more – it was hard for me to see around the piano!

I also got to visit with some of my dear friends while I was there (we used to live in NY when Nathan and I were in graduate school and afterwards) and then I flew home that night. My in-laws had come to visit while I was gone and were staying a few more days, so we had a great visit too. And NOW, sigh, it’s all over and I can return to a little bit more of the normal. Whatever that is!

At Kent Christian Life Center speaking at their women’s brunch

Speaking at The Crossing Community Church

Just got back from another weekend of ministry, and fixed my first toilet for Jesus. 🙂 Seriously, funny story, I was actually staying at the pastor’s house and we had noticed overnight that the toilet was dripping on the floor a bit. The pastor left early because the men were serving the brunch, and I noticed that the leak had gotten a lot worse – something in the supply line let go or something and I thought they were going to flood their bathroom during the brunch so I turned off the line and drained the tank. When I told Cheryl, the women’s ministry director and pastor’s wife, she was so embarrassed that I would do that and then when she introduced me, she said, “Jennifer Shaw is FULL-SERVICE. She does worship, she speaks, she writes songs and books, and this morning she fixed my toilet.” Hilarious! I’m sure one day God will show me how to use that as a sermon illustration…

Anyway, it was a lovely brunch at Kent Christian Life Center and so good to meet everyone there. The pastor and his wife were wonderful, and we had a great time with them.

The next day I was back in my hometown of Columbus and did the entire morning service for The Crossing Community Church in Hilliard. I was there last year, and it was great to be back! They have a wonderful heart for missions and also for the special needs community, two things that are very near and dear to my heart. So overall, a great weekend with new friends and old.

Speaking to the women at the Ladies in Faith Together Conference in Michigan

Doing guest worship and special music at Grace Church in Ohio

A new article about my Scripture Memory Songs has come out in a number of places, talking about Biblical illiteracy, and our hope to plant the Word of God into kids’ hearts. You can see it here from the Christian Telegraph.

This past weekend, I had the wonderful privilege of being the speaker for an event up in Sterling Heights, Michigan which brings together women from over 50 churches. It was so fun to see the body of Christ come together in that way! I spoke on the life of Esther and also led the worship, and had an amazing day. It was especially lovely to get to know all the women on the team who planned and put together the event – they were wonderful and so dedicated. And to top it off, we got so many Compassion children sponsored, and that is one of my favorite things about what I do!

The next day I was down in Toledo at Grace Church to do special music and guest worship. What an interesting morning! There was a pastor there from Poland who was visiting and giving the message, and he was updating the church on all that the Lord had been doing with their ministry in Poland. He was an amazing man, literally building a church from the people he and his wife and team were rescuing from the streets. It was so encouraging and a great reminder of the power of the grace of our God!

More ministry coming up this next week, and it’s been a busy spring. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the people of God I get to meet – heaven is going to be an awesome place!

The cover for the new album!

I am so excited to announce that my new CD “Scripture Memory Songs For Kids and Families” is almost here!

We have just opened the pre-orders on my site. You can hear clips and see lyrics there as well. The official release for the project is May 19th, but we will be shipping all pre-orders as early as next week, more than a month before you will be able to get them anywhere else! Also, I will be signing any pre-orders from my site (unless you get a digital download – I’m not that good!!). Please note, I do have to unwrap and open the CDs to sign them, so if you don’t want that, just let us know when you order. 🙂

I’m so excited to see how God will use this new project. It’s very different from my mainstream albums, but I’ve just loved working on it, and it’s huge! It has 30 word-for-word Scripture memory songs from the NIV on it that even include the references; we sing them right in. It also has 9 other bonus Christian kid’s songs on it for 39 songs total. Even though it’s so many songs and twice the length of a regular album, we wanted to keep it affordable, so they are only $20 each.

These were designed for use with a VBS curriculum, but over the years, we’ve gotten emails from people who have used our Scripture songs in all kinds of ways – homeschooling, Sunday school, Christian school classes, and just popping it into the car stereo and learning Scripture together. I’ve even had adults tell me they use it all the time. It’s aimed at grade-school aged kids and has fun songs, and silly songs, and cool songs, and pretty songs. We really hope that it is a blessing to you and your family and the kids in your life!

Is the Bible valuable?

Most people would say, “Of course.” Even if they don’t believe it or agree with it, they might value it for historical purposes or it’s cultural weight. But is the Bible valuable to you? Christians are supposed to value the Bible as the Word of God Himself.

And yet, a study by LifeWay Research states that only 45 percent of those who regularly attend church read the Bible more than once a week. Over a third only read it once or twice a month. Eighteen percent of church attenders say they never read the Bible at all.

That makes me so sad. I wonder if they know what they are missing.

Have you ever thought about what an amazing thing it is that we have access to the very Word of God? That He has told us all about Himself and all about us and human nature? That He has given us instructions to have “life and life to the full” (John 10:10)? It’s sitting there waiting, but sometimes I think the very fact that it is so accessible makes us treat it very casually.

So, practically, how do we start reading and learning from the Bible if we haven’t been doing that before? I will tell you, I have struggled in this area for a long time. I am not a morning person, and I’m not super organized, so trying to follow the standard of getting up before dawn and spending hours in a quiet time before my family was awake was never going to work for me – in fact, thinking that people were doing that was discouraging to me. How could I measure up?

Eugene Peterson says that we need “a long obedience in the same direction.” My undergraduate degree is in piano performance. When my kids started piano lessons, their first teacher was excited that I would surely be super intense about it and told them they needed to practice for an hour a day. I told her I was going to require 15 minutes from them, and she was not very happy with me. But I required 15 focused minutes. No messing around, it had to be 15 concentrated minutes and it had to be every single day. After that they could play around, play whatever they wanted or not play at all. I didn’t care. You see, I’d already taught piano for years. Most kids their age couldn’t concentrate for much longer than that anyway, and they might play an hour, but they weren’t really working on anything. When it was that long, they were discouraged and got bored and it took the fun out of it. What we found was that my kids learned fast. And they played a lot more than that 15 minutes because they were getting it and playing for the enjoyment of it. It’s amazing what 15 focused minutes can do. (Disclaimer – my kids were little and their practice time increased as they got older. Please do not hit your piano teacher over the head with this article when he or she tells you your child needs to do more!)

This principle can be applied to so many things. Five minutes at something every day of your life can change your life. Small things add up. It’s so easy to say, “Well, what’s five minutes?” but five minutes times 365 days can turn into quite a skill or knowledge set.

So with the Bible, I tried to get my kids in a daily habit, and they tied it to something to help them remember. Rinnah reads right when she wakes up. Rachel reads while she’s doing her hair (she has a lot of hair, and has this magical ability to do it without looking while sitting cross-legged in the middle of her floor with a Bible in her lap). Toby reads his while eating his breakfast every day. You are going to wake up every day. You will eat food at some point in every day. If you have hair like Rachel’s you will need to spend time doing it every day. Pick something as your mnemonic, and use that. My kids probably read the Bible for 5-10 minutes every day. That’s it. We talk about what they are reading at dinner and it’s casual. They might ask me a question about it while we’re putting shoes on for school or when we’re in the car. But they have read a tremendous amount over time because they do it every day, and I hope they are setting habits that will last their entire lives.

It is still a struggle for me personally. I love the Bible, but I know my tendency to be lazy about it. So for me, I make sure I’m always in an organized Bible study. That way I have built in accountability – someone is going to know (other than me and God!) whether I did my study at the end of the week, and that really helps me be motivated. Some people do not need that outside help, but I know I do, so I sign up and I ask God to help me be faithful, and He does!

There’s an old hymn that has a line that reads, “There’s a famine for the Word.” It’s true. How are we to represent God in this world if we don’t know what He’s telling us to do or who He is? The more I read and study my Bible, the more excited I get, the more connections I make, the more the Holy Spirit reveals Himself through the pages. It’s changed my life and my entire world view. Just like my kids playing for fun after their practice time, that long obedience has gotten me excited to dig into the Bible at all times, not just when I “have to.”

Don’t miss that blessing! Don’t miss out on one of the greatest gifts God has ever given us; the ability to know Him through His Word!

One of the Scripture songs on the new album is a great ending and reminder:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteous so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim 3:16-17

Let’s dig in to the Word so we can give out to our world!

Setting up for one of the sessions on Evolution of a Song

This past weekend I got to go back to Capital University as part of their Music Tech Conference. I was teaching a session called “Evolution of a Song: From Writing, Through Recording, to Billboard.” The blurb was “Follow the life of a song from concept and writing through production to radio. We will look at aspects of songwriting, co-writing, radio writing, various methods of production used in Nashville, budgeting, radio promotion, marketing, and the charting process through real song examples from the presenter’s catalog.”

Again, I love teaching, and these students had the greatest questions! It was fun to be with them, and looking forward to being back again sometime.

At Science Hill Community Church

I just got back from a packed weekend in Northeast Ohio. I did a concert on Friday night, and women’s retreat on Saturday, and then worship service on Sunday for a church called Science Hill Community Church. I asked the pastor about the name because I’d heard the church was located “on Science Hill”, and I wondered if there used to be a lab or a university or something – I was curious about the name. Well, it turns out that when the Mennonites came a long time ago, they called it “Zion’s Hill” but their accent was so thick people thought they were calling it “Science Hill” and the name just stuck. Hilarious! Apparently there’s never been anything remotely science related there.

I had a great time with them. It was such a warm congregation, and I especially loved getting to know the pastor and his wife and our host, Marilyn. Just lovely people. The coordinator, Lori, worked so hard to make everything beautiful, and it was fun to see her plan come together.

Thanks for having me!

We are in Amish country here – the amazing view from the camp, even if it was raining

Teaching the retreat for Church of the Open Door

I just got back from such an amazing weekend. There are times that I’m with people, and I think “won’t it be fun when we have all the time there is in eternity to get to know all these wonderful people of God?” I was doing a women’s retreat in Carlisle, PA, for The Church of the Open Door in York, PA, and I knew it would be fun because they were so great on the phone while we were planning, but it was so good to get to know them in person. They are a special group! We talked about being transformed to be usable by God and how He wants to use us to change the world around us.

The other reason I know they are special is because of their amazing response to the Compassion kids we brought for sponsoring. They were not a large group – probably 90-100 women – but they sponsored 18 kids! That is pretty much unheard of, because sponsorship is a big deal. I was so touched by their hearts for the kids! It really is one of my favorite parts of what I do that I get to help kids around the world, and I think it says so much for their church that they stepped out like that.

Hoping to get to do something with their church again! They were precious, and it was a great weekend with them.

The kids singing backing vocals

The show choir kids after recording – we paid them in pizza!

The engineer, Keith, looking super intense after the 17 millionth kids vocal take. 🙂

It’s official – we’ve finished all the recording for the Scripture memory project. We are calling it, very originally, “Scripture Memory Songs: For Kids and Families.” I had so much fun putting this project together, especially on the day the kids came in to do all the backing vocals. Since Toby is the perfect age for this (in fourth grade you still sound like a kid, but you can sing on pitch most of the time) we brought in most of his bestest buds, and had them sing backup. I also put my daughters on it, but kept them back farther. They are older, so I didn’t want their voices too present, but their pitch is awesome, and they kept the younger kids on pitch (tricks of the trade, my friends!). My oldest, Rinnah, also enlisted a number of kids from her show choir to come in and do backing vocals on one of the songs that I needed to sound like a Broadway chorus, and they did such a good job. It took all day, and I bought the biggest pizzas you’ve ever seen, but we got it done.

And now, we’re onto all the other stuff! Edit, mix, master, photo shoot, packaging, and manufacturing, but I can see the end, and I’m so excited to share the new music with you all!

Setting up at Pillar Community Church before service

130 of Ralph and Nancy’s closest friends

I just got back from Florida in February, and that is always a good thing, but this trip, while great, was bittersweet for me. I wasn’t planning to go down there now, but we have family friends, Ralph and Nancy who have basically known me since I was born, they are family to me, who are also struggling with cancer now. Ralph’s cancer is incurable, and he is getting to the end of his life. My mom and I decided to fly down to see them, and while we were there to see other dear friends, the Kusmers and the DeMarcos, and also my grandma and my uncle.

When we were setting up the trip, the Kusmers’ church, Pillar Community in Vero Beach, asked me if I would be willing to do their church services since I was in town over a Sunday. I was more than happy to, especially since this was a church plant only a couple of years ago, and we’ve been praying for them ever since – it was so fun to see how God has blessed them! The people there were absolutely wonderful, and we had such a great morning. The Holy Spirit was in that place! I was also so touched that our friends, the DeMarcos, drove all the way up from Delray Beach to see us! We were able to stop and spend some time with them too on our way to see Ralph and Nancy.

Ralph and Nancy had asked me if I’d be willing to do a “house concert” for them while I was there. I did that once for them several years ago, so I said sure – I was picturing 15-20 people in their living room. Well, they rented a space and had about 130 of their closest friends there! They’ve always been such an encouragement to me and in my ministry, and they are so proud – I feel like one of their kids. It touched my heart to see how much Ralph was enjoying it, and we felt so blessed that he still felt relatively well that week. Even today, just a few days later, Nancy tells me it would be too much for him now, but God was sweet to us all that week. It was so hard to say goodbye to them. But we know we will see each other again – it’s never really goodbye when we love the Lord. But it hurts – I will miss him so much until then.

We went and had some sweet time with my 96 year old grandma (for those who have been to a show, yes, she still rides her bike to the grocery store) and my uncle. Then home to the snow. I’m so glad I went, but it was a hard trip. Would love you to keep Ralph and Nancy in your prayers!