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Thursday, September 19, 2019

It Is Well With My Soul

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the
mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar
and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."
(Psalm 46:1-3)


"I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end He will stand on the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see Him with my own eyes- I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
(Job 19:25-27)

At the very start of praying and planning for the Hallelujah: A Collection of Hymns album, I knew I needed to find out which hymns meant the most to my friends, family, and fans. There were hymns I definitely wanted to include on the CD because they had been such a part of my own personal journey, but I also wanted this album to feel personal to all of you...so I did a survey and asked everyone to share what hymns were their top favorites and why. Many of you responded, and my list of hymns became quite long- there was no way I could ever possibly include all the songs on one album! It did give me a better idea of which ones are the most treasured and I just loved hearing everyone's stories of why the particular hymns meant so much to them. It was wonderful when people would share with me a not-so-common hymn, too. It broadened my brainstorming and got the creative juices flowing as I played around with several hymns on the piano, prayed a lot, and pondered. I wasn't too surprised when the overwhelming response for top favorite hymn was "It Is Well With My Soul." Countless people requested that this song be on the album, and it's pretty easy to understand why. This song resonates with the deepest part of our humanity- that even through trial and change and storms and unknown, we can still praise God and cling to His abiding peace and constant presence.

Many of the hymns on the album I rearranged with new refrains and bridges, a couple of them I even wrote new tunes, while still trying to keep the album as true to the historic hymns as possible. For this  particular song, I knew it needed to be simple. I wanted to keep this hymn in its classic, pure form which resonates with so many who treasure it. Over the past few years there have been a number of beautiful new renditions of "It Is Well With My Soul" by contemporary worship songwriters. I just wanted to go back to the original version and hopefully somehow do it justice. However, in its simplicity I wrestled with how to make it special, to stand out for all of those who had requested this song.

Jamie and I were talking about it in our kitchen one day (which is also my in-home music studio and practice room, not to mention Joey's basketball court and hockey rink as well as our office...pretty much our "everything room!") I can't remember who had the idea first, but we agreed instantly that I needed to do a duet with someone, and that someone needed to be Krista Dengler, my close friend who is also one of the worship leaders at our church. Krista released her debut album, Still I Will Sing in 2017 (and just as a side note, our little Joey has come to LOVE her album, requesting it every time we are in the car these days. It's one of my favorite CDs too!) So I shot Krista a text and asked if she would be on board to sing with me on this song...I was overjoyed when she replied "yes!"

Image result for still i will sing krista dengler

On April 7th last year, Krista and I went to the studio together to record the vocals and harmonies...what a beautiful day it was, being able to sing together and hear Krista's rich voice through the microphone. My producer loved her voice as well. I believe his exact word to describe it was "smoky." I think you'll know what he meant when you hear the recording. She has a rare vocal quality when she sings, but more beautiful than that, Krista truly has a genuine, humble heart to worship, so it was such a joy getting to collaborate with her on this song and praise the Lord together. Plus, spending the weekend with a dear friend traveling to and from the studio made for lots of chatter, laughs, and memories!


Many of you may know bits and pieces of the story behind Horatio Gates Spafford who wrote the words to "It Is Well With My Soul" in 1873...for it is a story that isn't easily forgotten in the pages of history. I'd like to share some of that story here with you...

Image result for horatio spafford

In 1871 the great Chicago fire swept through the Windy City. Spafford was an attorney there with hefty investments in real estate, and like countless others, he lost almost everything. Not only that, but his only son tragically passed away from scarlet fever at the young age of 4 years around the same time. Spafford was overwhelmed with loss and mourning, yet he was passionate about helping in the efforts to rebuild Chicago. He also was very involved in aiding the over 100,000 displaced and homeless after the fire.

Great Chicago Fire of October 1871 destroyed nearly every real estate investment Horatio owned and this ruined him financially.

After all they had been through, Spafford decided to take his family on a trip to Europe in November of 1873, where they would meet up with his close friend and evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, and Ira Sankey, as they had gospel crusades in Great Brittain at that time. The Spaffords planned to join the evangelistic meetings and then enjoy a family vacation. Unfortunately, last minute business detained Horatio in New York, but he sent his wife, Anna, and their four daughters, Annie (age 9), Maggie (age 7), Bessie (age 3), and Tanetta (just 4 months old), onto Paris. As Anna and the girls boarded the French steamer, the SS Ville du Havre, Horatio felt a little uneasy, so he moved them to a room closer to the bow of the ship.

With Anna on her trip were 11-year-old, Tanetta; 9-year-old, Elizabeth; 5-year-old, Margaret Lee; and 2-year-old, Annie.

Four days into their trip, on November 22, the passengers felt a sudden jolt in the middle of the night that woke everyone up and led most of them running to the deck...there was confusion and fear that grew into sudden chaos, screams and terror...The Ville du Havre had crashed into the Scottish three-masted iron sailing vessel, the Loch Earn. Anna Spafford knelt on the deck with her four young daughters and prayed that God would spare them, if it be His will, or make them willing to endure whatever awaited them. In just 12 minutes, the ship sank below the waves. Out of the 313 on board, only 61 passengers and 26 crew members survived the wreck, leaving 226 to sink to the Atlantic. Anna held tight to her infant, Tanetta, but she was tragically swept out of her arms by debris. Anna was barely conscious when she was rescued from a piece of the wreckage and brought onto the Loch Earn. An American cargo ship, the Tremountain, soon rescued everyone from the Loch Earn, which was left to sink as well, soon after...

Image result for horatio spafford


Anna made it to Cardiff, Wales, but her four precious daughters had drowned. She sent a cable to Horatio, "Saved alone. What shall I do?..." A ship survivor, Pastor Weiss, recalled Anna expressing both her raw grief and steadfast faith, "God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why." Horatio rushed to England as soon as he could board a ship. As they crossed the Atlantic on a cold December night, the captain called him to the mast and told him he believed they were passing the place where the Ville du Havre had sunk. Horatio went to his cabin and began writing the hymn we now know and love, "It Is Well With My Soul." Peace had swept into the midst of his pain and God gave him such personal and profound faith in that moment. The next week he wrote to one of his relatives, "On Thursday last we passed over the spot where she went down, in mid-ocean, the waters three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe, folded, the dear lambs."

Handwritten manuscript copy of verses of "It is Well With My Soul," written in ink on Brevoort House, Madison Street between Clark and La Salle Streets, Chicago, hotel letterhead. Pencil notes on verso.

The Spaffords were later blessed with more children, two daughters, Bertha and Grace, and a son named Horatio. However, horrific tragedy struck again when Horatio died from scarlet fever at only three years old. They had to cling to their Savior once again in hope and faith...In the midst of so much suffering, they began to believe fervently that the End Days were near and decided to move to the Holy Land. Horatio wrote to a friend, "Jerusalem is where my Lord lived, suffered and conquered, and I, too, wish to learn how to live, suffer and, especially, to conquer." They arrived in 1881 with a small group of 16 other friends and settled in a home they called the "American Colony." They were not missionaries, but this group who called themselves "The Overcomers" were very generous and hospitable to all- Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. A Group of over 100 Swedish Christians joined them and they moved to a larger home. During WWI the community ran a soup kitchen for the needy and a hospital for those wounded from both armies. The "American Colony" was somewhat of a utopian society and lasted until the 1950s, when the group disbanded. However, the American Colony Hotel was the location where the Palestinian and Israeli peace talks took place leading up to the 1983 Oslo Peace Accords.

Following what can only have been an emotional reunion, Horatio and Anna returned to Chicago.  In 1876, they were blessed with a son, Horatio Jr, in 1878 a daughter Bertha was born and in 1880, their last child, Grace was born.

The Spafford's daughter, Bertha, carried on her parent's legacy there... In 1925, on Christmas Eve, a Bedouin and his sick wife and newborn baby rode by Bertha on a donkey as she was rushing to Bethlehem to sing carols and meet up with her husband and children. She took the woman to a hospital, but sadly it was too late and she passed away. The father begged Bertha to take the baby. She agreed and named him Noel. Soon two more orphans were brought to Bertha and she founded the Spafford Baby Home, which later turned into a children's hospital. The Spafford Children's Center remains today and serves people of all faiths and cultural backgrounds to help children with medical and other needs.

Image result for the american colony

When one digs a little deeper into the Spafford's story and reads of some of the theology and practices of their "American Colony" in Jerusalem, it is easy to unearth some strange, even heretical teaching and what would be considered "cult-like" and unbiblical practices...It seems that they denied the existence of hell, preached Universalism, falsely prophesied and demanded their followers to work hard while confiscating all the resources and controlling who could buy what. Because they believed the return of Christ to be imminent, Anna Spafford even forbade any new marriages at one point. At first this was quite troubling for me to learn and caused my heart to grieve, because this song is so well-loved by Christians around the globe, and the story behind it so very profound. But then I am reminded...we cannot put our hope into pastors or preachers or prophets or songwriters or church leaders or historical figures, but rather in Jesus Christ alone. Many may flounder in their faith and fail us, but our Lord Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever- constant and ever true. The "heroes" of the Bible themselves let us down time and again, only to remind us that we have one, and only one Savior. The Apostle Paul wrote, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice." (Philippians 1:18) So take heart- even if the Spaffords themselves had questionable faith practices at the end of the day, we can still sing confidently, "It is Well With My Soul," because God has used the message of this song to point to the saving power of the cross and the hope of our resurrection and life and peace in Christ.

Image result for philip p bliss

The tune to "It is Well With My Soul," VILLE DU HAVRE, is named after the steamer which tragically sunk in the Atlantic and caused Spafford's dear daughters to drown. However, the tune was written by a man name Philip Paul Bliss. Bliss was on staff at a church in Chicago as music director and superintendent of the Sunday school, but after the continual urging of his friend D. L. Moody for Bliss to devote his life to evangelistic singing, he took a job in 1874 as song leader and children's ministry director for the Major Daniel W. Whittle evangelistic campaign. It was during this time that he wrote the tune to "It Is Well With My Soul."

Bliss received a telegram over the Christmas holiday in 1876 when he was visiting family in Pennsylvania. He was requested to return home early to sing at Moody's Tabernacle back in Chicago. He and his wife, Lucy, took the Pacific Express train and left their children in Pennsylvania with Philip's mother. The train was running late as they passed through Ohio in a thick snowstorm and suddenly a trestle bridge under it collapsed. All eleven of the train cars fell into a deep ravine, with only the engine making it safely to the other side. Philip amazingly survived, but as a fire began spreading, he crawled back inside a window to rescue his beloved wife. They both died that day. 92 of the 160 passengers lost their lives. Almost everything was ravaged in the fire, but Bliss's trunk arrived in Chicago. The words to the now famous hymn, "I Will Sing of My Redeemer" were discovered inside with his belongings among other poems and hymns he had recently written but not yet published. On January 5th, a memorial song service for Bliss was held with an astounding 8,000 in attendance and an additional 4,000 who stood outside in the cold Chicago winter air. It was only one month prior to his death in the horrific train accident that "It is Well With My Soul" was sung publicly for the first time at a ministers' meeting in Chicago.

Image result for train wreck philip p bliss

A song like "It Is Well With My Soul" reminds us that it is the God of the past, the present, and the future whom we worship. No matter what has happened or what may come our way, our God is Sovereign and Good and True. He is with us and will never leave us nor forsake us. Our souls truly can find no other peace or confidence but in the blood of Jesus Christ and the redemption and glory and grace He gives. Tragic stories like Spafford's and Bliss's are hard to understand. Even now as I write, I struggle trying to swallow the reality of suffering in this life and the great unknown of what may come tomorrow. Yet, we must cling to Jesus. We must praise Him in the midst of the storm. We must hold onto faith even when fear or doubts try to steal our peace. Because when we praise, we overcome. We go from being victims of pain and loss and tragedy to victors of hope eternal- hope which will not disappoint.

"I have told you these things,
so that in Me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world."
(John 16:33)

"The LORD gives strength to His people;
the LORD blesses His people with peace."
(Psalm 29:11)



Sources:


Peterson, Randy. Be Still My Soul:The Inspiring Stories Behind 175 of the Most-Loved Hymns. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014.

Morgan, Robert J. Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World's Greatest Hymn Stories. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2003.

Cheaney, Fanie B. It is Well...A Great Hymn Came from the pen of a troubled-and troublesome-man. https://world.wng.org/2019/04/it_is_well
Hawn, C. Michael. "History of Hymns: "It Is Well With My Soul." https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-it-is-well-with-my-soul

Reese, Ed. "The Life and Ministry of Philip Bliss." https://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biobliss.html

Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, American Colony in Jerusalem Collection. American Colony, and Horatio Gates Stafford. Draft manuscript copy of hymn "It is Well With My Soul" by Horatio Gates Spafford. to 1878, 1873. Manuscript/Mixed Material. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mamcol.016



D, Ph. "Story Behind the Song: It Is Well With My Soul." https://www.staugustine.com/article/20141016/LIFESTYLE/310169936

http://www.spaffordcenter.org/history

https://www.americancolony.com/history

Stewart, Rev. Angus. "Horatio Stafford: Not Well With His Soul." https://www.cprf.co.uk/articles/spafford.html#.XYOxXC3My8U

Miano, Tony. Cross Encounters: It Is Well With My Soul: An Exposition of My Favorite Hymn (Part 1). http://www.crossencounters.us/2013/10/it-is-well-with-my-soul-exposition-of.html

Trantham, Cara Cobble. Hymns: A Study on Classic Hymns, Volume I. The Daily Grace Co. 

Sunday, February 17, 2019

For the Beauty of the Earth / Amazing Grace

In picking hymns for the Hallelujah album, I had a dilemma before me. While I know that "Amazing Grace" may very well be the most well-known and best-loved hymn of all-time, I also know that sometimes when songs are overdone, we seem to lose sight of the profound meaning and message behind them. So I was torn- I didn't want to just be trite in throwing this hymn on the album because it would be expected. I, too, treasure this song, though, and the story behind it, so I knew that if I didn't include it, something would be amiss. I still had no inspiration on how to arrange it or make it special, because a song like "Amazing Grace" deserves something special indeed. So I waited on it, and just wasn't sure how to go about including it.

One day when I was singing "For the Beauty of the Earth" at the piano, suddenly I found my fingers playing the tune to "Amazing Grace" as an interlude between verses. It felt so right! So fitting! I played it for Jamie (I always test my songwriting and arrangements with him) and he approved, so that was it! I was excited about this subtle, different way to include such an exceptional hymn.


While the hymn, "Amazing Grace," is treasured by folks around the world, the story behind this hymn, I daresay, is just as noteworthy...British sailors in the 1700s were a rough lot, but John Newton was even shocking to some of his comrades at sea in his vulgar language, debauchery, and heathen living. Not only did he have such a reprehensible lifestyle, but he was also a slave trader at that, responsible for the chains (as well as the death) of countless human beings.

In his early years, he grew up in a home where Christ was Lord, and his mother was a praying woman (I love seeing that theme throughout the stories of hymn-writers...I think of Robert Robinson who wrote "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and how his mother had bold prayers and dreams for his life...As a mother myself, I am well aware of the importance of praying over my children's lives, that they will follow Christ one day and live wholeheartedly for His glory). Newton's mother died when he was only seven years old, but in those short years, she taught him the Scriptures as well as Isaac Watts' hymns in Divine Songs for Children. (Watts was another prolific hymn-writer. One of my only regrets with this album is that I didn't have room to include one of Watts' hymns!) After she died, young John went to boarding school, and then to sea, and back and forth...He joined the navy under pressure, then deserted. After he was captured, he was flogged terribly. He was a depressed young man with no direction, having ideations of suicide and murder. He found himself then on a slave ship, and at one point was even captain of a ship, as well as managing a slave warehouse.

In the middle of a raging storm at sea on March 10th, 1748, when Newton and the crew for sure thought they would soon drown, he began to cry out to God. The Scriptures and songs of worship that his mother taught him as a boy came immediately to the rough sailor's mind. His ship, the Greyhound, was being tossed and thrown by the crashing waves and fierce winds. He suddenly thought of Proverbs 1:24-31. He shortly thereafter found a New Testament as well as a copy of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis. He read both, and focused in on Luke 11:13, as he began to fear God for the first time in his life. Later, he recalled, "That tenth of March is a day much remembered by me; and I have never suffered it to pass unnoticed since the year 1748- the Lord came from on high and delivered me out of deep waters."

It was most definitely the grace of Jesus Christ that saved John Newton from his life of sin and from his peril at sea. He continued sailing and in the slave trade, but not for too long, as his life was being changed inside out, slowly but surely. He began rigorously studying the Bible and praying at sea. Eventually he left the slave-trade and became a tide surveyor in Liverpool. That didn't last long, as his mother's prayers were being answered! At 39 years of age, in the year 1764, he became an ordained minister in the Church of England and entered into the ministry as a preacher in the small town of Olney. His great passion was to share the gospel, and thus he did for the next 43 years of his life. For Sunday evening services, Newton had a habit of composing hymns to go along with his Scripture lesson. He gave a message on New Year's Day in 1773 on David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 17:16-17, which inspired a hymn entitled "Faith's Review and Expectation." In 1779, the hymn "Faith's Review and Expectation," along with 279 other hymns by Newton and many hymns by William Cowper (Newton's parishioner and good friend who wrote "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood" among other famous hymns) were published in the Olney Hymns. Today, we know "Faith's Review and Expectation" as simply "Amazing Grace."


The same year that his hymns were published, Newton left Olney and moved to London where he became rector at St. Mary Woolnoth. His ministry was broad, spanning the classes of extreme poor in the city, the merchant class, and the wealthy. He formed a friendship with a young man named William Wilberforce. Wilberforce was a member of Parliament and doing much behind the scenes (as well as out in the open) to work toward the abolition of slavery. Wilberforce looked up to Newton in his teaching of Scripture and dedication to ministry. Newton had a wealth of knowledge about the slave trade from his experience and this was vital in helping Wilberforce's mission, eventually leading to the end of the slave trade in Great Brittain.

John Newton had a beautiful relationship with his wife, Mary, filled with love and romance and most of all, deep commitment. He lived until he was 82 and preached until he no longer could due to failing eye sight and poor health (it is amazing how many of our favorite hymn writers were blind or close to it...I am deeply encouraged by their faith even when their eyes could not see!) Newton is remembered for saying, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior!"


Amazing Grace began sweeping across America during the Second Great Awakening in the early 1800s. Christians used this hymn in outdoor revival meetings, probably set to a variety of different tunes. What is so interesting, and by no coincidence, but surely providence, is that this song was sung by many slaves, with such a powerful message of freedom. And it also made its way into the Civil Rights movement. A former slave trader, converted to Christ, who himself found such amazing grace in his own life, wrote a song that slaves later could hold onto with hope for eternity to come, for seeing Jesus, for freedom, for life...Even Harriet Beecher Stowe, American abolitionist and author, and daughter of a revival preacher, included the hymn in Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852

1835 was the year the words to Amazing Grace were first put to the tune NEW BRITAIN that we now all know. It was also the year that Folliott Sandford Pierpoint was born. His birthday was October 7th to be exact, and he was born in Bath, England. Quite a scholar, he graduated from Cambridge and then taught the classics at Somersetshire College in Bath. At the age of only 29, he was walking through the countryside on a gorgeous spring day. He was so in awe of the creation around him, he couldn't help but write a poem. (As a songwriter, I identify so well with that feeling. Certain scenes of beautiful creation just seem to overwhelm my being to the point that I cannot help but put down in words all that I feel, all that inspires me! At least for me, the most meaningful songs seem to be written when the Holy Spirit sparks creative passion through sudden inspiration rather than laboring for hours over ideas, words, and tunes.)

(photo credit: Christy Hassell)

Bath is an area with incredible natural beauty with it's rolling hills, green landscape everywhere, hot springs, the Avon River, and spas which the Romans built throughout the countryside. Pierpoint was overcome with a sense of awe and worship as he looked upon the glorious scene there before him that day. The hymn he wrote is what we now know as "For the Beauty of the Earth," and it paints a picture of not only creation's splendor, but also the incredible gifts of family, friends, the Church (the body of Christ), and Jesus our One and only Savior Divine. It was intended as a Communion hymn in the Anglican Church, pointing to the theology of the Lord's Supper as we share in Christ's sacrifice.


Most know the refrain today as: "Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise." However, the original refrain written by Pierpoint in 1835 was actually, "Christ our God to Thee we raise, this our sacrifice of praise." I love the original lyrics, and believe Pierpoint was very specific in shining light on the glorious reality of the divinity of Jesus Christ. So often in our world today, religion gets so generic and beliefs are muddled together without a firm foundation on Biblical truth. We can treasure the great hymns of the faith because they have passed down to us so many reminders of absolute, unchanging truth. The cornerstone of that truth is Jesus Christ, both God and man, who was the perfect sacrifice on the cross for our wretched sins, who gave His life as a ransom for many and redeemed us by His blood. He overcame the grave so we can have life with Him everlasting. This is the Gospel. This is the grace that Newton wrote and sang about. This is the truth that Pierpoint wanted to lift high in praise. "For Thyself, best gift Divine, to the world so freely given..."


"For the Beauty of the Earth" is one of the rare hymns devoted solely to giving thanks (which has made it strongly associated with the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States). We cannot think upon the extravagant grace of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, without lifting our hearts and voices in thanks, so in that way, these two hymns also go hand-in-hand, seamlessly sharing a powerful gospel message of just that- grace poured out by the the Lord and thanks offered up in sacrifice by His children.

Amazing Grace! How sweet the song
That saved a wretch, like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below,
Shall be forever mine.

When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.

----------

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies

For the wonder of each hour
Of the day and of the night
Hill and vale and tree and flower
Sun and moon and strs of light

For the joy of human love
Brother, sister, parent, child
Friends on earth and friends above
For all gentle thoughts and mild

For the church that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love

Christ our God to Thee we raise
This our sacrifice of praise 


Sources:

Trantham, Cara Cobble. Hymns: A Study on Classic Hymns, Volume I. The Daily Grace Co. 

Franz, Julia."The Complicated Story Behind the Famous Hymn 'Amazing Grace.'" https://www.pri.org/stories/2017-04-30/complicated-story-behind-famous-hymn-amazing-grace


Severance, Diane. "John Newton Discovered Amazing Grace." https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/john-newton-discovered-amazing-grace-11630253.html


Peterson, Randy. Be Still My Soul:The Inspiring Stories Behind 175 of the Most-Loved Hymns.Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2014.

Morgan, Robert J. Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World's Greatest Hymn Stories. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Inc., 2003.


Hawn, C. Michael. "History of Hymns: "For the Beauty of the Earth" https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-for-the-beauty-of-the-earth

Tuesday, January 15, 2019


Join Caitlin Jane at the National March for Life in Washington D.C. on Friday, January 18th! 

Come be a part of this beautiful movement to change hearts and change a nation on behalf of human rights for all, especially the unborn. 

Visit Caitlin Jane's booth at the March for Life Expo!

Thursday, January 17th, 9 am - 8 pm
Friday, January 18th, 8 am- 10:30 am & 4 pm - 7 pm

999 Ninth Street NW
Washington, D.C., 20001


Thursday, January 10, 2019

Human Trafficking Awareness Day-Support Survivors!



Hi Everyone!

Tomorrow, Friday, January 11th, is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. To support those who have been rescued from modern-day slavery, and to honor the lives that still need to be freed, I wanted to do something special. Many of you know I have spent time in the Philippines with an organization I believe in with all my heart, MADE IN HOPE, which was co-founded by one of my dearest friends, Michelle Tolentino.

Starting today through this weekend only (January 10th-13th), for every Hallelujah: A Collection of Hymns CD* that is ordered, half of the proceeds will go to MADE IN HOPE. In addition, you will receive a FREE "She WORKS" human trafficking awareness bracelet. These bracelets were made by women in the Philippines who were rescued from trafficking, and I personally purchased these so I could thank each of you for supporting this great cause!



MADE IN HOPE empowers women and children who have been rescued from the global sex trafficking trade to break the cycle of exploitation and secure their freedom by providing education, sustainable livelihood opportunities, and care in the healing process. They also advocate for the still enslaved, increasing global awareness and mobilizing support. Their mission is founded in the love of Jesus, who has a plan for each life, giving us all a future MADE IN HOPE.

Let's partner together to support this amazing ministry that is rescuing lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually!

Caitlin Jane

*proceeds from only physical CD orders will go to MADE IN HOPE, not digital downloads.
Click Here to Order and support MADE IN HOPE!