Your sometimes overly anxious and slightly agitated sheep again 

I just wanted to update you on how my plans to get us to green pastures are coming along 

Honestly it’s the same sad song 

Everything was going so well until everything went wrong 

Waves of anxiety have tried to drown me and I don’t think that I’ve ever felt so out of control 

Please lead me to still waters 

I desperately need you to restore my soul 

My mind, will and emotions have taken blow after blow and I don’t know what to do 

I went from at least looking like I had everything together to waking up and feeling like I don’t have a clue 

And the only thing that I’m certain of is that with every newfound pain and every wrinkle in my reality comes a reminder: I am not you 

I’m sorry that I ever thought that I was 

Dear Shepherd, please remind me that peace comes when I allow you to take the lead 

Remind me that when I have You, I have everything that I need 

And when I’m tempted to make decisions based upon my own nearsightedness 

Please remind me that only You know the path that is right 

Guide me with Your word and Your presence 

The commandments and the cloud by day and fire by night 

Help me to fall so in love with You that when you ask me to surrender I won’t put up a fight 

Be more to me than the Savior that I need to survive 

Become the Satisfier in whom I delight 

And as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death and the terrain gets tough 

Let that shadow be overshadowed by the reality that You are with me and that Your grace is enough 

Thank you for loving me enough to correct me when I get off course 

And when my enemies tried to stop my forward progress, You prepared a table before me reminding all of us that You are my source 

You anoint me, You heal me 

You appoint me, You refill me 

You sustain me with goodness and chase me with mercy that follows me until my last breath 

And Your plans for me prove that Your passion for me is stronger than death 

And as my final day approaches, please remind me that You are closer still 

Let my homesick heart be reminded that this body is only a tent that will fold at the command of Your sovereign will 

You are Yahweh and I am Yours, invited into Your forever shalom 

I will fear no evil because even death is only a doorway – home. 

Written by Jarrell

CHECK OUT THE MEANING BEHIND THE SONG “FLY”.

“FLY” is the first song from Jarrell’s new album “RISE”. RISE is a concept album that tells the story about a person who decides to defy the odds in life and reach for more. Watch Jarrell explain the story below.

When I first stepped out to be a full-time missionary through music and to artists, I pictured things going a little better than they did. A few days after I informed the right people of my decision, it seemed as though God was beginning to open doors to do what I loved – ministering through music and mentoring artists. Things were starting off with a bang! I shared the stage with some of my favorite worship leaders, and I went out of state AND out of the country to do music in a three-week span. I was offered an opportunity to mentor an artist that would have paid me considerably more than I was making at the church. I thought it was all God’s plan.

Then things started to turn. Concerts stopped coming… which meant income stopped coming. The opportunity with the artist never materialized. After talking and waiting for about nine months, I eventually had to cut off the expectation of any kind of partnership. My wife and I prayed about what to do and we agreed that God wanted to do something with our RISE community and with the music he had given me. We decided that my wife would begin working for a season until we were able to build something that sustained us. While she was glad to help, my identity as a man took a heavy blow.

To add to all of this, I underestimated the toll that life had taken on my emotions. There were some things that I didn’t take the time to deal with on an emotional level. Years of hurt and offense came to resurface as this transition was taking place. I was tired. My whole family was tired. I was in a dark place where my faith was shaken in a way that it had never been before. I still tried to press on and create an album in the middle of the pain. I felt like I had to press on and try to keep what little momentum I had left. I set a date for the release of my new CD and I failed miserably to meet it. I was so disappointed in myself. I came face-to-face with my own limitations and I felt inadequate to minister let alone lead. I was on the verge of losing hope. Then Jesus did a thing.

A church asked me to do a spoken word for their Easter services and the theme was “Hope”. I found myself in a situation where I had to write about God’s power in the middle of tragedy… and I was mad at God for allowing my personal tragedies to happen. I felt like He abandoned us. But something awesome happened. As I began to write, the Lord began to remind me of who He was. He is God and He is Sovereign. And He is Love! As I wrote, I could feel the healing begin to take place. Then, in His mercy, the Lord showed me where I went wrong and how to get back on track. He also showed me that everything that I was seeking was already around me. He placed all the right people around me to help me in this season. It was me that closed the door to His blessings by not participating in genuine community with others.

I’m happy to say that I’m coming out on the other side of this valley. I’m coming out with a new perspective. I’m coming out with a new passion and new energy to work. And I’m coming out ready to RISE. Things that bothered me don’t bother me as much anymore. I’m not chasing the validation of people. I know longer want to be in the “in” crowd with people who tolerate me instead of celebrate me. Getting left out of things and circles can only mean that God has something better. My hope is not in idols and temporary saviors when I serve a God who is so much greater.

I want to encourage you. When everything that you put your hopes in falls apart, just know that God allowed everything to be shaken so that you’ll know the difference between the temporary and the eternal. The shaking revealed the foundation. The shaking came, but it didn’t take you out. You’re still standing along with everything else that was supposed to remain. It’s time to rise, my friend. RISE.

TO LISTEN TO THE SPOKEN WORD THAT I WROTE DURING THIS TIME, CLICK HERE.

“You don’t have to create a masterpiece every day. Some days you just need to paint.” – Jesyca Medellin

“Create! Focus on just getting it out of you: onto the paper, onto the stage, on the recording, onto the canvas, etc. the editing process happens after you’ve gotten it out of you, not before.

Progress isn’t a straight slope, it’s more like a wave pattern— the trajectory isn’t always upward. You don’t have to make your work perfect, or even better than the last thing you did. If you focus on making your work honest then, even when your trajectory isn’t upward, it will always be forward.

Art is meant to be shared, and it’s also meant to be consumed. So, sharing art is kind of like sharing food. Once it is shared, it no longer belongs to you. There’s no way to take back what’s been consumed, and there’s no way to control the digestive process. Don’t try to possess what doesn’t belong to you, and don’t stress over what you can’t control. Some things aren’t right for everyone to eat. A food pleasant to one creature may be toxic to another: one creature may be able to chew the cud but isn’t able to tear the meat from the bone. Create in consideration of the health of the ones you’re meant to feed, not the ones you aren’t.” –Nathaniel Rainey

 “Always stay true to who you are. Finding your ‘creative style’ does not happen overnight. Also, never be afraid of criticism or a challenge from those you look up too. And never stop seeking inspiration.” –Gabriel Garcia

“Force yourself to work. Sometimes as artists we wait for the right “mood” to use our creativity, and sometimes we get to reliant on that mood to be the driving force of our creativity. In order to be a productive, reliable artist, you have to train your creativity as you would a muscle. To take the time out of your day to challenge yourself to create without being in the mood.” – Caleb Gonzales

“Develop relationships with other creatives ….they will help you through the hard times and remind you who you are when the discouragement tries to sell you a lie that you’re less than…Our relationships have catapulted us over some deep discouragements and disappointments.” –Tanya Dillard

“Don’t be afraid to try new things or things that seem difficult. And don’t fear failure. I can honestly say trying something and failing has taught me so much more in life. The next time, you know what not to do. Take every failure as a stepping stone towards your ultimate goal. Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward. ” – Becky De Leon 

If you are a creative person looking for a community, join the movement by clicking here.

If you would like more info about the RISE Movement, check out our mission presentation by clicking here.

Until next time! Share any advice or encouragement you may have for others on their creative journey, in the comments below.

“And to the man he said, ‘Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grain. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.'”

Before being asked this question, I never really gave that idea much thought. I had to go back and read exactly where God placed the concept of work in the garden of Eden. It didn’t take long to see that God put Adam to work before the penalty for sin. And it sounds like it was pretty hard work too! Genesis 2:15 lets us know that God placed Adam in the garden “to tend and watch over it”. In verse 18, we see that Adam needs a helper so God makes Eve. So yeah, there was a lot of responsibility and work going on. So what’s the difference before the curse and after?

The difference was that, after the curse, the work that they were used to doing wouldn’t result in fruitfulness. They would actually have to work MORE and get LESS in return. As farmers, they would sow into a ground that was fighting against them and refusing to give them what their work was worth. (You know where I’m going with this.) The scripture tells us that mankind would still be able to eat grain from an unwilling ground. That was God’s mercy on display. But when the curse isn’t involved, we have a picture of hard work PLUS an environment that is willing to be a blessing to the sons of God. We see the investments of our work and time ALWAYS resulting in fruitfulness.

The key to fruitfulness is in the gospel. Do we really understand what Jesus did when He conquered sin and invited us to abide in Him? He is not a weak Jesus who sheepishly asks us if we would let him come into our heart. The Word made flesh rose victoriously, called us by name, transformed us, and baptized us into Himself. We are sons and daughters of God and JOINT HEIRS with Christ. This is the same Christ that ran up on a fig tree and was like, “I AM the Life. If you don’t want to be fruitful while I’m around you, then you’re the one cursed and not Me.” He flexed on a tree, y’all! He refused to live under the same curse of an unwilling ground that Adam did because fruitfulness has always been a top priority for God. “Be fruitful and multiply”, remember? And here’s the key: Jesus worked HARD. During one of His claims to be God in John 5:17, he says “My Father is always working and so am I.” But he only invested His time into what His Father told him to do. That’s why He was always producing fruit.

I want to encourage you as an artist. Don’t settle for working hard and barely getting a return. That’s not your portion as a son or daughter of God. And don’t let the world OUTWORK you. In one of her songs, Rihanna says “we sweat for a nickel and a dime, turn it into an empire.” If the world can make careers in music and artistry with limited resources and limited revelation in a world that is hostile to fruitfulness, then the people of God can do so much more. Remember who you are!

#RISE

After 13 years of being married to an artist, I can tell you there are pros and cons. Every marriage takes work, whether you’re an artist or not. But I must say, my marriage has been one of my life’s greatest works. It’s a work I have devoted a lot of time and effort into. My relationship with Jarrell has been the relationship that I have put before all others for the last 15 years. So even though we are sooooooo different from each other, we are still together. Even though we do not initially agree on a lot of approaches to segments of our life, we are still together. Even though he has lots of females around him all the time because he is an artist, I still trust him and we are still together. Despite these things, our partnership grows and expands each year. Even though right now we are in one of the most stretching and scary seasons of our entire marriage…we celebrate 13 years today.  Another year down. We are an anomaly. I want to see all of my married creative friends go beyond celebrating that their marriages have made it another year. Instead, I want to see their union and partnership get better and better as they simultaneously bring their creative visions to life.

3 Keys that I believe has helped our artist marriage thrive over the years:

1. Jarrell has always acknowledged our marriage and family to his fans, in his music, and from the stage- Sometimes we feel like the “odd man out” when we are at large industry events… simply because we are married with a family. Singleness is esteemed in the music industry sometimes. Maybe you’ve seen a few married artists choose not to wear their wedding rings on stage in order to give a “single” look to their fans. It happens, but I don’t know if Jarrell and I would still be together if he felt like he had to pretend like his family didn’t exist in order to “make it” as an artist. All that pretending on stage could definitely tempt an artist to act like it is true, even when the music stops.
2. He has purposely made space for me in his music career- Music isn’t “his thing” it’s OUR thing. I can’t play instruments, sing, rap, or produce music, but WE have music albums. You may ask, “How can you claim his hard work as an artist as your own?” While I haven’t played a creative role in the putting all of the music together, he has allowed me to play major parts behind the scenes of the album’s production. It is 100% a team effort. He has given me the freedom to insert my giftings into what he does. Over the years, I have invested more and more into the creative process as I have realized my talents and his needs. Music can never be “the other woman” if we are doing it together. In fact, every member of #TeamFlowers (our family) has consistently sacrificed to support his creative endeavors.
3. We both have submitted our lives to our Creator- I saved the most important key for last! Because we both strive to please our God, it can help bring closure to the disagreements that could destroy our union. I know that, if Jarrell is really in the wrong and not listening to me, he will listen to his Creator correcting him. That makes all the difference. I don’t have to nag or whine or manipulate to get him to see his errors. I just have to patiently allow the Holy Spirit to change his heart on the matter so that he sees the truth. And this happens vice versa too. Ecclesiastes 4:12 teaches us that one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves, but a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Our Creator is our 3rd strand.

Today Jarrell and I have been married for 13 years. We would love to celebrate marriages with our friends. In the comments, tell us who we are celebrating by telling us your names and how long you have been married.

Bonus: Watch a music video of my family here. If you and your spouse are going through a difficult time let this song encourage you.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT

When hurtful things happen to us, sometimes we truly believe that we’ve dealt with the situations and are able to move on. We never really take the time to grieve or heal. We just brush it off and go on for the sake of the family, the ministry, or whatever context we may find ourselves in at the moment. Transitions provide us with a space to breathe, examine situations and, most of all, examine ourselves. It’s at that place of examining ourselves that we find out that we’re not really ok. That was me.

My wife told me once that “the way you leave one season is the way that you’ll enter the next season”. I really do believe that to be true. I knew that if I left mad at everyone who did me wrong, then I would enter this next season unable to fully step into this new role of service that God has placed in front of me. There was just one problem. As much as I tried, I couldn’t let things go. I tried to remind myself of God’s love for me and how he forgave a sinner like me when I didn’t deserve it. But it didn’t work. I really needed God’s POWER to get over this stuff. Believe me, I felt like I had solid reasons to stay offended. I even used scripture to back up the fact that I didn’t have to forgive anyone who didn’t ask for my forgiveness. But the hurt and the ugly feelings towards people stayed. I had to give this whole thing to God. I told God that I couldn’t forgive even though my spirit wanted to. I told Him that I also knew that this unforgiveness would hinder me if I didn’t let it go.

On my way to a concert, I was praying in the Holy Spirit and I felt a huge weight lift from me. At that moment, I felt like I actually got the revelation that I was no one to hold anything against anyone else. I also felt something very special. I felt God’s love for me and His power to help me forgive everyone who hurt me. It was awesome! Only God gets the glory. Now I feel like I’m ready to receive everything that God has for me because my prayers aren’t hindered by an unforgiving heart. It gave me the confidence to know that God is for me so much that He would, in His grace, position my heart to be able to receive everything that He has for me. God is good.

I want to encourage you. A lot of friends, especially in our RISE family, are going through transitions. Reevaluation is happening. We’re beginning to rethink relationships, friendships, job situations, even theology… and basically life in general. God is moving us to a higher place. In the mind of God, the promotion was always going to happen. This new place that God has for was always reserved for us. The question is: are we really ready for it or are we going to hold on to the past by holding on to unforgiveness? You may never get the apology you need in order to forgive. As Jesus did, we must forgive those who do us wrong. (FOR)GIVE and GO do everything that God has called you to do. Live free! Greatness awaits.

#RISE

1. Work on your business, not just in your business – When you are a creator selling your art, you probably need to work in your business because you are the artist. But working on your creative business and not just in your creative business should be every creator’s goal. For example, an independent music artist should work on the structure that presents your art to fans & patrons instead of solely working on the art itself. Both are equally vital! Build your art business, not just your art collection.
2. Website > Social Network – Both a website and social network presence are needed in this day and age. In the online world, owning a domain where you house your website is like the concept of home ownership. It is to be aspired toward. Having a social network presence is like renting an apartment. It’s a good place to be, but it could be taken away at any time by the owner (the creator of the social network site). So putting all of your eggs in the social network basket, so to speak, is never wise. You must “own” a way to contact and present your art to your tribe beyond social network. Therefore, building an email list of your tribe and housing all of your business and art info on one central website is ideal for longterm communication. You may ask, “Why all the doubt in the life expectancy of huge social networks?” One word…Myspace.
3. Be “3 deep” – I suggest that you are “3 deep” in every outsourced position in your creative business. Do you hire a person to perform a task on a project by project basis for some of your business needs? That is called outsourcing. Some things we personally outsource to freelancers are graphic design, photography, videography, web development, performance musicians, etc…We may have a person that we have worked with in the past that comes to mind every time we are ready to make a new video for example. But what happens if that freelancer is busy or has a family emergency and can not complete our project by our reasonable deadline? Well, if we are “3 deep”, then we have no need to panic. We just contact one of the other videographers that we have enjoyed working with in the past. When we are “3 deep” we are bound to have someone available to meet the deadline for our project.
4. Choosing a tour mate is about more than talent – (This one is more music-specific, but it can apply to the process of finding the right partner in many aspects of your business.) The lifestyle and the personality of your tour mate are oh so important. This is something I have always encouraged my husband to consider when choosing who goes on the road with him. Yes, they need to be super talented, but they also need not annoy or frustrate him with their presence. LOL! You are a unique individual and you may not mix well with every artist you meet…and that’s ok! If you are spending days on the road together, having countless conversations over mealtime, and trying to present chemistry while on stage, then the entire person needs to be considered. Are you (and your family) energized or depleted after being around them? Spend some time with them AND their family (if married) off of the stage and make sure they are a good fit before adding them to the team. If your kids spend every encounter fighting with their kids, your spouses never speak to each other, and you have a completely opposite sense of humor…just keep looking. Even if you love their talent, keep looking. It’s just not worth it!

Creative friends, how will you find the people you need to become “3 deep” or tour with for example? My answer is COMMUNITY. You need community with other creatives in your industry. This is only one of many reasons why my husband and I believe in the RISE movement so much. Click here to join our RISE online community for creatives and join the movement.

What tip from the last two blogs will you apply to your journey? Let me know in the comments below.

Today, I am sharing 3 easy tips that you can implement that would empower you as a creative in business today.

1. Fail often!– Successful creatives that we admire always have an abundance of stories about when things went wrong. Have you ever thought, “How is it that this insanely successful person has had so many things go wrong? Most of the things I decide to do works out pretty well for me.” I believe that they have these kinds of stories because they are constantly taking risks. Brave people who step out and try new things will have more opportunities to fail.  If you aren’t failing, then you’re not trying anything. If you aren’t trying anything, then you have no opportunity to succeed. No Bueno. I’ve learned that taking risks and trying things that could either succeed or fail in front of my peers is a normal occurrence on a successful person’s journey.
2. Always pre-determine the ROI (Return On Investment)– Creative friends, this is so important to think about before considering ANY opportunity. Before accepting a gig from a new promoter. Before signing a contract with an agency. Before collaborating on a project with a new artist friend. Before doing anything new or anything you have done before, determine if there is any return on your investment of time and talent. If there is no return that you can verbalize, then ask yourself why you are drawn to participate. Sometimes, it’s because we don’t think highly about OUR time and talents so we treat them like something of no value. We aren’t treating them like our gift from our Creator. Sometimes, it’s because we sincerely feel like God wants us to do this specific thing. Unfortunately, we may also believe that He doesn’t care about reaping a return or multiplying our efforts. (That could be its own blog in itself. lol)  ROI = multiplication and the parable of the talents from the Bible tells us that is very important to GOD.
3. Under promise and over deliver– If you are a performing creative, this is how you keep your performance calendar filling up for your current project. A lot of places that book you will bring you back over and over for their future events! But they will not be inclined to do so if you or your representative talked you up and inflated you and your skill set just to get in the door. When a promoter or event planner requests a particular service and you show up to exceed their expectations, they WILL want to invite you back. What can you do to exceed expectations? This can be done in MANY different ways. One thing I see that Jarrell does often is that he makes personal connections with the people who brought him in AND with the concert attendees. He doesn’t hide out in the green room after the concert. He is often found talking, encouraging, or praying with staff, volunteers, and concert attendees until he is starving and exhausted. In this example, he may have promised to rap a few songs, but he delivered more than expected.

I hope this helped! I have 4 more tips coming in my next blog. Two weeks from now it can be delivered right to your inbox by simply leaving your email here: Click to Subscribe to Jeneil’s Angle

I would love to hear some of your tips for creatives who are on the journey too. Tell us in the comments below.