Well, we are finishing up this album, which is so exciting to me. I’ve been down in Nashville several times since my last post.

We had a string session which was just amazing – David Davidson and David Angell on violin, Monisa Angell on viola, and Anthony LaMarchina on cello, with Philip Keveren (who did the string arrangements) conducting and playing some piano tracks as well. Just incredible players, and I was really emotional the whole morning. It just kept making me think of how good God is to bring me here, and also kept me thinking about how proud my dad would be, which kept me on the verge of weepy all day. Note to self, weepy women make men nervous. 🙂 I’m so happy with how it went – it adds an incredible dimension to the songs.

Back down to Nashville for some vocal sessions and a final photo shoot for the cover and meetings with the graphic artist and publicist, and here we are. I’m going over final mixes, and we should be printing soon. How can I tell you how exited I am to share this? I feel like the Lord just gave me a gift, and it will be so good for the ministry! We just have great songs that really point to Him.

Can’t wait for you to hear it!

And, in other news, “Your Great Name” has been in the top ten on the radio worship chart for the past 6 weeks, and this week it climbed to #3. Go, little song, go!!!

I’m so excited to report that my single, “Your Great Name” debuted on Christian Music Weekly’s national Praise and Worship chart this week at #5! I’m so amazed at what God is doing with our ministry and with this song right now.

You can see the chart here: http://www.christianmusicweekly.com/charts/worship

Praise God!

Well, this week has been frustrating and fun at the same time. We’ve been doing vocals for the new tracks, and I spent 4 solid days singing and then drove home again. There’s a lot of down time, so it’s not like I sing for 12 hours at a time, but it’s a long time to concentrate. BUT!! I love how the songs are coming – I really cannot wait to share them. I know I’ve said that before, but I mean it! I love what God has given us to say on this album, and I can’t wait to get it out there!

I’ll be back down here in a couple of weeks to do the string session, and there’s still percussion and backing vocals and mixing and mastering, but it’s definitely taking shape, and I’m so excited to hear the final product!

Jennifer with Patrick Green

Jennifer with D.C. Cavendar

Today I visited a couple of radio station in northern MI – WLJN in Traverse City, and Northern Christian Radio in Gaylord. I met up with D.C. Cavendar in Traverse City, and we had a great time sharing our walks with the Lord – we have a lot in common! Then we recorded an interview and took some pictures and I headed up north. Had a little more trouble finding the station in Gaylord, but thanks to nice police people and tall radio towers, I tracked them down. Chatted with Patrick Green, and then the kind people there helped me fix my phone (oddly, when your phone freaks out, you can’t call your husband to ask how to fix it!!).

Headed out after that to drive to Louisville, KY. I need to be in Nashville tomorrow morning, and I couldn’t make it all the way there from MI, but this is a good start. 🙂

Many of you know that I’m the worship pastor at Faith Covenant in Columbus, OH, but this morning, I got to sing at Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, MI, just north of Detroit. How fun is that? Makes my calendar confusing, though…

I drove up yesterday, sang this morning. What a great church! I’ve been there before, and really, there are so many incredible people I’ve met there. Hey, Faith Covenant – you’re almost as cool as my fam at the other Faith Covenant. 🙂

It’s obviously deer season here, by the way. I had to drive up to Traverse City in north MI today since I have some radio visits tomorrow. Driving today, I saw 9 (count ’em, 9!!) deer, one of which was running right in front of me when I slammed on my brakes at 65 MPH. And yes, I missed him, but I think his bum was really about 2 feet from my bumper. I’m so thankful I missed him, and really, I’m guessing he feels the same way.

Me with Peder Eide

Blair Masters on piano (and keys and Hammond)

Pat McGrath on acoustic guitar

Scott Williamson on drums

In the main tracking room – Mike Payne on electric, Scott Williamson on drums, Mike Pearson on bass, and Pat McGrath in the acoustic booth

Me with my producer, Paul Marino

In the control room – David Hall was engineering

Matt Pearson on bass

I just wanted to put up some photos of the recording sessions we just did in Nashville. I’m headed back down there next week to do the vocals, but we did the band sessions on Monday and Tuesday, and I’m so happy with them! These guys were amazing, and added so much to the songs. I’m not sure when I’ve had more fun with music!

The only problem was when I realized I had lost a diamond out of my engagement ring – definitely was not something I was hoping to deal with. Fortunately not the center stone, just a small one from the side. After crawling all over my hotel room on Monday night, I went in on Tuesday and was looking in the studio, and the guys were so sweet, and all helped me look too, but we didn’t find it. I really have no idea when I lost it, so it’s not surprising.

Also, I got to meet Peder Eide, which was fun. He also works with Paul Marino who’s producing my album, and we ended up splitting the tracking session. As soon as they finished my tracks, they started on Peder’s new Christmas album. It was great to meet him – we work with several of the same people, and I’ve been hearing a lot about him.

I really can’t wait to let you all hear the new songs – I know God is going to use them, and I’m so happy with how they are coming out!

Mark Spencer, Eric Johnson, and Jennifer at CDR network

Jennifer with Bill Nance of WFCJ

This past week I got to visit two great stations here in my home state – The PATH, CDR network in Cedarville, OH, and WFCJ in Dayton, OH. CDR was especially fun since I used to teach at Cedarville University, and one of my fellow voice professors is the morning show host there, so I got to catch up with him too.

It was great to hear what they are both up to, especially since it’s kind of “local” for me. And, thanks to WFCJ, I learned there’s a chocolate festival in Dayton in the fall. I really can’t think of anything I’d rather have a festival for – who’s joining me there???

Headed out now to Nashville to start tracking the new album – I’ll post pictures of the sessions in the next day or so. I’m so excited to hear how the songs will take shape!

My mom’s book came out and I really hope you’ll go and check it out!

It’s the journal the my dad wrote while he was dying about what God was teaching him through it, and mom has been editing it into a book for the last year. It’s wonderful – funny and heartbreaking and inspiring and wise. I’m so proud of them both!!

You can check it out at www.bethchilcoat.com. I hope you love it!

Sorry I haven’t been writing much here, but it doesn’t mean I wasn’t writing!!

I’ve been down in Nashville quite a bit lately, and we finished writing all the new songs and will begin recording them at the beginning of August. I am so excited to see what the Lord will do with this album! I really can’t wait to share it with all of you.

Please pray for us as we go into a really busy couple of weeks. I’m recording and performing and doing several radio visits and interviews, and traveling between all of them. It’s going to be a very busy time, but I’m so excited to see the album taking shape. Pray that God will do exactly what He wants to do with it!!

“Thanksgiving in July” concert

Jennifer with Mary June Wilkinson

Vespers on the beach.

Part of the 115 year old sanctuary at Epworth

View at Epworth

View at Epworth

Well, we had a pretty amazing week. I confess, our heads are swimming a bit being back in the states still – we came home and jumped both feet first into VBS, finished the play and the week, and then set out almost immediately for Epworth Heights in Ludington, MI.

Epworth is a community that was founded in 1896 as a summer retreat on Lake Michigan. The beach houses have been handed down in the families for the last 100+ years. It’s just stunning, and feels like a step back in time.

Mary June Wilkinson lives here in the summers, and had seen me sing several times in Florida, her winter home. She invited me and my family up for the week, and we stayed busy! I sang in church on Sunday morning, and then again at the evening vespers on the beach. I also did our kid’s music with my children’s help at their VBS all week, and then gave a concert at their annual “Thanksgiving in July” event.

The rest of the time, we walked, played in the sand, raced turtles (a tradition going back to the thirties – we had the coolest turtle – go, Speedy!!!), toured the museum, played on the playground, got to know incredibly nice people, and had some wonderful together time. What fun! Hope we get to do that again. 🙂